Social learning

Want to create evangelists of your cause? Then you should start giving the example.

If you want people in your team to do something for you then do it first and give them the example. After that, they'll certainly start doing it.

So close you just can't reach it: Fail to communicate

Beside many other communications problems in our day by day at work we have to deal with a specific kind of problem that I call: So close you just can't reach.

I'll explain:

It happens a lot when you're working on a specific task and no one near you know what you're doing. Maybe the guy seated right next to you have an important tip about the task you're working that can save your life or save time and money to the project. Maybe you could be the key to solve your coworker's problem if only you knew that he have a problem.

This is caused by many things like bureaucratic process, shyness, lack of motivation etc.

But how to solve this problem?

You have to identify whatever is the source of this communications problem and work on its solution. Here goes a few tips:

• Try making short meetings (like 5 minutes or fewer) to tell the others what you're doing. Your team knowing what you're doing will increase your chances to get their spontaneous help. You may also help them as well.

• Ask for your coworker's opinion even if (you think) you know how to do it. Give them a chance to say a magic word about your task that can save your day.

• Try to listen to other people's conversation (without being intrusive). Maybe you have some knowledge to give about the matter they're arguing. Also, try to make them hear you arguing about your matters so they may help you too.

Whatever is the action you'll take it depends on you. Just do it without expect any payback and you may positively infect the others.

Demystifying the UML

On most companies the UML is a fairy tale. Their employees are required to know it but they never get to use it.

This happens because on small and medium business the complete and traditional usage of UML becomes an enemy when you realize that no one know it well enough to apply it in their process. And even if there is an specialist on UML the fact of using it would increase de development time. An important detail which is not easily accepted by the project managers.

Considering the fact above some members of the development team on these companies ask themselves: Should I use the UML?

The answer to that leads to another question: Are you using it correctly?

Unless you have a development process based on generate code from UML diagrams (otherwise UML usage should not be a problem for you) you should consider start using the UML to your own benefit.

You can do that using the diagrams, concepts and resources from UML the way you think is best for you. It does not matter if you mixed diagrams (even if you mix UML diagrams with workflow diagrams) or if you mix its symbols on a specific diagram. As long as you and your team understand it well it's ok to use it.

Make sure your diagrams show clearly whatever you want to represent. It does not matter if is a business rule, a workflow, development stages or even all together.

On this scenario, don't forget that a diagram is only a representation of what is still to be documented.

Don't get me wrong. If you know how to use the UML and your job demands it usage in the traditional way you should do it so.

Motivational Bankruptcy

 

Carlos Ghosn, the man who took Nissan out of bankruptcy and is considered the 21st century Henry Ford, says the following: "The only thing that makes a difference is motivation. If you lose your motivation, Gradually you lose everything." 

Henry Ford's own thinking brings to light the importance of the path we have chosen with a focus on motivation and attitude when he said, "If you think you can or you think you can not, you will be right anyway."

A company never breaks today. Breaks five years before. It is not financial bankruptcy it is motivational bankruptcy. The motivated see opportunities in the difficulties ... The unmotivated see difficulties in opportunities! The positives do ... The negatives complain.

The choice between being optimistic or pessimistic is of every human being and will build a whole road on which he will tread. 82% of the world's largest companies came from "absolutely nothing," came from the grip of their founders and the commitment of their work crews who believe in their talent.

The question is: What are you doing with your ideas? What do you do with your thoughts? How are you planning your life and your work? 

The Working Dead: Free your company from the apocalypse by motivating employees

The Walking Dead is a series that portrays the struggle for the survival of ordinary humans in an apocalyptic, zombie-filled reality.

Fortunately, we do not live this horror everyday portrayed in the series and we do not have to struggle for our daily survival. But sometimes we find business environments that seem to be on the verge of apocalypse and are infected by guys who really seem to have come out of a series of terror: the "zombie employees." These people truly embody the "undead" spirit, and if they do not receive the right help quickly, they can turn your business into chaos.

Zombie-type employees, though not fed on human flesh, can be equally scary and pose a risk to their business, other employees, and even to themselves. That's why we need to recognize living dead workers and bring them back to life without causing harm to anyone.

If at the end of this text you realize that you are one of the few living collaborators and are surrounded by people of this type, do not worry and do not yell or run away either, just stay calm and have a word with your colleagues, superiors and Also with HR. Remember that any situation can be reversed with good business communication and motivating employees.
 

How To Recognize a Zombie Employee

Every employee infected with this disease may have different symptoms, however, they all have at least one of the ones listed below. Take a look and also check if you are still totally healthy and are not developing any of them.

Never leave their cell phone

Zombie developers are always near their cell phones as if they depended on them to survive. This is because, most of the time, they find work repetitive, boring or stressful, and then they can not fully concentrate and are drawn to something they find more interesting and dynamic: the cell phone.

Whether it's games or social networking, these co-workers love to spend their time on the cell phone. 

Check social networks and emails every 5 minutes

Like cellphone, this compulsion for anything other than work causes the collaborator to leave all of his or her social networks open and check each one at least three times every 30 minutes.

After all, rolling the Facebook bar for 3 minutes uninterruptedly, with no goal at all, is much cooler and easier than focusing on your work.

They feed on the energy of the environment around them

Zombie-type employees often go to work in a bad mood, in a bad mood and close-knit, just for the simple fact that they have to go to work.

They do not socialize with colleagues, give cold and even rude responses to everything that is directed or requested and end up leaving the whole environment immersed in monotony and individuality.

Has difficulty working in group or collaborating with others

Supporting colleagues or helping them with more work than their own is out of the question - at least if we take goodwill into account. Working in a group is also a torture and this employee rarely has or gives opinions on any process or task in development.

All this kind of employee wants is to give the time to go, and he does not have to collaborate with his colleague or help with part of his work.

Do not participate and do not engage with anything in the company

Zombie employees can not feel any empathy for the company they work in, they just want to do what they're assigned and nothing more. They do not bother to propose new things, improvements, or engage in any process.

Even in celebrations and other relaxed moments this employee is seen or heard because all he wants is just to stay away from the active center of the company and everything that is part of it.

How they can take your company to the apocalypse

This type of person can pose a number of risks to other employees, to the company and to themselves, and it is important to be aware of what they are.

Unmotivated employees, who dislike their work or feel no empathy for the company, may end up infecting other employees with that spirit and diminishing the productivity and engagement of an entire team.

When they are not satisfied, for whatever reason, employees tend to complain more about the company, their tasks, and become more likely to spread rumors and critiques within the workplace. This, coupled with constant moodiness and demotivation, may eventually lead other employees to take the same stance and gradually turn the company into a "zombie territory."

With so many unmotivated employees, the company will consequently start to lose in several important points like productivity, innovation and employee engagement and can feel the effects with the loss of credibility and also, inevitably, of money.

And then, these companies will need to take serious steps to bring the scenario back to normal, and they can include training, motivational action, or, in the worst case, layoffs. Therefore, this type of behavior still places the person at risk within the organization and can still tarnish his entire career.

All this means many expenses, work and emotional wear and therefore the best thing to do is to be attentive to employees with zombie behavior and try to avoid in all possible ways that it intensifies and is transmitted to other people of the company.

Here are some ways you can avoid this kind of attitude by motivating your employees and bringing your employees back to normal.
5 Ways to Avoid Zombies and Save Your Business by Motivating Employees

The "buzzing" of employees can be the employee's own cause, personal problems and other issues, but more often than not, the problem comes from the company, its processes, tasks and bureaucracies.

Given these two sources of the problem, we have some measures that can help you get through it.

 

# 01 Invest in a relaxed, barrier-free work environment

Sometimes, all your coworkers need is to relax a bit and feel that their superiors are around to help you, guide you and listen to you.

Extremely bureaucratic processes and physical barriers can cause your employee to give up looking for support, as it will be hampered, and fall into deadly stagnation and discouragement.

What's more, depending on your business, of course, a work environment too serious, can leave employees melancholy, lonely and still bar their creativity and ability to deal with situations in an innovative way. As a result, the risk of having unmotivated employees increases dramatically.

Understand how to use videos in your company to streamline and simplify processes.

These things are part of the culture of a company and it is important that they are developed and designed to meet the needs, tastes and values of each person, so as to stimulate productivity and interactivity and motivate employees.

# 02 Perform periodic training

When a collaborator has difficulty performing or understanding a task assigned to him, he tends to become discouraged, nervous, and it gets even worse and more intense if that task needs to be performed daily or more often.

Therefore, to prevent this from happening, it is essential to provide the means for the employee to improve, develop their skills and can perform their tasks in the easiest and fastest way possible.

But do not misunderstand. It is not that you have to stop your work to go and teach your employee to do a service that he should master as he holds the position, but to provide the means for him to develop on his own and to handle the daily challenges of his profession.

And one of the most efficient ways to do this is through online trainings. By providing courses of employee interest, or by offering lectures and periodic trainings with experts in the field, you, besides contributing to the professional training of your employee, still improve your motivation, since he feels important and valued through training.

Another advantage of online education is that your employees will be able to study flexibly, at times that do not disturb their routine and their activities at work, and thus learn much more. Moreover, with these trainings, you increase the level of productivity and innovation in your company, since employees are eager to apply the techniques they have learned.
 

# 03 Get people closer

Keeping a "problem worker" isolated from the rest of the company by giving him only negative feedbacks and "tugging" will not make him suddenly decide to change his attitude, but rather make him quit or Be fired. And it is worth remembering here, that the constant turnover of employees may not do good for your company.

When a collaborator is going through a difficult time, or feeling unmotivated, it is important that you show that you care about him, that you want to help, and encourage him to improve.

It is important that all staff continue to have contact with him, provide positive and negative feedback as well as constructive criticism, and that he feels integrated with the reality of the company and its goals and objectives.

At this point, working internal communication in your company becomes even more fundamental and a practical and inexpensive way of doing this is with online videos on a Corporate TV, for example.

With it you can centralize all the communications and information that must be passed on to employees in one place, and you can still view lectures and trainings periodically, as well as the "Word of the President", which motivates and engages.
 

# 04 Offer incentives to your employees

Have you heard of Gamification? Gamification is to use techniques, strategies and game design in contexts other than those games themselves, in order to stimulate healthy competition, provide rewards, and deliver quick feedback.

How about applying this technique to your company?

Be it in online trainings, with rewards of progress, or in fact, with awards for the most engaged and productive, recognizing the work of your employees is a way to motivate them, give feedback and encourage healthy competition among them, which can do With which even the most discouraged begin to strive harder.
 

# 05 Listen to people

Last but not least, you should always remember that, rather than with employees, you are dealing with people, who have a personal life, feelings, desires, needs and frustrations. Before punishing an employee for his or her downfall or failure and behavior, find out what is going on, let him talk, and more importantly, listen and consider.

That way you avoid losing a good employee for futile reasons and fleeting complications.

Now that you already know how to identify "zombie collaborators" and also the best ways to cure them, simply assess the situation in your company and take the measures that are most appropriate to your reality.

Do not forget that the zombie state can have several causes and always value the good communication in your company to try to understand what caused this type of behavior. Evaluate whether the problem is a personal matter of the employee or if it comes from a failure in your company and try to solve it in any way possible.

Also remember not to despair, to invest in motivational actions, to train your employees and to simplify processes. All of these things are critical in times of crisis and falling productivity and can save your business from financial loss or a massive layoff.

LinkedIn article

The customer company

 

There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everyone from the chairman down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.

For decades the experts have been proclaiming the dawn of a new revolution. A world where customers are no longer at the mercy of corporation. Where they don't have to suffer through bad services or broken products, long waits or endless phone trees and where they have no real voice or no recurse.


Until now it's been a hollow proclamation.

Welcome to the world of the ever connected... always highly opinionated.. and always on the move customer.

This is a customer who understands thay now have power. And they know how to use it. They have expectations and they have choices if those expectations aren't met. And boy do they have choices.

They also have a voice. And it is loud and far reaching. To earn their loyalty goes way beyond the loyalty program. You need to earn their trust. Because make no mistake, this is a trust revolution. You need to recognize them as more than just numbers or accounts. But as unique human beings with a distinct set of needs.

They now expect more than just a product or a service. They expect a relationship that has equal terms. They expect to be a the center of your world. And you my friends, need to put them there.

You need to become a customer company.

• A customer company is available 24/7 at any place your customers happen to be. 
• A customer company listens first to every customer on every channel. 
• A customer company connect their customers, employees, partners and products. 
• Customer company knows that the conversation never stops. 
• They're grateful for their customers business and they create communities. 
• They respect their customer identity, privacy and money. 
• Most importantly a customer company knows that their customers are the same person no matter how they get in touch. 
• They don't just create satisfied customers, they create evangelists.
  

And when you become a customer company you'll transform everything. Will accelerate your growth from inside out by giving your employees an enjoyable way to truly collaborate.

You'll close deals faster and together gaining a real competitive advantage.You'll listen to customers and provide great service everywhere.

It is time to become a customer company.

See the LinkedIn article

What is to be a Systems Analyst

A systems analyst is an information technology (IT) professional who specializes in analyzing, designing and implementing information systems. Systems analysts assess the suitability of information systems in terms of their intended outcomes and liaise with end users, software vendors and programmers in order to achieve these outcomes. 

A systems analyst is a person who uses analysis and design techniques to solve business problems using information technology.

Systems analysts may serve as change agents who identify the organizational improvements needed, design systems to implement those changes, and train and motivate others to use the systems.

Although they may be familiar with a variety of programming languages, operating systems, and computer hardware platforms, they do not normally involve themselves in the actual hardware or software development. They may be responsible for developing cost analysis, design considerations, staff impact amelioration, and implementation timelines.

A systems analyst is typically confined to an assigned or given system and will often work in conjunction with a business analyst. These roles, although having some overlap, are not the same. A business analyst will evaluate the business need and identify the appropriate solution and, to some degree, design a solution without diving too deep into its technical components, relying instead on a systems analyst to do so. A systems analyst will often evaluate code, review scripting and, possibly, even modify such to some extent.

Some dedicated professionals possess practical knowledge in both areas (business and systems analysis) and manage to successfully combine both of these occupations, effectively blurring the line between business analyst and systems analyst.