The Future of Work: Insights from a Global Survey of Desk-Based Workers

Discover the latest trends and insights shaping the future of work based on responses from 10,000 desk-based workers around the world.

I've been following the folks over at The Future Forum since the beginning of the fear of a global pandemic started and found interesting content about work from anywhere, the hybrid, and return to office movements.

The top two drivers motivating employees to work in the office are collaboration (33%) followed by building camaraderie (23%). However, executives value putting in face time with management 1.6 times more than non-executives, while non-executives value building camaraderie 2 times more than executives.

They've just released their Winter report and we've put together a summary, here.

ConnectWise FirstStrike: ChatGPT Integration and The DOTC AI in Sales Course

ConnectWise has integrated OpenAI's ChatGPT with its remote monitoring and management (RMM) tools, ConnectWise Automate and ConnectWise RMM. This integration makes ConnectWise the first to release an OpenAI integration in the managed services industry. MSPs will be able to automate customer ticketing and issue-tracking processes to provide faster response times and improve customer service and engagement.

"Things that I know or are rumored to be:

Business last year increased by 34% in some areas and 57% overall

The number of endpoints increased over the past 24 months..."

- GW

Balancing the Benefits of AI with Data Privacy Concerns

The rapid success of the language model ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, has raised concerns about data privacy. The tool requires massive amounts of data to function and improve, and the company fed it 300 billion words, including personal information obtained without consent. 

This data collection violates privacy, especially when data is sensitive and can identify individuals and their locations. 

Search for Origin of Shot-Down Flying Objects Continues Amid Remote Locations and Harsh Conditions

The origin of three objects recently shot down over the US and Canada remains uncertain as search efforts continue to recover debris from the takedowns. 

A senior White House official has stated that there is no evidence linking the objects to China's spy balloon program, although it is unclear how the objects were being propelled, who sent them or what their purpose was. 

While officials have ruled out that the objects were US government objects, they have not dismissed the possibility that they were commercial or research balloons. The search for the debris is hampered by remote and frigid conditions in the search area, and it may not be possible to recover all of it. 

Meanwhile, the interagency task force created by President Biden to address policy issues surrounding the balloons and unidentified flying objects has begun its work.

Omegle: Landmark Lawsuit and the Potential Impact on Social Media Platforms

BBC

A young American woman coerced into becoming a digital sex slave by a pedophile she met on Omegle, the popular live video chat website, is suing the platform in a landmark case that could pave the way for a wave of lawsuits against other social media platforms. 

In a product liability lawsuit, Alice (not her real name) argues that Omegle became a “hunting ground for predators” due to the random matching system and the lack of warnings or age verification. Her legal team claims that Omegle is responsible for the harm caused to Alice and hopes to secure her millions of dollars in compensation and force changes to Omegle’s design.

Efficiently Manage Multiple Time Zones With These Tech Tools

In today's increasingly globalized and remote work world, the ability to navigate multiple time zones is a critical skill that many workers must have. Nicole Nguyen, writing for The Wall Street Journal, outlines several tech tools that can help remote workers and frequent travelers efficiently manage multiple time zones.

Executive Summary:

• Navigating multiple time zones is a critical skill for remote workers, frequent travelers, and those co-workers in other states or countries.
• Time conversion tools, such as World Time Buddy, are essential to help manage time differences across different locations.
• Scheduling tools, such as Gmail and Outlook, can help send messages when they are most likely to be read, while features in Slack can enable team members to see each other’s local times.

Salesforce Adds New Gender Identity and Pronoun Data Options to Products

Salesforce has recently announced the addition of new fields for gender identity and pronoun data in its products, which will enable businesses to collect and manage customer data more inclusively. The new feature will help organizations to build trust and form deeper connections with their customers.

Salesforce’s new gender-inclusive features will provide organizations with more choices about whether, when, and how to use this data while empowering each customer to tailor fields to best fit their unique needs.

Executive Summary:

• Salesforce has announced new fields for gender identity and pronoun data in its products to help businesses collect and manage customer data more inclusively.
• The new fields will be launched across standard objects representing people on Salesforce and will enable customers and their users to select, identify, and capture pronouns and gender identity.
• Salesforce's new gender-inclusive features will provide organizations with more choices about whether, when, and how to use this data.
• The gender-inclusive features were designed in close partnership with Salesforce's Inclusive Language Steering Committee, including members of Outforce and Out and Equal.
• Organizations must prioritize safety, use transparency to create trust, empower their customers, and champion inclusive language to obtain accurate and reliable data and create better customer experiences.