Archive for July, 2008

Not Green IT again!

I’ve been fishing around the IT community for a couple of months to understand the general attitude towards ‘green IT’. I received quite a mixed bag of results so I thought I’d share them with you.
Firstly some stats. I’ve spoken with 98 people, mostly from IT ops, specifically about the issue:

Only 12 of these people [...]

Is the Road to Hell is Pathed With a Leaders Good Intentions?

A leader’s word is their bond. That’s what their followers expect, but when that commitment continually fails, it’s a slippery slope.
Has your boss ever agreed to deliver something, and then let you down? Annoying isn’t it? A position of leadership is a privilege and a responsibility, and that responsibility is to create the environment for [...]

What is Your External Profile? A Simple Test

Here is a really simple test to find out if you’re a somebody or nobody
Open Google.comand type your name inside “quotes” (e.g. “Simon Stapleton”) into the Search Box. ClickGoogle Search. Look at the results.
OK yes, that is REALLY simple. But did the results surprise you? Are there pages that mention your name and you’re [...]

Beware of the Danger of Blocking on the Web

I found an interesting article on mashable.com where the blocking of content is discussed. With the rise of cloud computing and increasing number of teleworkers, IT leaders might be putting their business at risk if they are not in control of their ISPs, who may act on their own discretion to block connectivity.
The link: http://mashable.com/2008/07/11/take-back-the-internet/
IT [...]

Enabling Action-Orientation with Collaborative Technologies

Web2.0 and collaborative technologies promise a new world of integrated thought leadership. However they are not without their flaws.
There are three key weaknesses in the typical use of collaborative technologies. The weaknesses are in the way decisions are made that lead to action.

Decisions are made by committees. The larger the group of contributors to a [...]

Web 2.0 Enabled Followership: Implications

A Leader isn’t a Leader without Followers. This is convention, but do you know what type of Follower you are, and what type of Followers do you have as a Leader?
Take a look at this HBS Working Knowledge article which discusses the various categories of Follower - although it’s important to understand that a Follower’s [...]

Why IT Infrastructure really is the ‘Dial-Tone’ of Business Operations

Your company’s gateway to the Internet is replacing your Shop Window and your Telephone Switchboard. Outage can be measured in lost dollars and reputation.
If you pick up the phone to make a call and don’t here the dial-tone, what do you do? You might swear and bang the receiver repeatedly in disgust. If you go to a retail outlet and [...]

What Soft Skills Training and Development do Freelancers need?

The big benefits of being freelance is that you generally decide what work you take on, and when you take it on, and there are considerable financial benefits in the short term. IT freelancing is lucrative, compared with permanent positions: income can be three times or more!
The trouble with freelancing though is that reaping the [...]

Is ‘Dress for Success’ Still Applicable in Today’s Business?

Do you Dress for Success? Or are you more shorts and t-shirt than sharp trouser suit?
I was asked to write an article on this subject by one of the young people I coach regularly, as she was confused on the issue of how she should dress for work. She is a believer in Dress for [...]

5 Reasons Why To Love The IT Industry, and 5 Reasons To Hate It

The IT Industry has come along way since its professionals were consigned to the basement floors in the domain of flashing lights and large reel-to-reel tapes. IT is Business. IT is the core of commerce. IT has a seat at the Executive table . So what’s to like about the industry recently emerged from a [...]