Is Your Business at Risk for Cyber Threats?

In 2015, small, medium and large corporations can face daily cyber threats from insider threats in the form of disillusioned employees, malicious and non-malicious hackers, and even nation states. What steps can executives take to reduce their risk and decrease liability? What are the expenses associated with protecting data? Even more compelling, what are the costs of a data breach?

Recent data breaches have targeted large companies such as Target, J.P. Morgan Chase and Google, as well as federal organizations like the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). These breaches have triggered questions about the cybersecurity of entities with access to highly sensitive information. Even without highly sensitive data, all companies face threats of corporate espionage such as the stealing of data files, customer records, processes and product lists. Ineffective security leaves financial information, medical records, addresses, and more exposed to hackers, and represents the greatest vulnerability of American businesses today. Cyberforce Security: Risk and Mitigation, a one-day course hosted by The University of Alabama Cyber Institute (UACI) and the College of Continuing Studies (CCS), will educate C-level employees on steps they can take to protect their companies from cyberattacks and how to avoid unnecessary litigation.

No network compromise is insignificant and each one aims to harm retailers, banks, insurance companies, international firms and more. Target lost the credit card information of 40 million people and later came to a $10 million settlement deal with victims. The accounts of 76 million households and seven million small businesses were affected by the J.P. Morgan Chase hack targeting the country’s largest bank. Five million Gmail usernames and passwords were compromised in the Google breach.

Perhaps the most severe breaches were announced during late Spring and Summer 2015. These breaches, likely perpetrated by foreign hackers, were collectively referred to as the “OPM hack.” OPM has recruited and supported federal employees from all agencies since 1978. In April, OPM discovered hackers had stolen the personnel data of 4.2 million current and former federal workers. Further investigation revealed even more information had been lost than initially thought. In June, OPM admitted that 21.5 million background investigation files on current, former and prospective employees were also hit in the cyberattack. This suggests that in addition to garage hackers, sophisticated cyber criminals and disgruntled employees, corporations must now also guard against nation states. The costs associated with combatting these threats are staggering to most businesses.

The pace of innovation and creativity of malicious cyber actors has drastically outpaced the evolution of cyber security measures. Most companies scramble to react when blindsided by a security breach because they lack any anticipatory strategies to predict and prevent breaches before they happen.

Bama At work , professional developemt and conference services division of The University of Alabama is proud to offer on January 21, 2016 the Cyberforce Security: Risk and Mitigation course to help C-level executive understand the importance of the cybersecurity process for their organization.  More information is available on our website.

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Article by David W. Aucsmith, President of Aucsmith Consulting and Mark M. Lowenthal, Ph.D., CEO of the Intelligence and Security Academy.

        

A New Generation of Leaders.

As the baby boomers begin to retire and leave the workforce, the millennial generation is steadily beginning to be promoted in to supervisory and management positions. Although many workers with more seniority seem to think otherwise, this is a good thing!

In 2015 Millennials surpassed Generation X as the largest generation in the U.S. labor force. According to Pew Research Center, more than one-in-three American workers today are Millennials (adults ages 18 to 34). This milestone occurred in the first quarter of 2015, as the 53.5 million-strong millennial workforce has risen rapidly.

Millennials bring forth a new set of skills, values and expectations to the ever-growing workforce.  They are generally thought to be well educated and technologically savvy. Never before has there been a generation of workers that has grown in to their positions with as much access to knowledge and information as the millennial generation.

Even with the knowledge and skills, many members of the millennial generation still have major obstacles to overcome. The biggest issues facing Millennials being considered for a workplace promotion revolve around their possible lack of readiness for the position. Although many Millennials are believed to have the knowledge and expertise needed to do a good job, many senior workers still believe this new and upcoming generation lacks the skill sets needed to supervise and manage.

To better prepare Millennials for this upcoming challenge, we here at Bama At Work have decided to provide a few tips for our rising generation.

1. Attend Conferences

 Conferences allow you to network with influential people in your industry. They also provide an opportunity to learn more about the field you work in. Attend presentations that allow you to engage in topics that you may not be personally familiar with and allow you to learn from some of the brightest minds in your industry. Try to think of attending a conference as a small part of advancing the ultimate goal of your organization.

2. Continue Your Education

 Continuing your education not only benefits you, but also benefits your employer. People who upgrade their work skills and knowledge not only keep up with the latest technologies and business techniques, additional training helps you climb the corporate ladder and to realize additional career goals.

3. Get Certified

Once you learn your industry and become familiar with the “ins and outs” of your field, it is time for you to prove it. Certifications demonstrate expertise in specialized areas and provide assurance to employers that an employee has the skill set needed to perform the required duties. Certificate programs such as the Management Certificate Program for Supervisors at The University of Alabama help prepare individuals to take on a management role while developing an efficient leadership style. These types of certificate programs not only give you the leg up on your competition, but they also show employers that you are ready to advance in your career.

As Millennials take over the workforce, it is important that they be properly equipped to lead and grow. Through continuous learning and training, the millennial generation is bound to be one of the most successful generations the workforce has seen.

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Article by Kevin Lake, Communications Specialist for The University of Alabama College of Continuing Studies. Kevin also  currently serves as the Vice President of Communications for the Public Relations Council of Alabama West Alabama division.

Management: Find Your True Calling

School has started for our kids. Soon enough, they’ll understand that learning never stops. Speaking of continually learning, I came across an article about frontline leaders needing leadership skills. The main points were these:

• Managers are important to organizations, but lack leadership skills.
• More seriously, only 12% of respondents to a survey felt their organizations invested enough in developing them.

The article mentions the changing demographics of frontline managers. Older managers are making way for Millennials. However, the point that struck me was their statement regarding the importance of taking a broader view of their own work, as well as the work of the team. This means skills that go beyond doing the job in front of you.

Also mentioned are several critical managerial skills. But, one missing from that list may be the most important: translating one’s work into a sense of calling. The skills in the article are functional. I encourage you to do the author the courtesy of visiting the original page, so I won’t list them here. Translating one’s work into a sense of calling requires a higher order skill. Why is that important?

First, let’s define calling. Michael Novak said in Business as a Calling: Work and the Examined Life, “A career in business is not only a morally serious vocation but a morally noble one.” I heard an insurance executive say his company wasn’t selling insurance. It was providing protection for families against the kind of loss that disrupts lives and breaks dreams. The actress, Shannen Doherty, recently said her management team let her insurance lapse, putting her at serious risk in the face of catastrophic illness. More than just selling commodities, business people, like that insurance executive, have the potential to do good through their work.

Calling is a way to focus on the greater good you can do through your work. Relate what you do at work to what Michael Novak says:

• “…fulfilling something you were meant to do.”
• “…a sense of having uncovered our personal destiny.”
• “…a sense of having been able to contribute something worthwhile to the common public life.”
• “…something we were good at and something we enjoyed.”

What must you learn to get to that point? What skill is needed to translate what you do at work into a better understanding of your calling? Think about cultivating the ability to have a vision. Vision is what you believe the world will look like as a result of you pursuing your calling. Continually refining that vision will help you understand your calling more clearly.

How can you refine your vision? One way is to engage in reflective practice. Reflective practice involves thinking deeply about your experiences to gain a clearer understanding of your work and how it relates to your life. Here are some ideas from my own experience:

• Keep a journal. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. It can be collections of articles on topics that help you think and reflect. Modern software like Evernote and OneNote and bookmarking sites like Diigo and Delicious make it easy to collect and annotate those articles.
• Consult with others. Friends, family, and mentors know you well. Using them as sounding boards can shed light on things you may not have noticed or considered before.
• Read books. Besides absorbing writing skills by reading well-written books, following a story or argument through the length of a book will spark your imagination.
• Turn off the radio during your commute. The quiet of your car can help you reflect.
• Keep a voice recording with you. I discovered that Dragon Naturally Speaking has a speech-to-text capability and can turn what you record into text you can use for notes. In that quiet car, you’ll surprise yourself with how much you record.
• Invest in leadership training. It doesn’t have to be only degree programs. Solid leadership training through classroom and online certificate programs will serve you well.

Your calling is a powerful force. Discovering that calling by refining a personal vision through reflective practice will help you lift your eyes above the horizon to see the greater good you’re doing through your job.

Visit our website to learn more about the professional training The University of Alabama is offering.

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Article by Leroy Hurt, Ph.D, Associate Dean, Professional Development and Community Engagement, The University of Alabama.

Happy 4th of July!!

 

It’s one of America’s favorite holidays, Independence Day or more commonly known as the 4th of July. All over the country, smoke will fill the air from millions of grills. The delicious aroma of meats cooked to perfection can be detected for miles.

• Along with grillin’, some favorite traditions include:
• Hanging out American Flag
• Attending parades
• Making homemade ice cream (cranking the old wooden ice cream maker manually was the best)
• Going to see fireworks or setting them off yourself
• Going to the movies to see the summer blockbuster (Independence Day with Will Smith was my all-time favorite)
• Having a big block party
• Having a pool party
• Going to Afternoon Baseball Games

However your family celebrates the nation’s independence, have fun and do it safely.

From your friends at Bama At Work – HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!!

Happy Father’s Day

Did you ever wonder why it took such a long time in our country’s history for fathers to be celebrated with an official holiday? After Mother’s Day gained popularity in the early 20^th century, many people thought Father’s Day would be a good idea, too. Out west, Washington observed the first Father’s Day in 1910, but only on a state level. But, when President Woodrow Wilson made Mother’s Day an official federal holiday in 1914, Father’s Day didn’t follow suit. It would take 58 years for dads to get the ole “atta boy” on the national stage.

History would teach that fathers have been around for quite a while. Why did it take so long for that national pat on the back? Is it because people aren’t as sentimental about their fathers? Well, OK. I’m a proud mama’s boy, so I get it. I’m also a proud father, but, I still get it. Taking second place to moms isn’t too bad. But, in honor of Father’s Day, I want to pay homage to the dad.

• This is the guy who is the stone wall of his family.
• This is the go-to guy when times are tough.
• These are the guys whose children believe in more than Santa Claus.
• This is the guy who you watched heading off to work each day.
• This is the guy who taught you to do it all yourself, to take care of your own family.

He is the figure standing tall when there is a violent storm and reassuring you that everything will be all right. When the thunder rolls, his smile grows wider with confidence and his strong arms seem to be able to stop a tornado. Fathers raise their sons to be men, and are an example to their daughters of what a man is supposed to be. Yes, that’s daddy, pop, father, old man, step-dad or whatever term of endearment you might use. So, this Father’s Day, let him know that you appreciate him.

From your friends at Bama At Work, have a very Happy Father’s Day!

How to Close the Millennials Skill Gap?

It is an accepted fact that Millennials are now taking over the workplace and are becoming the generation of majority in the workforce. This new generation of workers is more educated than all others before them. According to the October 2014 White House Council for Economic Advisors Report, 47 percent of Millennials graduated with Associate’s, Bachelor’s or graduate degrees.  But has the education they’ve received granted them the skills to be efficient on the job? According to a study published by Deloitte, only 28 percent of Millennials feel that their organizations are taking full advantage of their skill set. When asked to estimate the contribution that the skills they acquired during their education made in achieving their company’s objectives, the average answer is 37 percent. This means that two-thirds of the skills used to accomplish tasks in their current organizations were acquired on the job or through training.

In an ever-changing business environment, it is difficult for traditional educational institutions to provide skills that will be applicable on the job. Techniques and technology are changing every day, and what is the norm one day will be obsolete the next. The result of this phenomenon is a growing focus on soft skills from higher education organizations. Flexibility and adaptability to the environment are now the keystones of many degrees. While this focus prepares Millennials for a changing environment, a gap is created between what they learned in class and the real-world tasks asked of them in the field.

It is up to the employer to bring the new recruits up to speed on the skills needed by their particular organization. With the predicted job gap left by retiring Baby Boomers, training will become a generalized practice for employers.  The demand for custom training contracts for the workforce and individualized courses will increase as Boomers retire and Millennials fill their positions. Here is an opportunity for higher education institutions to provide a solution to close the skill gap created by traditional higher education. Furthermore, it will allow these organizations to reach a population that doesn’t possess a degree, but requires specialized skills. Here at The University of Alabama, we offer tailored training for organizations trying to close this skill gap and improve the productivity of their workforce. Visit our Bama At Work for more information about how Bama At Work can provide your workforce with the skills it needs.

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Article by Guillaume Slama, Internet Communication Specialist for Bama At Work, Professional Development & Conference Services, The University of Alabama.

Project Management Simulation: The Kobayashi Maru

What a morning! Some days, you’d rather just stay in bed. For those Trekkies out there, you are familiar with the Kobayashi Maru or the infamous “no win scenario” that was part of the curriculum for command-track cadets at Starfleet Academy featured in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. It was primarily used to assess a cadet’s discipline, character and command capabilities when facing an impossible situation, as there were no “legitimate” strategies that would result in a successful outcome.

We all have some mornings where the Klingon War Birds are closing in, the shields are about to fail, and the destruction of your ship is imminent. There is no way out. You are done! Well, I sat in the captain’s chair this morning, and my little starship was in a world of hurt. The project was falling way behind, the budget was blown to bits, the staff was putting in a lot of overtime and they were not particularly thrilled about it. And worst of all, the boss was not happy at all. The situation was looking pretty grim as we battled to regain control of the project and get things back on schedule. Our stress level was boiling over. Could we pull the project together, would my starship be doomed and its crew turned to space dust.

Then, a friendly voice carved through the tension, saying, “You have completed Phase I.” What?!?  Was this just a bad dream? Well, not really. It was the simulation that comes with Bama At Work’s Advanced Project Management course. This course features a unique real-world simulation that will test your skills as a project manager. The simulation covers just about all of the nightmares that could possibly happen to you when piloting your way through a major project. Like the Kobayashi Maru, the simulation puts you and your team in some tough situations that will call on all of your planning and decision making abilities. And, unlike James T. Kirk, you can’t reprogram and beat the simulation. But, you can win fair and square, if you make the right moves.

Think you have the moxie to sit in the captain’s chair in the heat of battle? Do you want to learn how to command your starship when the odds are against you? Take project management courses and earn your Starfleet stripes.  Visit our website to learn more and enroll in the University of Alabama’s Project Management Academy. On-site custom training is available upon request. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google + ,and LinkedIn  for more information and news about project management certificate programs, professional development and how to improve the efficiency of your organization.

Article by Antoine Bell, Marketing and Strategic Communications Manager, Professional Development & Conference Services, The University of Alabama.

The Importance of Influencing Change in Supply Chain Management.

We spend a tremendous amount of our time trying to influence the behavior of others – whether it’s up the organization with leadership, down the organization with our direct reports, across the organization with peers or internal stakeholders or outside the organization with customers or suppliers, or in the community, with friends and family.  When you think about it, leadership is really intentional influence.

The problem is we – individuals and organizations – are not very good at it.  An Arthur D. Little study reports that 8 percent of organization change efforts fail to meet quality, cost or timing goals.  Deloitte’s Global CPO Survey for 2014 found that “Some 68 percent of respondents still describe their internal influence as ‘mixed’” meaning that there are significant missed opportunities.  The Conference Executive Board reports that being an Influencer is one of only six behavioral competencies that set strategic procurement staff apart.  Similarly, University of Tennessee’s 2012 white paper titled “Skills and Competencies That Supply Chain Professionals Will Need” reports that “Inspiring and Influential Leadership” is one of five critical skills.  We must get good at influence!

Traditional change management has failed to deliver the degree, speed or sustainability of desired changes.  Why is that?  There are several reasons.  Traditional change management is very project management oriented focusing on only the tip of the iceberg – things like strategy, systems, process and structure.  While all of these considerations are important, they are insufficient to drive the desired change.  They fail to focus on what’s below the waterline which includes culture, norms and status quo behaviors – all of that organization resistance that undermines and impedes our change effort.  Organization change is really just the sum of behavior changes in individuals, and that is the neglected area of opportunity.

For most failed change efforts, there is a conspiracy of causes and few of us have a systematic way of even thinking about this fundamental challenge.  We identify one or two causes of resistance and look for a “silver bullet” to tackle them.  Change agents have their favorite strategies to combat resistance such as more communication or training.   The reality is that we typically underwhelm and overwhelm challenge.

For any change to take place, individuals ask themselves two questions:

1. Is it worth it (motivation)?
2. Can I do it (ability)?

Influencing Change training, based on the New York Times bestseller, Influencer, focuses on changing individuals’ behavior utilizing a systematic framework for first diagnosing causes of resistance, and then strategizing how to both motivate and enable change.  It also equips the learner with skills and strategies to be successful.  For example, we tend to rely heavily on verbal persuasion to spur personal motivation.  Unfortunately, this is notoriously ineffective.  When we encounter resistance, we often share more information, putting people into a PowerPoint coma where all they hear is “wha, wha, wha, wha, wha.”  It is the equivalent of talking louder when a person who speaks a different language doesn’t understand.  Instead, we should be seeking Direct or Vicarious Experiences which help people to connect to values they already hold to make change more appealing and sustainable.

Influencing Change employs all Six Sources of Influence™, which address motivation and ability as affected by personal, social and structural forces.  Research proves that by employing four or more sources of influence against the desired vital behavior you increase your success tenfold.

How’s your change management working for you?  If it leaves you wanting and you want to increase your success tenfold, consider Influencing Change. Bama At Work is proud to offer the Influencing Change for Supply Chain course as part of our portfolio. Visit our website to learn more about how this course can help you improve the supply chain processes in your organization. Our next class will take place on June 16 – 17, 2015 and our early bird special ends May 1st.

Article by Barbara Ardell, Vice President and Influencing Change Practice Leader at Paladin Associates. Barbara is the speaker at the Influencing Change in Supply Chain course for Bama At Work.

 

Don’t Let Your Project Become Your Death Star.

So Star Wars can be downloaded starting  today April 10. The first six movies are coming to Digital HD so you can watch them on any of your devices. I can’t think of a better way to avoid conversation with people than to binge watch Darth Vader and Jar Jar Binks. Then again, there are some lessons project managers can take away from how Darth Vader project managed the Death Star. Wait, I didn’t mean that, Lord Vader…Urgh-grgh-gak.

A blog article listed reasons why projects fail, reasons that may explain why the Death Star wasn’t a great tribute to sound project management:

1. Lack of a Project Charter: “Because the Emperor said so. Why do you need anything else?”
2. Lack of User Involvement: “Meh. Just because the Storm Troopers fight the rebels every day and know how they think doesn’t mean they know anything about building a Death Star.”
3. Poorly Defined Requirements: “Requirements? It’s big and has a big death ray. No worries!”
4. Scope Creep: “While we’re at it, let’s throw in some big huge expensive way-cool turbo lasers since we don’t need to worry about small, tiny fighters.”
5. Poorly Defined or Unrealistic Time Scales: “The Darth Vader music just started. Here come the ruthless expectations.”
6. Inadequate (or non-existent) Testing: “The thermal exhaust port is really small. What could go wrong?”
7. Lack of Resources: “We don’t have enough money in the budget for a fancy safe, so let’s just hide the Death Star blueprints in the dresser drawer.”
8. Use of New or Unfamiliar Tools: “Who needs the Force when we have…Urgh-grgh-gak.”
9. Political Infighting: “The Emperor dissolved the Imperial Senate and plans to control the regions with these Death Stars. It’s in the bag.”
10. Poor Project Management: “Time, cost, and scope? I’d rather fight Obi-Wan Kenobi with light sabers.”

Want to do better? Take project management courses so you don’t build a Death Star. On the other hand, it could help you hold the world ransom for…ONE MILLION DOLLARS! Oh, sorry. Wrong movie. Visit our website to learn more and enroll in the University of Alabama’s Project Management Certificate Program. On-site custom training is available upon request. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google + , LinkedIn  for more information and news about project management certificate programs, professional development and how to improve the efficiency of your organization.

Article by Leroy Hurt, Associate Dean, Professional Development and Community Engagement, The University of Alabama.

 

Happy Easter 2015!

Boil the eggs. Prepare the dye. Dip the eggs and let them dry. Spring is full of opportunities for new projects at home and at work. The project of decorating Easter eggs has been around for centuries, but did you know that the modern practice of using artificial dyes is more than a century old, too? One of the first people to sell artificial dyes just for Easter eggs was William M. Townley. He was a businessman who owned a drug store in Newark, New Jersey. He saw the opportunity to streamline a traditional project by packaging modern dyes in single-use paper packets. The venture was a huge success and led to the formation of the Paas Dye Company in 1881. Although there are still many methods of decorating eggs, his concept is by far the most popular method in households around the world.

Townley was an entrepreneur that saw an opportunity and his business skills helped him develop a business and a tradition. If you want to acquire some skills, become an entrepreneur, enhance your professional profile and maybe one day encounter the same success as Townley, check out our website and see what is the training that is meant for you.

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