Storage Executive Commentary

41. Efficiency, Productivity, Lower Turnover Costs: The ROI Of Employee Reviews 6/23/2015

    In my last post I spoke about the need to have quarterly “un-reviews” and why they can be an effective and useful tool in managing your employees. I also mentioned that annual reviews are an equally important part of any organization’s performance management strategy.  From increased employee satisfaction to an increased bottom line, properly executed reviews can absolutely be utilized to maximize your return on investment.

42. 5 Key Takeaways From The HTG 2015 Service Summit 6/18/2015

    The content day at the HTG Q2 Peer Group meetings in Dallas included the Service Summit. The Service Summit included content directed at the service delivery side of our HTG member companies.

43. IT Solutions Providers: Clarifying Your Personal MVV, Part 2 6/17/2015

    It's impossible to lead others until you lead yourself. The core to self-leadership is clarity around your MVV. Note: This is the second in a three-part series on Clarifying your personal Mission, Vision and Values (MVV). April covered personal Mission while in June we’ll look at personal Values.

44. Knights, Kings/Queens, Presidents And You: How To Lead When Others In Leadership Roles Won't 6/10/2015

    He bows before you, King/Queen of your Technical Realm. You raise the magical gleaming silver sword, Excalibur, high over your head. Lowering Excalibur, you touch each shoulder of that bowed special ally as empowering words fall from your lips, “I dub thee, Sir, Knight of the Royal Technology Table. Arise Sir Reginald and assume your leadership role.” With a hope-filled heart you watch Sir Reginald arise. He walks into your service team meeting glowing with pride and promptly falls on his face. Gasping for air, you awake from your dream wondering, “How can I lead when my leaders can’t … or won’t?”

45. Mobilegeddon: Is Your Business Ready? 6/9/2015

    Smartphones. Social media. Instant communication. Our world is ever changing and evolving. Along with these changes in technology come changes in how businesses operate. One of the biggest changes can be seen through business’ presence on social media and via their organizations’ websites.

46. Great Leaders Take Time To THINK: Got Thoughts? 6/8/2015

    IT solutions providers can benefit from learning and using Steven Covey’s four quadrants — and recognizing Quadrant II, which includes important, but not necessarily urgent, tasks like planning and relationship building, should not be overlooked but rather considered an investment of time in your business’ success.

47. 5 Reasons Why HR Apps Are Not “Stand Alone” Solutions 6/4/2015

    Lately there’s been a lot of buzz in the SMB space regarding the use of HR apps, and many have emerged as a way to fill some HR voids for small business owners. Offering scalable and affordable applicant tracking systems (ATS) and human resource information systems (HRIS), the apps seem to alleviate the need to hire HR staff.

48. Ask Coach: How Do I Get My IT Solutions Provider's Employees To Take Ownership Of Responsibilities? 6/3/2015

    How do I get people to step up and take ownership of responsibilities so I can get out of the middle of things?

49. Ask Coach: When Strategically Planning For Your IT Company Don't Forget Planning For Your Personal Life 6/2/2015

    Some of you have worked hard to create a dashboard for certain metrics in your company. Why?  The truth about your company performance is reflected up-to-the-minute in the dashboard. You hope the dashboard will provide accountability and motivation for your team as they execute around certain priorities. 

50. “Un-Reviews”... And Why You Should Have Them 6/1/2015

    Ugh, I can already hear the collective groans taking place from just reading the word “review.”  Nothing sparks more dread, stress, and even fear from bosses and their reports than this time honored exercise in performance management. Comments I’ve heard over my years in HR range from,  “I don’t have time, you write it,” to “I need a highly detailed format to deliver every single quarter,” depending upon that manager’s style.