Using your technical skills in charity work

No don’t look away! I have here a potential valuable opportunity for you to use your core technical skills in order to gain more experience in the commercial space, and probably feel good about it in the process.

Charities are non-profit organizations, but they are organizations and they are commercial. Actually many are profit-oriented organizations, but their stockholders are the people they serve, be it homeless, sportsman or schoolkids. Charities are always in need of skilled workers who offer them value. They are not, if you’re under the impression, a workforce of the 2nd-grade. Charities are becoming increasingly professional and the work more challenging. Anyway, enough semantics.

My idea for you is that charity work has a huge potential for exposure in other business functions other than your own. Charities are generally small (but not always) and require it’s workers to get involved in more than their niche. It is in this way that offering yourself to a charity for gainful employment could give you engagements you may never have found yourself in. You won’t just find a more diverse business environment to learn from. You’ll probably find a higher degree of social and cultural diversity, leading to greater self-confidence and self-esteem. Your work will add to your society, culture and community.

Charity work is also an excellent way of meeting potential new contacts and future employers as well as opportunities to be publicized in the media. A number of my colleagues in previous jobs were brought in at senior levels because they were associates of senior managers and executives involved in the same charity. And I’m not talking about nepotism; I’m saying that they were respected hard workers who could demonstrate their worth and apply skillset in a meaningful and ethical way. Working for a charity is a statement of your personal values.

Lastly, charity work is a sound way of balancing you work-life. This isn’t easy when you’re entrenched into the guts of an organization. It will give you perspective. I strongly recommend you search for opportunities or organizations in the googleplex as soon as you can. I personally involved myself in a charity helping disadvantaged children find hobbies and interests in computing. I enjoyed it so much it spurred me to looking at personal development in technical professions as a career, and hence COMMERCE-SAVVY.COM!

10 Childhood Favorites of Technical Professionals

315 technical professionals were surveyed in November 07 (from IT, Insurance Actuaries, Architects and Civil Engineers) and I discovered the following favorites from their childhood’s (aged 5 – 15).

Favourite Film: Star Wars: A New Hope
Favourite Music: The Muppet Show Album (What? - Simon)
Favourite Book: The BFG by Roald Dahl
Favourite Toy: Lego
Favourite Bicycle: BMX
Favourite Home Computer: Commodore 64
Favourite Games Console: Atari 2600
Favourite Arcade Game: Donkey Kong
Favourite Food: French Fries (No surprise! - Simon)

How many of these are your favorites?

The Five Sources of a Leader’s Power, and how (and how not) to use them

I've published a new article in the Self-Aware series on the main COMMERCE-SAVVY.COM website. This piece discusses the five different forms of power available to a leader, with the usual COMMERCE-SAVVY slant on technical professionals and leadership.

Abstract

Power is a force of influence and authority. Where does a leader get power from? Or do a leader’s followers give it to them? Well it’s both. In this paper we’ll be looking at the five different sources of power a leader can use, with some advice on when these powers should be used, and perhaps when not. The paper covers Expert Power, Positional Power, Reward Power, Coercive Power and Personal Power.

Link: http://www.commerce-savvy.com/resources/SelfAware/selfaware4.htm

Of course I welcome feedback by emails or by comment.

Average salary rates against skills

I'm posting this to add context on the pursuit of career progression, and the perceived benefits such as salary. Jobstats.co.uk have published figures showing average salaries against skillsets. It's interesting to see that management rates are not that much greater than specialist skills, with SAP being the highest paid skill overall. It goes to show that specialists are gaining in value to organizations. To see it in a different light, a leader who possesses strong technical skills and management skills has a great chance of reaching their desired salary bracket!

View the report here: Jobstats.co.uk

Note: The rates are in UK Pounds Sterling, but they should indicate relative rates in other countries.

If your job isn't working for you, get the hell out...

All posts I have made have been positively biased, i.e. I've offered advice to constructively deal with issues and challenges that one typically faces when climbing the greasy pole of an organization. I've had a number of conversation recently with folks who feel they are stuck in a groove and can't get out, but not for the want of trying, but rather their boss or organization has them locked into their role. This time is no different (it's still positive, that is) but I'm taking a harder view today (except maybe offer this article for the fainter-hearted).

If your job sucks and no matter what you do to progress you face a brick wall, get the hell out. Move on. Take another role somewhere else - the technical market is buoyant at the moment anyway. As long as you can put food on your table and a roof over your head for a week or so, then the risk is low.

I don't advocate burning bridges, but if your boss stifles your growth then tell him/her so, and go. Be honest, say why you're leaving, and stick by it. You should disregard any attempts by your boss to keep you in the organization - consider offers only from other departments or sections. Dissuaded by your pile of stock options? (How many people do you know have made a killing on them?) Put off by your work-buddies? (Unless you go you'll be miserable and bored, and you'll lose your buddies anyway). Don't procrastinate - resign.

I'm also not advocating being obstructive once you've made your decision. This kind of coercion is frowned upon. See my upcoming paper on the use of power (due Dec 17). Remain professional - remember you want a reference! Your reputation is a valuable asset.

Over 90% of people who leave jobs because they can't enjoy opportunities for growth don't regret it. In fact over 60% of these people say its the best thing they have ever done!

You should experience AA – Assuming Authority, that is

One of the first mistakes I made when promoted to a department head for an IT consultancy firm was asking my boss what authority I had. I was rebuffed with the response that told me “You have as much authority as you think you have.” It was if I was asking for authority to be handed to me in a bundles package with a ribbon on. I was naïve. It doesn’t work like that.
Authority is not something that can be handed over easily, and isn’t zero-based. Authority is a function of trust and competence, as it is influence and gravitas. Authority is earned.

Of course, taking on a new role in the upper echelons of management gives one accountabilities, and one must ensure that they can fulfil them. Whether you have the authority to, is up to you. One wise manager of mine once said (and probably still does) “Assume authority until told otherwise.”

So to end this snippet, I say you must want authority, and if you do, you have it. If you think you are an authority on your technical area in its application to business, then take it. If you think you have authority to lead change in how technology is delivered, its yours.

Creating positive energy in yourself (3)

In the previous installment of this series I discussed the impact of boredom on motivation, setting yourself aggressive targets and selecting some short term goals. I've received some good feedback on the series so far, and I welcome further comments.

In this post I would like to offer a practical and implementable tip to create the positive energy you'll need to achieve your objectives, be it to move your career forward or whatever. Mustering real motivation to begin the changes is a skill you can easily master, and I can point you in the direction of How.

The main concept is to put yourself in a mental state where you can visualize your goals and see yourself actively achieving them. This should have effects deep inside you which will compel you to act positively.

There is a wonderful method to begin this process, and it is written by the Personal Development expert Steve Pavlina on his own blog. Here is the link:

http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2007/12/how-to-take-action-consistently/

Take time to read this article and try out the technique. For example, if you desire career progression then visualize yourself in your new job, at your new desk, enjoying new influence and financial benefits.

Steve's method for doing this has grounds in a practice known as NLP, or Neuro Linguistic Programming, which is a psychological technique for goal achievement. Whether you're interested in the underlying mechanisms in your brain, or not, this is a credible and proven system. I have used it. Thousands (if not millions) have too to great success.

These techniques can be developed by yourself, and if you're guided, you can be successful in their application quite quickly (and painlessly I should add!). It might not happen straight away, but with a small amount of practise you will start seeing early benefits. You should find that the power to achieve is in yourself - you are all you need.

Below is a link to a book available on Amazon which I have personally read and used. I am thoroughly recommending it here as I think that if the technique I have discussed here appeals to you, you should consider purchasing it to learn more and develop this skill. Its quite a large tome, but it is easy to read and you don't need a science degree to do so!


[You can use this link and be directed to the book on your local Amazon site]

Gaining ground in your organization's business as a technical professional: Two Essential Tips

Below are two tips that I think will give you opportunities to become more commercially aware of your organization's business. Try them out.

1) See yourself as the managing director of your personal business, even if you're an employee. Ask yourself if your customers (mostly colleagues) would buy your services and trust your company and brand? Do you add value to their business, and is it cost-effective (taking your salary and package as the cost)? Will you get orders for more valuable and important services in the future? By thinking you're a business, you will be forced to consider the whole transaction of your work against your expense. The financial package you take, and the overhead your customer incurs in using your services (i.e. your managers time, your desk, your PC, insurance, restaurant subsidies, etc.) must be outweighed by the value you bring. If you want a promotion or a higher salary, your track record as a supplier must prove you can take on the extra work to make it worth it for your customer. Have you acquired new skills that can be applied to add more value? AS MD of your business that offers technical services, are you in competetion with other providers? Consider if your service is unique or whether you are the supplier of choice. Ask yourself if the technical skills and knowledge you hold is well packaged and can be bought and sold in your organization's marketplace easily.

2) Understand the wider business context than your own department. As a commercial agent, you should understand how the service your department provides fits within the whole value-chain (i.e. how your organization provides its product or service from start to end). The cost and benefit of your department's services affects the cost and benefit of the entire product or service, as consumed by your organization's customers. You can do this by taking some advice from a previous post (Understanding commercials through the budgeting process) where I described how learning how budgeting works in your organization. You don't need to know everything, just the basics. In addition, talking to colleagues in other departments that your department interacts with. For example, if you are a software developer, you should understand how the software testing function operates, and if you are an Application Support Engineer, speak to the the end users about how they report problems and receive fixes. You should find out how delays in providing your service, for example, creates downstream problems for your colleagues and the eventual customer, or how improving quality in your department has a positive effect on the product or service. Ultimately, the service you provide is part of a much larger machine, and the efficiency and effectiveness of the business machine is as strong as its weakest point. By understanding and applying your awareness of this, you will grasp where you fit into the value-chain.

Finally, if you've had a go at the above, consider taking a few observations forward as ideas for improvement, and speak to your manager or an executive. Sharing your thoughts will give you an opportunity to get feedback on them.

The gap might not be so big between business and IT after all...

Take a moment to read this article in this month's Information Age (in fact I strongly recommend you subscribe to this magazine). The article discusses research conducted by the magazine and a software vendor which assesses the gap between senior IT executives and business executives, in terms of their opinion of critical business issues.

One conclusion is that senior IT executives are worrying about the same issues as business executives.

http://www.information-age.com/report/2007/agileit/overview

Understanding commercials through the budgeting process

Almost every business manages a budget. That is, a prediction of expected costs against actual costs. It's a way that a business stops spending too much or too little, and is, in essence, a plan of expenditure.

Knowing how businesses manage expense is a powerful way of understanding how businesses work. Do you know your accruals from your ammortization? If not, read on.

I'm not going to give you a full-blown description of budgets and how they're managed, but I do hope to encourage you to find out. In doing so, you'll become more familiar with how your organization makes decisions on what to invest in and what creates value. When I was first charged with a multi-million budget, I knew that decisions I make can seriously affect the outcome of the business.

So what would one do to learn about budgeting? Well one way is to pick up a textbook (such as this one) and read all about it. This way you will understand the terminology and basics. Another complementary way is to get involved. You could ask your department manager to show you the process as it's happening. Some of the detail may be confidential, but ask to see what can be shared. It's also true that most organizations have developed their own style and process, which can't be learnt from a text book. Don't be afraid to ask, as your department manager may find you have a valuable contribution to make. You could also start with an idea on how to save costs, and see how your thoughts can be worked through the process - that way you can see how your idea might be quantified in hard monetary terms.

To summarise, to understand how a business ticks is to understand how it makes profit by earning revenue and budgeting. Most of the important decisions are part of the budget. Giving yourself the knowledge of the process will give you opportunities to influence these decisions, or at the very least accept them!

Building confidence by Public Speaking

One of the toughest things I have done in my career is to stand in front of an audience and speak. Not just speak but speak without wobbles, losing my place in my rehearsed patter, or sweating profusely. Is this familiar to you?

Presentation skills is a valuable asset. Particularly in the business context where a bad presentation can be a deal-breaker. Conversely a good presentation, and presentation style, can be good for your profile and personal brand in your workplace.

Thankfully I conquered my fear, and what it has done is given me more confidence in the every-day. Why? Well I found that getting confident in public speaking helped me improve my memory, think quickly on my feet (figuratively and specifically!), speaking articulately and overcoming the fear of failure. The last point is the most important... because everyone fails at some point but the fear of failure is more deblitating than the failure itself, in this context.

So how did I do it? I read a book on it (see below). But I also practised by putting myself in situations where I was forced to speak publically. At first I blundered (fantastically once), but each time it got better and better. It really is a case of practise makes perfect. I don't think there is any other way.

I'm not here to push product, but I would like to recommend this book to you as it is what helped me become a better speaker. This book was written way back, I think in the 1940's, but everything it discusses applies today - it's stood the test of time. And it is such good value, you can't lose.

How to Develop Self-confidence and Influence People by Public Speaking (Personal Development)

If you can speak a foreign language, let it be known!

This is a really simple thing but it is often neglected. Most organizations, particularly nowadays in the global economy, need foreign language speakers. And not just because of diversity targets!

Having this skill is an opportunity to involve yourself in other areas of your business. For example:

* Interpreting letters from customers and suppliers in foreign languages, especially complaints
* Interpreting your organization's website or literature into foreign languages, or helping to make changes to it
* Negotiations with foreign suppliers
* Being 'on-call' for ad-hoc interpreting
* Enrollment or training of secondees from overseas or overseas workers
* Coaching and mentorship of non-native speaking colleagues

For colleagues where your organization's primary language isn't their own, it can be daunting to enter your company. Your language skills could be a lifeline to them!

Interpreting services can be expensive and also time-consuming, so you could save your company money by being available for ad-hoc work. You're also familiar with your organization and it's context, so your opinion and interpretation will be more valuable.

If you possess this skill, then use it. It could open avenues into other areas of your business, and you'll almost certainly raise your profile and gain confidence in the process.

Getting noticed in your company or organization

Getting yourself noticed by senior management or executives maybe easier than you think. These people, like all people, are human beings. I've found that if you treat them that way, you have the best chance of getting to know them, and hopefully raising your profile.

The most effective way I have found is to take an interest in their affairs and have an opinion or extra 'content' (i.e. information of value) that would help them. An example of this might be to read your organization's internal newsletter and investigate further an executive's subject (using Google or whatever) or discuss it with colleagues. I've noticed your opinions can be most powerful if a) you have ideas on how your department or role can reduce costs, reduce risks or increase revenue, or b) it is outside of your core business function, demonstrating your understanding of the wider business context (a good corporate citizen thing to do!) If you get the opportunity to, briefly share your thoughts if you bump into them in the office. Or failing that, send them a brief email with a summary of your thoughts and invite them to discuss it further.

This won't always work, but keep trying. As I said, most executives are human beings so it's unlikely you will always receive a rebuttal or be ignored. Its about initiating and sustaining a relationship.

So if you do get a foot in the door, perhaps you could then agree to include the executive in any relevant emails that they would find intersting or relevant, and invite them to comment or conversely opt out. As well as the professional stuff, you should feel free to be yourself and talk about other things that might interest you both, such as sports or movies. You could pick up on something you notice in their office, such as a trophy or a magazine, which you share a common interest. The main thing is, offer something to show you're a human being too. Of course, respect personal boundaries and don't be too familiar!

Another important point is that the two most powerful people in an organization is the CEO, and then the CEO's personal assistant. Building a relationship with an executives PA is an effective means of building a strong relationship with the executive! I don't mean pay them flattery or buy them gifts - I do encourage you to take an interest as a fellow human being.

The upside of showing an interest in an executive's matters, and having a valuable opinion about it, is that you may just get a invite to discuss other subjects. You may also be the person who is recommended by the executive to be involved in other work or ideas. You could be a trusted member of their team.

You have nothing to lose if you're brave enough and take an interest. There really is no downside to being courageous enough to take an interest in your organization and its leaders.

Updated article on COMMERCE-SAVVY.COM - Self Awareness: Boosting your EQ as a Technical Professional

Abstract

"You may or may not be surprised to know that research has found that technical professionals have, on average, less ‘emotional intelligence’ (aka EI), than their colleagues in other departments. This means that technical professionals are generally less sensitive to the feelings and emotions of themselves and others, and therefore have a disadvantage in the workplace. The common measurement of EI is EQ, synonymous to IQ as a measurement of Intelligence."

This article discusses some quick boosts for technical professionals so that their EQ can develop with some simple exercises for you to try.

Find it at http://www.commerce-savvy.com/resources/SelfAware/selfaware3.htm

Build your network through LinkedIn

If you haven't logged in to LinkedIn yet, do so! (http://www.linkedin.com/)

Why?

LinkedIn is a professional network tool which gives you search and networking facilities, allowing you to extend your network beyond your contacts.

Members range from juniors to senior executives. Members can make recommendations to their contacts of other members. You'll also find job postings and if you're looking to recruit you'll find potential candidates. Whats more, its handy for looking up potential candidates or referred contacts to see if you have mutual acquantancies!

For beginners, it is to search for current and former colleagues and contacts already linked up to LinkedIn. A very useful feature allows you to compare your Outlook address book against a list of existing members who have already registered, speeding up the process of inviting people to your business network.

Give LinkedIn a shot! Connect me up with an invite - search for me as 'Simon Stapleton'

Thinking about Commerce? Think about a cafe!

If you want to know more about commerce, that is, how a business makes profit from trade, then think about a cafe, an example of a 'simple' business model.

A cafe is an example of a business with a simplistic business model. It makes profit from earning more money than it costs to provide food, beverages and associated products. But what is involved in running a cafe and how much does it cost?

Here is an excellent article that explains more: Social Business Planning

There's more to it than might be obvious. Remember every business has had to invest in its startup, suffers from running costs and overheads, and must pay for product development and other innovations. As well as any 'real profit' its owners want to take out.

Understanding how small businesses earn profit is a great way to learn how much larger, much more complex businesses pay their shareholders.

If you were born in the 70s... Does this article Ring a Bell?

Take a look at this article on the Harvard Business School website!
http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/5736.html

It discusses 'millenials' - those people born in the 70s - and their particular personality traits. Although it might not describe everyone born in this decade, it does ring true of many.

Take a look!

Please feedback any comments here.

Results on Instant Messaging in Business

I'd floated this question to many of the people I work with. The results (according to this sample set) is unanimous: Yes, but with caveats.

Why?

Here are some of the opinions expressed:

Colin Williams says "IM is particularly good for situations where the work group is widely distributed but in the same timezone. Its good for that 'let me check...' discussion or sharing of quick snippets. It reduces the burden on email and the response is also immediate in most cases."

Alison Roberts says "We use IM almost as a 'clocking in' mechanism so I know when my team are at their desk and available to talk. It is a good way of reducing costs of phone calls or shoe leather for less important issues, it certainly increases our productivity. However, the downside is that some folks use IM instead of picking up the phone internally or speaking face to face for the gritty stuff.... so I have had to lay down some ground rules for its use."

Mick Stephens says "We love IM for its simplicity and it reduces the size of my inbox!"

James Trevis says "IM doesn't replace one to one communication, but its good in my situation, which is virtual teams spread over a campus. We don't have many meeting rooms, so getting together on IM allows us to productively deal with matters"

Colleen Smith-Riley says "Yes Instant Messaging is a tool which we have successfully implemented and is widely used. The problem is that in a Financial Services organisation like mine, we need to retain control of *some* communication for regulatory purposes, so it isn't always applicable."

More comments are always welcome!

Note: I find that investigating this subject interesting, and it has a business context. My reason for bringing this into the blog is to get opinion on something that interests me, but it also highlights the kind of questions that any of us in the technical professions should be asking in order to understand the wider context of our craft in the business.

A reminder: There are some great articles on COMMERCE-SAVVY.COM

I recommend you take a look at the articles available on COMMERCE-SAVVY.COM. They're no-nonsense advice on getting ahead in business. I'd appreciate your feedback or suggestions for new articles.

Be Heard Series
Getting the Most from Email Communication in Business
The Importance of Feedback

Personal Awareness
Converting opportunities in technology to business value
Creating a Simple Boost to Your Interpersonal Skills as an IT Professional

Does Instant Messaging have a place in Business?

What's you opinion on whether Instant Messaging, i.e. tools like MSN Messenger oy Yahoo! Messenger, have a place in business? Are they inexpensive tools for widespread communication or are they a lure for loafing? Your comments are welcome.

My opinion is that if well controlled and audited, IM is a valuable business tool as it avoids the burden on email systems: the cost of storage and maintenance is growing rapidly. It also means that phone calls are potentially avoided, reducing call costs and the load on the phone systems. It makes economic sense.

Here's some comment from Living-It: http://www.living-it.co.uk/pages.asp?id=252

[You can see the results of this question here: http://commerce-savvy.blogspot.com/2007/08/results-on-instant-messaging-in.html]

Another Inspiring article from HBS: Technology Platforms and their commercial success

I really like this article (link below) - it deals with exactly the kind of thinking we need if we're going to break out of technical jobs. Read it please! It discusses how software platforms can revolutionise business. Its a great example of how a technical innovation can create innovative and large scale commercial opportunities. Particularly look for Hagiu's comments on the management skills needed to make technology innovations a commercial success.

http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/5482.html

When you've done reading this article, begin thinking about platforms you're aware and how they are commercially successful. One everybody should have heard of is the XBOX360 - it isn't just a games console; it is a marktetplace where games developers can showcase their work and consumers can purchase games all from the console, complete with inbuilt payment systems.

Creating Positive Energy in Yourself (2)

This is my second installment on this subject as I get reminded of it constantly! Positive energy is such a.... positive thing! Its what urges us to succeed, we should absorb and create as much of it as we can.

This time I'm considering the personal aspects of this subject

1) Boredom can generate negative energy; avoid it.

Not being busy and bored can spark negative energy in oneself. I've often found that people who are feeling stuck or without motivation are underwhelmed by their job, or perhaps don't have enough to do. Often this can be as a result of lack of proactivity on the individual's part, and sometimes because of poor management or leadership. Either way, if it sets in it can be very destructive. So don't let it. Whenever I've spotted the potential for boredom to creep in, I've proscribed myself a course of research. Investigating subjects that are not part of the day-to-day grind can open up new opportunities, or even prompt a re-examination of the way I'm conducting my job, such as the use of a different toolset. Creating and maintaining a list of research subjects, however various, is a good thing to do. And keeping them relevant to your job or your business is great - you won't get into trouble for loafing! Perhaps one could look at how your business turns profit, and how your competitors do it? Perhaps one could investigate better methods for design or documentation of a solution? Maybe one could research into courses for your colleagues. Either way, make the subjects engaging and useful with a potential outcome for yourself and your organisation. You could also make appointments to sit with colleagues from different functions or departments and see how they conduct their job.

2) Set yourself aggressive targets.

Although your employer or boss may set you objectives or targets that are challenging, why not set yourself higher targets rather than accept whats given to you? This will certainly create positive energy in you and create motivation to challenge the status quo. Acceptance to achievable targets (although important in business) can keep you well within an established rut, and you could simply be coasting. Many leadership books talk about a 10% stretch, i.e. give youself a challenge which is greater than the one you would normally accept. It works. I use this often and so do many successful people.

3) Set short terms goals.

Notwithstanding point 2, its much better to set yourself a series of smaller challenges than one huge one. By taking an incremental approach to your goals, you'll reap the benefits of each milestone and gain confidence in your progress, further boosting your motivation. For example, you could set yourself the target of climbing Everest at 29,035 feet (8850 meters), or you could set yourself 2,904 sequential targets of climbing 10 feet! You might not be able to climb the summit of Everest, but you're likely to be able to succeed in many of those targets. Use this thinking in an everday situations.

A good book to read...

Here is a good book to read for boosting your commercial awareness of IT. It explains how organisations view IT in terms of the benefits it provides against the 'bottom-line', how business cases are constructed and accounted for, etc. Its very insightful. Anyone who wants to break out of core IT into the business arena must read this book!

Effective Measurement and Management of IT Costs and Benefits (Amazon.com)

Effective Measurement and Management of IT Costs and Benefits (Amazon.co.uk)

Creating Positive Energy in Yourself (1)

I've decided to create a series of posts based on positive energy and I will summarise them soon in an article on the COMMERCE-SAVVY.COM website (http://www.commerce-savvy.com/).

In this first article, I'm going to talk about positive and negative sources of energy, and perhaps dispell some myths. So on that note, I'd like to focus first on...

1) Issues and Problems are not necessarily negative sources of energy!

When people come to you with a problem, do you always react with a negative? I doubt it. Problems can create strong desire to change, and can give you a boost to do something positive. For example, if a colleague comes to you and tells you that a project will be delivered late, it could provoke a burst of energy in you to bring delivery back to the deadline. In these 'crisis moments', all normal rules can be suspended and it may give you the legitamacy and latitude to bring people together who wouldn't normally do so, or perhaps make a decision based on your gut. I must admit, these moments are my favourite. Personally, I have risen much further in colleagues expectations due to crises; my brand of leadership has brought us out of a mire to a positive result.
When issues are uncovered when the solution is in the hands of the messenger, this can be disheartening; it can feel like you're being dumped upon. Often, people in different teams aren't communicating which stems other problems. You can turn this into a positive by motivating both parties to resolve the situation together by symbollically showing them their common enemy - a deadline or an unexpected cost.
And sometimes a problem is not really a problem, or a significant one anyway. A positive boost to what might seem a bad situation is to critically look at it and ask 'Does it really matter'? So what if so and so is hacked off? So what is we miss that date, is the alternative worse? A neutral position is sometimes the best one.

2) Popular people are not always positive people

Some people like to 'know stuff' that others don't and selectively share it. Some people likely to hold a coven and share negative views. Some people just enjoy a good moan at others, and to receive a good moan. But these people are influencers and have a degree of charisma, and shouldn't be ignored.

2) Minimise the effect of negative people

Negative people can often spread negative feelings like wildfire. You should try to surround yourself with positive people, but that isn't always possible. Often the root of a negative person's attitude is their perception of some major wrongdoing against them. And its something that can be in their deeper past. If you can't eradicate these people from your sphere of interest, then you'll have to deal with them, and perhaps in an unfair way relative to others. But it will pay dividends. If you can get a negative person singing a positive tune, it will have an amplified effect on you and the rest of your team. Look for quick wins; can you change their job title? Or their desk location?

3) Don't become negative when people don't see things your way - learn from it

As a person from a technical background, you will often find that some people marginalise your opinions on general matters or consider your hard work as a background task. This can be frustrating! But don't be. Use the occasions when this happens to learn - its your responsibility to do that. Reflect on the personal interchange and consider the language you used, or the way your points were communicated. Did your language contain jargon? Was it accessible to the other person? Did you use email instead of talking one to one? Was the other person listening? Use these experiences to look into your behaviours and adjust them, and try again. See this as a challenge you must overcome.

4) Accept the worst and beat it

A powerful thought tool is in any given situation, accept the worst possible outcome. Know what this means and accept it has already happened. Anything you do from this point is a bonus. This technique is used by many successful people. Once you've accepted the worse case, you can begin to construct positive steps to improve the situation, and you'll do so with positive energy.
Conversely, I've found that technical people are often perfectionists. Technical perfection is the only acceptable position. But in the commercial world, this rarely exists. Its mostly about compromise. So why try to gain perfection? If its an impossibility, then the only outcome is disappointment and negativity. Change things around and you'll find that you not only feel and act more positively, you're unlikely to deliver anything of less quality!

MORE WILL FOLLOW!

Giving up control: losing the detail

A number of people have said that one of their biggest issues when moving up the career ladder is knowing how to give up control of the 'detail', i.e. influence and decision making of technical matters. To some people, its losing their edge - their very basis of power and expertise. I think this can be a big misconception, particularly by those people who are already feeling the pull towards leadership positions.

I went through this journey myself.

Breaking out of this mindset took a long time, and I managed it by eventually realising that having a strong understanding of the concepts of technology, and how to make it sound sensible and accessible to the layman, is even more powerful. Our role must be able to influence people outside of techie-dom. Decisions of funding, risk management and acceptance of business cases are generally performed by non-techies.

So I've found that:

1) Understanding the overall concept of a technology,
2) Seeing how it fits into the big picture and the business environment,
3) Being articulate in its value-add,
4) Understanding its costs, and
5) Being able to describe it in simple, plain English

... is the most powerful application of technology!

Are you at a career impasse?

Then take a look at this great article on the Harvard Business School website:

http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/5548.html

It gives a great insight into the psychological side of feeling stuck in a professional rut, and some valuable ideas on how to deal with it.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this article. Email me!

First Post!

This is the inaugral post of the COMMERCE-SAVVY.COM Blog! Yeah!

This blog will publish a variety of tips and alledged wisdom from me, Simon Stapleton, on matters relating to personal development and breaking out of techie-dom into the business arena.

Feel free to comment or contribute, but please, keep it clean!