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NOVEMBER 2018
RTS Tech Journal OUR NEW HOME
How We Change Without Losing What We Had
I worried a big change would negatively impact the relationship of the team, so we took our time in finding the right place to call home. We visited a million locations before finding a space we loved. It happened to have a beautiful view, and it wasn’t all that far away from our original location. Over the summer, I brought the team out for a picnic in that area and had them walk through the space. I asked if they could see themselves working in that environment and envision a future where
A few months ago, RTS Labs moved into a new office space. This has been a long time coming. Truth be told, we outgrew our old space more than two years ago! We needed more room, but we didn’t want to rush a move. It was important to find a place that would be the right fit for us, with room for the growth we had experienced and would experience in the future, without messing with the culture we had created.
other. Instead, they wanted an awesome conference room to hang out together, more accommodation rooms, an office that would wow future employees, and to make sure we maintained a culture of openness, even when we moved into an office that was three times bigger than the old space. This all lined up with what I wanted for the company, too. The office space Sierra and SMBW created for us is incredible. We’ve had clients come by to check it out and end up sticking around because they wanted to hang out! This journey brought the team together. The plan was for the leadership team to move everything over the weekend and have it all set up Monday morning. But the whole team decided to come in on Sunday and work together toward one common goal. It was a cool experience. Your company is more than the building you’re in, but the way you use the space sends a message. The message I want to send is one of valuing company culture and ensuring we maintain the good things about RTS as we grow and move into the future. -Jyot Singh
I worried a big change would negatively impact the relationship of the team, so we took our time in finding the right place to call home.
we could grow and thrive. It was ultimately the team’s decision, and once I knew they liked it, we made plans to transform the new office into RTS’ dream home. We hired SMBW, an interior design company that specializes in creating offices for technology companies. Our designer, Sierra Roman, did a great job of delivering something that fit our wants and needs. She held workshops and created surveys to understand what our employees wanted in the new space, and what she found was incredible. I thought the team would be more concerned about proximity to other resources or being too close to each
The soul of RTS has always been about openness. When I started the company nine years ago, I wanted to create a place where the culture supported openness in creativity and conversation. The team should be free to work in a way that’s most productive for them, and they should feel like they can provide feedback or speak up when something doesn’t go well. We’ve been able to achieve this thanks, in part, to the proximity in which the team works. We hate cubicles, and no one has an office at RTS, including me. If you love working with your team, why hide behind walls or create barriers?
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THE BEST SCI- FI TECH WE WISH WE COULD GET ON BLACK FRIDAY
Maintaining the flow of ideas and information between team members is as necessary to a business as the nervous system is to the human body. Internal communication (IC) is what determines how flexible and responsive your company is to day-to-day challenges. In today’s fast-paced, decentralized marketplace, leveraging the right tools and strategies to make IC engaging, effective, and fun has never been more important. Here are a few tips to help you get there. More Chats, Fewer Meetings Making IC engaging from a leadership standpoint means taking the time to use the right medium for your message. The last thing you want is to have team members sitting through a meeting thinking, “Couldn’t this have just been an email?” Recognizing what you want to communicate and why are important steps in deciding the best way to deliver information. Saving in-person meetings for big collaborative projects and important announcements will add more weight to those moments while allowing communications of lesser magnitude to be handled quickly and efficiently over email and instant messaging. Internal, Yet Global Remote work is becoming more and more common — and it’s a good thing. Research conducted by IBM suggests that remote workers are, on average, more engaged and effective than those who come to the office from 9 to 5. With group messaging apps and cloud-based software, you can keep your team on the same page no matter where they are in the world. The best tools to make this possible will depend on your business, but keeping everyone under the same umbrella of programs, such as Google’s G Suite, is a great strategy to start with. Memes and GIFs Galore A company’s culture exists within the ways its team communicates. Having avenues available for employees to blow off steam, share funny stories, and stay abreast of each other’s lives is an important part of improving retention and company morale. Even spicing up a companywide email with a well- placed GIF or pop culture reference can do wonders to give your IC a voice unique to the culture and values of your company. Finding the styles and methods of communication that best fit your company takes time, but it’s worth it. Not only will creating your own communication style ensure that time and resources are used effectively, but it will also ensure that your team has a voice. Nailing this key aspect of your business will allow everything else to run far more smoothly. Getting the Most out of Internal Communication
The holidays are coming up, and plenty of people have the latest gadgets on their wish lists. From remotes that control everything in your home to helpful robots always listening for voice commands, life becomes more futuristic every day. But we’re not living in the world of “The Jetsons” just yet. Here are a few examples of amazing science-fiction technology we wish we could have on our wish lists. A Lightsaber Who hasn’t swung around a stick pretending to be a Jedi Knight after watching a Star Wars movie? This “elegant weapon from a more civilized age” may be impractical — in reality, a sword made of hot plasma would ignite the air itself — but it’s no less cool. Are we likely to run into a Sith on our way to the office in the morning? Not really, but on the off chance Darth Vader does show up, we’d feel a lot better with a lightsaber on our belt.
The Transporter It’s hard not to have
something from “Star Trek” in every spot on this list, but of all the science-fiction inventions, the transporter is one of the coolest. No more being stuck in traffic when you can
instantly teleport yourself to work. Think about how much easier it would be to travel during the holidays! Sure,
there is the occasional transporter accident that splits your captain into two opposing personalities, but after 40 minutes of high jinks, everything is sure to go back to normal. A Babel Fish This one technically isn’t technology, but we would be remiss if we didn’t pay respect to Douglas Adams’ cult-classic “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” Plenty of sci-fi authors have introduced a universal translator, but none have the same surreal charm of Adams’ Babel fish. This living yellow fish hangs out in your ear and instantly translates any language, human or alien. To be honest, we’re not sold on the idea of putting a live fish in our ears, so maybe it’s a good thing Google is getting close to this trick with their new Pixel Buds. A lot of gadgets on the market today were inspired by the pages of science fiction. Who knows? One day, we might be able to buy some of these pieces of tech for our own. Except the Babel fish. That one is probably best left in the realm of imagination.
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A SECRET WEAPON FOR COMPANY CULTURE The Power of Salesforce Community Cloud
it is likely an indication that something in your company culture has soured.
intelligence to autogenerate topic pages so your team has access to all the information they need, making it easy to follow company updates without information getting lost in translation. Happiness Employees who feel engaged with their company and each other tend to report higher levels of happiness, meaning productivity goes up and employees stick around longer. Salesforce Community Cloud has engagement built in. Employees can create user groups centered around projects, departments, and even personal interests. These groups give employees a place where they can discuss problems, find solutions, and feel like they belong to a community at their workplace. You cannot underestimate the importance of company culture, and Salesforce is just one way for you to improve this delicate environment. Learn more about the many ways Salesforce can help your company by visiting rtslabs.com/blog .
Data from the U.S. Labor Department reveals that over 3.5 million people quit their job in May 2018. This 17-year high should worry business owners. It costs between $3,000 and $5,000 to recruit a single employee. If you have 25 percent turnover — what some experts consider “acceptable” — then you’re spending $75,000–$125,000 a year to replace employees after someone quits! It’s not just the price tag of recruiting and onboarding that should have employers worried about high turnover rates. People spend most of their waking hours in the workplace. They don’t want to stay in a place where they are unhappy. If you are experiencing high turnover in your business,
At RTS Labs, we have worked hard to build a stellar company culture, and we use resources like Salesforce Community Cloud to maintain that culture. Here’s how: Hiring It doesn’t help anyone if you hire an employee who isn’t best suited for the position. Salesforce Community Cloud utilizes a data- driven hiring strategy, which helps take some of the guesswork out of hiring. This technology also gives your hiring team the tools to communicate instantly, cutting down the time it takes to find that perfect candidate. Communication If your company is experiencing rapid growth or sudden change, it’s important to keep your team in the loop. Employees who feel like they are in a sea of chaos start to worry about their jobs and look for more stable waters. A feature called Salesforce Einstein uses artificial
Sudoku
PUMPKIN CHICKPEA FRITTERS
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1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1–2 teaspoons flour, for binding (optional) 1 cup panko bread crumbs, for coating 1/4–1/2 cup safflower or canola oil, for frying
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1 can chickpeas, drained
1/2 cup organic pumpkin purée
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1/4 cup sunflower seeds 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
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1 teaspoon garlic granules
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1. In a large mixing bowl, mash together chickpeas and pumpkin purée until the majority of peas are mixed with purée. 2. Add sunflower seeds, apple cider vinegar, spices, and 4. Formmixture into golf-ball-sized spheres and roll to coat in panko breadcrumbs. Pat into flat cakes and carefully drop into hot oil. 5. Fry fritters, flipping once, until golden and toasty, about 2 minutes per side. 6. Transfer cooked fritters to a paper towel to dry and cool. Serve 5 minutes after cooking. flour to mixture. Fold until fully integrated. 3. In a large skillet, heat oil on medium-high.
Inspired by Healthy.Happy.Life
Solution on page 4.
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INSIDE This Issue
Is Bigger Better?
The Key to Effective Internal Communications The Tech Geek’s Dream Wish List How Salesforce Improves Company Culture Pumpkin Chickpea Fritters
3 Movie Locations to Captivate Your Eyes
3 FAMOUS MOVIE LOCATIONS YOU NEED TO VISIT Why Watch the Film When You Can See It With Your Own Eyes?
Christ Church Cathedral Harry Potter captured the imagination of the world. There are multiple sites across the United Kingdom where you can get lost in the adventure that shaped a generation, but there is one spot at the top of almost every fan’s list. Hogwarts is a magic castle in J.K. Rowling’s books, but in real life, its film location is a functioning cathedral in Oxford. Take one step onto the grounds of Christ Church Cathedral, and you might begin to wonder when
Tikal National Park When George Lucas witnessed a poster of this famous archeological site, he didn’t see an ancient culture — he saw Yavin IV, the perfect location for the Massassi Outpost, a rebel haven found in the first film of Star Wars. Though the movie paints a futuristic look at the region, walk through Tikal National Park, and you’ll experience it as a trip through history.
Movies captivate audiences partially because of their ability to transport you to a different place. The heart yearns to be taken places, and cinema facilitates that journey. But what if you could immerse yourself in those fantastical worlds by visiting the destinations that you’ve seen on the big screen? Here are three places that are worth the trip. Hobbiton The only aspect of “The Lord of the Rings” that is more compelling than the fantastical journey of Frodo is the alluring, untamed countryside and quaint towns that make up Middle Earth. The Green Dragon Inn, Bilbo’s house, and the rolling hills of New Zealand make for a backdrop that will transport you straight into the life of Middle Earth’s smallest people — only these houses aren’t small at all. And you don’t need large, hairy feet to enjoy them.
the next Quidditch match will begin.
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