Cool Beans SF

Living Digitized
The electronic flow of data permeates the fibers of every business. Try to make a transaction without accessing the binary realm - bets are that even the cash register used to ring your favorite morning beverage is accessing electronic data. Today, business survival and success depends on immediate connectivity and data communication.

Living in a digitized world has altered modes of business communication as well. Shooting a quick email off with a pricing quote or sending an answer to a email query are just as commonplace as a client call. Email has evolved into the standard mass communications tool, whether it be message communications or as a document courier. According to Pew Internet Research a mere decade ago, just 15% of adults in the US went online, today that number has jumped to 63%(1).

“On a typical day at the end of 2004, some 70 million American adults logged onto the internet to use email, get news, access government information, check out health and medical information, participate in auctions, book travel reservations, research their genealogy, gamble, seek out romantic partners and engage in countless other activities. That represents a 37% increase from the 52 million adults who were online on an average day in 2000″.(2)

The statistics show that the internet and email flood our very existence. A business enterprise can’t be effective or successful without accommodating its wired clientele. Email is now such an integral part of the work world that a USA Today survey found that given a choice between giving up morning coffee or the ability to use the internet at work, 52% chose coffee(3).

Your Unintentional Data Flow
It’s inevitable that some of yours and/or your company’s data will be transmitted outside the network or personal system. Sharing unprotected electronic documents will ultimately cost you and your business By putting your intellectual property at risk. Think of all the man-hours of work that go into making your enterprise a success: proprietary designs, financial statements, competitive research, and other sensitive documents are all at risk when sent out as an unprotected email attachment.

Leakage of confidential intellectual property can seriously threaten the viability of an incubating contract lead. Unfortunately, email and documents meant for a select group can easily and quickly enter the public sphere. Once released over email, the transmitting flood of data which was once between company and client can fall into the hands of competitors, sometimes even forwarded by potential clients to competitors. Do you want to give your competitors shortcuts to your clientele? Each unsupervised electronic transmittal will poke hole upon hole in a company’s financial fortification.

Who’s Looking at your “Personal Stuff?”
Who’s protecting your small business enterprise’s best interests against these in unintentional information leaks? Certainly not the government, when US President, George W. Bush voiced his bias against email in his address to the American Society of Newspaper Editors, saying “I don’t email, however. And there’s a reason. I don’t want you reading my personal stuff.”(4) Nor does Great Britain’s Prime Minister, Tony Blair and the rest of number 10 Downing Street trust the mass communication tool, instead opting to use sticky notes(5).

These are the drastic, archaic steps backwards those zealously phobic of the digital communications era have adopted. Do you see your business forgoing email for sticky notes? The likely answer is no, as your customers won’t be transitioning to the sticky note 2.0 platform.

A small business enterprise shouldn’t have to succumb to the paranoia of the few and uneducated. A business is most profitable when its channels of communication to its clients are open and accessible. Yet having these channels accessible also opens the flood gates of a small business’ proprietary information. Domestically, intellectual property theft was, according to the FBI, on the increase. In 2005, unauthorized distribution of digital information cost the average company $355,552, a two-fold increase from the 2004 rate of $168,529(6) With the growth of intellectual property theft, the government has allocated some resources to this issue.

In 2004 there were “with the support of Congress, the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section [(CCIPS)] has grown from 22 attorneys to more than 35 attorneys over the past two years. Created in 1991, CCIPS attorneys prosecute intellectual property cases…[they also] develop relationships with international law enforcement agencies and foreign prosecutors to strengthen the global response to intellectual property theft. (7)” A total of 35 dedicated attorneys in the CCIPS in Washington, D.C. are defending U.S. intellectual property rights. Are these resources enough ample resources for the 17.6 million sole proprietorships in the United States(8)? When looking at the growth of dollars lost through intellectual property loss accelerating every year, using government as the sole solution does not seem to be the answer.

Preventing those leaks
Each time a small business entity shares confidential information such as price lists, legal documents, plans and proposals - its reputation and competitive advantage is at stake. The impact associated with a private email or attachment being accidentally or intentionally forwarded can be colossal.

From sole proprietorships to ventures of a hundred employees, the small business enterprise must be able to access the same resources of large scale enterprises. The power to share work without relinquishing creative and innovative control is an invaluable tool. Taking preventative steps by using security software allows small business enterprises to protect their right to profit from their own intellectual property. Securing files is the best means to plugging information leaks

Protection of intellectual property is imperative for success in business. Individuals and small companies need to protect their email and digital assets with the same confidence shared by their larger enterprise business counterparts. Becoming actively aware of your digital assets and its whereabouts allows the individual and small business enterprise to managing the flow of your digital data in a more productive manner than President Bush or Prime Minister Blair’s sticky note solution for their “personal stuff.”

- - - - - - - - - -

End Notes:

1.) Lee Rainie, John Horrigan p.59 Report: Internet Evolution, Chapter 4 “Internet: The Mainstreaming of Online Life.” Pew Internet Rearch 25 January 2005. http://www.pewinternet.org

2.) Ibid, 58.

3.) USA TODAY. McLean, Va.: Jul 14, 2005. B1.

4.) Bush, President George W., “Address to the American Society of Newspaper Editors Convention,” 14 April 2005. http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/04/20050414-4.html

5.) 26 January 2004, http://www.theherald.co.uk/politics/8651.html

6.) Gordon, Lawrence A., Martin P. Loeb, William Lucyshyn and Robert Richardson, “CSI/FBI Computer Crime and Security Survey” July 2005, http://www.cpppe.umd.edu, 15.

7.) Israelite, David M., Daniel J. Bryant, Brian D. Boyle, et.al, “Report Of The Department of Justice’s Task Force on Intelllectual Property,” U.S. Department of Justice - Office of Legal Policy, October 2004, http://www.usdoj.gov/olp/ip_task_force_report.pdf. 21.

8.) Buscher, Patricia, “Number of Small Businesses Continues to Grow (2002),” U.S. Census Bureau. http://www.census.gov

- - - - - - - - - -

The article “Filling in the Data Leaks (Protecting your Personal Stuff)” was a collaboration between Ms. Veniegas and Mr. Zachary Price of Essential Security Software, Inc. ESS is a SBRM solution for Small And Medium Businesses. The Company’s newest too; Essential Taceo was released in 2005.

Do you sometimes notice your computer running slower. Is your computer acting strange almost like its possessed? Well, it just may be plagued with Spyware. Spyware is a common term for files that are installed on your system without your knowledge. It allows companies to monitor your Internet activity. Believe it or not, Spyware is now the leading threat to our computers, and our online privacy. It’s ahead of viruses.

Spyware programs work behind the scenes, collecting and sending information about your browsing habits; and interfering with the normal operation of your machine. They can add toolbars that you didn’t request, run programs, and even alter your system settings.

Aware, or advertising-supported software, is any software application in which advertisements are displayed while a program is running. It is commonly know as pop ups. System Monitors can keep track of every keystroke that you make on your computer. Yep! Credit card numbers, bank account information, and everything else that you don’t want to share with thieves.

Adware is not a virus and may not be detected by anti-virus scanning programs. It does not spread the same way as most viruses spread. Many users do not know they are downloading a free program along with adware onto their computer. Some spyware is clever enough to hide in your hard drive. For those who haven’t yet had an encounter with spyware, count your blessings and hope your time never comes. Be careful. Don’t just download programs that are free, or sound too good to be true. We all know that anything that’s sounds too good to be true, usually is.!!

What is Adware?

Adware is any software application that has the ability to display advertisements on your computer. Some adware may track your surfing habits. These ads may be displayed in many forms, including pop-up, pop-under and banner ads. Remember, adware that tracks your movements and generates a profile of your habits should be regarded as a threat or risk to your online security. Using your information without your knowledge is an invasion of privacy.

How Does it Work?

Adware watches as you surf the internet and disrupts visits by popping up context-related promotions right on top of the screen, causing you to second guess your next online move. Stay on one website, or click on the pop-up and go to a new site. Adware is “a form of spyware that collects information about the user in order to display advertisements in the Web browser based on the information it collects from the user’s browsing patterns.”

There are scores of Antivirus programs readily available today. They can sometimes catch spyware and for the most part do a fair job. The best two products in my opinion for detecting spyware are Spybot and Ad-aware and are both available as free download. Both are dedicated anti-spyware products.

How Spyware Gets Into Your System

Spyware files are often combined together with other software downloads so users don’t even know they’re getting these programs. Or you unwittingly invite them into your systems, believing you are getting something else. So sad, but oh so true! With just one innocent click of the mouse you can unleash a vicious program masquerading as anti-spyware, but is actually an unwanted program. Spyware can make your life miserable. It can and will make everything you try to do possible to prevent its removal. It can block the downloading of genuine real anti-spyware software. It can substitute one of its own advertising pop-up pages every time you open your browser. It can prevent the download of pop-up blocking software; and the list goes on. Spyware is similar to a Trojan horse in that users unknowingly install the product when they install something else.

Spyware applications are typically bundled as a hidden component of freeware or shareware programs that can be downloaded from the Internet. However, it should be noted that the majority of shareware and freeware applications do not come with spyware. Once installed, the spyware monitors user activity on the Internet and transmits that information in the background to someone else. Spyware can also gather information about e-mail addresses, and even passwords and credit card numbers. Aside from the questions of ethics and privacy, spyware steals from the user by using the computer’s memory resources and also by eating bandwidth as it sends information back to the spyware’s home base via the user’s Internet connection. Because spyware is using memory and system resources, the applications running in the background can lead to system crashes or general system instability.

Pop-up Ads

Pop-up ads turn up when you launch a web site, and as you browse the internet. Pop-ups come in different forms, but they generally want to sell you something. By clicking anywhere in this type of pop-up window, you may trigger a spyware install off your radar in the background. Illegitimate pop-ups can perform programs and are downloaded without your knowledge or consent. A similar pop-up ploy asks you to accept a download, and then won’t stop popping up until you do what they want. Many users have low internet security settings and these low settings allow the operating system to perform various activities on your computer without letting you know beforehand. Don’t be fooled. Pop-ups could install spyware on your PC to capture and transmit your personal data across the internet. Or it could be adware, another form of spyware.

Common sense tips for avoiding spyware:

If a program looks too good to be true, it probably is.

Practice safe surfing

Beware of cookies, be cautious

Secure your browser

Delete all spam

Beware of peer-to-peer file sharing services

Run anti-spyware software daily

Be extremely cautious when considering a download of any kind. It’s hard to tell the good guys from the bad guys today. Many legitimate free programs include spyware in their downloads.

Important - Read the license agreement carefully before proceeding. Established spy software companies usually ask purchasers to agree through a EULA (End User License Agreement) not to monitor users without their knowledge and consent. READ - READ - READ.

Common Terms Used in the Article:

Adware tracking cookies trigger the most common form of pop-up ads. Cookies that reside on your PC serve up pop-up ads related to the site you are visiting and expose your personal information or online activities. The more cookies you have on your PC, the more pop-ups you’ll see.

Spyware applications often install a new search toolbar on a system with the intention of hijacking searches for search terms. Works behind the scene collecting personal data.

Dialers can initiate outgoing calls from your PC to 900 numbers with the sole intention of generating large phone bills charged to that phone line. Dialers can also change your dial-up settings to an international or 900 number, instead of your local Internet dial-up number Spies intentionally ‘misuse’ monitoring software. Here’s an excellent article on Auto- Dialers. Established spy software companies usually ask purchasers to agree through a EULA (End User License Agreement) not to monitor users without their knowledge and consent. You guessed it- most spies have absolutely no intention of letting users know they are under surveillance. Unidentified toll charges will appear on your phone bill.

Trojan horses are a malicious, security breaking programs disguised as something benign. Deleting history and computer use logs does nothing against true spyware. While erasing usage history is useful to protect your privacy, this type of protection is useless if your activity is being logged or snapshots are being taken of your computer use. Deleting history, files, cache and cookies cannot, and will not, protect you against the prying eyes of active spies on your machine.

Anti-Spyware Software Programs - Free Downloads

There are numerous free programs that can be downloaded. Get some good anti-spyware software as soon as possible. Run them frequently. Check the list below for some Free downloads.

Online guide to Spy & Anti-Spy Software
www.spywareguide.com

Eliminate an insidious pest that Spybot and Ad-aware can’t stop.
http://tinyurl.com/6rnzy

Microsoft Anti-Spyware Beta
http://tinyurl.com/59lgo

Block Web bug elements in email messages without having to turn off HTML.
http://tinyurl.com/4e56e

Spy Ware Doctor
http://tinyurl.com/3r373

Additional resources and downloads
www.pcworld.com

One Final Note

Be suspicious if you are offered a free demo version that requires you to pay for the full version before it will remove any spyware it finds on your system. The best anti-spyware software is totally free and you get the full working version. Only use anti-spyware that has been recommended by a trusted source. There are many scammers out there doing a convincing job of representing themselves as legit.

Don’t be tricked by similar, look a like products. Here is one I ran across some time ago: At first you would think its Ad-ware, but after a second look it’s Ada-ware instead of the excellent anti-spyware product Ad-aware. They are every so clever and are constantly finding ways to infect are systems. The spread of spyware has become much more than a nuisance. It has now reached the level of an epidemic. Some spyware is relatively harmless. However, a good deal of spyware can be very dangerous, leaking your very private and confidential information to scammers and other people. Knowing how spyware works and which programs to fight spyware with are both important.

The safest way to remain free from spyware is to use one or more anti-spy programs that actively scan your system for intrusion and utilities that help inoculate your system from penetration. Good anti-spy programs will use a variety of methods for detection including registry scanning, signatures, windows titles and other that spyware leaves on your machine.

Even with anti-spy software programs active, do not develop a false sense of security. The battle to contain these programs rages on a daily basis. One lapse in security can lead to unwanted infection. So above all- use common sense. Don’t download files or open e-mail attachments from sites you don’t know or trust. Be sure you have good anti-virus and firewall software running at all times

Always make sure that any website that you make purchases on uses a secure server. The Web address should start with https:// rather than just http:// and there should be a padlock visible on the bottom of your browser window. Spyware may be sold under legitimate pretenses. Because of this legitimacy these programs are often missed by anti-virus software designed to target viruses and Trojan horses.

Blogs If you are a blogger the information should be of interest to you.

Hackers are using blogs to infect computers with spyware, exposing serious security flaws in self-publishing tools used by millions of people on the Web. I would explain what a blog is.

Blogs Carry Spyware Infections This is just too icky.

“Hackers are using blogs to infect computers with spyware, exposing serious security flaws in self-publishing tools used by millions of people on the Web.

The problem involves the use of JavaScript and ActiveX, two common methods used to launch programs on a Web page. Security experts said malicious programmers can use JavaScript and ActiveX to automatically deliver spyware from a blog to people who visit the site with a vulnerable Web browser.

Spyware tools also have been hidden inside JavaScript programs that are offered freely on the Web for bloggers to enhance their sites with features such as music. As a result, bloggers who use infected tools could unwittingly turn their sites into a delivery platform for spyware.”

Reference URL: Is your blog a carrier?

References:

http://www.pcworld.com/

http://www.lavasoft.com/

http://www.spywareguide.com/

http://www.Spybot-Search-Destroy.com

http://www.defendingthenet.com/

http://news.com

http://www.devshed.com/

PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH: This article may be republished in newsletters and on web sites provided attribution is provided to the author, and it appears with the included copyright, resource box and live web site link. Copyright © 2005 - Mike Pulli http://www.foolishtimes.com All rights reserved. E-mail notice of intent to publish is appreciated but not required: mail to: mike@foolishtimes.com

Copyright © 2005 - Mike Pulli. All rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Mike Pulli is the owner of http://www.foolishtimes.com and invites you to take a
look at the services and download free helpful information e-books, articles, and more.
Sign up for the Free newsletter

At this point, if you’ve got the whole “turning the computer on” thing down; you are ready to learn about firewalls. Whether you use your computer for business or pleasure, it is important to have a firewall. If you use a high speed Internet connection like Cable modem or DSL, you are at a MUCH greater risk for someone to hack into your computer, ultimately giving them free rein to meddle in your files and your life.

A firewall basically limits access to your computer from the Internet; it does not protect your website (that is the responsibility of your webhost.) When you first install a firewall, it will alert you many times about possible threats to your computer. This means that an automated robot or someone who needs a life; is attempting to gain entry onto your computer. Chances are good that big time hackers will not bother with files belonging to someone with a small business, but the 8th grader down the street just might.

Begin by downloading a free firewall; you can visit http://www.firewall.com/ for more information. I got my free firewall at http://www.zonelabs.com, and it provides a decent amount of protection for beginners. As your business grows you will need to upgrade your software. Many sites sell firewalls for a fee, but I think you’ll agree you’d rather pay the cash than lose your hard drive.

Tom Antion provides entertaining speeches and educational seminars. He is the ultimate entrepreneur, having owned many businesses BEFORE graduating college. Tom is the author of the best selling presentation skills book “Wake ‘Em Up Business Presentations” and “Click: The Ultimate Guide to Electronic Marketing.” It is important to Tom that his knowledge be not only absorbed, but enjoyed. This is why he delivers his speeches laced with great humor and hysterical jokes. Tom has addressed more than 87 different industries and is thoroughly committed to his client’s needs.

www.antion.com

Have fun, win big! Play live online sports betting odds on baseball for cash right here!

Join two of everybody’s greatest leisure actvities and what you’ll disclose is a vogue that’s normally known as a sportsbook betting web property. And really, what could imaginably be more original… If you envision a set of sports buddies cheering their chosen team, and ceaselessly wagers are bound to be fixed tied to the ruckus. In order to get their share of the exhilaration, on-lookers customarily try to estimate who is the likeliest to win the impending competition. All of this eventually develops into a warmhearted, amicable competition named sportsbook betting web property.

In order to place your bet, you’ll likely want to search for a sportsbook betting web property, that’s to say a place which proffers sportsbook betting web property. In the USA, there’s currently a total of no less than four states where to go for sports wagering officially, but inofficially you may try it anyplace assuming that you locate a bookie and you happen to be a legal adult. Covered sporting contests you can wager on are professional in combination with college basketball & football, professional hockey, professional hockey, in combination with bets on both horse and dog racing. Customers can bet money on the comprehensive tally of a game or fight, when a given contestant will be vanquished, and even whether a given coin toss in a game or fight lands either heads or tails.

You can find sundry forms of stakes– straight bets, where all you have to do is to specify the side you guess is the likeliest to prevail or be beaten, teasers, which are kindred to to parlays the main difference being that you can add or, if preferred, subtract points from the spread to improve your odds and others, the straight bets being the dominating one in sports wagering.

So why not run a test or two and enjoy yourself in the process… Simply be on the guard so that you won’t get gripped and deplete your complete pension plan on a boutade. Because else you’re certain to be caught deploring it till the end of your life.

Many of us are worried about leaving our home while on work or vacation and even when asleep, especially if the neighborhood is of notorious reputation. People are even afraid of leaving kids and old people at home for the fear that someone might break in and harm them. Some may even keep a weapon under the pillow. All these are not baseless fears but developed due to harrowing incidents of the past. People are becoming more and more cautious about protecting their homes by securely locking homes, not opening doors to strangers, informing neighbors if away from home for a long time and seeking assistance of home security systems.

Intruders and anti-social elements keep an eye on opportunities to gain entrance to homes. They do their homework well to look for the weakest points of entry to the home and all possible escape outlets like windows, doors and skylights. They too observe carefully if any surveillance systems are in use. Burglars might hesitate more to touch a house equipped with security systems like cameras, alarms and detectors.

Most people appreciate the value of securing their homes and there are several ways to do it. Even simple things like using heavy strong doors and windows and locking them takes more time to break into, and a burglar may be caught easily due to the noise caused. There are many kinds of safes too that can be placed in hidings for valuables. Good lighting outside at night is also a good idea. Alarms that go off easily scare intruders and warn people around that something is wrong. Installation of security systems is becoming more and more popular because of high safety they provide. They include control panels, many kinds of detectors, alarms and cameras. Budget and quality are the only considerations to ensure peace of mind.

A home can be made secure in different ways. Understanding the psychology of burglars, it is wise to invest some amount in maintaining security of a house rather than losing much more after a theft. This can be done using various security systems. They may not always be foolproof but at least they will reduce the risk of crime significantly.

Home Security provides detailed information on Home Security, Home Security Systems, Wireless Home Security Systems, Home Security Cameras and more. Home Security is affiliated with Home Security Alarm Systems.

Anchor Text (also called phrase linking) can significantly improve your web pages relevance in the search engines. Optimized or keyword rich anchor text can help your web site gain positioning in the search engines as well as help drive better targeted search traffic.

What is Anchor Text?

Anchor Text is the visible hyperlinked text that you see on the page, here is an example:

To read more about search engine optimization techniques, check out my Search Engine Optimization blog.

Here the words “search engine optimization” are hyperlinked to the hidden URL of http://seogirl.blogspot.com/. The words, visible, “search engine marketing blog” is the anchor text.

Anchor text should be used to indicate the subject matter of the page that it links to. If you use the example above, “Search Engine Optimization Blog” indicates to visitors that they can expect to find information pertaining to search engine optimization if they click on that link.

Why is Anchor Text Important?

Anchor text is one of the more important elements in influencing a Web site’s position in search engine result pages (SERPS). Your anchor text should include important keywords.

If the anchor text technique is used properly it will enhance the relevance of the targeted page. The page containing the anchor text will also be enhanced to some degree because you will be using relative keywords.

Optimizing Anchor Text of Inbound/External Links

Keywords within the anchor text are equally useful from links pointing to your website from other websites. (Inbound links) If you are working on a link building campaign, it is suggested that you have several title and description options for the link pointing to your website.

If you supply a webmaster with something to copy and paste they are able to set your link up within a few minutes and you get exactly what you want as far as anchor text.

2005 NMS

Nicole St. Martin is a professional search engine optimization consultant currently working in the legal industry.

View My Blog:http://seogirl.blogspot.com

Healthcare managers are discovering that a “best practice” imported from another organization is not a panacea. First, one size never fits all. Second, managers charged with process improvement often think of the search for a best practice as a one-time effort. In truth, performance improvement is always ongoing. That’s why smart organizations are intensifying the search for best practices with “knowledge communities” - groups of people who share a common interest and are committed to exchange information and solve common problems together on a continuing basis. Here’s how knowledge communities can make a difference in patient care and the organization’s bottom line.

Why the Search for “Best Practices” Fails

There are five approaches to best practice “search and implement” missions that strangle management. They all begin with a vague project to find a best practice without any certainty on search parameters or desired outcome. What usually happens is one of the following:

Scenario 1:

The manager cannot find a better performer that is similar to his or her own organization in terms of size, scope, structure, environment, trauma level, profitability, etc. Therefore, there is no one from whom to learn.

Scenario 2:

Hospitals that are insufficiently diverse swap best practices, which then become inbred rigidities or sacred cows. No innovation occurs because there is no diversity in the learning pool.

Scenario 3:

The manager searches and searches for the “holy grail” or elusive best practice. The search continues with no end in sight, and nothing is accomplished. Or, the best practice is found, but never implemented. Searching doesn’t bring results. Doing does.

Scenario 4:

The manager at Hospital A succeeds in finding a best practice. Hospital B has standardized on a single vendor for artificial knee implants. The manager copies the practice by standardizing on a single vendor from Hospital A. The result? The physicians revolt because no one was consulted! Or, by signing a two-year exclusive agreement to get a lower price, Hospital B misses out on new advances in orthopedic implants and the high-volume, well-respected surgeon defects. The moral? Best practices are not commodities. Mindlessly mimicking a best practice is a recipe for disaster. Adapt, evolve, customize!

Scenario 5:

The manager finds that the best practice in pharmacies is computerized order entry, which is extremely costly and challenging to implement. He or she is overwhelmed by the grand plan, freezes and does nothing, instead of taking incremental steps to arrive at the goal. Best practice should be about motivation, not intimidation.

So, what’s a manager to do?: Join a Knowledge Community

No two organizations have the same clientele, physicians or environment. It follows that knowledge management processes must be as different as the organizations that practice them. The process has to meet the specific needs of the organization and provide managers with experience and knowledge they can use for improvement.

Knowledge communities offer a concrete starting point - a first place for managers to turn when they want to customize a successful practice to the organization and make it an ongoing part of their management style. In discussions with other members of the community, they gather ideas, test hypotheses, solve common problems, compare implementation strategies, and build courage to change and leverage shared knowledge. Available anywhere, anytime through the Web and technology such as teleconferencing, knowledge communities are the 21st century version of the professional society networking experience.

As part of a knowledge community, Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Massachusetts participates in telephone conferences with eight to ten similar hospitals across the country. Sally Kaufmann, Manager of Rehabilitation Services, explains, “The members of our knowledge community share information on clinical topics that are of interest to us as rehabilitation managers in an acute care setting. As a benchmarking group, we compare data on the types and volume of services we provide and the cost of providing care. And, when clinical questions arise, any member of the community can generate a question and email it to the knowledge community facilitator, who then generates a survey that helps compare information on the topic. For example, we just completed a series of discussions on using whirlpools in the treatment of wounds. The therapy has become somewhat controversial recently, which raised some uncertainty about our current whirlpool practice. Hospitals participating in the discussion completed a pre-conference call survey to compare our programs, followed by a live discussion of specific issues. I then arranged a follow-up call with a member of the network who turned out to be particularly expert in this area. She gave me some solid advice, which helped me create a packet of information for physicians who are referring patients to our whirlpool service. It alerts them to alternatives and recommends a new referral process that may or may not include whirlpool.”

Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, Utah, a division of Intermountain Healthcare, has been a member of a knowledge community for several years. Ron Liston, Director of Rehabilitation Services, reports, “Periodically, the knowledge community administrator runs a comparison of our hospital with some of our IHC sister hospitals, as well as hospitals throughout the U.S. For example, our inpatient rehabilitation program has been compared against similar units in terms of productivity, cost per unit per discharge and cost per patient day. If you’re the most expensive in the group, you can call the other hospitals and learn what they are doing to keep costs down. The procedure is simple. The knowledge community administrator schedules a time for a conference; you call in with a password, and you’re on the phone with ten of your peers all discussing your issue.”

Liston has participated in focused phone conferences concerning staffing mix and productivity. “Providing excellent outcomes while increasing staff productivity is always a challenge,” he says, “but when you share knowledge with ten other hospitals, someone always has a creative idea.” He in turn has shared IHC’s seven-on-seven-off staffing model which works well in a hospital that provides physical therapy seven days a week. IHC’s policy and procedure were posted on the knowledge community’s Web site, available for other members to learn from.

Small Steps to Big Goals

Incremental steps are the best way to improve, manage change and make a difference. Knowledge communities simplify the process of adapting and evolving a practice to fit the organization because managers can learn the incremental steps others took to arrive at the goal. Rather than searching for an elusive best practice or finding one too overwhelming to implement, managers can obtain practical information in digestible bite-size pieces. In Scenario 5, for example, a member of a knowledge community might learn that Pharmacy Manager X at Hospital A began by giving the physicians preprinted drug prescription forms. This approach worked well and eventually evolved into computerized order entry.

The healthcare industry has traditionally shied away from obtaining and utilizing external information from other healthcare systems and other industries. A knowledge community makes the process easy and comfortable because the member organizations are not competitors, but span the country. More importantly, a knowledge community expands the collective knowledge of the group and raises the bar for everyone.

“I highly recommend joining a knowledge community,” says Kaufmann. “Busy managers who do not have the time to research topics on the Internet or in the medical library can network with hospitals in different parts of the country. We learn what financial or clinical issues our peers are struggling with or have solved in creative ways. For newcomers, a knowledge community can seem a bit daunting, but once you get in the habit of sharing information, you realize that it’s a very valuable educational resource. It’s the perfect way to connect with peers on specific business and clinical issues. The time spent is well worth it in the long run.”

“Any organization that is small or lacks a solid peer group needs to belong to a formal or informal group to bounce ideas off each other, ask questions and get answers,” says Liston. “Sometimes we need to go beyond our own organization to learn how others are wrestling with problems that are similar across the industry. I can’t imagine being in a single hospital, or even a small group of hospitals, and not having instant access to peers to help deal with questions and concerns of daily operations. It’s not just for the benefit of hospital leadership. Department managers or senior physical therapists who are struggling with certain issues can get help from their counterparts in other organizations,” he added.

Solutions for Better Care

Knowledge communities are most successful when the sharing of information and experiences is accessible to the people (often department managers) who can effectively create change. Providing these people with readily accessible peer groups empowers them to learn from others to create solutions for themselves. This in turn expands the organization’s ability to change and improve. Everyone in the organization, not just a few executives, are now thinking about the kind of process improvement that will not only better the organization, but enhance the patients’ experience, which is what healthcare is all about.

Sidebar:

How to Advance or Doom Knowledge Management

Advance:

Put knowledge where the action is, the front lines of the organization.

Leverage internal and external peer-to-peer interactions to grow the collective knowledge of the group.

Make historical knowledge available - easy to access, readily retrieved.

Encourage a flexible, risk-taking culture to encourage positive change and growth.

Maintain organizational curiosity for new ideas to germinate.

Doom:

Focus on IT as the answer. IT may provide a shell to contain knowledge, but human intervention is necessary to actively manage knowledge exchange.

Rely on written documents to transfer knowledge. Interactive sharing is to effective knowledge exchange.

Breed a culture that inhibits action.

Restrict or convolute access to knowledge.

Decline to resource knowledge. Knowledge distribution, archival, use, interactions and access will not be valuable unless they are thoughtfully managed and facilitated with appropriate manpower.

Refuse to participate. Asking for information from others without sharing ideas and information in return creates an unsatisfactory relationship.

Shelley Burns is Director of Knowledge Management and Michelle Gray-Bernhardt is a Healthcare Knowledge Consultant with The Healthcare Management Council, Inc., located in Needham, Massachusetts. HMC is a dynamic benchmarking, knowledge management and consulting company that helps its healthcare clients create goals and execute plans for ongoing performance improvement. For further information, call (781) 449-5287 or visit the company Web site at http://www.HMC-benchmarks.com

Many of you have asked me how to make new contacts to sell your products and services. As always, I have told you the very best way to meet new business contacts is to network, network, network. Of course we are excited about showing you 100’s of different ways to network every day to generate business leads, but now I am also very pleased to tell you about virtual versions of a referral network!

What you need to know about the new virtual referral groups:

A virtual network is like any other network or leads group, but we meet and communicate through the Internet instead of meeting at a restaurant for our meetings.

We use a revolutionary service called voice conference rooms that allow us to meet online, share our business web sites, live voice conversations and give and receive referrals. We can even record the meetings for members who cannot attend.

This system also gives you a reason to contact virtually every business in your city to make new contacts and new friends. I’ll explain more about that in a minute.

How to join our referral group:

Networking groups usually accept one representative from each zip code for respective business type - e.g. banker, car salesperson, financial consultant.

What virtual referral groups do:

We meet 1-3 times per week through our virtual office here on the Internet. Once in the room we learn about each other, our businesses, what type of leads we need for our business, and most importantly, we exchange leads with all the members.

Here are the specific steps each meeting will take.

1. Interested parties log into the community room that represents their zip code. The goal is to have one person present from every industry. For example, each group will have one accountant, one web site developer, one insurance agent, one tax advisor, one carpet sales company, etc. That way, we have up to 35 different businesses represented.

2. The meeting is called to order.

3. New members are introduced and welcomed.

4. An informal networking period allows member to “Mill about the room,” and meet the other members of the group for networking purposes. This lasts 10 minutes.

5. Each person takes a turn to stand up (takes control of the microphone and web browser) and talk about his/her business for 1-5 minutes. The speaker can show a power point presentation or even take all member to their web page to show off products or services or sign members up for a free newsletter or whatever.

6. New members have an opportunity to talk about their business, and what type of business referrals they desire for their business.

7. Each person gives their referrals to other members for the day.

8. A guest speaker talks about his topic of expertise. This could be his business or a presentation on how to increase business or other business related topics.

Again, presentations can be a voice presentation, a voice presentation with visits to web pages on the Internet, or even power point presentations.

9. A question and answer session about the virtual referral network is offered.

10. The next meeting is scheduled.

11. The meeting is adjourned until the next meeting is called.

What you need to participate:

- Access to the Internet.
- Speakers to listen to the meeting.
- A microphone to talk to the rest of the members.

Again, in addition to the convenience of meeting from your home or office computer, you will:

Save time.
Save gas to travel.
Save expense of a meal.
Save the tip for the meal at the meeting.
Be able to be as casual as you like. Best of all, because everyone saves the time of traveling, you can spend more time talking about your respective business, how to build more paying business for your businesses, and to make more referrals

My best business ideas to you,
John Davin

Copyright (C) 2005 John Davin All rights reserved

About the author:

John Davin is a home based author and business consultant.
You can reach him at his web site, http://www.freebusinessplans.info
for his books and online business seminars.

A lot of people say that they play honest, that they don’t bluff at all. These people are either liars or poor poker players.

Bluffing is a scary part of poker, but without it, it’d pretty much be a slot game. The fun of playing poker is the ability to lie to make other people do what you want. In this case, what you want is for them to give you their money.

Basically, poker is a microcosm for life in general. Just kidding.

It can be intimidating to bluff, especially because in most cases you’re putting money at risk when you’re fairly certain that you don’t have a winning hand. Keep this in mind, however-with the proper bluff, any hand can be the best one (ooh…). Learn to bluff and bluff well, and you’ll keep your opponents guessing.

At it’s most basic, the situation for the poker bluff has three ingredients: The bluffer, the sucker, and the payoff.

The bluffer is hopefully you, wanting the cash in the pot, but aware that your cards probably aren’t good enough to get it. The sucker is anyone else in the hand. They’ve got money in the pot, and they aim to get a return on their investment. Your goal is to thwart that goal. And the payoff-the cash in the pot, if you play your cards right, it’ll be yours.

All you need to do is act as if you’ve got the hand that’ll win. If there’s a draw on the board, act as if you’ve got it.

Sound simple, but after the basics, the mind games start, and then it’s all up to your discretion.

You need to keep in mind that how the others play will determine whether or not a pot is ripe for a bluff. If there are a lot of players in, and people keep betting, someone probably has a hand. If you don’t, it may be better to get out. If there’s a lot of checking and feeler bets coming out, it may be the right time to try to scare everyone out of the pot.

Then you need to decide how to scare everyone out of the hand. Do you go over the top with an all in? Do you place a fairly high bet and try to look like you want the others to bet?

Again it depends on the table. Know the players, and you’ll know when to make your move.