Leadership lesson: Let go to succeed

I’m curious: If I held an informal survey, how many managers would describe themselves as “micro-managers?” How many of your employees would describe you as a micro-manager? If you are a micro-manager, is that a bad thing?

You might look at micro-managing as an annoyance or a personality trait. But you may not realize just how much harm it causes. I believe micro-managing damages your business in a few ways:

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10 essential BlackBerry apps for travel

Have you been in an airport recently? It’s difficult avoiding the hordes of business people blindly walking around staring at their smartphones. While annoying, it also highlights an important trend: Smartphones are bringing the business anywhere.

For example, if your sales staff needs to check product availability on the road, it should be accessible from a smartphone. Need to send or receive those quarterly reports? Use your phone. Smartphones give companies the opportunity to operate more quickly and efficiently than ever. Here’s a great example of one IT guy taking advantage of his company’s iPhone adoption to empower the sales staff.

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Is going "green" good for business?

I saw a ridiculous commercial the other day. A bank advertised they were "green" because they no longer send paper statements. Really? That’s not green. That’s a cost-cutting measure thinly veiled as a green initiative.

Does anyone not see right through commercials like that? Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for going green. If every company in America committed to bettering the environment, the benefits would be enormous. Unfortunately though, I believe many companies refuse because they don’t believe it will help the bottom line.

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Stop motivating your employees

Do you spend time and energy trying to motivate your employees? According to this article on Forbes.com, you’re doing it wrong. Instead of motivating your employees, you should be trying not to unmotivate them.

The article postulates that we are wired to work hard, but gradually lose motivation in certain work environments. Unmotivation occurs in work environments where employees lack direction, resources, or respect.

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5 low-risk, high-reward experiments for IT

This article on Computerworld.com gives some great advice for IT departments. It gives you ideas of things you can try to make IT more strategic to your business. As long as the business views IT as an order-taker, IT is at risk for outsourcing. When IT starts providing business benefits and technology ideas that help the bottom line, the business will start to see IT as a valuable asset.

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mrc's 2010 Giveaway!

Thank you to all those who stopped by our booth at the recent COMMON Conference and took our short survey. Anyone who took our survey is entered into our 2010 giveaway for two $50 Amazon gift cards!

If you weren’t at the COMMON conference, there’s still time to enter our giveaway. Just take our short 3-question survey and you will be automatically entered!

Your answers do not affect your chances of winning. Make sure you answer every question, as incomplete surveys are not eligible to win. This giveaway is limited to subscribers of the Cup of Joe blog weekly email. If you’re not a current subscriber, you may sign up over on the right hand side of this page. If you currently receive the weekly "Cup of Joe Recap" in your inbox, you're already a subscriber.

New m-Power feature: Pivot-table reporting!

I’m excited to announce m-Power’s newest reporting template: The pivot table reporting template! (If you are unfamiliar with our template/model based approach to application development, please read our "build process" page.)

What are pivot tables? Pivot tables are interactive tables that automatically extract, organize, and summarize data. Pivot tables are usually Excel™-based and most often used to analyze data, make comparisons, and discover trends.

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5 ways businesses can use tech to save money

If I surveyed every business leader in America, 100% of them would say they want to save money. Why then do I run across so many businesses that don’t act like it? They use outdated and wasteful processes. They grossly overpay for consultants.

I don’t think they want to waste money. Rather, I believe they honestly don’t know any better. They don’t realize there’s a more productive way. They don’t realize there’s a cheaper option. For example, if I didn’t know software existed that let me create web applications for my business without any programming knowledge, I’d probably overpay for consultants too.

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Does IT need to please the end user?

Forbes.com has some interesting things to say on this subject.

Is it your job to make sure your end users can use new software or systems? Or, do you find the best solution for your company and hope the end users catch on?

It’s a tricky question, because while you can’t please every single end user, you must find solutions that they can and will use. You must find solutions that are easy for the technical and non-technical employees to pick up.

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Customer alert: End of monthly newsletter

We are ending our monthly customer newsletter because we feel it has become an inefficient method for communicating news. Things are happening so much faster today. We currently have other options in place for communicating the same information as it becomes available, rather than on a monthly basis.

As you know, we update m-Power frequently. Rather than a once a month recap, the best way to stay on top of all the updates is with one of the links below.

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How to attract and retain the best employees

Does your company have trouble attracting or retaining good employees? If so, Techrepublic offers some "food for thought". What are you doing to keep them? Do you cut back benefits to save a few bucks? Do you create an attractive work environment?

Remember, the talented are always the first to leave because they have options. The unmotivated, unproductive employees will typically stick around because they don’t believe they can do any better. Obviously, you don’t want an office full of unmotivated, unproductive employees. So, how do you attract and retain the best? Here are a few ideas:

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How to communicate tech ideas to management

Techrepublic has some interesting things to say on this subject.

Pretend for a moment that you are an IT leader. (If you actually are an IT leader, this will be easy) You know what the company needs from a tech standpoint, but your CEO doesn’t. He/she may be technologically illiterate. How do you communicate your tech needs in a way he/she will understand?

First things first, leave your ego in your office. Don’t throw around big technical words just to sound smart or feel important. While that may make you feel better, it does nothing to help the situation.

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16 Productivity-Enhancing Websites

Many companies place tight restrictions on internet usage for fear of unproductive behavior. While I believe the issue lies more with the employee than with the internet, I understand the need for restrictions.

Word of warning: Try not to go overboard…some websites can actually help productivity. For example, here’s a list of 16 productivity-enhancing websites that I found on PCWorld.com. While I don't agree that all of them are “productivity-enhancing”, there are a few nice sites there.

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Come see what's new with m-Power at COMMON (hint: Pivot tables!)

Are you attending the COMMON conference next week? If so, be sure to stop by booth #413 and say hi to us. Sal and Steve will be there and they're pretty awesome. If that’s not enough incentive, come on by and take our survey to be entered into our 2010 giveaway!

I also heard a little rumor that they will be unveiling a new m-Power feature: Web-based pivot tables! I think they will have a demo at COMMON, so come on by and check it out. (That makes 3 reasons to stop by).

If you’re not attending COMMON this year, don’t worry. You’ll be hearing more about web-based pivot tables in the coming weeks.

Work smarter, not harder

It’s a cliché phrase to be sure, often lacking in practicality. It’s been a Dilbert punchline more than once. It is widely spoken, yet seldom practiced.

Yet, if your business is to succeed, you must figure out how to work smarter on a company level. While there’s no one method that works for everyone, here are some practical examples of what “working smarter, not harder” looks like:

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7 traits of a good leader in a bad economy

Nothing separates the good leaders from the bad like a troubled economy. When times are bad, a leader’s true colors are exposed. Some step up and succeed, while others crumble.

What’s the difference between a good and a bad leader? A good leader brings the best out of his/her team, while a poor leader provides no direction or motivation. A good leader will ultimately have more productive employees, while a bad leader hinders progress.

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5 problems with corporate IT

I just read a great article on techrepublic.com entitled, "5 things I hate about corporate IT." The article comments are also an interesting read…they highlight the rift between IT and the business from the IT professional point of view. If you’re in management (non-IT) and you want to know what frustrates your IT department, read the comments.

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Dare to be different

I’ve noticed an interesting phenomenon. Technological advancement varies greatly from industry to industry, but very little within an industry. It seems like the companies within an industry care more about matching their competition, and less about bettering the competition.

Why?

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4 tips for motivating employees

Did you know that most people in the US are unhappy with their jobs? It’s true. Despite going through one of the worst job markets in history, the majority of those still employed aren’t even satisfied with their job. In my experience, unhappy employees are unmotivated and unproductive employees.

So, how can you motivate your employees and make their work life a bit more enjoyable?

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75 popular open source desktop downloads

Think open source software isn’t for the enterprise? Think again. There is more great open source software available to businesses now than ever before. I just ran across a great list of 75 popular open source desktop downloads on Datamation.com. Even better yet, many of them could replace expensive corporate software in your office.

However, don’t make the mistake of assuming that the only benefit of open source is free software. Open source is not only a smart business move, it is something you should carefully consider when making software purchases.

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How to leapfrog the competition

There are very few innovators these days. A few companies lead the way while everyone else tries to catch up. Take Apple and the tablet computer for example. As soon as Apple announces a product, everyone scrambles to push out the same thing. Do you think we would be deluged with new tablet computers if not for the iPad? I doubt it.

There are two problems with “catch up” approach: First, the leaders have invested more thought and effort into their products, while the followers don’t have the luxury of time. Their products are hastily planned and assembled. Secondly, and most importantly, the “catch up” approach ensures that the followers will never get ahead.

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Office tech: Productivity boost or time drain?

All that technology we’ve brought into our lives and into the workplace increases productivity, right? Yes and no. If used correctly, the answer is yes. If not, technology has the ability to actually hurt productivity.

I recently read a great article on Computerworld entitled, "Office tech: Productivity boost or time drain?" It’s an interesting read, and may make you think twice about multi-tasking.

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13 ways to simplify your workday

Do you ever come to the end of a busy workday and wonder what you did all day? You were busy, but didn’t quite accomplish anything. Be careful, don’t confuse “busy” with “productive”.

If your days are packed with busy, yet unproductive work, maybe it’s time you altered your routine. This article on zenhabits.net has some great ideas for simplifying your work day. I especially like number 2 and 7.

One of the keys to productivity in general is automation. If your job involves repetitive tasks, such as those associated with Excel, I suggest you employ some automation tactics like this company did.

10 ways to make sure your data doesn’t walk out the door

Cyber security is hot topic right now. No one wants to make the news as the victim of a hacker attack. So, we beef up our cyber security. We buy the best security software. We lock down our systems so nothing can get out.

Unless it walks right out the front door.

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How to teach yourself programming in 21 days

If I could give you two pieces of advice, they would be: First, never argue programming languages with a programmer, and second, never argue with your barber during a haircut. One is a lesson in futility and the other will make you look silly for at least a week.

While it’s impossible to get programmers with different skills to agree on which programming language is best, I believe they will all agree with one thing: Becoming a skilled programmer takes time. Even the simplest languages take time to learn and experience to use successfully.

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5 ways to get the most out of your employees

A manager can be the difference between productive and unproductive employees. A good manager will bring the best out of their employees, but poor leadership destroys morale, productivity, and can even bring down entire companies.

While not always the case, unmotivated or unhappy employees are often the signs of management problems. If you’ve noticed low morale among your employees, perhaps you should take a look at this article in techrepublic.com entitled, "Five ways to lead your team to peak performance." It provides some great ways to motivate and bring the best out of your employees.

In my years managing, I’ve learned this: People will behave as they are treated. Treat employees like children, and they’ll behave like children. Treat them as valued and respected members of the team, and they will step up their performance.

Biggest productivity drain: March Madness or bad software?

All year long, companies sputter along with their outdated systems and shoddy software. They re-enter data manually, use un-integrated systems, and organize all their data on spreadsheets. When March Madness rolls along, everyone starts talking about lost productivity.

What about the other 11 months of the year?

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Limited systems hurt your business

Technology is the excuse of the day. If a company or customer rep can't help you, technology is often to blame (or so they say). For example, have you ever heard any of these lines?

"I'd love to give you a refund, but the system won’t let me."

"I wish I could change your shipping date, but the computer will make me cancel the order and redo the whole thing."

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12 ways to find more time

They say people always live up to their means. If you find a better, higher paying job, your style of living changes to reflect your higher income. In other words, you will always feel like you need just a little more.

I think the same is true for time. If our days were 30 hours long, would we be any less busy? I’m not so sure. Just like money, the answer for a lack of time isn’t hoping that you will magically get more. It’s using what you have in the most efficient manner.

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March madness lessons applied to business

I like the NCAA tournament and I try to fill out a bracket every year. Brackets make the games a bit more interesting. A few years back, I decided to try a little experiment: I changed my bracket approach from guesses and gut feelings to pure data and analytics.

If I looked at nothing but data and based my picks on how each team matched up statistically, what would happen? I gathered all the stats for every team in the tournament and created a formula based on the data to predict the winner of each game.

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How to keep your employees focused and productive in a bad economy

I’ve heard this question presented many times in the last year: How do I keep my employees focused and productive in such a bad economy? It’s a good question. Your employees are no doubt dealing with more economy-related stress than ever, and nothing kills productivity quite like stress.

Here’s a great article on Forbes.com with some interesting (but good) advice for you. I’d like to toss another idea in there as well: Make your employees feel like you believe they are intelligent and respect their opinions and ideas. This is much more than writing those words in a company newsletter. It’s all about your actions.

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5 rules for the new business environment

The recession has altered the business landscape. But how will it affect your business? How can you take advantage of the new changes brought on by the poor economy?

Here's a good article on techrepublic.com entitled, "5 Rules for the New Business Environment." Along with the ideas presented in this article, I have another bit of advice for you: It’s time to ask yourself "Why?"

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It's a boy!

Congratulations to our very own Rick Hurckes and his wife on the birth of their baby boy! Jack Maxwell Hurckes was born today at 9:44 a.m., weighing in at 9 pounds and 8 ounces. Everyone is doing well and from what I hear, they couldn't be happier.

Congrats!

Where is the best place to outsource?

Someone in one of my LinkedIn groups asked this question: "Where is the best place to outsource?" Now, he was from an outsourcing company and was only trying to raise awareness for his company, but the responses made me smile.

Most responses mirrored my advice: Avoid outsourcing if at all possible and keep it in house. I understand…many companies outsource because they feel it’s their only option. They can’t afford to keep the work in-house and outsourcing makes perfect financial sense on paper.

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3 steps for fixing operational inefficiencies

This article on ITWorld.com is both refreshing and unsettling at the same time. The article describes a few of the government’s current inefficient processes and what CIO Vivek Kundra is doing to fix it.

It’s refreshing because our national CIO plans to change things. It’s unsettling because, although I knew the government was inefficient, I had no idea it was that bad. For example, processing benefits for veterans takes 160 days and involves passing manila folders from one desk to another, or even mailing folders to other offices. Furthermore, the patent process takes three years because of all the redundant data entry and antiquated systems.

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7 technologies that businesses should look at

I know many companies that shun new technology. It’s expensive. It’s scary. They’ve succeeded this far without it…why start now?

I can give companies with this mindset two very good reasons: It can save money and it can increase productivity. What company doesn’t want that?

But where should you start? Lucky for you, Forrester Research identified 7 technologies that businesses should look at this year, many of which will help your company save money and increase productivity. You can find the list on CIOInsight.com.

Is ad-hoc reporting still creating a backlog?

During a recent conversation, a friend of mine complained about his IT department. He had been waiting for some reports for 2 days now and it was really slowing him up. I was surprised. He didn’t have web reporting capabilities? His company always struck me as cutting-edge, yet in the year 2010, ad-hoc reporting was still creating a backlog.

Are companies really that far behind? These days, a simple task like reporting should take minutes and not require the IT department at all.

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How much do your meetings cost?

Meetings can be many things: Productive, boring, wasteful, groundbreaking, dull, exciting (but probably not), too frequent…I could go on. But, have you ever stopped to consider just how much a meeting costs?

Yes, meetings cost money, even if no one has to travel and you use the conference room down the hall. If everyone in the meeting is getting paid to work, and I assume they are, then your meeting costs money for your company.

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10 technologies for driving revenue in 2010

I talk quite a bit about business technology and software. I stress the need to stay on top of the tech curve. Why? It’s not so you can stare at charts all day. It’s not so you can have your data at your fingertips, though that is certainly beneficial.

No, I talk about technology so much because I know it can save time, money, and increase productivity if used correctly. I talk about technology because the right technology/software won’t be another expense, it will drive revenue.

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Driving without a dashboard

Let’s pretend for a second that you’re looking for a used car at a dealership. You find one you like—it’s sporty, fast, and cheap. Only one problem: It doesn’t have a dashboard. No gauges, no warning lights, no nothing.

“No problem,” says the salesman, “Just keep a close eye on it. You’ll be fine. Look how shiny it is.”

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How much does free really cost?

The web is changing perceptions about what should be free. Companies are giving away software for seemingly nothing. Some of it actually looks like good, quality software. But…is it really free? What does “free” actually cost? Answer: A lot more than you might think. Let me explain.

While “free” products may not cost money upfront, you typically end up paying in one of these three forms:

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5 new rules of productivity

Forget everything you know about productivity. This article on positivesharing.com really challenges our preconceived notions of what is (and isn’t) productive.  An interesting and thought-provoking article, though I don’t believe that everything mentioned is entirely feasible.

For example, the points about missing deadlines if you don’t feel like working on a project made me scratch my head. In most companies these days, missing deadlines is not an option. If you consistently miss deadlines, you will be replaced.

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Interactive reporting is now available!

I wrote about our new Interactive reporting template a couple weeks back, and received many inquiries as to when it would be available in m-Power. I’m happy to report the wait is over! m-Power users just need to download the latest update from the customer portal.

For those unfamiliar with m-Power templates, here’s a quick two-sentence explanation. We create a wide variety of web application templates with all the features built right in. Then, m-Power users simply need to select a template, point it at their data, make necessary tweaks or adjustments, and they have a new application. If you can find a more efficient build process, I’d like to see it.

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Keep your skills current and stay productive

Are you struggling to keep up with tech trends? Are you finding a declining demand for your aging skills? I understand the dilemma. How do you pick up a new skill or programming language and remain productive at the same time?

This story on ITJungle.com is inspiration for all those struggling to keep up with the ever-changing tech trends.

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10 tech messes that need fixing

Technology is a great time-saver and productivity booster…most of the time. However, technology isn’t perfect. With the benefits, come risks that might just waste time or hinder productivity. Why just last weekend, my wife and I were very late to an event because our GPS routed us to the wrong address. I had to talk my wife out of tossing it out the window. True story.

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The real-time revolution

Do you still offer "24-hour turnaround?" Do year-end reports require days of analyzing spreadsheets? Do you enter the same data into multiple systems? Do you still request reports from IT?

If you answered "yes" to any of those questions, you're not operating in real-time.  If you're not operating in real-time, you're wasting time.

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Why the 12-month budget is bad for business

The budgeting process used by businesses today is fundamentally flawed. No, I’m not against budgets, far from it. However, the idea that a budget should refresh every 12 months wastes money, prohibits progress, and compromises decision-making. Let me explain:

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5 ways to start your business day right

A good start to your business day is the key to productivity. However, there’s no magic bullet. What works best for you may be completely ineffective for me. For example, some people get themselves going with a jog in the morning. I never got into jogging…it’s always been boring to me. It’s all about figuring out what works best for you and sticking to it.

I like to start my day with a good sense of my business. This usually begins with my dashboards. I have all the data I want to see in one place, providing access to information such as: What changed from the day before? Are there any trends over the past few days I should pay attention to?

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4 keys to a successful project

According to a study from last year, 1 in 4 IT projects fail completely, and only 32 percent of IT projects were considered a success. If you’re starting a new IT project in the near future, that has to be a bit unsettling. The question: What must you do to ensure success?

For example, pretend that your company needs a new reporting solution, and you’re in charge of the project. What factors are most critical to the project’s success? I’ve identified 4 of the most important factors:

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Better tools are no match for a bad strategy

Let me tell you a short story: Mr. Smith wants to build a treehouse for his son. However, he has never built much of anything before and isn’t very handy. So, he runs out to the hardware store and buys all the best tools. He visits the lumber yard and buys the best wood. He then brings everything back home to build a treehouse. What are the chances Mr. Smith will successfully build a (safe) treehouse?  What are the chances that he just wasted a bunch of money on expensive tools?

Of course, this example sounds ridiculous. Who in their right mind would buy all the tools without mapping out a plan first?

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