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Satisfaction surveys play an essential role in gathering feedback across different sectors, helping organizations make informed decisions. You can utilize various templates customized to specific needs, such as customer satisfaction or employee engagement. These templates streamline the process, ensuring you capture valuable insights. Comprehending how to effectively implement these surveys can greatly improve your operations. What are the key components that make these templates truly effective? Key Takeaways Customer Satisfaction Surveys gather feedback to improve offerings and drive loyalty through customizable templates for various sectors. Patient Care Satisfaction Surveys evaluate healthcare quality, enhance patient experiences, and identify opportunities for improvement and retention. Employee Engagement Surveys measure workforce motivation and commitment, providing insights to enhance engagement strategies effectively. Event Satisfaction Surveys assess attendee experiences and content quality, utilizing metrics like Net Promoter Score for future event planning. Product Testing Surveys streamline feedback collection on new products, focusing on usability and design to inform product development strategies. Customer Satisfaction Survey Template When you want to understand how your customers feel about your products or services, a customer satisfaction survey template can be an invaluable tool. These templates are particularly designed to gather feedback on customer experiences, enabling you to improve service quality and user satisfaction. You can customize these templates to target particular sectors, like food service or IT, tailoring questions to meet your unique needs. By utilizing a customer satisfaction survey, you’ll identify strengths and weaknesses in your offerings, revealing areas for growth and improvement. Generally, surveys include a mix of question types, such as quantitative metrics and open-ended responses, to capture thorough insights into customer opinions. Implementing these surveys effectively demonstrates that you value customer feedback and are willing to act on it, ultimately driving customer loyalty and retention. When exploring employee satisfaction, consider an employee satisfaction survey template to improve staff experiences as well. Employee Engagement Survey Template An Employee Engagement Survey Template serves as a crucial instrument for organizations aiming to gauge the motivation and commitment levels of their workforce. With over 339,000 utilizations, this trusted tool helps you identify areas for improvement in employee satisfaction and overall engagement. The template typically includes a mix of quantitative and qualitative questions, ensuring a thorough view of employee sentiments. You can customize the employee survey template to align with your specific organizational goals and employee demographics, making it relevant and effective. By employing the employee satisfaction survey form, you gather valuable insights that can inform targeted strategies to improve engagement and productivity. Analyzing the results allows your organization to address concerns, boost morale, and cultivate a positive workplace culture. Event Satisfaction Survey Form When organizing an event, it’s crucial to measure key metrics that impact attendee satisfaction, such as location, content quality, and speaker engagement. By following best practices for designing your Event Satisfaction Survey Form, you can guarantee that your questions directly address these critical areas. This approach not merely helps gather relevant insights but additionally improves the overall experience for future events. Key Metrics to Measure To effectively evaluate the success of an event, it’s crucial to measure key metrics that provide insights into attendee satisfaction. Start by evaluating overall event experience, quality of content, speaker effectiveness, and venue suitability. Including a Net Promoter Score (NPS) question can help gauge attendees’ likelihood of recommending the event, indicating satisfaction and loyalty. Moreover, gather feedback on networking opportunities and session relevance to identify areas for improvement. Analyzing demographic data allows you to tailor future events to different audience segments. For a streamlined approach, consider utilizing a concise survey design, ideally between 10-20 questions, which improves response rates and keeps attendees engaged throughout the feedback process. For reference, look at a staff satisfaction survey template or an employee satisfaction survey sample for structure. Best Practices for Design Designing an effective event satisfaction survey requires careful consideration of both the content and structure. To guarantee you gather valuable feedback, follow these best practices: Keep it concise, ideally 10-20 questions. Mix question types: include Likert scales and open-ended questions. Organize questions logically, starting with general experiences. Provide clear instructions to guide respondents through the survey. Thank respondents at the end to encourage future participation. Utilizing a staff satisfaction survey template can streamline your design process, whereas an employee survey questionnaire sample can inspire question formulation. Product Testing Survey Template When you’re looking to gather insights on a new product, using a Product Testing Survey Template can be incredibly effective. It lets you streamline question design during focusing on key metrics for evaluation, ensuring you capture valuable feedback on usability and design. Key Metrics for Evaluation Comprehending key metrics for evaluation is crucial in the product testing process, as these metrics provide valuable insights into customer preferences and perceptions. Utilizing a Product Testing Survey Template can help you gauge vital elements of your product, such as: Product usability: How easy is it to use? Design appeal: Does the appearance attract your target audience? Functionality: Does the product perform as expected? Overall satisfaction: Are users typically happy with the product? Feedback diversity: What qualitative insights can you gather from open-ended responses? These metrics can greatly improve your product development strategies by identifying strengths and weaknesses early in the testing phase. Think of it as a staff satisfaction survey or an employee job satisfaction survey template for your product’s success. Streamlined Question Design Streamlined question design in a Product Testing Survey Template is key to obtaining clear and actionable feedback from users. By combining quantitative rating scales with qualitative open-ended questions, you can gather extensive insights on product performance. This approach allows you to evaluate customer perceptions regarding features, usability, and overall satisfaction effectively. Customization options guarantee that your survey aligns with specific product attributes, making it relevant for your target audience. Utilizing this template not only improves product-market fit but likewise guides successful product launches by identifying strengths and areas for improvement. Think of it as a focused work satisfaction survey or an employee survey template, designed to yield valuable data that drives informed development decisions. Course Evaluation Survey Template A Course Evaluation Survey Template serves as a crucial tool for educators who want to gather meaningful feedback on their courses. This template has been used over 10,000 times, demonstrating its effectiveness in capturing student insights. Here are some key benefits of using a course evaluation survey template: Assess teaching methods and effectiveness Evaluate course materials and resources Measure overall student satisfaction Identify strengths and areas for improvement Encourage a culture of continuous improvement Client Satisfaction Survey Template To effectively gauge how well you’re meeting your clients’ needs, a Client Satisfaction Survey Template is an invaluable resource. This template is particularly designed to assess overall satisfaction levels and communication effectiveness between you and your clients. By utilizing this template, you can gather structured feedback on service quality, responsiveness, and client expectations, guaranteeing you have a clear comprehension of their needs. One of the great features of this client satisfaction survey template is its customization options, allowing you to tailor questions to fit your particular industry or services. This guarantees the feedback is relevant and actionable. With over 23,000 businesses already using this template, it’s clear that it plays a significant role in enhancing client relationships and improving service delivery. Implementing insights from this survey can increase client retention rates and help you identify potential upselling opportunities, eventually benefiting your business. Patient Care Satisfaction Survey Template Patient Care Satisfaction Surveys are vital tools for healthcare facilities aiming to assess the quality of care their patients receive. Using a well-structured patient survey template can help you gather valuable feedback on various aspects of patient experience. Here are key features to evaluate: Evaluate communication: Understand how effectively your staff communicates with patients. Identify areas for improvement: Pinpoint specific services or departments needing development. Customize questions: Tailor your satisfaction survey template to fit your facility’s unique needs. Track satisfaction over time: Measure changes in patient satisfaction to assess the impact of improvements. Improve patient retention: Utilize insights to build a positive reputation and keep patients returning. Frequently Asked Questions Does Microsoft Word Have a Survey Template? Yes, Microsoft Word does offer survey templates that you can easily access. By searching for “survey” in the template gallery, you’ll find various styles and layouts suited for different purposes, like customer feedback or event evaluations. These templates allow for customization, so you can modify questions and branding to fit your specific needs. Nevertheless, for more advanced data analysis, you might consider using specialized survey tools alongside Word. How to Design a Satisfaction Survey? To design a satisfaction survey, start by defining its core purpose, ensuring all questions align with your objectives. Organize the questions logically, beginning with general inquiries before moving to specifics. Limit your survey to 10-20 concise questions to maintain engagement. Use a mix of question types, such as rating scales and open-ended questions, for thorough feedback. Finally, test your survey with a small group to identify issues and improve its effectiveness before full deployment. What Is an Example of a Satisfaction Questionnaire? An example of a satisfaction questionnaire could include demographic questions, like age and occupation, to segment responses. You might use Likert scale questions, such as “How satisfied are you with our service?” followed by options ranging from “very dissatisfied” to “very satisfied.” Furthermore, you can include open-ended questions for detailed feedback, allowing respondents to share suggestions. This mix of quantitative and qualitative questions helps gather thorough insights into satisfaction levels and areas for improvement. What Are the Four Types of Customer Satisfaction Surveys? The four main types of customer satisfaction surveys are transactional, relational, product satisfaction, and Net Promoter Score (NPS) surveys. Transactional surveys gather feedback right after a purchase, whereas relational surveys assess overall brand satisfaction. Product satisfaction surveys focus on specific items, identifying strengths and weaknesses. Finally, NPS surveys measure customer loyalty by asking how likely you’re to recommend a brand on a scale of 0 to 10, providing a clear loyalty metric. Conclusion In summary, utilizing these seven crucial satisfaction survey templates can greatly improve your ability to gather valuable feedback. Each template serves a specific purpose, whether it’s evaluating customer experiences or measuring employee engagement. By customizing these surveys to meet your unique needs, you can gain insights that drive improvements and nurture loyalty across various sectors. Implementing these tools will not just streamline your feedback process but will likewise contribute to informed decision-making and increased satisfaction in your organization. Image via Google Gemini This article, "7 Essential Satisfaction Survey Templates You Can Use" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other readers, by popular demand. Here are the rules for the weekend posts. Book recommendation of the week: Northanger Abbey, Jane Austen’s satire of Gothic novels, which follows the naive Catherine Morland as she navigates society and romance. I hadn’t read this since my teens and, upon re-reading it recently, I discovered I had misremembered it as far more Gothic than it actually is, so it was like discovering an entirely new Austen novel. (Amazon, Bookshop) * I earn a commission if you use those links. The post weekend open thread – January 31 – February 1, 2026 appeared first on Ask a Manager. View the full article

Key Takeaways Understand Your Market: Familiarize yourself with customer preferences, industry trends, and competitive dynamics to make informed business decisions. Diversify Your Offerings: Consider a range of cookie types, from classics to gourmet and health-conscious options, to appeal to various customer segments. Choose the Right Business Structure: Evaluate different business models (sole proprietorship, LLC, partnership, corporation) to find the best fit for your goals and operational needs. Ensure Legal Compliance: Register your business, secure necessary permits, and obtain an EIN to establish a solid legal foundation. Develop Unique Recipes: Innovate with flavors and textures while testing recipes to differentiate your offerings and ensure customer satisfaction. Leverage Digital Marketing: Utilize social media, SEO, and email marketing to build brand awareness and connect with your target audience effectively. If you’ve ever dreamed of turning your love for baking into a thriving cookie business, you’re in the right place. The sweet aroma of freshly baked cookies can not only fill your kitchen but also create a profitable venture. With the right guidance and a sprinkle of creativity, you can transform your passion into a successful enterprise. Starting a cookie business isn’t just about recipes; it’s about understanding your market, branding your products, and mastering the art of sales. Whether you want to sell online or at local markets, knowing the ins and outs of the industry will set you up for success. Let’s dive into the essential steps that’ll help you launch your cookie business and make your sweet dreams a reality. Understanding the Cookie Market Understanding the cookie market is essential for launching a successful cookie business. The landscape is competitive, so comprehending customer preferences and industry trends can guide your business decisions. Types of Cookies to Consider When selecting products for your cookie business, consider a variety of cookie types: Classic Cookies: Include varieties like chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and sugar cookies. These often appeal to a broad audience. Gourmet Cookies: Offer unique flavors and high-quality ingredients, targeting customers seeking indulgence. Health-Conscious Options: Provide gluten-free, vegan, or low-sugar cookies to attract health-focused consumers. Seasonal Cookies: Develop themed cookies for holidays or special occasions to boost sales and create excitement. Custom Cookies: Consider personalized cookies for events like weddings or corporate gatherings, which can increase your market share. Delve into product development to innovate flavors and textures that stand out. Target Audience and Customer Preferences Identifying your target audience shapes your cookie business strategy. Key aspects to consider include: Demographics: Research age, gender, and income levels to tailor marketing efforts. Families with kids often prefer classic cookies, while young professionals may seek gourmet options. Location: Understand local tastes by conducting market research. Urban areas might favor trendy flavors, while rural communities may gravitate toward traditional varieties. Buying Behavior: Analyze what drives customer purchases, such as convenience, taste, or health benefits. Prioritize customer acquisition strategies that resonate with these preferences. Pricing Strategy: Establish a business model that reflects your target market’s willingness to pay. Competitive pricing can attract price-sensitive customers, while premium pricing suits gourmet cookie buyers. Utilize digital marketing tactics to reach your audience effectively, using social media and SEO for visibility. Setting Up Your Business Establishing a cookie business involves several critical steps to ensure a solid foundation. Focus on market dynamics, compliance, and strategic planning to set yourself apart in the competitive landscape. Choosing a Business Model Selecting the right business model is essential for your cookie venture. You can choose from various structures such as: Sole Proprietorship: Ideal for entrepreneurs seeking simplicity and full control. This model requires minimal paperwork but offers no personal liability protection. LLC (Limited Liability Company): Provides personal liability protection while allowing for flexible tax treatment. This structure is suitable for small business owners prioritizing asset protection. Corporation: Suitable for larger operations or those seeking to raise capital through investors. Corporations undergo more regulations but offer substantial growth potential with shared ownership. Partnership: A collaborative model allowing two or more individuals to share profits and responsibilities. This option can leverage diverse skills and resources. Evaluate the pros and cons of each model, aligning your decision with your long-term goals and operational needs. Registering Your Business Registering your cookie business involves multiple legal requirements. Follow these steps to ensure compliance: Business Name Registration: Register your business name, ensuring it reflects your brand. Use a DBA (Doing Business As) if you plan to operate under a name different from your legal entity. Obtain Permits and Licenses: Check local regulations to determine necessary permits, such as health department certifications, which verify compliance with food safety standards. Legal Structure Documentation: File the required documents for your chosen legal structure with the appropriate state agency. This may include Articles of Incorporation for corporations or an operating agreement for LLCs. Tax Registration: Apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) with the IRS to manage tax responsibilities effectively. This number also aids in opening a business bank account. Consider consulting with legal advisors or business coaches to navigate registration efficiently. Proper registration lays the groundwork for branding, marketing efforts, and customer acquisition strategies. Developing Your Recipes Developing unique recipes is vital for your cookie business. You’ll differentiate your products from the competition by innovating with flavors and textures. Testing and Perfecting Recipes Test your initial cookie recipes thoroughly. Gather feedback from potential customers, friends, or family to identify strengths and weaknesses. Adjust your ratios, baking times, and techniques based on this feedback. Ensure you keep detailed notes for consistent results. Once you finalize your recipes, conduct a small batch production to assess texture, taste, and overall appeal in real-world scenarios. This process reduces waste and aids in fine-tuning your offerings before launching into the market. Sourcing Ingredients and Supplies Source high-quality ingredients reliant on your recipes’ requirements. Create a list of necessary items, including flour, sugar, flavorings, and toppings. Establish relationships with local suppliers for fresh ingredients or consider bulk purchasing to reduce costs. Compare prices and quality to maximize your profit margins. Additionally, search for suppliers who prioritize sustainability if that aligns with your branding. Keep inventory management practices to ensure you have sufficient supplies to meet customer demand without overstocking. Marketing Your Cookie Business Effective marketing strategies play a vital role in establishing your cookie business. Focus on branding and engaging with your target audience to build a loyal customer base. Creating a Brand Identity Creating a brand identity sets you apart in the crowded cookie market. Start by developing a unique business name that captures the essence of your cookies. Names like “Crumble & Cream” or “Sweet Tooth Bakery” resonate with consumers. Design a simple, recognizable logo that aligns with your brand vision; consider incorporating elements like a whisk to emphasize handmade qualities. Your packaging should reflect your brand identity, showcasing your logo, colors, and any personal touches, such as handwritten notes. Effective branding enhances customer experience and fosters loyalty, driving sales and encouraging repeat business. Utilizing Social Media and Online Platforms Utilizing social media and online platforms is crucial for reaching a broader audience. Set up accounts on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest to showcase your cookies through enticing visuals. Post regularly to engage your audience and increase brand visibility. Invest time in SEO techniques to enhance your website’s searchability, ensuring potential customers find your cookie business online. Consider developing an e-commerce site to streamline sales, allowing customers to order directly. Incorporate email marketing campaigns to update customers about new products, promotions, and events, building a stronger relationship with your audience. Use digital marketing tools to analyze customer interactions and refine your strategies for better customer acquisition and retention. Managing Operations Effective management of operations is crucial for running a successful cookie business. Focus on the following key areas to streamline your processes and enhance productivity. Packaging and Shipping Your Cookies Packaging plays a significant role in branding and customer satisfaction. Choose packaging that keeps cookies fresh while reflecting your brand identity. Use eco-friendly materials to appeal to environmentally conscious consumers. Consider incorporating custom designs that highlight your unique offerings. For shipping, select reliable carriers and optimize shipping routes to minimize costs. Track shipping times and offer customers various delivery options, including expedited shipping for last-minute orders. Successful online businesses often provide free shipping promotions to attract more customers. Financial Management and Budgeting Sound financial management ensures the long-term sustainability of your cookie business. Develop a comprehensive budget that includes costs related to ingredients, packaging, marketing, and labor. Regularly monitor cash flow to identify trends in sales and expenses. Establish an accounting system suitable for small businesses, which tracks income, expenses, and taxes. Use budgeting tools or software to simplify this process. For funding options, consider small business loans, angel investors, or crowdfunding campaigns to secure initial capital. Set clear financial goals, such as desired profit margins and sales targets, to guide your business decisions. Conclusion Starting a cookie business is an exciting journey that combines your passion for baking with entrepreneurial spirit. By understanding your market and honing your unique offerings you can carve out a niche that resonates with customers. Remember to focus on branding and effective marketing strategies to build a loyal customer base. As you navigate the complexities of setting up and managing your business stay committed to quality and innovation. With the right approach and dedication you can turn your cookie dreams into a thriving reality. Embrace the challenges and enjoy the sweet rewards that come with running your own cookie venture. Frequently Asked Questions How do I start a cookie business from home? Starting a cookie business from home involves picking a unique recipe, understanding the market, and complying with local regulations. Register your business, obtain necessary permits, and begin testing your product. Focus on branding and marketing to attract customers. What types of cookies can I sell? You can sell a variety of cookies, including classic, gourmet, health-conscious, seasonal, and custom options. Consider innovative flavors and textures to differentiate your products and appeal to diverse customer preferences. How do I determine my target audience? Identify your target audience by analyzing demographics, location, and buying behavior. This information helps shape your marketing strategies, pricing models, and product offerings, ensuring your cookie business meets customer needs. What are the essential steps for launching a cookie business? Essential steps include conducting market research, choosing a business model (like LLC or sole proprietorship), registering your business, developing unique recipes, and crafting a marketing plan to build brand identity and customer awareness. How important is branding for a cookie business? Branding is crucial for a cookie business as it sets you apart in a competitive market. A strong brand identity, including a unique name and logo, helps create customer recognition and loyalty, leading to increased sales. What marketing strategies should I use? Utilize social media, visual content, and an e-commerce site to reach a wider audience. Consider email marketing to keep customers informed about new products and promotions, thus fostering loyalty and driving sales. How do I manage the finances of my cookie business? Develop a comprehensive budget, monitor cash flow, and maintain an accounting system. Explore funding options like small business loans or crowdfunding, and set clear financial goals to guide your business decisions. What ingredients should I use for my cookies? Use high-quality ingredients to ensure the best flavor and texture. Sourcing ingredients from local suppliers can boost your business’s appeal and support the community while maintaining effective inventory management. Image Via Envato This article, "Mastering How to Start a Cookie Business for Sweet Success" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

In today’s fast-paced work environment, enhancing employee learning effectiveness is essential for organizational success. By embracing strategies like bite-sized learning, interleaving techniques, and dual coding, you can greatly improve retention and comprehension. Moreover, cultivating metacognitive awareness and leveraging technology for mobile learning can make training more accessible. As you explore these innovative strategies, consider how they can align with your organizational goals and employee aspirations. What might be the impact on your team’s performance? Key Takeaways Implement bite-sized learning modules to enhance retention and accommodate busy schedules through spaced lessons. Use interleaving techniques to blend new concepts with existing knowledge, promoting adaptability and critical thinking. Incorporate dual coding approaches by combining verbal and visual elements to improve information retention and application. Foster active learning and collaboration through hands-on activities and peer learning to deepen comprehension and engage diverse teams. Leverage technology-driven learning platforms for personalized, on-demand training, enhancing engagement and tracking employee progress effectively. Embrace Bite-Sized Learning As the workplace evolves, embracing bite-sized learning has become an essential strategy for effective employee development. This approach, often referred to as microlearning, breaks material into smaller, manageable modules that improve knowledge retention. Research shows that spaced lessons increase learning effectiveness, allowing you to absorb topics more effectively during short intervals. Online learning companies are increasingly adopting this method to cater to the needs of a swiftly changing work environment. Incorporate Interleaving Techniques Incorporating interleaving techniques into your training sessions can greatly boost the effectiveness of employee learning. By blending new concepts with existing knowledge, you help employees make connections that improve retention. In your business elearning programs, consider presenting related topics together so employees can engage in repeated comparisons, reinforcing their grasp. This approach not just aids in recalling information later but also stimulates critical thinking and adaptability. When employees navigate between familiar and new material during platform training, they become more adept at applying their knowledge in real-world situations. Regularly recapping previously learned information as you introduce new concepts promotes a dynamic learning environment, which ultimately leads to deeper comprehension. Implementing interleaving within your learning and development responsibilities guarantees that employees are better prepared for assessments and on-the-job challenges, making it a highly effective strategy in improving overall learning outcomes. Utilize Dual Coding Approaches Utilizing dual coding approaches in training can markedly boost learning outcomes by combining verbal information with visual elements. This strategy not just improves engagement through engaging multimedia integration but likewise enhances knowledge retention, with studies showing retention rates can rise by up to 65%. Visual Learning Enhancements Visual learning improvements through dual coding approaches offer a potent method to boost employee training outcomes. By combining verbal information with visual elements like infographics and videos, you can greatly improve engagement and retention. Research shows that using visual aids can improve information retention by up to 65%, making it a compelling tool for learning. When training incorporates lively visuals, learners are more likely to participate actively. This method encourages a deeper comprehension of complex concepts, as visuals contextualize and simplify information. In addition, effective dual coding strategies not merely aid in knowledge retention but furthermore improve knowledge application, equipping you to recall and utilize information effectively in practical scenarios. For improving soft skills near me, visual learning is especially beneficial. Engaging Multimedia Integration Engaging multimedia integration is a crucial strategy for enhancing employee training programs. By utilizing dual coding approaches, you can combine verbal information with visual elements, such as infographics and videos. This method greatly increases engagement and retention during training sessions. Research indicates that integrating visuals with text can improve retention by up to 65%, making it a potent tool for effective learning. Furthermore, incorporating multimedia encourages interactivity, keeping employees engaged in a swiftly changing work environment. Companies that adopt these techniques often report higher participation and satisfaction levels in their training programs. In the end, dual coding stimulates both visual and verbal processing, helping employees better understand and apply complex concepts in their roles. Improved Knowledge Retention When you combine verbal information with visual elements, you greatly improve knowledge retention during training sessions. Dual coding, which integrates visuals like infographics and videos with text, elevates engagement and retention rates by up to 65% compared to traditional text-only formats. This approach helps you understand complex concepts by linking new information with familiar visuals, reinforcing your learning experience. Effective dual coding strategies encourage active participation, allowing you to grasp and apply material more effectively. Organizations adopting dual coding in their training programs often report higher employee satisfaction and improved performance outcomes, driven by improved information retention. Foster Metacognitive Awareness To promote metacognitive awareness, you should encourage employees to engage in reflective learning practices that improve their comprehension of how they learn. By utilizing self-regulated learning techniques, employees can take charge of their educational paths, identifying their strengths and areas for improvement. This approach not just promotes critical thinking development but likewise helps them apply their knowledge more effectively in real-world situations. Reflective Learning Practices Reflective learning practices play a crucial role in nurturing metacognitive awareness, enabling individuals to critically assess their own learning processes and outcomes. By engaging in metacognitive reflection, you can identify your strengths and pinpoint areas for improvement. This deeper insight helps you contextualize theoretical concepts within practical scenarios, enhancing your ability to apply knowledge effectively. Research indicates that employees who practice metacognition exhibit improved judgment and adaptability, skills fundamental in today’s swiftly changing workplaces. Techniques like journaling or participating in peer discussions can greatly boost knowledge retention and transfer. Encouraging reflection not merely cultivates a culture of continuous improvement but also empowers you to take ownership of your professional development, leading to more effective learning experiences overall. Self-Regulated Learning Techniques Self-regulated learning techniques serve as a strong means to improve metacognitive awareness, building on the insights gained from reflective learning practices. By actively engaging with your learning processes, you can adapt and apply knowledge more effectively. Here are four key techniques to boost your metacognitive awareness: Self-assessment: Regularly evaluate your comprehension and skills to identify areas for improvement. Goal setting: Establish clear, attainable learning objectives to guide your progress. Self-questioning: Ask yourself questions about the material to deepen understanding and retention. Summarization: Summarize information in your own words to reinforce learning and clarify concepts. Implementing these strategies can lead to significant improvements in your academic performance and promote a culture of continuous learning in your workplace. Critical Thinking Development Developing critical thinking skills is crucial in today’s fast-paced work environment, where problem-solving and adaptability are foundational. Metacognition, or self-reflection on your learning processes, greatly improves your critical thinking. By evaluating your comprehension and adjusting strategies, you cultivate stronger problem-solving skills. Research indicates that promoting metacognitive awareness boosts adaptability, necessary for tackling complex workplace challenges. Integrating metacognitive strategies, like self-questioning and peer discussions, into training programs deepens your grasp of material. Organizations prioritizing metacognitive training see higher engagement levels, as you gain ownership of your learning. Encouraging metacognitive reflection during training leads to better outcomes, with studies showing that employees practicing these strategies achieve superior performance results. Embrace metacognition to raise your critical thinking capabilities. Implement Double-Loop Learning Whilst many organizations focus on immediate problem-solving, implementing double-loop learning offers a more profound approach to workplace challenges. By encouraging employees to reflect on their assumptions and thought processes, you can nurture deeper comprehension of the underlying issues affecting dynamics and performance. Here are four key benefits of this approach: Promotes open dialogue between employees and management, enhancing communication. Identifies root causes of problems, enabling proactive conflict resolution and improving productivity. Supports retention of valuable team members through effective communication strategies. Cultivates critical thinking skills, allowing employees to adapt their knowledge to various situations beyond training scenarios. Encourage Active Learning and Collaboration Building on the foundations of double-loop learning, encouraging active learning and collaboration takes employee development a step further by cultivating an environment that prioritizes engagement and teamwork. Active learning involves hands-on activities and critical thinking, pushing you beyond rote memorization to achieve deeper comprehension and information retention. Incorporating diverse content formats, like videos and interactive discussions, caters to various learning styles, enhancing engagement and retention rates. Collaborative learning, facilitated through forums and podcasts, promotes knowledge sharing among diverse teams, encouraging a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. Research shows that peer learning and collaborative projects not only enhance individual performance but additionally boost team dynamics, leading to higher overall productivity. Active learning environments encourage questioning and real-world problem-solving, allowing you to apply your knowledge more effectively, resulting in better skill acquisition and improved job performance. Leverage Technology for Mobile Learning To effectively leverage technology for mobile learning, consider utilizing mobile learning platforms that cater to your employees’ needs. These platforms offer interactive learning tools designed particularly for mobile devices, enhancing engagement through intuitive features like swiping and pinching. Mobile Learning Platforms As mobile technology becomes increasingly integrated into daily life, mobile learning platforms offer a convenient and effective way for employees to access training content whenever and wherever they need it. Here are some key benefits of using these platforms: On-Demand Access: Employees can engage with training at the point of need, accommodating over half of learners’ preferences. Enhanced Engagement: Interactive features like swiping and pinching promote a more engaging learning experience. Tailored Content: Designing mobile-specific learning aligns with modern expectations for on-demand, personalized training. Diverse Formats: Mobile learning supports videos and gamification, which boost motivation and retention. Additionally, tracking tools like xAPI provide organizations with valuable insights into employee learning behaviors, enhancing overall effectiveness. Interactive Learning Tools Mobile learning platforms have set the stage for a new wave of interactive learning tools that improve employee training experiences. With over half of today’s workforce engaging in learning at the point of need, it’s vital to have programs designed for mobile access, enhancing flexibility and convenience. Incorporating interactive elements like swiping, pinching, and gamification greatly boosts engagement, making learning more enjoyable. It’s important to design content tailored for mobile devices, ensuring seamless access to training resources anytime, anywhere. Furthermore, AI-powered tools can personalize the learning experience, adapting content to individual needs, which encourages better retention and skill application. Tracking capabilities, such as xAPI, allow organizations to monitor a wide range of learning activities, providing insights into employee engagement and effectiveness. Analyze Learning Activities for Insights Analyzing learning activities provides organizations with valuable insights into employee engagement and training effectiveness. By utilizing xAPI technology, you can track various learning activities, both online and offline, which helps you gain a thorough view of your employees’ learning behaviors. Here are four key areas to focus on: Active Monitoring: Keep an eye on activities like reading articles or attending meetings to understand how employees engage with training materials. Feedback Analysis: Examine data from employee feedback surveys to identify strengths and weaknesses in your training programs. Skill Development Tracking: Long-term tracking of skill development reveals how well employees retain and apply the skills acquired through training. ROI Evaluation: Conduct ROI analysis of your training investments to highlight the correlation between training expenditures and employee performance improvements. These insights enable you to make informed adjustments that improve overall learning effectiveness. Promote Continuous Development Through AI To effectively promote continuous development, organizations should leverage AI-powered learning systems that tailor training experiences to each employee’s unique performance and preferences. These systems provide personalized content, ensuring that you receive relevant training aligned with your specific career goals. With continuous development through AI, you benefit from real-time feedback and adaptive learning paths, enhancing engagement and knowledge retention far beyond traditional methods. Moreover, AI tools like xAPI allow organizations to monitor your skill acquisition thoroughly, offering insights into various learning activities, whether online or offline. AI-driven simulations present practical scenarios, enabling you to practice decision-making and problem-solving in a risk-free environment, leading to better application of skills in real-world situations. As AI technology evolves, it identifies emerging skills required in the workforce, allowing organizations to proactively adapt training programs and maintain a competitive edge, ultimately benefiting your growth and career trajectory. Celebrate Employee Progress and Achievements Recognizing and celebrating employee progress and achievements is a pivotal aspect of cultivating a productive workplace. When you acknowledge contributions, you boost morale—85% of employees report greater motivation after recognition. Implementing recognition programs tied to training milestones encourages ongoing participation; employees are 14% more likely to engage in training when they know their efforts will be recognized. To effectively celebrate achievements, consider these strategies: Public Recognition: Showcase individual and team accomplishments in company communications. Peer Recognition: Encourage team members to recognize each other’s efforts, promoting collaboration. Milestone Celebrations: Celebrate training milestones to reinforce commitment to professional growth. Recognition Programs: Establish formal programs to acknowledge achievements consistently. Frequently Asked Questions How Can I Assess My Learning Style Effectively? To assess your learning style effectively, start by taking a variety of learning style quizzes available online. Reflect on past experiences to identify which methods helped you retain information best, whether through visuals, auditory means, or hands-on activities. Join study groups or workshops to observe how you engage with different formats. Finally, consider gathering feedback from peers or educators to gain additional insights into your learning preferences. These steps can guide your assessment process. What Tools Can Support My Mobile Learning Experience? To improve your mobile learning experience, consider using apps like Duolingo for language learning, Khan Academy for various subjects, or Coursera for courses from top universities. These platforms offer interactive content and track your progress effectively. Furthermore, using note-taking apps like Evernote can help you organize your materials and ideas. Finally, make sure your devices have reliable internet access, as connectivity plays an essential role in engaging with mobile learning tools. How Often Should I Review My Learning Goals? You should review your learning goals regularly to stay on track. A good practice is to assess them quarterly, which allows you to adjust your focus based on progress and changing priorities. Nevertheless, if you’re working on a specific project, consider reviewing them monthly to guarantee alignment. This consistent evaluation helps you identify areas for improvement, reinforces your commitment, and allows you to celebrate achievements, in the end enhancing your learning expedition. What Role Does Feedback Play in Employee Learning? Feedback plays an essential role in your learning process. It helps you identify strengths and weaknesses, guiding your development. When you receive constructive feedback, you can adjust your approach, enhancing your skills and knowledge. Regular feedback promotes an environment of continuous improvement, allowing you to stay motivated and engaged. In addition, it encourages open communication, ensuring you understand expectations and can align your learning strategies with your goals effectively. How Can I Balance Work Responsibilities With Learning? To balance work responsibilities with learning, prioritize your tasks by creating a schedule that allocates specific time for both. Break your learning into manageable chunks, integrating it into your daily routine. Utilize tools like reminders or calendar apps to stay organized. Communicate with your supervisor about your learning goals; they may offer support. Finally, reflect on your progress regularly, adjusting your approach as needed to guarantee you’re meeting both work and learning objectives effectively. Conclusion Incorporating these ten innovative strategies can greatly improve employee learning effectiveness. By embracing bite-sized learning and utilizing interleaving techniques, you can enhance retention and comprehension. Leveraging technology for mobile access guarantees learning is adaptable to individual needs. Furthermore, promoting a supportive environment and recognizing progress aligns personal growth with organizational goals. By implementing these approaches, you not just boost employee engagement but also create a culture of continuous development that benefits both individuals and the organization as a whole. Image via Google Gemini This article, "10 Innovative Strategies for Employee Learning Effectiveness" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

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We may earn a commission from links on this page. The Nintendo Switch and the Switch 2 are pretty user-friendly devices, but sometimes, that can be a bit more of a hindrance than a help. It's easy to jump right into a game, but if you want to toggle on a feature like dark mode or, say, even make a Mii, you have to jump through a lot of hoops in the settings menus. That's a shame, because if you're willing to learn the ins-and-outs, there's a lot you can do on these systems, whichever version of the Switch you own. Over the past few years, I've spent more time playing around in the Switch ecosystem than anyone reasonably should, and along the way, I've picked up a handful of tips, tricks, and hacks that every Nintendo gamer would do well to learn. Turn on dark mode on your SwitchNintendo might like a bright and fun aesthetic, but if you're feeling a bit more sleek, both the original Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 have dark modes. On either system, you can turn this on by navigating to System Settings (the cog in the taskbar, which you can either tap or select with a controller), then scrolling down to Themes and selecting Basic Dark. This will turn your home screen and menu pages black, which could even save you some battery life if you have a Nintendo Switch OLED. (Note that games themselves will be unaffected.) Remap the buttons on your Joy-ConsWhether it's for accessibility or just personal preference, you can completely change what your buttons do on both the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, although how you'll do this differs across the two systems. Remapping buttons on the original Nintendo SwitchOn the original Switch, you'll need to go to System Settings > Controllers and Sensors > Change Button Mapping. From here, select a connected controller (you can remap both the Joy-Cons and the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, as well as some third-party options) and start reassigning buttons to your heart's content. Make your B button into the right trigger. Make up go down. Go nuts! Remapping buttons on the Nintendo Switch 2On the Nintendo Switch 2, you can do the same thing, but it's under System Settings > Accessibility > Button Mapping. Here, you can remap the Joy-Con 2 controllers, a Nintendo Switch Pro or Pro 2 controller, and Joy-Con 2 that are connected via the charging grip. Some third-party controllers may also work. But wait, there's more. Back on the Accessibility menu, you can also toggle on Button Mapping in Quick Settings, so you can edit your button mapping on the fly by holding down the physical Home button and selecting Edit Mapping. Finally, the Switch 2 has some additional button customizations you can make under System Settings > Controllers & Accessories. Here, if you have the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller or Joy-Con 2 charging grip, you can set what the extra GL/GR buttons do using GL/GR Button Settings. Or, if you scroll down a bit, you can also disable or enable Joy-Con 2 Mouse Controls, as well as set your sensitivity for them. Finally, if you're tired of Nintendo using a different A and B button placement from Xbox, you can select Swap A and B and enable the toggle on the following page. This will remap just those two buttons. Use GameShare to share Switch games locally, and GameChat to share them online Credit: Nintendo There are two features in this one, both of which allow you to play multiplayer games with your friends with just one copy of the game you want to play. Using GameShareLet's start with GameShare. This is a Nintendo Switch 2 feature, but it impacts the original Switch as well. Essentially, GameShare allows Switch 2 owners to share copies of their games with Switch 2 and original Switch owners nearby, for local multiplayer play. If you ever used Nintendo DS Download Play, it's kind of like that, except it streams games from the host system instead. It's convenient, but the catch is that GameShare is only available in certain titles (you can find a list of some compatible games here). How you'll access it also differs from game to game. For instance, in Super Mario Odyssey, GameShare is available when starting or resuming a two-player game, where you can start a session by selecting GameShare + Local Play. You'll then have to wait for others to join your GameShare session, and then you can start playing by selecting Start from the on-screen menu. This part is the same across all GameShare-compatible titles, at least. To join a GameShare session that someone else has started, open your Switch or Switch 2 to the main menu, then select GameShare from the taskbar (the icon that looks like a TV receiving a wireless signal), and under Join GameShare, find your friend's session. Note that even if a game is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, original Switch systems may still be able to play it using GameShare. For instance, Donkey Kong Bananza supports GameShare. Using GameChatNow, let's talk about sharing games via GameChat. This is a lot like GameShare, but is exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2 systems and works online. It's also limited to certain games, and takes a bit more setup. To share a game using GameChat, you'll first need to be in a GameChat session with someone from your friend list, which you can start by pressing the physical C button on your controller or the C icon from the console's main menu. This will allow you to talk with each other over the internet, see each other's gameplay, and if you have cameras, even see feeds from them. Now, you can open your game and start sharing it with people in your chat through that game's menu. In Super Mario Odyssey, you'll also see the option for this when starting or resuming a two-player game. Whoever else is in your chat will then be able to start playing with you then and there, without having to join the session from a separate menu like in GameShare. Note that GameChat is free for Nintendo Switch 2 owners until March 31, 2026, after which it will require a Nintendo Switch Online membership. Archive Switch games you don't play to save storage space, or move them to a microSD cardNeither the original Switch or Switch 2 are especially generous with storage space, and downloading fancy AAA games can eat into it quickly. Luckily, on both of these consoles, you can quickly delete games from the internal storage or any inserted microSD cards to save space, while keeping them in your library and maintaining your save data. Archiving games on the Original Nintendo SwitchOn the original Switch, you can delete a game by hovering over it on the main menu or in your library, pressing the physical + button, and selecting Manage Software > Archive Software. Alternatively, you could select Delete Software instead, which will largely do the same thing, but will make redownloading the game a little more annoying, since it'll remove it from your home menu and you'll need to go to the eShop to do it. To more quickly delete games, you can navigate to System Settings > Data Management > Quick Archive. From here, you can see how much space each game takes up and how much you'll save by getting rid of it. You can also delete stored screenshots and videos for games here, either by selecting a game in Quick Archive and pressing the physical X button, or selecting Manage Screenshots and Videos under Data Management. For more detailed control over your game deletion, you can also select Manage Software under Data Management instead, but Quick Archive is a bit snappier and has most of the same controls. Archiving games on the Nintendo Switch 2On the Switch 2, the steps are mostly the same as on the original Switch, except Deleting now does the same thing as Archiving by default (you can uncheck Keep HOME Menu Icon if you really don't want one), so the standalone Archive option has been removed. Regardless, neither console will delete your save date during these steps, as the size it takes up is usually pretty negligible. That said, if you really want to delete a game's save data, on either console, head over to System Settings > Data Management > Delete Save Data and pick it from the list. To get a game back after deleting it, simply redownload it. If you kept your game's home menu icon, you can do this from either your main menu or your library. If you didn't, you'll need to navigate to that game's store page in the eShop to redownload it. While you're in Data Management, you can also move games from the internal storage to a microSD card or back. This is under System Settings > Data Management > Move Data Between System / microSD Card. On Switch 2, the final step is called Move System / microSD Express Card Data instead, as that console requires a special type of microSD card. Send your Switch gameplay screenshots to your phoneLike most modern consoles, the Switch and Switch 2 are both capable of capturing screenshots and video that you can later share online. Back before Twitter was named X and started charging for the API, it used to be easier to share directly from the console. Now, you'll probably need to share screenshots and videos from your console to the Nintendo app to send them to most social media sites. Sending screenshots on the original Nintendo SwitchOn the original Switch, you have to do this manually. First, go to your Album from the taskbar on the console's main menu (the icon that looks like a painting). Then, select a screenshot or video you want to send to the app and press the physical A button to bring up the Sharing and Editing menu. Select Send to Smartphone, and then choose Only This One to send just that photo or video to the app, or select Send a Batch to choose more. Sending screenshots on the Nintendo Switch 2On the Switch 2, you can upload screenshots and videos to the app automatically or manually. To upload manually, once again select Album from the taskbar on the console's main menu. Then, to upload just a single item, select it, press the physical A button, and choose Upload to Smart Device. To batch upload, instead choose Quick Actions from the sidebar on the left, select Upload to Smart Device, and choose as many items as you'd like before continuing. To upload automatically, open Album from the taskbar on the console's main menu, select Upload Settings from the sidebar on the left, and toggle on Automatic Uploads. To see your uploads, open the Nintendo Switch App on your phone and tap the Album icon in the bottom-right corner. Then, simply download them to share them to your favorite social media site as usual. Note that uploaded items don't actually take up space on your phone, and are instead stored in Nintendo's servers. You can keep up to 100 files uploaded for 30 days each, and any new items over that limit will delete the oldest entries first. If this happens, your original screenshot or video will still remain on your console. Transfer your Switch game data between systems Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt On both the original Switch and Switch 2, there are a number of ways to transfer save data between systems. This is especially helpful when upgrading from the original Switch to the Switch 2, although the easiest way to transfer data when upgrading is through a system transfer. A system transfer is only available during Switch 2 setup, and will be available on the screen that says To Nintendo Switch Console Owners. For the easiest experience, select Begin System Transfer on this page and ensure your original Switch and Switch 2 are near each other. You'll be able to transfer over your games and saves, while keeping your games installed on your original console (specific games might need to be deleted to be transferred, but the console will warn you about this, and you can get them back later). If you absolutely need to, you can also perform a system transfer without your original Switch present, but it's not advised, as it will factory reset that device. Note that you'll also need to do some setup on your original Switch in-person first, so if you already have your Switch 1 and Switch 2 in-hand, you might as well go with the more straightforward option above. If a system transfer isn't an option, you can also transfer games and save data over on a case-by-case basis. This can be useful if you still plan to play on your original Switch every once in a while, too. To transfer physical games, simply remove them from one console and place them in another. To transfer digital games, select the Virtual Game Cards icon on either your Switch or Switch 2's main menu (the icon that looks like a game card), then choose a game and select Load on Other System to send it to another system on your account. You can move a virtual game card between systems as often as you'd like. To transfer save data, on either the Switch or Switch 2, navigate to System Settings > Data Management > Transfer Your Save Data. You'll be able to send it to another nearby console for free from this menu, but to send save data online, you'll need a Nintendo Switch Online membership. If that's not an issue, you can manage your cloud save data under System Settings > Data Management > Save Data Cloud. Or, if a game already has save data in the cloud, you can download it simply by hovering over its icon, pressing the physical + button, and selecting the data under Save Data Cloud. Make Miis on the Nintendo SwitchMiis did not die with the Nintendo Wii! You can still create one on both the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, and it's as simple as navigating to System Settings > Mii > Create/Edit a Mii. On the original Switch, this will take you right to the Mii creation menu, but on the Switch 2, you'll also be able to choose if you want to start from a preset or get a Mii based on an amiibo instead. Either way, make your choice, and you'll also be taken to the familiar Mii creation menu. From here, customizing your Mii is pretty much identical to how it worked on the Wii, except you can now choose any hair color you'd like. As for why you'd want a Mii when they don't show up in the main menu at all, aside from making one being fun in and of itself, some games will be able to put your Miis to use. For instance, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate can let you fight as your Mii. Keep your friends from seeing when you're online on your SwitchSometimes, you want to game without others knowing what you're up to. You can do this on both the original Switch and the Switch 2. On either the Switch or Switch 2, from the main menu, select your profile icon in the top left corner. Then, in the sidebar on the left, scroll down to User Settings. From here, scroll to Friend Settings, under Friend Functions. Then, on the Switch 1, select No One under Display online status to:. On the Switch 2, Display online Status to: will instead say Online-Status Display, but changing this to No One will do the same thing. This will hide your online status from your Friends List, but your friends will still be able to see your recently played games. To stop them from seeing this, on either console, back out from Friend Settings and scroll up to Play Activity Settings (under your profile icon > User Settings > Profile Settings). In the first option on this screen, which again has different names depending on which console you're on, select No One. Make the most of mouse mode on the Switch 2 (including using a USB-C mouse) Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt One of the coolest additions to the Nintendo Switch 2 is mouse controls, which allow you to remove a Joy-Con 2 controller and use it on its side like a mouse. Usually, you'll only use one controller at a time this way, but some games might actually want you to use both Joy-Con 2 as mice at once. Mouse controls let you navigate around the main menu like a PC, and in certain games, will even open up new modes of play. For instance, Cyberpunk 2077 lets you use mouse controls to aim like you're playing a first-person shooter on PC. That's all pretty self-explanatory, but did you know that you can also plug in a USB-C mouse to play with instead? Not every mouse will work in every game, but if the Joy-Con 2 on its side isn't comfortable enough for you, it's worth trying out the mice you have laying around. Alternatively, you could get a mouse shell to place the Joy-Con 2 into, for more grip. Finally, it's worth noting that some games on the original Switch also support mouse controls, although the selection is more limited than on Switch 2, and you won't be able to use a Joy-Con as a mouse. Instead, you'll have to plug in a USB-C mouse. Ping your lost Switch controllersWant to game, but your Joy-Con, Joy-Con 2, or Pro Controller is trapped underneath a couch cushion somewhere? The Switch or Switch 2 can make them vibrate to help you find them. From the main menu, select Controllers from the taskbar (the icon that looks like a Joy-Con). Then, select the second option from the top, called Find Controllers on the original Switch and Search for Controllers on the Switch 2. Select a connected controller to make it vibrate. View the full article

Rarely have I more appreciated the chasm between me and Silicon Valley than I have while using OpenClaw. This new AI program, which previously went by Moltbot and before that Clawdbot, has achieved virality over the past week for its ability to control your digital life via text message. It’s an unashamedly geeky tool at the moment, but those who’ve been using it have hailed it as the future of digital assistants. There’s just one problem: OpenClaw is exorbitantly expensive to use. Okay, maybe not for the AI boosters who think nothing of dropping $200 per month on ChatGPT Pro or Claude Max. But definitely for me as someone who balks at even a $20 per month AI subscription. Continuing to use OpenClaw would cost me a lot more than that, which isn’t worth the time it saves on a handful of menial tasks. What is Clawdbot/Moltbot/OpenClaw? OpenClaw isn’t like other AI tools that you access in a web browser or mobile app. Instead, you set it up on your computer via command line instructions and plug it into existing AI models from OpenAI, Anthropic, and others. As long as your machine stays on, it’s available. Much of what OpenClaw does is similar to existing AI assistants such as ChatGPT and Claude. It can answer questions, browse the web, and connect with an array of third-party services, including your email and calendar. But it also does a few key things differently: It can access anything on your computer. You can access it through popular chat services such as WhatsApp and iMessage. Because it’s always running, it can proactively message you and run tasks automatically. Like a lot of AI tools, OpenClaw is ultimately what you make of it. And while I’m not the most inventive AI user, I quickly found a few ways in which it could be more useful than conventional AI assistants. For instance, I gave OpenClaw access to my weekly to-do list board in Obsidian, which allowed it to summarize my agenda, add new items to the list, and remove or rearrange existing items. I could do all this just by dictating into a WhatsApp message. I also had OpenClaw handle the tedium of invoicing. After pointing out an existing invoice in my Obsidian vault, I asked it to create a copy and turn it into a new invoice based on a block of text from my FastCo author page. From there I started playing with OpenClaw’s scheduling abilities. I asked it to create a 9 a.m. roundup of Techmeme headlines that focused on consumer news and skipped over things like earnings reports and personnel changes. Then I had it set up a bi-hourly digest of a few different subreddits, thereby discouraging me from compulsively checking them during work hours. At this point I was feeling pretty good about what OpenClaw could do, and was even looking forward to thinking up more ideas. Then I realized how much it would cost to keep using it. Cost creep Although OpenClaw uses major AI models from companies like OpenAI and Anthropic, it doesn’t tie into their consumer-facing products. Instead, you must connect with those companies’ developer APIs, whose pay-as-you-go model charges for every query. A couple years ago, when I dabbled in those APIs to generate playlists in Plexamp, each request cost a fraction of a penny. Using OpenClaw is wildly more expensive, especially if you opt for Anthropic’s Opus 4.5 model, as the developer recommends. Just getting OpenClaw set up cost me about $4, because I didn’t trust it with access to my entire file system given the significant security concerns involved . Setting up OpenClaw’s “sandbox” mode, which lets you choose which folders it can access, took some back-and-forth troubleshooting. By the time I’d set up my other automations, I was already about $10 deep. If those were just one-time costs, I wouldn’t have cared too much. But every time I asked OpenClaw anything, I’d see a surprising leap on Claude API cost chart. Just asking why a particular story was excluded from its morning Techmeme roundup, for instance, cost $0.64. Confirming which language model OpenClaw was using cost another $0.37. Those fractions of a penny snowballed. Eventually I decided to ask OpenClaw why it was so pricey, which revealed part of the problem: Each query was drawing on our entire conversation as context—including my initial sandboxing setup—and that gets expensive. (It may have also explained the occasional rate limit errors I was getting in response to some queries.) “Either accept it (continuity has a cost) or periodically start fresh when we switch contexts,” OpenClaw’s AI informed me. Ultimately, I did wipe OpenClaw’s memory, which meant I had to teach it my to-do list and digest tasks all over again. I also switched from Claude Opus 4.5 to Claude Sonnet 4.5, which is cheaper, as some users have noted. Even with those changes, the costs added up quickly. Managing my to-do list cost about five cents. Delivering my daily Techmeme digest cost about 10 cents. The bihourly Reddit briefings cost about 20 cents. It doesn’t sound like much, but it puts me on track to spend over $30 per month, and that’s without even bothering to give OpenClaw any new tasks or ask it any extra questions. Again, the AI enthusiasts in Silicon Valley might shrug off such costs, but it’s more than I care to spend on any individual service, let alone one that’s only providing a few modest conveniences. What I’ve learned OpenClaw’s overnight fame has at least proven a few things: Interacting with AI via an existing messaging app can be pretty neat if it’s useful enough, especially when it can can reach out proactively. Giving AI access to your computer also opens up some interesting possibilities (but also some serious security risks). For me, though, the biggest takeaway is how much this stuff actually costs when it’s not being subsidized by venture capital or being given away by a big tech company in growth mode. OpenClaw is the rare AI product that actually seems sustainable. But unless the economics of AI API access change, mass adoption may escape its grasp. View the full article

Michael Strauss faces massive Sprout liabilities as his wife and a former associate launch a new mortgage firm, raising questions about ties to the fallen lender. View the full article

Preemption would hurt affordability for many, the Conference of State Banking Supervisors and the American Association of Residential Mortgage Regulators said. View the full article

Primelending produced a pretax loss of $5.2 million in the fourth quarter, significantly lower than the loss of $15.9 million in the same period a year earlier. View the full article

Record cold temperatures are once again expected to hit a swath of the country this weekend—even plunging Florida into its coldest stretch of the last 15 years, potentially bringing snow to areas of the state that haven’t seen it in four decades. This arctic blast is actually a sign of climate change, and how more extreme weather happens in an increasingly warming world, despite erroneous claims by the president and others. There’s a difference between weather and climate Ahead of the winter storm that brought intense snow, ice, and freezing temperatures to about two-thirds of the United States earlier this month, President The President took to Truth Social to repeat a common piece of climate misinformation. “Record Cold Wave expected to hit 40 states. Rarely seen anything like it before,” he wrote. “Could the Environmental Insurrectionals please explain — WHATEVER HAPPENED TO GLOBAL WARMING???” The President repeated this sentiment in a recent speech. But his comments reveal a deep misunderstanding about climate change. There is a difference between weather and climate. Weather is short, variable, and has to do with the current conditions in any place at a specific time. Climate, on the other hand, has to do with long-term trends and patterns. As climate change worsens and the planet warms, it leads to trends of hotter and hotter years. But it also exacerbates weather extremes. Climate change also specifically destabilizes the polar vortex, which then brings arctic air and freezing temperatures further south than usual. What is the polar vortex? Swirling around the Arctic above the North Pole is the polar vortex, a large mass of cold, fast winds. Typically, the polar vortex is pretty fixed in terms of its shape and reach: it sits as a band above the top of the planet, like a hat made of cold, low-pressure air. The Arctic is the fastest warming region of the planet, and as it warms, it throws the polar vortex out of whack. Underneath the polar vortex is the polar jet stream, a river of air that sits closer to the Earth’s surface and affects our winter weather. As climate change disrupts and destabilizes the polar vortex, it causes it to wobble and distort out of shape. That in turn affects the polar jet stream. Instead of blowing its cold winds straight across the Earth, the jet stream turns wavy, curving up and down and bringing storms and frigid Arctic air further south than usual. That’s what is expected to bring dangerously cold temperatures to much of the country this weekend. Overall, our winters are still getting warmer. On average, 210 locations around the U.S. now experience six more extremely warm days than they did in the 1970s. A warmer atmosphere also holds more precipitation, which can even mean more snow. And generally, climate change fuels all sorts of extremes—from more intense hurricanes to hotter heat waves to, yes, more severe winter storms. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Robot vacuums can get expensive quickly, especially as you move into models with features such as self-emptying bins and hot-water mopping. But if you’re looking to dip your toe into this world without dropping major cash, the Roborock Q7 L5 robot vacuum and mop is a low-stakes entry-level option that checks many boxes, and right now it’s at a record-low 44% off at $139.99 (originally 249.99) on Amazon, according to price-trackers. Roborock Q7 L5 Robot Vacuum and Mop $139.99 at Amazon $249.99 Save $110.00 Get Deal Get Deal $139.99 at Amazon $249.99 Save $110.00 The Q7 L5 has 8,000 Pa HyperForce suction (surprisingly powerful for this price point), multiple anti-tangle brushes, LiDAR navigation, and multi-floor mapping. It also has a mopping feature, which is rare at the under-$150 price point; the 270 ml water tank allows the device to vacuum and mop simultaneously. Some reviews also note that the mopping function can leave floors slightly wet, which is something to keep in mind for people with delicate floor surfaces. Like pricier models, you can customize zones, schedules, and suction levels via the Roborock app, but it’s worth noting that this vacuum only supports 2.4 GHz wifi. The dual anti-tangle system is especially appealing for pet owners, and navigation runs smoothly and efficiently with obstacle avoidance, as well as suggesting no-go zones to avoid getting stuck. Compared to more feature-rich mop and vacuum hybrids, the dock on the base is compact and has a water tank and dustbin as a single integrated part in the machine, making it a good choice for people with smaller homes. While it doesn’t have the automation bells and whistles of pricier models, for $139.99, it’ll perform most everyday cleaning jobs effectively. If you’re a first-time robot vacuum buyer or have a specific budget and are looking for a robot vacuum to help automate your cleaning sessions, the Roborock Q7 L5 robot vacuum and mop will give you strong value without breaking the bank. Our Best Editor-Vetted Tech Deals Right Now Apple AirPods Pro 3 Noise Cancelling Heart Rate Wireless Earbuds — $199.00 (List Price $249.00) Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 46mm] Smartwatch with Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band - M/L. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant — $399.00 (List Price $429.00) Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus — (List Price $24.99 With Code "FTV4K25") Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 64GB Wi-Fi 11" Tablet (Silver) — $159.99 (List Price $219.99) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

The feeling of “languishing” is likely relatable for many workers—even if they don’t quite have that exact language for it. And new research shows it’s not many workers who feel this way. It’s most. “What gets a little confused in people’s minds is that they assume languishing is almost like distress and mental illness,” says Oscar Ybarra, business professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. “But it’s more like: I’m just kind of stuck. I’m not really engaged. I don’t know where I’m going.” Ybarra wanted to capture the malaise that employees often experience in the workplace, which doesn’t always rise to the level of mental illness. When he first polled workers in 2024, Ybarra learned that a majority of them identified as languishing at work, rather than flourishing. In a new survey conducted in partnership with YouGov, workers seem to be doing even worse: About 61% of the 2,000 respondents said they were languishing, compared to 57% the year prior. Nearly 18% of them claimed to be “languishing severely.” The study found that there is little variation along demographic lines, and the experience of languishing tends to be correlated with high rates of burnout. “I feel very conflicted about that,” Ybarra says of the uptick in languishing. “As a researcher, you always want some consistency—but that consistency suggests there’s a lot of people who are just not doing super well at work.” Beyond just documenting the phenomenon of languishing at work, Ybarra hopes to offer some potential relief for organizations and employees. The spectrum of languishing to flourishing is a useful framing because it “broadens how psychologists tend to think of well being,” according to Ybarra. “Especially when you apply it to the work setting—which is something that hasn’t been done—it really provides a lot of targets for potential intervention,” he adds. There are certain common elements across workplaces with flourishing employees: Many of them report a high degree of autonomy alongside strong support from colleagues and managers. The study characterizes this as an “empowered squad,” and found that 68% of employees in those workplaces were flourishing; a “muted squad” in which employees have high levels of support, but less autonomy, yielded a lower rate of flourishing employees at 42%. (Ybarra points out, however, that there is such a thing as too much autonomy—someone who works entirely remotely and very independently might actually feel isolated.) On the whole, the survey’s findings indicate that work environment seems to inform an employee’s experience more than demographic background. Companies that boast a strong sense of ethics and hold people accountable for their behavior also had a higher share of flourishing employees. But there are steps individual employees can take to thrive more at work, even if their workplace lacks structural support. Flourishing workers rely on a number of strategies for emotional regulation, which Ybarra describes as the “three Rs”: reframe, reach out, and reset. Reframing is a common technique in psychotherapy, in which you might try to find the positive in a difficult situation or remind yourself that it won’t last. Reaching out can involve connecting with family or friends or even consulting your colleagues—though Ybarra notes that seeking this kind of support is not the same as venting frustrations, which is “a little less healthy.” Resetting really depends on what works best for you, whether that’s physical exercise or meditation, or something else altogether. “What previous research has shown is that the more of these [strategies] you have in your toolkit, the better,” Ybarra says. “It gives you more things to choose from.” As workers are up against a tough job market and growing pressure from their employers to adopt AI—not to mention the political unrest in our midst—any strategies to protect their peace may come in handy. “The conditions can be so overwhelming that you could have the perfect toolkit in your head for thinking differently about things, but it’s just working against too much,” Ybarra says. There will always be stress and difficulties at work—but when we have those supports in place, individuals may be better able to use [them] to some good effect.” View the full article

The high court, without comment, refused Emigrant Mortgage's appeal of a verdict holding it liable for no income, no asset verification loans to minorities. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Your first day in the gym can be pretty intimidating. I remember spending a whole semester in one half of my university’s gym because the other room was, I don’t know, scary. And if you haven’t been to the gym in a while—or ever—you probably have questions. So let’s talk through the very, very basics. What is a gym even like inside?Hey, great question! There are different kinds of gyms, so there isn’t a single, universal answer. I’ll assume you’re going to what’s sometimes called a “commercial” gym, one that caters to a wide variety of people and has a selection of cardio machines, weight-training machines, and dumbbells. It may or may not have barbells. Planet Fitness, Crunch, LA Fitness, Gold’s Gym, and 24 Hour Fitness are all in this general category. If your gym is in a community center or a YMCA, it may have a few more or less features, but will probably be similar to what I describe. Before you head in, check the gym’s website. Most will offer a free first day or week, which will let you scope the place out and do a workout or two before you commit to a membership. Some gyms may make it difficult to cancel after you sign up, so don't rush into it. Take advantage of those trial periods. While you're doing your research, check out the website for virtual tours and photos of facilities. Get an idea of what kind of stuff they have. Check Google Maps for photos; you may even be able to find a Street View-style tour of the interior. And finally, log on to Instagram and browse through photos tagged at that gym's location. You’ll get a sense of what equipment is there, how people train, and what kind of vibe to expect. What do I bring?You can come to a gym with nothing and still get in a good workout. The only absolute requirement, in some gyms, is that you bring a pair of shoes that aren’t filthy. (Some gyms disallow street shoes, and expect you to change into a clean pair; others don’t care, or only enforce the policy in winter.) On the other end of the spectrum, people will often bring a complete change of clothes and a bunch of toiletries and supplies to take a shower and change afterward. You don’t have to do this. It’s OK to walk out the front door still sweaty, and shower at home. Some small gyms don’t even have showers. What’s the middle ground? I would bring these for my first time at a new gym: A water bottle A small towel (for sweat), unless I know for sure that the gym provides towels Headphones A clean(ish) pair of shoes A bag to carry everything in A combination lock if you plan to lock your things up and aren’t sure whether the gym’s lockers have built-in locks What do I do with my stuff while I’m there?If you have a bunch of stuff, like a coat and a bag, you can put it in a locker. It’s also totally fine to keep a few things with you as you walk around. Most people will probably have their towel, water bottle, and phone with them. You can usually bring a small bag around the gym with you, and just set it down next to whatever machine or bench you’re using, as long as it’s not directly in anybody’s way. (Check the gym rules, though.) Since that can be a hassle, another popular approach is to keep your water bottle in a sleeve that has pockets for your phone and small items. What do I wear?Anything that feels comfortable, isn’t indecent, and that you don’t mind sweating in. For your upper body, try a T-shirt or tank top. For your legs, wear shorts, sweatpants, or leggings. Again, check the gym rules to see if they have any specific requirements. Some gyms don’t want you to take your shirt off, others don’t care. For shoes, any kind of sneakers or comfortable athletic shoes should be fine. Chucks, running shoes, that sort of thing. If you get really into this exercise business, you can get picky about shoes later. For your first day, it doesn’t really matter. So do you just, like, walk in?There will be some kind of check-in desk. If it’s your first time, you’ll probably need to talk to somebody about a membership trial or buy a day pass. This can be a separate visit from your first actual workout. Make sure to ask what the normal check-in procedure is. In many cases you’ll scan your phone or show a key tag or card as you enter, and then you’re free to do whatever you want. How do I know what they have and where it is?Two options here: you can walk around the room and scope everything out; or you can ask if someone can give you a brief tour or new-member orientation. (They may offer before you ask). Be aware that they may try to upsell you on personal training or other extras in the process; it's OK to decline. If you do get a guided tour, use this opportunity to ask any remaining questions you have. Don’t be embarrassed, the whole idea is that they know you’re new and they’re trying to help. And if you don't get a tour, it's still OK to ask basic questions at the front desk like "which way to the locker room?" or "do you have squat racks?" What if this whole idea makes me nervous?Look, the first day is about expanding your comfort zone. If you can walk into the gym and not run right back out, you’ve already accomplished something, and Day Two will be so much easier. A few things that tend to help: Go at one of the less busy times if that will help your nerves. Mid-morning, mid-afternoon, and late evenings tend to be slow times. Check Google Maps to see if it can show you peak hours at your particular location. Bring a friend, or meet a friend there if you can. Even if both of you are new and clueless, you can be new and clueless together. Read up on what to expect. You’re already doing that, so you’re on the right track! If there’s a certain exercise or machine you want to try, look it up on YouTube. If your gym offers classes, that can be a good way to start. The class will get you in the gym with a clear plan of where to go and what to do. You can save independent workouts for after the class or for another day. If you’ll be on your own, try this: Walk around the whole gym. Scope everything out. Nobody will stop you or judge you. You don’t even have to pretend that you know where you’re going; if anybody asks “can I help you?” you can just reply “Oh, I’m just new here and seeing where everything is.” Sit on an exercise bike (or the machine of your choice). Ideally, pick one that faces the main gym area so you can gather more information about what equipment is out there and what people do with it. Use that machine while you decide on your next steps. Maybe this is enough. A typical cardio workout is 20 to 30 minutes, so you can just use the bike for a half hour and then go home. Or maybe you find your confidence building as you pedal. After five or 10 minutes (a typical warmup time), hop off the bike and go check out the dumbbells or machines or whatever has piqued your interest. Take the free personal training session if you want, but beware the upsellMost gyms sell personal training for an extra fee. And as an enticement to get people to sign up, they may offer a free session or a fitness test with one of their trainers. Like the tour, this is also a good time to get some questions answered. You can do this if you like, but proceed with caution. Some gyms and trainers are great, but others will use this opportunity to make you do a lot of hard exercise so that you feel out of shape, and then you’ll feel like you need their services to get into shape. I’ve heard too many stories of people having one of these sessions and then feeling terrible about themselves afterward. So if you decide to go ahead with a session, keep your wits about you. You do not have to be fit your first day in the gym. You also don’t have to do a really demanding workout your first day. If the trainer has you do anything you’re uncomfortable with, you don’t even have to know why you feel the way you do about it. You can just say “you know what, I don’t think I’m ready to do that right now” and ask to move on. This is also a good test of your trainer. If they try to force you to do something you’re not cool with, you probably won’t have a good time working with them. And, of course, never sign up for anything you aren't sure you want. If they say you'll get a better deal if you join right now, that's a hint that they only get people to sign up when pressured, which means it's probably not a good deal at all. If you do sign up for a package of sessions, read the fine print to make sure that whatever they tell you about cancellations is actually written there in the contract. (Overwhelmed? Better to just say no for now. You can always sign up later.) Can you give me a routine for my first day?Sure can! Although what makes something a routine is that you do it routinely. So I’ll give you an option for your first day’s workout, and you can even repeat it a few times, but eventually you’ll want to find yourself a program that lays out longer-term plans. Try this, which should give you a full-body workout in a reasonable length of time. If one machine or station is busy, just skip to the next while you wait. I’m recommending two sets of each exercise because that should give you a nice sampling without making you too sore the next day if this is all brand new. I’m recommending 10 reps in each set because 10 is an easy number to remember. Feel free to do more or less if you like. 5-10 minutes on an exercise bike (or any cardio machine) 2x10 (that means two sets of 10 reps each) dumbbell or machine shoulder press 2x10 on the assisted pull-up machine or lat pulldown 2x10 walking lunges with dumbbells in your hands 2x10 dumbbell bench press or machine chest press 2x10 seated cable row or dumbbell row 2x10 goblet squats with a dumbbell or kettlebell (if you’re feeling brave, give the leg press a try instead) 5-10 minutes stretching anything that feels tight (look for a stretching area with mats on the floor) If you want an even shorter workout, split it in half. Do the shoulder press, pull-up or pulldown, and the lunges, and then skip right to stretching. Next time, go right to the dumbbell bench after you warm up, and continue the workout from there. You don’t have to memorize everything ahead of time. Machines almost always have instructions posted on them telling you how to adjust them and how to use them. Also, it is totally fine to look up videos of exercises on your phone, or to keep notes in your phone or on paper about what you did. It is always OK to be that guy with the notebook. What do I need to know about gym etiquette?If there are wipes and spray bottles around, wipe down anything you sweated on. This includes benches and the seats and handles of machines. Don’t forget to throw the wipe away afterward. You can also put your towel down on a bench or machine as a sweat barrier. Whatever you use, put it back when you’re done. It’s OK to rest a minute, or even a few minutes between sets. (For example, you just did 10 reps of bench press, and now you’re sitting on the bench for a few minutes before you do your next 10 reps.) But don’t take up space any longer than you need to. If somebody is using a thing you’d like to use, it’s OK to ask them “how many sets do you have left?” and if the answer is a lot, you can ask “Do you mind if I work in?” which means that you’ll take turns using the equipment. If somebody asks these questions of you, be honest about how many sets you have left (it’s OK to make them wait) and offer to let them work in if you feel comfortable doing so. If somebody offers you advice and you don’t know how to react, just say “OK.” If the advice is about following a gym rule, follow the rule. If it’s about how to properly use equipment, like adjusting a safety setting, take their advice. On the other hand, if it’s about the proper way to do an exercise, it’s 100% up to you whether you want to give their way a try or just go back to what you were doing. (I have a guide to responding to unsolicited advice.) What about the second day?It’s going to be so much easier the second day. You’ll know what’s available, where to find it, and what the routine is for checking in and finding a place for your stuff. Come in with a plan. It can be the same as your first day, or something new you’d like to try. If you did a full-body strength workout, the next day can be just plain cardio. And if you still feel nervous, don’t worry, it will get easier every day. View the full article

President Donald The President says he’ll tap former Federal Reserve governor Kevin Warsh as the next Fed chair to replace Jerome Powell in May — with The President believing that he can finally get the booming economy that he promised to voters. When The President said that Warsh comes from “central casting,” the president revealed a lot about his own views of the 55 year-old’s looks and conventional pedigree. Warsh has many of the trappings of a traditional pick to lead the world’s most important central bank, yet he’s doing so at a decidedly unconventional moment for the Fed as The President has said the new chair needs to cut its benchmark rates to the White House’s liking. “He’s very smart, very good, strong, young, pretty young,” The President told reporters on Friday about Warsh. “He was the central casting guy that people wanted.” The president added, “Looks don’t mean anything, but he’s got the look.” Rate cuts of the degree sought by The President could temporarily boost growth, but they also pose the risk of overheating the economy at a time when inflation is already elevated and affordability is a top concern for much of the American public. Warsh was previously a runner-up for the Senate-confirmed post of Fed Chair in 2017, when The President selected Powell to lead the central bank. The President has since said that he was given bad advice regarding Powell. Warsh is credentialed with degrees from Stanford University and Harvard University Law School. He is also married to Jane Lauder, the daughter of billionaire cosmetics heir Ronald Lauder, a major Republican donor. At 35, Warsh became the youngest governor on the Fed’s seven member board, serving in that post from 2006 to 2011. He was previously an economic aide in George W. Bush’s Republican administration and was an investment banker at Morgan Stanley. Warsh worked closely with then-Chair Ben Bernanke in 2008-09 during the central bank’s efforts to combat the financial crisis and the Great Recession. Bernanke later wrote in his memoirs that Warsh was “one of my closest advisers and confidants” and added that his “political and markets savvy and many contacts on Wall Street would prove invaluable.” Still, Warsh appeared in key moments to be misguided about the depth of the challenges confronting the U.S. economy as mortgage defaults and layoffs mounted in the Great Recession. He wanted the Fed to keep its benchmark rates higher when the economy was at risk of deflation and possibly collapsing. Warsh raised concerns in 2008 that further interest rate cuts by the Fed could spur inflation. Yet even after the Fed cut its rate to nearly zero, inflation stayed low. And he objected in meetings in 2011 to the Fed’s decision to purchase $600 billion of Treasury bonds, an effort to lower long-term interest rates, though he ultimately voted in favor of the decision at Bernanke’s behest. Warsh also behaved at times like a pre-The President Republican, calling in a 2010 speech for ending “the creep of trade protectionism” that he declared to be the opposite of “pro-growth policies.” The President has since largely overhauled GOP dogma by pushing for massive hikes in import taxes, having unilaterally imposed them last year by declaring an economic emergency. Warsh has been working as a visiting economics fellow at the Hoover Institution, a conservative think tank located at Stanford University. He is also a lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a partner at the Duquesne Family Office, which manages the wealth of billionaire investor Stanley Druckenmiller. In recent months, Warsh has appeared to engage in an active campaign for the Fed post with TV interviews and articles. He has become much more critical of the Fed, calling for “regime change” and assailing Powell for engaging on issues like climate change and diversity, equity and inclusion, which Warsh said are outside the Fed’s mandate. In a July interview on CNBC, Warsh said Fed policy “has been broken for quite a long time.” “The central bank that sits there today is radically different than the central bank I joined in 2006,” he added. By allowing inflation to surge in 2021-22, the Fed “brought about the greatest mistake in macroeconomic policy in 45 years, that divided the country.” In a November opinion article in The Wall Street Journal, Warsh said that the Fed “should abandon the dogma that inflation is caused when the economy grows too much and workers get paid too much. Inflation is caused when government spends too much and prints too much.” He suggested that inflationary pressures would be lowered because technologies such as artificial intelligence would lead to higher levels of productivity. His bet that AI will lead to growth without inflation aligns closely with The President’s own belief that inflation has been defeated and that the AI buildout will power growth this year. “AI will be a significant disinflationary force, increasing productivity and bolstering American competitiveness,” Warsh wrote. —Josh Boak and Christopher Rugaber, Associated Press View the full article

If you’ve received any text messages from California-based healthcare giant Kaiser Permanente, you could be eligible for cash under the terms of a new settlement. The Kaiser Foundation Health Plan agreed to pay $10.5 million to settle a class action suit filed in August 2025. That suit alleged that the healthcare company sent marketing texts to people who had already replied “stop” to opt out of receiving them. That practice could run afoul of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), a law protecting consumers from aggressive telemarketing and robocalls, and the Florida Telephone Solicitation Act. Jonathan Fried, the plaintiff who brought the suit, lived in the Miami, Florida area at the time. Anyone who opted out of marketing texts but received more than one message from Kaiser within a 12-month period between January 21, 2021 and August 20, 2025 is eligible to be part of the settlement class. The settlement’s final approval hearing was held this week, on January 28. Anyone who meets the criteria and files a valid claim can receive $75 for each marketing text Kaiser sent after it acknowledged their request to opt out. If that’s you, you can submit a claim form online or through the mail by February 12, the filing deadline. While this one is pretty cut and dry, it’s not the only settlement Kaiser Permanente has been involved in lately. In mid-January Kaiser agreed to pay out $46 million to settle allegations that its website and app included tracking code that shared patient health and personal data with third parties. Earlier this month, Kaiser also agreed to pay $556 million in a settlement agreement with the Department of Justice over allegations that it fraudulently billed the government for conditions that patients didn’t have. Kaiser provides health insurance and care for 12.6 million people across the country. “More than half of our nation’s Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans, and the government expects those who participate in the program to provide truthful and accurate information,” Justice Department’s Civil Division Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate said of the settlement. The Justice Department accused the health provider of bringing in around $1 billion between 2009 and 2018 by adding on diagnoses to Medicare Advantage patients’ charts. In a press release issued earlier this month, Kaiser emphasized that the settlement does not amount to an admission of “wrongdoing or liability” and was chosen to avoid a longer litigation process. “Multiple major health plans have faced similar government scrutiny over Medicare Advantage risk adjustment standards and practices, reflecting industrywide challenges in applying these requirements,” the healthcare consortium wrote. View the full article

What many applicants may not realize is that, nowadays, the first hurdle in applying for a job is dealing with AI. Candidates now often must clear an artificial intelligence system that screens their résumés that quietly determines who advances, and whose application is filed away in a drawer or spam folder, never to see the light of day. Now, a new lawsuit filed on Tuesday is the first in the U.S. to accuse an AI hiring company of violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Eightfold AI, a venture capital-backed artificial intelligence hiring platform, is being sued by two workers in California for allegedly compiling reports used to screen job applicants without their knowledge, consent, or any opportunity to correct errors. “I’ve applied to hundreds of jobs, but it feels like an unseen force is stopping me from being fairly considered,” said Erin Kistler, one of the plaintiffs, in a press release. Both plaintiffs applied to roles at several companies that use Eightfold AI, including PayPal and Microsoft, according to the complaint. Out of the thousands of jobs she has sought in the past year, only 0.3% of her applications have progressed to a follow-up or interview, Kistler told the New York Times. “It’s disheartening, and I know I’m not alone in feeling this way.” Eightfold AI’s algorithm trawls career sites, job boards, and résumé databases to create a data set of “1 million job titles, 1 million skills, and the profiles of more than 1 billion people working in every job, profession, industry, and geography”, according to their website—much of it “inaccurate, incomplete, or drawn from unknown third-party sources,” the complaint alleges. Using an AI model trained on that data, plaintiffs say, Eightfold AI scores job applications on a scale of one to five, based on their skills, experience, and the hiring manager’s goals. These AI-generated evaluations function as “consumer reports under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and California law,” the lawsuit alleges. Unlike credit reports (a type of consumer report which the FCRA regulates to ensure accuracy and fairness), applicants are given no feedback on their scores or how the rating was generated, rarely aware that an algorithm evaluated them at all. If the tool is making mistakes, candidates have no ability to correct them. This creates a “black box” situation where we can see what goes into an AI system, and what comes out. But the reasoning in between remains hidden or incomprehensible to humans or the employers relying on the scoring when considering potential hires. This opacity is troubling at a time when more companies are relying on AI for hiring and candidate screening. A spokesperson for Eightfold AI told Fast Company that “this characterization about our products is factually incorrect. Eightfold offers technology that enterprises use to manage their talent processes and engage with candidates. Eightfold does not ‘lurk’ or scrape personal web history, social media or the like to build secret dossiers. Eightfold’s platform operates on data that is submitted by candidates to our customers or provided by our customers.” They continued: “We use information such as skills, experience and education that applicants choose to submit to our customers and data authorized by our customers under contract.” They also pointed to their blueprint to learn more about their specific data practices. The plaintiffs, meanwhile, are not demanding the elimination of AI from hiring. Instead, they are asking for AI companies to be held to the same standards as others. “Just because this company is using some fancy-sounding AI technology and is backed by venture capital doesn’t put it above the law,” David Seligman, Executive Director of Towards Justice, said in the press release. “This isn’t the wild west.” Still, as AI becomes more pervasive in hiring, legal conflicts like this may just become more and more common. View the full article

Fourth quarter pretax income of $900,000 and net income of $656,000 for the segment compared with year ago losses of $625,000 and $197,000 respectively.

Subscribe to Work LifeGet stories like this in your inbox Subscribe 5-second summary Knowledge workers often struggle to uncover relevant insights (like past research results or a list of ideas brainstormed last quarter) exactly when they need it, leading to wasted time, energy, and money. Intentional async practices surface vital knowledge that helps teams prevent duplicate work and make better decisions, faster. AI can serve as a helpful partner in gathering and summarizing what already exists before creating anything new. The worst thing you can do is sink a lot of money into something that you end up having to scrap, for reasons that could have been flagged at the beginning of the project… VP, Fortune 500 financial services company, in Atlassian’s State of Teams 2025 report It’s a painful rite of passage for knowledge workers: You spend days or weeks on a project, only to discover a related idea you wish you’d known earlier, a piece of data that changes your work, or (worst of all) something that negates everything you’ve been doing. Maybe you launch a survey, only to learn afterward that another team ran almost the same survey last quarter – and already answered your key questions. Or you might spend a week assembling a strategy deck, then stumble across a document with sharper thinking and fresher data that never crossed your radar. That’s the all‑too‑familiar problem for many teams, especially those who work asynchronously: lack of visibility into work that’s already been done, ideas that have already been considered, and insights that have already been gathered. This information may be: Buried in an old deck, an epic from two years ago, or a page no one can find Delivered after the deadline or the moment you were looking Shared quietly or held back completely Either way, if knowledge isn’t surfaced at the right time or in the right way, it never gets used – leading to wasted time and energy at best, and costly mistakes at worst. The good news is there are plenty of ways to overcome those barriers. Here’s how your team can tackle these challenges, use async benefits to your advantage, and do your best work – together. Teams have more information than ever, but they’ve never been less informed As the pace of work accelerates, employees are using more tools than ever and scattering data across a graveyard of disconnected work artifacts. This leaves people struggling to find and use relevant insights, like past research results or a list of ideas brainstormed last quarter. In fact, Atlassian’s most recent State of Teams report shows Fortune 500 companies waste 2.4 billion (yes, with a “b!”) hours every year searching for information. One in two knowledge workers report that teams at their company tend to unknowingly work on the same things, and just 20% feel confident that their team has an effective process for quickly informing other teams of decisions that may impact their work. The three things teams say they need to collaborate more effectively: Clearer goals Shared processes for how to get work done Ability to easily find the exact information they need Let’s dive deeper into that third benefit and explore six practical, research‑backed habits any team – especially those who work async – can use to surface knowledge faster and make even better decisions. 6 async practices to uncover existing insights Related Article How to excel at asynchronous communication with your distributed team By Jaime Netzer In Communication 1. Write before you meet Practice: Ask team members to write their thoughts and ideas about a topic before meeting. One of the biggest challenges with making decisions in live meetings is that meetings perpetuate groupthink and introduce bias. One way to avoid this is to give people time and space to write down their thoughts before they meet. Studies comparing group brainstorming to brainwriting (individually writing ideas) find that people generate more – and more unique – ideas when they write first instead of speaking in a group. Writing slows thinking down enough for nuance and clarity to emerge. People can draft, edit, and refine instead of reacting in real time. That means a designer in Sydney can write down three thoughtful concerns about a proposed UI change, rather than trying to get a word in during a rushed, late-night call. Similarly, writing also removes pressure to respond instantly or compete for airtime, which is especially helpful for introverts, junior team members, and those from under‑represented groups. Try it: Before a meeting or working session, share a short prompt for your collaborators to answer in writing. For a planning session, it could be, “What risks do you think we’re underestimating?” For a new campaign brainstorming session, it could be, “What’s the best campaign you’ve seen lately, and why?” Ask each person to write their thoughts in a shared document before any live discussion. Let people add async follow-up comments. Start the live meeting by reviewing a summary of themes the team wrote down and any notable outliers that may influence decisions. Where you can ask AI to help: Give the tool an overview of the meeting goals, topics to discuss, and what success looks like. Then, ask it to brainstorm questions and prompts for attendees to answer in writing ahead of time. Cluster themes among the responses, and highlight outliers. Present your team’s ideas in search results when another team is looking for similar information months later. 2. Design for time-delayed contribution Practice: Give everyone an opportunity to respond before you review. Some people are fast thinkers and communicators. Others take more time to formulate and write their thoughts. Some team members may be in a different time zone or out of the office. The fastest replies often get the most attention, but speed isn’t a signal of insight or value. Building in time for everyone who wants to contribute levels the playing field and avoids missing potentially important perspectives. Research on remote and virtual teams shows people are less likely to share when they feel like they’re being watched and more likely to share when they feel psychologically safe. Encouraging collaborators to share knowledge async – and giving them more time to do so – puts them in control over when and how they show up. That creates space for more robust, thoughtful input, and fewer decisions led by whoever responded first. Try it: Set clear response windows for async comments, like “Add comments to this proposal by end of day Thursday.” Give people clear direction on what type of contributions you’re looking for. Feedback on existing ideas? New ideas? Additional context the group may not have considered? Intentional disagreement to poke holes in a concept? (See practice #3 below.) Send a reminder before the deadline, tagging people who haven’t responded (if appropriate). In your recap, you can call out key contributions that arrived later in the time window in case people who responded earlier missed them. Where you can ask AI to help: Resurface lightly engaged threads before the response window closes, and summarize who hasn’t responded yet: “Only 2 of 5 assignees have replied. You are waiting on Marcos, Jennifer, and Lynn.” Schedule reminders for the team to contribute before the deadline. Flag contributions that are significantly different from earlier responses so you don’t miss something that changes decisions. 3. Intentionally invite disagreement Practice: Build in opportunities to respectfully dissent in writing and with purpose. Humans are hardwired to avoid conflict, especially at work. But questioning, disagreement, and arguing (respectfully, of course) can expose issues, clarify confusion, and reduce the risk of bigger problems later on. Conflict also signals that people care about a particular person or topic. In async work, there aren’t as many obvious opportunities for disagreement. You’re not meeting live or talking back and forth with someone you can share your true thoughts and feelings with in real time. That’s why it’s important to build in async opportunities for team members to disagree. Inviting people to share their questions and concerns in writing, on their own time, also gives those who may not feel comfortable speaking up live or face‑to‑face – especially across power or culture gaps – space to think, write, and edit their feedback before sharing. Try it: Add standard prompts to big decisions, such as: “What are we missing?” “If this fails, why will it have failed?” “What do you disagree with, and why?” “What feels riskier than we’re admitting out loud?” “What would a smart critic say about this plan?” Add “risks and concerns” fields to planning page templates and intake forms. Add a section to retrospective and incident review templates where people can share considerate critiques of a decision or tradeoff made. Run the Sparring Play to get async feedback on an idea or piece of work. Normalize respectful questioning and dissent as a helpful contribution to quality, not as criticism or an attack. (Harvard Business School Professor Amy Edmondson shares three rules that contribute to building psychological safety, meaningful dialogue, and co-creation: listen more and speak less, build on others’ contributions, and respond to what’s emerging vs. pre-planning ideas.) Publicly thank people who disagree and say the hard stuff out loud. Show how their input shaped the outcome. Related Article 6 types of meetings that are worth your time (and 3 that aren’t) By Sarah Goff-Dupont In Teamwork Save for syncs Not every comment or conversation is appropriate for async. Opt for real-time communication if it’s: Individual one-on-ones First-time meetings with people who have never worked together Topics that are emotionally charged (performance issues, interpersonal conflicts, etc.) Project kickoffs Where you can ask AI to help: Analyze multiple messages and flag areas of repeated uncertainty or concern, like “Several people have raised concerns about privacy.” Summarize themes after a sparring session. Automatically add a step to suggested workflows to invite disagreement, instead of relying on people to remember to do it. Edit dissent messages for tone and clarity so those messages are better received, like changing “This plan is reckless and ignores basic security” to “I’m concerned this plan may introduce significant security risks that we haven’t fully evaluated yet.” 4. Separate idea generation from evaluation Practice: Don’t mix “What could we do?” with “What should we do?” There are two types of thinking: divergent and convergent. Divergent thinking is unrestricted, judgment-free, and takes a meandering path to explore all viable (and some not-so-viable) options. Convergent thinking uses logic to narrow down ideas in a structured way. Alex Osborn, who developed the creative-problem solving framework in the 1940s, noted that both types of thinking are essential to creativity. The problem is people often jump to convergent thinking as the most direct path to one “right” solution. If they don’t diverge first, they may make a short‑sighted decision and miss out on an even better solution. Try it: Break up the brainstorming or problem-solving process to diverge first, then converge. Start with divergent thinking to generate ideas (async): Share a collaborative document or form with the team for brainstorming, and ask them to share any and all observations, concerns, hypotheses, and ideas about the topic. Remind them to suspend judgment. Don’t worry about what’s been tried before or what “won’t work.” There are no good or bad ideas at this point. Encourage writing down every concept, even if it’s not certain or fully formed yet. Then evaluate ideas (later, async or sync): Shift to sharing feedback, prioritizing, and making decisions using clear criteria (e.g., impact, effort, risk). Decide which ideas become experiments, tasks/issues, or backlog items. Where you can ask AI to help: Label contributions by type (observation, risk, assumption, idea, etc.) so you can see what’s missing. Group similar ideas based on themes. Compare ideas to requirements or context to spot gaps or misalignment. Prioritize ideas based on criteria. 5. Surface summaries Practice: Share recaps of conversations and decisions with the rest of the team. Insights often get lost in conversation threads, notes, and documents. After doing any of these practices above or meeting live, share a summary of what was discussed and decided in a Slack or Teams channel, shared workspace, or wherever your team communicates. Summarizing and resurfacing information not only helps close the loop, but also means the next team doesn’t have to re‑ask the same questions or repeat the same experiment six months later. Decision logs and recap notes are consistently cited as a cornerstone of effective async collaboration, as GitLab notes in their handbook. Try it: Assign a teammate in each meeting or working session to share a recap with all stakeholders. In a simple written summary or decision log, capture: What was discussed or decided Key findings and patterns that informed the conversation and decision Points of tension or disagreement Open questions and notes to revisit later Store summaries where the team actually works, like a project’s Confluence page or Slack channel. Resurface findings at key moments: planning, retros, onboarding, or when similar work starts. Where you can ask AI to help: Add an AI notetaker, such as Loom, to your meetings to take notes and automatically share a summary. Create insight‑focused summaries, like “Here are the four main concerns and why the group chose Option B.” Schedule reminders to revisit notes, open questions, and past decisions for further review and assessment. 6. Create dedicated async “thinking spaces” Practice: Set up a document, workspace, or chat channel for random thoughts and brainstorming. Our brains work differently when they’re thinking than when they’re doing. (Both modes are equally important.) Even when we’re not thinking, like when we’re trying to fall asleep or in the shower, ideas strike at random. That’s because people generate better ideas when they have time and space to think alone, then come together to collaborate. It’s crucial to intentionally think before we do and to capture those thoughts before they disappear into the void. Async “thinking spaces” (like a Confluence page, whiteboard, or Slack channel) do exactly that: give team members a low-pressure place to jot down questions and blue‑sky ideas as they come up, instead of letting them disappear. Try it: Create a shared place as the team’s async thinking space. This space is specifically for: Questions and hypotheses, like “Is adoption suffering because of friction during onboarding?” Patterns people are noticing across customers or incidents, like “Three different tickets mentioned confusion about payment methods this week.” Ideas to revisit in the future Treat these as “slow” channels with fewer, but deeper messages and thoughts. Model the behavior by posting your own reflections, not just directives. If appropriate, share the thinking space with other teams to cross-pollinate knowledge. Where you can ask AI to help: Schedule weekly reminders to add any new ideas. Highlight emerging themes or repeated concerns, like “Social media posts featuring real customers are gaining popularity” or “Customer trust has come up 5 different times this month.” Surface themes across different projects, documents, and channels to bridge silos. How to get started: small experiments, big payoffs Async work won’t surface every insight or replace every meeting – nor should it. But when you make small, deliberate changes to the way your team writes, reflects, and disagrees, you can turn time zones and quiet personalities into a competitive advantage. Your team likely already has valuable work and hard-won lessons just waiting to be uncovered. Subscribe to Work LifeGet stories like this in your inbox Subscribe The post 6 async practices that surface buried insights (and how AI can help) appeared first on Work Life by Atlassian. View the full article

Subscribe to Work LifeGet stories like this in your inbox Subscribe 5-second summary Knowledge workers often struggle to uncover relevant insights (like past research results or a list of ideas brainstormed last quarter) exactly when they need it, leading to wasted time, energy, and money. Intentional async practices surface vital knowledge that helps teams prevent duplicate work and make better decisions, faster. AI can serve as a helpful partner in gathering and summarizing what already exists before creating anything new. The worst thing you can do is sink a lot of money into something that you end up having to scrap, for reasons that could have been flagged at the beginning of the project… VP, Fortune 500 financial services company, in Atlassian’s State of Teams 2025 report It’s a painful rite of passage for knowledge workers: You spend days or weeks on a project, only to discover a related idea you wish you’d known earlier, a piece of data that changes your work, or (worst of all) something that negates everything you’ve been doing. Maybe you launch a survey, only to learn afterward that another team ran almost the same survey last quarter – and already answered your key questions. Or you might spend a week assembling a strategy deck, then stumble across a document with sharper thinking and fresher data that never crossed your radar. That’s the all‑too‑familiar problem for many teams, especially those who work asynchronously: lack of visibility into work that’s already been done, ideas that have already been considered, and insights that have already been gathered. This information may be: Buried in an old deck, an epic from two years ago, or a page no one can find Delivered after the deadline or the moment you were looking Shared quietly or held back completely Either way, if knowledge isn’t surfaced at the right time or in the right way, it never gets used – leading to wasted time and energy at best, and costly mistakes at worst. The good news is there are plenty of ways to overcome those barriers. Here’s how your team can tackle these challenges, use async benefits to your advantage, and do your best work – together. Teams have more information than ever, but they’ve never been less informed As the pace of work accelerates, employees are using more tools than ever and scattering data across a graveyard of disconnected work artifacts. This leaves people struggling to find and use relevant insights, like past research results or a list of ideas brainstormed last quarter. In fact, Atlassian’s most recent State of Teams report shows Fortune 500 companies waste 2.4 billion (yes, with a “b!”) hours every year searching for information. One in two knowledge workers report that teams at their company tend to unknowingly work on the same things, and just 20% feel confident that their team has an effective process for quickly informing other teams of decisions that may impact their work. The three things teams say they need to collaborate more effectively: Clearer goals Shared processes for how to get work done Ability to easily find the exact information they need Let’s dive deeper into that third benefit and explore six practical, research‑backed habits any team – especially those who work async – can use to surface knowledge faster and make even better decisions. 6 async practices to uncover existing insights Related Article How to excel at asynchronous communication with your distributed team By Jaime Netzer In Communication 1. Write before you meet Practice: Ask team members to write their thoughts and ideas about a topic before meeting. One of the biggest challenges with making decisions in live meetings is that meetings perpetuate groupthink and introduce bias. One way to avoid this is to give people time and space to write down their thoughts before they meet. Studies comparing group brainstorming to brainwriting (individually writing ideas) find that people generate more – and more unique – ideas when they write first instead of speaking in a group. Writing slows thinking down enough for nuance and clarity to emerge. People can draft, edit, and refine instead of reacting in real time. That means a designer in Sydney can write down three thoughtful concerns about a proposed UI change, rather than trying to get a word in during a rushed, late-night call. Similarly, writing also removes pressure to respond instantly or compete for airtime, which is especially helpful for introverts, junior team members, and those from under‑represented groups. Try it: Before a meeting or working session, share a short prompt for your collaborators to answer in writing. For a planning session, it could be, “What risks do you think we’re underestimating?” For a new campaign brainstorming session, it could be, “What’s the best campaign you’ve seen lately, and why?” Ask each person to write their thoughts in a shared document before any live discussion. Let people add async follow-up comments. Start the live meeting by reviewing a summary of themes the team wrote down and any notable outliers that may influence decisions. Where you can ask AI to help: Give the tool an overview of the meeting goals, topics to discuss, and what success looks like. Then, ask it to brainstorm questions and prompts for attendees to answer in writing ahead of time. Cluster themes among the responses, and highlight outliers. Present your team’s ideas in search results when another team is looking for similar information months later. 2. Design for time-delayed contribution Practice: Give everyone an opportunity to respond before you review. Some people are fast thinkers and communicators. Others take more time to formulate and write their thoughts. Some team members may be in a different time zone or out of the office. The fastest replies often get the most attention, but speed isn’t a signal of insight or value. Building in time for everyone who wants to contribute levels the playing field and avoids missing potentially important perspectives. Research on remote and virtual teams shows people are less likely to share when they feel like they’re being watched and more likely to share when they feel psychologically safe. Encouraging collaborators to share knowledge async – and giving them more time to do so – puts them in control over when and how they show up. That creates space for more robust, thoughtful input, and fewer decisions led by whoever responded first. Try it: Set clear response windows for async comments, like “Add comments to this proposal by end of day Thursday.” Give people clear direction on what type of contributions you’re looking for. Feedback on existing ideas? New ideas? Additional context the group may not have considered? Intentional disagreement to poke holes in a concept? (See practice #3 below.) Send a reminder before the deadline, tagging people who haven’t responded (if appropriate). In your recap, you can call out key contributions that arrived later in the time window in case people who responded earlier missed them. Where you can ask AI to help: Resurface lightly engaged threads before the response window closes, and summarize who hasn’t responded yet: “Only 2 of 5 assignees have replied. You are waiting on Marcos, Jennifer, and Lynn.” Schedule reminders for the team to contribute before the deadline. Flag contributions that are significantly different from earlier responses so you don’t miss something that changes decisions. 3. Intentionally invite disagreement Practice: Build in opportunities to respectfully dissent in writing and with purpose. Humans are hardwired to avoid conflict, especially at work. But questioning, disagreement, and arguing (respectfully, of course) can expose issues, clarify confusion, and reduce the risk of bigger problems later on. Conflict also signals that people care about a particular person or topic. In async work, there aren’t as many obvious opportunities for disagreement. You’re not meeting live or talking back and forth with someone you can share your true thoughts and feelings with in real time. That’s why it’s important to build in async opportunities for team members to disagree. Inviting people to share their questions and concerns in writing, on their own time, also gives those who may not feel comfortable speaking up live or face‑to‑face – especially across power or culture gaps – space to think, write, and edit their feedback before sharing. Try it: Add standard prompts to big decisions, such as: “What are we missing?” “If this fails, why will it have failed?” “What do you disagree with, and why?” “What feels riskier than we’re admitting out loud?” “What would a smart critic say about this plan?” Add “risks and concerns” fields to planning page templates and intake forms. Add a section to retrospective and incident review templates where people can share considerate critiques of a decision or tradeoff made. Run the Sparring Play to get async feedback on an idea or piece of work. Normalize respectful questioning and dissent as a helpful contribution to quality, not as criticism or an attack. (Harvard Business School Professor Amy Edmondson shares three rules that contribute to building psychological safety, meaningful dialogue, and co-creation: listen more and speak less, build on others’ contributions, and respond to what’s emerging vs. pre-planning ideas.) Publicly thank people who disagree and say the hard stuff out loud. Show how their input shaped the outcome. Related Article 6 types of meetings that are worth your time (and 3 that aren’t) By Sarah Goff-Dupont In Teamwork Save for syncs Not every comment or conversation is appropriate for async. Opt for real-time communication if it’s: Individual one-on-ones First-time meetings with people who have never worked together Topics that are emotionally charged (performance issues, interpersonal conflicts, etc.) Project kickoffs Where you can ask AI to help: Analyze multiple messages and flag areas of repeated uncertainty or concern, like “Several people have raised concerns about privacy.” Summarize themes after a sparring session. Automatically add a step to suggested workflows to invite disagreement, instead of relying on people to remember to do it. Edit dissent messages for tone and clarity so those messages are better received, like changing “This plan is reckless and ignores basic security” to “I’m concerned this plan may introduce significant security risks that we haven’t fully evaluated yet.” 4. Separate idea generation from evaluation Practice: Don’t mix “What could we do?” with “What should we do?” There are two types of thinking: divergent and convergent. Divergent thinking is unrestricted, judgment-free, and takes a meandering path to explore all viable (and some not-so-viable) options. Convergent thinking uses logic to narrow down ideas in a structured way. Alex Osborn, who developed the creative-problem solving framework in the 1940s, noted that both types of thinking are essential to creativity. The problem is people often jump to convergent thinking as the most direct path to one “right” solution. If they don’t diverge first, they may make a short‑sighted decision and miss out on an even better solution. Try it: Break up the brainstorming or problem-solving process to diverge first, then converge. Start with divergent thinking to generate ideas (async): Share a collaborative document or form with the team for brainstorming, and ask them to share any and all observations, concerns, hypotheses, and ideas about the topic. Remind them to suspend judgment. Don’t worry about what’s been tried before or what “won’t work.” There are no good or bad ideas at this point. Encourage writing down every concept, even if it’s not certain or fully formed yet. Then evaluate ideas (later, async or sync): Shift to sharing feedback, prioritizing, and making decisions using clear criteria (e.g., impact, effort, risk). Decide which ideas become experiments, tasks/issues, or backlog items. Where you can ask AI to help: Label contributions by type (observation, risk, assumption, idea, etc.) so you can see what’s missing. Group similar ideas based on themes. Compare ideas to requirements or context to spot gaps or misalignment. Prioritize ideas based on criteria. 5. Surface summaries Practice: Share recaps of conversations and decisions with the rest of the team. Insights often get lost in conversation threads, notes, and documents. After doing any of these practices above or meeting live, share a summary of what was discussed and decided in a Slack or Teams channel, shared workspace, or wherever your team communicates. Summarizing and resurfacing information not only helps close the loop, but also means the next team doesn’t have to re‑ask the same questions or repeat the same experiment six months later. Decision logs and recap notes are consistently cited as a cornerstone of effective async collaboration, as GitLab notes in their handbook. Try it: Assign a teammate in each meeting or working session to share a recap with all stakeholders. In a simple written summary or decision log, capture: What was discussed or decided Key findings and patterns that informed the conversation and decision Points of tension or disagreement Open questions and notes to revisit later Store summaries where the team actually works, like a project’s Confluence page or Slack channel. Resurface findings at key moments: planning, retros, onboarding, or when similar work starts. Where you can ask AI to help: Add an AI notetaker, such as Loom, to your meetings to take notes and automatically share a summary. Create insight‑focused summaries, like “Here are the four main concerns and why the group chose Option B.” Schedule reminders to revisit notes, open questions, and past decisions for further review and assessment. 6. Create dedicated async “thinking spaces” Practice: Set up a document, workspace, or chat channel for random thoughts and brainstorming. Our brains work differently when they’re thinking than when they’re doing. (Both modes are equally important.) Even when we’re not thinking, like when we’re trying to fall asleep or in the shower, ideas strike at random. That’s because people generate better ideas when they have time and space to think alone, then come together to collaborate. It’s crucial to intentionally think before we do and to capture those thoughts before they disappear into the void. Async “thinking spaces” (like a Confluence page, whiteboard, or Slack channel) do exactly that: give team members a low-pressure place to jot down questions and blue‑sky ideas as they come up, instead of letting them disappear. Try it: Create a shared place as the team’s async thinking space. This space is specifically for: Questions and hypotheses, like “Is adoption suffering because of friction during onboarding?” Patterns people are noticing across customers or incidents, like “Three different tickets mentioned confusion about payment methods this week.” Ideas to revisit in the future Treat these as “slow” channels with fewer, but deeper messages and thoughts. Model the behavior by posting your own reflections, not just directives. If appropriate, share the thinking space with other teams to cross-pollinate knowledge. Where you can ask AI to help: Schedule weekly reminders to add any new ideas. Highlight emerging themes or repeated concerns, like “Social media posts featuring real customers are gaining popularity” or “Customer trust has come up 5 different times this month.” Surface themes across different projects, documents, and channels to bridge silos. How to get started: small experiments, big payoffs Async work won’t surface every insight or replace every meeting – nor should it. But when you make small, deliberate changes to the way your team writes, reflects, and disagrees, you can turn time zones and quiet personalities into a competitive advantage. Your team likely already has valuable work and hard-won lessons just waiting to be uncovered. Subscribe to Work LifeGet stories like this in your inbox Subscribe The post 6 async practices that surface buried insights (and how AI can help) appeared first on Work Life by Atlassian. View the full article

The Farmers’ Almanac isn’t going out of business after all, but it is leaving Maine for the bright lights of New York City and a new owner. Beloved by farmers and gardeners, the almanac was first printed in 1818 and — like the arguably more famous Old Farmer’s Almanac — relies on a secret formula of sunspots, planetary positions, and lunar cycles to generate long-range weather forecasts. It’s been acquired by Unofficial Networks, a digital publisher focused on skiing and outdoor recreation. That means the almanac will keep operating despite announcing in November that its 208-year run was coming to an end. A new Farmers’ Almanac website will be “a living, breathing publication with fresh, daily content” and there are plans to bring back a print edition, said Tim Konrad, founder and publisher of New York-based Unofficial Networks. “I saw the announcement that one of America’s most enduring publications was set to close,” Konrad said, “and it felt wrong to stand by while an irreplaceable piece of our national heritage disappeared.” The deal will prioritize “preserving and sustaining the iconic publication,” according to a statement from Unofficial Networks and Peter Geiger, the almanac’s longtime publisher. The Farmers’ Almanac was founded in New Jersey before moving its headquarters to Lewiston, Maine, in 1955. The Old Farmer’s Almanac is based in New Hampshire. Over the years, scientists have sometimes chafed at the publications’ predictions. Studies of their accuracy have found them to be a little more than 50% accurate. That is about on par with random chance. But Geiger, whose family had the Farmers’ Almanac for more than 90 years, said they’re “going out a winner” by having predicted a cold and snowy 2026. “For more than 200 years, the values and wisdom of the Farmers’ Almanac have been protected and nurtured by four owner-publishers,” Geiger said. “I am grateful to have found the right next custodian in Tim Konrad. I am also confident he will honor its heritage and carry it forward for generations to come.” Unofficial Networks was started in 2006 by Konrad and his brother John in a California basement, according to the company’s website. —Patrick Whittle, Associated Press View the full article

Unsolicited texts are annoying—and even more so if they keep coming from a legitimate sender after you've opted out. If you received text spam from Kaiser Permanente, you may be eligible for a cash payout for each message. The healthcare company, which serves over 12.5 million members, recently settled a $10.5 million class action lawsuit filed over marketing text messages sent after recipients tried to opt out. The suit, filed in August 2025, claimed that Kaiser Permanente failed to honor opt-out requests. Those with a valid claim may receive up to $75 per qualifying text. Are you eligible for the Kaiser settlement? To qualify for a payout from this settlement, you must have received more than one text message from Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc. within a 12-month period—between Jan. 21, 2021 and Aug. 20, 2025—after sending a "stop" or similar opt-out request. (Note that the confirmation of your request does not count.) According to the settlement website, there are two separate classes covered by suit: one for message recipients in Florida and one for the U.S. as a whole. How to claim your settlement cashTo get your cash, you'll need to submit a valid claim form by Feb. 12, 2026. You can complete your claim online if you received a notice of eligibility via mail or email containing a unique ID and PIN. If you did not get a notice, you'll have to download and submit a paper claim form to the settlement administrator. Hard copy claims must be postmarked by Feb. 12. While the maximum per-text payout is $75, the final amount may be less depending on how many claims are filed. Payments could take months to distribute while settlement details are finalized, so don't expect the funds to arrive immediately. View the full article