U.S. Companies that fully Embrace ITIL

• Procter & Gamble
• Shell Oil
• Visa

ITIL V3 Books coming soon...

Vol I Introduction to ITIL
Vol II Service Support
Vol III Planning to implement Service Management
Vol V ICT Infrastructure Management
Vol VI Application Management
Vol VII Security Management
VolVIII Software Asset Management
Vol IX Business Perspective
Vol X ITIL Small-Scale Implementation

Money Magazine Corporate Ladder Quiz

1. You've just taken a new job in an unfamiliar organization and are anxious to make a good impression and rise quickly. The best way to do this is to:

Results: The best answer is b, because people who solve problems get noticed for all the right reasons. Ignoring the political climate altogether as in c, is unwise, because you'll never be able to anticipate an enemy you don't see. Meanwhile, a is even riskier. Become too embroiled in office intrigue and you tend to overlook a crucial fact: The people who have clout now may not have it later, or vice versa. Why choose sides now?

2. You've come up with a great idea for cutting costs, boosting efficiency, or improving customer satisfaction, but you've described it to your boss, and she just doesn't seem interested in pursuing it. You:

Results: The best answer is c -- not only is it the most likely to persuade your immediate boss, but even if she tries the idea and it flops, the approach makes her an ally you could keep for life. Don't go with b; it's just an excellent way to shoot yourself in the foot. And a shouldn't even cross your mind: Power is never achieved without a quality Reardon calls "relentlessness" -- an unwillingness ever to take "no" for a final answer.

3. A manager one level above you does you a very big favor--for example, saves you from a layoff or puts in a good word for you that helps you get your dream job. Your response is to:

Results: If you chose b, you're well on your way to understanding the secret handshake: People in power rarely get there, or stay there, by losing sight of who helped them along the way. That's why a is just not sufficient. As for c, it's downright dangerous: Never let anyone pressure you into returning a favor, even a very big favor, if it involves an ethical or moral lapse or could otherwise damage your career or reputation.

4. In a meeting with several of your peers and a few people more influential than you are, someone makes a pointed remark that might--or might not--be construed as a significant criticism of your work. You:

Results: By far the most effective way to handle this is b, but make sure to keep the conversation brief, brisk, and businesslike, and listen carefully without getting whiny or defensive. The only way c will help is if your peers know more than you do about what's going on and whose stock is up or down -- and if they do, that's a bad sign right there. And, to be frank, a is for losers.

5. You're a middle manager now, but you hope someday to be CEO. Your natural inclination is to base your decisions on the consensus of the group. In order to prepare yourself to move up, you:

Results: The best answer here is a, followed by b. In her book, Reardon identifies and describes in detail four distinct leadership styles, with most managers having some characteristics of each. In some companies, she writes, "the most effective leader is one who doesn't appear to be leading at all." Figure out what is the most widely respected style in your particular organization -- and, if the people at the top approach leadership in a radically different way than you do, consider moving to another company. Square pegs do occasionally fit into round holes, but the higher you go, the less likely that becomes.

Top 10 "Boss Gifts"

* Let friendship develop, don't force it

* allow employees to demonstrate reliability without oversight

* address conflict

* remain modest

* be decisive

* reflect before making decisions

* delegate

* maintain steady energy level

* be open to influence

* be professional

Then emphasize how many of the traits on the surveyed employees' "wish" list that your boss does possess:

* Trust in one's employees

* Honesty/authenticity

* Great team-building skills

* Effective coaching skills

* The ability to say "no"

* A broader perspective

* Patience

* Decision-making skills

Career Advancement Without Experience

Published:	August 9, 2006
Author:	Julia Hanna

http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/5471.html

Stretch work strategies

The researchers identified four successful tactics for obtaining stretch work that were common to both groups:

• Differentiate competence. Anyone hoping to advance must distinguish his or her performance on the job. This is particularly true, however, for contract workers—because they are paid for each short-term job, their employers are likely to subject their work to close, frequent evaluation.
• Acquire referrals. Because high-tech contractors tend to work with a number of clients, brokers, and fellow contractors, they enjoy a broader social network from which to draw referrals than most permanent employees. In the film industry—where most hiring is done based on a production manager's previous experience with an individual—referrals are a vital aspect of getting any job, particularly if it stretches a worker in a new direction.
• Framing and bluffing. "This is one of the most creative attributes for obtaining stretch work," O'Mahony notes. "People who are good at presenting their prior experience in a way that allows for an easy translation to the desired job can narrow the gap between their past experience and future capabilities." Adopting a hybrid job title to identify oneself—"director-screenwriter," for example—can also help establish authority in more than one area.
• Discounting. Accepting pay below the market rate is a temporary disadvantage some contract workers are willing to accept, if it means gaining the experience and exposure that will lead to a new position. One technical writer put it this way: "I turned down solid offers from three companies, all paying over $100K a year…I would take a job at $55K if they're using a totally new technology so I learn something…It's like playing pool…You hit the green ball with the white ball, and the point is to place the white ball to get the next shot. So I take that job in order to learn skills for my next project."

Creating a Positive Professional Image

Q&A with:

Laura Roberts

http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/4860.html

Q: What are the steps individuals should take to manage their professional image?

A: First, you must realize that if you aren't managing your own professional image, someone else is. People are constantly observing your behavior and forming theories about your competence, character, and commitment, which are rapidly disseminated throughout your workplace. It is only wise to add your voice in framing others' theories about who you are and what you can accomplish.

Be the author of your own identity. Take a strategic, proactive approach to managing your image:

Identify your ideal state.

• What are the core competencies and character traits you want people to associate with you?
• Which of your social identities do you want to emphasize and incorporate into your workplace interactions, and which would you rather minimize?

Assess your current image, culture, and audience.

• What are the expectations for professionalism?
• How do others currently perceive you?

Conduct a cost-benefit analysis for image change.

• Do you care about others' perceptions of you?
• Are you capable of changing your image?
• Are the benefits worth the costs? (Cognitive, psychological, emotional, physical effort)

Use strategic self-presentation to manage impressions and change your image.

• Employ appropriate traditional and social identity-based impression management strategies.
• Pay attention to the balancing act—build credibility while maintaining authenticity.

Manage the effort you invest in the process.

• Monitoring others' perceptions of you
• Monitoring your own behavior
• Strategic self-disclosure
• Preoccupation with proving worth and legitimacy

PM Network Vol 20 Notes

PM Network Vol 20, 4: April 2006 p. 24

Behavioral interview

- ‘past behavior is the best predictor of future success’

- Themes like success failure and focus on topics such as persuasion, conflict management and interpersonal relations.

- Create story around accomplishments

- Beginning (restatement of prob) middle (actions you took) and end (result)

Panel interview

- Prioritization and demands

- Answer in order

- ‘I’d be happy to answer but if you don’t mind, I’d like to answer this other question first.’

- Expect follow up questions

Case interview

- Analyze business problem, hypothetical

- Define problem and explain process for solving it

PM Network Vol 20, 4: April 2006 p. 39

More persuasive	They’re able to argue and convince others of a particular viewpoint
More outgoing	They’re more talkative and noisy
More innovative	They’re ready with lots of ideas
More achieving	They set higher goals for themselves
Less modest	They’re ready to talk up their own achievements
Less conventional	They want to do things differently.

PM Network Vol 20, 4: April 2006 p. 46

Change Management activities

Quantitatively benchmark the assumptions so that progress made toward setting realistic expectations can be measured. Rate the problems by strongly disagree to strongly agree

_ the implementation will be difficult

_ my job will be easier after the implementation

_ the project change will make my job more secure

_ I expect a few problems in the first few weeks

_ consumers will see the change’s benefit almost immediately

_ we will not have to work as much overtime

_ we will be more confident that stock is available when we take an order

_ the changes have nothing to do with me

PM Network Vol 20, 4: April 2006 p. 64

Inverted pyramid style of communications for update

Punch line: Most critical concern is stated, “Eighty five percent of the testing worked”

Current status: “The project is 10 days behind”

Next steps: tell not only the problem but the solution. “We can recover three days of the delay but not all five if Bill Smith works overtime for a week.”

Explanation: “We did the tests but it didn’t work as planned.

PM Network Vol 20, 4: April 2006 p. 66

Ask the right questions in beginning or evaluating a project

- What specific corporate strategy or business initiative is the project linked to?

- What value does the project provide?

- What are the measures for quantifying the success of the project?

- What are the shutdown conditions of the project?

- What are the implications of doing nothing?

PM Network, Vol 20, 5: May 2006 p. 20

Building a better relationship with authority

- Listen to your leader’s heartbeat; hallway conversations & dreams personally and professionally.

- Know your leader’s priorities

- Catch your leader’s enthusiasm; promote their dreams and visions

- Connect with their interests

- Understand their personality; opposite opinion is OK as long as goals and values match up.

- Earn their trust; positives fund the account, negatives detract.

- Work with their weaknesses; identify these and provide a balance to them.

PM Network, Vol 20, 5: May 2006

Risk management

Is it financially stable and secure? Look at balance sheet for risk tolerance.

Can current business operations continue alongside forward-looking project work without substantial disruptions to either? Evaluate project on impact to other projects and ongoing operations.

What are the to-level execs tolerance for risk and commitment to completion? Support of sponsors who are likely not to leave or strong, multi-exec support.

PM Network, Vol 20, 5: May 2006 p. 76

Leader of the Pack

1. How do you interact with people on a regular basis?
2. Are you negative or critical?
3. Do you empower others or try to micromanage and control?
4. Do you try to develop and support people?