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Archive for September, 2010

Europe will increase its IT outsourcing spending over the remainder of 2010, leading to a possible surge in recruitment for IT professionals, a new survey has revealed.

IT research firm Gartner surveyed 206 organisations across Europe and discovered that 53 per cent of firms plan to increase their outsourcing in 2010, while 40 per cent plan to up their external IT services spending.

Of the firms that have an IT budget of less than €1 million (£82 million), 14.7 per cent said that they would increase their outsourcing, up from 6.1 per cent in 2009.

Claudio Da Rold, vice president and analyst at Gartner, commented: “Organisations in Europe are expecting – or are in need of – growth, but they are also still highly cautious.”

“Regardless of the future direction of the economy, European businesses and their service providers need to optimize their multisourced environments, while increasingly adopting industrialized IT services,” he added.

Gerry McLaughlin from ITContractor.com recently claimed that IT services are too crucial to cut, despite firms experiencing further cost reductions.

Early on in an artist’s career, the different facets of management and marketing fall upon either the band itself or, if they have one, their manager. Because the band or artist is relatively unknown initially, promotion, booking, and touring are minimal. A new music manager begins by establishing a clear understanding of what the artist(s) want. This can be accomplished through either a written or verbal contract. A music manager’s first task is to solidify all artist development aspects and then concentrate on product development.

Development
Artist development
In addition to management, artist development includes joining a Performings Rights Organization (ASCAP, BMI or SESAC), copyrights, publishing, trademarks, band member agreements, establishing the business, lessons and coaching, and image.

Product development
Although musicians and artists start working on product development early in their business cycle through performances, it is wise for managers to try to get all the Artist Development aspects completed first; especially if the artist includes more than one individual. Product Development is basically taking the talent to the next level through bookings, recordings, music releases, distribution, promotion, etc.

Compensation
Striking a tentative compensation agreement that can be renegotiated after three or four months is recommended, and the rate of pay is generally based on commissions of 20 percent of the net or 10 percent of the gross or more of performance and commercial incomes, as stated in contracts. This amount obviously depends on the level of development the band or artist is at and the experience, networks and resources of the manager (The less developed the artist and more experienced the manager, the higher the commission). The artist or band should never agree to circumstances that cannot be terminated or negotiated within a short period of time.

Gigs
It is important for a band to have experience performing in front of crowds. Birthday parties, free shows (like basement shows), and talent shows are good sources of experience and do not require a lot of commitment (in terms of fan pull) on the part of the artist. If an artist wants a gig in a bar or nightclub venue, the manager expects several conditions. The following is a list of some questions frequently asked by bar owners/managers (in no particular order):
• What genre of music is the artist affiliated with?
• How many people are expected to attend the event?
• Is a door cover required?
• Can a door person be provided?
• Will the band sell their demo CD’s?
These are some of the main questions. In most cases a demo CD will be requested. This can be any type of recording, featuring any number of songs (preferably the artist’s better songs). The primary objective for the bar owner is to fill their floor on any given night. To do this, the band should be as professional and as practised as possible as to keep the bar patrons and more importantly, the bar owner, interested. This will have a positive effect on their ability to get booked for another show in the future. Another critical factor is maximizing audience attendance by promoting and advertising. Although most bars and other entertainment venues prefer managers bring a good number of attendees to their shows, this is not mandatory to do so every time. In very rare situations for small bands, an entertainment venue could charge the band a fee for a certain number of people ‘not’ showing up to the show. This is a number of people guaranteed to be present and would have been agreed upon between the owner and band before the show. If those people do not come, the band pays. This fee is to cover bar expenses and loss of money invested in setting up the show for the headlining band, and is usually implemented in larger, more well-known venues.

Photography
Managers usually secure the services of a professional photographer while the artist is recording. Different 8×10 pictures of the artist can be used for websites, CD labels/jackets, posters, and the press kit. Cost for high quality rolls of film and their processing could be upwards of $200 for 150 pictures (labour not included). Photographers are not expected to cover material cost. It is important that the manager obtains an agreement upfront confirming licence to use the images which will cover the uses necessary, in addition to high resolution digital images on CD. Managers are also advised to have photographs taken before CD designs or artwork goes into production. Managers are also responsible for hiring additional staff when necessary.

CD launch venue
Once a production date is established the manager can begin searching for venues. CD launches are much more attractive to bar owners because they nearly guarantee an audience. Consequently, CD launch venues are relatively easy to land. Managers usually try booking a location where the crowd will feel comfortable. The venues size should not exceed the projected crowd. If the place is too large, the artist may look unimportant. A small venue can be a preferential, as long as the stage can accommodate the band’s gear.

Design management is not a standard model that can be projected onto every enterprise, nor is there a specific way of applying it that would lead to guaranteed success. Design management processes are carried out by humans with different responsibilities and backgrounds, who work in different industries and enterprises with different sizes and traditions, whilst having different target groups and markets to serve. Design management is multifaceted and so are the different applications of and views on design management.

The function of design management in an organization depends on its tasks, authority and practice.

Design management tasks

Similar tasks can be grouped into categories to describe the job profile of a design manager. Cooper and Press (2005) identify in their management model five different categories in management that encompass design. Design managers face different tasks on strategic, tactical and operational level in the following categories.

• vision / mission
• strategy / policy formation
• goals / targets / objectives
• planning / scheduling / resourcing
• activity / monitoring / evaluation

Design management authority & position

The authority and position of the design management function has a huge influence on what the design manager does in his or her daily job. Kootstra (2006) distinguishes design management types by its organizational function:

• Design management as line function

Design management as a line function is directly responsible for design execution in the “primary” organizational process and can take place on all levels of the design management hierarchy. The main attributes for design managers in the line is the extensive authority and the direct responsibility for the result.

• Design management as staff function

Design management as staff function is not directly responsible for design execution in the “primary” organizational process, but consults as a specialist on all levels of the design management hierarchy. The main attributes for design managers in this function is their limited authority and their function to consult line managers and staff.

• Design management as support function

When the design process is defined as a “secondary” organizational process, design management is seen as supportive function. In this function it has only a supportive character, classifying the design manager as a creative specialist towards product management, brand management, marketing, R&D and communication.

Design management is concerned with the integration of design into management and vice versa. It is an approach whereby organisations  make design-relevant decisions in a market and customer-oriented way as well as optimising design-relevant (corporate-) processes. It is a comprehensive activity on all levels of business performance that effect design, from the fuzzy front-end to the execution of design. Design management acts as an the interface of management and design and functions as link between the platforms of technology, design, design thinking, corporate management, brand management and marketing management at internal and external interfaces of the enterprise.

Design management is not limited on a single design discipline. In his ‘Classification of Design‘ (1976), Gorb’s divided design into three different classes; design management operates in and across all three categories:

* Product (e.g. industrial design, packaging design, service design)

* Information (e.g. graphic design, branding, media design, web design)

* Environment (e.g. retail design, exhibition design, interior design)

Design management is not independent from the organizational and product situational context, and plays three integrative key roles in the interface of design, organisation and market:

1. align design strategy with corporate and/or brand strategy

2. manage quality and consistency of design outcomes across and within different design disciplines (design classes)

3. enhance new ways of user experience and differentiation from competitors

Supportive activities are used in design management to manage design more efficient (‘doing the things right’) and effectively (‘doing the right things’). Depending on a multitude of factors (such as industry, company size, design focus, market situation and the position / role of design within the company), design managers have a broad range of job profiles, with very different roles, activities and responsibilities.

The term ‘design management’ includes a semantic contradiction and can be interpreted in two different ways:

(1) managing design and

(2) designing management.This distinction refers to the traditional understanding of design management on an operational level as well as to a relative new approach of integrating design thinking as a mental concept in different business functions (e.g. using design thinking on board level or within the context of innovation management).

Performance management includes activities to ensure that goals are consistently being met in an effective and efficient manner. Performance management can focus on the performance of an organization, a department, employee, or even the processes to build a product or service, as well as many other areas.

Performance Management as referenced on this page is a broad term. See Aubrey Daniels for a detailed explanation of the origin of the term Performance Management (PM) which was coined by Dr. Aubrey C. Daniels in the late 1970s to describe a technology (i.e., science imbedded in applications methods) for managing both behavior and results, the two critical elements of what is known as performance.

Where PM is applied

The PM approach is used most often in the workplace but applies wherever people interact—schools, churches, community meetings, sports teams, health setting, governmental agencies, and even political settings. PM principles are needed wherever in the world people interact with their environments to produce desired effects. Cultures are different but the laws of behavior are the same worldwide. Armstrong and baron (1998) defined it as “A strategic and integrated approach to increasing the effectiveness of organizations by improving the performance of the people who work in them and by developing the capabilities of teams and individual contributors”

It is possible to get all employees to reconcile personal goals with organizational goals. One can turn around any marginal business and increase productivity and profitability for any organization, with the transparent and hidden forces embedded in this process. It can be applied by organisations or a single department or section inside an organisation; as well as an individual person.

The process is a natural, self-inspired performance process and are appropriately named the self-propelled performance process (SPPP).

It is claimed that the self-propelled performance management system is:

1. the fastest known method for career promotion;

2. the quickest way for career advancement;

3. the surest way for career progress;

4. the best ingredient in career path planning;

5. the only true and lasting virtue for career success;

6. the most neglected part in teachings about management and leadership principles;

7. the most complete and sophisticated application of performance management;

8. the best integration of human behaviour research findings, with the latest management, leadership and organisational development principles;

9. the best automated method for organisational change, development, growth, performance and profit;

10. the surest and fastest way for increased motivation, productivity, growth, performance and profitability for both the individual and the organisation;

11. the best career builder and career booster for any career; and

12. inspirational, as it gets people moving, makes them self-starters in utilising own talents and initiative, automatically like magic.

First of all, deriving from the strategic plan, a commitment analysis must be done, where a job mission statement is drawn up for each job. The job mission statement is a job definition in terms of purpose, customers, product and scope. The aim with this analysis is to determine the continuous key objectives and performance standards for each job position.

Following the commitment analysis, is the work analysis of a particular job in terms of the reporting structure and job description. If a job description is not available, then a systems analysis can be done to draw up a job description. The aim with this analysis is to determine the continuous critical objectives and performance standards for each job.

Benefits

Managing employee or system performance facilitates the effective delivery of strategic and operational goals. There is a clear and immediate correlation between using performance management programs or software and improved business and organizational results.

For employee performance management, using integrated software, rather than a spreadsheet based recording system, may deliver a significant return on investment through a range of direct and indirect sales benefits, operational efficiency benefits and by unlocking the latent potential in every employees work day i.e. the time they spend not actually doing their job. Benefits may include :

Direct financial gain

* Grow sales

* Reduce costs

* Stop project overruns

* Aligns the organization directly behind the CEO’s goals

* Decreases the time it takes to create strategic or operational changes by communicating the changes through a new set of goals

Motivated workforce

* Optimizes incentive plans to specific goals for over achievement, not just business as usual

* Improves employee engagement because everyone understands how they are directly contributing to the organisations high level goals

* Create transparency in achievement of goals

* High confidence in bonus payment process

* Professional development programs are better aligned directly to achieving business level goals

Improved management control

* Flexible, responsive to management needs

* Displays data relationships

* Helps audit / comply with legislative requirements

* Simplifies communication of strategic goals scenario planning

* Provides well documented and communicated process documentation

Team building refers to a wide range of activities, presented to businesses, schools, and sports teams, religious or nonprofit organizations designed for improving team performance. Team building is pursued via a variety of practices, and can range from simple bonding exercises to complex simulations and multi-day team building retreats designed to develop a team (including group assessment and group-dynamic games), usually falling somewhere in between. It generally sits within the theory and practice of organizational development, but can also be applied to sports teams, school groups, and other contexts. Team building is not to be confused with “team recreation” that consists of activities for teams that are strictly recreational. Teambuilding is an important factor in any environment, its focus is to specialize in bringing out the best in a team to ensure self development, positive communication, leadership skills and the ability to work closely together as a team to problem solve.

Work environments tend to focus on individuals and personal goals, with reward & recognition singling out the achievements of individual employees. “How to create effective teams is a challenge in every organization” Team building can also refer to the process of selecting or creating a team from scratch.

Reasons for Team Building

Reasons for Team Building include

• Improving communication
• Making the workplace more enjoyable
• Motivating a team
• Getting to know each other
• Getting everyone “onto the same page”, including goal setting
• Teaching the team self-regulation strategies
• Helping participants to learn more about themselves (strengths and weaknesses)
• Identifying and utilizing the strengths of team members
• Improving team productivity
• Practicing effective collaboration with team members

What are Team Building Exercises and what is their purpose?

Team building exercises consist of a variety of tasks designed to develop group members and their ability to work together effectively. There are many types of team building activities that range from kids games to games that involve novel complex tasks and are designed for specific needs. There are also more complex team building exercises that are composed of multiple exercises such as ropes courses, corporate drumming and exercises that last over several days. The purpose of team building exercises is to assist teams in becoming cohesive units of individuals that can effectively work together to complete tasks.

Types of Team Building Exercises

Communication Exercise

This type of team building exercise is exactly what it sounds like. Communications exercises are problem solving activities that are geared towards improving communication skills. The issues teams encounter in these exercises are solved by communicating effectively with each other.

• Goal: Create an activity which highlights the importance of good communication in team performance and/or potential problems with communication.

Problem Solving/Decision Making Exercise

Problem Solving/Decision making exercises focus specifically on groups working together to solve difficult problems or make complex decisions. These exercises are some of the most common as they appear to have the most direct link to what employers want their teams to be able to do.

• Goal: Give team a problem in which the solution is not easily apparent or requires the team to come up with a creative solution

Planning/Adaptability Exercise

These exercises focus on aspects of planning and being adaptable to change. These are important things for teams to be able to do when they are assigned complex tasks or decisions.

• Goal: Show the importance of planning before implementing a solution

Trust Exercise

A trust exercise involves engaging team members in a way that will induce trust between them. They are sometimes difficult exercises to implement as there are varying degrees of trust between individuals and varying degrees of individual comfort trusting others in general.

• Goal: Create trust between team members