How to beat the back to work blues – 5 Steps For a Successful Re-entry

Ah the back to work blues… The festive season is upon us, and with it comes a little glimpse of another life; a life where we can socialise, eat, drink, and be merry and then it’s time to return to work. This joyous feeling, satisfying as it is, tends to be short-lived. As the holiday period ends, we suddenly feel increasingly more anxious at the prospect of re-entering our work lives – a life with a little more structure and (let’s be honest) a lot less fun.

This can lead to the ever-tempting fantasy of resigning. It is hard not to entertain a quitting fantasy when you’re one day enjoying the summer sun and the next faced with the reality of spending 5 of your 7 weekly days indoors.

For some, the dread of going back to work can become all-consuming. As a result, it is not uncommon that some people take the plunge and quit a little too impulsively, later wishing they hadn’t.

Should I Stay or Should I Go

It’s important to acknowledge that these feelings aren’t always just a FOMO situation. The holidays give you a break from your day to day and can often give you the distance to see how you really feel with where you’re at.

Before making any suggestions on how to happily re-enter your work-life, we first suggest that you take some time over the holiday period to reflect on your situation; where you are, where you want to be and if your current employer aligns with these.

Pros and Cons

The simplest yet most effective way to assess this is to write a pro’s and con’s list. If you have space to grow, you like your colleagues, you’re in an industry you enjoy, and you feel valued, then it’s recommended you don’t take any hasty decisions to throw it away. If your cons are mostly about not being able to sleep in or go to the beach every day, you’ll realise pretty quickly that your hesitation to go to work really has nothing to do with your current employer.

If, on the other hand, you discover that you aren’t being fulfilled or appreciated, get in touch with the team here at Launch to discuss how we can help you kick off 2019 in the position of your dreams.

5 Steps to Help You Beat the Back to Work Blues

Once your pros have calmed the impulse to quit, follow these five tips to ensure a smooth transition back to work life.

1. Get enough sleep
   So obvious, but so important. Surviving the change of pace is going to require energy. Make sure to get between 7 and 9 hours sleep to guarantee you wake up fresh.
   
2. Keep your pros on hand
   You’re human. Just because you know you have it good doesn’t mean you won’t falter. Keep your pro’s written down and with you at all times to review whenever you’re feeling shaky.
3. Go in early
   On the first day back, be sure to get in a little early so that you can sort your emails and ease into the day before you start to greet your colleagues and chat about your holidays.
   
4. Plan your week in advance
   Visualising your week really helps to give you clarity on how you’re going to make it to the end of the week. Look at what you have on and take the time to figure out how it will all be structured and stick to the plan.
5. Make goals
   If anything came up in your pro’s and con’s around wanting to progress or grow, make goals to work toward these. Going back with a focus on what you want to achieve in your career makes it a heck of a lot easier to face the new year.

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Cyber Security Warnings – What to Prepare For in 2019

It’s no secret that the internet has transformed our world. In just 50 years, we have gone from clunky computers (whose creators never imagined would be adopted for in-home use) right the way through to fully connected devices that can fit into our pockets, or wrap stylishly around our wrists. Generations who vehemently objected to internet use, were forced to comply as most banks and other traditional organisations ditched paper correspondents in favour of email.

Not a single person in 2018 can avoid some brush with technology, lest you live in a remote village and are still not aware that a bigger world exists around you.

As technology has matured and deepened, so too have the systems and skills of individuals that seek to exploit it. In a relatively short amount of time, cyber attacks have evolved from annoying viruses or inconvenient hacks, and transformed into something so large scale that bank accounts have been wiped, millions of people have had their personal information stolen, and elections have been manipulated.

Security Divides

Greater connectivity — more platforms and systems used — has created greater potential attack vectors; leaving businesses and individuals more vulnerable than ever before. As businesses scramble to get an edge over their competitors, the breadth of systems utilised tends to grow. You need to be on social, you need an internet connected internal communication system, you need a CRM, you have a customer database, and you have all your financial and legal information stored somewhere “securely” online.

While greater connectivity opens up more doors to enter, it is also the most obvious and therefore the easiest to plan against. The real challenges are staff, suppliers, IoT, and legacy systems.

1.  Staff
   It is unlikely that your staff are out to steal your IP or weaken your security but it is likely that some of your users will not have the skills or resources to protect their data, and this can leave the business open to risk.
2. Suppliers
   As with your staff, your suppliers aren’t likely to be selling your data, but there is a chance that their cybersecurity strategy may not be as robust as yours, which can create significant vulnerabilities.
3.  Internet of Things
   As businesses or your staff, bring smart technology — be it a toaster, fridge or even coffee mug — into the office, you’re also bringing in more pathways from which hackers can enter your network. Also opening up new ways that they can impact your physical environment – scary stuff.
4. Complex Architecture
   The continuing decentralisation of IT management creates increasingly complex architecture and will continue to be a challenge into the future.

Enter 2019 Risk-Free

While you should, of course, work with IT security professionals to create a concrete cybersecurity plan, there are steps you can take now to ensure your business, your staff and your systems are best prepared for the New Year.

Educate and upskill – Cyber risks evolve rapidly. Don’t assume that your staff are up to speed on best practice. Establish an ongoing education for staff about cybersecurity and ensure your IT staff are being upskilled on this topic regularly.

Review systems – Get your IT team or an external security professional to go through all of your systems to check for any weak spots that are vulnerable to breach. Close up any gaps before someone else finds them.

Implement security from the beginning – Make it a policy that every new system is designed to be secure. Every new employee and supplier should be educated on security and plans should be in place to ensure it is ongoing.

Invest in security – Whether you use external security support or not, your business needs the skills in-house to keep your organisation safe. If you’re seeking the best skilled IT security experts in the country, get in touch with us to connect you.

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