Employees’ self-confidence and the management’s confidence in them can be increased by allowing them to participate in decisions and creating an environment free from gossip and backbiting. It can be reinforced by the pursuit of concrete goals that are in the interest of the institution.
The wheel will be, in such an environment, the fastest moving, and the achievements tangible. Mistakes are possible and there should be no shame in that. Among the tasks of the team are calculating the risks, developing the plan, define objectives, identify risks, build knowledge, consult an expert, and then completing energetically what is possible. And always adopting the principle of keeping backup plans to be used when needed.
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The team also has to take care of employees and their environment, respect and appreciate them. A good word has good outcomes - so it must be used a lot. Whatever you do, you will never find the ‘perfect’ employee as there must be deficiencies in some matters, as is the case with every being.
The important thing is to balance the strengths with weaknesses, and often the strengths are more. So, do not look at half the cup or two-thirds… and waste it. Attention must also be paid to the job titles that give an impetus to achievement and a strong drive to assume responsibility.
There is no shame at all in going back on a decision. The stronger the second and third levels of the staff, the greater the achievement under the leadership.
Blinded by the messaging
Many people only seek labels, ads, and other amplification. It is important for officials in departments to always consider the principle of price and its equivalent because, at the same value, you find yourself usually paying 40 per cent more just for the brand - and sometimes 300 per cent for no good reason.
We have many examples. One organisation completely replaced their ERP with the amount that used to be spent on annually supporting the previous system. The fact is that the performance is similar if not often better.
We should not be carried away behind the brand, but rather be drawn towards practical matters and value for money, effort, time and support provided. There is no shame in the origin of the product, so we must apply a fair comparison.
Value of co-operation
The wisdom says that one hand does not clap. What interest can be more pertinent than the interest of the country, the citizen, and the resident? The responsibility entrusted to us all by the enlightened leadership is to always strive diligently for the best.
One of the best ways to do this is to hold periodic meetings between similar sectors and consider only the positive aspects through which we can benefit each other. Experience and expertise are the university of life, and from where others reached can shorten long steps.
Even the most skilled can learn a lot from others because foresight is different for everyone - so the dimensions of the square or circle cannot be seen from one side.
Check the weather!
This topic may not be of interest to most people, but I liked mentioning it. These useful devices give us many weather readings such as temperature, wind speed and direction, humidity, air quality, the degree of solar radiation, the amount of rain, and other readings.
This info and such devices create a conscious generation of children familiar with science and numbers and develop their love of knowledge and passion for science. Installing these devices do not cost much, and start from around Dh600 from Ambient Weather.
But they require to be installed on the roof, where the wind is completely free and we get to know its direction. Some of these are used to feed global websites with readings. Also, it is possible through assistive devices from Google and Alexa to recognize heat and other data - but this time the information is real and from your home.
Don’t get personal…
We should not tolerate using official emails for personal matters. I wonder about those who use work e-mail for social accounts, or personal correspondence. Others send and receive messages that may violate rules or even subscribe to magazines and newspapers. But leave it for business…
Bring on the sun
We need to take advantage of wasted solar energy as solar-powered devices have become more efficient. It provides energy for surveillance cameras, lamps, fans, heating water, lighting, the television, water conditioners, etc., but one of the simplest uses is the use of solar lighting lamps to decorate trees. Unfortunately, the options available in the market are difficult to trust, but among the best brands is InnoGear which can stand up to three years.
Loose talk
Talking about the weaknesses of an institution and its staff is a clear violation of the simplest terms of the job agreement and information security. Therefore, we should not talk about the systems used, programmes, and apps because this may expose the institution to the risk of hacking. And you will be the cause of these repercussions.
Hackers often exploit these vulnerabilities by asking you indirectly about the quality of the systems. These questions are sometimes in the form of a questionnaire and another for developing quality and services - but we do not know whether it is a fraud.
The most likely to leak information are the temporary employees. Therefore, it is necessary to tighten up and renew pledges not to disclose any information about the systems, the environment, staff, or anything else related to this matter.
These employees often fail the social engineering test and some people during the interviews, get confused and talk about everything, thus exposing all the secrets. This is dangerous…
- Ahmed Al Zarouni is a Dubai based tech specialist.
