Entries from September 2007 ↓

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Just how successful, rich and important are you? Really. Be honest.

Everyone has a perception of how important they are. We all also prop up our egos and copy others in an attempt to leverage more of the ‘I’m important’ factor.

Want to know how important you really are and who you are most like?

Click on I AM SO IMPORTANT TEST to find out.

Self-Importance Test

A report on BBC states

“Many of us take the internet for granted, but what about locations that are too remote or economically impoverished to enjoy the hi-tech benefits of the developed world?

The coastal town of Knysna in South Africa was one such place. But now it is the largest wi-fi enabled area on the African continent.”

This is great news and hats off to UniNet who pioneered this excellent community service.

Knysna Leads Africa’s Wi-Fi Service

I use Pipex (UK) as my broadband vendor. Pipex have an enviable record in the telecoms reseller market for great uptime percentage at a very reasonable price. In my eyes they are also a darling investment. That successive Pipex management has improved on then exceeded customer satisfaction and improved the ROI is fact.

Years ago they were a subsidiary to a large corporation which was then strongly on the acquisition trail. And I sometimes think of what might have occurred had the corporation not eventually hived off Pipex. Most likely not a lot of good. In my view, getting rid of a subsidiary whose core business is unaligned to the parent’s endeavours is sometimes not always in the better longterm interest of the corporation but justifiable if the existing management team lacks vision and cannot innovate a solution to support growth and set a course for the subsidiary to take. So, the corporation sold Pipex off for a pittance in similar fashion to what RACAL did to a pesky irritating subsidiary they called Vodafone. Look what happened to that little pest!

All it took for Pipex to succeed was a new owner with a dream to change a pest into a success. He did and earned a cool £32m for him and his family when he sold the company on. Since selling, the new management has enhanced and delivered more on the original dream to the point where Tiscali is now salivating at the prospect of snapping up the broadband subscriber base.

Oh dear. Dream service is over. I will have to look for a new Broadband supplier. Tiscali do not infuse me with confidence.

Pesky Subsidiaries

Namibia can be proud of their performance against Ireland in the Rugby World Cup. The Namibians pushed Ireland and to take two tries against a premier team is no mean feat.

Final score : 32-17 to Ireland. Read a full match report here and here

There is a long way to go in the World Cup and Namibia must surely be taking away a lot of confidence from yesterday’s game.

Go Namibia!

Namibia Push Ireland

5 More Overrated Books by Geoffrey James

MANAGEMENT SKILLS
6. “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” by Steven Covey (Free Press, 1989)

Publisher’s blurb: “Presents a holistic, integrated, principle-centered approach for solving personal and professional problems.”

Continue reading →

5 Overrated Books by Geoffrey James

MANAGEMENT CONSULTING
1. “Reengineering the Corporation: A Manifesto for Business Revolution” by Michael Hammer and James Champy (Collins, 2003)
Publisher’s blurb: “This book leads readers through the radical redesign of a company’s processes, organization, and culture to achieve a quantum leap in performance.”

Continue reading →

In a report yesterday by Richard Black, the Environment reporter for BBC, he reveals that the BBC has consigned Planet Relief to the scrapheap. Planet Relief was going to showcase unity about climate change based on the Live 8 concept.

Continue reading →

Oops! An apparent advocate, supporter and promoter of Climate Change through its live TV News broadcasts, no lesser an august organisation than the BBC, omits to blame Climate Change for the UK’s wettest summer on record. How utterly hilarious. While for the Climate Changologists it must be utterly unforgiveable for the BBC to be so brazenly remiss for not carrying the climate change ‘message’ forth.

Continue reading →

One’s BBC outdoes oneself in the headline department by claiming, “Summer may be wettest ever”.

Shouldn’t one’s headline read: “Summer may be wettest since rainfall started being recorded during 1914″.

It’s the word ‘ever’ that offends.

Think about it.

Does the BBC know what the rainfull was in the summers of AD 1274 or even 47 BC? I bet they do not. And I bet that they do not know what the rainfall was on the day before rainfall records started being recorded.

BBC Headline Clanger

Myth #5: Never say anything to the boss when you’re angry.
By Geoffrey James Copyright CNET 2007

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM:
If you’re hot under the collar, you’re likely to say things you’ll later regret.

Why it’s a myth:
Your emotions aren’t the problem; the issue is how you express them.

Try this instead:
Don’t lose your cool. When you’re frustrated or angry, say so—but without blowing up or exploding.

Avoid whiny complaining. Instead, focus on fixing the things you want to change, and ask for the boss’s help in changing them.

Example:
“Okay, I understand we need to get the report done. But let’s come up with a plan that doesn’t involve everyone working over the holiday.”

5th Myth about Managing Up

Myth #4: Protect your boss from your underlings, and vice versa.
By Geoffrey James Copyright CNET 2007

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM:
If your boss talks directly to your team members, information could be revealed that you’d rather keep under wraps

Why it’s a myth:
Attempting to control the flow of information inside today’s wired-up corporations is utterly pointless.

Try this instead:
Cue your underlings to reinforce the message you’re giving the boss.

Example:
“When the big boss asks what you’re doing, be sure to point out how well you’re supporting our group’s quarterly sales goal. She likes that kind of thing.”

4th Myth about Managing Up

Received an invite to join the newest social network called Quechup. I thought OK I’ll give it a go and luckily for me, after completing the setup form, I hesitated just before hitting the SUBMIT button and Googled the Quechup before continuing to complete the application.

All I see in Google is apologies for the spam that this latest edition to social networking causes. Mailboxes are being filled with spam bounces. Not good. During the sign-up process, Quechup trawls your contact list and spams your friends. This attempt at launching a viral campaign is serious bad news. It’s just plain violation and has to be stopped.

So ignore any Quechup invites you get from me. I apologise if you do get one. It is totally unintentional and was sent without my consent.

Kill Quechup

Quechup Wake Up

Myth #3: Suggest ways to make the boss more popular with the team.
By Geoffrey James Copyright CNET 2007

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM:
The boss will appreciate your efforts to improve morale and teamwork.

Why it’s a myth:
If your boss is unpopular, there’s very little you can do to change that perception.

Try this instead:
When boss-bashing takes place beyond his earshot, don’t join the fray. Instead, give the boss credit for things he does well. When the department spy (there always is one) reports back to the boss,he’ll learn that you’re an ally.

Example:
“Yeah, Joe loses his temper sometimes. But he’s really good at defending our interests in front of the budget committee.”

3rd Myth about Managing Up