The Five Myths of Informal Learning

Informal learning is emerging as one of the most powerful disciplines in our industry. The tools and methodologies that have been developed over the past several years are changing the learning landscape in amazing ways. But there are a number of misunderstandings about this critical approach. I’d like to share some myths I’ve encountered when trying to intentionally implement a successful informal learning strategy.

1. Informal learning doesn’t need structure.
2. Informal learning approaches such as social networks can replace training.
3. E-learning is informal learning.
4. An effective and thorough training program negates the need for informal learning.
5. It’s only informal learning if it’s immediate and embedded.

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Your Complete CRM Handbook

Everything you need to know to get started with CRM Finding, winning, and keeping customers to grow your business starts with a good Customer Relationship Management (CRM) application. It helps you manage critical customer information in one place -- and gives you a complete view of your business to close more deals and boost sales. Read this e-book to get practical advice on: Signs your business needs a CRM How CRM can improve sales and productivity Building your CRM strategy How to maximize your …

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Why Countries Need National Strategies for the Internet of Things

Just as the public sector was instrumental in enabling the development and deployment of the Internet, it must play a similar role to ensure the success of the Internet of Things.

The Internet of Things offers many opportunities to grow the economy and improve quality of life. Just as the public sector was instrumental in enabling the development and deployment of the Internet, it must play a similar role to ensure the success of the Internet of Things. ITIF's Center for Data Innovation insists that national governments should create comprehensive national strategies for the Internet of Things to ensure that the technology develops cohesively and rapidly, that consumers and businesses do not face barriers to adoption, and that both the private and public sector take full advantage of the coming wave of smart devices.

A national strategy for the Internet of Things, if designed and implemented correctly, would maximize the opportunity for the Internet of Things to deliver substantial social and economic benefits

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Connecting Companies: Strategic Partnerships for the Digital Age

Connecting companies: Strategic partnerships for the digital age is a report from The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), sponsored by Telstra. It is designed to guide senior executives through the global trend for digital partnerships between organisations, which are connecting regions, crossing industries and linking generations. Specific industry analysis can be found in separate briefings that accompany this report.

This report draws on two main sources for its research and findings:

In June 2015 The Economist Intelligence Unit surveyed 1,044 senior business leaders, half (51%) of whom are C-level executives or board members.

Geography: Survey respondents come from across the world, with 48% based in the Asia-Pacific region; 33% in Europe, the Middle East and Africa; and 19% in the Americas. There is a minimum of 75 respondents from each of the following countries: China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, the UK and the US.

Industry: A total of 20 industries are represented in the survey with at least 80 respondents coming from each of the following six industries: entertainment, media and publishing; financial services; healthcare; IT & technology; manufacturing; and professional services.

Company size: The sample is evenly split between firms with annual revenue over US$500m and below US$500m.

Alongside the survey, The Economist Intelligence Unit conducted a series of in-depth interviews with the senior executives and experts

Executive Summary:

Digital technology is blurring the distinctions between companies and industries as we know them. “Offline” companies in older industries – those that came to the Internet later in life – are looking to develop digital capabilities by partnering with those that have perfected them. Native online companies, for their part, are learning to value the product and service expertise of offline firms as they attempt to turn rapid growth into mature, profitable and sustainable business models – or simply to survive. The result is the rise of digital partnerships.

The form of these digital partnerships ranges from contract-based alliances between two or three players to cross-industry networks and large, loosely organised, ecosystems based on a dominant technology platform. The early adopters already have multiple digital partners and some belong to more than one form of partnership. Many others, meanwhile, are intent on catching up. Private-sector organisations tend to dominate these partnerships, although the prominence of state-owned enterprises in Asia points to closer government involvement over time.

This report finds that the growing trend for digital partnerships is already having a measurable impact for the organisations involved in them. One-half of the 1,044 executives surveyed by The Economist Intelligence Unit for this study believe that their digital partnerships have proven their value “beyond doubt”. Expectations for the future are even grander. Key findings from the research include the following:

• Accessing the connected customer is core to the digital-partnership strategy
• Executives embrace “strength-in-numbers” to manage change
• Companies have high expectations of digital partnerships, but patience is required
• Speed and specialisation are set to promote growth of cross-industry ecosystems
• Traditional companies are learning how to share information, but some walls remain
• Digital natives are joining partnerships for profit, not philanthropy
• People and geography matter, as long-distance relationships prove difficult
• The popularity of APIs foretells the rise of collaborative innovation
• Today’s digital partnerships point to bigger changes to come

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Jeff Bezos’s 7 Secrets to Running the Internet Retail World

For those people outside the Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) employee world (read: most of us), CEO Jeff Bezos remains somewhat of an enigma. The man is, of course, known for his ability to take an online bookseller and turn it into a multi-billion-dollar “Everything Store,” but few really understand the nature of the executive and what goes on inside the walls of Amazon’s Seattle headquarters that make it so wildly successful.

the following are Bezos’s business strategy and how he operates with his employees and competitors.

1. Bezos is Ruthless
2. Bezos Recruits Talent, Doesn’t Stand for Complacency
3. Bezos Inspires Fear in Employees
4. Bezos Relies on Consumer Anecdotes
5. Bezos Relies on Numbers
6. Bezos Employs Competitive Intelligence
7. Bezos Nukes the Competition

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The first 100 days of a new CIO: Nine steps for wiring in success

It’s critical to get a good start when stepping into the CIO role. Consider several measures when you shape your course.

The early months of a CIO’s tenure are an extremely important time to learn about a company’s culture and critical issues, shape an agenda for change, build relations with peers and senior leaders, and make decisions—on people, funding, and other matters—that will provide a solid foundation for the future.

Ian Buchanan, who has served several financial institutions as CIO or COO, says: “In the first 100 days, you have to make your mark. In that period, you also need to formulate a compelling vision, because if you want to lead, as opposed to executing the visions of others, you do need to come out quickly with a story that everybody can align around.”

By working over the years with many senior executives stepping into this role, we’ve learned about elements to cover, priorities to make, and mistakes to avoid. We have attempted to distill the most important topics to address during these critical first months. Of course, the particulars of each situation will have an impact on the priorities of each CIO. But we believe every new CIO will benefit from reviewing these elements and using them as a starting point to shape his or her own course of action.

1. Start the first 100 days before your first day
2. Clarify and strengthen your mandate
3. Build relationships with business unit executives and agree upon priorities
4. Understand the upside and downside
5. Develop the plan
6. Build your team
7. Rally the IT organization
8. Demonstrate leadership through visible results and actions
9. Continue your personal journey

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Stretching the Software Budget: A Practical Guide to Enterprise License Optimization

Organizations can get much greater business value from their software budgets by eliminating waste, more intelligently allocating entitlements, and negotiating more effectively with vendors. These Enterprise License Optimization (ELO) strategies pay particularly big dividends when applied to high-value applications. This white paper explains how ELO works—and offers practical advice about how to implement ELO in the real world.

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An Introduction to Capturing and Measuring IT Value

How do you know that your investment in a new business application has returned value-and how much value? The answer lies in following the five important steps of capturing value for a successful enterprise. <>P An Introduction to Capturing and Measuring IT Value guide will answer these questions:

What is the importance of measuring IT value?
What are the steps to capture value?
How important is setting performance goals?
What are the benefits?
How do I ensure success?
What else should one keep in mind?
What about the cost factor?
What are the ROI?

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10 Steps to Developing a Mobile Application Strategy for the Enterprise

Mobile technology plays a major role in our lives. Because mobile is such a big productivity booster, there's much demand for mobile applications. But building applications is not as easy as it sounds. It helps to have a strategy. If you'd like to develop one, follow these 10 steps:

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Special Series of Articles on Mass Customization

The idea that consumers can customize their own products on a massive scale is having a tremendous impact on customer experience and expectations as well as the way organizations approach R&D. Following an extensive study of mass customization in the domain of consumer goods, this upcoming series of articles provides an overview on mass customization, its strategic capabilities, and the success factors that drive its implementation in business.

Introduction: A special series of articles on mass customization and customer co-design
Part 1: Competing in the Age of Mass Customization
Part 2: The market for mass customization today
Part 3: Solution Space Development: Understanding where customers are different
Part 4: Robust Process Design: Fulfilling individual customer needs without compromising performance
Part 5: Choice Navigation: Turning burden of choice into an experience
Part 6: Choice Navigation in Reality: A closer look into the Customization500
Part 7: Overcoming the Challenges of Implementing Mass Customization
Part 8: A Balanced View: Conclusions and Key Learnings

Read the Intro & other parts through the links provided

Big Data for the Masses

Big data represents the significant shift in the way that companies receive and used data to fuel business. As the volume, velocity and variety of data increases, we must ready ourselves for managing it with big data strategies.

Download this white paper to read more about the current state of big data and what we can anticipate as it begins to gain mass appeal.

No Magic Bullet: Seven Steps to Better Performance

The book, No Magic Bullet explains how organizations can improve their results through their personnel--not through the latest quick fix or business fad. To address the American corporation tendency to fall for fads, the author, Willmore provides an effective alternative to quick fixes with Seven Steps for performance improvement:

Step 1: Build in Accountability and Set Clear, Compelling Goals. Goals and accountability are critical to performance.

Step 2: Focus on What Matters. It is best to focus on accomplishments, not behavior.

Step 3: Analyze Performance Gaps. By focusing on the organization's accomplishments, a gap will reveal itself.

Step 4: Choose Systemic Solutions, Not Quick Fixes. Identify the root of the problem.

Step 5: Learn from Your Best. Identify outstanding employees, and learn from them.

Step 6: Give Feedback That Matters. Feedback is crucial to an effective organization.

Step 7: Implement Change to Support a High-Performing Workforce. Managers need to send clear and concise messages to implement effective change in organizations.