Take Part In a World Wide Survey

Posted on 28. Jun, 2006 by Wayne in General

COLLABORATE ON A MAJOR WORKPLACE SURVEY AND RECEIVE A FREE COPY OF THE REPORT. This is the survey we spoke about on Show 52. Please take part……

It’s beyond question that the very nature of work itself is changing more radically than the economic world that surrounds it.

However, the perennial questions for forward-looking business leaders are; “what’s actually happening in the workplace?”, “are these changes beneficial?”, and “what should I be doing about it?”  To provide insight on how to ‘operate in the today’, JBA and the UK’s Durham University are undertaking a major study of work practices and how executives can actually change business performance.

In return for taking less than 20 minutes of your time to complete a survey (http://questionnaire.jbassociates.uk.com) we’re delighted to offer a free copy of this seminal report.  To receive your personal copy of the report, simply drop an e-mail to wayne@achismarketing.com

 

 

The Cranky Middle Manager Show #52 Managing Virtual Teams with John Blackwell

Posted on 24. Jun, 2006 by Wayne in Podcast

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The Cranky Middle Manager Show # 052

A good show and a chance to take part in a world-wide University study…not bad for a rinky dink little show like this one gang…. First the show notes, then the details on the study.

SHOW NOTES
0:00 We start with a tribute to Hermes- the Messenger of the Gods. Bet he puts on a hell of a conference call. You’ll also find out why he’s the epitome of the middle manager.

2:40 The quote of the week is from Marie De Daffend

4:00 Welcome John Blackwell, Management-Issues writer and expert on the changing work place. Virtual work is good for the company, great for the employee and hell on the managers.

7:10 Do companies know what they’ve got with their virtual employees and what’s their responsibility? They need to coach their staff to understand the new dynamics. John then tells us it’s okay to answer email on vacation…

10:02 What are organization’s conscious of and how are they responding?

14:15 A case study. I love it when my guests can talk to specifics.

18:55 Why do virtual managers walk in fear? We’ve always had OUR managers close at hand and have been through what we’ve been through. Now we’re in uncharted waters… management by walking around is fine, but it’s a long walk to Mombai…

23:30 There are tools that can help with increasing human interaction…but we have to use them. It’s all about connection. Reducing turnover pays real dividends

25:29 Starting June 28th, John and University of Durham in the UK are conducting a world-wide survey of how people really work today. You can find out more at http://questionnaire.jbassociates.uk.com/. I’ll make a big announcement on that date. Listeners who take part will receive a free copy of the results.

Check out the cool research John’s doing here.

The Future of Training- as Seen in 1999

Posted on 20. Jun, 2006 by Wayne in General

While researching something for The Dreaded Day Job, (full disclosure, not so dreaded, but it is my day job) I came across this article written in 1999 on the future of training and adult education in the “2000s”. It stems from the work of Fred Keller, and his “Theory of PSI- Personalized System of Instruction.”

I think if you heard Show 51, the folks at Electronic Arts seem to subscribe to this theory- either organically or because someone did their homework.

As someone who has made his living doing classroom training for over a decade, I subscribe to it as well. Let’s recap:

• Determine the material to be learned
• Divide the material into self-contained modules
• Create methods of evaluating the learning
• Allow learners to cover modules at their own pace…

I might add “Using whatever means is necessary for that learner to acquire the knowledge”. This means you can add blogs, podcasts and websites to the standard list of books, college classes and other standard sources that have served for so long.

Some companies get it, some are still relying on MBA programs, and some are seeing the future of self-directed learning. See my friend’s Rajeth Setty’s “When You Can’t Earn an MBA” as some good thinking on the subject.

I know we have trainers who listen to the show, HR managers, and people just out there getting the job done.  What do YOU think, and how can shows like this one be part of the conversation- or can they? And how do companies track and evaluate the learning?

Post to the blog, drop me a line or leave a voicemail… you can pick your communication poison on the link bar to the right.

The Cranky Middle Manager Show #51 Managing at Electronic Arts

Posted on 18. Jun, 2006 by Wayne in Podcast

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The Cranky Middle Manager Show #051

Ever wonder what it’s like to manage in the world of Video Game production? How do they grow managers in a business that didn’t exist 20 years ago? We talk to Matt Manuel who is in charge of a development team at Electronic Arts, the world’s most powerful video game company.

Show Notes

0:00 Welcome to the show. This episode is dedicated to Florence Nightingale, nurse and management pioneer. No kidding….. you also find out a bit more about my misspent youth than you should. Don’t tell The Duchess…..

3:10 Our quote of the week is from Leonardo Da Vinci…. for a dead guy he’s gotten a lot of press lately. A note to conspiracy theorists…You won’t find this quote hidden in a picture. If Leonardo had something to say he just jolly well came out and said it.

4:45 Welcome Matt Manuel. He’s the guy in charge of FIFA 2006… the project and the people.

8:01 So what does a Lead Development Director actually do? This ain’t an easy place to work, folks. It takes a “high level of commitment” which is a nice way of saying it’s all about overtime…..

9:39 This is what you’re listening for. What’s it like to manage in that environment? For one thing, I’ve never had to look for my employees on the volleyball court.

11:48 Managing at EA has some twists and turns. Matt tells us about the “Programs Manager” role- kind of an ombudsperson.

14:35 There’s a “Development Director’s Onboarding Program”. This is a cool way to get new managers up to speed. If you’re looking to work here, pay attention. I couldn’t get within 500 feet of the place but you might be better qualified than I am

20:18 We talk about some of the training and disciplines these folks go through. I like this approach better than the “boot camp” so many new hires have to go through.

23:00 A big thing was peer mentoring. I’m trying to get Steve Trautman as a guest for the show… stay posted.

27:00 Matt’s resources:

Manager Tools a great podcast and the boys do a great job even if they have wayyyyy more listeners than I do. I won’t let petty jealousy stop me from getting you to listen.

Microsoft Press for the techier side of things

And my alma mater, The British Columbia Institute of Technology

Don’t let the weasels get you down……