Single Point of Failure

Single Point of Failure - Element or part of a system for which no backup (redundancy) exists and the failure of which will disable the entire system.

Recently, Steve Jobs has taken medical leave from Apple.  This left investors nervous as Apple is Steve Jobs and Steve Jobs is Apple.  Jobs' departure from Apple in the past left the company adrift especially when he left during the mid-80s. Does one man make a company?

When I was in high school, my parents owned a plumbing shop in a small town in Colorado.  My father was not a plumber.  In most states, to operate a plumbing business you need have a Master Plumber's License or employ an individual who has the license.  So, my father was reliant on the good graces of our Master Plumber. 

Has Cursive Writing Gone Out of Style?

As my oldest started the second half of 5th grade, I finally realized that his handwriting consisted of block letters. When I asked him to sign his name for his mother’s Valentine’s Day Card, he printed his name. I said sign and he replied that he had done so. As it turns out, my son’s school no longer teaches cursive writing, citing there is no time in the syllabus.

Freedom and Responsibility Culture

At the end of last year, Fortune magazine named Reed Hastings, Netflix CEO, as the 2010 Business Person of the Year. The competition included Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg and Alan Mullally. You can read the article here.

In 2009, Reed Hastings released a PowerPoint presentation call “Freedom and Responsibility Culture.” This 128-page slide deck is half philosophy and half employee handbook. Here is the link to the presentation.
Read it. Ask yourself if this is a place you would like to work?

Communication

One of the most important elements of implementing a new training program into an organization is communication.  It is important to communicate how the new program or system will effect end users and stakeholders alike.  Don't wait until you are ready to roll out the new program to start the communication process, communicate early and often.

Paul Bejgrowicz at RWD Performance Matters Blog has a few more tips on implementing a new training system here.

Networking for the Hidden Job Market

Here is a great little article about networking. 7-steps-to-networking Let me know what you think.

Be Prepared Isn't Just a Boy Scout Thing

Recently, I was surprised by an unscheduled telephone interview. I was expecting a personal call when I was called by a recruiter to discuss my job application. Because the call was unexpected, not only was I not prepared, I wasn't really sure what job application the recruiter was referencing.

My Networking Tools

I hope your holidays went well. We had an enjoyable time visiting family and celebrating the holidays. The holidays are always a good time to get back in touch with your friends, family, and acquaintances. Many follow the time honored tradition of mailing out Christmas cards. Some have used e-mails and e-cards to share their holiday greetings. The holidays are just a great time to reconnect.

This reconnection with friends, family and acquaintances is nothing more than networking. Networking is about relationships. I won’t go into how to network or how you use your network but I want to discuss some of the tools used to maintain your network. In my opinion, networking is about what you can do for people, not what they can do for you. I believe it is all about giving and helping.

We all have different ways we maintain our networks. The tools to stay in touch have dramatically changed over the years.