Management Blog

Facebooking with the boss

The decision to accept your boss' request for Facebook friendship is never an easy one… fortunately the people at cnn.com have taken the time to consider this very 21st century dilemma.

Ultimately it's suggested that declining the invitation isn't a great idea for your career, but employees are advised to clean up any content that might offend before accepting the friendship.

To ensure you emerge from the online friendship looking like a true professional the following tips are offered:

• The Wall - this is the place where friends can place comments and videos on your profile, so it might be a good idea to monitor (and sometimes delete) what people post on it about you
• Networks - in your settings you can restrict who sees what information, e.g. you can stop your boss from viewing your photos or reading messages on your 'Wall' entirely
• Audience - tweak your settings so that people who aren't your friends cannot see your profile as future employers may seek out your Facebook presence

And if you're unsure about just how change your privacy settings, check out this clever little instructional video.

Smell and sound rule consumers

Most of the world's marketers are fixated by visual cues, but smell and sound are the senses that really matter when building a brand, according to neuro-marketing guru Martin Lindstrom.

Lindstrom bases his claim on the world's largest neuro-marketing study, which measured the thought patterns of thousands of consumers as they were exposed to various brands.

Just one of the study's many findings included the observation that Nokia's signature phone tune made people physically sick because it led them to think of work and meeting deadlines.

The study also found that sex doesn't sell like it used to. Apparently its power has been diluted because we are now exposed to so much sexually charged imagery.

Lindstrom says the study indicates some brands are capable of evoking an almost religious following.

Apple, for example, is said to have a cross-like emblem (its logo), an inspirational leader (Steve Jobs) and places of worship (retail outlets).

Via AustralianIT

Green resumes matter to employers

In our increasingly eco-conscious world not having a 'green resume' could cost you that next job or promotion, The Guardian reports.

Research by UK recruitment website fish4jobs indicates a third of employers would turn down a job seeker because they had inadequate green credentials.

And it appears the desire of companies to employ eco-conscious people is equally strong in Australia.

Speaking to CareerOne, management consultant Caroline McAuliffe says most companies now also report on their triple bottom line, an indicator that includes environmental issues.

McAuliffe says job seekers with green CVs have an edge as they are seen as being capable of imbedding green values into the culture of an organisation.     

If you're keen to go green, the Environmental Jobs Network - a not-for-profit organisation that connects job hunters to roles in the environmental sector - is suggested as a good place to start.

The university that Apple built

Could the university of the future be brought to you by Apple?

Fast Company suggests it's a very real possibly in the wake of a study that indicates students listen more effectively to podcast delivered lectures than they do to face-to-face presentations.

According to researchers, students who listened to a podcast lecture received a 72 grade when tested, while lecture group students received a 61 grade in the same test.

Clearly ahead of the curve on this one, Apple has opened iTunes University, an initiative that allows teachers to upload customised educational materials for student use.

Fast Company argues that if the practice takes off we can expect to see a flow-through effect across the publishing world with more and more educational titles being delivered by audio.

Tips for change focused managers

The global economic crisis is causing many employees to crave certainly, a development that can result in a heightened resistance to organisational change.

So how do you break through this barrier when change is inevitable? By communicating clearly and often, according to a recent The Harvard Management Update article.

Taking inspiration from Jeanie Daniel Duck's book The Change Monster: The Human Forces that Fuel or Foil Corporate Transformation and Change, the following tips are offered:

• When change initiatives are first announced managers should interpret events for staff in specific, unambiguous terms
• Ease tensions by explaining to employees what the changes mean to them
• Spell out how you intend to communicate with staff as changes unfold e.g. a weekly meeting or regular emails
• Don't just say what's happening, also explain why change is happening as knowledge can ease uncertainty
• Expect emotional upheaval, it is often enviable when people are required to abandoned habitual work practices

The 'man heel' returns

Are 'man heels' on their way to colleague near you?

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, man heels have become a hot fashion trend with vertically challenged gents playing catch up to high-heeled partners and colleagues.

A recent Dior runway show featuring male models in 6.5-centrimetre stacked heels is said to have started the trend, which could see man heels regain their 1970s levels of popularity.

Some wits are describing the proliferation of stacked heels as 'The Sarkozy Effect', a tongue-in-cheek nod to the French President's penchant for high shoes.

And it turns out he's not the only one.

The Herald claims Daniel Craig wore stacked heels during James Bond's Quantum of Solace adventure, while Sean Penn, Tom Cruise and Cliff Richard are also said to have embraced the trend.

Branson embraces in-flight meal complaint

The master of spin has done it again. Sir Richard Branson's claim that he laughed his head off after reading a highly detailed letter of complaint has made headlines around the world.

Affronted letter writer Oliver Beale sent Branson the letter after claiming to have endured a 'culinary journey of hell' on a Virgin Atlantic flight from India to England, The Age reports.

But instead of being offended by claims that an in-flight dish contained 'more mustard than a man could consume in a month', Branson offered to employ Beale as a culinary consultant.

Was the complaint a PR stunt, a practical joke, or the work of someone with too much time on their hands? You be the judge, The Age has published letter in full and photographs here.

And if all this gets you in the mood to further explore the highs and lows of in-flight dining check out airlinemeals.net, a website that shows images of in-flight meals from every airline imaginable.

Twitter may charge microblogging brands

Twitter has confirmed it is investigating ways to charge brands that use its increasingly popular microblogging service, Marketing magazine reports.

Not surprisingly, the pay-per-tweet initiative has resulted in heated discussion in the Twitterverse with many questioning who and what should be classed as a brand.

For example, Marketing ponders whether celebrities who tweet will be classed as brands as a star's online popularity has the potential to build bank balances.

The fact that some companies are encouraging their employees to tweet is another complication with commentators noting it can often be difficult to distinguish between work and social messages.

But you can't blame Twitter for wanting to cash in on its own success, especially at a time when online advertising is one of the few shining lights in the advertising sector.

The IAB's Australian Online Advertising Expenditure Report last week predicted the Australian online advertising market is set to reach the $2 billion mark this year.

The IAB says a growing number of marketers now see online as a 'core' advertising medium that offers a more cost effective means of engaging consumers, Smart Company reports.

10 career building ways to earn respect

No doubt taking its cues from the 73-year-old classic How to Win Friends and Influence People penned by Dale Carnegie, The Times has developed a list of tips for managers in the making.

According to article, those wishing to climb the corporate ladder should incorporate 10 influence-building guidelines into their working lives. In summary, these include:

1. Be personable – rapport is the ‘WD40 of business’ so it pays to take an interest in people’s lives outside work

2. Respect matters – being liked should always play second fiddle to being respected; demonstrating leadership leads to respect

3. Brevity rules – don’t waste colleagues’ time, get to the point and be clear about your goals

4. Consider context – be aware of any cultural and professional constraints that co-workers may be experiencing

5. Listen up – you can only figure out the needs of your audience by listening to them

6. Good karma – be helpful to others and they’ll return the favour

7. Think about your timing – avoid meeting with someone when they’re under pressure and consider the benefits of informal chats

8. Pay it forward – sometimes it’s worth giving up credit for an idea if it streamlines the implementation process

9. Style it up – the way you look and act makes a difference

10. No mind games – show guidance but let people find their own paths

Prepare to 'un-conference'

A leading Australian futurist claims business conferences could be headed for extinction in the wake of a growing 'un-conference' trend, news.com.au reports.

Ross Dawson says it makes little sense for people to sit in darkened rooms and watch talkfests all day long when the internet can provide instant access to the world's best speakers.

It's claimed un-conferences enable participants to create their own agenda using new media technologies that can facilitate discussion panels, breakout groups and one-on-one exchanges.

According to the article, a new breed of faster, shorter and more entertaining presentation styles is also evolving to offer content that's more relevant to time-poor audiences.

An example is the recent Ignite Sydney, an event that gave 12 speakers the opportunity to get their message across in five minutes using just 20 slides.

Vowing 'death to Powerpoint', the event included speakers on topics including innovation, design, hip-hop, photography and digital marketing.