The workplace jerk definition I use is this: do people feel oppressed, humiliated, de-energized, or belittled after talking to an alleged jerk? In particular, do they feel worse about themselves?

If your potential colleagues are self-centered, nasty, narrow minded, or unethical, he warned, you have little chance of turning them into [...]]]> Building the civilized workplace

The workplace jerk definition I use is this: do people feel oppressed, humiliated, de-energized, or belittled after talking to an alleged jerk? In particular, do they feel worse about themselves?

If your potential colleagues are self-centered, nasty, narrow minded, or unethical, he warned, you have little chance of turning them into better human beings or of transforming the workplace into a healthy one, even in a tiny company. In fact, the odds are that you will turn into a jerk as well.

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Gizmodo actually has a good point: Google would be protecting the brand from fragmentation, ensuring that the Android remains fully functional:

Sold without a [...]]]> Ohh that it were true! Thee are rumours about a new Google phone coming out in January for only $99, and although pure speculation it makes my mouth water in anticipation.

Gizmodo actually has a good point: Google would be protecting the brand from fragmentation, ensuring that the Android remains fully functional:

Sold without a carrier, software updates for the Nexus One will be in Google’s hands. They will be able to keep it up to date as Android develops, without having to depend on some other company—or companies—not to drop the ball.

The good part would be that, by creating a loss leader such as that, they will be generating a new generation of google users, with complete integration over the phone.

And, quoting reddit: “google just accidentally the whole cell phone industry.”

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The traditional providers of business software implementations are all happy and cushy in the knowledge that their cumbersome implementation, [...]]]> The rumors of the potential demise of SaaS seem to be exaggerated. True, there is a glut of companies, and the current business model doesn’t seem to give space to consolidation of services and customers.

The traditional providers of business software implementations are all happy and cushy in the knowledge that their cumbersome implementation, with their multi-million dollar contracts and hundreds of consultants per implementation, are here to stay: It is difficult to consider the current business without that massive attention to detail and customization on installations.

But SaaS is too young, and the processes are amenable to change still.

Businessweek’s Sara Lacy, in her article On-Demand Computing: A Brutal Slog points out the various problems that different vendors are experiencing, and the steep barriers to entry that this industry seems to have:

“SAP thought customers would go to a Web site, configure it themselves, and found the first hundred or so implementations required a lot of time and a lot of tremendous costs,” Richardson says. “Small businesses are calling for support, calling SAP because they don’t have IT departments. SAP is spending a lot of resources to configure and troubleshoot the problem.”

This is the quote that jumps at me, along with the 10 years $100 million figures: is it too soon to think of IBM and their mighty boxes, of enormous top-bottom infrastructure that gets subverted seamlessly by an innovative and surprisingly simple product? I think of dinosaurs and little animals that take their place, of open source and in-house modification instead of exorbitant consulting fees.

If configuration and user interface is the problem, there are deep issues of software architecture, openness and user experience that must and will be addressed. But all this is infrastructure, not technology.

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Now, to the point: zephoria asks for participation in her Case Study for the HBR.

Of course, in reality, few companies have their senior management, or their [...]]]> google. lower case google: you get more brand recognition and mind share by being a verb, not a brand: air is free, yet we all breath it.

Now, to the point: zephoria asks for participation in her Case Study for the HBR.

Of course, in reality, few companies have their senior management, or their possible employees, on facebook. Social media is quite recent, in geological years, although old in internet time.

But I see that, here in middle earth, people are afraid of or unaware of the possibilities of social media, opting for the more direct approach: house visit or phone message.

That said, it is interesting to see sites like linkedin generate all this interest, doubtless because people are running scared in a recession economy, and thus using all venues to enhance their employability prospectus.

Me? I do it for the social capital.

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What’s that slippery slope? [...]]]> We all know the famous quote, and whether Lombardi’s or some baseball person it is still valid.
And then, it is the corollary, from Seth Godin

Obsessing about the last inch of follow through ensures that the important parts of what you do get just as much (if not more) commitment.

What’s that slippery slope? That last inch of commitment?
Easy: The PM going home early because, you know, they are the PM. The diminished level of attention given to a problem. The slowly leaking tire.
Correct, complete follow-through won’t prevent the leaking tire, but it would ensure that you know the causes, and that you correct them.

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via Media Influencer

Heller remarks to Vonnegut that he has something that the billionaire can never have, “The knowledge that I’ve got enough.” These wise words provide a frame that can help you [...]]]> Bob Sutton, author of the “No Asshole Rule“, writes about ow Kurt Vonnegut gave permission to publish “Joe Heller”, and the background to that story:

Heller remarks to Vonnegut that he has something that the billionaire can never have, “The knowledge that I’ve got enough.” These wise words provide a frame that can help you be at peace with yourself and to treat those around you with affection and respect

Difficult wisdom!
via Sandra

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