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Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Six Disciplines Audio Books - Now Available



Audio books of the best-selling "Six Disciplines Execution Revolution" and the award-winning "Six Disciplines for Excellence" are now available - exclusively from Six Disciplines Publishing.

Each audio book is on 4 CDs, and each are available for U.S. retail $24.95. Order your audio books here!

Monday, September 29, 2008

The Benefits (?) Of The Networked Workforce

According to the latest Pew Internet research report on networked workers, people who own BlackBerrys and similar devices (Smartphones) pretty much never stop working.

Some findings from their research:
  • 62% of employed adults use the internet or email at their job, and many have cell phones and Blackberries that keep them connected even when they are not at work
  • 45% of employed Americans report doing at least some work from home
  • 18% of working Americans say they do job-related tasks at home almost daily
  • 70% of device owners check work-related emails on the weekend
  • 55% check work-related email on vacation
  • 70% check work-related email when they’re taking a sick day
  • 43% check work-related email when they’re shopping or commuting
  • 49% of workers say that technology has made their lives more stressful.
  • 71% said it has increased their flexibility.

Suprising? Not anymore.

It's a Digital Life - and there's no going back!

Thursday, September 25, 2008

A Leadership Crisis?

With all the bad news coming eminating from Wall Street, here's some refreshing news about leadership.

Our research shows the top most commonly mentioned attributes of an admired Leader:

  • Integrity
  • Honesty
  • Inspirational
  • Competent
Any more that have to be near the top? I encourage your Comments!

Monday, September 15, 2008

Small Business Television Network Features CEO Gary Harpst

Small Business Television Network (SBTV) features five podcasts with CEO and best-selling author, Gary Harpst.

The podcasts cover the following topics:

  • Setting Business Strategies
  • Execution Revolution and the Challenge
  • Surviving Slow Down Times
  • Sometimes It Is Time To Fire Your Client
  • Motivating the Workforce

Listen to these podcasts here.

Friday, September 12, 2008

Managing Teleworkers

As gas prices continue to skyrocket, more and more companies are using "teleworking" as an option for knowledge workers. Studies have demonstrated that increasing the number of teleworkers would ease the demand for gasoline, lowering fuel prices and lessening rush hour traffic.

In fact, about 28 million American workers do at least part of their jobs from home offices, telework centers, or other remote locations, according to a recent survey by the International Telework Association and Council.

Sometimes referred to as telecommuting or remote working, the benefits of being able to work from anywhere is just one more tool organizations are using to attract, motivate and retain talent and to foster a healthy work-life balance.

Fortunately for savvy managers, there's actually little difference between managing the performance of a teleworker and managing the employee who works at the main office.

Here are some guidelines for managing teleworkers:

  • Break employee work into objectives, projects, tasks, and action items. Assigning, tracking, evaluating, and rewarding work output using these specifics dramatically improves your knowledge of work activities, and helps with consistency in establishing expectations.
  • Telework needs to be performance-based - not activity-based. Just because you can't see an employee doesn't mean he's not hard at work. Tasks and projects must have clear goals, deadlines, and outcomes - they must be measureable. Results are more important than the activities themselves. Focus on the results of work performed not where it is performed.
  • Keep connected through technology. Phone, email, instant messaging - all driven by the Internet - are enabling teleworkers to be connected - and stay connected.
  • Establish a regular means of communications. Status updates and progress reporting needs to be done regularly and consistently.

Friday, September 05, 2008

Strategy Execution in Leadership Excellence

Read Gary's Harpst's newest thought-leadership article "Strategy Execution: Go With A Complete Program" - as published in the September issue of the highly-respected Leadership Excellence magazine.