Data is a Goldmine: How To Handle Data With Care

We all hear that data is a goldmine, yet how do we ensure that it’s given the respect it deserves? Find out in today’s Lunchtime Links:

Mining for data: Your data can only be gold if it’s usable. Make your data accessible and accountable to people in your organization, and you’ll reap the advantages. Kamran Khan, CEO of Search Technologies, explains how to make your data accessible  (opens in a new tab) while also keeping it secure. “The meshing of search and security should be customized to fit each situation. This individualized attention will keep your organization’s data goldmine under lock and yet easily accessible to those with the correct key,” he writes on his blog for CMSwire.

What a leader would (and wouldn’t) do: Do you consider yourself a true leader? Forbes columnist Mike Myatt may tell you otherwise. In a recent article, he points out 10 reasons why you’re not a leader  (opens in a new tab) and what it takes to be one—attributes like getting quick and profitable results, caring about those you lead, and chasing a higher purpose. “Leadership isn’t about your rhetoric; it’s about your actions,” he writes. “Leadership might begin with vision casting, but it’s delivering the vision that will ultimately determine your success as a leader.”

Productivity boosters: According to the 2013 Nonprofit Communications Report  (opens in a new tab), nonprofit communicators spend the most time producing content for Facebook and e-newsletter articles. Although they consider this time well spent, nonprofit marketer Kiki Leroux Miller knows how to shave some hours  (opens in a new tab) from those tasks. If you have trouble focusing or often find yourself in a creative rut, Miller has some of the best antidotes to regain your productivity.

What’s on your reading list today? Let us know in your comments below.

(iStockphoto/Thinkstock)