Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com October 24, 2016 • Hartford Business Journal 37 BIZ BOOKS Eight advanced leadership skills to engage employees "L ead More Control Less — 8 Advanced Leaderships Skills That Overturn Convention" by Marvin Weisbord and Sandra Janoff (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, $19.95). Many leaders believe that imposing "how" through policies, processes and procedures (P3) provides the results roadmap. The authors believe that P3 as absolutes often cre- ate organizational conflicts, which impede progress toward results. Why? P3 puts the creativity of employees in straitjackets because it forces them to work within the con- fines of their job descriptions. Their research and con- sulting experiences found that control rising from with- in goal-focused ranks fosters collaboration by combining questioning with creativity, which produces better results faster. Unlike the fable of the blind men trying to describe an elephant by touching its various parts, employees see the "whole elephant." People begin sharing their experiences and per- spectives; everything becomes fair game — there's "no elephant in the room." The foundation for their "eight" skills can be found in skill No. 1: "Control structure, not people." Management has to authorize self- organization by encouraging employees to think outside their box. Then it has to man- age differently; it has to coach. It does that by reminding employees every day of: 1. the goals, which structures action around purpose, and 2. the question employees should ask and answer "What do I need from others today?" in order to accomplish their day's goals and address shifts in priorities. When employees answer that question, they also place a premium on time. They recognize that con- necting to the right people shortens the time required to reach the goal. Management moves into time-saver mode by quickly facilitating connection and resolving conflicts. Management can also control work struc- ture. How? By listening to and acting upon "what's not working and what is" feedback, and sharing the results across functions. The bottom line: An organizational cul- ture that allows employees to fully use their abilities produces engagement, which pro- duces exceptional results. • • • "Driven to Distraction at Work — How to Focus and Become More Productive" by Edward M. Hallowell (Harvard Busi- ness Review Press, $26). STRESS — at work we feel its pressure every day. Ever-shifting priorities, meet- ings, phone calls, voicemail, email, etc. are a witch's brew of distraction. Following Hallowell's "Stop that; do this" advice mini- mizes distractions, and boosts both mental sharpness and output. The highlights: "Screen sucking — how to control your electronics so they don't con- trol you." The time spent on the phone, responding to emails and searching the Web, steers atten- tion from your to-do list. To gauge "electronic interruptus," keep a log for a week of how much time you spend using technology. Check the log to see the amount of electronic- related time actually spent on your to-do list items. You'll quickly identify wasted time. The fix: Reserve a 30-minute pocket in the morning and after- noon for screen time. This creates time for uninterrupted focus on tasks. When you need a break, forget playing games on your smartphone or surfing the Web. Instead, read an article or talk with someone about an item on both of your to-do-lists. "Multitasking — how to say no when you have more to do than time to do it." Playing Ping-Pong with tasks isn't just inefficient, it's ineffective. Switching back and forth between tasks requires refreshing your memory to reestablish focus. That wastes time. Additionally, complex tasks require concentration and switching increases the odds of overlooking critical information. The fix: Set daily pri- orities and follow through. Learn to say no to yourself and to others. n Jim Pawlak is a nationally syndicated book reviewer. Jim Pawlak EXPERTS CORNER Tips for outsourcing your company's IT By Carlos Perez S mall business owners by nature wear many hats to run and manage their companies. In many cases those responsibilities, while crucial to the opera- tion of the business, are not the company's primary focus. One of these functions is running a small business' information tech- nology or relying on internal staff to update, upkeep and maintain their IT despite tech- nology not being their specific area of expertise. With the chal- lenges business owners face today and the impor- tance technology has on running the business, and the importance access to data has on meet- ing client needs, many small busi- ness owners are seeking ways to outsource their technology. However, concerns — such as lack of time, data security, vendor trustworthi- ness, unknown costs, etc. — often paralyze business owners into inaction. This is actu- ally worse, as existing IT infrastructure becomes obsolete and there is an increas- ing demand to have access to a company's information and data at any time, from any platform and from anywhere. These concerns and the myth that out- sourcing IT is a risk or too expensive have been put to rest by the continued development of the cloud and the competitive advantage it can provide to businesses in more secure, more efficient and cost-effective ways as ever. The cloud has truly leveled the playing field by giving the small business the per- formance and security once only available to large enterprises, without having to make the significant capital investments of tradi- tional IT. The value of a technology partner that can effectively help a small business maximize this technology adds to the com- petitive advantage a small business needs to differentiate itself from its competitors. Here are some tips for small business own- ers seeking to outsource their IT services, or those who may be looking to make a switch to a more efficient and cost-effective provider. Conduct an IT assessment with a reputable and unbiased IT expert. The transition of outsourcing IT services can be a difficult decision for the leader of a small firm who's accustomed to managing this responsibility in house. Seek an expert who can evaluate the current state of your IT operation, not only from a technological perspective but more importantly from a competitive-advantage perspective. An IT audit should look at the needs of the business based on its mission, vision, goals and market, and evaluate if the exist- ing IT infrastructure meets those needs or not, and recommend cost-effective solutions as part of the IT assessment finding's report. Understand that cloud and mobile technology can be leveraged to enhance the growth and development of your business at a lower cost. Many small businesses believe that out- sourcing their technology means the need to purchase expensive hardware and services. This is not always the case as cloud services actually eliminate the need for costly hard- ware such as servers and routers, while pro- viding all the security, data back-up and access a business needs to compete and succeed. Recognize it may actually cost you more to manage your IT in-house. Every hour a business owner devotes to managing his or her own IT is an hour not devoted to customer service, new business development, product and service improve- ments, managing staff and other vital opera- tions of the business. A small business owner's time is more valuable and better spent on their core business and attending to customers than in running, updating their IT or trying to fix an employee's IT issue. n Carlos Perez is a principal at Hartford- based Perez Technology Group. Carlos Perez LETTER TO THE EDITOR Interstate trucks don't get 'free' ride on CT's highways Dear Editor: I am writing to clarify one point that was made in your Q&A with Congressman John Larson, which was published ("Larson: $10B tunnel plan to reshape Greater Hartford") on Oct. 17. In response to one ques- tion, Congressman Larson stated that "These interstate vehicles get a free ride while they clog our highways and create wear and tear." While this statement could be accurate when referring to passenger cars, from an interstate trucking perspective, that is not the case. Interstate trucks pay fuel use taxes to the state in which they use the fuel, regardless of the state in which the fuel was purchased. Interstate motor carriers are required to do this under an interstate agreement recog- nized by Congress known as the International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA). Under this system, interstate motor carriers paid more than $178 million in state fuel taxes to Connecticut in one year alone, according to the most recent data from the Federal Highway Administration. Similarly, interstate trucks pay apportioned regis- tration fees to all of the states in which they operate, regardless of where the truck is based. Interstate motor carriers are required to do this under an interstate compact recognized by Congress known as the International Registration Plan (IRP). In both systems, taxes and fees owed to Connecticut are calculated based on the number of miles driven in the state. These two agreements ensure that any com- mercial truck traveling through Connecticut pays its fair share of taxes and fees, regardless of where the truck is based, or where its fuel is purchased. Joseph R. Sculley President, Motor Transport Association of CT ▶ ▶ An organizational culture that allows employees to fully use their abilities produces engagement, which produces exceptional results.

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