Management Blog

Scooter numbers on the rise

Expect to see more professionals leaving their cars at home and deciding to ride a scooter or motorbike to work, social trends researchers predict.
       
The Sunday Telegraph says new research has found there has been a 10 per cent increase in bike registrations in the last 12 months alone and a 36 per cent increase in numbers since 2003.
   
Speaking to the Telegraph, social researcher Mark McCrindle says the growing popularity of scooters stems from their ability to make riders feel both green and cool.
       
The ability to take advantage of free parking at inner city locations and avoidance of the waiting times involved in public transport commutes are also cited as reasons for their growing popularity.

Ideas for meetings of the future

Will you soon be attending a meeting that uses holograms or inflatable multimedia to get its speakers messages across?

TrendhunterTV has developed a list of 10 'meeting 2.0' concepts featuring ideas that range from the wild and wacky (PowerPoint karaoke) to potentially powerful (brainstorming video tables).

The video also includes a brief snapshot of life as Google employee.

The globe's top innovators revealed

FastCompany has placed the globe's brightest companies under the microscope to develop its 2010 list of the world's most innovative firms.

While some usual suspects like Apple and Google made the list, a number of small companies that have made a big impact in the innovation stakes are also included.

Here's the top 20:

1. Facebook
2. Amazon
3. Apple
4. Google
5. Huawei
6. First Solar
7. PG&E
8. Novartis
9. Walmart
10. HP
11. Hulu
12. Netflix
13. Nike
14. Intel
15. Spotify
16. BYD
17. Cisco Systems
18. IBM
19. GE
20. Disney

The magazine has also categorised top innovators by sector, such as marketing, biotech, food, technology and transportation.

MS Office integrates social networking

In a development that could see Facebook become even more of a fixture of the modern workplace, Microsoft has announced plans to weave social networking services into its Outlook email program.

According to The Age, a test version of the popular email program has been released that enables Outlook to automatically reveal updates for the social networking site LinkedIn.

In addition, Microsoft says it is currently working with Facebook and MySpace to integrate additional social media services into the Office suite.

The software giant says the move is all about 'bringing friends, family, and colleagues into your inbox', but the move also has the potential to further blur the boundaries between work and play.

What do you think? A great idea or productivity killer?

The dos and don'ts of networking

Many professionals don't take networking seriously until they start looking for a new position – an oversight that can hinder job-hunting success, a recent Harvard Business Review post argues.
       
A better approach is to build your network before you actually need something, a process that goes well beyond merely collecting business cards.
       
After seeking out the advice of networking exerts on the subject the Review found that a theme emerged: the best way to build a relationship is to look for ways you can help a new contact.

In addition to offering case studies and different approaches to networking success, the post also offers a list of networking dos and don'ts that are well worth considering.
   
Do:

• Be genuine to gain credibility and keep long-term relations
• Feed the network (via Twitter, Facebook, emails etc) to pass on useful information and show you are engaged
• Offer to help using humor and tact

Don't:

• Focus on getting something from a new contact immediately
• Hide behind technology and avoid face-to-face networking
• Forget to read your audience and provide a personal approach

A strategic approach to criticising strategy

At some point in their careers most managers will be asked to implement a strategy they don't necessarily agree with. So what do you do, follow the leader or stand up and be heard?

If you choose the latter option, a recent Harvard Business Review blog post suggests you ask yourself a few questions before crying out 'wrong strategy'. In summary, these include:

• Look for the bigger picture – use your network to find out more about the strategy development process and the assumptions used to formulate the strategy
• Consider the context – ask yourself why you are uneasy about the strategy; consider if your concerns about the strategy are the result of you simply having a different opinion
• Proceed with caution – Speak to your direct manager first and when sharing your concerns provide data that supports why you're questioning the strategy

The post offers a number of case studies to back its points as well as a list of dos and don'ts for managers with strategy concerns.

Office workers more open to romance: study

A new US study has found office romance is on the rise and that workers are less concerned about hiding their romantic attachments, Inc. reports.

According to the CareerBuilder study, nearly 67 per cent of employees say there is no need to hide a workplace relationship, an increase from 54 per cent in 2005.                   
In addition, the study found 37 per cent of respondents said they had engaged in a workplace fling at some time during their working lives.

What do you think? Are Australian workers are more open to workplace romances than their American counterparts or less so?

The benefits of 'flipping the funnel'

Too many companies are ignoring the value of brand loyalty in favour of continually attempting to attract new customers, according to the new book Flip The Funnel by Joseph Jaffe.

Jaffe claims it costs the majority of businesses between five to 10 times more to attract a new customer than it does to retain an existing one.

A smarter (and potentially less expensive) approach is to focus on facilitating positive word of mouth, a process that can act as a multiplier for future business.

Jaffe calls this the 'flip the funnel' model, a set of rules for customer service that focus on digital media to boost loyalty and turn customers into powerful brand advocates.

According to 800 CEO Read, a number of case studies are offered in the book including Apple, The Obama Campaign, Dell, Panasonic, American Airlines, Johnson & Johnson and Coca-Cola.

Green innovation - turning whisky into energy

An innovative alcohol manufacturer located on a Scottish island is attempting to turn whisky into energy in a bid to reduce the carbon footprint of its distillery industries.

A recent article in The Australian describes how Bruichladdich Distillery is building an anaerobic digester to convert whiskey byproducts into energy-providing methane gas.

According to the article, the distillery has initiated the project in response to the whisky industry's growing concern about its carbon footprint, one of the highest for any food or drink.

Converting yeast waste into electricity could also help solve the environmental problem of sending distillery byproducts out to sea.

If also adopted by other local whisky makers the system has the potential to generate enough power to meet the entire island's energy needs.

Rapper to open business school

Fancy being taught a thing or two about entrepreneurship by Professor P.Diddy?

According to a recent BusinessWeek article, rapper, actor and fashion designer Sean 'Diddy' Combs – aka P.Diddy – is set to open his own business school in New York City's Harlem.

Multimillionaire Combs say that launching his own school will allow him to be a positive role model for young business people.

Also on the topic of entrepreneurship, a recent Harvard Business Review quiz offers a number of questions that can help you decide whether you're innovator material or not. You'll find it here.