IT Expenditure - Why Businesses Spend Huge Amounts on Ineffective IT Investments (13 Jun 2006) It seems that almost every day we read in the newspapers about another hideously over budget IT project that doesn't achieve its expected benefits. The ones we read about are usually major multi-million pound projects in the public sector, however this is only the tip of the iceberg.
IT Policies Help IT Staff and Reduce Liabilities (13 Jun 2006) A legally compliant IT department must address several areas of concern, such as software license compliance, the appropriate use of the Internet and e-mail, data protection, privacy and more. In the article I provide a list of areas that are considered crucial when writing IT policies.
Its a Training Issue! (13 Jun 2006) There's a common phrase used by Organizational Development and Human Resource professionals, when identifying kinks in the growth of an organization or company - "It's a training issue." The same ph...
Its All About The Customers, Baby (13 Jun 2006) If you want to ensure a steady stream of customers in your business, you must always remember why you're in business in the first place. Sure you want to earn a decent income for yourself, but you ...
Its Not Always What You Say (13 Jun 2006) A major source of communication breakdowns is incongruence between the words that people say and the nonverbal signals that they send, largely because we lose sight of the fundamental truth: You cannot not communicate. Every second that we are in the presence of another, we are constantly sending and receiving messages, often silent, nonverbal messages that can either augment our communication effectiveness or detract from it.
Jewelry Use by Employees (13 Jun 2006) Many companies have dress codes, which include jewelry. Some companies do this because they do not wish to offend customers who are of various faiths by employees who wear necklaces with religious symbols. Others out of practicality as some jewelry can get caught in machinery and cause severe injury or even death. You may wish to have a jewelry policy to prevent loss of your customer base and/or prevent employees from dying, which could inadvertently drive up your commercial insurance costs.
Joint Accountability: Another Key for Your Effectiveness (13 Jun 2006) In this article, Roger Schwarz shares two stories that illustrate the benefits and definition of Joint Accountability - one of the core principles of his approach to effective interaction. He also describes the frustrating, costly, and all-too-common consequences of a lack of Joint Accountability.
Just Jump: Moving Your Business to the Next Level, Part 1 (13 Jun 2006) Being stuck in a rut is a problem that many business owners find themselves when it comes to managing their business. What will help them to move to the next level in their business is to "JUST JUMP". This means that you have to stop being afraid to change, begin believing in yourself, your business, and your future. "JUST JUMP" will give you key factors that will help you determine how to move to the next level with your business.
Keeping Meetings On Track (13 Jun 2006) We all have been in meetings with certain people who get our blood pressure to rise or just make us feel what a waste of time. For example, the Non-stop Nora's or the Silent Sam's or the obstinate Ollie's. Learn how to keep the meeting on track without coming across as a dictator or inept leader.
Know Thyself: MBTI or DiSC (13 Jun 2006) Dr. Mike Beitler explains what the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the DiSC Profiler reveal about your personality and preferences. He compares the two instruments and explains how each can be useful in building your effectiveness.
Know Your Business! - 7 Key Questions You Must Ask (13 Jun 2006) Business is moving fast. And every business owner, manager and leader must be totally on the ball. Being aware of competiton, employees, the 'market', customers and clients are all vital. So how to keep on top of it? Well, with these 7 little questions on hand, they will keep you aware, very aware of all you need to know -- and lead your business to greater success!
Know Your Client - The First Rule of Business Coaching (13 Jun 2006) Coaching is currently expanding as a development tool in businesses and organisations and it is beginning now to show clear proof of remarkable successes. Careful preparation, with close attention to the required outcomes, means that the coach and client are fully focused. But the first step to accelerate coaching results in the workplace comes from getting really clear on the strengths and weaknesses of the client.
Knowing versus Doing - Execution In The Workplace (13 Jun 2006) Why is it that so many leaders in the business world seem to be so smart, but produce such poor results? It's not enough to be smart about what should be done, if you cannot get it done. Execution in the workplace is critical to the success of your business. And knowledge, without action is empty leadership.
Knowledge Management - Capturing And Structuring Knowledge Into Reusable Assets (13 Jun 2006) Many organizations have an approach for identifying and recording lessons learned, perhaps as part of a post-project review or similar process. Unfortunately, lessons learned reports have a tendency to end up on a shelf gathering dust, or lost in the un-chartered corner of a fileserver somewhere. Let's get real. How many people will really trawl diligently through a number of lessons learned documents in order to glean some key point? The reality is, if you can motivate employees to initiate any kind of "learning before doing" activity, then you?re doing pretty well.
Knowledge Management - Creating a Sustainable Yellow Pages System (13 Jun 2006) How can I "know who knows" None of us can personally know more than around 250 people, yet we want our companies to be smart, learning organisations where it's easy to find the right person to talk to. This is why many organisations create "yellow pages" applications, which enable employees to find and contact other staff with particular expertise and skills. However, these systems can be fraught with difficulty in their implementation, and often end up as out-of-date, glorified intranet telephone directories. This article, drawn from a best-selling knowledge management fieldbook by its author, identifies ten key steps involved in creating and sustaining a successful, employee-owned yellow pages system.
Knowledge Management - Leadership Behaviours Which Encourage Knowledge-Sharing (13 Jun 2006) The concept of knowledge management or knowledge sharing makes intellectual sense to the leadership teams in most organisations. Why wouldn't we want to learn from our successes and failures, and translate that learning into value?
