muniBLOG: Energy Savings

Every Employee Departure Changes Organizational Risk

Why Workforce Transitions Are a Critical Element of Security Governance

 

Municipal and regional governments devote significant attention to protecting people, facilities, infrastructure, information, and public assets. Access control systems, surveillance technologies, visitor management procedures, and physical security measures are all designed to prevent unauthorized access and reduce organizational risk.

 

Yet one of the most significant security events an organization will experience often begins with something far less dramatic than a security incident.

 

A resignation.

 

A retirement.

 

A termination.

 

The completion of a contract.

 

Each represents a workforce transition that fundamentally changes an organization’s risk profile.

 

While these events are often viewed primarily through the lens of Human Resources, they also represent critical security events that require coordinated planning, clearly defined responsibilities, and disciplined execution. When managed effectively, they reduce organizational risk. When managed inconsistently, they can expose organizations to unnecessary operational, legal, reputational, and even public trust consequences.

 

A Practitioner’s Note

 

Every organization is structured differently. In some municipalities, Security, Human Resources, Information Technology, Facilities, and departmental leadership each have distinct responsibilities during employee offboarding. In smaller municipalities or regional organizations, those responsibilities may rest with only a few individuals—or even a single person.

 

The specific organizational structure is less important than ensuring every offboarding function is clearly assigned, documented, and consistently executed. While consolidating multiple responsibilities can improve efficiency, it may also introduce governance risks if critical tasks rely on a single individual or if oversight and accountability are not clearly established.

 

The objective is not a particular organizational model, but a coordinated and defensible process that ensures no security gaps exist when an employee leaves the organization.

 

Every Workforce Transition Changes Your Risk Profile

 

Throughout their employment, individuals accumulate access.

 

Not simply an identification badge.

 

They acquire access to facilities, restricted areas, fleet operations, records systems, keys, alarm codes, parking permissions, radios, laptops, mobile devices, organizational knowledge, contractor relationships, and an understanding of how the organization operates.

 

For municipal and regional governments, that access often extends beyond a single building. Employees may have access to civic centres, operations yards, water and wastewater facilities, transit infrastructure, emergency operations centres, records repositories, public works equipment, and numerous information systems supporting essential public services.

 

When employment ends, those privileges must end with the same level of discipline that governed their assignment.

 

Unfortunately, many organizations continue to treat offboarding as an administrative exercise completed over several days—or, in some cases, several weeks.

 

From a security perspective, that creates unnecessary exposure.

 

An individual with active credentials is not simply a former employee.

 

They remain someone who can still access your organization.

 

Security Offboarding Is a Governance Process

 

One of the most common observations made during security assessments is that responsibility for employee departures is fragmented.

 

Human Resources manages employment.

 

Information Technology manages user accounts.

 

Facilities manages keys.

 

Security manages identification badges and access credentials.

 

Payroll manages benefits.

 

Each department performs its responsibilities well, but often independently of one another.

 

While every department is completing its assigned tasks, no one is necessarily managing the departure as a single security event.

 

That gap creates opportunity.

 

Leading organizations recognize that workforce transitions should be managed through an integrated governance process where Human Resources, Security, Information Technology, Facilities, and operational leadership work from a common timeline, supported by clearly defined responsibilities, documented procedures, and shared accountability.

 

The objective is not simply to complete a checklist.

 

It is to ensure that every element of organizational access is intentionally transitioned without leaving gaps.

 

Five Practices That Strengthen Security Offboarding

1. Deactivate Physical Access Without Delay

Once a departure is confirmed, physical access credentials should be disabled in accordance with organizational policy and the circumstances surrounding the departure.

 

Waiting until the end of the day—or after other administrative processes have been completed—can create an unnecessary window of exposure.

 

For higher-risk departures, access revocation may need to occur simultaneously with employee notification.

 

Security should never be operating on delayed information.

 

2. Recover Every Physical Credential

An identification badge represents only one form of organizational access.

 

A comprehensive offboarding process should account for every item that enables physical access or conveys organizational authority, including:

  • Buildling access cards
  • Office and master keys
  • Access fobs
  • Parking permits
  • Business cards
  • Fleet vehicle keys
  • Radios
  • Uniforms and identification
  • Security tokens
  • Specialized equipment
  • Visitor credentials
  • Other controlled access devices

Each item should be recovered, documented, and verified before the offboarding process is considered complete.

 

3. Verify the Return of Organizational Assets

Municipal governments are responsible for safeguarding public assets.

 

Laptops, tablets, mobile phones, storage media, confidential documents, specialized equipment, and other assigned assets should be formally accounted for and verified.

 

A documented asset recovery process protects both the organization and the departing employee while maintaining an accurate chain of custody and supporting sound public sector accountability.

 

4. Review Recent Access Activity

One step that is frequently overlooked is reviewing recent access history before credentials are permanently disabled.

 

Examining the final weeks of access activity may identify:

  • After-hours building access
  • Entries into unusual locations
  • High-frequency credential activity
  • Access inconsistent with assigned responsibilities
  • Attempts to enter restricted areas

·       In most cases, nothing unusual will be identified.

 

However, when irregularities do exist, they are far easier to investigate before accounts are permanently closed and supporting records become more difficult to correlate.

 

5. Ensure Human Resources, Security, IT, and Operations Work Together

Perhaps the greatest vulnerability during employee departures is not technology.

 

It is communication.

 

Security cannot revoke access it doesn’t know still exists.

 

IT cannot disable accounts if timelines are unclear.

 

Facilities cannot recover keys if they are not included in the process.

 

Managers cannot verify operational responsibilities if they have not been engaged.

 

Strong governance ensures every stakeholder is working from the same playbook.

 

The objective is not simply completing individual tasks.

 

It is ensuring no gaps exist between them.

 

Governance Is the Difference

 

Many municipal organizations already have strong individual procedures.

 

What is often missing is an integrated governance framework that connects them.

 

A mature security offboarding program clearly defines:

  • Roles and responsibilities
  • Notification requirements
  • Credential deactivation timelines
  • Assest recovery procedures
  • Verification requirements
  • Documentation standards
  • Final approval authorities
  • Audit and quality assurance processes

·      

These processes should not exist solely to improve operational efficiency.

 

They demonstrate due diligence, strengthen accountability, and help protect public assets while reducing organizational liability.

 

Just as importantly, they create consistency. Every departure should follow the same disciplined process regardless of position, department, or circumstance.

 

Security Is About Managing Transitions

 

Security is often associated with preventing unauthorized access, responding to incidents, or protecting critical infrastructure.

 

Equally important, however, is managing authorized access when that authorization changes.

 

Every workforce transition a resignation, retirement, termination, internal transfer, contract completion, or temporary assignment ending changes organizational risk.

 

The strongest municipal security programs recognize these transitions as governance events supported by clear policies, coordinated responsibilities, and documented accountability. They understand that effective offboarding is not simply about collecting keys or disabling an access card; it is about protecting public assets, maintaining operational continuity, and demonstrating sound governance.

 

Organizations invest considerable effort ensuring that employees receive the right access when they join.

 

They should invest the same discipline ensuring that access is appropriately removed when they leave.

 

Because every employee departure changes organizational risk.

 

The question is not whether your organization has an offboarding process.

 

The question is whether it is a defensible security process.

 

If your Municipality wants to learn more about this topic, contact me directly at [email protected] for further assistance.

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Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design: Understanding Its Significance and Implications

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) has emerged as a pivotal strategy in the realm of urban planning and public safety. This approach focuses on the design, manipulation, and management of the physical environment to reduce opportunities for crime, thereby enhancing the quality of life for community members. This article delves into the rationale behind conducting a CPTED survey, its benefits, the stakeholders who gain from it, and the potential drawbacks, offering a comprehensive perspective for professionals in the field.

As professionals well-versed in the nuances of urban safety and planning, you are likely familiar with the concept of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). This strategic approach has become increasingly relevant in our efforts to cultivate safer, more harmonious urban spaces. If you are considering the implementation of a CPTED survey, or if you have questions regarding its scope and effectiveness, this article aims to provide you with comprehensive insights that will inform your decision-making process.

CPTED stands as a testament to the profound impact that environmental design can have on crime prevention and community well-being. Rooted in the understanding that the physical environment plays a crucial role in influencing behavior, CPTED strategies involve the meticulous assessment and modification of environmental factors to reduce crime and enhance the quality of life for residents. This article delves into the essential components of a CPTED survey, exploring why such a survey is pivotal, the manifold benefits it offers, the diverse stakeholders who stand to gain, and the potential challenges that need to be navigated.

Our objective here is not just to underscore the importance of CPTED surveys but also to equip you with the knowledge to effectively implement and leverage these surveys in your respective domains. Whether you are at the cusp of initiating a CPTED survey or are seeking to deepen your understanding of its implications, this discussion aims to shed light on the critical aspects of CPTED, ensuring that your approach to urban safety and planning is both informed and impactful.

Why Conduct a CPTED Survey?

A CPTED survey is essential for several reasons:

  1. Risk Assessment: It helps in identifying potential security risks and vulnerabilities in a particular area.
  2. Customized Solutions: It enables the development of tailored strategies that address specific local crime issues.
  3. Stakeholder Engagement: Such surveys involve community members, fostering a sense of ownership and collaboration in crime prevention efforts.

Benefits of a CPTED Survey

The benefits of conducting a CPTED survey are multifaceted:

  1. Reduced Crime Rates: Properly implemented CPTED principles have been shown to decrease crime rates significantly.
  2. Enhanced Public Safety: It improves the perception of safety and security among residents.
  3. Economic Advantages: A safer environment can lead to increased property values and business activities.
  4. Sustainable Development: CPTED principles contribute to sustainable urban development by promoting safe and livable environments.

Beneficiaries of CPTED

The beneficiaries of CPTED surveys extend beyond individual residents:

  1. Local Communities: Residents benefit from safer and more secure living environments.
  2. Law Enforcement: Police can focus resources more effectively when environmental design reduces opportunities for crime.
  3. Urban Planners and Developers: Insights from CPTED surveys aid in creating safer urban spaces.
  4. Business Owners: A safe environment can boost customer footfall and economic activity.

Drawbacks of CPTED

While beneficial, CPTED surveys also have limitations:

  1. Resource Intensive: Conducting thorough surveys requires significant time and financial resources.
  2. Potential for Discrimination: There is a risk of promoting exclusionary practices, inadvertently targeting specific groups.

3.       Overemphasis on Surveillance: Excessive focus on surveillance can lead to privacy concerns and a ‘fortress mentality’.

Conclusion

CPTED surveys are a critical tool in the urban planner’s repertoire, offering significant benefits in terms of crime reduction, enhanced safety, and community well-being. However, it is crucial to approach these surveys with an understanding of their potential drawbacks and ensure that they are implemented in an inclusive, ethical, and resource-efficient manner.

 

If your Municipality wants to learn more about this topic and read the full article version visit here. Feel free to contact me directly at [email protected] for further assistance.

 

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COVID-19 Pandemic – What’s next.

girl looking at a piece of paper

The pandemic continues to rapidly expand in communities across Canada. At the time of this article over 267,000 Canadians have contracted the disease, 217,000 are recovered and 10,552 died. The number of cases each day is accelerating.

The effects of this highly contagious disease are catastrophic when left unchecked. Health systems are at risk of collapse affecting all other health issues. Covid 19 is not just affecting health care. Municipalities are being asked to address the surge in demand in every human service sector – education, justice, social and healthcare.

Primary care and wait times are measured with traditional outcomes in most communities. The wave we do not see coming as easily is just outside of the range of a 911 call. Mental health issues, loss of income, housing, food, education, relationships are all affected with Covid 19. The cold dark days of winter are coming. The risks associated with Covid 19 and issues associated with the disease are going to increase over the winter months.

While a vaccine may be available early 2021, it’s unlikely every Canadian will have access to the vaccine when it is approved.

Municipalities need to proactively seek strategies that wrap programming around individuals and families at risk. Traditional models of care that involve home visits or appointments are shifting to tele-health.

The federal government in co-operation with the provincial and territorial governments announced funding and extension to funding as the need requires.

It’s time to consider the short and long term requirements of your community during and after the pandemic and make use of the funding currently available to enable your municipality to not just survive but build its way out to a better future.

Contact us to learn more about Athena Software!

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Digital Solutions for Canadian Municipalities

The past few months have been challenging for everyone as we change the way we live, play and work. Many industries have been forced to pivot and find digital solutions to continue serving their customers in the “new normal”. Canadian municipalities are no different. With many municipal offices closed to the public or working at a reduced capacity, there has never been a better time to start introducing digital solutions to work safer and work smarter. Here are some great digital solutions from Canadian muniSERV members to get you started.

Citizen Engagement/Customer Service

 AccessE11 is a Municipal 311, Citizen Issue and Relationship Management platform designed to provide small to mid-sized municipalities with a simple, cost-effective means to manage citizen issues. The platform drives simplicity, reduced administration, stronger decision making and better compliance across specific areas of focus within local government operations. Citizens can report issues and monitor the status of their issue digitally, improving customer service and operational transparency.

Smart City/IoT

 Trilliant has revolutionized how municipalities, cities, energy providers and utilities manage their mission-critical operations. Trilliant connects the world of things (IoT) and incorporates Smart City functionality to new or existing networks. Municipalities can improve the efficiency of their offerings through the implementation of things like advanced metering infrastructure for water, electricity and gas, smart street lighting, smart network sensors and so much more.

Treasury

 Clik2Pay  is a customer billing payments solution that allows citizens to receive and pay their tax bills or other municipal invoices directly from their smartphone. Municipalities benefit from quicker payments and simplified bill collection, all for less than it costs to pay by debit or credit card.

Payroll Efficiency

 Mother Clock  Inc. is a fully integrated time tracking payroll platform that is modernizing payroll technology. This tablet-based time tracking service is the solution for businesses that want to abandon paper-based processes.  Mobile employees can use their smartphones to clock-in/out with GPS time tracking, increasing accountability.

Cyber Security & Training

 RiskAware provides municipalities with an Information and Cyber Security advantage through governance, training, education and risk management. They can help you assess your digital risks before getting started.

Digital Transformation Consulting

 ArchITectAbility provides IT Advisory, Assurance, Architecture and Governance expert services as well as Business Process Re-engineering offerings. If you’re not sure where to start your digital transformation, here you go!

These are just a few of the great Canadian companies that are helping municipalities go digital. 

Search our  Find a  Consultant database by service, business name, province or city, for even more of our members’ innovative digital solutions, to help municipalities simplify processes and find efficiencies! 

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Local Loops & Linkages: Bringing the Circular Economy to Canadian Cities

In March 2020, the EU released its new Circular Economy Action Plan to accelerate the transformational change required by the European Green Deal. The plan aims to streamline the regulatory framework for a sustainable future, maximizing new opportunities from the transition and “[making] circularity work for people, regions and cities.” 

Moving away from the linear “take-make-waste” industrial model, a circular economy involves “gradually decoupling economic activity from the consumption of finite resources, and designing waste out of the system.” By keeping products and materials in use, a circular economy not only has immediate environmental benefits for cities, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and waste, but also provides social and economic benefits. 

 

Many cities across the EU have started to make circularity work. Amsterdam was among the first to carry out a scan to identify areas in which circular business models could be applied and has since launched over 70 initiatives to meet its goal of becoming fully circular by 2050. Amsterdam’s circular economy initiatives are now expected to create up to 1,900 new jobs. By embedding circular economy principles into urban planning practices, London is expected to double the use of 20% of its buildings by 2036 thus saving millions annually. city view from top down

 

Cities as Key Actors in the Circular Economy 

Cities make up two-thirds of global energy demand, consume 75% of the world’s natural resources, produce more than 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions and 50% of global waste. The current cycle of growth associated with urbanization and globalization puts considerable and unsustainable pressure on the natural environment. A circular economy would create opportunities for the most optimal and climate-friendly use of city resources and land.

 

Cities are well-equipped to make the shift to a circular economy. Cities generate over 80% of the global GDP and remain hubs of innovation and connection between government, businesses and private actors. Municipal governments are closest to their residents, and much more “agile and flexible” than higher orders of government when it comes to implementing new initiatives. Cities also have significant purchasing power that they can leverage to positively impact a shift towards circular models for their suppliers.

 

Circular Economy in Canadian Cities 

Canadian cities have already been recognized as leaders in the fight against climate change. Some Canadian cities, including Toronto and Montreal, have committed to zero waste futures and transitioning to a circular economy. Toronto recently introduced its circular economy procurement implementation plan to use the city’s purchasing power to reduce waste and enable social and economic prosperity. 

Though Canadian cities face constitutional and financial restrictions in exercising their powers, courts are generally reluctant to interfere with the decisions of democratically elected councils to increase the wellbeing of their municipalities. Ontario municipalities, in particular, have broad powers in a number of areas including waste management, business licensing, the protection of persons or property, including consumer protection, and the economic, social and environmental well-being of the municipality, including respecting climate change.

 

In their circular economy initiatives, Canadian cities can follow the example of Brussels, which created a fund that provides grants to circular economy businesses and research projects. They can additionally use other forms of public-private partnerships or bonusing mechanisms to support circular business models. Canadian municipalities can include circular economy principles in their official plans to influence land use planning decisions that lead to circular designs for neighbourhoods, an increase in sharing infrastructure and in the modularity of building materials. They can look to urban planning guidelines that include criteria for circular building implemented by cities like Amsterdam to promote the use of secondary and residual materials. They can ban or impose fees on materials that they receive at their waste management facilities or landfills. 

 

These examples highlight the powerful role that Canadian cities can play to be sustainable, resilient and thriving even in the face of threats as great as the degradation of the natural environment and climate change. As cities work toward realizing sustainable futures, transitioning to a circular economy can bolster their efforts, and at the same time increase the quality of urban life. 

 

By Denisa Mertiri and Alexandra Potamianos

For more information on how to make the circular economy work in cities, contact Denisa Mertiri at [email protected]. 

 

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Redesigning The Way Your Company Works

COVID-19 has changed the way we work, play, and interact with our world. Whether your company is a single or multiple branch office operation, with industrial facilities or mobile public and field workers — developing a clear, concise program requires careful consideration and detailed risk and resource assessments.

Unique challenges require unique customized solutions.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created unique challenges for businesses and workforces all across Canada. Public health departments, government leaders, and associations provide continual streams of information where business owners and executives must analyze this information to the best of their ability, providing direction in the creation of customized solutions for their business.

Barantas Inc. (Barantas) has remained focused on the core principles of prevention and safety services offering clarity and direction to company programs and operational procedure development.

Barantas can assist in any of the following key areas:

  • Business re-opening plans and implementation strategies
  • Operational redesign of workspace management
  • Worker inter-personal safety prevention programs and methodologies
  • Workforce programs for office, industrial, municipal and education sectors
  • Construction project-specific pandemic enhanced programs and inspections
  • Health and safety manual and policy development
  • Personal protective equipment supply and sourcing (masks, gloves, face shields)

Barantas provides comprehensive, long-term protection strategies and a personalized partnership anchored by our commitment to service excellence.

Redesigning Workplaces in a Post Pandemic Era

Our national reach and multi-disciplinary approach to safety management allow you to access a complete suite of health and safety services for a fraction of what it would cost you to source these services individually.

Barantas interactively works with you in evaluating and developing your new workplace strategies and worker health and safety management. Our goal is to collaboratively provide our expertise and knowledge to your key persons or teams, building a sustainable, internal infrastructure focused on the health and safety of your workforce.

We utilize a FIVE phase process. This process begins with a data acquisition phase, where we learn and understand your business, through to ensuring your teams can execute, monitor and continually adapt your program to meet today’s and future challenges.

Our process is based on the following principles:

  • Risk Reduction: Focused on reducing risk through prevention methodologies using the hierarchy of controls.
  • Individual Health and Safety Protection: Ensuring your company is taking the precautions reasonable for the protection of workers, employees, clients and affected individuals.
  • Maintenance of Applicable Requirements: Continual monitoring of authority directives, legislative requirements, and corporate due diligence best practices combined into a preparedness program able to adapt to changing environments and new directives.
  • Education and Sustainability: As part of working with your team through the five-phase process, our goal is to ensure understanding and application of the principles and methodologies for key team members ensuring an ability to assess, respond and adapt to continual change in both external factors and internal business decisions.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON OUR 5 STEP PROCESS https://www.barantas.ca/the-five-phase-process/

For a full version PDF of this document https://www.barantas.ca/pandemicmanagement/

 

 

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Canadian Government Entities Under Scrutiny for Lax Cybersecurity

Canada’s government sector is increasingly coming under scrutiny for both lagging privacy and security both in legislation and in practice. 

 

In a sign of the times, figures released in February to the House of Commons reveal that the personal information of at least 144,000 Canadians was mishandled by Federal department and agencies, including the Security Intelligence Service and Department of National Defense.  The breaches were widespread, impacting over 10 separate departments and agencies, with evidence indicating that these figures are being under–reported due to inadequate reporting requirements.  The Canada Revenue Agency led the pack with 3,020 identified breaches over the last two years impacting at least 59,065 Canadians. 

 

Helical’s offerings meet the “Baseline Cyber Security Controls for Small and Medium Organizations” published by the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security and can be scaled up according to need.  You can learn more about how we meet these requirements here or for more information about Helical, visit our website.  

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What is the difference between LEADERSHIP and MANAGEMENT?

In short: leaders create risk, and managers reduce it.

LEADERSHIP ANTICIPATES THE BEST OUT OF PEOPLE, AND MANAGEMENT ANTICIPATES THE WORST. While leadership invites others to follow, management ensures the followers are following.

Leadership is the act of inviting others to a new and better future.  A leader inspires and creates change by casting a vision of a destination that is different, better, and achievable.

Management is the ensuring things happen by creating, communicating, and monitoring expectations.  It tracks individual people to see that they perform as expected, as opposed to inspiring a number of them. 

Leadership skills can be summarized as those skills relevant to interacting with large groups of people, and to inspiring and creating vision. Conversely, management skills are those which are relevant to interacting with individual people, and to specifying and monitoring performance.

Many of the skills required to lead people are also the ones used to manage people. However, the expression of these skills can be significantly different.  For instance, a leader needs to effectively communicate to be compelling and inspirational, and a manager needs to effectively communicate to be precise and personal.

Because of the skillset overlaps between management and leadership, it is quite possible that a single person assumes either of these roles.

 

Want to learn more about leadership?  Check out EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LEADERSHIP.

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Smiling is Contagious. Try it!

It has been a spring that many will say there was nothing to smile about. It was cold, rainy and dark. From all the rain we have beautiful green lawns and flowers starting to bloom. Again there are many people in parts of the world that are not smiling with all the rain causing flooding and destruction. I wanted to take this opportunity to write about smiling and how contagious it may be in our workplace and for our clients.

Some people are always smiling, cheerful, and they seem to brighten up a room. Their positive attitude and gusto are identified by those they come in contact with. Moreover, we have all encountered those have the opposite effect on people-the “doom and gloom effect.” we often refer to one’s attitude and yet what is that? It is your mental state or the position you take regarding life.

Zig Ziglar once said, “Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.”  If you take the word “OPPORTUNITYISNOWHERE,” some people see the “no where” while others see “now here.” So is the glass half empty or half full? Often the difference between success and failure is not linked to how we look, how we dress, or how much education we have; it is based on how we think!

Great leaders share the same thought; knowing that a positive attitude is contagious. As leaders, it is vital that we display a positive mindset daily. After all, if we expect our employees to express positive attitudes, we should model such behaviours for them to see.

Each day we have a choice of whether we elect to display a positive or negative attitude. Daily, we encounter negative attitudes at work and in our personal lives. If you remain positive amongst pessimism, you can be contagious.

Some times it is not that easy. I have found some tips I would like to share to help you be positive from “Attitudes are Contagious. Is Yours Worth Catching” by Patti Wanamaker.

  • Be enthusiastic – people love to be around enthusiastic people. Enthusiasm is contagious and draws others to you like a magnet.
  • Associate with positive people – if you want to stay positive, stay away from people that drag you down. Associate yourself around like-minded people.
  • Smile – smiling makes it all better. Smiling releases endorphins and serotonin, which are known as the feel-good hormones. It is a lot easier to adopt a positive attitude when you feel good!
  • Change your thoughts – positive thoughts lead to a positive attitude, while negative thoughts lead to an adverse reaction.
  • Stop complaining – limit your complaints. Whining and griping about anything and everything will not create a positive attitude. When you are complaining, you are spreading negativity.

·        If you want more success in your leadership role and to have a positive impact on your employees, then make sure your attitude is worth catching.

Many of you are thinking, what is there to smile about, and why maintain a positive attitude when there are doom and gloom around us? Research has shown that there are health benefits of smiling in the workplace. We are dealing with conflict, mental health issues and have difficult situations arising every day as we manage our workplace. Interestingly many years ago, it was declared that “the smile is the best medicine for the happiness of humanity.” Later scientific research explained the effects and physiological benefits of smiling for a healthier life. Smiling can be beneficial, in dealing with illness, pressures of everyday life, stress at work, and smiling can even substantially change the quality and forecasts of our lives.

Would life not be better if people smile regularly? I think smiling every day would keep you away from the doctor and feeling self-confident. Try these:

  • By smiling, we can reduce the level of stress hormones. Smiling helps us to increase the number of antibody-producing cells and improve the effectiveness of other cells.
  • Smiling is good for our general health. Smiling 100 times is equivalent to ten minutes of rowing or cycling in fifteen minutes.
  • Sometimes we just want to laugh or cry. That means you want to release all the pent feelings in your head, making you feel both physically and mentally better. So to reduce anxiety smile often, even when you are not happy. Smiling at others will, in turn, help them be happy.
  • Smiling can take you from being angry, stressed, feeling guilty, and negative to putting you in a more favourable frame of mind. Smiling will make you change yourself and improve the attitudes and thinking to other people to the better.
  • When people can view an event that may be frightening as funny, they may be able to feel more content and see the events occurred just merely as a “challenge” in life, rather than a threat.

There are times when smiling, and laughter can be contagious. If you smile more than you can make other people around you also smile more. So by smiling yourself, you can reduce the stress levels of people around you and change their moods. Maybe even improve the quality of social interaction, and reduce your stress level as well.

They say that optimists have a stronger immune system and can fight disease better than the pessimists. There is a link between a positive attitude and good health, which is measured in many different ways. In general, researchers have discovered that optimistic people are more healthy, and they have a stronger immune system.

According to the British Organization of Dental Health, a smile has the level of stimulation as eating 2000 chocolate bars.

A smile does not cost you a cent, and it is easy to spread. A recent study showed that preschool children laugh 400 times a day, but the time we reach adulthood, we just laugh an average of 17 times per day.

So take the challenge and smile more often and find things in your lives that you can laugh about.

Stay great and healthy.

 

Monika B. Jensen PhD is Principal of the Aviary Group and can be contacted by email at [email protected]

 

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Now available on demand: Ecofiscal Commission online course – Using Market-Based Tools for Municipal Sustainability

Municipalities are missing out on the full potential of market-based tools!

Municipal governments are facing multiple, growing, and overlapping challenges. Yet, there are tools available to address these challenges that are not being used to their full potential. Market-based policies such as well-designed user fees can help reduce traffic, cut water use, and improve solid waste management, while generating revenue that can be used to fill financial gaps.

These challenges include:

  • Municipal infrastructure is aging and faces a growing investment gap;
  • Municipalities have limited ability to raise revenues. Only so much can be raised from property taxes. They also often face constraints on debt financing; and
  • To attract people and investment, livability is key: cities must provide job and recreational opportunities, ensure affordability, make it easy to move people and products, and protect clean air and water.

It all sounds a little daunting. Yet an under-used policy option might lie at the intersection of these challenges. Municipalities can use market-based tools to fund critical infrastructure and create incentives for individuals and businesses to make choices that improve the livability and sustainability of our communities.

Canada’s Ecofiscal Commission, with support from the McConnell Foundation, has developed a unique online course on municipal market-based tools for sustainable development that will help municipal employees, and those that work with municipalities, successfully design and implement these solutions.

Through five self-directed and on demand modules that include recordings of webinars led by experts and experienced practitioners and a series of online exercises, participants will learn how Canadian municipalities can practically use a variety of market-based tools. The five modules include:

 The course is guaranteed to provide unique insight and practical guidance on the selection, design and implementation of municipal market-based tools.

Who should attend?
The course is intended for municipal employees, as well as federal and provincial employees that work with municipalities on related issues. It is open to anyone, including students and private sector employees, that has an interest in topics such as municipal finance, asset management, infrastructure financing, environmental policy, urban planning, traffic management, water and wastewater management, and solid waste management.

The course is well suited to busy professionals. You can complete the modules at your own pace and on your own schedule.

Registration details:
You can purchase individual modules for $50, or sign up for all 5 modules for $200 (a $50 savings). Complete at least 3 modules, including course exercises, to receive a certificate! While modules can be mixed and matched, Module 1 is a pre-requisite for modules 2-5 as it is foundational. 

French option:
We’ve also made available a mini-course that summarizes the material for $70. Presented by Justin Leroux in French, this mini-course includes videos that cover the highlights of our traffic, water and wastewater, and municipal waste modules as listed above.

Go to courses.ecofiscal.ca for more information and to register. If you have any questions, contact [email protected]. 

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