Seventhman Blog

1. The Greatest Challenge a CIO Has to Face

   For quite some time, I have been pondering about the current talent shortage that many businesses are complaining about.  Is it really a lack of people who fit skill-wise.. or personality-wise?  For the same reason, CIOs should spend more time thinking about human resources so they can bridge the gap between innovation and strategic initiative. When there is a need to manage people to perform their best and increase opportunities in corporate profitability, perhaps it’s high time that the CIO and HR executive work head-to-head over a cup of coffee.. and brew a plan that will advance the company’s business goals to create results, for real.

   The Paradox: Integrating IT with Business

   Thanks to the rise in cloud applications, CIOs are taking a more strategic role in the business side of things, rather than simply sit back in the tech department.  Sooner, every CIO will be equipped with ways to merge IT and business so s/he can make plans that will drive revenue, solve customer pain points and fix persistent business issues.  While the HR has  a treasure cove of data about workers lying dormant in the system, the CIO has the analytic skills to unearth value out of these data.  To deal with managing talents, having a scientific approach will turn businesses into game changers.  The CIO may just find the crucial piece that connects value creation and innovation.  But the real challenge is how to make everyone think that IT is not a separate entity from the entire business.  This time, we have to shift the focus on IT tasks to relationships. بلاك جاك   Simply put – just because you’re not writing codes don’t mean you are not adding value on the table.

   With High Risks Come High Rewards

   Maybe I’m asking too much.. but CIOs who are adopting mobility these days are also the ones who are facing high rewards – with greater risks.  Those who embraced the idea of telecommuting are seeing better results, with happier employees as a plus.  While it’s totally fine to be cautious about mobility, being resistant to change is not.  If you take longer than the rest to moving things forward, you will be left behind in the race.  With the recent reports on China’s cyber-espionage, the outsourcing industry hit another dent where data security is concerned.  Still, adopting mobility in the workplace is on the rise to meet end-user demand.  How can we do a better job for our talents and make sure we attract new ones?  This is the question everyone in business has been asking lately to make sure they increase speed, agility and productivity – while improving their brand value, customer loyalty and competitive advantage.

   The Quest for Continuous Improvement Begins

   Where do CIOs go from here?  The only way to improve is to actively measure what works and what doesn’t.  The issue is not much about identifying problems, but the quality of new solutions being run. قوانين الروليت   At some point, you have to check if your KPI (key performance indicator) is up-to-date. كيف تربح في لعبة الروليت   Data on job candidates alone are not enough to identify the key element to their success.  You have to anticipate their needs so you can plan programs that will improve their job satisfaction and keep attrition rate closer to nil.  Money alone is not a great motivator so you may have to revamp what will have a greater impact on your bottom line – then, draft incentive structures based on what exactly makes them perform best.  You can’t take the back seat this time hoping that things will improve soon.

   If you want to have a clue about what’s happening – you have to be in the game.  This is the ONLY way.  It’s high time to match your IT portfolio with your business strategy.  The Good News?  It’s achievable.

2. The Telecommuting Case: Innovator or Disruptor?

   Just when the flames of Yahoo’s telecommuting memo is slowly dying, we hear Best Buy adding more fuel to the fire.  I can’t resist not to jump in and make a case for telecommuting.  Last week, I wrote about Employee Appreciation Day and how flexible time can become the highest motivator for your people to do their jobs well.  Guess what?  A case against working from home is posted on the Web, saying that such activity is not only counter-productive, but a creativity killer as well.  While I’m not against research, they have forgotten to mention that collaboration technology is improving and more employers are saving valuable money that would have been spent on travel and office space.  Do they have the most current study on work patterns?  If innovation is said to happen in those unexpected moments when you bump into someone from another department, then.. there’s simply no need to plan team huddles to brainstorm an idea as it can happen in a snap, right?

   It’s Not the Distance

   For over two decades of having worked with remote teams across the globe, I would say that it’s not an issue of where you work — but how you manage your team to produce the best results.  By management, I’m not talking about micromanaging or this destructive habit of trying to make marionettes out of your team. روليت عربي   There’s nothing inherently wrong with remote work and it can even help you attract top talents to your brand.  But at some point, telecommuting has to be managed because the potential for abuse is still there.  Honestly, if someone’s consistently producing great work – I don’t really care much if s/he’s working from Jupiter or Mars.  If they can’t do their job well from a distance, what makes you think they will do better when they’re only six feet away?  But, each time I hear someone saying that s/he has the right to telecommute, the problem is always about how things are being managed from within; not telecommuting.

   Remote Work: It’s Not Picture-Perfect

   Like working in the office, telecommuting has its share of benefits and drawbacks.  One thing’s for sure though – employees are happier when they are given a chance to be home-based.  This is why they were aghast when Yahoo’s Chief announced that telecommuters report back to the office by June.  Those who are running a work-at-home program can do well if expectations are clear from the very start – from defining the job scope to deadlines.  There is a major difference between working from home occasionally and doing it all-year round though.  Managers may just not be readily available when you need instant help.  Then, there are also issues on data security, poor performance evaluations and lesser promotions for people who work from home.  If you ask why people still clock in from 9-5, they might tell you it’s all about that good ol’ feeling of how your colleagues think highly of you even if they don’t know what exactly it is that you do.

   The Reality of Working from Home

   Did you know that majority of corporate America spends telecommuting hours – only after they have worked in the office?  That’s time spent on checking emails and writing reports after office hours.  The truth is that managers are still glued to doing the old way of things, that your commitment and productivity is measured with the time you spent in the office.  This is why they want to see you and are leery of those who are out of sight. تنزيل لعبة روليت   Also, they are having difficulty measuring how well you have worked if you do it out of the office.  While there are tasks that will benefit more from face time, the future of work tends to shift from this as people are finding balance between regular communication and working as one.  Digital tools have yet to solve the issue on how to get things done when work becomes more complex.

   There’s no doubt that we will see better technology to make telecommuting seamless.  The question is not much about which platform to use – It’s more on how the company culture support autonomy.

   Do you think that telecommuting is the future of work?  I leave you with that question.

3. Making Everyday an Employee Appreciation Day

   You might have missed it.  But just in case, March 1st is officially the Employee Appreciation Day.  Have you shown your team how much you value them lately?  While money is important, it’s proven that recognition works better in motivating your people to put their best foot forward.  Last time, I have shared with you Magnetic Outsourcing tips that will help you attract and retain top performers in your company.  This time, I will share with you simple ways on how you can run a lean business with ways you can reward your people without having to spend a dime.  Your employees are the lifeline of your business and making them feel good will always reflect back on your brand, where customer interaction is involved.

   Putting More Value on Your Team

   While your employees are crucial in making sure that you’re in the business of keeping customers loyal to your brand, engaging in scare tactics may backfire sooner than you think.  I’ve seen teams fail because people were made to fear taking risks.  Competition may be great for a short time, but it can create division in the long run.  Where do you strike a balance?  Simple.  You can try:

   1.  Sincerity

   There’s nothing bad with praise, only that when you give it indiscriminately – it looks cheap.  Instead, keep it honest. Your team had a difficult day completing a hard task so give praise publicly.  Send in a word of thanks, a note. لعبة روليت للايفون   Value each person’s contributions and point out how each one have contributed to the team’s success.

   2.  Flexibility

   If thousands were enraged with the recent news of how Yahoo’s policy had put a lid on working flexible hours, you should know better.  So long as your people don’t abuse this privilege, it can build trust and stronger work relationship in the long run.  Flex time is always the easiest to give with most to gain.

   3.  Making Work Fun

   Try to be creative in thinking of weekly events that can boost your team’s morale.  Just because you’re working in a virtual setting doesn’t mean you can’t collaborate in real-time. موقع قمار اون لاين   There are plenty of online tools out there that can bridge this gap.  If you’re sending out a monthly newsletter, try featuring your best workers for a change. لعبه البوكر لعبه البوكر   Be creative!

   4.  Reward Ideas

   Just because an idea didn’t work doesn’t mean that it should stop your team from producing new ones.  Why not host an annual award for the best idea?  Even if it’s not implemented, this can stimulate innovation and positive mindset among your team.  Also, if you need to correct an action, please coach privately and fix the problem without judging the person.

   5.  Ask for Feedback

   The best way to make your employees feel that their time and efforts are appreciated is to listen to what they have to say.  Besides, it’s tough to be always in control so turn the tables this time and let everyone take a vote in the decision-making table.  This way, you can open communication channels.

   Then, there’s the usual perk – in cash or in kind.  At the end of the day, it’s all about appreciating those who made a difference to your business and to your customers, of those who contributed to your success.  It doesn’t hurt to take off a few minutes each day to send out a meaningful compliment, without the BS.

   ** and to my team, Many Thanks… for working with me, through thick and thin.

4. To Create Innovation, You Must Inspire Loyalty First

   If there’s one thing I haven’t enjoyed as a client managing outsourced talents, it’s getting straight talk when things go wrong.  I believe it’s only human to avoid bad news, so much as becoming its torch bearer.  The truth is that the days of lifetime employment are over and we’re now seeing a shift to agile workers who defy time, culture and place.  In a perfect world, you would want to have top talents who are loyal to your brand.  Those who share their skills, offer solutions, add valuable ideas, help the team and boost the morale of the group – are a gem.  They are the very heart of successful companies.

   Loyalty:  The Tie that Binds Creativity and the Entrepreneurial Spirit

   To my fellow business owners, the real question to ask yourselves is this: How open are you at encouraging your people to take chances?  There have been many bad stories that add to the list of nightmares any client can have, whether running a virtual team or managing a vendor-client relationship.  While everyone is in the quest for innovation, sometimes, the problem here is not really logical.. soolantra (ivermectin) cream 1 but emotional.  Mistakes do happen and you know that there’s a risk in every business. how to use scaboma plus lotion   Why take the blame on the person completely?  The more you practice this, the backward your business model will be.  You have taken all the risk to become the leader that you are.  It’s time to support your people to take smart risks and learn, don’t you think?

   How to Inspire Loyalty in Outsourced Teams

   A loyal employee makes for a winning team.  When you’re dealing with cultural and geographical differences, the challenge is even tougher.  The key here is giving everyone your flexible and undivided attention, starting with:

   1. The Hiring Stage

   It’s a rigorous task to filter the right person or agency among the batch.  If you’re careful selecting now, the lesser percentage of attrition rate you get later. oral ivermectin dose for dogs   Those who are well-matched are more likely to stay loyal.  What values do they share with yours?

   2.  The Onboarding Stage

   You want your virtual assistant to work now and become more productive so s/he can produce results quickly.  Would you suffer quality for quantity then?  If you can spare a week of properly introducing the person to your business so s/he can fully understand the brand, the lesser room for miscommunication and demotivation in the future.

   3.  The Training Stage

   While many independent contractors and consultants are equipped with the latest tools and tricks of the trade, providing upfront training about your brand will give new recruits to talk to you intelligently and contribute ideas to the group.  If you’re short on time and budget, why not use your top performers to introduce your organization, mission and vision?

   4.  The Work Stage

   Your team’s needs will always evolve and as their leader, you can inspire them to help you succeed by offering career advancement opportunities, other than monetary rewards.  Offer everyone the opportunity to tailor their job to your needs so they won’t simply leave and join your competition.  Give your people the right to make choices, the freedom and control to make decisions, and trust them when they do so.  Communicate clearly their roles and responsibilities.

   And simply have fun… as you watch your A-team fulfill the success of your dreams.  If you value them more than their job titles, you may just win their heart over.  Not everyone is created equal, but having an open mind to change may just send a domino effect leading to a positive change.

   Are you ready to lead by example this time?  Or, better yet.. ask your team what they want you to stop doing right now.

5. 2013 Business Insights: Adding the Extra to Ordinary

   What if 2013 marks the year where no rules apply to doing business?  I wonder how it will look like, especially when people can’t stop talking about going over the fiscal cliff.  No matter what bracket you belong to, one thing’s for sure: Taxes are on the rise.  Perhaps, it isn’t time to quit things yet.  How about going with the flow of this change and starting a new business all over?  Bottom line is, that it’s the only realistic option there is where many are already pinching pennies.  No matter how you look at it, your business is an investment and a risk; something has to give. العاب القمار على الانترنت

   Hitting the Brakes on Trends

   I have been following lots of articles and news talking about business and technology trends this 2013.  The thing is, there’s no way of knowing if that new shiny object is the real thing you need.  I guess, at one point, you’re all too tired of the endless gimmicks brands place, here and there, that you wonder whatever happened to good ol’ customer service experience.  Let’s take for example those QR codes you see on packaging, on stores and so on.  Does everyone even know how to use them?  Maybe not.  Making things complicated won’t work, no matter how trending it may be.  This may also hold true for the many buzzwords we hear like big data when you just don’t know what to do with all that noise.. and gamification that dies as soon as the spark ignited.  You may want to invest for the long run this time.

   Real Change Starts With You

   What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger, but what if you are the very knife that makes your business bleed?  As the year is coming to an end and we’re about to face the new year, it’s time for honest conversations, careful analysis and introspections.  Your leadership may be put on hot waters.  Scary?  Yes.  The thought of undergoing change? Scarier.  Only the brave dare go beyond the walls of their false egos and conquer the unknown. العاب بوكر   This is why we only have a very few percentage of successful people in their niche.  You must learn to separate fact from intuition and ask yourself if you’re really looking at real problems.  Your faith will determine your fate… and real solutions will come to surface.

   The Culture of Thriving

   I have always said it, time and again, that your people are the greatest asset your business can ever have.  Your competitors can always hire the best talents out there, but without a strong culture, it’s simply a waste.  You are in the business of listening to your team and your customers.  For this reason, it is crucial to hire those who feel connected with your values and goals.  You can train anyone new skills, but only attitude makes for a winning team.  Sadly, many are left in the old way of doing business that they find it hard to adapt in a changing market.  There is a fine line between managing and leading . قوانين لعبة بلاك جاك   In the end, your company culture will be your greatest competitive advantage – if you manage things right and lead the right things.

   This 2013.. Are you willing to take the risk and reinvent the wheel?

6. Do You Manage or Lead Innovation?

   Sometimes, doing nothing is the right thing when it comes to giving your team the independence they need.  Managing an invisible workforce made it harder for businesses to trust their virtual teams to become more innovative.  The physical distance has become a great challenge where leadership and management is concerned.  The issue always come in how you can motivate your team to achieve their fullest potential.  How do you know that they’re working and committed to your business goals?

   Manage Without Managing

   I can’t deny that this is the age of creatives and geeks – of individuals who will push the limits of your imagination so you can come up with a cutting edge solution.  But with talent comes difficulty, especially on how to manage effectively.  You see, your talented crew may also be the most difficult to work with as they want autonomy far from the structured work environment that we see in the turn of the industrial age.  But, this doesn’t mean you can’t lead them.  You have to walk on a tight rope here and keep your balance, to make them feel that they’re part of a group while giving them the freedom to explore. It’s not easy.  Achievable? Definitely.

   When Conflict Meets the Creative Process

   You may disagree with me, but when teams are forced to face a conflict, they are more likely to come up with better solutions.  The key here is moderation.  If you’re open to the idea, instead of trying to control the leash on your people – let it loosen a bit and encourage civil disagreements on certain tasks.  Their independence will translate to inter-dependence as they try their innovative best to come up with the best fix.  Your team’s diversity may just be the missing link between failure and success.  Innovation becomes a fun, exciting quest for everyone then.

   Lessons I Have Learned in Working with Creatives

   To lead or to manage?  I’ve often asked myself this. البلاك جاك   In my years of working with remote teams, I have learned that guiding them helps us all win.. العاب تربح فلوس حقيقية than me having to actively manage people like puppets.  This doesn’t mean that there are no rules.  Instead, I focused on the bigger picture.  Boundaries are simply guides so everyone’s effort can complement each other’s.  Think of your team as a pack and you’re the pack leader.  It’s not about deadlines, but more on timelines.  Think about that the next time someone missed a milestone so you can address the issue, and not the person.

   If there’s one hard pill to swallow – it’s learning that there are better, inspiring ideas than yours.  It’s up to you now to listen, collaborate and open up avenues for creative conversation with your entire team.  You have the power to encourage everyone to think big and when they do, your appreciation will mean more than anything else in the world.

   Are you ready to give your team the freedom to fail.. الرهانات الرياضية so they can succeed faster?

7. Business Lessons: The Art of Doing Nothing

   Someone told me that if you want to succeed, you must learn how to do nothing.  I bet you’ll raise your eyebrows too and argue otherwise. قوانين البوكر بالصور   But if you take time to do nothing and ponder on the wisdom of these words, you’ll realize that to become a great leader, you have to stop over-managing and step away from the comforts of your status quo.  It can’t be any simpler than that.  It will all boil down to trust – you don’t have to be involved all the time in what your team does.  You can just observe from a distance.

   Cultivating Innovation in the Workplace

   If you’re open to change, it is easier for you to allow change to happen at work.  It doesn’t matter if you’re a small startup, a big business, or working with virtual teams across the globe.  Are you running an office without walls?  I’m not talking of physical barriers here.  Just take a dive at how Google works and what makes it an innovative place is its company culture.  But this doesn’t only limit you to working within the office. البلاك جاك   You can also outsource innovation and create empowered teams regardless of culture, language and region.  Collaboration may be the key to creating and sustaining innovation at its prime.

   Do-Nothing Leadership Style Scrutinized

   So far, you must have thought that doing nothing is all about playing golf all day and placing your business in auto-pilot.  Wishful thinking, I’d say.  What I meant here is spending more time thinking of awesome strategies in the hope of helping your team implement these.  It’s about introspection, of taking the time to check every detail of your business road map and see to it that everyone is on the right path – making key decisions that will help everyone do their jobs better.  The next time you’re looking for the next big idea, why don’t you take a leisurely walk in the office and talk to your employees? كيف تلعب بوكر   Your openness is the final test to breaking the barriers of conversation within your team.  You may just unlock the door to real innovation.

   Breaking the Do-Nothing Rule

   The biggest mistake any start-up founder can do is to be out in the open, doing everything.  There’s nothing wrong with that, you may think.  After all, the whole business is your idea and you want to get involved in every process.  You may feel vulnerable if you will take a step back and watch the process unfold.  Don’t be afraid.  Let things unravel as you take time to allow room for creativity, freedom and flexibility to work its magic.  The only time that you have to stop doing nothing is when you’re the only person who can do the task immediately or when no one feels like doing the dirty work.  That’s the time you take responsibility and spring from inaction.. into action.

   At the end of the day, doing nothing is doing the right thing.  Would you agree?