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be the driving force behind most edge-driven investments and business model changes — well beyond 2021.

SCHOOL AND WORK WILL CONTINUE TO BE DIFFERENT

Work and school are back in different forms, making broadband connectivity essential. Many employees who were forced to work from home this past year may continue to do so permanently. According to Forbes, the percentage of workers permanently working from home is expected to double this year and Big Tech is leading the way, with companies like Twitter and Facebook having recognized the benefits of employees working from home indefinitely, even as offices reopen.

Although working from home might have had a rocky start, employees have mastered using real-time chat and video conferencing to stay connected. According to SHRM, 94% of 800 employers surveyed by Mercer, an HR and workplace benefits firm, said that productivity was the same or higher than it was before the pandemic. Our own workforce at Cox will likely see a work/work-from-home hybrid model in the future. Interactive video conferencing and chat have enabled teams to maintain cohesion and stay connected while working out of the office.

On the education front, Rand Corporation researchers found approximately 20% of public school district superintendents and charter school leaders said they plan to continue online schooling as an option once the pandemic subsides — or are considering the online option for families and students who want the choice.

Whether teaching or learning from home or in the classroom, datadriven insights improve the classroom experience. Apps empower teachers to digitally administer homework, quizzes and tests and have one-on-one face time with students and parents.

And through artificial intelligence and machine learning, automated technology allows teachers to monitor and evaluate the progress students are making and better understand their strengths and weaknesses. For students, apps enable learning through gamification, which creates a fun and positive learning environment and can make the most reticent student excited about his or her studies.

MORE CONTENT MEANS MORE BANDWIDTH AND NAVIGATION HELP

The entire world has been streaming more than ever. Internet service providers like Cox have experienced the equivalent of two years of traffic growth in the first few months of the pandemic and it has remained constant at those new levels.

And high-intensity applications, aka “bandwidth hogs” like video streaming platforms that make online work and school possible, are essential yet difficult to attain without the appropriate bandwidth. Therefore, ISPs have answered this increasingly streaming boom by offering affordable internet packages that take care of all streaming needs — voice, video or otherwise.

Speaking of voice, whether folks are binge-watching “Jeopardy!” on Netflix or jamming to music from Spotify using their Alexa, the use of streaming services and voice assistants is on the rise. With so many great TV shows to watch, it’s challenging to remember what’s on Peacock, Hulu, Netflix, Amazon and so on. But voice remotes allow users to pull up a series, app or movie with just a few words, such as “Find the Discovery channel” or “What should I watch?”

It feels good to be cautiously emerging from the pandemic, and the technology trends that have come to the forefront will continue throughout 2021 — and long after as well. Because Cox is committed to making digital life easier, we’ll continue investing in ways to better connect people and bring these critical technologies to life.

Wellbeing at Work

What if the next global crisis is a mental health pandemic? It is here now. One-third of Americans have shown signs of clinical anxiety or depression, and the current state of suffering globally has risen significantly. The mental health pandemic manifests everywhere, not least in the workplace. As organizations around the world face health and social crises, as well as economic uncertainty, acknowledging and improving wellbeing in the workplace is more critical than ever. The book also gives leaders ideas and action items to help employees use their innate talents and strengths to thrive in each of the wellbeing elements. And Wellbeing at Work introduces a metric to report a person’s best possible life: Gallup Net Thriving, which will become the “other stock price” for organizations.

Wellbeing at Work: How to Build Resilient and Thriving Teams Jim Clifton and Jim Harter Gallup Press Available 5/4/2021 336 pages $27.95

Managing Employees Without Fear

Managing without fear is the ability to make personnel decisions, from hiring to separations and everything in between, without fear of breaking the law and with the goal of creating a work environment employer and employees are proud to be part of. Adam Rosenthal expertly delivers every manager’s comprehensive, go-to practical guide for managing a legally compliant workplace and building a positive, productive and first-class work culture along the way. Packed with unique insights and lessons from an attorney who has counseled and represented companies and managers in thousands of workplace disputes, this book provides people managers with effective tools on how to successfully navigate around complicated personnel issues from improving hiring and onboarding practices, to adopting strategies in dealing with underperforming employees, to implementing meaningful ways to promote diversity and inclusion.

Managing Employees Without Fear: How to Follow the Law, Build a Positive Work Culture, and Avoid Getting Sued Adam R. Rosenthal 256 pages Society For Human Resource Management Available 5/18/2021 $28.99

Leading at a Distance

Although working remotely is not new, the global pandemic has placed virtual work at the center of everyday life. And it has thrust workforce strategies to the core of business operations globally. As the shift toward large-scale virtual work continues to grow and become a permanent fixture — by some estimates, 30% of the workforce will be working virtually — leaders must understand how to build virtual work environments that foster connected, engaged and high-performing teams. Although some forward-thinking companies and not-forprofit organizations have made significant investments in technology and virtual collaboration, many others have simply joined the “Zoom culture” without fully appreciating what it takes to operate effectively at a distance on a sustained basis.

Leading at a Distance: Practical Lessons for Virtual Success James M. Citrin and Darleen DeRosa Wiley Available 5/25/2021 240 pages $25.00

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