Digital innovation primer: Part five – Cybersecurity

By Craig Baty FIML

 

For our final article in this series on digital transformation for non-technical leaders, we’ll look at Cybersecurity. In last week’s article we saw how AI and robots will increasingly work alongside us to augment our capabilities, now it’s time to think about the elements we need to protect in this constantly connected world.

 

The evolution of security

 

What used to be called computer security is now most commonly called cybersecurity. The change in terminology reflects the evolution from discrete to interconnected computer systems. It is only since computers have been connected to each other that issues around protecting them from unwanted intrusion become prominent.

 

Cybersecurity has many parts, from the protection of individual devices to the protection of the enterprise and even the nation state. One important aspect is identity and access management, a range of technologies intended to ensure that only validated individuals have access to the appropriate levels of information. Identity management systems are now being implemented at the national level with the increasing popularity of e-government systems. Many identity management systems include a biometric component, using voice or facial recognition, fingerprints, and other distinctive physical attributes to verify and identify individuals.

 

Keeping enterprise information safe

 

The term Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) is increasingly being used to describe the range of techniques and technologies employed to ensure that enterprise information systems are secured from outside interference. Such interference can come from individuals, organised crime groups, other enterprises, or even nation states. They can be motivated by political, economic and national security policies, revenge, mischief and thrill-seeking in the case of individuals, or by financial advantage in the case of access to proprietary information.

 

SIEM systems are the fastest-growing and most important product area in Cybersecurity. They have three major components:

  • Data collection: Gathering data about system activity from syslogs, firewalls, application monitors, and operating system and network traffic logs.
  • Data analysis: Log management and retention, event correlation, user activity monitoring, and predictive and forensic analysis.
  • Reporting: Real-time dashboard alerts, email and SMS with alerts, analytical reporting, auditing and governance, and compliance.

 

Cyber-safety beyond borders

 

Cybersecurity is increasingly important to governments, where it is now an area of active international conflict. Cyber warfare is a reality, with nation states (and sponsored terrorists/black-hats) as perpetrators as well as victims. Most countries now have national cybersecurity centres, drawing on the capabilities of private industry, government and academic specialists in the area.

 

Cybersecurity is a constant battle of changing technology. There are many excellent point solutions, a range of comprehensive suites and a large services and systems integration industry that provide clients with cybersecurity solutions based on a range of products. However malicious players are constantly employing new techniques and technologies. It is a new arms race, a new cold war and there is no one size fits all solution.

 

Leaders at all levels need to arm themselves with enough knowledge to understand these threats and work with appropriate organisations to develop and implement individual, corporate and community plans for mitigating negative impacts.

 

Digital transformation – why you should care

 

Join us in Sydney where Craig will present an informative and insightful TEL Talk: Digital Transformation – Why should I care? This brief primer on Digital Transformation will address:

 

  • What is Digital Transformation and why is it important for today’s leader?
  • What are the key technologies and processes to be aware of?
  • How have these technologies been used to create truly transformative business outcomes?
  • As a leader, how can you prepare yourself for an increasingly digitalised future?

Craig Baty is Principal and Founder of Technology & Management Services (TMS), which specialises in research-based data-driven thought leadership and consulting for ICT strategy, outsourcing, vendor management, go-to-market execution, and market and competitive intelligence. TMS also consults on cross-cultural communications and managing virtual teams across multiple geographies. He previously held C-level leadership roles with global telecommunications provider BT (British Telecom), Japanese ICT & technology giant Fujitsu and ICT research and advisory firm Gartner. Craig currently serves as NSW Vice Chair of the Australian Computer Society (ACS) and on the NSW Council of the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA).

Four ways to protect your company from insider attacks

By Elizabeth Ticehurst

 

Security is a huge company expense. Guards patrol buildings, virus protection software is installed, laptops encrypted and mobile phones tracked. Yet a hard truth can be forgotten – employees may pose the greatest risk for companies. Protecting intellectual property and confidential information requires safeguards from misuse and theft by the very people who need to access these to complete their work.

 

A VERY REAL RISK

A recent case highlights the extent of damage insiders can inflict. It concerned two senior employees who worked for Lifeplan, a provider of investment products including funeral bonds and pre-paid funeral plans. The employees accessed confidential business and financial documents and used them to prepare a business concept plan, which they presented to Foresters, a direct competitor. They then copied a confidential database containing hundreds of funeral directors’ contact details, contracts, marketing and administration documents, and began approaching funeral directors to solicit business for Foresters while still employed by Lifeplan.

After the two joined Foresters, their funeral products business increased gross income by more than $22 million in two years. In the same period, Lifeplan’s business took a severe downturn and experienced losses of more than $20 million. Lifeplan took legal action against the two employees as well as Foresters, claiming they had breached their fiduciary duties as senior employees, and that they had breached Corporations Law provisions prohibiting the misuse of confidential information. Foresters was alleged to have “knowingly assisted” in those breaches. The case was appealed all the way to the High Court, which ordered that Foresters must pay the total value of its funeral products business (then worth more than $14 million) to Lifeplan.

 

KEEP YOUR BUSINESS SAFE

This case is not an isolated example. Clearly, an absence of oversight and a clear opportunity can prove a temptation too great to ignore for some employees. What then, can an employer do to protect themselves?

  • Written agreements. The first step, from a legal point of view, is to ensure that employees have signed a formal written employment contract with contractual obligations to protect confidential information. Surprisingly, it is not unusual even today to find senior employees who have no written employment contract! Small businesses or family-run companies often rely on a verbal agreement or a single sheet of paper to set out the terms of an employment contract. It is important to remember that while a properly prepared contract seems expensive, it can save a lot of money and legal difficulties in the long term.
  • Strong policies. Next, implement policies to control the primary ways confidential information is accessed and used. In most organisations, information is held electronically and employees access information through the company’s intranet, email and telecommunications systems. It is important therefore, to have a company devices policy covering IT and telecommunications systems and to provide compliance training. For example, the policy can state that certain information must not be downloaded on mobile storage devices such as flash drives. Policies should also alert employees that the company has the right to view all of their activity using company devices and systems.
  • Electronic monitoring. From a practical point of view, some degree of electronic monitoring will be required to enforce the company’s policy. For some organisations, such as banks, continuous monitoring is required, while other companies with limited resources will only need this periodically. Best practice is to direct monitoring to the times of greatest risk, such as when an employee is under notice and will shortly leave the company. Suspicious activity such as printing abnormally large volumes of documents, downloading information onto flash drives, or emails from a work account to a private one, should also trigger employee monitoring.
  • Legal action. Finally, even if the damage is discovered after the employee has left, all is not lost. Legal action can be taken to recover or stop a former employee from using confidential information, or to stop their new employer from taking advantage of it. However, as with most legal problems, prevention is better than cure.

Elizabeth Ticehurst is Special Counsel – Employment at KPMG

Digital innovation primer: Part four – AI and robots are here

By Craig Baty FIML

 

In this fourth of five articles on digital transformation for non-technical leaders, we’ll look at AI and robots. In last week’s article we saw how pervasive the Internet of Things has become, now let’s look at how AI and robots impact today’s workplace and world.

 

A higher intelligence?

 

Artificial Intelligence is the application of computing power to problems previously solvable only by human thought, if at all. It comes in many forms. Key technologies and applications include:

 

  • Advanced analytics: the proliferation of Big Data has led to the creation of massive data sets that can be effectively analysed only with AI tools. AI can spot complex patterns in the data visible to humans. AI’s usefulness as an analytics tool is especially relevant in the use of predictive analytics and decision automation.
  • Natural language processing (NLP) and speech recognition. NLP involves the interaction between computers and unstructured speech and text. The technology involves massive processing power and complex algorithms and is used in such applications as speech recognition and machine translation.
  • Cognitive processing: Otherwise known as semantic computing, refers to digital processing that attempts to mimic the operation of the human brain. It is especially suited to the analysis of large unstructured datasets and has been shown to be more effective than humans in the diagnosis of many diseases.
  • Robotic process automation (RPA): RPA has grown out of Business Process Automation (BPA), and refers to the use of AI techniques to automate workflow and business processes. A good example is the use of NLP to scan incoming emails and undertake the appropriate action, such as generating an invoice or flagging a complaint.
  • Machine learning: The use of AI techniques to help computers make decisions based on previous events. Like many AI techniques, machine learning involves a combination of raw computing power and logic-based models to simulate the human learning process.
  • Chatbots and virtual assistants: Chatbots are robotic processes that simulate human conversation. They are often used for automated online help functions. The technology is also used for so-called ‘virtual assistants’, which uses AI to interact with humans to provide information that helps them undertake specific tasks.

 

Brain and body: AI and robots

 

AI is software, while robotics is hardware. Robots are machines, usually but not always driven by AI-based software. Their first widespread use was in production line manufacturing, where they could be programmed to perform repetitive tasks. As AI becomes more sophisticated and robotics technology evolves, robots are increasingly performing more complex functions, from domestic tasks to education and training to mimicking human performance and behaviour.

Any application that involves AI being applied to the physical world is essentially robotics. This includes autonomous vehicle and aerial and seaborne drones. These also cross into the Internet of Things (IoT). It is common that these evolving applications typically draw on a range of technologies.

Although we are many many decades away from AI being able to completely replicate human decision making and behaviour (and opinion is divided as to whether this will ever happen), AI is not going away and will increasingly permeate all aspects of daily life. To remain ahead of the curve, leaders need to understand the potential for using AI to augment their capabilities and should begin the process by working with their teams to identify potential applications, then develop these ideas into proofs-of-concept (POC).

 

Digital transformation – why you should care

 

Join us in Sydney where Craig will present an informative and insightful TEL Talk: Digital Transformation – Why should I care? This brief primer on Digital Transformation will address:

 

  • What is Digital Transformation and why is it important for today’s leader?
  • What are the key technologies and processes to be aware of?
  • How have these technologies been used to create truly transformative business outcomes?
  • As a leader, how can you prepare yourself for an increasingly digitalised future?

Craig Baty is Principal and Founder of Technology & Management Services (TMS), which specialises in research-based data-driven thought leadership and consulting for ICT strategy, outsourcing, vendor management, go-to-market execution, and market and competitive intelligence. TMS also consults on cross-cultural communications and managing virtual teams across multiple geographies. He previously held C-level leadership roles with global telecommunications provider BT (British Telecom), Japanese ICT & technology giant Fujitsu and ICT research and advisory firm Gartner. Craig currently serves as NSW Vice Chair of the Australian Computer Society (ACS) and on the NSW Council of the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA).

There’s no substitute for experience: How to overcome hiring bias against older workers

By Nicola Field

 

At a time when leaders and managers have never been under more pressure to make maximum use of resources, it’s ironic that one of the nation’s strongest resources – our army of highly-skilled and experienced over-50s – are sometimes shunned by employers.

Despite the fact that we are living 25 years longer than our great grandparents, and the age of retirement is steadily creeping upward, Sinead Hourigan FIML, Queensland Director for Robert Walters, admits: “The reality is that ageism in the workforce still exists.”

100 RÉSUMÉS, FOUR INTERVIEWS

Even the most highly-skilled professionals have encountered age bias. Neil Tucker FIML, Principal of NWT Consulting (age 76), is a former Executive Director of the Council on the Ageing (COTA) NSW. With Paul McKeon, he co-authored the 2010 book The Rest of Your Life: How to make it as good as you want, and regularly presents on issues impacting older workers. Yet he knows firsthand how hard it can be to combat ageism in the workplace. In his 50s, he applied for 100 jobs. The response from these employers? A paltry four interviews.

Tucker says the issues surrounding older workers are complex. He suggests a number of reasons behind discrimination against older workers, including “perceived lack of proficiency with technology” and even “possible concerns about an older person’s health and physical capacity to work”.

Tucker also points to what many over-50s believe is a common problem: “We are living in a ‘millennial Facebook age’ – a fast-paced, image age, where older workers are seen as less adaptable than younger people even though studies show the reverse is true.”

This finding certainly correlates with the findings of Robert Walter’s Generation Gaps survey on the prevalence of age discrimination and unconscious bias in the Australian workforce. When 900 hiring managers and 1,500 professionals were surveyed, 84% of baby boomers said they preferred exploring new ways of working over tried and trusted approaches – yet only 5% of hiring managers cited ‘being open to new ideas’ as a key strength of older workers.

While that may be a reality, Hourigan says ageism is not always so explicit. “Those involved in the engagement and recruitment of workers do not overtly prescribe a preferred age for candidates. Everybody is more aware regarding what is acceptable these days.” However, she agrees that employers can have unconscious bias based on ill-founded preconceptions around older workers.

“Workers over the age of 50 are often seen as not having the qualities employers are looking for such as ‘agility’ and being ‘open to change’,” explains Hourigan. “Yet research findings demonstrate that older workers do possess these qualities, and in fact, have a genuine willingness to adapt to new circumstances and try new things in the work environment.” Hourigan points to hardware giant Bunnings, where one in three employees are aged 50-plus, saying, “They have shown that these workers are not just highly engaged, they are also extremely loyal.”

That loyalty is not entirely surprising. Hourigan explains, “We know that workers age 55-plus are reticent to leave an organisation with concerns about being able to secure alternative employment. Because of these concerns, they tend to be more likely to remain with employers than younger generations sometimes do.”

IS IT REALLY AGE-RELATED BIAS?

Dr Shirley Randell AO FIML has enjoyed an eminent career as an educator and expert in the public sector and institutional reform in the Pacific, Asia and Africa. The benefit of global experience has given Dr Randell an international outlook, and she says ageism isn’t something she has observed overseas in developing countries where “age – and the wisdom and experience it brings – is often viewed with respect”.

She notes that here in Australia, some organisations can push out older workers but believes there may be a variety of reasons for age bias. “It does depend on the sector,” she notes, “but for those working in frontline roles, employers may prefer someone younger.”

Neil Tucker acknowledges that there can be genuine structural reasons why an older worker may be unsuitable for a role. He says some older workers may have a short workforce horizon while an employer is looking for someone who will be with the company for up to 10 years. In other instances, “Older workers are often highly skilled, and employers can be reluctant to place them in a role where they are over-skilled.”

Hourigan confirms that hiring managers can be concerned that candidates with too much experience won’t stay in a role for long, but adds, “It is possible to flesh out in an interview how committed a candidate is to a role.” She notes too that these candidates can be a fantastic addition to the workforce and offer significant value for money for employers if they are engaged effectively.

Nonetheless, the problem of ageism can be systemic. Hourigan points to professional services firms, which sometimes mandate that partners need to exit between the ages of 55 and 60. “This may be primarily designed to accommodate new partners entering into what can be a complex partnership structure,” says Hourigan. “But it can inadvertently send a message that older workers are not valued.”

THE MESSAGE TO EMPLOYERS

Our ageing workforce is likely to underpin a massive shortage of skills as the baby boomer generation exits the workforce. This alone should encourage leaders to embrace the skills and experience that older workers bring to a team. But it demands a concerted effort. Organisations don’t just need to be open to hiring older workers, Hourigan says, “They need to be proud about taking this stance and shout it from the rooftops.”

A key starting point for employers is to consider how the organisation will make older workers feel welcome. “Reflect on the language used in recruitment advertising and position overviews,” advises Hourigan. “Expressions such as ‘fresh young faces’, ‘high pressure’ or ‘fast-paced’ can create pre-conceptions in candidates’ minds that may prevent them applying for a particular role or joining an organisation.”

The interview process itself may need an overhaul. Tucker observes that, “Older workers can face barriers if the person on the other side of the interview table is uncomfortable with the idea of an older person telling them what to do.”

Hourigan certainly recommends having older workers sit on an interview panel, saying, “We have a tendency to respond better to a familiar face, and by having broader age representation on a panel, older workers are more likely to form a view that this is an organisation they can identify with.”

Post-interview feedback matters too. When older applicants don’t hear back from a hiring manager Hourigan says they will often presuppose that their age is the reason they didn’t get the job. Most importantly, employers need to focus on a candidate’s ability not their age.

AGE-SYMPATHETIC WORKPLACES

Every generation brings different biases to the workplace, and the role of leaders is to create an environment of mutual respect. Hourigan believes there are a number of steps managers and leaders can take to help older workers not just feel valued, but also be seen as valued. One course of action is to give older workers recognition. “We tend to encourage our up and coming people but it’s worth acknowledging the contribution of older employees too,” notes Hourigan.

Employers also need to consider what motivates older workers, which can be very different from employees in their mid-20s. An organisation’s employee benefits program for instance may include subsidised childcare – a perk that is unlikely to be relevant for many older workers. However, Hourigan points out that allowing time for something like ‘grandparent days’ allows older workers to connect with both family and work.

According to Dr Randell, some employers may be unwilling to invest in the reskilling necessary to keep older workers up to speed with technological advances. Hourigan says this is an area where leaders can be proactive. “Older workers should be encouraged to participate in training and development. Employers often don’t invest as heavily in older workers because of perceptions they won’t stay on.”

WHAT CAN OLDER WORKERS DO?

It’s one thing for employers to shift their way of thinking about older workers. But this will take time and, meanwhile, the struggle to gain employment can be very real for over-50s. So what can older job seekers do now to increase their prospects of landing a role?

Hourigan says that just getting in front of a hirer can make a significant difference. She cautions, “Candidates need to be aware that a younger person may be the first port of call to screen résumés, so it is sensible to take steps to avoid any age bias at this stage.” Leaving your date of birth off a résumé or removing references to the date a degree was completed can create a more level playing field.

Creating a short, sharp list of your career history helps too. According to Hourigan, employers are usually only interested in the past 10-15 years of a candidate’s work experience so it’s enough to share this and leave more distant experience off your résumé altogether.

And if you can’t beat the social media age, then embrace it. Hourigan advises candidates to be active on social media sites like LinkedIn, particularly in a professional context. “If you are aiming to secure employment in a particular industry, focus on engagement with content relevant to the sector rather than taking a scattered approach.”

OUTSIDE THE BOX

Neil Tucker says, “Ageism is really tough” and adds that it calls for “persistence and a decent serve of resilience, which can be hard.” But it can be a case of when the going gets tough, the tough demonstrate the full breadth of their resourcefulness.

Tucker notes that the different options to pursue employment will vary depending on whether or not immediate income is needed to support a professional and their family.

A worthwhile first step is to tap into professional contacts. “Only a small percentage of jobs are advertised,” says Tucker. “And older people who get gigs are often those who know someone. So look around at who you know, no matter how humbling it may be.” As he points out, if you approach 15 people and get 15 “no’s” at least you’ve eliminated your network.

A change of expectations and mindset may be necessary too, including being open to a new career or taking on part-time work. “During my time with COTA, I received an application from one guy aged 56, who had applied for more than 200 jobs,” recalls Tucker. “He was a highly skilled engineer but he eventually found work running a mature workers’ project. He’d written so many applications, his employer was at least confident he could type!”

If you have breathing space in terms of income, raising your hand for voluntary work can widen the scope of possibilities. Tucker says, “It’s about getting a foot on the first step and showing that you’ve got form. It can be hard from a financial perspective but it may lead to meeting someone who offers you a job.”

If you’re prepared to accept a career change, Tucker advises, “Consider what you love doing – and what you’re good at. If you’re good at writing you may be able to pick up part-time editing work. If you love walking, think about becoming a walking postman – so what if you’re an engineer? It all comes down to being adaptable and making the most of your entire skillset.”

A healthy dose of self-reflection can also make a difference. “Older workers need to emphasise their qualities of loyalty and trustworthiness,” says Tucker. “Be honest about yourself. Consider ‘What do people like about me?’ ‘What do people find hard about me?’ If in doubt, ask others.”

Above all, aim to stay positive. Tucker admits, “The strain around finding a role can be prodigious, particularly if you are also dealing with financial responsibilities. But don’t let anger inhibit your approach.”

HOLISTIC APPROACH

There are many steps leaders and managers can take within their organisations to combat ageism but Sinead Hourigan says we are looking ultimately at a “significant societal issue” – one that requires the support of government as well as industry. The Australian Government is investing in a skills checkpoint for older workers, which is a start but more needs to be done.

“As a society we should be talking about diversity of age in the workforce as well as gender and cultural equality,” notes Dr Randell. “The Human Rights Commission is doing good work in this space, and we could see employers set targets for the number of older people in their workplaces.”

Most importantly, as a society, we need to value our older workers. “Experience is a valuable commodity and once lost from our workforce, it will be impossible to replace,” warns Hourigan. “Without our older generation providing mentoring and support to our future leaders and managers we run the risk of missing out on the opportunity to pass knowledge through generations.”

Digital innovation primer: Part three – The Internet of Things (IoT)

By Craig Baty FIML

 

In this third of five articles on digital transformation for non-technical managers, we’ll look at the Internet of Things. After introducing workplace innovation in last week’s blog, we look at how the Internet has become all-encompassing, enabled the internet of things (IOT) and become even more vital for all leaders to understand and leverage.

 

From Internet to Internet of Things (IoT)

 

The Internet was first developed as a way of connecting computers to each other. With the rapid growth of digital technology almost anything can now be connected to the Internet – hence the term ‘the Internet of Things’ (IoT).

 

There is a multiplicity of ‘things’ that can be connected to the Internet. It is not only devices. By definition, anything with an IP (Internet Protocol) address can be connected. Wireless technologies such as WiFi, Bluetooth and 4G and 5G telephony mean that devices and sensors do not need to be physically connected – indeed, with IoT, remote connectivity is the norm.

 

The key to IoT is the ‘embedding’ of Internet connectivity into virtually any kind of physical device, which means they can be controlled and monitored over the Internet. They can also act as monitors – or sensors – for other devices and applications. This opens almost infinite possibilities and expands the scope of the Internet and what it can be used for.

 

Putting the IoT to work

 

The IoT can be best understood using examples in different environments, as introduced in this non-exhaustive list of IOT applications:

  • Medical and health: IoT is the key technology for e-health, enabling remote diagnostics and monitoring, inside hospitals and in the community. Monitoring patients’ clinical condition and behaviour is a key aspect of effective healthcare.
  • Buildings and dwellings: The so-called ‘smart home’ is a primary example of IoT technology. Virtually all domestic appliances can be IoT enabled, allowing them to be remotely controlled or activated according to external conditions. At the commercial level, building management systems do the same thing on an industrial scale.
  • Energy and environment: The so-called ‘smart grid’ uses IoT technology to monitor and control the efficient distribution of energy. Smart sensors can be used to monitor all aspects of the environment and are increasingly being used for such applications as earthquake and tsunami prediction, warning and mitigation and wind-farm optimisation.
  • Transport: A high-profile application of IoT technology to transportation is the rise of the Autonomous Vehicle (AV), otherwise known as driverless cars. More important than the technology and the vehicle itself are the monitoring and control mechanisms that enable it to move safely and efficiently around the transport network. IoT technology is also important and controls transportation systems such as trains and aircraft.
  • Manufacturing: Automation has long been part of the manufacturing process. The IoT takes this to a new level, enabling vastly improved process automation, much of it based on big data and the sophisticated analysis of it. Digital twinning using IoT enables factory management to effectively replicate their factory on-screen or use virtual reality/augmented reality (VR/AR) to monitor, manage and maximise factory floor operations from a remote location.
  • Agriculture: The IoT has made possible such applications as driverless tractors and automated irrigation systems. However, its primary application of agriculture is in monitoring the environment to enable the right decisions to be made about the most efficient farming practices.
  • Smart cities: The term means different things to different people, but what they all have in common is the widespread deployment of IoT enabled applications including traffic and parking management, public space lighting, infrastructure monitoring, disaster recovery facilitation, and the like.

 

IoT has now moved beyond its earlier limited industrial applications and now permeates most aspects of society. As IoT can be embedded in almost anything, people are becoming very inventive. However just because your front door mat, your toothbrush and your mower could all be connected, it doesn’t mean that they should be. Leaders need to resist the desire of their employees and management to connect absolutely everything, and work with their teams to develop ideas for IoT use that can enhance corporate operations, improve safety, and create a competitive advantage.

 

In next week’s blog we will introduce Artificial Intelligence, robots and their impact.

 

Digital transformation – why you should care

 

Join us in Sydney where Craig will present an informative and insightful TEL Talk: Digital Transformation – Why should I care? This brief primer on Digital Transformation will address:

  • What is Digital Transformation and why is it important for today’s leader?
  • What are the key technologies and processes to be aware of?
  • How have these technologies been used to create truly transformative business outcomes?
  • As a leader, how can you prepare yourself for an increasingly digitalised future?

Craig Baty is Principal and Founder of Technology & Management Services (TMS), which specialises in research-based data-driven thought leadership and consulting for ICT strategy, outsourcing, vendor management, go-to-market execution, and market and competitive intelligence. TMS also consults on cross-cultural communications and managing virtual teams across multiple geographies. He previously held C-level leadership roles with global telecommunications provider BT (British Telecom), Japanese ICT & technology giant Fujitsu and ICT research and advisory firm Gartner. Craig currently serves as NSW Vice Chair of the Australian Computer Society (ACS) and on the NSW Council of the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA).

BOOSTING YOUR WILL TO LEAD

Empathy, intuitiveness and the strength to deal with complex situations – all vital skills for leaders. Interestingly, these are also natural abilities that most women possess. It’s surprising therefore that the rise in the number of women who sit at the top levels of organisations isn’t happening quickly enough.

 

Empowering women to lead

According to the latest research by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), there is a need for women to receive support in addressing fears that they lack the skills or experience to make it to the top.

Women need a confidence boost. But that’s not limited to a pat on the back or a novelty reward. They require the skills to tap into their inner strengths.

 

Uncovering barriers to female success

Our brain creates scripts that are used as shorthand to respond to certain situations, once the situation or context changes we often have scripts that no longer serve us and become error scripts.

Often in our own development, our brain hangs on to these error scripts, that become blockers of our own success and we begin to limit ourselves based on these scripts. This often happens subconsciously as these scripts are stored in our amygdala triggering reflexive actions. We often find ourselves after the event wondering why we behaved that way.

To create true change, we must first look to ourselves and make these changes to our own script as this rewrites society’s scripts on gender.

That’s where programs developed specifically to help women overcome these limiting factors, such as the Women in Life and Leadership (WILL) program can help. WILL assists in tapping into your inner strengths, growing your confidence in life and leadership capabilities, by uncovering and overcoming the blockers of your own success.

Theory U

The WILL program is underpinned by the Theory “U” – developed by two professors in the Netherlands, it is currently used extensively by many organisations around the world.

Theory “U” talks about “expanding the inner place in which we operate”. WILL assists individuals to focus on this via self-reflection.

With the support of leadership experts and body therapists, WILL assists you in understanding how to open your mind, heart and will towards performing at your highest desired levels in life.

The approach has helped many professionals – male and female – to unlock their leadership abilities. One such professional is Abbott Pharmaceuticals’ Human Resources Director, Judy Gambin, who said, “I have overcome challenging career objectives while improving personal balance and wellbeing. I’ve grown in my abilities both professionally and personally.”

The difficulty we face in this time of uncertainty and complexity is not in developing new ideas, but releasing the old, no longer useful ideas, from our lives.

 

Time to take a U-turn

Join us in taking a “U” turn at our residential workshop in May.

Book by Friday, 26th April and get A$400 off the program.

Plus, IML ANZ members enjoy a further A$100 discount when you use the code: 9455

Visit www.womeninlifeandleadership.com for more information.

Retain top talent without blowing your budget

By Nicola Field

For more than 50 years, IML ANZ has produced its National Salary Survey to help businesses and managers attract and retain the right talent. It’s the longest running such survey in Australia and Sam Bell FIML, General Manager – Corporate Services and Research at IML ANZ, shared the latest insights from the National Salary Survey, and what it reveals about attracting and retaining top talent without blowing the wages budget.

 

ONE IN 10 WILL RESIGN

The National Salary Survey found a resignation rate of 10% Australia-wide, according to Bell. Many managers express surprise when they see this figure, but it’s a figure that has, broadly speaking, held steady for several years.

Resignation rates do vary according to location and industry, says Bell. In New South Wales, with a strong state economy and abundant jobs, the resignation rate is 10.5%. In Western Australia, where there’s a downturn in the resource sector, the rate is far lower at 6.8 %. The highest rate of resignation – 14.1%, occurs in the banking/finance/insurance sector. At the other end of the scale, the agricultural sector has a resignation rate of just 7%.

A high level of turnover may be tolerated by large organisations with deep pockets. However, Bell points out that every time an employee moves on it costs an organisation around A$22,000 in terms of outplacement, recruitment and onboarding. That’s a significant bill, and it doesn’t include the disruption to teams and loss of productivity – or even morale – that can occur when good people leave.

 

START AT THE BEGINNING

“It’s really important to look closely at a candidate’s résumé so that you’re hiring the right people in the first place,” says Bell. “You really should be looking for a cultural fit because people who mesh with the organisation and its values, are more likely to stay longer and have a positive impact on the team.”

Interestingly, Bell says a high level of turnover in past roles isn’t necessarily a warning flag that a candidate is likely to jump ship prematurely. “In today’s world it’s unrealistic to expect an employee to stay with the same organisation for more than three to five years,” he explains.

That said, Bell believes it is important to use interview time wisely, and ask questions about why a candidate has left roles in the past. “You may get generic responses,” notes Bell. “But it is worth trying to get to the root of the problem.”

 

DITCH PERFORMANCE REVIEWS?

Annual performance reviews are entrenched in many Australian workplaces, but maybe it’s time to rethink the practice. According to Bell, organisations that do not use performance reviews enjoy lower resignation rates.

Bell explains, “Performance reviews can be a way of not addressing employee issues for 12 months. But younger people in particular, need ongoing feedback.” He notes too that it can be challenging to recall what an employee did three months ago, let alone a year ago, and questions how salary rises can be based on somewhat hazy details.

That’s why Bell recommends ditching performance reviews in favour of development plans that focus on regular communication via a weekly or monthly catch-up. “When a manager is prepared to spend time with team members it sends a clear message that the company is investing in its people and, as a result, they feel more valued,” says Bell.

For businesses that opt to ditch performance reviews, salary increases can occur on a rolling basis in line with an employee’s date of initial hiring rather than sticking to a rigid 30 June annual review.

Bell adds that if a team member is performing well, they shouldn’t always have to wait for their hiring anniversary to roll around to be rewarded with pay rise.

 

KEEP IT FLEXIBLE

Employers can send a powerful signal to their people by investing time and energy in their profession without paying for expensive courses. Bell says mentoring is an easy way to create dialogue, encourage people to hone their skills and to see the bigger picture rather than just taking a myopic view of their day-to-day tasks.

Working flexibility, such as working from home, is also highly valued by many employees. Bell points to the changing dynamics of lifestyle and technology that make telecommuting a growing trend – and one that can support staff retention: “The flexibility to spend at least part of the week working from home is a proven way to attract staff without paying any additional salary.”

Bending to employee preferences for a shorter working week can also be a way to hold onto quality talent. “Employees can struggle to find another business where they can work their preferred hours, so if a flexible working week is approved by their current employer, it definitely reduces the likelihood that an employee will move on,” notes Bell.

Offering some flexibility with start and finish times can also help, especially for employees with young children or other carer commitments. Bell says, “As long as staff know the appropriate times to schedule meetings, the system can work well.”

 

HEALTHIER = HAPPIER

A healthy employee is a productive employee – and maybe even a more loyal one. Being proactive about your team’s wellbeing can enhance retention rates.

IML ANZ’s National Salary Survey revealed some innovative practices employers are adopting to keep good people on board. These include ‘walking meetings’ and wellness days, where a masseuse comes into the business for a morning at the company’s expense. Bell notes that IML ANZ recently held a ‘bring your dog to work’ day though he admits some of the pooches did get a little unruly. Nonetheless, what matters is that the organisation is willing to try different things: “It’s about breaking up the routine and relaxing the office culture a little.”

Other wellness innovations include the use of Employee Assistance Programs. Bell explains that these typically involve a phone-based counselling service that employees can use if they are experiencing personal issues – anything from addiction through to a relationship breakdown. The service is confidential but is often costed on a ‘pay per use’ basis, between the employer and counselling service.

Taking a creative approach to annual leave is another strategy but it goes beyond bonus days off, and can include leave for voluntary activities.

A more pressing issue for many small to medium enterprises can be maternity and paternity leave. Bell notes, “They may be able to afford to top up government-funded maternity/paternity leave so that an employee receives close to their regular wage or salary. It’s a way for smaller employers to compete with the big end of town.”

Ultimately, staff retention is all about finding ways to demonstrate that you value your staff – and help them thrive in your workplace. This requires an investment of time and effort. But it’s a lot easier and cheaper than farewelling quality talent and trying to fill the gap they leave behind.

The full version of this article appeared as ‘Let’s Stay Together’ in the December 2018 edition of IML ANZ’s exclusive Member magazine, Leadership Matters.

Creating a climate for change: the privacy conundrum

By Annelies Moens CMgr FIML and Chris O’Connor

 

We recently read an illuminating article by Jeff Kluger, editor at large for Time. At its core, it asserts that from a behavioural standpoint, we humans are going to find it very difficult to take action on climate change – until it’s too late. As he put it, “when it comes to the loss of the entire planet, well, we ought to take action. And yet we don’t; we never do.”

Why the widespread inaction?

Kluger rationalises that climate change falls into an ‘ignore-the-problem’ box as it doesn’t fulfil the criteria we need to be motivated to act. The same can be seen in how privacy issues are often treated ­– organisations are sometimes good at predicting future outcomes and identifying risk but fail to understand the relative potential of the risk and ultimately, do nothing about it.

When it comes to taking steps to manage fundamental human and economic rights, such as privacy, many organisations fail to appreciate its significance. Privacy is a building block that leads to the protection of other rights taken for granted in many parts of the world such as autonomy and freedom of expression (no chilling effect). The protection of people’s privacy is fundamental to democracy. Yet it is easily whittled away to the point that individuals no longer have control over their own personal information.

The common folly

The over-collection and misuse of personal information, as well as the ubiquitous number of data breaches, bear a heavy cost on society and business. Think of Facebook’s market capitalisation that dropped US$119 billion after announcing that growth had slowed since the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Equifax and Target’s well-publicised data breaches cost the companies approximately US$300 million each, not including all the indirect costs such as customer churn, loss of trust, identity theft and the illegal sale of personal information.

Despite this, many organisations fail to adopt basic precautions, such as two-factor authentication or minimising collection of unnecessary data points, such as date of birth or deleting data they no longer need for their organisation’s purposes.

Each quarter, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) reports on the causes of data breaches by regulated entities. The majority of data breaches are due to human factors such as falling for phishing attacks, which can be thwarted if secure forms of two-factor or multi-factor authentication are in place. Indeed, half of cyber incidents as the OAIC reported in its most recent quarterly reports were due to phishing attacks.

Despite climate change, data and cyber issues being in the top five likely to occur risks, privacy, like climate change, can be seen as a far-off issue, one that takes a back seat to more immediate and pressing issues. This is a mistake.

To motivate action our knowledge and beliefs must align

What do privacy and climate change lack in fulfilling the required criteria to motivate people to act? Here are some reasons:

  1. They lack the “me” component. As David Ropeik, an international consultant on risk perception and communication, said in the Time article, “Nobody wakes up in the morning and looks at the long-term climate forecast. They ask what the weather is today, where I live, and how it’s going to affect me.”In terms of privacy, the lacklustre response of senior leaders and directors to privacy issues show the failure of leaders to put themselves into the shoes of their customers. They prioritise shareholder primacy and profits over customer privacy (consider Facebook’s response to the privacy scandals) or give primacy to politics (consider the privacy problems surrounding the rollout of the e-health record in Australia).

    It is growing increasingly clear that customer and community values need to be accounted for. It’s not good enough to focus solely on maximising shareholder value, if long-term sustainability is a goal for shareholders (see “Innovate before it’s too late” by Mariana Mazzucato in Company Director pp.12-13, Dec 2018/Jan 2019).

  2. The consequences seem far in the future, so we discount the risk. Paul Slovic (University of Oregon psychologist and the President of Decision Research) said in the Time article, “When it comes to acting on problems, the lure of our current comforts and conveniences will often cause us to act contrary to our values.” When it comes to valuing privacy, numerous studies show that whilst people highly value their privacy, they often don’t take steps to trade it off for other considerations such as convenience. This is known as the Privacy Paradox.
  3. It can be hard to envisage how climate change or a breach of privacy will affect us – personally. What will our lives be like if there are two or three degrees of warming or if our identity is stolen? Ropeik says “if you ask even the most devout climate change believers how they think it’s going to affect them, they often can’t quite describe it”. If you can’t put yourself in the picture, it’ll be easy to ignore.

    Similarly, the nexus between a privacy breach, such as a misuse of your identity and the harm could be years apart. For example, you may only realise the impact of the misuse of your personal information when you can’t get a loan for the house you want to buy. At some point in the past, someone has misused your identity and has defaulted on a loan in your name, often seen in privacy complaints to the OAIC. The damage, in contrast to a plane falling out of the sky, is not instantaneous. Sometimes, we can’t even connect the misuse with the harm that happens down the track.

  4. There is a sense of futility or hopelessness. The inefficacy factor, whereby people think that individual action has no impact particularly on large problems. Slovic says that “we reason that we can curtail things we want to do – like driving or flying, but if other people aren’t going to do it, it’s not going to make any difference.”

    Consider all the information about us held by third parties or in the public domain or what our friends post about us on social media platforms over which we have no control. So, what does it matter if we hand out our personal information again? For example, what does it matter if I keep on handing over my personal data in insecure environments (such as HTTP rather than HTTPS on websites); or when the data is actually not required by the requestor (like a vendor asking for a date of birth when you are purchasing wine online, when all the vendor really needs to know is that you are over 18). In the latter situation, many customers would simply provide a fake date of birth to complete the transaction anyway.

So, what needs to happen to effect change in such scenarios? Let’s restate the conundrum outlined above in the positive:

Seven knowledge and belief statements that must align to get people moving to make changes

  1. I know this will affect me
  2. I can clearly envisage how it will affect me
  3. I am clear about the future consequences of doing nothing
  4. I am willing to make the effort today to make tomorrow better
  5. I feel confident that our actions today will achieve the desired outcomes
  6. I have the support, knowledge and tools to act

The last and most important factor that the Time article does not address is:

  1. Leaders must not just say they are all behind the initiative, they must reflect that commitment in their actions – every day.

Many people are very good at spotting inauthenticity and if they don’t believe their leaders are committed, they won’t be either. Accountability for privacy needs to be at senior leadership levels, with an ability to influence culture and practices organisation-wide.

We are entering an era of social climate change when it comes to privacy, as more and more people are becoming aware of the value of their data and what the impacts are of not managing privacy well. We still, however, have a long way to go to building in privacy by design into organisational processes and systems and making privacy core business.

In terms of climate change, the lack of leadership in some countries is concerning. The stakes are high and in today’s global political (rather than scientific) climate, we’re not even close to getting on the right track to managing our natural resources sustainably.

Is your organisation displaying symptoms of this collective inertia?

The lessons we’re learning on a macro scale about motivation, commitment and action are equally applicable within government, business or not-for-profit. You may recognise the behaviour described above when you consider the last failed initiative within your own organisation. It may have been that people just couldn’t or wouldn’t support it. That there wasn’t the “corporate will” as some call it, to make it happen.

So, for leaders that are starting to realise the significance of making privacy core business and developing privacy management frameworks, we would encourage you to consider the following questions to start assessing your level of privacy maturity:

  • Do we have a clear understanding of the data needed as opposed to the data we would like from our customers and prospects? Can we clearly describe how that will benefit both the organisation and individuals for whom we are their data custodians?
  • Do we know what the result of doing nothing is? Can we quantify the risks of a privacy breach? Can we clearly articulate this? What would be the risks or impacts for the individual and other stakeholders? How would we respond?
  • Is our plan of action credible and can we show that our leadership is united and willing to do the hard yards and realise that data is an asset or a liability depending on how well it is governed or managed?
  • Do we have a clear understanding of what resources staff will need to make change happen? Will they know what to do and how to do it? Can they measure success?

If you can say YES to each of these questions, you’re off to a good start. But it’s not a silver bullet – there are numerous practical issues that will stand in the way (a discussion for another time), however, without commitment and collective action, you have no chance to overcome the inertia.

For more information on introducing privacy management frameworks and privacy maturity models into your organisation, contact Annelies Moens at operations@privcore.com and Chris O’Connor at chris@ock.com.au

Annelies Moens is the managing director of Privcore and Chris O’Connor is the director, practice lead innovation & agility at O’Connor Kingsford.

Digital innovation primer: Part two – Workplace innovation

By Craig Baty FIML

 

In this second of five articles about digital transformation for non-technical leaders, we’ll look at workplace innovation. After learning what digital transformation is in last week’s blog, what should leaders understand about how technology shapes the modern workplace?

 

Defining today’s workplace    

 

Digital technology has transformed the workplace, as it has so much else. The very concept of the workplace has evolved. For an increasing number of people, it is no longer a physical location. Rather, it describes the wider virtual environment enabled by such technology as smartphones, mobile broadband, virtual and augmented reality, collaboration tools and a range of other workplace productivity technologies.

 

It is now more than 40 years since digital technology transformed the back offices of large organisations. It is just over 30 years since the PC revolution swept through the front office and brought personal productivity tools such as word processors and spreadsheets to all information workers. Twenty years ago the Internet became a common business tool and the Apple iPhone ushered in the smart phone revolution around 10 years ago.

 

Each of these waves of technology transformed the workplace. We are now experiencing another revolution, driven by new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and the cloud-based delivery of personal and workplace productivity tools.

 

Technological backbone of the modern workplace

 

There are many names for the rapidly changing use of technology and related enabling policies at work including Workplace Innovation, Workstyle Innovation, Smart Workplace and others. Many technologies work together to make it happen. These include:

  • Collaboration tools: software that helps individuals in the workplace to work together on projects by sharing applications and data. Collaboration is not a new idea, but Cloud and artificial intelligence have enabled new ways of working together. At the same time, existing personal productivity tools such as Microsoft Office migrated to the Cloud and brought a new dimension to collaboration.
  • Social media: this is a consumer technology increasingly being used for workplace productivity. Sophisticated analysis tools, many of them driven by AI techniques, are leveraging social networks as important business tools.
  • Workflow and content management: another existing workplace application that has been revolutionised by new technology.
  • Mobility: smartphones, mobile broadband and mobile apps have enabled individuals to work anytime and anywhere.
  • Unified communications: the bringing together of different media – voice, data, image, video – into one integrated corporate communication system.

 

Not everybody is an information worker. New technologies are also transforming workplaces in areas as diverse as manufacturing, transport, energy, utilities and mining. Many of these applications, such as virtual and augmented reality, use a combination of technologies based on AI, the Internet of Things and other innovations. Individuals, the workplace, and the enterprise have never been more connected. Leaders should continue to work with their HR/HCM teams to identify any blockages to productivity and employee satisfaction, safety and engagement and with their ICT teams to co-create appropriate policies and procure the technology to enable them.

 

In next week’s blog, we will cover the Internet of Things (IoT).

 

Digital transformation – why you should care

 

Join us in Sydney where Craig will present an informative and insightful TEL Talk: Digital Transformation – Why should I care? This brief primer on Digital Transformation will address:

  • What is Digital Transformation and why is it important for today’s leader?
  • What are the key technologies and processes to be aware of?
  • How have these technologies been used to create truly transformative business outcomes?
  • As a leader, how can you prepare yourself for an increasingly digitalised future?

Craig Baty is Principal and Founder of Technology & Management Services (TMS), which specialises in research-based data-driven thought leadership and consulting for ICT strategy, outsourcing, vendor management, go-to-market execution, and market and competitive intelligence. TMS also consults on cross-cultural communications and managing virtual teams across multiple geographies. He previously held C-level leadership roles with global telecommunications provider BT (British Telecom), Japanese ICT & technology giant Fujitsu and ICT research and advisory firm Gartner. Craig currently serves as NSW Vice Chair of the Australian Computer Society (ACS) and on the NSW Council of the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA).

Aiming for the summit

By Lachlan Colquhoun

 

While working toward climbing Mount Everest, Belinda-Jane Dolan CMgr FIML is using the same tenacity, abilities, and framework she employs in her mountaineering to help clients reach their own business and personal summits.

Dolan is the founder and Chief Executive of the Clariti Group, a business advisory and training company based in Brisbane. The firm operates all over Australia and around the world and has been recognised as a seven-time award winner in the annual 2017 Stevie Awards for Women in Business for its work. It delivers leadership and performance advisory and training across the globe and in some of the most remote regions of Australia.

By late 2018 Dolan will have climbed South America’s largest peak, Aconcagua in the Andes. This climb will be the fourth of the seven summits. “I’ve climbed three so far: Elbrus in Europe, Kilimanjaro in Africa and Mount Kosciuszko at home, although that was more of a jog than a climb,” she says.

Dolan’s ambition and achievements are even more remarkable given that she was born disabled and walked with the assistance of calipers until the age of five.

It was in overcoming this disability, and in proving her doctors wrong, that Dolan’s sporting and mountaineering ambition was born.

“I’m the sort of person who, if you tell me I can’t do something, it’s like a red rag to a bull,” she says.

“When they told me I wasn’t going to be able to walk, I remember thinking ‘what is the most gargantuan and audacious thing I can do?’, and that’s when I thought I’d go out and climb the highest mountains on each continent.”

Dolan’s goal-setting also extends to the Clariti Group. “Our focus is on using our company to positively impact the lives of one million and one people globally through our work. Clariti is a standout brand dedicated to building workplaces and leaders to reach their ultimate performance and, with our guidance, they truly believe in themselves that they can achieve their dreams,” she said.

Taking the symbolism of mountaineering further, Clariti is set to launch an online training program called Finding Your Own Everest as it seeks to make its business and leadership education work accessible globally.

“Whether you aim to expand your business in revenue or performance, the focus of the Climb Your Everest program is to achieve a pivotal goal, and we help guide you to reach your goals,” says Dolan.

“It’s about finding the highest point you can reach and understanding that the difference between good and great is often just a little bit more effort — that’s where Clariti comes in.”

Dolan began her career in education and formed her first company in her 20s. She has spent the past two decades living and working across eight different countries, from the US to New Zealand to Turkey and the Gulf States.

Her passion has been business education and leadership, “to bring individuals together to make great organisations remarkable.”

Part of Dolan’s passion was motivated by witnessing some negative experiences in the corporate world which were alienating talented people and creating “corporate refugees” who still had a lot to offer. However, they were frustrated with the leaders and/or the culture of their organisation, which Dolan, says, “didn’t allow them to grow and shine.”

Clariti Group seeks to embody the best of corporate culture and to promote this vision to its clients. Dolan explains, “We understand how important leadership and performance are to the success of companies both here and abroad. As a developer of leaders and high performing teams sitting on and advising boards we can directly or indirectly influence the positive outcomes of organisations.”

For Dolan, the most important quality for leaders is “relatability”. “As a leader, you have to be real, and you have to be able to understand what you are good at and what you need your team to help you with,” she says.

Dolan recently completed the Chartered Manager qualification through the IML and said the process was “invaluable.”

“Completing the qualification was a fabulous decision, and I’m so glad I did it,” she says.

“As a goal-oriented person, the process of self-reflection that this qualification instils within you was incredibly valuable. As inspired leaders, we know that reflective practice is the key to operating at your optimum in an ever-evolving business environment. The qualification provided me with the opportunity to take my practice as a leader to the next level.

“I would not have done this to the same level if it hadn’t been for the Chartered Manager program.”