Tag Archives: Strategy

Unplug Your Ears and Listen

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by John Beeson

There’s a wonderful scene in The Odyssey when Odysseus prepares himself to steer his ship and his men past the treacherous Sirens, creatures who sing a seductive song that can lead a person astray. It’s a great moment in literature — and an extremely useful image for managers intent on ferreting out the feedback they need for career advancement. To prepare for his challenge, Odysseus orders his crew members to put wax in their ears, but to be able to hear the Sirens’ message, he leaves his own ears unplugged. But he asks his men to strap him to the ship’s mast to prevent him from recklessly heeding the Sirens’ call. Continue reading →

Want Productive Employees? Treat Them Like Adults

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by Tony Schwartz

For more than a decade now, I’ve struggled to define what fuels the most sustainably productive work environment — not just on behalf of the large corporate clients we serve, but also for my own employees at The Energy Project. Perhaps nothing I’ve uncovered is as important as trust.

Much as employers understandably hunger for one-size-fits-all policies and practices, what motivates human beings remains stubbornly complex, opaque, and difficult to unravel. Perhaps that’s why I felt so viscerally the shortsightedness and futility of Marissa Mayer’s decision to order Yahoo employees who had been working from home to move back to the office, and Hubert Joly’s to do the same at Best Buy. Continue reading →

Two Ways Women Can Network More Effectively, Based on Research

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by Athena Vongalis-Macrow

Despite their many efforts, networking continues to challenge women. Numerous studies back up this conclusion. Herminia Ibarra’s classic study revealed the centrality of networking for male workers, indicating that many networking opportunities are organized around male interests. The male-centeredness of networking means that making connections to get ahead continues to be an issue for many women seeking to progress their careers. Fellow blogger Sylvia Ann Hewlett notes that while affinity groups have shown to be successful, these networks tend to “devolve into a group of peers who gather to gripe about how it sucks to be a woman at our company.” For Hewlett, leveraging women’s potential career boost from networks lay in seeking sponsors or mentors to provide access and exposure to the executive levels. Continue reading →

Smartsourcing Requires A New Maturity Model

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By Marc Kauffmann

Since smartsourcing is a relatively new concept, it is important to develop a model/methodology that ensures successful implementation and encourages innovation. This warrants development, management and continuous refinement of a comprehensive Smartsourcing Innovation Model. Continue reading →

Federal Business Development Director – Infrastructure Services

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Our clients’ growing team is seeking a seasoned Sales Executive to drive sales of IT Outsourcing Services to new federal clients. This is an outstanding career opportunity with an organization that is focused on profitable growth around the globe. The position is designed for an experienced sales executive who is always one step ahead of the game. This sales executive must be able to define a sales strategy from the ground and up and help bring it to fruition by doing what it takes to succeed. We seek an individual who is a relationship builder, a team player, and is able to use his/her extensive business acumen to identify opportunities and pursue them quickly and effectively. Continue reading →