A random thought about the EBI - so we're all studying via long distance learning. 10 years ago this was sneered upon, but now we're all very tech savvy it's easy for people to connect with others all over the world via social networks such as facebook, twitter etc. We're pretty familiar with Skype, Google Chat Rooms, Salesforce etc so how can I relate this to my EBI?
So I work in Direct Sales, and I am managed at a distance. I only see my boss every few weeks, and I get to work from home. I spend more time interacting with my clients than the company I work for. I wonder how I can share best practice amongst other offices all over the world, by utitilising the technology we have today. Whether it be sharing client photos, testimonials, case studies, category mailers etc via a network. Our IT system always crashes internally, so let's not rely on that. We have huge IT issues within our company. Literally to the point where laptops, phones, our systems crash every few days. For the world's largest outdoor advertising company, it's pretty suprising that we have this huge issue. So, as an alternative tool how can we use the cloud? The company won't explore amazing tools like Sales Force which is incredibly successful in the U.S (I know this having worked in California). So if budgets are restricted to by extra software etc, I have to consider that too. How can our Direct Sales Team utilise apps, and social media to share best practice? So it's all about COLLABORATIVE LEARNING, how can our teams across Europe all share best practice?
I love the way there are MBA students from all over the world in this cafe, sharing notes etc. They feel open to express how they feel too, are we hidden behind the computer and feel more comfortable to express our thoughts perhaps even moreso than sat face to face in front of our boss? How can we utilise technology to bring out the best in our teams? Are there management busines models re: long distance management? Isn't the world going that way anyhow, with satellite offices etc? It's cheaper for people to work from home and takes less time. I remember doing A-Level Geography, and even back then we were writing about how Working from Home would be the way many businesses would go? I have no idea actually, I'm just thinking out loud and maybe even one sentence in this blog maybe useful. But hey, I've got to start somewhere and I guess the first stage is simply to THINK!!
....BOOK 1: EXPLORING MANAGEMENT, page 30
However, in an increasingly global environment this becomes even more important, a point made by Anders Dahlvig, president and CEO of the furniture chain Ikea:
The world has changed enormously in the past decade...All of us now act in ways we did not 10 years ago. Gobalization means stakeholders and responsibilities everywhere, which have to be managed. It's quite a different level of complexity. (Dahlvig, 2000, cited in Neely et al., 2002, p.4)
(although this quote is relating to stakeholders, it reminds me how the world has changed so much, if we think of how social media has changed the way we communicate, interact etc, how we study, how we do business etc. Also, in the activity where we had to analyse how we have been managed - it reminds me of a boss who always says some people have 1970s style management, yet if we look at some of the earlier theories actually he could be more of a late 1800s style manager attempting to perform in the 21st century. It could be an example of how some managers really need to change the way they manage, to succeed in this era, and that can be subject to the company culture. Very different from when I worked in California where they are far more forward thinking).
