- Management Thought is Bankrupt
We are seeing the dominance of measurement. KPIs abound. Big Data everywhere. Your personality is tested and measured. As is your engagement. On an ongoing basis. Every project has thousands of targets, deadlines and measurable processes. Data, data, data. Numbers, numbers, numbers. Measure, measure, measure.
Taylorism for the hi-tech generation. A model we know does not work and does not motivate, but one we’ve re-embraced anyway. And we wonder why there is no meaning or engagement at work.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/management-thought-bankrupt-dr-richard-claydon
- Why Avoiding Office Politics Isn’t Always the Best for Your Career
When it comes to office politics, Simosko warns, “There is no way around it. Once you start working with a team you are going to experience it. I am not a fan of politics, but I have learned that ignoring them can have negative consequences.” She insists that learning to deal with office politics is vital for leaders at any stage of their career. “It can determine whether you are successful in your career or not,” she said.
http://lifehacker.com/why-avoiding-office-politics-isnt-always-the-best-for-y-1788946874
- What everyone ought to know about Social Media (thanks JD!)
How technology hijacks people’s minds
http://www.timewellspent.io/ - The tech that will feed the world
Now computing capacity is cheap, and it’s possible to model all possible choices and their potential outcomes. A smartphone with Google Maps, for example, can evaluate every path from point A to point B to decide, based on the current traffic conditions, which will likely be the shortest or fastest route.
Simulation and modeling also help from getting lost when it comes to growing crops. At the most basic level, plants need sunlight, water and nutrients at levels that vary during various stages of growth. It sounds simple, but at scale, optimizing each factor has a huge payoff.
https://techcrunch.com/2016/11/19/the-tech-that-will-feed-the-world/?ncid=rss
- Microsoft executive bonuses could soon be tied to diversity goals
According to Gwen Houston, Microsoft’s General Manager for Global Diversity and Inclusion, Nadella is working on a plan that will make meeting diversity goals a major factor in deciding if executives receive their full bonus each year. “Diversity and inclusion is something you’ve got to ingrain,” Houston said. “That’s what Satya has been doing.” Still, Houston says the company has more to do. Layoffs from sale of Nokia assets severely hurt the company’s percentage of women and minority workers, and new hires haven’t made up the difference yet.
Photo: Vitaly Taranov