Let’s be real – there is no recipe for success that everyone can follow, but what we can do is learn from the experience and mistakes of others, and try to avoid them. The key to successfully implementing plans or changes is understanding that they are only as good as the people that execute them.
Stay tuned for part 3 of the series!

So, what do you think of the Metaverse? Is it the future of the internet as we know it, or is it just a feature of it? Will you be investing in different parts of the Metaverse, or will you be waiting to see what will happen to the early adopters?

Description: We’ve had a few industrial revolutions so far, and the fact is, we’re currently going through the fourth one, in which the lines between the physical and the digital are slowly getting blurred. It’s an analysis of what might come, how it will be different from what was and what is, and how we can prepare for it.
How it can help tech leaders: The idea that we’re constantly changing, and progressing is something everyone knows, but to be part of the change, to be part of the people who will enable and power it up – we first need to learn how to master it. A powerful book that can help you expand and shape your vision and mission as a leader.

Description: A book about one of the biggest frauds in American history, and the biggest one in the tech industry – Theranos. The rise and fall, and all the details in between are in this book – simply put, this is a thriller with an ending that is bitter, but highly educational.
How it can help tech leaders: The how’s and why’s of some stuff that can happen are important, but the one thing that techies and tech leaders can learn from this book is that sometimes believing in an idea without being to objectively measure its feasibility can lead to disastrous results.

They say that nothing beats learning by doing, but truth be told, that ‘doing’ part can be much more efficient and educational if you get the facts straight and learn from the experience of others or get a bit deeper into the details. Stay tuned for part 2 of the series!

At its core, creative thinking is intentionally gaining new insights and different ideas through existing information.
Often, creative thought involves tapping into unique styles of thinking and examining information from different viewpoints to see new patterns.

Anyone can foster a creative mind with some practice!

Using a wide variety of brainstorming strategies can help you discover innovative solutions for issues in various aspects of your life, be it personal relationships, work, etc.

The focus on creativity and innovation is important because most problems might require approaches that have never been created or tried before. It is a highly valued skill to have individually and one that businesses should always aspire to have among their ranks. The word creativity means a phenomenon where something new is created.

Creative thinking is a skill and, like any other, it needs constant exercise to stay sharp. You need to regularly expose yourself to situations in which a new idea is needed and surround yourself with like-minded people to achieve this goal.
Such a process is made easier with the use of certain techniques. They help get you on the right mindset and supply the basic structure to reach innovative ideas on demand.
Test your creative thinking skills with a simple mind game: Torrance’s test for creative thinking1: complete the drawing.

The process of mind mapping helps you connect ideas you never imagined could be combined. Because of that, it might help you reach appropriate solutions while using creative thinking skills.
A mind map is a chart where you input ideas and connect them. It can have workable solutions to a problem, its immediate consequences, and be the best course of action to deal with them. Alternatively, your mind map can serve as a way to see a bigger picture regarding what you are trying to do.
Mind mapping can even be done individually. Sometimes, you may already have all the ideas you need but it is required to put them to paper. Creating a mind map helps to organize them and naturally reach conclusions.
Also, since a mind map is an infographic, those who were not part of the process can easily understand it. Therefore, it serves as a valid piece of documentation.

Another fun game or assignment which you can use to improve or put your creative thinking to the test is the Alternative Uses Task.
Developed by J.P. Guilford in 1967, the Alternative Uses Task tests evaluates creativity by having you think of as many possible uses for a common household item (such as a brick, paperclip, or newspaper)
Example: name all the uses for a brick:
A paperweight
A doorstop
To throw through a window
To use as a weapon
To hit my sister on the head with

Try it: look around for a common house object, say a vase. How many uses can you think of for that vase?

Developing your creative thinking skills is highly beneficial for any field of work. Every area needs people that can produce the best solutions to the everyday problems that arise, and creativity is critical to do that.

You can experience advantages such as these by developing creative thinking skills:

• ability to create the best solutions to daily demands, which provides value to clients and your own business.
• improvement on problem-solving for not only work-related matters but also those in your personal life.
• higher workplace involvement in daily activities and engagement, which is beneficial to a healthier environment.
• a better understanding of data — also known as data literacy — and how to present it through data storytelling.
• focus on self-improvement as you and your teammates will develop more soft skills.
• more effective teamwork and bonding since people grow used to bouncing off original ideas and learn each other’s creative traits.

Creative Thinkers relish the sight of a blank piece of paper. That is because they can see what is not yet real. And then make it real. They find inspiration in unexpected places and make connections between unrelated things. They are the people the team relies on to solve problems in clever, original ways.

Share your superpower.

You see everyone on the internet these days talking about raising awareness on some issues, and these help in keeping the general public informed on all the important events in that sphere, and also educate people on all the progress being made, as well as trying to engage them in activities.
Special attention was paid when we planned this at IT Labs, as we wanted to find a speaker who is deep into the environmental world, who knows all the aspects – policy, activism, and hands-on experience in tackling some of the biggest issues. And, of course, we got Ana Petrovska to hold a presentation and educate us more on the topic of ‘Zero Waste’ and we got into a discussion looking to answer one of the more pertinent questions regarding zero waste: is it possible?

The development of talent starts much earlier than many would expect. It starts with the hiring process, during which we evaluate the candidate’s strengths and weaknesses and we predefine some goals we think and feel the candidate can reach in a certain frame of time. Once the candidate joins and becomes a part of the IT Labs story, this predefined path and goals can, of course, change as time goes on.

So how do we go about picking and nurturing our talent? We have a few “pillars” that help us find people who are a good fit for us:

For all the pillars described above, we have a variety of programs and activities are deployed to ensure individuals reach the levels they desire, and to ensure even development in all aspects. These include but are not limited to:

Tech-stack Community

Information, knowledge sessions, databases, skills, articles, pet projects – we have communities for all of these, and individuals can gain access to invaluable information based on experience and know-how, while also get hands-on experience and participate in various projects.

Technical training and courses

Depending on the role, individuals have the opportunity to obtain specific knowledge or skills in various areas, through training programs which provide certificates, which boost productivity and confirm quality standards.

Innovation

We live, breathe, and dream innovation, as we consider it to be the pinnacle of knowledge – the moment you put at work all the knowledge and experience you’ve amassed through the years, to bring to light a tech or solution or method that can help drive progress and innovation even further.

We have innovation sessions, at which we discuss ideas and concepts and we dissect them and see if they actually carry the initial potential, and if they’re worth pursuing!

Certification & Trainings

Certificates are a proof of expertise, and they also pose a challenge for employees – keeping them engaged and learning continuously. With this, they become more confident in their abilities, and look for the next step.

Tech Radar lab

Staying on top with the latest developments in the world of tech, following new releases, and deployment of new tech is crucial for being up to date with the latest trends – both in terms of work and productivity. Experimenting with the latest tech is crucial in the development of a culture that’s driven by innovation and idea-sharing.

Personal development plan

Two times a year, we have performance review sessions, during which we define a detailed personal development plan, with action points and timeframes, and the whole team around you will be engaged in ways that can support you and help you reach your objectives.

Soft-skills training

Your personal improvement is just as important as your professional – as training focused on developing your adaptability, leadership skills, critical thinking, and communication.

Coaching sessions

We have a certified Agile coach, and our employees have one-on-one and group sessions with the coach, helping them develop new attitudes to overcome challenges.

Change this to certification and trainings – there is soft-skills training, but we also provide upskill tech trainings for our employees.

1. Initiation
2. Creation of Development Plan
3. Feedback Session
4. Promotion

A process used to determine and define the seniority level of an employee according to their position and the skill-set prescribed in the job description for the position, in order to perform it with the expected quality.
A KL Evaluation Process can be initiated by the Department Manager on the following occasions:
– Three months after an individual becomes an employee of IT Labs
– During the Performance Potential Review feedback
– Once the DM notices a significant change in the knowledge and skill level of the employee, compared to the previous evaluation

It started with a question – one that we’ve all tried to answer and have read tons about:

So layers and layers of the what, defining it, but not a single why? Let’s change that. 

Whenever we find ourselves in a stressful situation, the big trap that we all fall into is that this situation is somewhat different than anything we’ve faced before. We don’t prospect, we don’t measure, and we don’t assess – we just stress. 

Having a black-and-white approach to these situations diffuses stress and keeps your much more relaxed. As Sergej shared his most recent stressful situation, where he got stuck at an airport, forced to take care of bureaucracy which could have made him be late and miss his flight, he talked in length about knowing what needs to be done, and not getting stuck in dreading – instead, put yourself in action. 

Stress is not always bad – it can spur us on to create amazing things. That little bit of pressure can be the difference-maker in many cases, but as it seems, excessive stress in longer periods will do more harm than good.

And in a world in which everyone seems to be online, available, and just a few clicks away, we need to find ways to rest our mind, and to keep it out (at least temporarily) of the chaos and all the noise, so that we can keep learning, keep growing, and remain our best selves.

When we talk about a project, we actually talk about an activity to create something unique. You may say that many of the projects are similar in many aspects these days, but each individual project is unique. Uniqueness does not come only in the perception of what the scope is, how the project is initiated, executed, or even delivered, but instead comes from the different characters of people, in this case, stakeholders and the entire team behind the project.

Though sometimes project managers overlook less obvious – yet critical – stakeholders, it is important to consider everyone that is vested in the project. This should be a relationship based on communication, transparency, engagement, and trust.

Did you know that transparency is defined as “the quality of being done in an open way without secrets?”

In a study I have read (Kelton Global in a 2018 study), it is found that 87% of workers admitted that they want their company and people to be transparent. 80% of the respondents wanted to know more about the organization’s decision-making. And when you look this from a project perspective you would soon realize that it means a culture of open communication and visibility within stakeholders or a project team or even an entire organization. It is often the case of being honest with your stakeholders about the project and the team itself.

Lack of transparency can cause distrust among stakeholders or even resentment. Inadequate or poor communication is a major cause of project failures. Transparency is not a one-size-fit-all approach, as it differs from client to client or industry to industry.

From a personal experience I have learned that to increase transparency you need to make sure that people understand their tasks. Stakeholders or the project team needs to understand the ‘why’ not just the ‘what’.

On my project, I have communicated openly with my stakeholders and explained changes very thoroughly so that we may have an open communication. This did not happen overnight. It took months to get to a certain level but at the end it gave me an outcome of trust that I am sure every manager wants to build. I am also always open for any kind of feedback that comes from any of the stakeholders, since I am doing this with honesty, I too expect honesty and sometimes might even hear something I do not prefer but it is a step to learn and improve.

Project transparency needs to be supported with tools that make collaboration and communication easier. Since our teams are distributed, online tools are necessary. To provide visibility into the project pipeline, we use Azure DevOps Server or Team Foundation Server. Every team member including clients can see what the status of different tasks is, whether new bugs have occurred etc.

Transparency will allow to increase people’s engagement but will also help to eliminate productivity killers.

Busting the Fear of the Dreaded Breast Exams 

Every year, we dedicate October to raising awareness on the effect of breast cancer, and what can be done to help tackle this disease, which affects millions of women around the world every year. The truth is, even with all the access to information, there are still a lot of misconceptions and myths regarding everything related to breast cancer and breast exams, and it’s understandable. They can be scary and nerve-wracking.  

Are you plagued by the idea of getting a professional breast exam; the paralyzing fear of the results turning up positive always there?  

You are not alone in that fear; the phenomenon is more commonly referred to as breast cancer screening anxiety and it is connected to various aspects of breast cancer screenings, which may include pain, invasive procedures, and the possibility of getting a false-positive result. 

The Examination: Step by Step

Once you arrive for your appointment you will usually be questioned on the reason for your visit, if and how you have noticed any abnormalities in your breasts, as well as the date of your last menstrual cycle. Afterward, the doctor will first off do a manual breast exam; this can include you, the patient, either sitting or lying down on a bed. The doctor will examine all quadrants of the breast tissue, which means they will palpate all-around your breasts, as well as check the tissue under the arm. This is so they can check for any kinds of lumps or abnormalities.  

Afterward, they will darken the room so they can perform an ultrasound. This is an entirely painless procedure in which you will only be lying down, while the doctor does everything else. After slathering some ultrasound gel over your chest, the doctor will carefully go over your breasts using the ultrasound probe. By doing this, your doctor will get visual images of your breast tissue and will be able to carefully examine the internal situation. If there are no abnormalities, the examination will end here and you will be sent on your way. 

There is a chance, if the doctor discovers some type of lump, for you to need to undergo a biopsy. While there are several types of biopsies, all of them are virtually painless after the anaesthetic kicks in. Being told that you need to conduct a biopsy can be nerve-wracking and anxiety-inducing. However, keep in mind that the biopsy can give priceless information on the nature of the lump or tissue the doctor wants to examine. This way, there will be no doubts whether there should be a cause for further worry and tests.