Posted by Mark Brousseau
If strong leadership was important during the recession, it will be especially important as organizations try to distinguish themselves from their competitors during better economic times.
The good news is that anyone can make a difference and anyone can lead. But not everyone chooses to do so. That’s according to Steve Boehlke, author of a new book titled, “50 Lessons on Leading for those with Little Time for Reading.” The book, published by Lilja Press (www.liljapress.com), is a compilation of actionable leadership lessons from people of diverse and varied backgrounds who have helped Boehlke learn about leadership. Among some of the leadership lessons Boehlke shares:
… Leadership is more about value than success.
… Leadership is passing the ball when you want to take the shot.
… Leadership is having vision – even in the dark.
… Leadership is calling forth the best in others.
… Leadership is letting go but not giving up.
… Leadership is setting a good example.
… Leadership is acknowledging your limits in order to go beyond them.
Any leadership lessons you can share?
Showing posts with label business performance management. Show all posts
Showing posts with label business performance management. Show all posts
Monday, February 14, 2011
Monday, December 6, 2010
Trust in the Workplace: It’s How You Say It
Posted by Mark Brousseau
Trust is all talk – along with the pitch, volume and emphasis of your message, according to new research co-authored by an assistant professor or organizational behavior at Cornell University’s ILR School. The research finds that the volume, pitch and tone of your speech directly correlate with how much another person trusts and understands you.
“If you trust more, you use more emphasis, which is a combination of loudness and pitch,” said Michele Williams, assistant professor in the ILR School’s Department of Organizational Behavior. “A range of volume and pitch is important – it helps the listeners by saying, ‘This is important.’ If you’re really interested, it’s very hard to speak at the same level.”
Williams and colleagues at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology used observation and voice recordings – sorted by computer algorithms measuring pitch and volume – to follow information transfers among 29 nurses in the break room of a 30-bed surgical unit in a New England hospital.
Trust communicated through emphasis helps drive accuracy – an important implication for hospitals, where communication breakdowns are considered the cause of most preventable errors, said Williams and MIT researchers Benjamin Waber, John Carroll and Alex Pentland.
“Few people think about the information carried in their voices,” Williams said.
What do you see in your workplace?
Trust is all talk – along with the pitch, volume and emphasis of your message, according to new research co-authored by an assistant professor or organizational behavior at Cornell University’s ILR School. The research finds that the volume, pitch and tone of your speech directly correlate with how much another person trusts and understands you.
“If you trust more, you use more emphasis, which is a combination of loudness and pitch,” said Michele Williams, assistant professor in the ILR School’s Department of Organizational Behavior. “A range of volume and pitch is important – it helps the listeners by saying, ‘This is important.’ If you’re really interested, it’s very hard to speak at the same level.”
Williams and colleagues at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology used observation and voice recordings – sorted by computer algorithms measuring pitch and volume – to follow information transfers among 29 nurses in the break room of a 30-bed surgical unit in a New England hospital.
Trust communicated through emphasis helps drive accuracy – an important implication for hospitals, where communication breakdowns are considered the cause of most preventable errors, said Williams and MIT researchers Benjamin Waber, John Carroll and Alex Pentland.
“Few people think about the information carried in their voices,” Williams said.
What do you see in your workplace?
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Business Intelligence Trends for 2009
By Mark Brousseau
Even in a weak economy, demand continues for enterprise business intelligence, Vickie Farrell (vickie.farrell@hp.com), manager, Neoview market strategy & development, software division, at HP said today during a presentation at the Gartner Business Intelligence Summit 2009 in Washington, D.C.
“IT spending has dropped precipitously in this economy,” Farrell noted. “But studies show business intelligence should grow by 7 percent this year, off from 8.6 percent growth in 2008. Business intelligence remains strong.”
Farrell thinks businesses will be well served by their business intelligence investments. “Businesses that maintain and build analytic capability will survive and thrive when the economy improves,” she said.
Farrell made her comments during an afternoon presentation in the HP Solutions Theater on the emerging macro and business intelligence trends for 2009. Among the trends she presented:
… The consumerization of IT. IT technology innovation is shifting from the enterprise and the military to consumer technology, spawning a new wave of IT adoption, Farrell said. The impact on business intelligence is increased visualization, greater collaboration, and new sources of data. Farrell believes that social networking will increasingly dictate information delivery and use.
… Business intelligence is increasing in importance. Farrell cited a Computerworld survey finding that 42 percent of respondents expected overall expenditures for business intelligence tools and solutions to increase from 2008 to 2009. And the economic crisis may actually drive some of this growth as more organizations realize that analyzing data can help them better deal with new government regulations, understand and manage their business, decrease their risks, and enhance their ability to compete.
… Business intelligence buyers are much more scrutinizing. Farrell said organizations are dealing with stricter requirements for clearly-defined business objectives and quantified value. Farrell also is seeing requirements for shorter payback periods and self-funding business intelligence initiatives.
… The market is demanding lower business intelligence complexity.
… Analytics are moving to the front office. Advanced analytics are top initiatives at many companies, Farrell said, noting that organizations with a culture and infrastructure for analytics and fact-based decision-making are better poised to compete and grow.
… Data integration is gaining momentum. Surveys show this to be a top business intelligence project challenge and key IT initiative, Farrell said. “As enterprises recognize data as a corporate asset, data management becomes a strategy corporate capability,” she explained.
… Structured and unstructured data are converging. “Integration of unstructured data increases the accuracy of business intelligence analysis,” Farrell said, noting that recent technology advances enable text mining and queries.
What do you think? Post your comments below.
Even in a weak economy, demand continues for enterprise business intelligence, Vickie Farrell (vickie.farrell@hp.com), manager, Neoview market strategy & development, software division, at HP said today during a presentation at the Gartner Business Intelligence Summit 2009 in Washington, D.C.
“IT spending has dropped precipitously in this economy,” Farrell noted. “But studies show business intelligence should grow by 7 percent this year, off from 8.6 percent growth in 2008. Business intelligence remains strong.”
Farrell thinks businesses will be well served by their business intelligence investments. “Businesses that maintain and build analytic capability will survive and thrive when the economy improves,” she said.
Farrell made her comments during an afternoon presentation in the HP Solutions Theater on the emerging macro and business intelligence trends for 2009. Among the trends she presented:
… The consumerization of IT. IT technology innovation is shifting from the enterprise and the military to consumer technology, spawning a new wave of IT adoption, Farrell said. The impact on business intelligence is increased visualization, greater collaboration, and new sources of data. Farrell believes that social networking will increasingly dictate information delivery and use.
… Business intelligence is increasing in importance. Farrell cited a Computerworld survey finding that 42 percent of respondents expected overall expenditures for business intelligence tools and solutions to increase from 2008 to 2009. And the economic crisis may actually drive some of this growth as more organizations realize that analyzing data can help them better deal with new government regulations, understand and manage their business, decrease their risks, and enhance their ability to compete.
… Business intelligence buyers are much more scrutinizing. Farrell said organizations are dealing with stricter requirements for clearly-defined business objectives and quantified value. Farrell also is seeing requirements for shorter payback periods and self-funding business intelligence initiatives.
… The market is demanding lower business intelligence complexity.
… Analytics are moving to the front office. Advanced analytics are top initiatives at many companies, Farrell said, noting that organizations with a culture and infrastructure for analytics and fact-based decision-making are better poised to compete and grow.
… Data integration is gaining momentum. Surveys show this to be a top business intelligence project challenge and key IT initiative, Farrell said. “As enterprises recognize data as a corporate asset, data management becomes a strategy corporate capability,” she explained.
… Structured and unstructured data are converging. “Integration of unstructured data increases the accuracy of business intelligence analysis,” Farrell said, noting that recent technology advances enable text mining and queries.
What do you think? Post your comments below.
The Case for Business Intelligence
By Mark Brousseau
Wondering about the cost justification for business intelligence initiatives? Brian Ng, field enablement leader in the business intelligence solutions group at HP (www.hp.com), told attendees at the Gartner Business Intelligence Summit 2009 that business intelligence provides several key benefits:
… Enhanced decision making
… Improved insight
… Reduced risk
… Lower costs
… Improved efficiency
Ng noted that many companies already are using business intelligence to help monitor and measure their business and to make key decisions (e.g. driving supply chain management or CRM systems).
What do you think? Post your comment below.
Wondering about the cost justification for business intelligence initiatives? Brian Ng, field enablement leader in the business intelligence solutions group at HP (www.hp.com), told attendees at the Gartner Business Intelligence Summit 2009 that business intelligence provides several key benefits:
… Enhanced decision making
… Improved insight
… Reduced risk
… Lower costs
… Improved efficiency
Ng noted that many companies already are using business intelligence to help monitor and measure their business and to make key decisions (e.g. driving supply chain management or CRM systems).
What do you think? Post your comment below.
Monday, March 9, 2009
The BIg Discrepancy
By Mark Brousseau
Despite the wide range of skills and technology available to support business intelligence and performance management, many organizations still struggle to deliver success in this area, John van Decker, research vice president at Gartner said today during a keynote presentation at the Gartner Business Intelligence Summit 2009 in Washington, D.C.
“For years, organizations have been saying that business intelligence is a high initiative, but the business areas have not seen the value,” van Decker told the standing-room only crowd. “We don’t want to downplay that many organizations have had great success with business intelligence and performance management. We want to point out that there is an opportunity here.”
Kurt Schlegal, also a research vice president at Gartner, and co-presenter of the keynote address, said there are five key reasons for this discrepancy:
... No IT/ business partnership
... No link to corporate strategy
... No connection to the process
... No governance or too much
... No skills
Van Decker warned attendees that simply buying more business intelligence technology is not always the answer. The answer has to center around business process management and how organizations leverage technology to improve the business process. “Many companies have tried hard to establish architectural standards for business intelligence strategy, but in many cases, they are trying to retrofit business intelligence strategy where they had already bought tools. That is difficult. To drive the business case is to drive business intelligence strategy forward.”
In spite of the cost-cutting necessitated by the recession, van Decker said organizations also must ensure their competitive position. And business intelligence can help. “Unfortunately, organizations are being forced to cut head count,” van Decker said. “But organizations can’t take an axe to cost-cutting. They need to be more strategic and more surgical. Business intelligence needs to be a top strategic initiative, well supported and well funded.”
Mounting regulations will also force organizations to take a harder look at business intelligence initiatives. “You need to do it internally, but you will be forced to do it externally [in response to anticipated new regulations],” van Decker said. “It is good to be ahead of the game.”
Schlegal concluded: “Now, more than ever, we need business intelligence. We need systems that bring information together.”
What do you think? Post your comments below.
Despite the wide range of skills and technology available to support business intelligence and performance management, many organizations still struggle to deliver success in this area, John van Decker, research vice president at Gartner said today during a keynote presentation at the Gartner Business Intelligence Summit 2009 in Washington, D.C.
“For years, organizations have been saying that business intelligence is a high initiative, but the business areas have not seen the value,” van Decker told the standing-room only crowd. “We don’t want to downplay that many organizations have had great success with business intelligence and performance management. We want to point out that there is an opportunity here.”
Kurt Schlegal, also a research vice president at Gartner, and co-presenter of the keynote address, said there are five key reasons for this discrepancy:
... No IT/ business partnership
... No link to corporate strategy
... No connection to the process
... No governance or too much
... No skills
Van Decker warned attendees that simply buying more business intelligence technology is not always the answer. The answer has to center around business process management and how organizations leverage technology to improve the business process. “Many companies have tried hard to establish architectural standards for business intelligence strategy, but in many cases, they are trying to retrofit business intelligence strategy where they had already bought tools. That is difficult. To drive the business case is to drive business intelligence strategy forward.”
In spite of the cost-cutting necessitated by the recession, van Decker said organizations also must ensure their competitive position. And business intelligence can help. “Unfortunately, organizations are being forced to cut head count,” van Decker said. “But organizations can’t take an axe to cost-cutting. They need to be more strategic and more surgical. Business intelligence needs to be a top strategic initiative, well supported and well funded.”
Mounting regulations will also force organizations to take a harder look at business intelligence initiatives. “You need to do it internally, but you will be forced to do it externally [in response to anticipated new regulations],” van Decker said. “It is good to be ahead of the game.”
Schlegal concluded: “Now, more than ever, we need business intelligence. We need systems that bring information together.”
What do you think? Post your comments below.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Technology in Finance
Posted by Mark Brousseau
Accounting is the top treasury function that is supported well by technology, according to Treasury & Risk’s annual financial leadership survey. Sixty-percent of the roughly 500 treasurers, controllers, CFOs and other senior financial executives who responded to the survey identified accounting as the area where technology is delivering positive results, followed by account reconciliation (50 percent), cash flow forecasting (34 percent), and business performance management (33 percent).
Conversely, 52 percent of those responding to the survey said cash flow forecasting was a function that needed better support by technology. Business performance management (47 percent), accounting (45 percent), account reconciliation (41 percent), and risk management (40 percent) were among the other functions where respondents thought technology could provide better support.
Overall, 53 percent of the financial leaders responding to the survey thought their company could do better when it came to encouraging innovation and independent thinking.
Accounting is the top treasury function that is supported well by technology, according to Treasury & Risk’s annual financial leadership survey. Sixty-percent of the roughly 500 treasurers, controllers, CFOs and other senior financial executives who responded to the survey identified accounting as the area where technology is delivering positive results, followed by account reconciliation (50 percent), cash flow forecasting (34 percent), and business performance management (33 percent).
Conversely, 52 percent of those responding to the survey said cash flow forecasting was a function that needed better support by technology. Business performance management (47 percent), accounting (45 percent), account reconciliation (41 percent), and risk management (40 percent) were among the other functions where respondents thought technology could provide better support.
Overall, 53 percent of the financial leaders responding to the survey thought their company could do better when it came to encouraging innovation and independent thinking.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
