Teams | Collaboration | Customer Service | Project Management

September 2024

7 research-based strategies for attracting and retaining top talent with the right intranet

HR leaders face many hurdles in their ongoing challenge of attracting top talent, and then keeping them engaged and committed to the organization. Our State of the Intranet and Future of Employee Technology report offers insights for overcoming these obstacles with an effective intranet.

The Admin Privilege Model Is Broken

This summer, the business world was rocked by the revelation that a hacker group NullBulge had compromised Disney's Slack communications tool and made off with 1TB+ of sensitive information on variety of topics, including 44 million messages, 18,800 spreadsheets, and 13,000 PDFs specific to Disney's strategy, finances, and operations.

Navigating the AI Revolution in Comms with Shaun Randol, Founder of Mister Editorial

This episode features an interview with Shaun Randol, Founder of Mister Editorial, a mixternal communications newsletter. In this episode, Shawn and Shaun discuss the myth of planning in storytelling, the importance of adapting to new technologies, and maintaining a strategic perspective on the evolution of communications work.

How to improve your retail merchandising strategy with Asana

Successful retail merchandising relies on teamwork and clear communication. Work management helps your retail team stay organized by assigning tasks, setting deadlines, and tracking progress in real-time. This lets you focus on improving the customer experience and boosting sales. Ever wonder why some retail stores just get it right every time? You walk in, and everything from the product displays to the store layout feels inviting and well thought out.

How AI in cyber defense is revolutionizing communication platforms?

The risk of cyber attacks is continually soaring. The number of data breaches between 2021 and 2023 grew by 72%, surpassing previous records. Communication platforms used by businesses for workplace communication are particularly at risk. Also, breaches of shared confidential data lead to substantial financial losses and damage to a company's reputation. ‍For instance, the global indicator 'Estimated Cost of Cybercrime' was forecast to increase by $ 6.4 trillion between 2024 and 2029.

What's New: What we launched in September 2024

Another month, another round of updates that will help you and your team work faster and smarter in Miro. And in this update, you will notice a big focus on innovation. Staying ahead, or even sometimes afloat, of your daily tasks and strategic work can take a lot of effort, causing that much needed innovation and collaboration to fall victim to a tiresome and complicated workflow. This is where our latest round of updates come into play!

Navigating your identity and finding your lane with Yemi Penn | Experts Unleashed | Atlassian

Yemi Penn is a fearless businesswoman, thought leader, and rebel. An Engineer by profession and an entrepreneur by passion, Yemi fuses analytical thinking with creativity to create magic. Transformation is the theme across Yemi’s contributions, whether it’s opening an F45 gym in London or a café in Sydney’s South-West Suburbs, authoring a book, managing complex projects such as Crossrail and Sydney Metro, or even producing impactful documentaries on healing collective trauma.

Simpplr launches first unified Recognition and Rewards solution to seamlessly amp up employee engagement

Employee recognition isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s a critical driver of employee well-being, motivation and performance. We’re thrilled to announce the launch of the first unified Recognition and Rewards solution directly within our #1 employee experience management (EXM) platform.

Professional Development for Remote Workers

Companies and company leaders often stress the importance of employee loyalty. However, are they doing enough to keep those employees within their ranks? According to WeWorkRemotely, 76% of workers choose to work for companies that provide additional training or skills improvement. Moreover, 70% of employees stated that they would leave their company for a position within an organization that invests in employee development. Have you noticed a rise in employee attrition?

The case for cloud-based databases (and how to design your own)

Today, it’s more important than ever for companies to be able to share internal and customer data with key stakeholders. At the same time, they need to protect that data from malicious actors in order to prevent costly and reputation-damaging leaks. To strike that balance of connectivity, reliability, and security, many companies now use cloud-based databases in place of on-premise technology.

The Impact of Recognition on Team Efficiency and Culture

Recognition in the workplace drives team efficiency and shapes company culture. Employees who feel valued engage more deeply with their work, leading to higher productivity and satisfaction. Think about your own experiences. A simple "thank you" can turn a tough day around, right? A company that values recognition not only boosts morale but also builds strong relationships within the team.

How to Optimize Your Website's Speed With the Right Hosting Service

Website speed plays a vital role for every business. Beyond improving the user experience, search engines also give higher rankings to websites that load. Picking an exemplary hosting service is one of the best ways to speed up your website. This article will guide you through the process of choosing the best hosting option for your needs, including a comparison of Shared vs. VPS hosting to help optimize your website's speed.

State of the Intranet and Future of Employee Technology report: Research to unlock exceptional EX

In the increasingly complex landscape of work, employees need to be able to connect with each other and access the information and tools they need to do their best work without friction. Technology is the missing link. An outstanding workplace technology experience unlocks a truly exceptional overall experience for employees — no matter how or where they work. That is the crux of our research for the State of the Intranet and Future of Employee Technology report.

The Evolution of Remote Monitoring and Management Software: What's Next?

Remote monitoring and management (RMM) software has revolutionized business functions. Created initially to simplify IT management, this technology has become a versatile tool for companies in various sectors. With the changing technological landscape, it's essential to grasp the evolution of RMM software and understand what the future holds for this crucial tool.

The Power of Visual Content in Tech-Enabled Business Collaboration

In the modern business landscape, technology is pivotal in how teams communicate and collaborate. As businesses shift to digital platforms, the need for effective communication becomes more critical than ever. Remote teams, digital workflows, and tech-driven collaboration have reshaped how companies operate, making clear communication a priority. Visual content is one of the most overlooked but essential factors in this change in communication.

Shifting Paradigms: How Trust Transforms Teams and Leadership with Stephen M.R. Covey

This episode features an interview with Stephen M.R. Covey, author of The Speed of Trust and Co-founder of FranklinCovey’s Global Trust Practice. In this episode, Shawn sits down with Stephen to discuss the foundational concepts of trust and leadership, practical strategies for enabling authenticity, and the importance of having a growth mindset.

Is citizen engagement necessary for democracy to function?

‍ Democracy is often described as "of the people, by the people, and for the people." But what happens when the people aren't at the table? Yes, we are referring to the lack of citizen engagement in a democracy. The active participation of individuals in government decision-making is the backbone of a healthy democracy. When citizens are involved in the process, they're more likely to trust the outcome.

How Technology is Revolutionizing Business Operations: A Comprehensive Guide

In today’s fast-paced business world, technology plays an increasingly vital role in streamlining operations, boosting productivity, and driving growth. Adopting digital tools and software solutions has become essential for businesses to stay competitive and efficient. Whether managing finances, improving marketing efforts, or optimizing human resources, leveraging the right technology can make a significant difference in how smoothly and effectively a company runs.

We have lift-off! Element X, Call and Server Suite are ready!

Element is launching the world’s first communications platform based on the upcoming Matrix 2.0 release. The result is blazing performance which outperforms the mainstream alternatives - across a decentralised system that enables self-hosting and end-to-end encryption - as well as open standard interoperability to revolutionise real time communication between large organisations.

Adfinis adds Element to its Portfolio of Services

Adfinis, a recognised and internationally active open source provider, and Element, a leading service provider for secure and decentralised real-time communication solutions, are entering into a partnership. With this partnership, Adfinis is expanding its portfolio with an exciting solution that will enable it to offer an even more comprehensive range of products in the market for digitally sovereign platforms.

User stories explained: Tips, templates, and examples

A user story is an informal explanation of a software feature written from the perspective of the end user. A typical user story will follow the format “As a .” Find out how to write effective user stories to accurately represent how a software feature will drive user value. When it comes to expanding your product capabilities, software updates are the key to increasing user value. User stories provide an explanation of a software feature from the viewpoint of the end user.

The 4 communication styles every manager should know

There are four main communication styles: passive, aggressive, passive-aggressive, and assertive communication. Read about them, their signs, and how to support your team regardless of their communication style. Knowing how to effectively communicate with your team is critical. Communication is a key component of everything we do at work. Getting our own work done, collaborating with team members, delegating work to teammates, and sharing progress reports all depend on effective communication.

Leveraging Technology for Better B2B/B2C Communication: Top Tools to Boost Your Business

When it comes to B2C businesses, leveraging tools that adapt to customer behavior can transform your engagement strategies. AI and machine learning are revolutionizing how companies personalize their communications, adjusting messages based on individual actions and predicted needs. This creates a more relevant and engaging customer experience, which is essential for driving conversions and loyalty.

Your guide to RACI charts, with examples

Can you identify exactly who’s doing what by when for each task, milestone, and deliverable in your project? If not, you might need a RACI chart. RACI is an acronym to help teams clarify project roles and figure out who the responsible party is for any given task. Whether you've never heard of RACI before or you’re considering creating a RACI chart for your next project, here’s everything you need to know about how to create and use these charts.

What is AOB in Meetings: Benefits and Best Practices

Board meetings operate under well-defined protocols to ensure directors are efficient with their time and resources. This structured approach requires directors to prepare, making them well-equipped to contribute meaningfully. However, even with this order, board discussions can sometimes veer off course. One of the most challenging meeting segments for board chairs is the AOB.

Best Practices for Board Management in 2025

A high-performing board is recognized as a critical determinant of organizational success. The tricky part, however, is the dynamics of board management which is essential for effective performance. It has evolved in response to various factors: increasing complexity in the global markets, heightened regulatory scrutiny, and growing demand for corporate transparency.

Event proposal template: Free download and step-by-step guide

Like a resume, an event proposal showcases your event management skills and experiences for potential stakeholders to consider when deciding who will run an event. Use our event proposal template and follow these seven steps for writing an impressive proposal. Whether you're organizing an industry-wide seminar or seeking sponsorships for an upcoming tradeshow, a winning event proposal illustrates why stakeholders should trust that your event will be a success.

What's new in Asana | September 2024

Welcome to the September edition of What’s new in Asana. First, copy charts from dashboards and paste them into external applications for presentations and documents. Next, archive inactive portfolios to maintain a focused view of current work while still retaining access to historical records. Finally, use AI chat to quickly and easily follow up on and add comments to multiple tasks. For a full list of what’s new this month, check out our Release Notes in the Asana Help Center.

Establishing a Company Culture of Teamwork Through Collaboration and Transparency: 5 Tips for Teamwork

In today’s dynamic work environment, fostering a company culture of teamwork is essential for success. Collaboration and transparency are the cornerstones of effective teamwork, enabling companies to leverage diverse skills, streamline processes, and achieve common goals. A strong culture of teamwork not only enhances productivity but also boosts employee morale and engagement, creating a positive and inclusive workplace.

Embracing regret and asking why not with bestselling author Dan Pink | Experts Unleashed | Atlassian

Dan Pink is a best-selling author and leading expert on motivation, work, and human behavior. An award-winning writer, Dan has five New York Times bestsellers, including Drive, To Sell Is Human, and When, which have been translated into 46 languages. Known for blending research with practical insights, Dan’s work focuses on the changing nature of work and how to improve performance. Dan has delivered popular TED Talks (Top 25 all-time viewed!) and is a sought-after speaker on business, leadership, and creativity.

Requirements Management 101: Your Step-by-Step Guide

Requirements management helps you ensure your final project deliverable meets the needs of stakeholders. Simply put, a requirement is something stakeholders want or need, and requirements management helps you fulfill that need. Read on to learn how requirements management works, then do it yourself with six simple steps. It’s Friday night and you’re about to order pizza. You’ve got the phone in one hand and a list of requests from your friends in the other.

Unlock better note-taking with mind mapping

Write it down. It’s common and worthwhile advice when you want to comprehend and remember information, with plenty of research backing up the power of note-taking. But while the process of taking notes is helpful in and of itself, it can still be improved. For example, depending on your handwriting, the location of your notes, or even how organized you are, it may not be so simple to read your scribbles or even find the information you want to revisit.

Top 5 healthcare communication software to consider

‍ In healthcare, every second counts. Therefore, secure and reliable communication between the medical teams, patients, and support staff is compulsory. Healthcare communication software has done a lot to develop communication between all stakeholders in the field of medical treatment. Patients also favor healthcare providers who offer robust digital communication and services due to the added convenience.

Working Overtime: Pros, Cons, and 20 Statistics

People usually work overtime due the reasons like poor time management, inaccurate project estimations, or a workforce shortage, rather than a personal preference. Some companies even try to avoid compensating employees for their overtime work. The issue with working overtime is that it is often misused and looked down upon. This is why legislation is necessary to govern it properly.

Modern Tools for Business: Synergy of Content and Communications

Picture this: managing your company without a seamless flow of information. Brrr. Sounds chaotic, right? Today's businesses thrive when content creation and communication work hand-in-hand; communication is vital to content if you think about it. Modern tools are transforming how businesses integrate fundamental processes of human collaboration, changing the results they reap. Communication technology makes teamwork productive and decision-making swifter than ever before.

Part 5 - Setup a developer experience platform using Compass: Templates

Compass is a powerful developer experience platform that sets teams up for success in the modern and dynamic world of software development. Compass facilitates a great developer experience by reducing cognitive load and promoting a healthy engineering culture, enabling software developers to do their best work. This video series provides a step-by-step guide on how to setup your developer experience platform, taking the shortest path to unlock the potential of your software delivery team.

How Asana drives impactful product launches in 3 steps

There’s no secret recipe for the perfect product launch. It takes weeks, months, or even years of careful planning and coordination across teams. With more than 20 years in product marketing and experience working on countless launches, Eric Bensley, Head of Product Marketing at Asana, knows firsthand the value of a successful launch. According to Bensley, "there's nothing more critical for product marketers than a product launch.

How to streamline compliance management software with work management tools

Compliance management software streamlines the process of complying with industry regulations and internal policies by automating tasks like documentation, monitoring, and reporting. Compliance software helps companies avoid costly fines, reduce risks, and maintain a strong reputation by ensuring they consistently meet regulatory requirements with minimal manual effort. Drowning in regulatory paperwork? You're not alone.

5 Communication Barriers and Ways to Overcome Them

We all know good communication is essential to strong relationships in our work and personal lives. Communication is the glue that holds relationships, families, and friendships together. At work, it can be the difference between a project succeeding or failing—or even between a business floundering or thriving. There’s also a financial incentive to communicate effectively.

How product marketers can leverage AI to streamline their project management

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a game-changing tool, offering product marketers (PMMs) new opportunities to enhance their strategies, streamline workflows, and drive remarkable results. By integrating AI into their arsenal, PMMs can now make data-driven decisions with greater accuracy, work with increased efficiency, and craft marketing campaigns that resonate deeply with their target audience.

10 Ways RCS Chat Can Improve Your Messaging Experience

RCS (Rich Communication Services) chat, a next-generation messaging protocol, is transforming how we communicate, bringing a host of new features that enhance traditional SMS. But what is RCS Chat, and why is it gaining so much attention? This blog will explore RCS chat's meaning and features and how it can significantly improve your messaging experience.

Kanban vs Scrum vs Agile vs waterfall: What's the difference?

If you’re not sure which project management methodology or framework will be the best to manage your team, we’re here to help. Learn everything about Kanban, Scrum, Agile, and waterfall—what they stand for, how to use them, and the benefits and drawbacks. We’ll also explore key comparisons, such as Kanban vs Scrum and Agile vs waterfall, to help you identify the right fit for your cross-functional team. Waterfall. Agile. Kanban. Scrum.

Why Control is for Amateurs with Rachel Happe, Founder of Engaged Organizations

This episode features an interview with Rachel Happe, Founder and Digital Workplace, Organization, and Community Strategist at Engaged Organizations. In this episode, Shawn and Rachel discuss treating employees as assets rather than machines, rewarding human contributions, and valuing emotional and social aspects in the workplace.

Build a culture of experimentation to embrace AI's full potential

Mainstream AI has arrived, and with it all the questions about what this means for our jobs and our businesses. Which tasks are best handled by humans, which do we want to hand over to AI, and which are most effective through some kind of human-AI collaboration? Will leaders need to up-skill entire workforces? And will all this make work better? It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the pace of change. But, equally, now is not the time to take a back seat to wait and see what happens.

BSI funds security analysis of Matrix

Matrix performs well in BSI audit conducted by MGM Security Partners, only for findings to be misunderstood. On Sunday 1 September, Heise published an inaccurate article that caused much confusion and – unfortunately – turned a positive story about the German government funding open source security research into a bad news story. This blog post aims to address the misunderstandings. *Many thanks to Heise for subsequently correcting the headline.

7 Healthy Habits and Their Impact on Work Productivity

Workplace productivity necessitates dedication, commitment, focus, and effort; but to be your best at work, you must also live a healthy lifestyle. Ignoring basic healthy habits may lead to feeling exhausted, inattentive, and more prone to sickness which may lead to toxic productivity. Whether you work from the office or home, a healthy lifestyle can have a substantial positive influence on your performance and productivity.

Design teams are key strategic partners. Here's why.

The role of design teams in modern businesses has evolved dramatically. Once confined to aesthetics and final deliverables, design now plays a crucial role in driving customer-centricity and innovation. This shift has repositioned design teams from the periphery to the heart of business strategy, influencing decision-making at the highest levels.

10 Best Communication Tools (with Pros and Cons)

Your roles and responsibilities are clear when you are a team of two at work. Team communication is pretty effective too. All you need to do is poke your teammate with an elbow. “What’s up, pal?” Syncing up with a team gets far more complicated as the company grows. Group communication gets messy and hard to control—you chat on Facebook, Skype, and maybe sometimes on WhatsApp.

Exploring Unconventional Sources for Business Advance Loans

Unconventional sources for business advance loans refer to non-traditional or alternative financial channels providing capital to businesses. These sources stand apart from traditional banks and credit unions, offering unique lending options such as peer-to-peer platforms, invoice financing services, and crowdfunding. The evolution of these sources is reshaping how businesses approach funding, highlighting the importance of understanding and leveraging these alternatives.