Author Archives: Larry Janis

Will Anyone Love Legacy IT?

 

 

Peter Bendor-Samuel Contributor

I shared my perspectives on various service provider firms many times over the years in blogs, especially at times of industry consolidation, or when new technologies and business models impact the market, as economic cycles ebb and flow, and as relationships and contracts change because of new expectations of the providers’ clients. My intent in these observations is to help enterprise clients understand how trends can affect their decision-making regarding third-party services. I now want to share my updated opinion on a service provider firm that I have closely monitored since its CEO changed in September 2019.

The third-party services industry is in the midst of a fundamental change as it pivots from building and supporting legacy systems to focusing on modernizing legacy systems and service providers develop and support their clients’ journey into the new cloud-based digital future. This headlong rush to the future and the greener pastures that it represents poses significant challenges to firms that have large legacy estates that need to be sustained and nurtured.

The DXC story

DXC Technology is a Fortune 200 global IT services company formed in 2017 when Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (HPE) spun off its Enterprise Services business and merged it with Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC). (more…)

How to Interview a Sales Leader

 

 

BY NIGEL GREEN

Most sales leaders were comfortable in the years before COVID – and they could ignore strategic planning, expenses, and talent management and still look successful. But the pandemic exposed weaknesses in the sales leader talent market. While their experience may have looked good on paper, how much of their success should be credited to favorable market conditions rather than their unique talents?

The world is different now – not only with markets but with the sales staff’s work/life expectations. If you’re looking for a sales leader, you need to dig deeper in interviews to make sure they are skilled at strategic planning, have a high financial IQ, and are dangerously good at talent management. According to Gartner 70% of sales leaders express low confidence in their ability to translate strategy into action.

In this blog I’ll explore each competence, then offer some questions to ask candidates during interviews.

Planning Is Key to Sales Survival

I coach a lot of executive sales leaders. When I ask them to review their strategic plan – something that not only details revenue per month, but assigns the revenue to sales reps, products, and even customers – many of them say they don’t have one “in the true sense.”

Planning ensures the current sales strategy aligns with future business goals; anticipates the loss of key strategic accounts; and identifies potential offering pivots that can create competitive advantages. (more…)

Rethinking the Role of Leaders in the Creative Process

 

 

by Spencer Harrison, INSEAD, and Elizabeth Rouse, Boston College

A strong vision and a more disciplined approach can actually equal more creative results.

How does a modern dance choreographer get the most creativity out of their troupe? In such an artistic setting, you might imagine that their main focus is to encourage and inspire individual dancers to express their creativity and weave it into the final performance.

Most of the research on managing creative teams over the last 30 years would agree. Findings indicate that a team leader should focus on supporting the team members’ individual creativity.

It is perhaps not surprising that leaders are typically seen as the lynchpin and not the source of creativity. But what happens when the leader is the person with the creative idea, and they need team members’ support in executing that idea?

Our research with modern dance choreographers suggests that leaders actually have an important role to play in contributing ideas, not just supporting other peoples’ creativity. Indeed, our study suggests that a team managed by a stronger, more centralised project leader who drives the process and has their own clear ideas can produce results that are both on time and ultimately more creative. (more…)

Google’s chief diversity officer reflects on being inclusive in year 3 of remote work

 

 

 

Melonie Parker reflects on what the company learned about putting flexibility and inclusion first in hybrid work, while also improving productivity and collaboration

 

 

 

 

It’s been two years since the vast majority of people started working from home due to COVID-19. As we move into a more flexible future of work, a hybrid approach will be the new norm for many companies, including Google. At its core, this means bringing people back together in ways that can work for everyone—giving employees more choice and flexibility, while ensuring teams are being set up for success.

As hybrid work continues to gain popularity, companies must be mindful of the challenges it can present if not done inclusively. A recent survey found a strong preference for remote or hybrid work among employees of color, caregivers, and women. Working in the office shouldn’t overshadow the impact an employee makes wherever they may be. We have a responsibility to make sure every employee continues to feel included and has the same opportunity to advance as their colleagues who may be in the office more frequently.

At Google, we’ve learned some valuable lessons over the past two years about how to put flexibility and inclusion first in a hybrid work environment, while also improving productivity and collaboration. Three key themes have emerged from our research and experiences.

BUILD COLLABORATION EQUITY

Maintaining virtual connections will remain important as more companies embrace hybrid work long-term. In a hybrid workplace, it is imperative that teams build collaboration equity, in which all employees have the tools, access, and information they need to work together with their teams and be effective at their jobs. Here’s a few examples:

(more…)

Four Ways To Make Work Better For Women

 

 

by Becky Schmitt, Cognizant’s Chief People Officer.

As the mom of three children, I’ll be honest: I struggled with being a working mother for the first 10 years of my career. I never felt “good enough” at work or at home. I tried multiple tactics — working part-time, taking a demotion, working more hours. At times, I felt lost in my direction and considered side-lining my professional ambitions completely.

If I’d started out as a working mom in today’s work environment, I might have found balance more quickly. Many companies now offer more advanced programs to support and develop women’s careers, as well as new flexible work options helpful to any woman in a caretaker role. It took a lot of lonely trial and error, self-reflection and mentorship before I found my groove.

We’ve come a long way, but at the same time, the pandemic has disproportionately affected working women. Companies need to reflect on how they support the professional growth of women in the workforce, especially as we return to a more business-as-usual environment.

A women-welcome workplace

Here are a few principles businesses need to keep in mind in when designing their people programs to be supportive of working women:

1. Reach women where they are

The traditional constructs of work can be limiting for women.especially those in caretaking roles. Companies need to think through the life stages and experiences of working women and be innovative in offering programs to support them.

One of the ways we’ve done this at Cognizant is through our Cognizant Returnship Program, which recruits individuals who’ve taken a multi-year career break (often to raise a child or care for family) back into the workforce. The decision to return to the working world can be daunting. As one of our participants put it, “My mind was full of self doubts. Will I be able to do justice to my work and to my duties at home? There has been a paradigm shift in the tech sector. Will I be relevant?” (more…)