Tag Archives: productivity

WFH Is Hard But Working Den Aims To Change That

April 15, 2021 The Silo Leave a comment

Launching at a time when the world is going remote, Working Den aims to serve the growing community of remote workers and businesses globally by offering a holistic solution to help members create a healthier, motivating and sustainable work environment.

With more and more businesses turning to remote working options, it is the best time to look at ways to ensure the wellbeing of virtual workers, as it is directly linked to their productivity and overall health. Working Den is affordable and easy to use software, offering a tailored and science-based service based on your profile, provided by a team of top professionals including psychologists, human resource and workplace leaders.

The platform is founded by Upwork’s top freelance talent Daniel Hall who has vast experience in remote working and has invested time in building the ideal virtual work environment. Led by the physical and mental problems he experienced in his 8 years working from home, Daniel hired a team of health and scientific experts to come up with solutions for Working Den. Together the features have created a go-to platform for wellbeing and mental health issues linked to remote working.

Working Den aims to improve physical and mental health via expert guidance, tests and ongoing support. Once the user signs up, he or she then takes a DSE assessment (Display Screen Assessment) which is a legal requirement in the UK, in order to establish what issues there are with the home working setup. It then provides solutions to the problems users have to ensure that they know how to have the ‘perfect’ home set up. This goes far beyond just a suitable chair and desk. Working Den service includes the Pomodoro timer built for productivity, a gratitude diary to help with depression, a depression assessment and an eye strain push notifications every 20 minutes to stop eye strain.

The solution that Working Den provides, apart from being affordable thanks to its SaaS nature, is a unique and competitive tool for individuals, virtual companies and companies who work with remote workers and virtual members.

The project serves as a successful case study for the UK Government’s Business Bounce Back loans scheme. Daniel’s advertising business was adversely affected during lockdown due to companies pausing their advertising internationally. To “bounce back” Daniel saw a gap in the market to help the masses of people who were working remotely for the first time with not much consideration given to their health. And the Bounce Back loan that Daniel borrowed is what has funded the business.
In Daniel’s words: “Working from home has nearly been the death of me. The loneliness of hardly ever seeing anyone, the constant long hours because you are always by a computer and the burn out that followed.

Lots of people who have started working from home since Covid will have experienced this and lots more will experience it as time goes on. I want to teach people there is a healthier way of doing things. What we have launched is only the start, we already have more features in development and I’ll do everything I can to improve the lives of people who are working from home.” For the Silo, Christina Ioannou.

Featured image- dmarcian.com

Culture

Why Biz Schools Need Focus On Communication Skills

March 23, 2019 The Silo Leave a comment

The importance of communication cannot be overemphasized since it is the cornerstone of civilization. From the very origin of the human race, communication was the means of conveying feelings, emotions and desires. It is this necessity to communicate that led to the invention of languages that are ever evolving even to this day.

Importance of communication skills

David Hume, the 19^th Century philosopher, was not wrong in stating that the art of communication is the language of leadership. This is why great orators proved effective leaders. Paul J Meyer, the founder of Success Motivation School, was also of the view that communication – the human connection – is the key to personal and career success.

Business schools are seized of the fact that effective communication skills are a must-have for success in the business world. According to QS TopMBA.com Jobs & Salary Trends Report of 2018, there is an increasing demand for MBAs trained in communication skills for effective interpersonal relationships and leadership.

This has prompted business schools to give priority to improving the communication skills of its students, particularly those undergoing MBA programs.

Need for teaching communication skills in B-schools

#1 In delegating

B-school grads require leadership skills in their future positions. And to be effective leaders, they need to hone their communication skills to explain what their expectations are from the team. The more clearly these responsibilities are defined, less will be the chances of miscommunication and mistakes. By effectively communicating, leaders can explain the role of each team member to get things accomplished faster.

#2 In inspiring and motivating

Good communication skills help leaders interact more personally with their team members. This personal touch acts as a morale booster and a great motivator, thereby lifting the spirits of team members. The result is increased productivity and cohesiveness as a team. This is in contrast to ordering people around, which may get the work done, but may cause resentment too and undermine the motivation of the team. Inspiring words from leaders are much more effective than words of command. The B-school students should be taught how to ask about employees’ feelings and what appropriate responses should they provide.

#3 In improving listening skills

Communication is not only conveying, but also receiving. It is a two-way process. So, leaders should learn to be good listeners too. This will not only encourage the team members to open up to their leaders, but also encourage them to convey their ideas and opinions. This two-way interaction creates a kind of bonhomie between the leader and the led.

#4 In making sales

What is commonly known as ‘shop talk’ is persuasive communication that helps the marketing personnel convince their customers into buying marketed products. Such communication skills require clarity in explaining the product or service to the customers that the marketer is selling. This is what converts it into sales, builds relationship with customers and widens the network.

#5 In handling crises

Businesses often suffer from crisis of one kind or the other. In most cases, timely action helps in overcoming such crises. However, timely action happens with good communication skills, which helps explain the crisis to all concerned in the quickest possible way. Communication skills also help in conveying the news of the crisis to the public and the media in the most favorable way, as also in steering clear of any controversies that may crop up due to such crises.

#6 In spreading charisma

Great speakers and orators are a charismatic lot and become the cynosure of the public. This is due to their art of communication that charms and motivates people to act at their behest. For business leaders, such charisma works like a charm for networking with key people and potential customers, as also to push their employees and team to do better in a constructive manner.

Conclusion

Effective communication is one of the most vital tools in business today. It not only enhances teamwork but also facilitates high performance and improves workplace culture. This is the reason why such skills have become indispensable for success in business and have made B-schools sit up and take notice. For the Silo, Merin Mathew.

Culture

GTHA Traffic Hurts Farmers Trying To Move Food Through Region Quickly

April 8, 2013 The Silo 1 Comment

Like a column of ants- "Today, in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, the average commute time is 82 minutes a day. Gridlock is a major issue affecting our province’s productivity." Ontario Premier Wynne image: us.123rf.com — Like a column of ants-
“Today, in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, the average commute time is 82 minutes a day. Gridlock is a major issue affecting our province’s productivity.” Ontario Premier Wynne image: us.123rf.com

Where investing in transit can take us…….The first subway line in Toronto opened in 1954, the year after I was born. I still remember riding the subway with my grandmother as a little girl. I was wearing my white gloves because it was a special occasion. Everyone was so excited, so proud.

Today, in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, the average commute time is 82 minutes a day. Gridlock is a major issue affecting our province’s productivity.

This is not just an issue of commute times for people in one region. Congestion in the GTHA hurts farmers who want to move food through the region quickly, truck drivers trying to get to the US border, tourists trying to visit and countless families who want to move from one side of the city to the other, without getting stuck in endless traffic.

Fixing transportation infrastructure will improve our lifestyle and our economy. It will also have a positive impact on our tourism, our natural environment and on the health of the millions of people who call this region home.

That’s why I know we have to move forward on this conversation.

But I don’t want anyone to think that transit or the GTHA is getting unfair attention or disproportionate investment.

And so it’s important to note that for the past 20 years, transit investment in Ontario has lagged well behind the funding we have put into the province’s road network, our bridges and underpasses.

That part of our transportation puzzle has received hundreds of millions a year; and in the past nine years, billions.

In contrast, there have been several years in that time period when the provincial government’s capital expenditure on transit was exactly zero.

There is a pressing need for change. That is not up for debate.

But when I listen to the rhetoric around transportation investment, I believe some politicians have made a short-sighted decision to avoid real solutions.

I know improving our daily commute is not about scoring political points. It’s about ensuring Ontario’s success. And that is my core responsibility as the Premier of this province.

People are ready to get moving. But to develop real momentum we have to change the way we talk about these investments.

We need to bring excitement back to the discussion of transportation infrastructure, and where it can take us, our children and grandchildren.

We have to talk about what we DO want. We want every part of this province to move quickly, safely and efficiently so that we can all benefit.

When it comes down to it, transportation investments will need tens of billions of dollars over the next twenty years. Our whole provincial budget each year is about $125B.

And our spending on programs including education and health care is already tightly constrained, the lowest of any province.

We need to find dedicated revenue for these projects, because the money cannot be found elsewhere.

I believe that any new funds must be directly tied to a measurable result. People need to know what they are paying for; they need to see where the money is going.

Whether the need is for new transit in the GTHA, light-rail lines in Ottawa, bridge repairs in Kenora or highway refurbishing in Huron County, we need to get this done.

We need to get Ontario moving.

So I will keep talking about what we can achieve for this great province. I will focus on the positive impact we can make through smart, fair investment.

But I need your help. Let’s tap into the desire for a safer drives, a better commute, cleaner air, a stronger economy. I know the will is there. I know the support exists. And progress will be made.

Together we can get this done. Premier Kathleen Wynne