Friday, September 10, 2010
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Social Media Tools
--Internal collaboration tools are much less mature than external social media tools.
--The "inside/outside" dichotomy is false. What if an internal person asks for a contact you're connected with on LinkedIn? Many situations link internal and external social networking in unexpected ways.
--Social networking is all about bringing more people into the conversation. But certain business conversations can't be public.
--All employees should sign an online use agreement to govern their online behavior and how it relates to your company.
--Social networks turn individuals into marketers for your company, but it can be very difficult to control the messages they send.
--You can use unique TinyURLs for links in social networking posts and use those URLs to track who has the most influence.
--The rules of appropriate social networking behavior change based on the audience. --There is no inference of confidentiality on public networks.
--The social networking presence of a job candidate can be a plus or minus, depending on how they're perceived.
--There are businesses out there to help companies leverage social networking.
--It's important to use business intelligence to analyze what's being said about your company, now and over time.
--There are many companies
--SkeltLab, Radian6, TechRigy, Sisomo, RightNow and others
--that can help you find conversations about your company, aggregate them, evaluate the positive/negative aspects and help you respond to them.
--The "inside/outside" dichotomy is false. What if an internal person asks for a contact you're connected with on LinkedIn? Many situations link internal and external social networking in unexpected ways.
--Social networking is all about bringing more people into the conversation. But certain business conversations can't be public.
--All employees should sign an online use agreement to govern their online behavior and how it relates to your company.
--Social networks turn individuals into marketers for your company, but it can be very difficult to control the messages they send.
--You can use unique TinyURLs for links in social networking posts and use those URLs to track who has the most influence.
--The rules of appropriate social networking behavior change based on the audience. --There is no inference of confidentiality on public networks.
--The social networking presence of a job candidate can be a plus or minus, depending on how they're perceived.
--There are businesses out there to help companies leverage social networking.
--It's important to use business intelligence to analyze what's being said about your company, now and over time.
--There are many companies
--SkeltLab, Radian6, TechRigy, Sisomo, RightNow and others
--that can help you find conversations about your company, aggregate them, evaluate the positive/negative aspects and help you respond to them.
Social Networking functional applications strengths and weaknesses.
Blogs, for example, are fast and simple to create, easily findable via RSS, and can promote ongoing conversations with readers. On the other hand, they're unorganized, hard to keep up over time and easily spammed.
Microblogs like Twitter (or business versions like Yammer) are useful for quick customer support, a bit of marketing, listening to customers and link sharing, Byrne says. But Byrne challenged the conventional wisdom, saying Twitter is not good for having a discussion. He likened Twitter discussions to trying to have a long-distance conversation at a crowded football game from one section to another while shouting over everyone else's conversations.
Wikis, meanwhile, offer extraordinary power; make it possible for everyone to read, edit and review postings; and facilitate bottom-up communications. But wikis also are hard to organize, offer limited display/navigation options, and may require some training to maximize their value. In addition, wikis lack a controlling voice, making them dependent on the wisdom of crowds. That's why Byrne suggests designating a wiki gardener or steward to help keep things clear and on track.
And don't forget the old-school choice: discussion forums. Often disparaged in comparison to fancy new alternatives, forums remain popular and powerful. They're perfect for "many-to-many communications," Byrne says, and can be structured hierarchically. But while forums are a great solution for Q&A sessions, they're not well suited for multiple people trying to edit the same text.
Public networks like Facebook and LinkedIn can be used for marketing, recruitment, prospecting and brand enhancement. But you don't own the network or the content, Byrne points out, and companies must accept that fact to be successful.
There's not one best choice, Byrne says. The point is to find the right fit for your particular application, budget, location, etc. In addition, you can use multiple tools for a single purpose or multiple purposes.
Microblogs like Twitter (or business versions like Yammer) are useful for quick customer support, a bit of marketing, listening to customers and link sharing, Byrne says. But Byrne challenged the conventional wisdom, saying Twitter is not good for having a discussion. He likened Twitter discussions to trying to have a long-distance conversation at a crowded football game from one section to another while shouting over everyone else's conversations.
Wikis, meanwhile, offer extraordinary power; make it possible for everyone to read, edit and review postings; and facilitate bottom-up communications. But wikis also are hard to organize, offer limited display/navigation options, and may require some training to maximize their value. In addition, wikis lack a controlling voice, making them dependent on the wisdom of crowds. That's why Byrne suggests designating a wiki gardener or steward to help keep things clear and on track.
And don't forget the old-school choice: discussion forums. Often disparaged in comparison to fancy new alternatives, forums remain popular and powerful. They're perfect for "many-to-many communications," Byrne says, and can be structured hierarchically. But while forums are a great solution for Q&A sessions, they're not well suited for multiple people trying to edit the same text.
Public networks like Facebook and LinkedIn can be used for marketing, recruitment, prospecting and brand enhancement. But you don't own the network or the content, Byrne points out, and companies must accept that fact to be successful.
There's not one best choice, Byrne says. The point is to find the right fit for your particular application, budget, location, etc. In addition, you can use multiple tools for a single purpose or multiple purposes.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Innovate Our Way Out Of Recession
Whether it's a faster way to move data, a cheaper way to power a car or a cleaner way to sweep up dust bunnies, the right innovation can deliver huge profits to an organization. But given today's fast-paced global marketplace and limited resources for research and development, companies often struggle simply to survive, let alone innovate.
Yet the same forces that have flattened our world may also yield new directions for the future of innovation. During a recent conference at the Mack Center for Technological Innovation, academics and business leaders argued that, rather than going back to the drawing board, companies should go outside their walls and tap into "innovation networks."
An "innovation network" is a web of people, institutions or companies outside of a firm that helps it solve problems or come up with new ideas. While organizations have formed alliances and strategic partnerships for hundreds of years, experts say this web of connections is becoming increasingly important today.
Despite their importance, alliances between companies only succeed about 40% of the time, said Wharton management professor Harbir Singh, a conference organizer and Mack Center co-director. "Why is the success rate not higher?" Singh asked. "How do we improve performance above 40%?"
Yet the same forces that have flattened our world may also yield new directions for the future of innovation. During a recent conference at the Mack Center for Technological Innovation, academics and business leaders argued that, rather than going back to the drawing board, companies should go outside their walls and tap into "innovation networks."
An "innovation network" is a web of people, institutions or companies outside of a firm that helps it solve problems or come up with new ideas. While organizations have formed alliances and strategic partnerships for hundreds of years, experts say this web of connections is becoming increasingly important today.
Despite their importance, alliances between companies only succeed about 40% of the time, said Wharton management professor Harbir Singh, a conference organizer and Mack Center co-director. "Why is the success rate not higher?" Singh asked. "How do we improve performance above 40%?"
Health & Safety Advise
If you think health and safety isn’t important in your company, think again. The Department of Labour is clamping down and doing more workplace inspections.
A lot of companies aren’t too worried about implementing health and safety in their workplace. On the one hand, management doesn’t want to spend money to implement health and safety. On the other, companies that do have health and safety policies, can’t get their employees to follow the procedures.Most people only realise the problem when an accident happens.
They get a visit from the Department of Labour, the employer gets laid with criminal charges and the business is shut down – which can cost some companies millions!Only then do they ask why procedures were not in place or followed correctly. Only then do they start to see how important health and safety is. By then, its too late.
• Recognise safety hazards without leaving your desk
• Implement effective safety procedures and regulations
• Prevent accidents before they happen
• Make sure you pass your health and safety inspection with flying colours
• Plus, save you thousands, maybe millions, of rand.
A lot of companies aren’t too worried about implementing health and safety in their workplace. On the one hand, management doesn’t want to spend money to implement health and safety. On the other, companies that do have health and safety policies, can’t get their employees to follow the procedures.Most people only realise the problem when an accident happens.
They get a visit from the Department of Labour, the employer gets laid with criminal charges and the business is shut down – which can cost some companies millions!Only then do they ask why procedures were not in place or followed correctly. Only then do they start to see how important health and safety is. By then, its too late.
• Recognise safety hazards without leaving your desk
• Implement effective safety procedures and regulations
• Prevent accidents before they happen
• Make sure you pass your health and safety inspection with flying colours
• Plus, save you thousands, maybe millions, of rand.
New profit heights for your business
You need to strike a balance between encouraging innovation and pursuing projects that are going to be profitable. Now's not the time for high risk or stray projects. The trick is to not stifle new ideas. Show your appreciation for any effort that's made to improve the business.
Those you can't focus on now, you may be able to revisit in more prosperous times.Empower your team - give them an entrepreneurial license - but keep a tight reign on the approval of projects. You can do this successully by appointing a task team for each initiative you decide to pursue. This will also ensure projects actually happen, once approved.Here's what each project team should consist of:
* The product/project champion: This person is often the "inventor" or originator of the idea. He'll ensure there aren't any unecessary delays. But he may not see faults in his "baby", he'll more likely have a blinkered approach to the project. He'll actively lead the team especially in the initial phases.* The enabler: This is someone who can get things done, cut red tape and barge through inaction and lethargy - for the entire project duration. Enablers tend to badger the other members.
* The devil's advocate: He keeps the team's feet on the ground and plays 'what if...' Devil's advocates look for potential problems.* The gatekeeper: He is the arbiter who ensures "fair play" and keeps the other members to the rules. This is so doable. Even if you're running a tight ship as most of us are.
So get started today. Get your team excited about being heard. Encourage them to keep their ears to the ground for ideas that can transform your business.
Those you can't focus on now, you may be able to revisit in more prosperous times.Empower your team - give them an entrepreneurial license - but keep a tight reign on the approval of projects. You can do this successully by appointing a task team for each initiative you decide to pursue. This will also ensure projects actually happen, once approved.Here's what each project team should consist of:
* The product/project champion: This person is often the "inventor" or originator of the idea. He'll ensure there aren't any unecessary delays. But he may not see faults in his "baby", he'll more likely have a blinkered approach to the project. He'll actively lead the team especially in the initial phases.* The enabler: This is someone who can get things done, cut red tape and barge through inaction and lethargy - for the entire project duration. Enablers tend to badger the other members.
* The devil's advocate: He keeps the team's feet on the ground and plays 'what if...' Devil's advocates look for potential problems.* The gatekeeper: He is the arbiter who ensures "fair play" and keeps the other members to the rules. This is so doable. Even if you're running a tight ship as most of us are.
So get started today. Get your team excited about being heard. Encourage them to keep their ears to the ground for ideas that can transform your business.
Lack of Focus can Fail you
Your chances of success are magnified exponentially if you have the ability to focus. Yet, focus is the trait most leaders struggle with.
It’s like watching a movie on TV. If you give it your undivided attention, you’ll be able to follow the plot, understand the characters, and ultimately enjoy the film. If, on the other hand, you keep jumping up to talk to your pals on the phone, cook a meal, or do your filing, you’re likely to miss some important things that are happening on screen.
And it's likely that once you’ve lost track of what’s going on, you’ll reach for the remote and watch something else instead.
It’s not that the film wasn’t good. It might have been a real blockbuster. But if you don’t focus, you’ll lose the plot and then lose interest.
The same is true in business.
If you force yourself to focus on the important projects and goals that will get you and your team to the next level, you'll see an amazing change to your productivity. You'll even be able to reduce the number of hours you work - with better results.
It’s like watching a movie on TV. If you give it your undivided attention, you’ll be able to follow the plot, understand the characters, and ultimately enjoy the film. If, on the other hand, you keep jumping up to talk to your pals on the phone, cook a meal, or do your filing, you’re likely to miss some important things that are happening on screen.
And it's likely that once you’ve lost track of what’s going on, you’ll reach for the remote and watch something else instead.
It’s not that the film wasn’t good. It might have been a real blockbuster. But if you don’t focus, you’ll lose the plot and then lose interest.
The same is true in business.
If you force yourself to focus on the important projects and goals that will get you and your team to the next level, you'll see an amazing change to your productivity. You'll even be able to reduce the number of hours you work - with better results.
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