Priorities are never as clear as we think
Under-communicating strategic direction and priorities is one of the most common mistakes I have seen founders make. Startup founders typically have a set of top priorities or organizational goals they have defined and communicated. Usually, this communication takes the form of a PowerPoint presentation which is shared in executive staff meetings, and then again in…
In addition to hardware, network and a building, cloud service providers offer a rich range of software functionality
How does a cloud computing environment compare to an on-premises computing environment? Are the benefits of cloud computing overhyped? Isn’t the cloud just someone else’s data centre? What topics should chief information officers (CIOs) consider when deciding whether to adopt more cloud computing services for their organization? Functionality In addition to hardware, network and a…
The success of any organization or team hinges on the strength of the relationships of its employees
Xerox Corporation, in the 1980s, was looking for a way to boost the productivity of its field service staff. An anthropologist from the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) travelled with a group of tech reps to observe how they did their jobs – not how they described what they did, or what their managers…
Emails, newsletters, blogs and articles all have a place in your marketing mix. But when you talk to people, your success rate skyrockets
Recently I trained a new sales professional. His job was to find leads for his company, but he had never worked in sales before. After a couple of weeks of learning about his company and coming up with a plan, the time for action was upon him. In our coaching session, he realized that he…
Software is everything. It’s the glue that makes every application work
Do you love those interactive maps that report United States election results on television? I loved the GIS map interface, the effortless drill-downs and rollups, the comparison of this election to previous ones, the simultaneous display of multiple measures and the rich touch-screen navigation. There are no blue screens of death. Never does a pesky…
Learning from the pros Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Amplify Your Business, produced by Amplomedia in partnership with Troy Media, will interview professional entrepreneurs who are currently in the trenches growing their businesses. Through insightful conversations, we will be unpacking their common business challenges and identifying the lessons every business owner needs to learn so…
It takes guts to reach out and ask for help
“I told myself I wouldn’t cry,” said the lady on the other end of the phone as I asked her about her business. Patiently I waited for her to dry her eyes and compose herself. She went on to tell me how the summer had been tough, sales were slower than usual and now, months…
Learning from the pros Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Amplify Your Business, produced by Amplomedia in partnership with Troy Media, will interview professional entrepreneurs who are currently in the trenches growing their businesses. Through insightful conversations, we will be unpacking their common business challenges and identifying the lessons every business owner needs to learn so…
Learning from the pros Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Amplify Your Business, produced by Amplomedia in partnership with Troy Media, will interview professional entrepreneurs who are currently in the trenches growing their businesses. Through insightful conversations, we will be unpacking their common business challenges and identifying the lessons every business owner needs to learn so…
I've seen how ghosts can haunt organizations around the world. It wouldn't surprise me if your company was also haunted
I not only believe in ghosts, I've seen how they haunt organizations around the world. It wouldn't surprise me if your company were haunted. In fact, I'd be surprised if it weren't! I even wrote a (almost true) story about a young woman chasing a ghost through a parallel universe located in the ventilation system…