Newsletter topics: Social Media, Writing/Blogging, Negotiating Software Agreements, Human Resources (HR), Branding, Change Management

• 5 Keys To A Successful Blog
• Life On Hold 
• A Quick Guide To Negotiating Software Licensing Agreements
• How Will Health Reform Be Paid For?  
• Culture Puzzle Secrets...Great 
• To Change or To Be Changed?  That is the Question

 

In the Depression decade when breadlines were the headlines we had up to three mail deliveries a day but no telephone. Instead most people depended on “runners” who hung around the drugstore hoping to make a nickel tip, They would dash up the stairs of our four story walk-up to convey messages or summon people to the community phone.

During the war there were none available so I was fourteen before we had a phone in our apartment; a party line, of course. With all these impediments I’m not so sure it wasn’t a better system than what we have today.

(continue)         

(part 3 of 3)

PART THREE – The Software Maintenance Game 
 
As we all know, there's a lot of buzz these days about inflated maintenance charges.  Frankly, I think users of commercial software are moving beyond frustration and on to anger, and reading articles about the 85% profit margin that Oracle enjoys on its maintenance fees, for example, only fuels the fire.

In addition to introducing flexibility on maintenance terms (Part 2), software buyers should keep the following points in mind when negotiating maintenance terms and options.
 
First, there's the notion that a chunk of software may be entirely new to a buying organization, but the software itself may be old.  Buyers need to gauge where a software product is in its lifecycle, and react to maintenance options accordingly. 

(continue)         

Developing your culture is a lot like putting together a puzzle without knowing what the final image will look like. Just because you have all the pieces, doesn’t mean you know what the final outcome will be. The key is putting the pieces together—it takes time, patience and a willingness to make mistakes.

There are tips and tricks to putting a puzzle together such as, starting with the edges and dividing the remaining pieces up by color or pattern.  Starting with the edges allows you to create the boundaries or the framework. By defining the boundaries upfront, you have a starting point and a point of reference to go back to when the rest of the pieces do not make sense.  Every remaining piece will now go within that boundary—or so you think.

(continue)         

 

Many managers face open resistance to changes taking place in their organization.  What is most important to understand is whether the resistance is based in a positive or negative spirit.

For those readers who recall my prior column where I talked about How to Change People.  In that column, the first thing to do when trying to change people is to let them change themselves.  The second bit of advice I gave was to focus on the processes so that people would truly understand what an upcoming change means to them and their daily workflow.

As managers, supervisors, leaders, change agents, change sponsors, or change champions, we really can’t force anybody to change their ways. What we can do is inspire the people to want to adapt their mindset and actions to reach the goals and promises that come from an improvement. We can provide a safe, open communication-friendly, no-blame culture where people are encouraged to ask any and all questions they have about a change or improvement.

(continue)         

Bruce Newman is the editor-in-chief of the PI Newsletter.  Contact him at: newsletter@prodinst.com

 SPECIAL OFFER Become a writer for the PI Newsletter
contact us for details.

View the PI brochure

Founded in 1999, The Productivity Institute (PI) has helped many companies improve their productivity and bottom line by supplying rated outstanding consultants.  This enhanced productivity now includes social media expertise, training and strategizing.