Work by Remote

Global Knowledge recently released a whitepaper that discusses what the formal project management is and who needs it.

For the purpose of this discussion, I will to refer to PM activities in the absence of operating guidelines as “informal” project management. By contrast, project management that takes place within the restrictions of an imposed set of operating guidelines will be referred to as “formal” project management.

Continue reading…

If formal project management means setting standards to do the PM work well, then I totally support this.

As mobile workers are getting to be the norm, many companies have put their trust in these workers, too. Even if these workers are mobile, they are treated as part of the organization. In fact, many of them are integral parts of the organization.

So what is your business model for work-at-home workers?

Here’s a a reference, which I hope will help you.

View:  The Work-at-Home Model for Improved Customer Loyalty

a WEBCAST
Join us for this LIVE Event on:
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
2:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM PT / 6:00 PM GMT

Join this live BNET Webcast, hosted by James Hilliard and featuring special guest Lisa Phifer of Core Competence. Lisa will demonstrate why you should rethink your remote-access strategy to maximize the benefits that flexible, portable, personalized work environments can bring your company.

Attend this Webcast to learn:

• The business trends that demand change in today’s workforce policies
• How delivering the right kind of remote access can increase productivity and enhance profitability - the keys to staying ahead of your competition
• The differences between remote-access technologies and how to find the most cost-effective and efficient solution to meet each employee’s business needs

Register Today!

There’s a saying that goes you cannot love someone you do not know. The same is true for employees. If you do not know them, then you cannot take care of them… well.

The big question now is how do you take care of your remote workforce? I’ve been thinking about that for months now. And here are my thoughts:

1. Establish a relationship with them. To do this is to reach out to them regularly through email, chat, or call. You ask them how they are, how they feel about their client, their tasks, their work.
2. Be there with/for them during the happy and sad occasions, and let them know that they can count on you.
3. Help them do a good job especially that they are working elsewhere. They may not get your instructions correctly, or they may hesitate to clarify things with you. Take the initiative to make things clear.

I believe that it’s important for them to feel part of the organization, a family, especially that they are not working in a usual office situation. They may have reasons to feel a bit left out, or may have the feeling that they’re in between–not really in, but not completely out.

If you really think about it, taking care of remote workers is not much different from taking care of employees in an office. It’s all about people. It’s about relationships.

Photo: Stock.Xchng

A common scenario today is that organizations are cutting cost left and right. Either they delay expansion or lay off employees, anything just to save up on more expenses and hold on to whatever savings that they may have.

Contact centers, by the very nature of their business, are viewed as costly—from logistics to operations, that is. However, there is a way to cut cost in this  industry, too.

Frost & Sullivan brings you this webinar where you will be given an option to use remote agent model. It is said that having remote agents will improve your contact center operations costs, reduce agent attrition while providing outstanding customer service.

Join this webinar and find out how to explore best practices in:

• Selecting the right on-demand solution
• Enabling effective performance management
• Optimizing training with distance learning
• Maximizing agent desktop security
• Aligning compensation with performance
• Creating a sense of community

Schedule: March 26, 2009, Thursday, 2pm ET / 11am PT

Register now!

Let’s face it, the new media is here. Businesses are already seeing the benefit of using this new media. By new media, I mean the website, the blogs, and the social networking communities that have incorporated micro-blogging as apps.

Thus, this digital webinar is very timely.

Digital PR Webinar:
Building Community & Reputation Online With Social Media Tools, from Twitter to YouTube
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
1:30-3:00 p.m. (ET)

For  only $329 per location, each registration comes with access to the archived version of the program and the materials for one year.

What will you get from the webinar?

•  Leverage digital media to improve your PR and your bottom line covering these areas:
  * Twitter
  * LinkedIn
  * Facebook & MySpace
  * Other social networks
  * Blogs and Vlogs
  * YouTube, Hulu and other video sites
• Build a strong community around your brand
• Understand and respond appropriately to negative behaviors
• Monitor and track digital activity to measure your PR effectiveness
• Use Twitter and other microblogging tools to make an impact
• Create must-see videos for your company or clients

Continue reading…

From BNET Business Dictionary, head and shoulders is:

“used to describe a graph plotting a company’s stock price that resembles the silhouette of a person’s head and shoulders. Analysts see this as an early indication of a market fall.“

Do you foresee a head and shoulders?

From BNET Business Dictionary, painting the tape is:

“an illegal practice in which traders break large orders into smaller units in order to give the illusion of heavy buying activity. This encourages investors to buy, and the traders then sell as the price of the stock goes up.“

Do you paint the tape? ^-^

From BNET Business Dictionary, a hip shooter is:

“an executive who follows his or her immediate instinct when responding to a question or problem rather than considering it rationally.“

Are you a hip shooter?