18 minute read
The Importance of Employee Morale
The Importance of
EMPLOYEE
MORALE During a Crisis
Tips to keep S ergio Gaitan (GME Electronics, Mexico) has a everyone is separated, you lose that personal connection. You may have a your people engaged and monthly barbecue with his staff. “We’re still going to do few people who are resistant at first — not everyone likes to see themselves on camera — but the ultimate benefits of less-stressed it — but remotely for the time being. Video video conferencing are tremendous on a personal level. during the pandemic conference everyone, and encourage their families to be on the call,” he says. “Body language, gestures, facial expressions: Each of these things make up our unique characters in a It’s a new reality as the globe copes with conversation. Voice does this too, but a pandemic the likes of which the world voice is only one small element in a hasn’t seen since 1918. bigger picture,” says Trauth. “And Integration firms everywhere have Sergio’s notion of bringing families in come to understand that in addition is great. It really shows he cares about to the financial and safety challenges his employee’s loved ones.” It’s part of a they’re suddenly facing, maintaining formula that includes transparency from morale is critical, too — and video management and clear communications conferencing is a huge help. Pete as to where the business is headed. Trauth of the LA firm Nirvana Home Mike Ranpura (Smart Life AV, Entertainment is a believer: “The London) had already committed to a
Ed Wenck conference call encourages unity and daily meetup before the virus hit. “Now
Content Director, camaraderie among team members, with everyone’s daily lives upended,
CEDIA and the video aspect is key. When it’s important that I continue these
via videoconferencing,” he says. “The routine’s important, and I can check in with my team and we can all update each other.”
Marilyn Sanford (now of the Canadian labor-sharing firm LincEdge), who’s run multiple integration firms in the past, says, “One thing that changed my first company was the daily huddle. It was hard for some of my people — the technicians were a bit resistant, as they wanted to go out and get cracking — but our culture warmed to it. And once that happened, the results were brilliant.” Sanford notes that the freeflowing exchange of ideas, strategies, and solutions that can come out of these sessions are best fostered when the huddle opens with positive vibes.
Trauth agrees: “When we first started the work-from-home routine our regular meetings opened with ‘What’s the breaking news?’ and that can be negative. If you bring some positive news to the table right out of the gate, it sets a much better tone for the meeting.”
“And when you’ve got to start every meeting with the positive stuff, that puts pressure on you as leader,” notes Sanford. “It really teaches you how to bring the goods.”
Trauth knows that remote workers have constant distractions in situations like this (especially when kids and life partners are home with employees), so these check-ins help keep the team on track. “You’ve got to keep your people engaged during times of turbulent customer demand.”
Sanford is keenly aware of this, and she adds, “I’m sure everyone is looking to adjust or modify their business model to roll with the punches, maybe shifting focus to more network and security solutions. Just imagine how your employees feel: They have a basket of worries from the pandemic, and now you’re trying to readjust your business while they’re nervous or upset.”
Trauth has ideas for stress-relief: “Virtual yoga and exercise studios are popping up everywhere. And I can’t understate that it’s important to have a little fun. Teleconference a happy hour with your people? It’s great.” Trauth notes that these suggestions were shared with him by Juliet Prater, owner of Modern Life Technical Solutions in Marina Del Rey.
And while it may not fit into every corporate culture, folks like Trauth, Gaitan, Sanford, and Ranpura agree on this: Pets invading the video shot are not an annoyance.
“I love to see everyone’s dogs and cats,” Trauth says with a chuckle.
HR in the Time of a Pandemic
Integrators have new challenges, from setting boundaries for remote workers to keeping clients — and technicians — as safe as possible
Ed Wenck
Courtney Berg has a word of advice for bosses who suddenly find themselves with some number of their employees working from home: “Don’t micromanage.”
Berg, who runs the firm Courtside Consulting — and has been a regular CEDIA instructor for years — explains that, “When managers who are not used to having remote workers suddenly have remote workers, they start thinking, ‘How do I know they're not doing the laundry? Or out in the backyard with their dog?’”
Berg says that instead of marking hours, employers should be setting expectations based on “the big results that they want. And managers need to be especially flexible regarding their employees’ specific situations. We have spouses that are home together that are trying to do their jobs and take care of the kids. How can we support them? Is it flexible work hours? If so, that's where you really need to drill down into the results side of it.
“Ask yourself and the employee: What are the four or five things that we have to get done this week? And then meet with them on the following Monday, and check that progress.”
Adjusting the Home Office
Still, Berg is a big believer in boundary-setting, flexible hours or not. “One of the most important things for people who are transitioning from working in an office to working at home is a schedule, a routine,” says Berg. “Set something up where you say, okay, every morning I get up at this time. Have office hours at home. Let your family know: these are my office hours. This is when I have to work and I get a break for lunch at this particular time. I'm happy to catch up with you if there's an emergency, just like you would call me at work.”
And employers can help with the physical space to make those office hours as productive as they can be. Does the worker need a more robust home network? Better cybersecurity measures? Even a more ergonomic chair?
HR in the Time of a Pandemic
“All of these things can be negotiated, but office equipment is still office equipment — don’t forget that,” says Berg. “If it’s a temporary situation, that property will need to come back to the business, and you need to make that clear to the employee.”
The New “Normal”
As some regions begin to “open up” with a pandemic still factoring into the equation, the business of business — for someone returning to an office or a technician in the field — comes with a new set of considerations from socially-distanced desks to clearly marked paths: “Think about employers putting tape on the office floors to show the one-way traffic that's going around so people aren't closer together. Will you need mask protocols?”
Moreover, says Berg, “The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has now come out with guidelines saying you can take your employees temperatures before they come in, but you've got to maintain separate medical files if you're doing that — because you can't keep that in a personnel file.”
For your technicians pulling cable and your designers and engineers on-site, there’s another universe of planning that needs to be undertaken. First, says Berg, “You've got to be thinking about creating the plans that are going to work for you to go into somebody's home.” That’s not just about keeping your clients safe — it’s a two-way street, after all. “What kind of screening do we need to do to find out if that customer has had or does have COVID-19? And what kind of questions can we ask? And what precautions should we ask of them?” asks Berg.
“Should we bring masks for our clients so that we can have them wear a mask while we're there? And how do you broach that subject when you’re setting up that appointment? In the end, it’s all about sensitivity — and empathy, for both your workers and your clients.”
David Meyer
Director of Technical Research, CEDIA
Despite the pandemic, developments in a variety of fields continue unabated
Standards Update: Metadata and Structured Cabling
The standards world never sits still, even during major disruptions. The development and review of standards is typically done by expert working groups calling in to meetings from locations around the globe, so working remotely is already inherent to this process. Of the dozens of fields of work that are ongoing, we’re continuing to track developments in infrastructure cabling standards, and also feel it’s important to shed some light on the mysteries and importance of metadata.
Metadata Structured Cabling
“Meta” means something that is referring to itself. In 2018, the Telecommunications Industry Metadata can therefore be described as “data about Association (TIA) 570-D standard nominated Cat data.” In the context of digital AV, metadata is the 6A as the minimum twisted pair cable grade to use labeling and instruction sheet that lets a receiving in residential infrastructure cabling. This was a huge device know what the AV data is and what to do with it. deal as the TIA is the very organization that specifies A good example in video is the metadata used to effectively declared Cat 5e and Cat 6 as redundant. describe HDR, including the HDR type, and the color Due to its offset in the standards review timeline, the and tone mapping profile that a display can then apply equivalent commercial standard had yet to catch up to for optimal presentation. Standards for HDR are based primarily on SMPTE ST 2084 for static metadata, and ST 2094 for dynamic, the Regardless of the application, if latter being able to change frame-by-frame. HDMI 2.0a and HDMI 2.1 then metadata does not arrive intact, things won’t work as they should. defined how to transport each of these respectively from source to display.
There are a few fascinating developments on the audio side of things. Audio metadata in HDMI carries info such as the type and reference standard for the audio format, and if it is multi-channel PCM, and whether it’s based on IEC, ITU, SMPTE, or CTA speaker layouts. But object-based audio cannot even exist without metadata. Everything about each object resides in metadata, including description, position, gain, correlation, and snap tolerance, among others. The cinematic standard for this is SMPTE ST 2098-1.
Another fascinating field is the proposed use of metadata to optimize audio depending on the listener’s environment. For example, imagine how different an audio track will sound in a quiet versus a noisy room. Locally processing to change the loudness and dynamic range can introduce unwanted artifacts, but metadata could manage the sound to maintain the quality and optimize the experience.
Regardless of the application, if metadata does not arrive intact, things won’t work as they should. Metadata can be likened to a good control system: Even the best AV system is useless to its user if they don’t know how to turn it on and use it. category cabling (except Cat 7/7A), and TIA-570-D that of residential, but that’s now changed. The TIA568.1-E Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling standard was released in March 2020. As expected, this specifies the use of 2x Cat 6A cabling as the minimum grade to be deployed for wired networking and wireless access points.
This means that now all sectors of the market have superseded Cat 5e and Cat 6 cables. The use of Cat 6A or higher is recommended for all types of installations.
CEB Recommended Practices Update
The CEB28 HDMI System Design and Verification is nearing completion, and it’s been a big effort from the CEDIA/CTA R10 Working Group. But once complete there will be no rest as we launch straight into the revision of CEB23 Video Design, to complement the ongoing review of CEB22 Audio Design that is also progressing well.
We thank all contributors for their ongoing support with these efforts. Anyone interested in contributing should contact the CEDIA Technology and Standards department at standards@cedia.org.
Telehealth is Taking Off
The pandemic is speeding the growth of virtual visits with healthcare professionals
Ian Bryant
Vice President of Technology Application and Workforce Initiatives, CEDIA
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we live, causing disruptions and challenges. One technology that has been affected in a positive way, though, is telehealth (a term that’s broader than “telemedicine”). The ability to meet with a doctor or specialist virtually is not new, but the push to make it readily available, secure, and easy to use went into high gear in March when non-emergency, in-person appointments were not happening. Through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the FCC is working to promote extensive telehealth offerings in its three-wave rollout. Since April 16, the FCC has approved 17 applications funneling $9.5 million into healthcare providers to cover costs for internet-connected monitoring devices, broadband connectivity, and telecommunication devices.
The Definition of Telehealth
What do we mean by telehealth? If someone needs to see a doctor or nurse practitioner for something that doesn’t require large specialized equipment, they can do this virtually over phone or computer. For instance, if someone was on blood pressure medicine and needed a semi-annual checkup with their primary care physician, it isn’t necessary to go into the office if they have been keeping track and can report their blood pressure readings: They can simply call or conference their doctor to discuss any new symptoms, blood pressures, and general health. Or, a
patient with poison ivy or a skin rash could conference with a dermatologist who can look at the affected area via a camera and can diagnose and prescribe without having to see them in person. It is faster and much easier especially when trying to maintain social distance and stay home.
For those with more complicated situations, the new world of wearable tech will help immeasurably. Sensors that can track real time heart rates, EKG, blood pressure, blood sugar, urine, and others connect directly to a smart phone or hub that transmits data to the cloud and then to the doctor's patient care system. The doctor will have the stats in front of them before the patient gets on the call and will be ready to start a conversation about how well they’re doing — or what steps to take to improve. The power of real-time health monitoring and the doctor’s remote access to it provides fast and easy patient care. As telehealth and real time monitoring continue to become more prevalent, it will allow for another level of preventative care with at-risk patients.
Although some practices still stress the importance of face-to-face patient care, most will more than likely have virtual options in the near future. There are full telehealth platforms on the market such as Doxy.me, eVisit and SimpleVisit that offer a variety of pricing levels to access their docs
for consultation. When choosing a service, it’s wise to do proper due diligence just as you would when looking for a primary care physician.
What about privacy?
HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) privacy regulations require health care providers and organizations, as well as their business associates, to develop and follow procedures that ensure the confidentiality of protected health information when it is transferred, received, handled, or shared. This applies to all forms of protected health informaton including written, oral, electronic transmissions, and so on. Any telehealth apps or software used must abide by HIPAA policies and procedures. On top of HIPAA, patients and users of these platforms will need to be educated regarding the use of strong passwords and secure home networks to protect their data further.
Telehealth isn't going to change the world all by itself, but it is going to be a big help for those living/aging in place. Wearables, sensors, and connected devices inside an integrated home with robust and up-to-date wired and wireless infrastructure will allow for the next level of home healthcare. Integrators will be there to make it all safe, secure, and reliable for the homeowner.
Content Director, CEDIA
A chat with Joel Silver on the importance of video calibration
THE CEDIA PODCAST:
Calibration is Key
Earlier this year Joel Silver — the could’ve taken vastly longer): Why founder of the Imaging Science calibrate? Why is this important? Foundation (ISF) and the “Well, it's probably my favorite 2018 CEDIA Lifetime Award question, and I've been asked it for recipient — came to CEDIA 20 plus years,” says Silver. “And the headquarters in Indianapolis to short answer is: It's just what we do. give three staffers one-on-one People trust us with their homes. calibration instruction. Steven We're supposed to know what we're Rissi (Director of Technical doing with electronics. They trust
Training), Chaz deVerdier (Technical their doctors and lawyers and car
Trainer), and Walt Zerbe (Senior mechanics to have the equipment and
Director of Technology and Standards) training to run things properly.” all attended the three-day session, from Silver notes that he saw a “Eureka” lecture to hands-on work. The reasoning: moment in the faces of Rissi, deVerdier,
CEDIA staffers — especially in these and Zerbe, a moment when they realized departments — need all the info they can the impact on the image they’d had after get on a subject such as video calibration. following Silver’s process — on a TV
This is how curricula are built. Silver followed up his visit with an appearance on the CEDIA Podcast to respond to a question that took an hour to answer (and that retails for less than $1,000. “It’s a lot of work on a set like that, compared to, says, a $5,000 display. But even with a less-advanced screen, you can give your clients a terrific experience.” Want to hear the whole episode? Find “The CEDIA Podcast: Video Calibration” here
Calibration Goes Mainstream
Silver knows the questions he needs to ask when he’s working with a client to get the best results out of any TV: “Tell me where you watch. Tell me what the lighting is like when you watch. Tell me what time of day you watch. Tell me what you watch — movies, sports, concerts? — and your TV has all the adjustments necessary to make good pictures.”
Zerbe, who’s logged decades in the custom business in many parts of the industry, from manufacturing to installation, backs up Silver’s premise. “It's not just about slapping a panel up on a wall for someone and getting a nice mount. It's about how the display performs as well.”
Fortunately, though, the message Silver has been preaching for years has been adopted by TV makers across the globe. “What's happened now with the advent of calibration going mainstream with major retailers and over 7,000 people globally doing it, manufacturers have really come through because this is a very competitive business. The sets I'm working on are state-of-the-art, reference-quality sets. And we work with menu management, writing the menus for the adjustments, checking functionality of the adjustments.”
There’s a trickle-down effect at work here, notes Silver. “The software that's written for high-end TVs is usually very close to what goes into the basic TV,” says Silver. “So, if you learn the $7,000 television from a foreign manufacturer, don't be surprised that the $700 TV has almost the same adjustments.”
But There’s a Big Difference
Zerbe asks the obvious question. “So why recommend a more expensive TV to your clients?”
“Right now, of paramount interest is power — high dynamic range,” says Silver. “We measure light in units that are nicknamed nits. It's the slang term for candela per meter square. Back in the old cathode-ray tube era, we were lucky to see a set put out roughly a hundred nits on a good day.” Now, though, we’ve got pricier sets with high powered LEDs that are approaching 2000 nits.
What’s that mean? “I can open the blinds, I can have a room with a really beautiful view of the ocean or the mountains, have some light coming into the room, and have a set compete with that light successfully by getting close to 2000 nits,” says Silver. “It makes HDR look fantastic.”
Joel Silver instructing CEDIA staffers in the science of video calibration (before the pandemic hit).
JOEL SILVER
