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Our bird feeder has been getting quite an interest recently. However, I must admit, I wasn’t thinking about feeding Steller’s Jay when I picked the bird feeder or the food.
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Are your customers bending over backwards to use your product? Do they get the value they expect?
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How about your support crew? How are they handling the mess of the situation?
Technorati Tags: target customer
I was recently pinged regarding to the challenges of managing geographically dispersed teams. The wisdom below is based on my experience. How about you, are your observations different?
Overall, I found the leadership and management challenges of managing geographically distributed teams similar to day-to-day leadership challenges. However, distance, cultural diversity and communication differences make it even more challenging to ensure your teams are aligned with your values, processes and are working together towards the same goal with the same level of urgency. In my experience, I learned that I can’t assume that I am understood (even if I hear “yes, I understand” from the other side). I need to make sure to take the time to educate my teams on our processes, explain the context of my decision making process, discuss my values and how we do business in general. Establishing trust and good communication is essential in managing global teams.
Managing people, regardless of location, is a great reminder that I am in the people business, and not necessarily the technology business. With that, once the processes are understood and a few glitches are dealt with, the coordination process becomes smooth. However, when you are dealing with people, you will always have misunderstandings, miscommunications, etc. These tend to cause the coordination problems, and take the most effort to iron out, since you need to solve the root of the problem and not just deal with the symptom (such as coordination issues, misunderstood expectations, etc.)
Culture and language differences are yet another challenge to deal with. It is important to be aware of cultural diversity, as it can cause unnecessary tension and problems. Language and method of communication tends to be the bigger challenge. As an example, e-mail distribution lists are a great way to convey information and can be used heavily for decision making. However, the quantity and verbosity of email can be quite difficult for non-english speakers. So, your main issue is how to structure your communication such that your audience can understand and act on it as you intended.
When dealing with distance, I think there is always an aspect of out of sight, out of mind, which applies to both sides. Distance and time zones contribute to the challenges of communication and trust. In my experience a few hours of difference (such as the case of neighboring US States) wasn’t an issue. However, when you are dealing with differences of culture, holidays, work days (M-F vs. Su-Th) as well as large time zone differences (8+ hrs), you need to be aware of potentially burning out your teams. Active management of these issues (such as rotating meeting hours, face-to-face meeting locations, establishing quiet days, etc.) certainly helps.
I am a believer in over-communicating. I use face to face meetings (crucial, especially with very diverse teams and at the beginning and the middle of projects for best coordination), phone calls for 1:1s (personal updates), conference calls (web, video, phone, …) with my management staff, conference calls with all my teams, emails and instant messaging. Agendas as well as clearly stating the context of the issue and outcomes expected (including any boundaries, etc.) are key to good communication on both sides.
Technorati Tags: global teams, distributed team management
We were fortunate. Our skies over Seattle was clear and we had a great showing of the lunar eclipse. The next total lunar eclipse is not till December 2010.
To mark this memorable event, here is the quote of the night from my almost 10-year old son.
Being a parent is hard. I have watched enough cartoons to know that it’s true.
-Tark
Creativity was wandering around aimlessly, without a purpose, almost lost. Inspiration wondered what might be the cause of such restlessness. As she reached her arms forward, something changed, something awakened. A glimmer of excitement and light appeared in Creativity’s eyes. Creativity could see and feel the purpose and the meaning she was yearning for. But would she, could she, should she?
Every step was a question in Creativity’s head. Each step forward was followed with a step sideways and back, yet it didn’t seem to matter. Could she? Would she? Inspiration longed for her sister’s help… If only she would come by and give her a helping hand. Inspiration couldn’t do this on her own…
It was dark, and Creativity was exhausted. Exhausted with the questioning, wondering, wishing, doubting… Just then, she looked up and saw a shooting star: “I wish I may, I wish I might; have the wish I wish tonight”. She tilted her head down. As the tears rolled off her peachy cheeks, her internal struggle to gather her strength and her will was obvious.
Inspiration reached out for her sister with all her heart and mind. She needed her, and she needed her now. This couldn’t wait! What happened next was magical. The two sisters were reunited: Motivation and Inspiration. They reached for each other and touched Creativity. They could not be stopped now. They were unstoppable.
…
For the first time in my life, I really felt the difference between motivation and inspiration. In life, many things motivate me: something new, something challenging, my integrity, the need to deliver my best… I don’t seem to run low in motivation; but now I am looking for my inspiration. My light went out, or it is really dim. I can’t tell.
A successful manager is a good motivator. A good leader is inspirational. A great leader delivers both: inspiration and motivation. One can’t just count on motivation to get through, day after day… Yes, the job gets done, but it is tiring, exhausting, draining. It is inspiration that simplifies and energizes, letting one finish with more than what one started with. Without it, the experience is like harnessing several dead horses together to increase speed.
I mentioned before that creativity is about combining ideas, approaches or actions in a unique and unexpected way, and establishing useful associations among what seems disparate ideas. Yes, inspiration is certainly needed to kick start the imagination and curiosity. But motivation is what drives the endless experimentation, trial and error, and the need to succeed.
It seems that many see motivation as an external force, a fear that is the opposite of inspiration. For me, inspiration and motivation are sisters who work best together, especially in the time of need. They are the why and the how so we can deliver the what.
At one time or another we may all lose our inner light for one or the other. We may not feel inspired.. Or we may not feel motivated.. But somehow, through the support of the other, we can rekindle what was once lost or dimmed. It is if we lose both that we may lose all hope. If you are not inspired nor motivated, what’s left?
May your light of inspiration and motivation forever burn bright, so in turn you can create and innovate with all your heart and mind.
…
In the end, Creativity went up a hill and came down a mountain.
The End
Technorati Tags: creativity, inspiration, motivation
reflections,
originally uploaded by binnur gul.
Amazing! Yet another year is done, when does it end? Wait, don’t answer that… Frankly, if it wasn’t for the calendar telling me otherwise, to me it is still 2007. Normally about this time of the year, I reflect on the past, wonder and plan for the future. Since every part of my senses still believe I am still in 2007, I have to manually kick start the reflection and pondering process. After all, it is part of the rejuvenation and renewal cycle.
Looking back, in my early years, I almost felt proud of the fact my brain was constantly on. Something about the phrase “I think therefore I am”… However, when I started meditating regularly, I became aware of how noisy and cluttered my thoughts are. Zen teachers often refer to this as having the monkey brain. Quite appropriate…
Is our mind our worst enemy? Think about it. 
What we see, observe and think is shaped by our life experiences and by our environment. How we respond to life changes and events is based on what we already consciously or unconsciously learned, know or intuitively observed. Our mind is our vessel for all of that knowledge and experience. It can move mountains or cause us to lose wars before the battle even begins.
Our brain is an amazing machine… Can I really, confidently define what is real and what is not? “If real is what you can feel, smell, taste and see, then ‘real’ is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain.”
The Power of Impossible Thinking: Transform the Business of Your Life and the Life of Your Business
“What you see is not really there; it is what your brain believes is there… Seeing is an active construction process. Your brain makes the best interpretation it can according to its previous experience and the limited and ambiguous information provided by your eye.”
The authors of Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
) where the increased knowledge and expertise creates an undetectable containment field that interferes with our ability to create and innovate, and break out of the rut. (Quack, quack, quack…)
It is in our nature to classify and generalize. As a matter of fact, our economy is built on our ability to identify the target market and customer, and then exploit it to its fullest. Don’t get me wrong. This ability to classify and generalize is an important function of our survival. Through this amazing skill, which we fine tune through our life experiences, we can problem solve and intuitively deduce how to behave, respond and communicate. Yet, this amazing ability can also create invisible walls that can take a lifetime to break, if then…
Zen teachers talk about the importance of having a beginner’s mind. It is this openness, the attitude of possibility, curiosity and childlike brevity to question, wonder and doubt that enables us to see things as fresh and new. Next time you have the opportunity, just follow a child through his day, you may be amazed at the possibilities.
So, how is all this tied to innovation and technology management? Quite simple actually. Thru self-awareness and realization it is possible to reinvent oneself. And, I truly hope reinvention is not just limited to near-death experiences as the Forrester blog highlights. The reinvention, rejuvenation and renewal are all necessary aspects of innovation and creativity. Through persistence it is possible to move mountains, where we can even put a man on the moon.
As departing thoughts, also take a look at Think Simple Now’s article on 7 habits of highly innovative people. If some of the items make into this years resolutions, be sure to make them SMART.
Happy New Year everyone!
Technorati Tags: beginner’s mind, reinvention, rejuvenation
Mongkhon BoPhit,
originally uploaded by binnur gul.
Well… I know I have been quiet, but I had a good excuse. Between visiting Thailand, recovering from jet lag, and the usual craziness of the holiday season, I haven’t been able to do anything more than just think about blogging. Honestly, I have been thinking about really cool topics to blog about, too!
Though it was work related, I was able to see some wonderful places around Bangkok. Turns out my visit coincided with the King’s 80th birthday celebration. As such, I got to experience and witness first hand the love the Thai people have for their King.
Thai people are kind and thoughtful. I was stuck in traffic for over 2 hours (mostly snoozing at the back of the car), and barely heard any loud horns. That level of patience is quite rare in the world.
I also noticed the newspapers frequently cover stories relating to global warming and impacts to the country and the economy. Perhaps this is due to the accelerated rate of globalization that is experienced in the region. Thailand seems to be divided on the topic as well. While the manufacturers in Thailand see globalization as a threat, public view reflects otherwise. However, they are concerned with the impact of globalization to the environment.
You can see the photos from my trip on Flickr.
Happy Holidays!
Technorati Tags: Thailand, globalization
Today is the Blog Action Day and this year’s topic is the environment. As technology managers, we are in a position of influence to reduce our impact on the environment. How we develop our innovations and technologies have just as much impact on the environment as the type of innovation and technologies we are working on. Here are few ideas on how we can incorporate more environmentally friendly decisions into our day-to-day technology management activities.
Yes, going green and the environment requires a shift in our thinking. However, it is not an either/or type of question. Going green will improve your customer relationships, and ultimately save money for your firm and your customers.
Reduce, Reuse and Recycle is the familiar 3Rs focused on producing less waste by the environmentally aware consumers. As a family, we include a 4th R: Refuse: refuse to clutter the environment with unnecessary waste.
Apply the 4R philosophy (Reduce, Reuse, Refuse, Recycle) into your projects. Remember, every little step counts.
Technorati Tags: blog action day, blogactionday
It has been a year since I started blogging. It has certainly been a fun and at times frustrating creative experience. Some weeks, it is quite a challenge to come up with a captivating topic that I am motivated to write about. Overall, it has been a great experience. And I hope some of my thoughts have sparked new ideas and possibilities for you as well.
So, here is the top 5 content of the year:
Thank you for your support! As always, drop me your thoughts and ideas for what you like to see on this blog for the upcoming year. Here is to a brand new year of blogging!
I finally created a Flickr account and even uploaded some of my photos…. Here is the fun part, FeedBurner will embed random photos to my feed. Hope you enjoy it!
I am a WSJ (Wall Street Journal) reader. I find the articles insightful and interesting, which makes it an enjoyable experience, especially with my morning coffee. However, I can’t say the same thing for their customer service experience. So, Mr. Murdoch, I hope you are reading this post and will take this customer’s recommendations to heart as you are developing your strategic plans.
I almost posted about my WSJ customer experience couple of months ago. You see, their Online Journal and Print Edition are two very different organizations, and they don’t share any subscription information at all. So, early this year, when I re-subscribed through WSJ Online which also gave me a print subscription, their Print Edition group had no idea. This wouldn’t normally be a problem, except I kept getting letters for subscription offers, which didn’t make any sense to me. Unfortunately, they also sent a letter accusing me of taking advantage of their good will for continuing my print subscription and urging me to re-subscribe for something that I already paid for! This issue was finally resolved when I got in touch with their print subscription service representative that admitted she doesn’t receive any notice from the Online WSJ group regarding the print subscriptions offered through their promotions.
Today, I ran into a different issue with WSJ services group. Guess what, for every new WSJ account, you need to create yet another user account to manage it. I actually called up their 800 number as I thought they could update my user information with the new account number, but no go… It is bad enough that I have a spreadsheet to manage my accounts/passwords, but now I have 3 different user accounts for one site and one is no longer valid???
When I asked how I can provide customer feedback and suggestions for their Website Services group, I was told that they would be happy to pass my feedback along. However, they don’t have any mechanism to submit it directly to them. Lack of customer connection is in my top 10 list of how NOT to innovate!
This is quite different than my UPS delivery experiences. I always enjoyed using UPS and their online tracking services. Yesterday, however, I was introduced to a new service from them, which has apparently been around for the past 6 months. It is an automated voice message that they send out when the package they are delivering requires a signature. The service today cannot give a specific delivery time (sometime between 8am-7pm). However, with the latest technology advances, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see an updated service integrated with their SMS messaging to give a 1-3 hour delivery window within the next 6 months.
Thank you for listening. For more on the importance of quality of your customer service and dangers of siloed organizations, please read my previous posts. If you happen to have one of these siloed customer service organizations, please take action today and put a strategic plan in place with specific milestones to fix it. How well you service your customers can be your strategic differentiation or a sign of your deteriorating brand.
Technorati Tags: WSJ, Wall Street Journal, customer service, Murdoch, UPS