Zinc Blog

2023 was quite the year, especially where AI is concerned. The technology became the center of attention in the business world and in the public. What does this mean for AI, and how has this technology changed the way we do business, for better or worse? Let’s dive in.

Against all odds, remote work has been gradually accepted, but regardless of how your organization does it, it would be imprudent to overlook the obvious cybersecurity risks presented by remote work. Let’s take a look at the essence of zero-trust security and explore why it has evolved into the standard that organizations of all sizes should adhere to.

It’s hard to believe that it’s already been a few years since circumstances… “encouraged”... so many businesses to suddenly adopt work from home policies. As these circumstances have gradually normalized, many businesses have elected to keep these policies in place, either maintaining fully remote operations or shifting to hybrid operations.

However, some notable businesses have taken efforts to roll back remote work capabilities, if not discontinuing them entirely.

“If a craftsman wants to do good work, he must first sharpen his tools.” Like so many of the other quotes attributed to Confucious, this phrase is no less true today, even in the realm of business technology. It should come as no surprise that implementing the right technology for your particular business needs will produce greater results.

The real question is how to identify the technology that will contribute to the overall success of your organization.

How much technology does your business use day in and day out? More likely than not, it’s a lot, and we’d bet good money on the fact that you could be doing more to manage it. That said, it’s not always clear how to go about doing it, especially if you don’t have any in-house IT talent to handle this considerable responsibility. With managed services, you can overcome this challenge. Let’s go over what these are and how they work.

Cybersecurity is a complicated beast. Not only do you have to be sure that you’re protected from threats coming from outside your business, there are also a few very real threats that can originate from inside your business, too. Both are critical to prevent, which can be quite effectively accomplished via a zero trust approach to your security.

The modern worker has a lot of challenges and one of them is a laundry list of tasks to accomplish. For this reason, it’s best to have a plan for tackling your to-do list. One of the most effective ways to prioritize tasks is through what is called the Eisenhower Matrix. Inspired by a speech given by the former President of the United States and the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in World War II, the Eisenhower Matrix simplifies complex task lists to make getting through them more effective. Let’s take a look at how it works.

Oh, the afternoon meeting, the woe of many office workers around the world. Sometimes they are fine, but other times, it’s very clear that they are not always an effective use of your time. Despite this, there is still a heavy emphasis on meetings in the workplace, to the point where some employees feel that their time is being wasted and misused as a result—a premise that is supported by surveys and research.

One thing that will always be useful in business and in life is the ability to think critically. You might find that it’s even more helpful when considering decisions related to your IT infrastructure, too. Let’s go over how you can foster these skills within yourself and your employees.

Since it was—somewhat by necessity—implemented by many businesses a few years ago, many of these same businesses have been quick to abandon remote and hybrid approaches to work. If you are considering this return, we implore you to reconsider—in fact, we’d urge you to lean into further expanding the capabilities of remote and hybrid workers.

Wasting money is a major problem regardless of the kind of business you run. Technology can do a lot to stretch your dollars, but it can also be the cause of waste. This week, we thought we’d identify three ways that your business could be wasting significant money on your IT. 

There are many proponents of the four-day workweek, so many to the point where it is actively being implemented to determine if it is as successful of a strategy as it is in theory. You might be surprised to hear that it is, in fact, a successful business model, and there are studies to back it up.

Both in-house and remote operations have their places in the work environment, and many companies have opted to combine the two to create a hybrid workplace. While this too has made a world of difference for all kinds of businesses, others have found that it lacks the inclusivity that a modern workplace demands. Let’s take a look at the cause of this.

As businesses have witnessed how both in-person operations and remote work practices can offer unique value to their processes and procedures, hybrid work has become a more popular approach. This has in turn led to many businesses reconsidering how their business’ space is utilized…and even how much they need.

As the technology we use in business and in life has advanced, the threats that target it have done the same and then some. Let’s take a few minutes to discuss these threats and what you need to do to protect yourself.

Burnout is a very real thing, and it can lead to your employees becoming disengaged in their work in more ways than one. Their performance can suffer, but so too can their adherence to your workplace policies—policies like cybersecurity. Let’s take a look at the idea of cybersecurity burnout at all levels, whether it’s for your average employee or your IT workers.

Remote operations were the norm for some time during the pandemic, but now, hybrid operations have largely taken over fully-remote operations. The unfortunate fact of this change, however, is that your employees in the office are getting more out of meetings. Let’s discuss how you can make meetings more equitable for everyone involved, both remote employees and in-house staff.

While remote operations have somewhat given way to hybrid operations, this does not mean that your employees working remotely are having an easier time—particularly when they are participating in meetings with both in-house and remote participants. Let’s delve into how you can ensure that these meetings remain equitable for everyone involved.

Standing desks have become quite popular, especially as people grow more health-conscious post-pandemic. These desks are a little on the pricey side, so you might be wondering if they are really worth the investment. Can the benefits make implementation worthwhile for standing desks? The answer might surprise you.

Picking up on the fact that the workplace is changing isn’t exactly difficult nowadays—the past few years of remote work and mass resignations have made it abundantly clear that today’s employees are looking for more control in terms of balancing their work lives with their personal ones. One means of doing so that has gained steam is the idea of a shorter workweek.