b'The Tech Cumulus August 2021SHINY NEW GADGET OF THE MONTH 3 Types Of QuestionsSee The World A LittleYou Should Never Ask AsCloser With StarScope A Leader Of A Major CompanyTheres something magical about having theAt ghSMART, we make it our mission to advise CEOs and other leaders of large companies on ability to bring the world a little closer to you.the biggest, most important decisions that they facethe decisions that can make or break a But the StarScope Monocular isnt magicbusiness. How do we do that, exactly? Well, without getting into the weeds, we usually guide ourits all science!clients through their decision-making process by simply helping them ask the right questions. The StarScope is a compactThe right questions are typically the kind that get to the heart of the issue. They produce answers, monocularand thus actions, that lead to the best possible outcome from the initial decision. However, where featuring 10Xthere are right questions, there are also wrong questions that can lead to crippling initiatives that magnification thatcould affect an entire business. If you dont want that for your company, here are three common can deliver high-quality opticstypes of wrong questions that you should avoid: directly to your eye or your smartphone! The StarScope can be attached to virtually any1.Questions Having To Do Withtheir strengths and weaknesses. If you catch smartphone camera to improve the zoomPotential Ethical Dilemmas yourself asking, I wonder if so-and-so will ever function, giving you stellar photos. Evenrise to the challenge and display qualities and better, the StarScope is compact for easyIn my experience, some of the wisest leadersstrengths I havent seen yet, then the answer travel; just put it in your pocket or bag andin business are the ones who, when faced withshould be clear. Their strengths do not match go. And you dont even have to worry abouta potential ethics question, respond the samethe role they are in, and you should probably the weatherits waterproof, fog-proof andway: If you have to ask, then dont. find someone more suited for their role andready for your next adventure. Check it outyour vision. at Bit.ly/3opQIhz. What I mean by that is if theres even a shadow of a possibility that saying yes to a question3.Questions About Whether You Can about business leadership could propel youTrust Your BossWhy You Cannot Set Andinto morally gray territory, then its not a Forget Your Data Security question worth asking at all. In fact, even if yourIve heard it said that people dont quit decision could be misinterpreted as unethical,companies, they quit bosses. I think that line There is no one-size-fits-all approach to datayou should avoid the question. At ghSMART,of thinking has a lot of truth to it. If you have to security. Its not uncommon for small andwe call this practice having 110% integrityask if you can trust the person youre working medium-size businesses to take a simplified 100% for avoiding ethical dilemmas, and anfor to look out for your best interests and the approach to their IT and data securityextra 10% for avoiding dilemmas that couldbest interests of your company, because they are worried abouteven just seem to make your company appearthen you probably cant trust ongoing costs. However,unethical. In summation, if you ever have tothem. You should find a this approach comesask, Would it be ethical ifthen its better toboss who cares about your with its own set of risksleave the question unasked.career goals and who willnamely, data securityhelp you succeed and must be an ongoing2.Questions About Whether Someoneaccelerate toward effort because thereIs Underperforming them. If you will always be newdont have cyberthreats. A good rule of thumb for underperformancethat kind of is this: if you ever question whether someoneleadership, McAfee Labs Threatsis underperforming in service to your teamsit might be Report for April 2021 estimatesvision, they are absolutely underperforming.best to look that there are 588 new cyberthreatsSubordinates typically follow a fairly predictableelsewhereevery minutea number thats increasingwork patternone that pretty clearly indicatesfor work. month after month. Cybercriminals are always looking for new ways to exploitDr. Geoff Smart is the founder and chairman of ghSMART, which helps Fortune current IT security measures, including500 companies, CEOs and successful entrepreneurs alike make smart decisions malware and firewall protection. This meanswhen it comes to curating talented teams. For three consecutive years, Forbes businesses must constantly assess theirranked ghSMART as the best management consulting firm in its industry, and security needs and remain updated to stayit has produced three best-selling books outlining their principles. Additionally, ahead of the cyberthreat curve.Dr. Smart published Leadocracy: Hiring More Great Leaders (Like You) Into Government, which was a New York Times best seller.Technology That Works!216-393-24843'