XPLANE.COM > bBlog / Archive: July 2004

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What Gets Measured Gets Done

July 31st, 2004 | Comments Off | Posted in Project management

“I think the soundest management advice I’ve heard is the old saw; ‘What gets measured gets done.’ My own organization applies this dictum rigorously. Our five-day executive seminars are organized around a series of ‘promises’ which demand of our participants practical action in our areas: customers, innovation, people and leadership. We quantify wherever possible. Although some of the promises may seem wildly ambitious, each is thoroughly grounded in observed business practice, usually in the toughest markets.”

The Cliff

July 30th, 2004 | Comments Off | Posted in Entrepreneurship

“I got two different business plans from friends today. Both of these guys are big thinkers, entrepreneurs through and through and destined for greatness. And both had precisely the same problem with their plan. It’s a problem that’s becoming very common… for products, for services, online and off. The problem is caused by our networked world, the quest for the Cow and the goal of reaching a Tipping Point.”

Survey: Tech support time costly

July 30th, 2004 | Comments Off | Posted in Technology

“Thirty-six percent of white-collar workers spend 30 minutes or more each week on the phone with their companies’ technical support services, which costs businesses plenty, according to a new study.”

A Less Traveled Road for MBAs

July 30th, 2004 | Comments Off | Posted in Entrepreneurship

“Each year, the MBA Enterprise Corps sends MBAs to teach management skills to small-business owners in developing nations.”

Budgeting for Advertising and Customer Experience

July 30th, 2004 | Comments Off | Posted in Customers

“A couple of years back, a potential client contacted me about improving her company’s website. It seemed like a good fit: the company was (and is) an established, profitable company; and improving the customer experience would, without a doubt, create significant gains in metrics like revenue and customer acquisition. The site needed help, customers were frustrated, but with a bit of work the business could enjoy enormous returns. The problem came when we talked about fee.”

The End Of Management?

July 28th, 2004 | Comments Off | Posted in Business

“With experimental markets, workers are betting on their company’s future ó and moving in on the boss’s domain.”

Best companies stay on top by being open to new ideas

July 28th, 2004 | Comments Off | Posted in Leadership, Office culture

“Why are some organizations successful year after year while other seemingly extraordinary companies eventually fall by the wayside? I believe it comes down to having leaders who understand how to manage innovation and growth throughout the life cycle stages of an organization.”

NewBiz: Does Innovation Fuel Start-Ups?

July 25th, 2004 | Comments Off | Posted in Entrepreneurship

“If you believe the hype, start-ups are an innovative breed that go against the grain of conventional business. But are they? A new study says the vast majority are not, leading one to wonder whether innovation is what it takes to start companies, or if they’re really fueled by something else.”

Search Is On

July 25th, 2004 | Comments Off | Posted in The Web

“The search-engine world is changing everything, from how your company markets and advertises to how your employees create and share information.”

Europeans will work more like we do before we work less

July 25th, 2004 | Comments Off | Posted in Life

“Recently, European employers have begun to demand more work from their workers. The six-week vacation remains sacrosanct, so far, but the powerful IG Metall union agreed to increase the workweek to 40 hours from 35 hours at two Siemens plants in Germany. Siemens had threatened to move 2,000 jobs to Hungary. DaimlerChrysler also is asking some of its German workers to lengthen their hours. In France, union members at a Robert Bosch plant agreed to give up eight holidays after the company threatened to move their jobs to the Czech Republic. France’s finance minister wants to loosen the law requiring a 35-hour work week.”