Tag: Bret Simmons

Fresh Links Sundae – June 23, 2013 Edition

Fresh Links Sundae encapsulates information I have come across during the past week. They maybe ITSM related or not quite. Often they are from the people whose work resonates with me, and I hope you will find them at least thought-provoking or something of value.

Just graduated and looking for a job? Bob Lewis has some excellent insights on how to position yourself to get the job. I think the same suggestions can also be beneficial to the more experienced job seekers. Commencement 2013 (IS Survivor Publishing)

Robert Stroud advocates that the meaningful IT metrics are those used to run the business. He suggests some questions to ask when creating dashboards to help drive business outcomes. Metrics to Drive Outcomes of Business Value! (CA Technologies)

Based on the feedback he received from a recent Forrester forum, George Colony outlines ten suggestions on how to use technology to win customers. 10 Things The CEO Can Do To Drive Digital (Forrester Blogs)

In IT, we implement many processes to solve various problems or requests that come along. Patrick Gray points out that questioning and understanding why we perform a process in the first place is just as essential as assembling the process. Is your shop corrupted by unnecessary processes? (TechRepublic)

Asking the question of whether what he is sharing via the social media actually has any value to others, Tobias Nyberg explains why we should be selective with what we share. Do you clog your social media channels with useless crap? (The ITSM Review)

In an increasingly hyper-connected world with social media, Bret Simmons advocates the absolute necessity of operational excellence for any business. Operational Excellence (Positive Organizational Behavior)

Jim Taggart believes the top-down, compliance-oriented communication style is not as effective today as it was. He argues that today’s leaders should focus on an enrollment mindset where people follow an individual towards a shared vision. Creating Your Leadership Footprint through the Practice of LESS is MORE (ChangingWinds)

It’s hard to fix or improve something if you don’t know what is broken. Seth Godin reminds us that we should take the effort to understand fully what metrics in our businesses truly matters. Ping me when it’s broken (Seth’s Blog)

All other things being equal, what skills will help someone rise above the leadership pack? Marshall Goldsmith explains why the higher up you go – the more important your people skills become. Nice Guys Can Finish First (Marshall Goldsmith Personal Blog)

Here is an inspiring and uplifting story to close out the post. Susan Cramm shares her observations about the program Workforce Opportunity Services, which helps underserved young men and women gain access to educational and workplace opportunities for rewarding and robust careers. A Workplace Love Story (about Consulting) (Strategy+Business)

Fresh Links Sundae – November 4, 2012 Edition

Fresh Links Sundae encapsulates information I have come across during the past week. They maybe ITSM related or not entirely. Often they are from the people whose work resonates with me, and I hope you will find something of value.

Citing the recent news and the survey results from the ITSM tools space, Stephan Mann advocates that ITSM Tools vendors should focus more helping their customers on solving business problems and improving customer experience while using the tools. More ITSM Tool Bells And Whistles, And Where The Real Focus Of Vendor Attention Should Be (Forrester Blogs)

The notion of management support has been preached by many as the pre-requisite to ITSM initiative success. Kirstie Magowan describes what management support for an ITSM effort should look like and the ways to obtain such commitment from senior management. Are your managers just going along for the ride? (Common Sense and Service Management)

While many knowledge management (KM) efforts focus on the reusability of knowledge captured, Adam Krob points out another metric that a support organization can use to improve its KM practice and effort. The Teeter-Totter of Knowledge Management: A Close-Up View of the New-vs.-Known Lever (HDIConnect)

While there are many who advocate the new and improved monitoring approaches, Jonathan Ginter explains why infrastructure monitoring is still a very much relevant component in your end-to-end monitoring solution. Monitoring 101 Myth – Infrastructure Monitoring is Old Hat (BMC Communities Blog)

Reflecting from her recent technology upgrade experience, Susan Cramm describes the roadblocks she ran into when upgrading her smart phone technology and how the lessons learned can be applied to other technology upgrade endeavors as well. 72 Hours of Technology Hell (Valuedance)

In IT we are often taught to prioritize process design over tool implementation, instead of the other way around. Gregory Tucker explains why the improvement of service and process often goes hand-in-hand with the implementation of the tools through automation. Process Before Tool (right)? (ITSMinfo)

Reflecting upon a recent office move project, Alicia Choo describes how IT and Facilities teams leveraged technologies and collaborated effectively in making the office move more seamless and less chaotic. The collaborative potential of WhatsApps and GoogleDocs (Choofca’s Brain Dump)

Relating to his personal experience, Marshall Goldsmith explains why the quality of information flow within an organization often is a good indicator of the quality of the organization. Failure to Communicate (Marshall Goldsmith Personal Blog)

Thinking back to his high school days, Bret Simmons talks about how one teacher’s action affected how he views personal responsibility and professional conducts. Mr. Owen’s Lesson: The Irresponsibility Tax (Positive Organizational Behavior)

Seth Godin discusses his thoughts on how consumers have become more willing to work with technology changes. The similar mindset shift could have similar impact on how we support our IT constituents. The bell curve is moving (mass geekery) (Seth’s Blog)

Fresh Links Sundae – September 30, 2012 Edition

Fresh Links Sundae encapsulates information I have come across during the past week. They maybe ITSM related or not entirely. Often they are from the people whose work resonates with me, and I hope you will find something of value.

Estimating projects accurately and keeping project execution on track can present major challenges for many organizations. Bob Lewis makes several suggestions on how to effectively manage your project portfolio. The ins and outs of IT project portfolio management (Advice Line)

If you are working on putting together a Supplier Management process for your organization, Alicia Choo posted a sample operating procedure document and a few other support documents that may help in your endeavor. My take on ITSM and IT Governance: Supplier Management (Choofca’s Brain Dump)

The word “warranty” can carry different meanings for different organizations when working with the service providers. Benjamin Whitehead talks about the essential elements to consider when defining warranty with service providers. What can be considered ‘warranty’ for a managed IT service? (ITSM Portal)

Considering the critical role intellectual property (IP) plays in an organization’s competitive advantage, Perry Rotella advocates that CIOs should step up and lead the protection of the organization’s IP. What Good is Innovation if It’s Not Protected? (Forbes)

After publishing his weekly career management newsletter for the last 10 years, Nick Corcodilos lists four top Q&As his readers have cited among their favorites from the past editions. 10th Anniversary Special: 4 Top Answers from The Archive (Ask The Headhunter)

Referring to an article on The New York Times, Bob Sutton reflects his viewpoints of how leaders can leverage hierarchy and respect to enhance performance and well-being among the people he leads. Rare Wisdom from Citrix CEO Mark Templeton about Hierarchy and Respect (Work Matters)

Drawing parallels between Texas Hold’em and job searches, Laura Brandenburg provides suggestions on how to stay in the game long enough so you will eventually find a winning hand. Agonizing Over Your Resume? Go All In! (Bridging the Gap)

When it comes to identifying interpersonal challenges in successful people, Marshall Goldsmith explains why the higher you go, the more your problems are behavioral. People Skills (Marshall Goldsmith Personal Blog)

While it is important for organizations to develop, disseminate, and support codes of conduct, Bret Simmons advocates that it is just as wise to design systems that attract, retain, and promote those people who live and work above the code. Above The Code (Positive Organizational Behavior)

When it comes to managing our own careers, Gianpiero Petriglieri, associate professor at INSEAD, explains in this video what we can all learn from artists. The Art of Career Development (Harvard Business Review)

Fresh Links Sundae – September 23, 2012 Edition

Fresh Links Sundae encapsulates some pieces of information I have come across during the past week. They maybe ITSM related or not entirely. Often they are from the people whose work resonates with me, and I hope you will find something of value.

While the BYOD movement can present some control or security-oriented challenges, Robert Stroud explains that the BYOD movement can be very similar to the earlier PC movement and how organization can adapt and benefit from BYOD. The “Bring Your Own Device” Phenomena! (CA on Service Management)

Many of the newest entrants to the workforce are the first generation of do-it-yourself (DIY) technologists. IT leaders can leverage such DIY support to everyone’s advantage, according to Patrick Gray. How to leverage support for the DIY generation (TechRepublic)

Using a recent air travel experience as an example, Robert Stroud explains why implementing processes without paying attention to customer reactions is really missing the point. Hiding behind ITIL and making customers hate you! (CA on Service Management)

Referring to the information from a recent MetricNet webinar, Martin Grobisen discusses what factors an organization should take into account when projecting and calculating the ROI of the service desk. Doing the Math for Service Desk ROI (ITSM Lens)

Leveraging a recent home building experience, Kirstie Magowan talks about how building ITSM capability in your organization can be very similar to building your own home. Building your ITSM home (Common Sense and Service Management)

Estimating the costs of an IT project can seem like an art form rather than science, Bob Lewis gives suggestions on practicing the art of IT project estimating. The black art of estimating IT project costs (Advice Line)

Being a strong advocate of purpose and how it drives our behaviors, Bret Simmons discusses on why assuming responsibility for yourself is the foundational act of service toward others. The Purpose of Assuming Full Responsibility (Positive Organizational Behavior)

Many factors can turn into risks and weaken a team’s performance over time. Keith Ferrazzi outlines three risks to watch out for and ways to mitigate them. Three Symptoms of a Vulnerable Team (Harvard Business Review)

With a bit of discipline and the help of technology, Seth Godin gives suggestions on how anyone can accumulate and turn small deeds into noticeable results over time. The simple power of one a day (Seth’s Blog)

Anyone who had led a change effort can appreciate the blog post. Mark Horstman explains why implementing changes is hard, largely due to our natural tendency of risk aversion. Change is Hard…For a Reason (Manager Tools)

Fresh Links Sundae – May 27, 2012 Edition

Rob England expressed his viewpoint of why using menu as the analogy for service catalog is not that simple. A menu is not a service catalogue (The IT Skeptic)

Damon Edwards got together with two other industry experts to talk about their experience and insights on the DevOps topic. High Velocity Release Management with Alex Honor and Betsy Hearnsberger (dev2ops)

Jeff Wayman discussed some excellent points for taking on a brand new ITSM initiative or trying to revive an under-performing one. The key is to center around taking on small bites, achieving results, and iterating continually to improve and to compound the smaller, positive results into a bigger one. ITIL for the Beginner: 4 Common Misconceptions (ITSM Lens)

If you are looking for ideas on how to set up or improve your change management practice, Alicia Choo has published something that is worth looking into and adapting it for your organization. My take on ITSM and IT Governance: Change Management (Choofca’s Brain Dump)

Julie Craig gave several suggestions on minimizing the probability of your enterprise management software acquisition becoming shelfware. Just say NO– to shelfware (EMA Blog Community)

Perry Rotella gave his thoughts on three key considerations a CIO must address to ensure operational success in managing the data within the organization. Data Excellence = Executive Success (Forbes)

Bret Simmons talked about the importance of not withholding truth as part of a leadership lesson. If You Don’t Have Something Nice To Say (Positive Organizational Behavior)

Julie Peeler talked about some simple steps to take to better protect you from disclosing too much data via social media. Data leakage in social media ((ISC)2 Blog)

Charles Betz suggested how a different approach like Demand-Supply-Execute can improve what we do in IT management today. Moving from Plan-Build-Run to Demand-Supply-Execute (Nimsoft Modern IT Blog)

Anna Farmery suggested the use of S.U.P.E.R. model to improve our effectiveness in what we do in business. Why Tomorrow…is so Yesterday (The Engaging Brand)