Measuring Success
April 16, 2008
So what does it mean to measure? Webster’s says to measure is “the act or process of ascertaining the extent, dimensions, or quantity of something; any standard of comparison, estimation, or judgment.”
One of the first lessons I learned during my career at P&G was “You get what you measure!” In other words, unless you’re tracking the activities that drive your business, you won’t know how you’re doing. Is the business healthy or not? In LÛCRUM’s Delivery Organization we’ve been focused on measuring a several key areas of our business over the last year. I’ll focus on 2 key measures - consultant utilization and engagement health.
Consultant utilization is key to our business health since our revenue is dependent on billable hours with a client. If we’re not billing hours, we’re simply not making money. Like any business, if we’re not making money, we won’t be in business very long. Not surprising, our goal is for all hours spent with a client to be billable. While there are times it’s necessary to provide ‘free’ effort, we obviously want to monitor that and ensure it’s in check. We also measure how many hours our consultants spend ‘selling.’ While selling is primarily a Business Development role, a consultant’s technical and business experience can be valuable in making a successful sales call.
Another area where consultant’s time will be spent is “developing the practice”. It’s important for us as a company to develop as individuals and to contribute to the development of the organization. Our contribution to the company might be working on an internal project or serving on a company committee. But one of coolest things I found when I joined LÛCRUM was the concept of “Geek Speak” and “Brain Brews” - technical and business training offered several times a month at lunch or after the business day. We’re each encouraged to attend as well as present to the organization. Yes, I’ve digressed from the topic of measures, but these sessions are really great!
So back to topic….On a weekly basis, the Senior Management team and the Delivery leadership spend time reviewing the overall utilization as well as drilling down to the portfolio and individual. We’ve learned a lot about how our time is spent and it’s helping drive business decision!
The other key area where I spend my time as the Quality Manager is tracking our engagement health. Key is to monitor the next ‘deliverable’ and through the use of conditional formatted ‘traffic lights’, monitor for those yellow and red light! It’s not rocket science, we’re currently doing this through an excel dashboard but it’s allowing us to see the current engagements in one view and ask ourselves questions about what’s going well or what needs attention.
While I’ve mentioned Senior Management and the Delivery leaders regarding the review of our measures, it important everyone knows and understands our Delivery measures. We recently made the information available to everyone through our Delivery Sharepoint site. This site provides weekly or monthly measure in dashboard format. In addition to utilization and engagement health, we also provide visibility to the revenue vs goal, bench, training, recruiting and years of service.
We’ve come a long way in the last year and the journey of Quality Management continues. Stay tuned…….
Sphere: Related ContentCertified or Certifiable?
April 10, 2008
Ok, so you’ve been around the block a few times and think you know your stuff when it comes to Microsoft technologies. What better way to prove it than to obtain a formal certification in your field of expertise? Well for one, where do you start? In a sea of dizzying acronyms (MCSD, MCSA, MCITP, MCPD, MCTS, MCSE, MCDBA…), how is one to survive the turbulent waters and inherent confusion of this journey? Better yet, how are your customers supposed to understand these 4 character “feathers in your cap” that everyone displays proudly on their resume and business cards? Good questions…
A number of our own LÛCRUM certifiables have navigated these waters in the past and to date they are the proud recipients of 15 such certifications.
Thankfully Microsoft has taken a fresh approach at this process. Certifications now fall under 1 of 3 categorizations.
Technology Series – This series exhibits core technology skill on a particular product/technology. Basically nuts/bolts stuff. Typically requires 1-3 exams. Certifications in this series retire when Microsoft product support ceases, thus they have a limited lifetime.
Professional Series – A “step up” from the Technology Series, this series adds job roles in addition to technology competency. It demonstrates your ability to deliver solutions within that role. This series typically requires 1-3 exams with a Technology Series certification prerequisite. It also requires periodic recertification.
Architect Series – The Mac Daddy of Microsoft certifications. This series displays your business IT prowess in addition to in-depth technology acumen to deliver enterprise capable business solutions. This involves a rigorous entry process and a formal oral review board (conducted by peers already possessing an Architect certification) at the conclusion of the certification process. It requires periodic recertification as well.
Across all of these series, only 4 certifications remain from the previous multitude of acronym chaos. They are Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS), Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD), Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP), and finally Microsoft Certified Architect (MCA). Each of these certifications allows for specialization in a variety of areas, however, the certification remains consistent. Once obtained, your branding for resumes and business cards simplifies to your certification plus specialty (i.e. MCITP – Server Administrator).
So how does one obtain these new certifications? Depending on the series…study, study, study and perhaps practical work experience. Microsoft has detailed all the required exams for each certification/specialty combination. Of course a wealth of choices exists for getting you to the exam desk. Books, webinars, study groups, classroom learning, user groups, and conferences are all viable vehicles. Practical work experience just takes time and exposure. As a result, certification takes time and patience and is not something done overnight.
If you’re interested in more information, check out Microsoft’s certification website… http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/default.mspx
Happy learning…
Dave
Sphere: Related ContentOn Feedback
March 31, 2008
Recently I was confronted with a difficult decision regarding the comments section of this blog. A very negative comment was placed for approval to be placed on the site. It was written by “anonymous” and went on to express some very negative opinions of LUCRUM. At first, I approved the comment, and quickly posted my response - trying to be as diplomatic and objective as possible. Then I changed my mind, and took both down. Why? “Isn’t blogging supposed to be about freedom of expression, taking the good with the bad, and engaging in meaningful dialog.” Yes. It is about that. I believe that this site is absolutely about that. Negativity and criticism can actually serve to make us stronger by opening our eyes to areas where improvement is required. It is through these criticisms that we are able to learn and grow. Without a voice of dissent, there is a danger of, as the author put it, sitting around singing Kum Ba Ya. Criticism is welcome.
The reason for taking the post down had nothing to do with a criticism of LUCRUM, but rather the author’s use of specific client information and private information about former employees. I am not alright with that type of content on the site. Unless, that is, you can convince me otherwise. I welcome comments. I prefer when people own them by attaching their name, but anonymous is allowed. Constructive criticism is welcome. However, I ask that if you comment, please do so respectfully. Thoughts?
Sphere: Related ContentLUCRUM in The News…
March 21, 2008
If you happened to pick up the March 21st edition of the Cincinnati Business Courier, you might have read an article about LUCRUM. The article outlines some of the highs and lows that we experienced in 2007, and goes on to talk about some of our future plans for growth. The great thing about having a company blog is that I can immediately share my feedback on the article as part of our ongoing conversation - one that you are welcome to join by placing comments below.
There is only so much information that can be published in a 1/4 page article, so I will elaborate more on it here. LUCRUM is very excited about our partnership with Diane Egbers of Leadership Excelleration Inc (mentioned in the article). Diane has been working with the senior managemnt team to develop a 5 year strategy to address some of the shortcomings mentioned in the article. With her assistance, LUCRUM has made changes to both personnel and policies in an effort to become more nimble and better able to serve the emerging needs of our clients. This effort began in late 2007, and we are already seeing positive results. The Business Development Group has added 4 senior members in the last 4 months, and will be joined by another new member next week. We are not stopping there. Look for LUCRUM to add Business Development personnel in the coming weeks. Along with the new Business Development team members, comes new opportunites and clients. LUCRUM has engaged 10 new clients in the past several months, and is working on exciting data warehousing and business intelligence projects. In addition, we continue to leverage our partnership with Salesforce.com, as we are Cincinnati’s only certified Salesforce provider. The new marketing team led by David E. Bowman, is making great strides in changing our approach to Marketing. We are shifting from the traditional approach of marketing as a monologue to engaging the world in a dialog. My invitation above, seeking comments on this post, is a direct result of that shift in mindset. David is bringing in great young talent like Greg Levine, a recent Xavier graduate, to help further his efforts.
Not only are we investing heavily in restructuring our Business Development Team and Marketing Department, but our Delivery Organization, led by Jodie Heflin, is focusing on providing world class technical solutions for our clients. LUCRUM does not take client satisfaction lightly. In fact, we view it as the key to our future growth and success. Jodie and her team have worked hard to address the systemic problems that led to the issues listed in the Business Courier article. Since her tenure as leader of the Delivery Organization began in September 2007, LUCRUM has been delivering a level of service that is unmatched in the industry.
Ultimately, LUCRUM is a company that is about people. With Andy Erickson as the leader of our talent acquisition effort, LUCRUM is hiring the best and the brightest to join us in our goal of creating world class technical solutions. Be sure to check the People section in future editions of the Business Courier, as I plan on having new hires to LUCRUM making regular appearances there.
In summary, while not all of the information about LUCRUM in the article was positive, the negative information it contains is a part of our past. These problems have been dealt with. We have moved forward. And ultimately we are now a stronger company as a result. We have amazing people, a renewed sense of purpose, and a strategy for success. LUCRUM is focused on the future, and in the spirit of the 2008 theme for the Business Development kickoff meeting in Florida, “the future’s so bright we’ve gotta wear shades.”
Thanks to Laura Baverman for thinking enough of our company to write about us. I have attached a link to the article here. I hope you give it a look. Even more, I hope you will leave your thoughts on the article in the comments below.
Sphere: Related ContentNo Whammies! No Whammies! Stop!
February 24, 2008
There are two words that can strike fear in the heart of the most seasoned of managers: PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS. But why is that? Companies spend countless dollars each year training their managers on how to do evaluations and refining their performance evaluation systems, but has any of it really made it easier?
When it comes down to it, we as human beings, no matter how many courses we’ve taken, or books we’ve read, we are just not “wired” to give very direct, honest feedback. Think about it. How many times as child did you say something brutally honest only to be told by your mother “that’s not a nice thing to say”?
How many people go home at night to their spouses and initiate a conversation something like this: “honey, I need to give you some feedback on how you’re performing as my significant other”? Sounds crazy, right? (Can you predict how that feedback would be received?)
And yet, that’s what good managers are supposed to do for their employees on a regular basis. It’s only fair to let people how they measure up to the company’s expectations- not to mention that it’s typically the basis for performance increases.
The consulting environment adds another quirk that most corporate managers do not face with the same regularity- and that’s the challenge of managing people that we may never work with directly. In the consulting environment, most of our managers are billable consultants first then managers second. They typically maintain their own client engagements which may never cross paths on a daily basis with their direct reports. So how do you provide feedback on people you don’t work with everyday- or whose work you don’t supervise?
Forget annual evaluations! In my opinion, performance feedback- both positive and constructive- should be given monthly. Yes, I said monthly. And, yes, I know how much work evaluations are to do annually. And yes, I know how busy everyone is with their “day jobs.” But, even in an informal fashion, monthly feedback will help to make the annual evaluation a review of the year versus the annual WHAMMY that most evaluations turn out to be. An employee who has received nine to twelve pieces of feedback on their work has headlights as to what is working and what needs to be adjusted in order to meet the company’s expectations.
When it comes to evaluations, a good manager knows what they don’t know, and seeks input from others in order to provide the most accurate feedback to their employees. They seek out client opinions, colleague opinions, perhaps even peer opinions- even if it means bucking the internal HR systems a bit to do so (apologies to my HR brothers and sisters out there!).
At the end of the day, giving direct feedback will never feel especially comfortable to most of us. But most people don’t like surprises- especially when it comes to their performance evaluations. No matter how you give the feedback- formal process, casual conversation- it doesn’t matter as long as you are giving your feedback frequently. So leave the WHAMMIES to the game shows, and don’t even think about giving your spouse their performance evaluation!
Mobile applications and a glass of wine
February 20, 2008
I read the Wall Street Journal every day. Well, almost every day. The delivery service has been outsourced to the Cincinnati Enquirer paper delivery service and so that guy in my neighborhood throws both papers at about 6:30 in the morning. Being a former paperboy (I had 4 different papers I delivered in my youth: Albany Sun Times, NY Daily, New York Times ….the liberals will be proud of me, and the Evansville Courier), I appreciate an on-time delivery. The guy misses my WSJ about 1-2 times per week. I call the Enquirer Delivery customer service and they can’t get another WSJ to me; in fact, they always give me another Murder Paper (Enquirer)! Why???
Ok, so, there was a really interesting article in the WSJ last week about a mobile application that allows a farmer out in the field to analyze his grapes on the vine and figure out what nutrients or fertilizers are needed without leaving the field! Here’s an excerpt of the story courtesy of the WSJ (Cris Prystay) and my mouse.
One day in mid December, Subhash Arve stood in his grape field, just outside the village of Boregaon in the Western Indian state of Maharashtra, fretting over whether it was time to spray the first crop of the season with a growth hormone. So he whipped out his mobile phone.
The phone’s software prompted him to click various icons and answer some simply worded questions to indicate what variety of grapes he was growing, when he had pruned his vines and what type grafts he had used. It also instructed him to take four or five photos with the phone’s camera. He then keyed in a code, and, minutes later, the details of his crop and photos of the grapes popped up on a computer screen at the Maharashtra Grape Growers Association in Pune, 220 kilometers away.
A reading from a soil-analysis sensor planted in the village and a local weather forecast also appeared on the screen. A scientist at the association then sent Mr. Arve the answer he sought, via brief text message: Spray now, and use gibberellic acid, a plant hormone that regulates growth and is tricky to apply. Too little or too much can damage the crop. The scientist recommended an exact amount.
But this project is about far more: The mobile phone is now one of the hottest development tools world-wide. Nongovernmental organizations see cellphones as a way to bolster incomes of the world’s poor, while corporations eyeing untapped rural markets hope new mobile-phone services can boost rural incomes and corporate revenue at the same time. South Asia, where mobile-phone use is rapidly growing, has become a test bed.
“Mobile phones are a pretty important tool for development. I’d put it up there, just behind education and public heath, in the importance to economic growth,” says Leonard Waverman, a professor of economics at London Business School who has studied the impact of telecommunications on economic growth and productivity.
Here is a link to the full article for subscribers to the online WSJ
So, I really believe that our software development and consulting industry will morph one more time in Corporate America with new applications that bring customers more intrinsic value to their business processes and services just like the example cited. In fact, LUCRUM is working on a project (confidential) that involves leveraging mobile devices in ways that their industry has never been able to do. These kind of projects are in LUCRUM’s sweet spot with enabling users to increase their productivity and allow for business processes to be faster and more adept at leveraging business opportunities. I’ll write some more about the mobile application marketplace in the future.
About that glass of wine…here’s one tip: Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay is a great year-over-year bottle that is priced about 23 bucks a bottle. I love Russian River Chards and this one is always a winner!
That it for now, JB
Sphere: Related ContentMore Birthday Fun
February 18, 2008
More birthday fun, courtesy of LUCRUM recruiter / amateur videographer Andy Erickson. Here is a clip from our birthday lunch last week. Note that the most popular response to “what do you love about LUCRUM?” was the people - with Andy’s mom coming in a distant second. All in good fun. It is a great place to work. I just surpassed 15 days (business days) with the company, and it is already clear to me why the company has been around for that same number of years. Great people. Thanks for the footage Andy.
Sphere: Related ContentLUCRUM: 15 Years and Counting…
February 16, 2008
Today’s the 15th anniversary of the founding of LUCRUM. Wow, that’s seems like a long time ago! At the same time, it also feels like yesterday! Our industry is a great industry because it never gets boring. The idea that we can problem solve in our customers’ business using some of the latest technology and techniques is still as rich in opportunity as the first day we were in business. I still remember that first day. I called about 20 different customer/prospects that I knew in the regional marketplace with the announcement that I had formed a new consulting company called, “Client Server Associates.” We were going to focus on the new paradigm of developing business software outside of the mainframe on PC’s and their network servers. It was a very “bleeding edge” concept at the time, and as you know, the rest is history.
It was also very “new” to think of business cycles lasting only a few years instead of the normal 7 year cycles. In fact, I was brash enough at the age of 33 to tell customers that the cycles were going to be “months-long” instead of years long. Boy, was I ever disruptive! In today’s economy, the switch from “build product and the market will come” to “mass customization of all products and services” has created such a huge market in business consulting and developing software solutions. I’ve skied out in Utah this season a few times and the ski “ticket” is now an RFID card that “swipes you” when you go through the turnstiles onto the ski lift! No more checking your ski tag! They also allow for you to go to their website and see how many ski runs you made and what the vertical feet added up to! Another benefit for the avid skier! Our whole world is going to change over the next five years in leveraging the RFID technology, mobile computing with Blackberries and other platforms, as well as the whole concept of “predicting” what the customer wants and suggestively selling or recommending your services in a way that you think they “really know you.” The fact is, they really do know you! “Predicting” needs and requirements is a big portion of the “data management” strategy of any company. They won’t be able to do this themselves in most situations since most companies don’t have an “inventive and build” culture. This is where LUCRUM is going to leverage our strengths and brain-power to provide these kind of services for the market. It’s going to be a very interesting “next 5 years!”
Happy Anniversary! JB
And We’re Off…TheFutureValueofBusiness.com
February 13, 2008
I am now mid way through my 3rd week here at LUCRUM, and it is amazing. I have spent the last 2 weeks getting to know my co-workers, developing an initial needs assessment, and working on putting my stamp on the company’s marketing efforts.
First and foremost has been the launch of this blog. Everyone I have spoken with is extremely excited about the project - though it represents a considerable shift in approach. It will be interesting to see this web log come to life. There should be no shortage of interesting content. I am just hoping that I can keep up.
One co-worker, Andy Erickson, got so excited about the project following a conversation we had on my first day, he launched his own blog to compliment this one. Already he has developed a following here in Cincinnati, and I look forward to having him contributing to the content of thefuturevalueofbusiness.com
It’s not just Andy. Seemingly everyone here at LUCRUM is excited about joining the blogosphere. From Sales to HR, Marketing to Finance, Developers, Coders, Project Managers, and more - people are really interested. My challenge will be turning that curiosity into action - i.e. content. I believe I am up to the challenge.
I am particularly interested in reading posts from the leader of LUCRUM, John Bostick. John is truly a renaissance man. He has started numerous successful companies, traveled the world, given lectures in China, and climbed Mt. Rainier. He even teaches classes in wine and gourmet cooking at Jungle Jim’s here in Cincinnati. He is extremely well read, very articulate, and a true man of vision. I am certain that he will author many interesting posts in the days ahead.
The best part is that it does not stop with John. There are so many people with so much to share. This is going to be fun. If you are interested in hearing our story, and telling us yours, I hope you will subscribe to the site either via RSS or email. Both are available on the home page and can be set up with just a few keystrokes.
My name is David, and I blog (among other things) for a living.
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