Management Blog

The benefits of loving suppliers

Smart organisations don't just show their love for customers and employees, they also prove time and again how much their suppliers mean to them, according to a recent BNET blog post.

Author Michael Hess says many companies simply overlook the value of suppliers when a better approach is to recognise that they are as important as other stakeholders.

It's claimed a relationship with a supplier that involves being open, accessible and treating them as contributors to success ultimately results in a major competitive edge.

According to Hess:

"Suppliers are like employees: You can push them to bend to your wants, or you can make them want to push for you; you can offer the potential to be fairly rewarded, or you can limit their opportunities."

A range of ways organisations can build more proactive relationships with suppliers are also listed in the post.

The marketing opportunities of Instagram

iPhone photo sharing app Instagram is receiving a lot of buzz in marketing and advertising circles thanks to its ability to add a visual element to social media relationships, clickz.com reports.

It's claimed brands including National Geographic, NBC, Gucci, Levi's and Starbucks are engaging with Instagram's seven million users by sharing images that tell stories about their brands.

While Instagram images won't ever replace formal press photos or print ads, it's suggested the app offers an opportunity to send an immediate 'postcard' to social media fans.

Here are some possible tactics:

• Preview shots – using social photo sharing gives followers a sneak peek of new products without using a professional photographer
• Invite participation – ask your followers to upload photos that respond to your brand to create a viral buzz
• Extend the conversation – think of ways a still image may complement your non-social media marketing campaigns

How to build a great workplace

The key to achieving an engaged workforce is to build a 'great' workplace that encourages people to invest in both their jobs and colleagues, according to Harvard Business Review.

Instead of being an idealistic dream, it's suggested the notion of a great workplace may be more achievable than many employers and employees might believe.

The post suggests the key to greater engagement is to focus on four key workforce needs – physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. In summary, here are some suggestions on how to make this happen:

• Flexible workplaces that encourage privacy, collaboration and 'hanging-out' make people feel good about coming to work
• Get health conscious by encouraging exercise and healthy eating habits
• Be clear about expectations of what success looks like for every role in the organisation
• Encourage two-way performance reviews that allow staff to comment on their supervisors
• Be more than just an organisation that focuses on profits, explain how the organisation adds value to the world

Bright ideas for mini-marketing campaigns

The ability to make a big marketing splash without spending a huge amount of money is well within the reach of every business, according to a recent Inc article on mini-marketing campaigns.

After collecting the thoughts of marketing gurus from across the US, the article offers a series of quick, uncomplicated and largely inexpensive ways of gaining attention. Here are a few:

• Consider secondary audiences – most of the time marketers focus on core target audiences, but are you missing an opportunity to conduct small, targeted campaigns aimed at secondary audiences?
• Hold a 'pop-up' event – go where your contacts or customers gather to hold an 'pop-up' event that communicates the benefits of your offering; a great way to collect new leads
• Start a conversation – comment on topics that relate to your business via social media channels to connect with customers, but be wary of turning a conversation into a hard sell
• Reintroduce yourself – re-connect with clients or customers you are out of touch with; you know they have been interested in you at some point, so it's worth re-pitching

Employee tracking app shows real-time staff locations

Smartphone apps are offering organisations an increasing number of ways to easily track the location and status of 'on the road' employees, but is it a case of Big Brother taking over?

A recent Entrepreneur article looks at the pros and cons of mobile management software programs that detail the whereabouts of in the field staff via a range of smartphone devices.

According to the review one of the apps, TeleNav Track, enables real-time tracking of fleet logistics to improve the speed of dispatch services and provide data that can be used to enhance productivity.

The downside of the mobile management trend is that some employees may feel like they are being placed on 'too short a leash' with so much detail of their working lives being recorded. 

In order to avoid this pitfall it's suggested employee-tracking software is 'sold' to staff before it is deployed and that a strict privacy policy regarding data access is put in place.

The secrets of being a happy entrepreneur

The new book The Big Enough Company by Adelaide Lancaster and Amy Abrams looks at why some entrepreneurs succeed while others flounder, according to this BNET review.

After years of studying the habits of New York City start-up founders, the authors claim successful entrepreneurs know the following 'secrets':

• Pace yourself – running a business should be a marathon not a sprint; it's important to set boundaries to avoid burnout
• It's not all about size – generate your own definition of success rather than thinking “bigger is always better”
• Say no occasionally – not all opportunities are worth pursuing, consider which ones drain the company of energy and time
• Be honest about what you don't know – admit to knowledge gaps and be comfortable about asking for help to close them

Employees asked to rate firms for job seekers

A growing number of UK job hunters are gaining a sense of the day-to-day reality of an advertised position by logging onto a new website called thejobcrowd.com.

According to this Guardian article, the website rates companies based on information from current employees in terms of job roles, engagement and collegiality.

All of the information provided by current employees is anonymous to encourage realistic answers.

The article says job seekers can also pose questions about a firm to current employees in a bid to decide if a role would suit them.

It appears the insider knowledge job site trend is taking off in Britain with many top firms encouraging their staff to post responses in a bid to lure the country's top graduates to their organisations.

Overcoming the challenges of being a first time CEOs

Once they reach the top spot, first time CEOs often face a series of surprises including unfamiliar new roles, time and information limitations and altered relationships.

The best way to tackle these challenges, according to the Harvard's Jay Lorsch and Nitin Nohriam, is to manage organisational context rather than to focus on daily operations.

Talking to Harvard Business Review the authors claim one of the biggest learning curves a new CEOs must come to grips with is the ability to act in more indirect ways.

This includes focusing on setting and communicating strategy, putting processes in place and mentoring; in other words, setting the right conditions to help others make good choices.

CEOs are encouraged to enlist the voluntary commitment of staff rather than thinking they can force the obedience of others.       

It's also argued new CEOs should avoid becoming overly absorbed in his or her new role, which can lead to arrogance, exhaustion and ultimately a shortened tenure.

10,000 steps can reduce workplace stress

A new study suggests a worker who takes long walks each day and works out at the gym three times a week is capable of delivering an extra $2,500 worth of productivity gains a year, The Age reports.

The Body-Brain Performance Institute and Swinburne University study claims walking and gym time improve the ability of workers to plan, remember, pre-empt and make decisions.

Exercise can also result in a more harmonious workplace with a link between exercise and reduced stress being identified by the study.

The researchers say 10,000 steps a day resulted in a 2 per cent improvement, while the addition of vigorous exercise three times a week can improve an employee's bioage (fitness age) by five years.

It's claimed the research reflects other recent studies that have also established a connection between workplace encouraged exercise and productivity increases.

Smartphone apps boom in popularity

Smartphone apps are continuing to rise in popularity with a new study estimating almost 5 billion mobile phone apps will have been downloaded in the Asia-Pacific region by the end of 2011.

According to Marketing, the study by telco analyst Ovum also suggests yearly downloads will triple over the next five years.

It's claimed Google's Android operating system will overtake Apple's platform in terms of app downloads for the first time this year; after Apple, the Windows Phone platform is the third most popular.

But despite Android being the most adopted smartphone platform the researchers claim Apple still provides the greatest revenue earning potential for app developers.

Some of the challenges for organisations that are keen to develop an app are described, including the increasingly complicated process of deciding which slightly different operating system they should select.