Core Values Series Part 5 - Rest & Reflect

Every year we take time to recognize team members that best personify the 5 Core Values of Newmind Group. Those 5 core values are: Be Awesome, Get Stuff Done, Make Things Better, Make Mistakes, Rest and Reflect. This is the final article of our Core Values series, written by Newminder Luke about Resting & Reflecting. Enjoy!

Reed Flute Cave - Reflecting Pool via Brent Rostad

Time to unwind.  

Work is done and you need to recharge.  Rest and reflection time is tough to come by for most of us, but making it a priority pays off big.  We all need a counterpoint to the daily hustle.  Our minds need space to be contemplative, to make abstractions and to pursue the things that ignite our passions.

Finding something beautiful or fascinating or just plain fun might not be easy for everybody.  Our culture doesn't always validate these kinds of pursuits, and seeing them as secondary or auxiliary to the main goal - productivity - sets us up for failure.


I argue these pursuits are complimentary and every bit as important as work-oriented initiatives.  If you look at your brain like a mostly well-trained horse, it offers a decent example of how we should treat our grey matter.  When we jump in the saddle, we’re ready to kick it into high gear and do some real galloping.  But if your horse has spent the last 3 days locked in a stall, it isn't going to behave the same as if it had spend it’s time free, exploring your ranch, running with the other horses.  Giving your horse this freedom to follow it’s inner compass will give it balance and improve its all around well-being.

How I do

So what are my R&R pursuits?  I’m all over the map.

via photosteve101

My number 1 go-to is writing.  I find all creative pursuits favorable, but constructing with language is especially rewarding for me.  Under that umbrella, poetry is my main squeeze.  If a novel is like a half-barrel keg of light beer (great for marathon sessions of drinking games), and a short story is like a small cooler of microbrews (just right for a lazy weekend on the river), then poetry is a short tumbler of single-malt scotch (perfect for an evening on the porch, watching the stars trace across the sky).  For me, it’s the most flavorful, most interesting of all the literature drinks.  I love reading poems, but somehow I’m always led away from consumption and into the act of creation.

I don’t look for inspiration, per say, but I instead try to remain open enough to notice it.  It can come from anywhere.  Watching people interact, listening to the right music, hiking to a new destination, or even reading someone else’s poem.  The process is different every time, but it normally starts with 1 line.  Something that sounds like I’ve never heard anything like it before.  Something that that makes me want to stop what I’m doing and write it down.  If it can grab me like that, maybe it will do the same to someone else.  And at the end of the day, that’s what all art is about:  communication.  Relaying some facet of the human experience in a way that others can resonate with.

So that’s what I do to refuel my brain.  Sometimes.  Other times, it’s downhill skiing or running with my dog or video games or a round of golf with friends.  The point is, I’ve come to understand that I’m a better me when I take time to do these things.  I’m better at my job and I’m better at home.  When you walk into work in the morning with a smile on your face, like a boss and ready to GSD (see this post), you’ll know what I’m talking about.

Chromebooks Update [November 2013]

Notable new features include:

• Enable SSL Inspection
• HP Chromebook 11 Charger Defect
• Keep Tabs on Media now in Beta
• 1-Click Browser Reset

Full release notes below...

Protect Students With Web Filtering

Securly protects students on computers throughout the school while giving them safe access to 21st century learning tools like YouTube, Google and Wikipedia.

• Safe Search
• Safe Social Media
• YouTube for Schools
• and more...

Learn More

Admin Updates

Enable SSL Inspection for Chrome Devices

The Admin console has been updated. This update brings a new option for organizations with SSL web filters enable SSL inspection for Chrome devices. Admins can set up certificates through the Network section of the Admin console.

(Source)

HP Chromebook 11 Charger Defect

Google and HP are pausing sales of the HP Chromebook 11

A small number of users have reported that some chargers included with the device have been damaged due to overheating during use. Google is working with the Consumer Product Safety Commission to identify the appropriate corrective action.

(Source)

Keep Tabs on Media now in Beta

You can now visually scan your tabs for a speaker icon to quickly identify tabs with video or music playing. Chrome will also indicate which tabs are currently using your webcam or are being cast to your TV.

(Source)

1-Click Browser Reset

Websites and programs are always asking you install toolbars and extensions, some of which may actually change your browser security settings.
(Source)

Stable Channel Releases

This is a list of stable channel releases from the past month:

• Chrome (November 14) - Release 31.0.1650.57 for Windows, Mac, Linux and Chrome Frame. (Source)
• Chrome OS (November 12) - Release 31.0.1650.48 for Windows, Mac, Linux and Chrome Frame.  (Source)

Core Values Series Part 4 - Make New Mistakes

Every year we take time to recognize team members that best personify the 5 Core Values of Newmind Group. Those 5 core values are: Be Awesome, Get Stuff Done, Make Things Better, Make Mistakes, Rest and Reflect. This is the fouth article of our Core Values series, written by Newminder Nicolas about Making New Mistakes. Enjoy!

Henry Knox 1775

There’s an old proverb a wise man once shared with me that goes like this:
“Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.”In other words, if you plan on getting stuff done, there’s going to be some 'stuff' to clean up. 'Stuff' is the bi-product of abundant crops. Mistakes are the cost of productivity born out of risk.

In the 4 min it takes for you to read the rest of this, I’ll attempt to raise your value for taking more risks and making new mistakes so you can benefit from the rewards.

Risk

Risk by The Fayj

It all starts with risk, and generally speaking, there are two outcomes, failure or success, mistake or reward, both of which we’ll look at later. The goal here is not to seek out mistakes, but to take risks. Here’s my tips on how to take more risk:

1. Move fast
   We move slow when we are afraid of failure or imperfection. Perfection is boring, slows you down, and keeps you from getting stuff done. Done is better than perfect, so move fast.
2. Do something you have never done before
   We play it safe when we are afraid of failure or the unknown. I can’t put it any better than Bre Pettis and Kio Stark have: “Pretending you know what you’re doing is almost the same as knowing what you are doing, so just accept that you know what you’re doing even if you don’t and do it.”
3. Get over Fear
   Fear is often the underlying issue that is keeping us from taking risk, but is many times irrational and exaggerated. Level with it and ask yourself, “Why am I afraid?” Pain from our past (mistakes?) may be the reason for our fears. Next, ask yourself “So What?” Is the worst that could happen even likely to happen, and if so, is it really that bad?
   

Make New Mistakes

So we moved fast, did something we had never done before, and ignored fear. This time, our outcome was a failure or mistake. Depending on what we do next, we’ll either benefit or suffer these results.

Redefine Success

Leading angel investor, philanthropist, and Former journalist Esther Dyson would define this as a success:
“To me, success is to do something new that is useful, keep doing new things that are useful and to always make new mistakes, which is my model, and to learn from those mistakes.”

Clean Up, not Cover Up

It’s not the cultural norm to celebrate mistakes. It’s not unusual for us to try and cover up our mess in order avoid the embarrassment of others discovering our mistakes.

1. Take Responsibility
   It’s your mess right? Own it, don’t blame it. Swallow pride. Be the first to admit you’re wrong. Apologize quickly and sincerely. The longer you wait, the harder this is. Don’t wait in hopes that things will blow over or try to cover things up.
2. Feel the Pain
   Embrace the uncomfortable feelings you have around the mistake you’ve made. Remember how this feels, how much this sucks. Get really familiar with it. Don’t beat yourself up, but don’t numb or push down the pain, awkwardness or discomfort that you’d rather not feel. The result? You’ll be less likely to repeat the same mistake again, and paradoxically, will have just become more comfortable with taking risk in the future.
3. Learn from your mistakes
   Do a thorough review of the series of events and circumstances that led up to where you are at and document it so that you can share your findings. Figure out what went wrong along the way and change it. It may be a change in process, attitude, preparation, environment or something else that will both prevent the same mistake from being repeated and make things better for you and for others.

Reward

While we may move fast, try something new and succeed without failure, much of risk’s reward is hidden in how we process mistakes when we make them. If we can value risk and the messes that often come with it, we’ll be rewarded with:

1. Productivity — We’ll get more stuff done.
2. Creativity — We’ll get new things done.
3. Honesty — We’ll be more awesome and less embarrassed.
4. Growth — We’ll learn from experience and share our knowledge with others.
5. Fun — We’ll get that feeling of adrenaline that is so awesome.

So go for it. Take more risk, move faster, try something new, make some mistakes, clean up some messes, be honest, share what you learn, and enjoy the rewards.

Nicolas Yarosz is a member of the Sales team at Newmind Group and is proud to have made the most mistakes this year. He spends most of his time working with the Chromebooks Sales team on improving process and knowledge sharing.

Nicolas and his beautiful wife live in Charleston, SC where they are eagerly expecting their first child this Holiday season. Nicolas enjoys good food, good drink and volunteering at his local church.

Core Values Part 3 - Make Things Better

Earlier this year we held our summer company party. At that party we take time to recognize team members that best personify the 5 Core Values of Newmind Group. Those 5 core values are: Be Awesome, Get Stuff Done, Make Things Better, Make Mistakes, Rest and Reflect. This is the third article of our Core Values series, written by Newminder Dan about Making Things Better. Enjoy!

We should all strive to "Make Things Better." In the day-to-day scramble of getting stuff done, it’s easy to lose focus on why we do what we do. Taking a moment to dive deeper into our daily tasks can open up opportunities for improvement and make us indispensable.

At Newmind Group we try to pay attention to everything we do, and to always get better at it. I’m a marketer and as such I have many tasks that can be measured and improved. One of which I’ll use to illustrate this core value - increasing traffic & engagement with our website.

So, let's get to the "Make Things Better" cycle.

1) Know Your Goals

The first step toward making things better is knowing your goals. Being able to define why you are performing a task and knowing what to measure will help you stay focused. Answer the following questions to help understand the task you are trying to improve:
Why are you doing it?
What should you measure to show it’s being done well and improving over time?

My goal is to create content that is valuable to our clients and website visitors. I know our clients expect the best from Newmind Group, and high value. The more value I can provide in our content, the more our clients and online visitors learn. The hard part is understanding how to measure that - what metrics show that the content I create is valuable? I can count pure visits, unique visitors, pageviews, and a plethora of other data. For this specific goal I use 3 metrics: repeat visitors, pages per visits and time on site.

With each revolution of the cycle, be sure to redefine your goals and reevaluate what metrics you are using. Over time you may find that the reason you are doing something changes and that different metrics provide you more meaningful insights into your performance.

2) Do Something

This step is really simple. Do the task you are trying to improve. Don't forget to implement your measuring techniques.

Before I write and publish new blog posts I have to be sure I can track the 3 metrics I defined above. Google Analytics helps me out there. Now I just publish new content and let Google do the tracking.

For more information check out "Getting Stuff Done".

3) Measure

You know what to measure and have already completed the task you're looking to improve. Record your measurements in a safe location, in a repeatable fashion, so that you'll be able to go back and see changes over time.

I publish at least 1 new article a week, so I measure my metrics once a week. As Google Analytics does all my tracking, all I have to do is log in and start digging into the numbers.

You may find that the metrics you want to employ may not be measurable or that your measurements are inaccurate. Leave yourself a note about why, and what needs changing, so that the next time you reach step 1, "Know Your Goals," you can address the issues, change tactics, and implement better measurement techniques.

4) Learn

Optimally, this is best to do after a few weeks or months of recording measurements, because over time you'll be able to spot trends and pull insights from the numbers. If the task is completed daily you may be able to see a trend after only a few days, but if the task is only performed monthly, you may need to wait a while before you can extract any worthwhile insights.

I’ve been writing articles and tracking data for our site for about 6 months and can learn a lot from the metrics I follow. Here’s how I use my numbers:

• Repeat Visitors - Over time if there is a trend of this increasing, then the content we are providing must be seen as valuable and is resonating with those repeat individuals
• Pages per Visit - Visitors will only visit more than one page if they believe that there is something of value on the page they are clicking to. The more pages per visit, the more valuable the content is.
• Time on Site - Website visitors today are very keen on recognizing valuable content and will click away if the page they land on is not valuable. If I can increase the time on site then I know that the content I am creating is worthwhile.

A quick note about learning from your metrics - never use singular metrics to answer larger subjective questions like “value”. If I only look at “Pages per visit”, this number could mean web site visitors are not finding the content they want and are exploring the site trying to find it, but when this is coupled with returning visitors and time on site a larger, more complete picture is painted.

That's it. At first, pick an easy task to measure, and one that repeats quite often, like “how long does it take me to clean and respond to emails in my inbox.” This will force you to go through the cycle often and practice picking metrics (like length of time, number of emails responded to), measuring and pulling insights. Over time you'll make little improvements and get better at your job, relationships, or really anything you apply this process to.

Other Notes

Just going through this cycle will show you where you can improve, but sometimes we don't always have the answers on how to improve. To continuously come up with new ways to improve, be sure to read a lot, use social media to follow others (especially those that are more advanced than you or industry leaders), connect professionally (either online or through professional networks), and be sure to find time to relax and let the mind wander.  Good ideas come at the most unlikely moments. 

Daniel Proczko has been working with organizations and individuals to build & grow the entrepreneur community of Kalamazoo, MI. From organizing TEDx events, hack-a-thons, and documentary screenings to engaging with business leaders, Dan strives to inspire individuals with new ideas and better thinking.

Having always been interested in tech and understanding the value of innovation through IT, communicating the importance of strategic IT thinking is one of Dan's primary goals within Newmind Group.

Google Apps Updates [November] - New Google Bar, Hangouts w/ vault, more

Notable new features include:

• New Google bar - Easily accessible launcher menu near user icon
• Hangout For All - Hangouts are now accessible for those with Google Vault
• Google Docs for those without Google

Full release notes below...

Protect your Google Apps with e-archiving

Archive and retain emails and chats according to your policies, preventing inadvertent deletions.

• Ensure compliance
• Be prepared for audits
• Prevent deletion
• and more...

Learn More

New version of the Google bar

To access all of the Google Apps there is now a Google launcher button in the top right near your user icon.

Source

Hangouts for all

Customers using Google Apps Vault can now activate the new Hangouts in the Admin console. You will still have eDiscovery and legal-hold capabilities for your on-the-record/history-on chats, but the retention-purge function will not be available. To agree to the amendment, please log into the Admin console, go to Apps, click on Talk/Hangouts, go to Advanced Settings, and click “Enable Hangouts”.
Source

Google Docs for those without Google

files shared outside your domain to an email address not linked to an existing Google Account can be viewed without having to sign in or create a new Google Account. If a file is shared with edit or comment permissions, the recieving user must still sign in with a Google Account in order to edit or comment on that file.

This change is rolling out slowly to Rapid Release users starting today, once this rollout is complete, we will begin a slow rollout to Scheduled Release domains

Source