Our Privacy Has Gone Out the Window

Recently, I was told of a friend who went shopping in Bed, Bath and Beyond. He did not purchase anything, did not sign anything or indicate what he was looking for to any sales associate. By the time he arrived home he was receiving emails from Bed, Bath and Beyond offering specials and deals. This may be old news to some but my research showed that the iPhone has a tracking device inside of it that syncs with your computer the minute you log in, letting it know where you have been.

Something similar happens to me regularly. I have gone searching for something specific online at Ebay only to go onto Facebook and get a reminder there on my homepage feed, "Did I still want to buy it?" My homepage is filled with advertisements of what they think I might be interested in buying based on data they could only have gleaned from my personal information. More recently, I registered as a follower of the very popular blog, Quora. I have never stated what kind of blogs I might be interested in and yet from the outset, Quora began showing me blogs that it thought that I might want to read. Not that they always get it right. Quora certainly has sent me blogs in which I am not interested.

In another more insidious example, I was phoning around to get quotes for car insurance. In speaking with one particular insurance company, the salesman proceeded to tell me the names and details of every single individual living in our home. He had all of these details at his fingertips. He seemed a little taken aback when I wanted to know from where he had sourced that information. Needless to say, I did not get an answer to my question. When I asked my American friends about their feelings about commercial enterprises having such intimate knowledge of what is happening within their homes, they seemed nonplussed. It was something that they were accustomed to and thought nothing of.

Are we being lulled into a sense that our privacy is legitimately up for grabs? Why is it that we have allowed it to get to this point where literally, these private corporations can look into our very homes? I hear many speak about concerns about government interference and yet seem totally unconcerned about the interference of private enterprises. Identity theft has become a real issue lately, said to cost the economy in the billions and yet we freely allow marketers and organizations to hold our information without even so much as giving them permission. As I let the hapless car insurance salesman know, I had never given them permission to hold or access my information.

So why is this all so terrible to me?
1. I don't appreciate being told me what or where I should buy, let alone what I should be thinking. Much of the information with which I am being bombarded is clearly designed to encourage new behavior. It has the smack of manipulation to it. Quite often the marketing process also completely misses the mark, offering me something I don't want. I give for an example, being constantly sent advertisements for dating services for men my age, based on earlier single days, when I am now a happily married woman.

2. I consider that where and when I go to be my private concern and not for some bot to be monitoring and passing on to all-seeing eyes in the background. I should have the right to browse in a store and not to be chased afterwards, almost harassed with their advertising material.

3. For me my home is my castle, my refuge. I want to be able to decide who comes and goes within my home, whether real or virtual.
 
4. There are no visible means to opt out of this process unless you completely disconnect from technology altogether. Not a very viable option in the 21st Century. Yes, I like to have a cell phone so that I am able to contact family and others close to me as well as for my business. There are also real advantages in connecting to the internet to peruse subjects, find deals and make connections. But must I have to do this at the price of my privacy?

I am not sure about the answer to all this. Privacy watchdogs have begun to make some headway in Europe regarding Google but there is still much work to be done within the United States. A map (granted a little dated at 2007) produced by Privacy International reveals the United States is labelled as an "endemic surveillance society" in the privacy rankings equivalent to Russia and China. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Privacy_International_2007_privacy_ranking_map.png.

So I am speaking up and saying that this has to stop and greater protections need to be afforded to us. Who is with me?

Data, data and more data: Ode to evaluation

Organizations and businesses are constantly producing data of all sorts: financial reports, staff attendance reports, marketing reports, client feedback. Sometimes the amount of data being collected can be both onerous and expensive in both time and resources. I have been surprised at the number of organizations I have assessed where copious amounts of data were rigorously collected but then went on to gather dust, never to see the light of day again. On the opposite end I have noted many non-profit organizations who thought that collecting data was a waste of time and took them away from their core work. Paper work was at a minimum.

Evaluation, in its broadest sense, is a key tool in bringing about improvements to the organization and to the services or products provided. While there is a whole academic expertise called "Evaluation" with specific research techniques, I also believe very much in down to earth, basic evaluation that can be implemented by any organization. This blog will provide a rudimentary overview on what "evaluation" might look like.

Ask the right questions, get the right data

Asking the right questions is an essential step in getting usable data to improve your organization/business. What information do we need to seek to monitor our key functions, as well as to provide us with information to launch new directions and new improvements?

Evaluation should grow out of asking these "right" questions. Because of the demands of donors, non-profits can sometimes focus nearly all of their attention on questions about outputs or impact. However, there are other types of questions that need to be asked if the organization is to be healthy and remain capable of taking care of the identified needs. It is about gathering the best information possible to inform our decisions.

Questions can be as broad as "what is the mission of our organization?" or as specific as "are we getting best value for our HR dollars in this particular project?" Questions will also change over time as organizations develop, expand or adjust to changing environments.

Keeping data gathering simple, with minimal cost

Once we have identified the answers we need, organizations can identify the methodology for gathering data. Evaluation does not need to be expensive or undertaken only by external experts. Sometimes simple data gathering exercises can produce the most effective analyses. In addition, when governance and management take responsibility themselves for analyzing evaluation data, they are more likely to be motivated to apply the learnings from that evaluation.

Certain analyses should be part of the regular fabric of any organization such as financial reports and HR appraisals. There needs to be an ongoing mechanism to access the views of the target population and the wider donor population. With social media tools, there are a wide range of possibilities to gather useful data without significant expenditure.

However, a potential difficulty faced by management is when too many questions are being addressed at once. Evaluation becomes this onerous exercise where mountains of information are being gathered but is too overwhelming to be appropriately used. Management needs to identify which pieces of information are most vital for them to move forward.


Gathering the Data: 

Mechanisms for gathering data can be expensive as well as time consuming, particularly if individualized software is developed. Our targeted questions to be answered as well as our marketing budget should inform the methods we use. Do we undertake significant one-off marketing surveys or do we gather data continuously to keep abreast of the views of our "audience"? Are there simple ways to collect data on an ongoing basis that are cost-effective. For example, analyzing the number of likes on a particular posting in facebook, or the number of times a tweet is shared or viewed may have minimal cost. This will nonetheless require someone within the organization to have responsibility for monitoring the flow of information in a timely way. Getting input from staff on evaluation tools will encourage buy in and provide some innovative ideas.

Applying learnings from the Data:
An evaluation process and the data it produces is only good if it is evaluated.  Often we build these wonderful evaluation tools with the very latest technology. However, in the end, human eyes need to understand the data and make consequent recommendations. When we make major decisions within our organization such as structural changes or changes in our service delivery, we should be referring to our data to inform our decision making. One of the obstacles faced by organizations is where they need some longer term data to inform their decision making but have started the data gathering phase too late. Deciding on what information is needed at an early stage will ensure that when analysis is made, there is adequate information rather than scrambling at the last minute to find applicable data.

If we are not using our evaluation information then we should take a hard look at it and decide a) whether this is information we actually need to be gathering or b). how can we more effectively analyze and use what we are receiving.

Evaluations are an essential part of any good non-profit or for-profit organization. Those that undertake internal evaluations as a part of the fabric of the organization will be more stable at the same time as more willing and capable of undertaking change. Staff that are included in the ongoing internal evaluations will be more responsive to implementing recommendations identified. If you are unsure how to identify the key questions, how to plan out the methodology for gathering data or how to analyze the information in meaningful ways, seek an external expert to assist with the setting up of the evaluation but do not lose sight of the ownership of the evaluation processes. They belong squarely in the hands of the governance and management.

Watch out for that wall!

 On Brake pads and checkups

Our car currently needs new brake pads. In fact, it needed new brake pads a month or so ago and it is making those metallic noises indicating that the changing of the brake pads is now overdue and causing some damage to the brakes themselves. I can just hear those of you who are car savvy saying, ‘Crazy woman! If you don’t get the brake pads changed soon then it will be a much more expensive exercise!’ I will not argue with the wisdom of that statement. And if I keep ignoring those metallic sounds then I could ultimately be in danger of insufficient braking power and find myself running into a wall or into the back of another car. I might also hear you say, ‘This woman does not know the importance of the regular upkeep of a car.’ Even those of you who are not car savvy will recognize the folly in not taking regular care of such a valuable asset.

Although most of you would immediately recognize the importance of regular tune ups and basic car maintenance, most business owners/organization management do not recognize the importance of regular organizational health checkups for that most important of assets, their business. We are going to know very quickly if we run out of fuel in a car as it putters to a stop but it is only via regular check-ups that we discover what is going on under the hood with the mechanics of the car; whether brake pads need replacing or the oil needs changing or we need new tires.  Regular car tune ups keep the engine in top shape and usually provide security so that we won’t have any serious mechanical problems.

At an initial glance, it may appear that once administration systems are set up in a business or organization that the work is done. However, the kind of processes and administration systems that were wonderful for a business start up may not remain suitable as the organization develops. Systems need to be adjusted and tweaked regularly. We all like to hear about a highly successful, fast growing business. In such businesses there can be a tendency to focus all our attention on that growth, forward and upward, our foot is very heavy on the accelerator. Progress can be heady and all consuming and in our minds it is logical to focus on those aspects that will directly increase our profit margins, the number of customers or the volume of sales.

There are dangers and potential blocks to growth if we ignore regularly "servicing" the underlying systems we have in place to support growth. Yes, it is much more exciting to focus on the profit making exercises but a poorly maintained race car never wins the race. We run the risk of our business going at top speed and then unable to take a corner or running into a wall because of a lack of brakes.

What is an organization ‘tune-up’?

Any system tune-up would begin with an analysis of all of the key supports in place that underpin our activities.  The following examples are not exhaustive nor are they all essential for review at any one time. Any combination will depend on the nature and the growth levels of each business or organization.

•         The financial management system
•         Staff recruitment processes 
•         HR support systems
•         Procurement processes
•        The distribution model for goods/services
•        Communication processes between the components of your business and externally
•        Administration processes to track sales, contacts, business activity
•        The marketing plan 
•        Client follow ups 
•        Risk management
•        Compliance with regulatory  requirements/contract compliance
•        Quality assurance

For public and non-profit organizations, the desired skills of the governance board may also change according to the changing needs of an organization. At a management level, the CEO or Executive Director who had the drive and motivation to kick off a new service may not have the necessary skills for stabilizing and consolidating an organization’s ongoing service.

It is my belief that it is not only possible but essential to create a highly responsive organization whose systems correspond to changing needs via regular systemic reviews.

Through a series of these blogs, we will begin to explore how to fine-tune the basics of our infrastructure and maintain a well oiled business/organization. We can explore the equivalent of the "metallic sounds" that tell us that we urgently need to update some aspect of our functions. I am looking forward to exploring the most effective means to managing and even implementing organizational change with you. I would love this to be a two way conversation and would welcome your input.