Phil Simon

You get so much more done when you Slack! Ever wondered what it would be like to be less overwhelmed, more efficient, and much more engaged at work? A way you can make all that happen is, of course, to Slack. Actually, it's to use Slack, the business communications platform that's revolutionized how groups work together. This comprehensive guide shows how--as well as why--there are now millions of users of this flexible, fun, and intuitive workspace tool. Presented in a clear, easy-to-follow style, Slack For Dummies takes you from the basics of getting started with the service all the way through how to get your teams Slacking together for all they're worth. You'll also find case studies showing how Slack increases productivity and how to replicate that in your organization, as well as tips on getting buy-in from the boss. Introduce Slack to your workflowUnderstand roles and featuresAnalyze user dataKeep your Slacking secure So, take a peek inside and discover how you can cut the slack using Slack--and clue your teams in on how there is actually a way to Slack off for improved results!

For years, organizations have struggled to make sense out of their data. IT projects designed to provide employees with dashboards, KPIs, and business-intelligence tools often take a year or more to reach the finish line...if they get there at all. This has always been a problem. Today, though, it's downright unacceptable. The world changes faster than ever. Speed has never been more important. By adhering to antiquated methods, firms lose the ability to see nascent trends—and act upon them until it's too late. But what if the process of turning raw data into meaningful insights didn't have to be so painful, time-consuming, and frustrating? What if there were a better way to do analytics? Fortunately, you're in luck... Analytics: The Agile Way is the eighth book from award-winning author and Arizona State University professor Phil Simon. Analytics: The Agile Way demonstrates how progressive organizations such as Google, Nextdoor, and others approach analytics in a fundamentally different way. They are applying the same Agile techniques that software developers have employed for years. They have replaced large batches in favor of smaller ones...and their results will astonish you. Through a series of case studies and examples, Analytics: The Agile Way demonstrates the benefits of this new analytics mind-set: superior access to information, quicker insights, and the ability to spot trends far ahead of your competitors.

"Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by ignorance."-Hanlon's RazorOver the past five years, organizations adopted Slack, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams in droves. Think of COVID-19 as pouring gasoline on the fire. The pandemic didn't start a trend as much as it accelerated an existing one. Unfortunately, far too many of us mistakenly view these applications as Email 2.0. As a result, we are missing out on extraordinary opportunities to create more collaborative work environments, increase organizational transparency, reduce manual work, make our work lives less stressful, simplify core business processes, and much more. Blame ignorance, not malice. We have lacked a holistic framework to understand the remarkable power of new collaboration technologies, much less unleash them. At least until now. In Reimagining Collaboration, award-winning author and recognized technology expert Phil Simon provides this essential framework. He advances a new, bold, and holistic model of work-one based upon hubs and spokes. No theoretical text, Simon offers concrete tips for companies and groups on how to transform the way they work.

"Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by ignorance."-Hanlon's RazorOver the past five years, organizations adopted Slack, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams in droves. Think of COVID-19 as pouring gasoline on the fire. The pandemic didn't start a trend as much as it accelerated an existing one. Unfortunately, far too many of us mistakenly view these applications as Email 2.0. As a result, we are missing out on extraordinary opportunities to create more collaborative work environments, increase organizational transparency, reduce manual work, make our work lives less stressful, redefine core business processes, and much more. Blame ignorance, not malice. We have lacked a holistic framework to understand the remarkable power of new collaboration technologies, much less unleash them. At least until now. In Reimagining Collaboration, award-winning author and recognized technology expert Phil Simon provides this essential framework. He advances a new, bold, and holistic model of work-one based upon hubs and spokes. No theoretical text, Simon offers concrete tips for companies and groups on how to transform the way they work.

Zoom into the new world of remote collaboration While a worldwide pandemic may have started the Zoom revolution, the convenience of remote meetings is here to stay. Zoom For Dummies takes you from creating meetings on the platform to running global webinars. Along the way you'll learn how to expand your remote collaboration options, record meetings for future review, and even make scheduling a meeting through your other apps a one-click process. Take in all the advice or zoom to the info you need - it's all there! Discover how to set up meetingsShare screens and filesKeep your meetings secureAdd Zoom hardware to your officeGet tips for using Zoom as a social tool Award-winning author Phil Simon takes you beyond setting up and sharing links for meetings to show how Zoom can transform your organization and the way you work.

Residents in Boston, Massachusetts are automatically reporting potholes and road hazards via their smartphones. Progressive Insurance tracks real-time customer driving patterns and uses that information to offer rates truly commensurate with individual safety. Google accurately predicts local flu outbreaks based upon thousands of user search queries. Amazon provides remarkably insightful, relevant, and timely product recommendations to its hundreds of millions of customers. Quantcast lets companies target precise audiences and key demographics throughout the Web. NASA runs contests via gamification site TopCoder, awarding prizes to those with the most innovative and cost-effective solutions to its problems. Explorys offers penetrating and previously unknown insights into healthcare behavior. How do these organizations and municipalities do it? Technology is certainly a big part, but in each case the answer lies deeper than that. Individuals at these organizations have realized that they don't have to be Nate Silver to reap massive benefits from today's new and emerging types of data. And each of these organizations has embraced Big Data, allowing them to make astute and otherwise impossible observations, actions, and predictions. It's time to start thinking big. In Too Big to Ignore, recognized technology expert and award-winning author Phil Simon explores an unassailably important trend: Big Data, the massive amounts, new types, and multifaceted sources of information streaming at us faster than ever. Never before have we seen data with the volume, velocity, and variety of today. Big Data is no temporary blip of fad. In fact, it is only going to intensify in the coming years, and its ramifications for the future of business are impossible to overstate. Too Big to Ignore explains why Big Data is a big deal. Simon provides commonsense, jargon-free advice for people and organizations looking to understand and leverage Big Data. Rife with case studies, examples, analysis, and quotes from real-world Big Data practitioners, the book is required reading for chief executives, company owners, industry leaders, and business professionals.

The era of Big Data as arrived, and most organizations are woefully unprepared. Slowly, many are discovering that stalwarts like Excel spreadsheets, KPIs, standard reports, and even traditional business intelligence tools aren't sufficient. These old standbys can't begin to handle today's increasing streams, volumes, and types of data. Amidst all of the chaos, though, a new type of organization is emerging. In The Visual Organization, award-winning author and technology expert Phil Simon looks at how an increasingly number of organizations are embracing new dataviz tools and, more important, a new mind-set based upon data discovery and exploration. Simon adroitly shows how Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, Twitter, and other tech heavyweights use powerful data visualization tools to garner fascinating insights into their businesses. But make no mistake: these companies are hardly alone. Organizations of all types, industries, sizes are representing their data in new and amazing ways. As a result, they are asking better questions and making better business decisions. Rife with real-world examples and case studies, The Visual Organization is a full-color tour-de-force.

Get your message across the right way with clear communication Message Not Received provides the tools and techniques that make an effective writer and public speaker. Particularly on topics related to data and technology, effective communication can present a challenge in business settings. This book shows readers how those challenges can be overcome, and how to keep the message from getting lost in the face of mismatched levels of knowledge, various delivery media, and the library of jargon that too often serves as a substitute for real, meaningful language. Coverage includes idea crystallization, the rapidly changing business environment, Kurzweil's law of accelerating change, and our increasing inability to understand what we are saying to each other. Rich with visuals including diagrams, slides, graphs, charts, and infographics, this guide provides accessible information and actionable guidance toward more effectively conveying the message. Today, few professionals can ignore the tsunami of technology that permeates their lives, advancing far more rapidly that most of us can handle. As a result, too many people think that successful speaking means using buzzwords, jargon, and invented words that sound professional, but don't actually communicate meaning. This book provides a path through the noise, helping readers get their message across succinctly, efficiently, and effectively. Adapt your approach for more effective communicationLearn the critical skill of crystallizing ideasTailor your style to the method of deliveryEnsure that your message is heard, understood, and internalized It doesn't matter whether you're pitching to a venture capitalist, explaining daily challenges to a non-tech manager, or speaking to hundreds of people – jargon-filled word salad uses a lot of words to say very little. Better communication requires a different approach, and Message Not Received gives you a roadmap to more effective speaking and writing for any audience or medium.

Your all-inclusive guide to all the latest technologies Providing you with a better understanding of the latest technologies, including Cloud Computing, Software as a Service, Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA), Open Source, Mobile Computing, Social Networking, and Business Intelligence, The Next Wave of Technologies: Opportunities in Chaos helps you know which questions to ask when considering if a specific technology is right for your organization. Demystifies powerful but largely misunderstood technologiesExplains how each technology worksProvides key guidance on determining if a particular technology is right for your organizationContains contributions from experts on Cloud Computing, Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA), Software as a Service (SaaS), Open Source, Mobile Technologies, Enterprise Risk Management, Social Media, Business Intelligence, and more More of a management text than a technical guide, the book is designed to help your organization better understand these exciting new technologies and their potential impact. The Next Wave of Technologies: Opportunities in Chaos will help you determine if your organization is ready for a specific technology, how to prepare for its successful adoption, how to measure success, and the key risks and red flags to recognize.