A few years ago, the phrase “the cloud” didn’t have much more meaning than those white fluffy things in the sky. Today, the cloud sits at the core of most businesses.

“A few years ago, we had to use all our powers of persuasion to convince organizations to move their files from on-premise servers to cloud-based file storage solutions,” says Brian Sheehan on the DelCor blog. “Now, associations and nonprofits are on board with that approach because they want their IT staff to spend less time managing servers and more time helping colleagues achieve strategic and business goals.”

If your organization is considering a cloud-based storage system, Sheehan suggests identifying the overall data set, including file type, size, and usages among team members. Because the range of cloud solutions is variable, understanding your team’s organizational needs will help guide the search.

Another aspect to take into account: cost.

“You know what your boss will say when you make a recommendation for a new file storage solution: What’s it going to cost and is it a better value?” Sheehan says. “Keep an eye out for hidden fees for reading data—Amazon Web Services (AWS) is known for that. Find out how much it will cost to build out redundancy and backup. Ask about bandwidth charges for moving data back and forth, another AWS concern.”

Inclusivity: More than Diversity

"Some may believe that having different people from different races or nationalities makes your organization inclusive, but that’s a myth. If there’s no way for them to contribute, if there’s no path, then there’s no inclusion."https://t.co/i1qSKYMqu9

— PerByte, Inc. (@perbyte) June 24, 2019

We talk a lot about inclusivity, but is your organization practicing it?

“Some may believe that having different people from different races or nationalities makes your organization inclusive, but that’s a myth,” writes Danielle Duran Baron on Association Success. “If there’s no way for them to contribute, if there’s no path, then there’s no inclusion. As a leader, you must be intentional in your actions to create a sense of belonging among your team.”

So, ask more voices to join in on discussions. “Inclusive leaders understand that people are different and are able to treat them fairly as the unique individuals that they are, while recognizing they are also part of the group,” Duran Baron says. “Bringing in a wide array of perspectives from diverse groups will certainly contribute to smarter ideation and mitigate the risk of groupthink and poor decision-making.”

Other Links of Note

Is another meeting really necessary? Nonprofit Marketing Guide explains when to save communications for an email or instant message.

Influencer marketing can increase awareness of your annual meeting. CMSWire shares how to find and approach influencers.

No workplace environment is perfect. The Bloomerang blog explains how to survive cultural imperfections.

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