Social bookmarking on a corporate intranet

"We describe a technology exploration of social bookmarking within a closed, corporate environment. We hypothesize that such a tool would be valuable for information sharing, information management, and social networking in our organization."

Laurie Damianos, John Griffith, Donna Cuomo, The MITRE Corporation

Read the whole report

social bookmarking, intranet

Free downloads for non-profit organisations

If you're like most busy nonprofit professionals, the last thing you want to do with your time is spend it searching for free software.

While free software abounds on the Internet, actually identifying programs that will meet your needs is a difficult process. That’s where TechSoup’s new Free Downloads section can help. In this section you won’t find a comprehensive list of every free program in existence. What you will find is a short list of excellent applications (for both newbies and geeks) that will meet most nonprofits’ needs for software -- no 30-day downloads, no guilt-trip messages, no crippled features.

The downlaods can be found at Tech soup

non profits

Web Update

I have just updated the Organisation Management web pages - added the folowing articles:

Hiring for Executive Intelligence

Leadership:Leadership: Leading Your Business

Fundraising:Foundations Funding – If The Slipper Fits

leadership, management, fundraising

Learning Styles

The Learning Styles Profiler Software (LSP) is the computerised version of the well known Learning Styles Profiler designed by a leading internationally renowned expert in learning and personality development, Assoc Prof. Chris Jackson.

Twelve years of academic and applied organizational research have gone into the development of this instrument. See definitions of scales and understand item scoring here.

Key Features

Based on a well-developed theoretical model of the neuropsychology of learning

Diagnoses functional learners, dysfunctional learners as well as various other types of learning

Goes beyond the weaknesses of the learning cycle.

The model of learning measures real psychological processes.

Sophisticated questionnaire design

Produces a tailored, useful and well-constructed self-development report

Designed for use within organizations, education, training, community and clinical use

Known reliability and validity: All the stats are clearly reported in the free manual!

360 degree appraisals of learning available to account holders

Management options provide full flexibility of delivery

You can try before you buy!

The LSP is designed to measure how people learn and provides a written report on their learning style and how it can be developed. The LSP is used in business across the world to promote learning and a learning environment.

See the LSP Manual for full information (email us for your free copy) and try a free demonstration report today.The most important thing about the LSP is that it is based on the most up to date and validated biological theory of learning. There is simply no other learning styles questionnaire for business and education with such a good theoretical and design pedigree. Read the detailed and fully referenced section on the development of the LSP based on the neuropsychology of the brain and be reasssured by the sophisticated psychometric properties of the LSP which are also fully reported..Visit the LSP website

learning styles, Organisation management

Getting Your Message Across - an online guide

by Russ Grayson

Guide to producing and publishing information for community, small business and non-government organisations.

A useful online guide for small organisations wanting to get information before the public.

Getting Your Message Across includes:
The Big Picture
Reporting
Online media
News gathering
Strategy

For more information

organisation Management, non profits, NFP,

Voluntary Treasurers' Handbook

A resource from the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia to help small organisations who rely largely on volunteers.

This publication is intended to help small non-profit organisations.

While the financial resources and skills of personnel will vary enormously, some principles are fundamental to all. Many small organisations have few, if any, paid staff and rely on the work of volunteers.

This handbook has been written to help small organisations and particularly the person carrying the financial responsibility. It attempts to cover, in broad terms, matters that honorary treasurers need to know about in order to keep their organisations on an even financial keel and out of trouble.

Topics covered in Voluntary Treasurer's Handbook:
Finance – A team effort
Legal responsibilities
Record keeping
Classifying Information
Reporting Management
Planning
Cash Management
Shoe-box Accounting
Taxation Issues
The Australian Business Number
Goods & Services Tax
Fringe Benefits Tax
Pay as You Go System
Deductible Gift Recipients
Superannuation Guarantee
Other Taxes
Checklists for Treasurers
Shoe-box Accounting
Find the link here

non-profits, treasurers

Windmill News - The Development of a Community Magazine with A Difference

The development of a community magazine - an exercise in community building focussing on community based assets, social entrepreneurship , developing social connectedness and maintaining a vibrant community.

Windmill News - a Vision of Connections or a Connection of visions?

In September of 2004, a seed of an idea was finally watered with a number of volunteers coming together to start what was to become known as “The Windmill News”- a community magazine with a difference. Read on ...

organisation

community

non profit

Innovation Strategies Summit: Know your brain

"Gerald Haman from SolutionPeople gave a presentation entitled “Know Your Brain” at last week’s Innovation Strategies Summit.

Gerald believes most people do not spend as much time as they should thinking about how they think. So he walked us through an exercise designed to help us to better understand our individual thinking style, and to recognize and honor thinking styles that our different than our own.

Here are some selected thoughts from his presentation that resonated with me: ..."

Read on ...

thinking, innovation

Give your community organisation a home on the web

Community Geographic Domain Names (CGDNs) provide the world's first intuitive, standardised naming system to enable better access to local community, tourism and business information to help facilitate social, cultural, economic and sustainable benefits.

The names reflect the geographical address of a locality and provide one website address for that community: placename.state.au. The use of the CGDNs will be restricted to community website portals.

Read more ...

community organisations

domain names

Blogs for idea mining

From Dorai's Learnlog
Blogs are a great source of ideas.

Some of the bloggers are the smartest people I know. They comment about products. They track trends. They predict future products. They compare and categorize. And they share it all free.

So how about mining ideas from blogs? And using them to improve your products, projects.

For example if you look at a list of mashups, you will certainly get ideas for other mashups. If you enjoy using Web 2.0 products, you already know a specific user interface you like. By tracking the most popular Web 2.0 products, you are getting some free market research.

All these are talked about in the blogosphere.

creativity, innovation, blogging, organisations

Public Speaking support for you

Overcome your fear of public speaking, Polish your presentations. For tips, quotes, articles and links to much more, visit Pivotal Public Speaking

Tags:public speaking, organisation

The 6 Cs of leadership

From Oren Harari’s Blog

I just came back from Mike Milken’s Global Conference in Los Angeles, where I participated in a panel discussion of how small to medium sized businesses can capitalize on the opportunities of globalization. Great conference, though I confess it’s daunting to be in a hotel surrounded by Nobel laureates.

But I digress. No matter what subject was discussed during the three days—national security, global warming, health care, corporate competitive advantage, etc.—the subject of leadership was never far behind.

Unsurprisingly, the need for leadership today is more important than ever before. Rafael Pastor, the ex-President of USA Networks and current CEO of Vistage International, and Barry Sternlicht, the ex-CEO of Starwood Hotels and current head of Starwood Capital Group, both had some astute comments on the subject.

Coincidentally, and surprisingly, both of them summarized their perspectives with concepts beginning with a “C”, so it’s really easy to combine their viewpoints and come up with a "C" list of leadership attributes necessary for success in the 21st century.

I wish I had enough poetry to come up with this list, but at least I can use my own words in describing the six elements:

1. Courage: Great leaders take risks. They are willing, even excited, about entering unchartered waters. They face their own fears, their own demons, the doubts of naysayers around them, the very real structural and financial hurdles before them—and they go forth anyway. That takes planning and discipline, to be sure, but most of all it takes courage.

2. Creativity: Great leaders embrace imagination. They foster innovation. If they themselves don’t possess those attributes, they surround themselves with people who do. They exude impatient with the status quo. They understand that doing the same-old, same-old is a recipe for decline. Their message to the troops is-- challenge conventional wisdom and break new ground. Do it with economic logic and operational discipline, yes, but do it with creativity.

3 and 4. Compassion and Caring. Sternlicht used these words in one phrase. For great leadership, he emphasized the importance of caring deeply about what you’re doing, about the welfare of your people and customers, and about doing things with a strong moral fiber. What that tells me is that analytically detached, amoral executives need not apply. Great leaders have emotional and ethical as well as intellectual integrity. They love, and they love ethically.

5. Curiosity: Great leaders come to the party with a sense of wonder and awe. They restlessly and repeatedly ask questions like-- What’s out there? (let's check it out!) What’s behind there? What’s underneath there? What if? Why not? When can we try it? What will happen? What did happen? What did we learn? What’s our next step?

6. Consistency. Sternlicht noted that great companies “consistently surprise customers.” I believe the issue of consistency is essential for effective branding and sustained competitive success. Great leaders create an environment where C’s #1-5 aren’t a one-shot flash-in-the-pan deal, but so steady and ingrained that people inside and outside the organization can count on them. They can count on the leader, and the organization manifesting traits like courage, creativity, compassion, caring, and curiosity.

Six C’s. Easy to remember. Do you have the conviction and commitment (two more C’s?) to carry (sorry, I couldn’t resist) them out?

tags: leadership, organisation,

Conflict: Constructive or Destructive?

What creates conflict in your organization?

Different views on business decisions and strategy?
Disagreement about tactics?

Poor relationships and personality clashes?

Conflict occurs for many reasons. But, by changing how you respond to conflict, you can reduce its harmful effects and maximize its useful ones.

"If it is well managed, conflict can have positive outcomes," says CCL's Brenda McManigle. "Conflict can lead to better decision making, expose key issues, stimulate critical thinking and fuel creativity and innovation."

Read on ...

tags:
conflict, management

Leaders are those who recognise it

"Are leaders born, or can you make the decision to become one? Whether your view is from the bottom up, the middle or the top – It's clear that your decisions make the difference."

Read on ...

Tag: leadership

Top Management Lies

From the Creating Passionate Users Blog

Nobody says they want to hire "yes men". They say they want employees who are bold, creative, self-directed, take initiative, and aren't afraid to speak up. But what managers say they want and what they actually want (and reward) can be very different...

Read on ...

Tag:management

Leadership - a job to be done alone or as part of a team?

Bruce Hoppe writes:

Structural Holes: The Source of Good Ideas

What does it take to lead a successful company?

Corporate executives today face a growing array of challenges fed by revolutions in technology and globalization. It’s enough to make an executive wonder if leading a successful company is more than a one person job.

Actually, in most cases it is.

As Tom Malone recently put it in The Future of Work, “As managers, we need to shift our thinking from command and control to coordinate and cultivate -- the best way to gain power is sometimes to give it away.”

Coordination, cultivation, and collaboration are increasingly the mode of work at every level.

Read on ...

Tags:
leadership

Communication Success Tip

How will you gain the attention of the person with whom
you wish to communicate?

Whatever the method you use, it will set the tone for the communication, whether it be, for example, formal, friendly, relaxed, assertive or aggressive.

It will also have a major effect on whether your message is received favourably or not, and even on whether the person gives you their attention of not.

So whatever your form of communication - writing a letter, sending an email, beginning a telephone conversation or making a speech, be aware that the way you attempt to gain that person's attention is vitally important.

More on Communication

Tag:

communication

Ethics & Leadership

From CCL:

Shoddy ethics. No integrity. Poor character. Untrustworthy.

In this age of high-profile corporate scandals and growing government scrutiny of business, these phrases are all too often associated with leaders and leadership. The gap is widening between many organizations and the faith the public has in them. In this issue of Leading Effectively, we explore ways in which that gap might be narrowed by paying closer attention to ethics, character and integrity and their connection to leadership and leader development.

Read on ...

tags:

leadership

Writing reports - part 3 - Presenting the report

Welcome to Part 3 of this series on Writing reports.

We have looked at Preparing the Report, and at Construction and Style. In this post, let's look at the Presentation of the Report

The report needs to go to the right person at the right time. "Right" may be determined by a set schedule. You may have a schedule of reporting to a certain person at particular times. Or someone may have commissioned the report and asked it to be presented by a particular date.

Obviously you need to deliver the report on time. Other operations of the organisation may depend for their success on that timing. But whether the report is on time or delivered late will also impact on your image within the organisation. Do you want to be seen as reliable and efficient? Then report on time.

If the report is presented verbally, then all of the techniques of public speaking come into play. Speaking clearly and loudly enough to be heard are obvious, but make sure you can be heard, and understood, or your content will be lost. You will need to convince, again, of your image - sincerity and professionalism are important. Use eye contact to convince of your sincerity and commitment. Use it, too, to emphasise points you are making. Employ variation in pitch and pace, and use pause to emphasis points, too. But they will also keep our audience's attention, even if it is an audience of one.

Only read what is written. Keep extraneous comments, explanations or last minute thoughts for the time before or after the presentation.

Remember that no matter how hard you worked at your job, however efficient you may have been, however good your idea, if you cannot communicate effectively, it will have been lost. This report is your communication link, use it well.

The fourth and final part in this series on reporting will finish with a list of the main Taboos and Dos of Reporting.

Tags:

reports
organisations
communication

Trust in organisations - the morals of leadership

Trust within an organization, a community or a unit of any institution is primarily established by the leader. When leaders fail their people, or worse, betray them, trust is eroded or destroyed. Read on …

Tag:

leadership