Citation
(2008), "What's on the web", Strategic Direction, Vol. 24 No. 8. https://doi.org/10.1108/sd.2008.05624hag.001
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2008, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
What's on the web
Article Type: What's on the webFrom: Strategic Direction, Volume 24, Issue 8.
Current thinking
“A poll by US research company Vantage has concluded that far from wanting a pay raise (though they wouldn’t say no), what staff value most is the occasional ‘thank you’ for a job well done, open and honest communication and feeling that they are involved in decision making.” This is just one of the interesting and useful front page stories on the management issues site one that claims, with some justification, to be at the “heart of the changing workplace”.
Other pieces cover the downturn in the USA (and its effect on Asia), technicians as managers, and a fascinating study on why the ability to think creatively and communicate effectively will be crucial to business success in the future.
The site is lively and easy to read and navigate. It has a “newsy” feel more like a print journal than a web site and in some ways is the better for it. It also has a massive back catalog of articles on all aspect of business, easily accessed and very useful. This is one of the best sites we have come across for quite a while.
Global agency
The world’s a global village these days and as a result people employed by companies with a global presence can find themselves working all over the world, often posted at short notice and sent somewhere they have never been before. This is where the culture and communications skills consultancy Communicaid come into their own, as they enable “clients to create profitable international relationships by building cultural bridges that enhance understanding and establish trust.” With over 15 years’ experience of assisting corporate and public sector organizations to work successfully across borders and cultures, Communicaid is a global communication skills company operating across all five continents through offices in London, Paris, Frankfurt and New York. Their web site is, ironically, not the most obviously communicative due to the design, but the services on offer are not to sniffed at. Anyone about to go where they have never been before on company orders could do worse than check out this web site and see if there is any training that would help them go boldly.
Positive changes
Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) is still a relatively new concept to many people and, perhaps partly due to the name, it has a somewhat sinister, or suspicious, image. However, the more enlightened in the business world are increasingly looking at NLP as a useful tool to improve employee effectiveness. With over 95 percent of thoughts, feelings and behavior controlled by the sub-conscious, it surely makes sense to look into how that side of an employee’s mind can be improved. UK-based personal and business development trainer Andy Britnell is an NLP specialist who offers a range of services aimed at positive changes through mind management via his clean, modern looking, easy to read and navigate web site. With testimonials to back up the services on offer, this web site is well worth visiting for any company serious about investing in their staff and finding an edge in training, recruitment, development and organizational effectiveness.
Strategyize me
Strategy Dynamics is a web site that claims to help get at the root of a strategic issue quickly, develop solutions with colleagues and share results with the management team. The site is easy on the eye and equally easy to navigate. It provides masses of information related to the products and services on offer and a lengthy explanation, complete with graphs, describing exactly what strategy dynamics is. It turns out strategy dynamics was developed to improve the teaching and practice of strategic management and is concerned with understanding and managing performance through time. It cannot hurt strategists, especially those of a dynamic nature, to visit this site, although it is surely only a matter of time before super-strategy dynamics is developed to improve the teaching and practice of strategy dynamics!
One stop shop
It always seems at least a little disconcerting when the promise of insights and answers into strategy and strategic management in the fast paced, ever changing modern world of business are offered on a web site with a basic style and outdated look. Never judge a book by the cover, or never get a second chance to make a first impression? This UK-based web site is a one man, one stop shop for everything you need to know about strategy according to the Alan Mitton at least, the man who owns and manages the site. What it actually offers is a series of web links to other sites that may, or may not, provide the answers to the questions promised on the home page. At least if the site does not prove useful from a strategic management perspective there is a chance to read some jokes and win some money.
And finally
Is management a hoax? In a 2005 survey of 3.5 million employees worldwide, research firm Sirota Survey Intelligence found that most workers did their best work when managers were out of the way.
Best of all
For a particularly interesting and useful site you could always try the Emerald one!
If you have any favorite (or otherwise) sites that you would like us to review on these pages, or wish us to consider your own site, please drop us an e-mail and we will ask our reviewers to check them out.