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| Facebook's Sandberg Takes on the Tech Gender Gap | ||
| Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg took aim at the gender gap in the technology industry during a keynote session at the recent Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing in Minneapolis, Minn. Sandberg noted that women, on average, account for only 13 percent of information technology departments. She said women could boost their numbers in the tech industry by sticking together, supporting each other, and being willing to talk about gender. Women are the best inspiration for other women, Sandberg said. "We need to acknowledge differences, stare them in the face, acknowledge bias, and change it," she argued. Sandberg also said women in general do not receive the same pay, the same promotions, or the same success and satisfaction at work. She said the technology field, in which women are significantly underrepresented, is no different. "We have made gender an unsafe issue," Sandberg pointed out. "Women don't want to talk about it because they're afraid they'll look like they're whining and creating issues. Men don't want to talk about it because they're afraid they'll get in trouble. If we talk about it, we can deal with it." | ||
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| Robby Leonardi Interactive Resume | ||
| This is cool… | ||
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| Freedom at Work: A Maverick Hangout with Jody Thompson – Oct 28th at 11AM EST | ||
| So much of the conversation in business is about power: what you control (“I run a $200 million piece of the business”), who you control (“My 350 direct reports”), and how you control (org charts, pay grades, policy manuals). Of course, power and control are spectacularly subpar strategies for unleashing human imagination, initiative, and passion—all those qualities every organization needs in abundance in order to thrive in the Creative Economy. Which begs the question: is freedom only a strategy for boom times—or is it a powerful force when it comes to making our organizations fit for the future? That’s why we’re hosting the Digital Freedom Challenge—to unearth the most progressive case studies and bold ideas when it comes to expanding individual autonomy at work (and future-proofing your organization in the process). Join Polly LaBarre for a Maverick Hangout with one of the judges of the Digital Freedom Challenge, ROWE creator and co-author of “Why Managing Sucks,” Jody Thompson. On Monday, October 28, 2013 (at 11am ET), Jody and I will unpack what it takes to make radical autonomy work at work, build a company of intrinsically-motivated, switched on people, and see real results. | ||
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| Let’s focus on improving individual leadership strengths, despite our gender | ||
| At a conference last week, one of my side conversations led to an interesting debate: are there really differences between men’s and women’s leadership styles? Do we need to train men and women differently in how they become leaders? When we wrote our recent book, we considered whether to include a separate chapter on women’s leadership styles, but felt that we didn’t really want to focus on differences, but wanted to focus on how to become a better leader–male or female. Some studies claim that female leaders are more better communicators and more collaborative, but I could say from personal experience that it is not always the case. I’ve also had wonderful male bosses who were great communicators, very collaborative, and very empowering. | ||
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| As innovators, we are all seeking that one ingredient, that one magic formula that will eliminate obstacles and barriers and radically simplify innovation. What I know to be true is that ingredient isn't a technique or tool. It's not a person or a consultant. It's not an insight or a goal. Ultimately, innovation is about trust. Trust exhibited by the executives to try out some new methods, to fund unusual activities, to explore new markets or needs. Trust exhibited by innovation teams to discover, create and present unusual ideas and not get laughed out of the room. Trust that investments are valuable, and trust that time spent on ideas will be realized in new products and services.. | ||
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| The Best Kept Secret in Community Building | ||
| Individuals want to do it. To support their project, get a job, find clients, to build their reputation, to sell their book, to connect with like minds and find new friends. Companies and organizations want to do it. To find their advocates and fans, to find new talent, to raise money, to showcase their innovation, to improve their products, to connect their work to a greater cause or purpose or affinity group. If you can relate to people in their language, share a little something personal and interesting with each other, find a common ground that you can meet on, you’ll always have a cornerstone that can help you build an amazing, personal, and very human relationship. “Being human” isn’t about co-opting and trying to mechanize human behaviors. | ||
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| 7 common types of managers and how to work with them | ||
| Whether you love 'em or want to leave 'em, the people who manage you play a significant role in your work life. The sooner you understand your boss' management style, the easier your work day becomes. 1. The Neanderthal 2. The Mum 3. The Director 4. The Micromanager 5. The Warm and Fuzzy Manager 6. The Democratic Manager 7. The Laissez-faire Manager | ||
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| Six Principles for Developing Humility as a Leader HBR ß Recommended | ||
| Whether we’re looking at business or politics, sports or entertainment, it’s clear we live in an era of self-celebration. Fame is equated with success, and being self-referential has become the norm. As a result we are encouraged to pump ourselves full of alarming self-confidence. Bluster and the alpha instinct, contends Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, professor of business psychology, often get mistaken for ability and effectiveness (at least for a while). Know what you don’t know. Resist falling for your own publicity. Never underestimate the competition. Embrace and promote a spirit of service. Listen, even (no, especially) to the weird ideas. Be passionately curious. | ||
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| The 4 Scientific Ways To Become Luckier | ||
| Richard Wiseman studied very lucky people to figure out what they had in common. In his book, Luck Factor, he explains the four principles you can use to increase luck in your life. 1) Maximize Opportunities 2) Listen To Hunches 3) Expect Good Fortune 4) Turn Bad Luck Into Good | ||
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| This Netflix employee just raised the bar for awesome customer service | ||
| Yesterday Netflix subscriber Norm contacted the company about a problem he was having with an episode of Parks and Rec. In the middle of the episode, the video player would get stuck in a “temporal loop” that continuously played the last three seconds — (sort of like an unintentional YTMND page). Netflix service rep Michael responded by introducing himself as “Captain Mike of the good ship Netflix” and then asked which member of the crew he was speaking with. “Lieutenant” Norm took the bait, responding as if he was a ranking Star Fleet officer from Star Trek. With the exception of the first two lines, neither side broke character for the duration of the conversation | ||
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Sunday, October 20, 2013
