The word of the day is “engagement.” We hear about it constantly in politics, marketing meetings, and, yes, especially in discussions about team effectiveness. Why? Because a team that’s “in the groove” is far more successful than one that’s out of sync. And engaged teams are far more nimble and able to manage change with Read the full article…
Leadership is learned by practice and reinforced with coaching and formal training. One of the biggest challenges facing today’s integrators is identifying and training current and future leaders. Spotting a potential leader is fairly easy (if you know what you’re looking for). How to Identify Leaders Here are some things to keep in mind as Read the full article…
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this statement lately (or similar versions) from business owners and top executives: “I’ve lost my confidence as a leader.” Sometimes they’re referring to insecurity regarding which direction to take. Other times, they’re talking about insecurity regarding who to hire, vendor-partner alignment, business models, future investments, new Read the full article…
Change is difficult. This is especially true in the business world. I think the key to being truly successful doesn’t depend on knowing how to handle change; instead, it involves being the change. Every market grows and thrives on competition; when you become the force that drives change, you have an edge on your competition. Read the full article…
Business leaders sometimes approach boosting employee performance from an enforcement rather than a reinforcement perspective. This doesn’t mean that all leaders are callous – or even that this method fails in all instances. Some personality types actually respond best to stern bosses and soaring expectations. Recent studies show that most employees, though, don’t fall into Read the full article…
Over the past few years, the idea of flexible and remote work has grown in every industry, and the integration world is no exception. But managing virtual teams presents both personnel and mechanics challenges. You must keep a careful eye on how (and how often) your team members interact, and determine which projects are best suited Read the full article…
In my years of experience, I’ve become sure of a few things: One being that most systems integrators just don’t execute well on their strategic and/or business plans. Read the full article…
I’ve been on several member visits this fall already, and have been around some of our very best business leaders as part of my travels. Without exception, I’m seeing more frazzled and worn-out people. Even the very best companies are working harder and struggling to show good profitability. Even the companies with record sales and Read the full article…
It’s time once again to start looking at budgeting and forecasting for next year’s business. Likewise, bankers are also evaluating their 2013 books of business and their loan portfolios for 2014. Many NSCA members have experienced that all-too-familiar call from the bank, with a message about re-evaluating revolving line of credits and assessing the preferred Read the full article…
No one can make more excuses than I can on being too busy to take a class or learn about a new approach. I did, however, just sit through a four-hour financial course on increasing profitability for systems integrators. It was great, and I am quite proud of my level of concentration. I also learned Read the full article…
