Technology should not make you more productive, but it should totally change the way that you work

I couldn't agree more. I think back on the way that I worked even a couple of years ago and how technology has transformed my outlook and way that I work. It's no longer apples to apples comparisons. Tasks that used to take me hours or weeks to complete are either irrelevant or wrapped up in a single statement that I can delegate to something else. Think about the way that we write code these days verses yesteryear. I used to spend weeks and months writing data layer code, front end population of fields and the layout of the screens for even the simplest of applications. At this point, I wire up a fantastic ORM, such as NHibernate, SubSonic, ActiveRecord or any number of others, get the XAML form from a designer and wire the databinding in seconds. That allows me to largely ignore the "plumbing" code and focus on the business logic. I'm still writing the same number of lines of code a day, but it's completely different code than I used to write.

I think about Cell Phones, SMS, Email, Twitter, TripIt, Dopplr, Plaxo and all the other technologies/applications that I use every single day of the year and it has completely transformed the way that I work. I used to be fanatical about getting someone's email address. Now, I'm setting up most of the CodeToLive episodes through Twitter. At this point, if they are on Twitter, I often DM someone on twitter instead of trying to email them. At one point in time, that would have been over email. Prior to that, it was phone. Prior to that it was in person or not at all. :)

Read more of Josh Holme's post: http://www.joshholmes.com/PermaLink,guid,6d09574e-887f-47ef-aa9b-5b7bc057cc83.aspx

Read Larry Clarkin's post here: http://larryclarkin.com/2008/02/10/TechnologyShouldNotMakeYouMoreProductive.aspx

And with more and more technology goodness being cranked out each day - gadgets, websites, tools, applications, utilities, programming languages, methodologies, widgets, electonics and the like - it's hard to imagine what work and tech life will look like in 5-10-15 years. I really enjoyed the thoughts in these two posts as they caused me to stop and think, rethink, challenge some assumptions and 'remember to remember' that the latest and greatest "whatever" sometimes isn't.

posted by Raven at Raven's Brain under Technology & Business
Tags: Technology and Business, Productivity, Technology, Project Management Blog

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You've gotta love the start of a new year. 2008 brings a ton of lists with predicitions, opinions and hoodoo voodoo insights on the coming year. I've resisted temptation to list the lists of 2008 trends, only posting an excerpt from one in Project Management is one of the 8 Hottest Skills for '2008. But now the techie in me is itching to share the following: Seven hot acronyms IT pros are talking about. Keep in mind that this list comes via Jason Hiner of TechRepublic, and it's (obviously) neither an exhaustive or definitive one, but as a regular reader of (way too) many blogs and articles, I can assure you that most of these acronymns have been growing in popularity, and are popping up more and more frequently as 2008 unfolds. Here are the "7 Hot Acronymns" discussed in the article:

7. BPM
Business Process Management is all about using technology to make business processes  more efficient and less time consuming, and thus completing the same processes with fewer resources. In other words, it’s about streamlining operations to save money....

6. CMDB
A Configuration Management Database collects configuration data about the various pieces of an IT infrastructure and stores them in a unified repository that can be systematically analyzed and managed. In this system, the various pieces of data are called “configuration items” (CIs) and the goal is track changes to the CIs and to ultimately auto-discover new items....

5. BI
Business Intelligence is a fancy name for the high-powered reports and dashboards that smart companies use to track the performance of their businesses. For example, my colleague Larry Dignan of ZDNet likes to say, “BI is the way you get ROI out of ERP.”....

4. MDM
Master Data Management is the new buzzword for unifying data sources to provide a single, reliable source of information about customers, products, employees, and other assets. This may sound similar to data warehousing (DW), but it’s actually bigger....

3. TCO
Total cost of ownership is a phrase coined by the Gartner Group in 1987, and it has developed into a useful formula for arriving at the full costs involved in deploying and managing technology tools. TCO calculations provide assistance with product selection, because they are a valuable part of estimating return on investment (ROI). With tech budgets tightening in 2008, TCO and ROI will become even more critical in helping IT departments decide how to best spend their constrained budgets.

2. SOA
Service Oriented Architecture has a few distinguishing characteristics, but it’s the same type of cloud computing that has been referred to as “Web services” and “Software as a Service” over the past decade. The difference with SOA is that it goes a step beyond cloud computing by breaking down software services into standard building blocks that can be re-used, distributed, and fed into other sites, programs, and projects.

1. ITIL
Information Technology Infrastructure Library has evolved into a set of standards and best practices for organizing and running an IT department. Originally developed by the British government with inspiration from IBM, ITIL is now an international phenomenon and a hot commodity in the United States, where ITIL-trained professionals are in strong demand. ITILv3 was published in April 2007, and one of the most important revisions was a stronger alignment between IT and business — another critical theme for IT in 2008.

Read more here: http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/hiner/?p=591

Note items 4-7 have been truncated, while items 1-3 include the complete description from the article. Do check out the original for additional info and, if you're a glutton for punishment, you might want to check out the comments following the article to get additional insights and points of view.

For what it's worth, as a PM I've seen TONS of ITIL articles, posts, whitepapers, etc. pop up, starting in the last half of 2007 with increasing frequency here in the second month of 2008. So seeing it on this list as the number one acronymn is no surprise to me. Open to debate? Of course, but it does seem to be a current and trendy buzzword (buzz-acronymn?) in IT. One more thing to read up on, yep yep!

For your reading pleaseure, here's a random list of more 2008 "hot trends":

• Gartner Identifies the Top 10 Strategic Technologies for 2008
• 5 Hot Technology Trends in 2008
• Software development trends in 2008: Outsourcing, agile development
• Eight business technology trends to watch
• Sanity check: Eight trends that will rock technology in 2008
• Software development trends in 2008
• Business Trends 2008
• The top developments in business technology from CES 2008
• The Hottest Marketing Trends for 2008

posted by Raven at Raven's Brain under Technology & Business
Tags: Technology and Business, 2008 IT Trends, 2008 Trends, IT Acronyms

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Facebook recently announced a new advertising scheme called 'Social Ads.' Instead of using celebrities to hawk products, it will use pictures of Facebook users. Facebook might be entering into another privacy debacle. The site assumes that if people rate products highly or write good things about a product then they consent to being used in an advertisement for it. Facebook doesn't understand that privacy amounts to much more than keeping secrets — it involves controlling accessibility to personal data..

 

Read more here: http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/11/09/1615257&from=rss

 As long as the users don't care I don't see the problem. Think about a lot of the people that use facebook. This is they're dream. They seek attention constantly with bawdy pictures and things. As long as facebook refrains from using pictures of users that have restricted accounts, I could see this being a bonus for particularly attention seeking users.

I don't think you get what is going on here. It is not targeting ads to you. It is targeting ads to others using you as an unpaid spokesperson without your direct consent (or consent in the small print of the TOS). In the example on the facebook site, a person who liked the movie 'Top Gun' has their image being used to advertise Blockbuster. I'd be pretty pissed to find my face on a Blockbuster or Walmart ad just because I liked a product that one of these companies wants to sell. I think it is all pretty unseemly.

"The National Do Not Call Registry allows you to register your phone number as a do not call number for all telemarketers, so that you don't have to tell them all, individually and ever-so-politely, to "Please put me on your do not call list."

The National Do Not Call Registry gives you a choice about whether to receive telemarketing calls at home. Most telemarketers should not call your number once it has been on the registry for 31 days. If they do, you can file a complaint at this Website. You can register your home or mobile phone for free. Your registration will be effective for five years."

Read more here: http://lifehacker.com/software/telemarketers/banish-telemarketers-from-your-phone-153828.php

You can access the NDNCR directly here: https://www.donotcall.gov/default.aspx. Just click on the register button and you'll be allowed to enter up to three telephone/cell numbers, enter and verify your email address and then submit.  One quirky item is that they send a seperate email for each number entered, so I had to click/verify the home and two cell numbers I had re-registered in three individual emails. Not too burdensome considering the positive gains with no more annoying telemarketer calls.

posted by Raven at Raven's Brain under Technology & Business
Tags: Technology and Business, NDNCR, National Do Not Call Registry, Do Not Call List

Global Innovation Exchange 2007 is a groundbreaking event focused on sharing and diffusing innovation insights, strategies and next practices from around the world. This 100% virtual event provides the all the value of a face-to-face conference but in a highly innovative online format that saves you significant time and expense.

By engaging directly with innovation Thought Leaders and by networking with peers from around the world, you will:

• Gain insight into the latest trends in innovation management and strategy
• Learn from real-world examples that demonstrate next practicesin the field
• Receive practical tips and tools for leading innovation in your own organization
• Get questions answered from the experts and build new relationships with others participants

Whether you care about innovation for businesses, government, nonprofits, nongovernmental organizations, or educational institutions, you’ll come away from this event with new knowledge, tools, and a network of new contacts.

Read more here: http://www.innovation-point.com/GIE2007/index.htm

And if you were wondering about the program - events, online meetings, audio conferences, schedule, etc:

The program is designed to provide practical insights, examples, and tools for fostering and driving innovation. Presenters represent leading practitioners, academics and consultants from diverse cultures, organizations and geographies all focused on the field of innovation.

Topics are introduced through streaming narrated presentations connected to a discussion area that allows participants to interact over the course of the three-day conference. The program also includes scheduled daily real-time (live) events including online meetings and audio conferences (using Skype or the telephone).

Click here for a brief narrated overview on how to participate in the online conference.

Read more about the program and obtain a schedule of events here: http://www.innovation-point.com/GIE2007/program.htm

Pretty cool to connect with folks globally to discuss Innovation and interact with attendees and presenters. Not sure if I'll be attending so I'd love to hear from others if they make any of the online innovation events: raven_young AT hotmail DOT com. Thanks to the folks over at PMThink! for the heads up on this online conference!

posted by Raven at Raven's Brain under Technology & Business
Tags: Technology and Business, Innovation, Innovation Seminar, Innovation Conference

Viral marketing [does not equal] word of mouth. Here's why:
Word of mouth is a decaying function. A marketer does something and a consumer tells five or ten friends. And that's it. It amplifies the marketing action and then fades, usually quickly. A lousy flight on United Airlines is word of mouth. A great meal at Momofuku is word of mouth.

 

Viral marketing is a compounding function. A marketer does something and then a consumer tells five or ten people. Then then they tell five or ten people. And it repeats. And grows and grows. Like a virus spreading through a population. The marketer doesn't have to actually do anything else. (They can help by making it easier for the word to spread, but in the classic examples, the marketer is out of the loop.) The Mona Lisa is an ideavirus.

This distinction is vital.

For one thing, it means that constant harassment of the population doesn't increase the chances of something becoming viral. It means that most organizations should realize that they have a better chance with word of mouth (more likely to occur, more manageable, more flexible) and focus on that. And it means, most of all, that viral marketing is like winning the lottery, and if you've got a shot at an ideavirus, you might as well over-invest and do whatever it takes to create something virus-worthy.

Read more here: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2007/10/is-viral-market.html

posted by Raven at Raven's Brain under Technology & Business
Tags: Technology and Business, Marketing, Viral Marketing, Ideavirus

If you want a job where you can train in a particular skill set and then never have to learn anything new, IT isn't the field for you. But if you like to be constantly learning new things and developing new skills, you're in the right business.

1. Voice over IP

2. Unified communications

3. Hybrid networks

4. Wireless technology

5. Remote user support

6. Mobile user support

7. Software as a service

8. Virtualization

9. IPv6

10. Security

Read more about each of the above here: http://www.globalknowledge.com/training/generic.asp?pageid=1399&country=United+States&translation=English

It's an interesting list but as a technology project manager I have no idea if this is close to a definitive list of technologies to explore. I suppose it depends on what type of technology projects you work on and what skills you want to develop in the future. If you are looking for a list of "hot" IT items to explore, this list is a good start.

posted by Raven at Raven's Brain under Technology & Business
Tags: Technology and Business, IT Projects, tech Skills

Wasting five minutes trying to get the goddamned box open is just the first of many ways that Office 2007 and Vista's gratuitous redesign of things that worked perfectly well shows utter disregard for all the time you spent learning the previous versions.

I've tested Office 2007 extensively, and find it a tolerable replacement for the previous version, although it's extremely frustrating every time I have to spend several minutes finding something that I knew exactly how to find in the previous version.

Read more: http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2007/08/18.html

I was shocked to find I wasn't the only person who was puzzled by Vista and Office 2007's new package. It's not like it took me 30 minutes but it certainly wasn't the most intuitive. However, that was the least of my frustrations. Using familiar apps in the 2007 versions had me feeling like I was using totally different products. I mean, some common tasks were easy to find but others were moved or buried in the navigation - simple tasks and features were elusive. I found myself wanting an option to "use classic navigation" so I could, uhm, actually use the new versions Word, Excel, Project and Visio instead of playing hide and seek with common tasks. However, since complaining gets you (me?) no where, I made time to play with each app to get familiar and make good use of the "ribbon".  Don't get me wrong - I do still find myself looking for "something" but at least I'm comfortable with the updated versions and have gotten past staring blankly at the screen ;)

posted by Raven at Raven's Brain under Technology & Business
Tags: Technology and Business, Office 2007, Software

posted by Raven Young under Raven's Brain
Tags: Raven's Brain, PC humor, Computer Humor

It's easy to make fun of business clichés. Tempting to string a bunch together in a blog post or a memo and show how clever you are. Harder, though, to avoid using them.

I think they exist to hide. By providing a layer of insulation between what you say and the truth, you can avoid saying what you mean, avoid confrontation and avoid change. Clichés make it easy to talk without really saying anything. Clichés make it easy to hide and to lie.

Does anyone really think Karl Rove is going off to spend more time with his family? Does he even know the names of the people in his family? Did the people at Ford Motor really drop everything to make quality job one, or was it just marketing tinsel?

The few people who actually mean it when they use clichés are now frustrated because no one believes them any more. The entire lexicon is discredited.

Let's save time and effort and say what we mean. Here's my start on finding the best of the worst: The Encyclopedia of Business Cliches. Feel free to robustisize it.

Link: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2007/08/the-encyclopedi.html

Here are a few of my favorites (or most loathed?) from the list:

• Low-hanging fruit (Can't we find another way to say "the easy or quick stuff"?)
• Synergy (Dictionary.com's definition is "mutual effort" - let's use that for a while and let 'ol synergy have a break.."
• Thinking outside of the box (I've been thinking outside of the box for so long I don't know how to get back IN.)
• Value-added proposition (Can anyone even explain in real words what this means??)
• Quite frankly... (see "honestly" below..")
• Circle back (Seriously, just be honest - you want to follow or check up with the person - so say it!)
• Honestly... (related to "Frankly" - were you not being either one prior to saying it??" I was lying but now, honestly..."
• Viral (makes me feel sick..)

Read more of the The Encyclopedia of Business Cliches here: http://www.squidoo.com/businesscliches/

Note that the squidoo page also lists Sources for even more cliches as well as Books on business language. Fun stuff when you're not groaning over another tired cliche ;)

posted by Raven at Raven's Brain under Technology & Business
Tags: Technology and Business, Business Words, Business Cliches, Encyclopedia of Business Cliches

• Balancing Perfection against Innovation -- Skip Angel
  http://leanagile.blogspot.com/2007/05/balancing-perfection-against-innovation.html
• Trading off perfection and innovation -- Jeffrey Phillips
  http://workingsmarter.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/05/trading_off_per.html

posted by Raven at Raven's Brain under Technology & Business
Tags: Technology and Business, Innovation, Technology Innovation, Innovating

Below are seven ways to spot whether a CIO or other executive—or consultant—is out of touch:

1. Research is considered to be a waste of time. "We have been very successful and our experience speaks for itself."
2. Lack of critical thinking. "That may work well within such and such an organization, but we are different."
3. An inability to take constructive criticism and lack of respect for varied opinions. "We are the originators of this method/product/theory. Who are they/you to question us?"
4. Maintaining a positive image at all costs. "What would people think of us if this didn't work as expected?"
5. Lack of effective practice. "We have been advised by the best minds in the business. We can skip the experimental phase."
6. Blind faith in experts and top executives. "How can we go wrong? These people have worked with the top companies around the world for years."
7. An aversion to introspection. "We don't need that fuzzy self-examination of feelings, thoughts and motives around here. We are practical people."

Read more here: http://www.baselinemag.com/article2/0,1397,2127731,00.asp?kc=BARSS03129TX1K0000628

A great article by Charles Ehin which shows how we can all get out of touch at times. The way to combat this is to keep up with current innovations, hot new methods and technologies and keep an open eye/ear for where the industry is moving. No, we don't want to hop on a shakey band wagon headed for uncharted technical territories, but keeping yourself aware of where things are and, more importantly, where they are going, allows you to better assess tech trends to define your organizations current and future technology needs.

posted by Raven at Raven's Brain under Technology & Business
Tags: Technology and Business, IT Managers, Technology, Technology Trends

Although most U.S. adults have a cell phone, a computer and Internet access, a study says only a small percentage are participating in Web 2.0 activities. 

The Pew Internet & American Life Project released on Sunday a study (PDF: A Typology of Information and Communication Technology Users) of people's "evolving relationships to cyberspace." 

Pew found in a survey that 73 percent of U.S. adults own a cell phone, 68 percent have a desktop computer, 30 percent possess a laptop, and 73 percent connect to the Internet, but that very few use them to express themselves publicly via Web 2.0 applications.

The study defines Web 2.0 users as people who take advantage of technology "to express themselves online and participate in the commons of cyberspace," including maintaining a personal Web site, blogging, vlogging, remixing media or sharing new-media creations.

Only 8 percent of U.S. adults are "deep users" of Web 2.0 features, the study found, though many American adults do own the gadgets that enable those functions and use the devices to express themselves privately.

For example, 37 percent regularly use instant messaging, and 41 percent have sent a text message from a cell phone. More than a fourth of U.S. adults have downloaded music files, and 19 percent have shared photos, stories, artwork or videos.

According to Pew, there are currently eight major connection points: desktops, laptops, digital cameras, video cameras, Webcams, media players, cell phones and smart phones.

The Pew study also divides people into 10 tech personalities, falling into three major categories based on which of these eight major tech devices they own and how they use them.

About 55 percent of U.S. adults own a digital camera, and a fifth have a digital-media player such as the iPod. Eleven percent of U.S. adults own a PDA or similar device such as a BlackBerry.

Read more here: http://news.com.com/Wired+but+not+Web+2.0+Thats+normal%2C+study+says/2100-1041_3-6181884.html

Access chart and intro here: http://news.com.com/2300-1041_3-6181966-1.html?part=rss&tag=6181966&subj=news

Here are the 10 personality types discussed and more detail on the first bullet for reference:

• Omnivore (8 percent)
  Devoted Web 2.0 users of either gender, though usually under 30, who voraciously update personal Web pages, blogs and mashups to publicly express themselves. Likely to watch videos on an iPod or participate in a virtual world. Most social interaction takes place via instant messaging, texting and blogging via a high-speed Internet connection at home and work.
• Connector (7 percent)
• Lackluster veteran (8 percent)
• Productivity enhancer (8 percent)
• Mobile Centric (10 percent)
• Connected but hassled (10 percent)
• Inexperienced experimenter (8 percent)
• Light but satisfied (15 percent)
• Indifferent (11 percent)
• Off the network (15 percent)

Read more about Web 2.0 and personality types here: http://news.com.com/Wired+but+not+Web+2.0+Thats+normal%2C+study+says/2100-1041_3-6181884.html

posted by Raven at Raven's Brain under Technology & Business
Tags: Technology and Business, Web 2.0, Computer Shutdown Day, Internet, Technology Trends

downloadsquad has a post with news that Adobe is planning to launch a free web-based version of it's popular image editing tool Photoshop later this year. Sure it will be less robust than the full version, but I like the price of f-r-e-e: A new, full version of Adobe Photoshop CS2 software currently starts at $649 (US), and an upgrade starts at $169 (US). Here's an excerpt from the post:

As the web application world heats up, companies that were once offering locally installed software only, are slowly delving into the online world. Recent news says that Adobe will be offering an online version of Photoshop in the next six months. A decision they base on numerous consumer demands.

Adobe's CEO told CNET news that the online service will complement their existing product range, and reach new customers across the online marketplace. The free entry level online hosted application will have fewer image editing tools, but will suffice online photo editing junkies.

Read more here: http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/02/28/adobe-to-launch-a-web-based-photoshop/

Too sweet - can't wait to take it for a test drive! I lost my Photoshop 7 cd and am using version 6.0 now, so I should probably just upgrade to the new full version, but I find myself using it less and less and am wondering if the online version will be robust enough to support my needs. I'll keep my eyes peeled for more info on the online version of Photoshop and post updated info here.

posted by Raven at Raven's Brain under Technology & Business
Tags: Technology and Business, Photoshop, Photoshop Online, Edit Images Online

I spend way too much time in front of a computer; We all do. What would happen if you shut down for just one day? Shutdown Day asks you, and everyone else, to do just that. Almost 10,000 people have already pledged to shun their PCs and internet connections on March 24th, 2007.

 

Read more here: http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/02/21/shutdown-day-turn-off-tune-out-drop-in/

Note: they have a fun little video with alternative (explosive) uses for your laptop

• It is obvious that people would find life extremely difficult without computers, maybe even impossible. If they disappeared for just one day, would we be able to cope? 
• Be a part of one of the biggest global experiments ever to take place on the internet. The idea behind the experiment is to find out how many people can go without a computer for one whole day, and what will happen if we all participate!
• Shutdown your computer on this day and find out! Can you survive for 24 hours without your computer?

The site includes a yes/no vote, blog, forum and a countdown to the second on the coming pc avoidance project. It will be interesting to see how many will try and/or make it. I'm not going to bother because I know I'm not addicted and I can stop any time I want, really, I'm not addicted - I'm not-I'm not-I'm- ok, I am but it's my vice (different from Miami Vice) and I love it!

Cukier's findings concluded that computers are attacked an average of 2244 times a day, or once every 39 seconds.

 

Most of the attacks were looking to exploit basic user names and passwords. Among the common user names attempted were "root" and "admin", as they would provide broad access to the computers files, if successful. The most common password attempted was the user name plus "123".

 

Cukier's research is not just a reminder of how often systems and computers are under attack, but reinforce that one of the greatest security threats is as simple as the user name and password we choose to use.

Read more here: http://ecoraccm.blogs.com/my_weblog/2007/02/wonder_if_youre.html

After months of planning to kill off the Hotmail name, Microsoft has decided to keep the venerable brand, as it works to overhaul its free Web e-mail service.

Microsoft said on Thursday that the revamped service, still in beta testing phase, is being renamed "Windows Live Hotmail" rather than the originally planned "Windows Live Mail." In a blog posting, Senior Product Manager Richard Sim said some people had found the name change confusing.

"As we prepare to launch the final version of our new Web mail service, we recognize the importance of ensuring that our 260-plus million existing customers come over to the new service smoothly and without confusion," Sim said. "By adopting the name 'Windows Live Hotmail,' we believe we're bringing together the best of both worlds--new and old. We're able to offer the great new technology that Windows Live has to offer, while also bringing the emotional connection many existing and loyal users have with Hotmail."

Read more here: http://news.com.com/2100-1032_3-6157624.html?part=rss&tag=2547-1_3-0-5&subj=news

(1) Observe. Take the time to look for the key trends that will impact your organization and the industry in which you compete.

(2) Think. Analyze your observations: spend more time learning from what you see happening around you.

(3) Change. In a time of rapid change, you can’t expect to get by with what has worked in the past – you must be willing to do things differently.

(4) Dare. Have you lost your ability to take risks?

(5) Banish. Get rid of the words and phrases that steer you into inaction and indecision.

(6) Try. How many of your people have lost their ability to adapt to changing circumstances because they’ve lost their confidence?

(7) Empower. In a world of rapid change, you can’t expect that rigidly defined rules will be the appropriate response to changing circumstances.

(8) Question. Go forward with a different viewpoint by challenging assumptions and eliminating habit.

(9) Grow. Stop focusing on cutting costs – build the business instead.

(10) Do. Renew your sense of purpose, and restore your enthusiasm for the future by taking action.

Read more of the post here: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/businessinnovationinsider/~3/73862374/jim_carroll_ten_great_words_of.php

Read Jim Carroll's article: http://www.jimcarroll.com/10s/10words.htm

Do you have any good innovation links? Leave a comment and share! Enjoy!

On Managing with Bobby Knight and "Coach K"
Bobby Knight and Mike Krzyzewski are arguably the two most successful college basketball coaches in the country. But their leadership styles could not be more different. Professor Scott Snook wonders: Is it better to be loved or feared?

 

How Important Is "Executive Intelligence" for Leaders?
Leadership talent is enjoying a perceived "seller's market," says Jim Heskett. As we select and train future leaders for all levels of our organizations, how much effort do we really spend assessing executive intelligence as opposed to personality and style?

 

The Accidental Innovator
Many important innovations are the byproduct of accidents—the key is to be prepared for the unexpected. Professor Robert D. Austin discusses his research and practical implications on the concept of accidental innovation.

 

What Happens When the Economics of Scarcity Meets the Economics of Abundance?
The "Long Tail," a term coined by Chris Anderson—and the title of his new book—describes the item popularity curve. Jim Heskett asks: Does the Long Tail represent a paradigm shift for business and consumer behavior? What are its implications for management going forward?

 

Developing a Strategy for Digital Convergence
Technology was getting dull earlier this decade, says David Yoffie. But the sudden arrival of digital convergence has turned the tech world upside down. What are the right bets to place?

 

Do I Dare Say Something?
Are you afraid to speak up at work? The amount of fear in the modern workplace is just one surprising finding from recent research done by HBS professor Amy Edmondson and her colleague, Professor James Detert from Penn State.

 

Lessons Not Learned About Innovation
Why have decades of executives fumbled innovation? One reason: Existing corporate structures, controls, and incentives do work against out-of-the-box thinking. Professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter, who has just published a Harvard Business Review article on the topic, discusses her research into the classic traps of innovation and how to avoid them.

 

Read the complete list of 25 articles here: http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/5584.html