tom salonek | Intertech

My Blog Has Moved...

2010-02-08T18:36:00.002-08:00

All,

My blog has moved to: http://www.intertech.com/blog/. Please follow me and other Intertech folks at this new Intertech hosted blog.

Thanks for your support/following!
Tom

Take time to get it right

2010-01-12T15:08:00.000-08:00

After you’ve selected a consulting partner and communicated your basic expectations and deflined who has responsiblity for keeping everyone in the loop, the following tips can help ensure overall project success:

On the front end, clearly define what’s in and what’s out of the project.
When additions to the software occur, expect give-and-take. If features get added, you’ll need to expect more time added to the deadline along with more dollars or get ready to pick what you exchange for the new feature you’re adding.
Expect to take time on the front end of the project to define the requirements because an outside provider doesn’t know your business—you do.

Also, use milestones. In the same way a bank pays a custom homebuilder only as each step of the building process is completed, you should pay only for products, services or software actually delivered ("deliverables"). For each milestone, list five to seven tests to verify it has been reached. If you already have a contract, amend it to include the items discussed above.

Frequent milestones are linked to good software regardless of the business. When payments are tied to discrete milestones, the vendor is forced to finish one step before moving on to the next. If your service provider goes under, leaving finished pieces behind -- rather than an incomplete whole -- will make the transition to another vendor much simpler. The ideal frequency for your milestones can vary. In general, each milestone should be six weeks to three months apart. When in doubt, err on the side of more.

Tom's Takeaway: Milestones help keep projects moving forward smoothly. Even small projects should have several milestones. Whatever the case, define these milestones in the contract.

Communicate at the beginning to avoid problems at the end

2010-01-04T15:09:00.000-08:00

New relationships, no matter whether personal or professional, get off to the best start when the people involved communicate their expectations and listen to the expectations of others. I've seen new business relationships both thrive and wither because the players involved either communicated well or poorly.

Working with an outside vendor is no different. To launch a succesful vendor relationship:

Define clear lines of responsibility to stop turf wars before they start. After clearly defining the role of the vendor be sure to share this information to your staff
Clearly state expectations to put everyone on the same page
Choose a central point of contact for both the vendor and your company
Clearly state priorities when flushing out functional requirements
Communicate constantly

Tom's Takeaway: Communiation is the key to successful relationships. Communicate early and often and you'll be rewarded with effective vendor partnerships.

Intertech Trained? Get a $10 Starbucks Gift Card

2009-12-22T14:42:00.001-08:00

If you're a past Intertech student, get a $10 Starbucks gift card when you exhibit the Intertech Trained logo on your blog, personal website, or other online presence.

The Intertech Trained logo is granted for students who complete an Intertech course. The Intertech Trained logo validates your training and skills.

To get your logo, simply email tcaswell@intertech.com with your name and the class you completed.

Once you’re displaying the Intertech Trained logo on your blog, personal website, or other online forum, let us know and we’ll send you a $10 Starbucks gift card. Email tcaswell@intertech.com with the link to the Intertech Trained logo and a mailing address for the gift card.

Here's more information on the Intertech Trained logo.

Good Habits for a Greener PC

2009-12-18T11:10:00.000-08:00

You can reduce power consumption and achieve significant energy savings when using your PC simply by acquiring a few good habits. Read the handy tips below.

The monitor
In a PC, the display is greatly responsible for overall energy consumption. Some estimates for laptops show that the monitor accounts for 40% of total energy consumption. The figure is not much different for desktop PCs. LCD monitors typically require between 15 and 60 watts, while a CRT (cathode ray tube) screen requires between 50 and 125 watts.

In order to reduce energy consumption and in particular battery consumption, it is recommended to not change the standard configuration set by the manufacturer. In fact, after a certain period of inactivity, the monitor automatically “goes to sleep”. In this mode, it consumes just 1 to 3 watts of energy.

Windows operating systems, in particular from Windows XP onwards, allow you to easily adjust the monitor’s sleep cycle. To lower consumption, you can shorten the idle time, activating the sleep phase earlier and so saving energy.

Another important factor in energy consumption as regards the screen is its brightness. It’s natural to write in black on a white sheet, but a very bright page is heavy on consumption, and strains the eyes. Therefore, experts suggest that screen brightness be reduced until your eyes are comfortable. In this way, especially for laptops, battery consumption can be greatly reduced and battery life lengthened.

PC hibernation mode
The most effective way of reducing consumption when your PC is not in use is to put it in hibernate mode. Rather than shutting down your PC every day, restarting it, then re-opening all your applications, it is much better to “suspend” PC activity, because energy consumption in this mode is roughly 5 watts for a desktop PC and 1 watt for a laptop.

In Windows Vista and later systems, you can also save energy by setting your PC to awaken from hibernation to execute scheduled tasks. For example, with the TV program recording function, you can set your PC to activate itself and record your favorite program at a set time. After completing the recording, the PC returns to hibernate mode.

Switch off the Wi-Fi antenna
Today’s laptops and some desktop models are equipped with antennas for transmitting and receiving data via radio waves using hotspots, microcells equipped with Wi-Fi antennas that comply with wireless standards 802.11 a/b/g/n and allow Internet browsing in bars, airports, at work, or in the home.

Radio antennas consume a lot of energy and battery power when they kick into operation. Windows Vista and Windows 7 natively support the ability to disable the laptop antenna when not in use. This ability to disable the antenna for short periods of time helps to prolong battery life.

New Windows PCs normally have the Wi-Fi antenna enabled for best performance, meaning they are not configured for power saving. So it is up to you to use your wireless antenna in a way that maximizes battery life. If you don’t need to browse the Internet or connect, you can switch the Wi-Fi antenna off completely.

Regulate Windows Search indexing
One of the most interesting changes in Windows Vista is the ability to index all PC content, from e-mails to documents to images. This is a task that Windows Vista performs in the background or while you are doing something else, but it’s a task that inevitably consumes energy.

There are three possible settings for the Windows Search indexing system:
--Maximum Savings: Windows indexes only files defined as high priority or e-mails.
--Balanced: Windows indexes files defined as high or normal priority.
--Maximum Performance: All indexing functions are active, including searching for new content on the Internet.

Selecting a sensible indexing status, depending on the electrical or battery connection, can help you better manage and prolong the useful working life of your laptop.

Power Savings Features in Windows 7
Windows 7 runs with fewer background activities so your PC processor doesn't work as hard and draws less power. Other innovations include less power-hungry DVD playback (handy on long flights), automatic screen dimming, powering off unused ports, and a more accurate battery-life indicator.

Work the vendor interview process

2009-12-13T14:03:00.000-08:00

Much like the employee hiring process, hiring a vendor takes time and preparation. When interviewing prospective vendors, be sure see their past work and meet with the actual people who’ll be involved with your project. Think about the following during the interview:

Do they ask questions? In order to create a solution, any consulting firm will need to understand the problem. Asking questions shows they care and that they’re prepared.
Does it seem too good to be true? For example, if you’re considering five firms for a project and four of the five have stated that your delivery date is unrealistic but one firm can, somehow, hit your deliverable, they may be just telling you what you want to hear to get the business (and will disappoint you by missing the deadline once you’re signed on the dotted line).

Do they pay attention to the details? In the sales process, you’re most likely going to see the best side of the firm. If they’re late or don’t follow through on small details in the bidding process, it won’t get better once you’ve engaged them.
Look for a fit at the cultural level. Similar to having employees who fit the culture of your company, look for a cultural fit with your outside provider.

Tom's Takeaway: Hiring a vendor should be undertaken with the same level of preparation and scrutiny given to hiring a new employee. Ask tough questions and play close attention to what is said -- and left unsaid -- by all vendors you consider.

10 Tips to Get a Job

2009-12-07T13:01:00.000-08:00

Get recommendations on social networking sites like LinkedIn, Plaxo, and Facebook. Asking for referrals is done best face-to-face or live on the phone. For any recommendations, send a hand-written thank you.
Participate in online and in-person communities related to your profession. For example, LinkedIn has a bunch of groups targeted to professions. If you don’t see yours, create a group. In most cities, there are user groups or profession-focused organizations. Join. To be a valuable contributor, continue to learn thru self-study, webinars, and seminars.
Create an online brand. To demonstrate your expertise, you can blog, tweet, record YouTube how-to-videos, podcast, and post slide decks or papers to SlideShare—all for free.
Know the business. When interviewing, for the firm your considering, know the stock price, leadership changes, new products, and general company news. Knowing and showing interest says you’re serious.
In an interview, what preconceptions exist? Proactively shut them down. If you’ve had a short-lived job but there’s a solid reason behind why you left the job, share it. If you’re older and concerned that a future employer may think you’re just going to retire in a few years but you plan to work 15 more years, say so. If you’re not sure what preconceptions may exist, have a friend review your resume.
Know the pay norms for your position (using salary.com or a similar service). If you’re above the norm, have clear points of difference that matter to the employer that account for the difference in pay.
In an interview, ask questions. Write your questions down before the interview. If all goes well and you get hired, you’ll be spending 1,000’s of hours at this organization… ask questions to make sure this is a place where you want to make that sort of commitment.
Be clear on what you want. If you’ve been in leadership in the past but would prefer to be in the trenches, say so. Saying that you’re “open to anything” creates the impression that you don’t know what you want.
At the end of the interview, ask where you stand. The interviewer may tilt their cards. Ask when you can follow-up on next steps or expect an offer.
Throughout the process, nail the basics. Show up on time. Say please. Say thank you. Use people’s names. Be friendly. Smile. Ask questions. Write thank you’s.

Navigating Your Firm (This is the last post in a series...)

2009-12-07T08:12:00.000-08:00

Across the board is dumb. Anything—pay cuts, dropping 10% from each product line, cutting all budgets by 15%--done all across the boards is dumb and not strategic. Rarely does the real problem get solved when a simple percentage or remedy is applied to all problems/departments/people
Keep up the training and R&D. This is your future.
Ask employees for opportunities they see in the current environment. Ask for input on how to manage for the future. If ideas make sense, execute. If have can’t be tackled today, explain why
What could barter/trade to other companies? Bartering gets idle people busy. It's also not taxed.
As things may improving, keep in mind that most are predicting a slow recovery that will take several years to get us back to the ’06-’07 employment levels. Because of this:

If there are changes, improvements, ideas to implement... act today... you never can should have
Continue manage capital fiercely. Keep A/R current.
Recession proof your business model and differentiate your offering today to prepare for the next downturn

Navigating Your Firm (Part 3)

2009-11-29T17:50:00.000-08:00

... (continued from the previous posts)

For your salespeople, have them focus on contacts, contacts, contacts. Salespeople, regardless of economic environment can control three things:

--The hours they work
--The contacts they make
--Their attitude

In sales, today’s activity (calls, contacts, meetings) is tomorrow’s productivity ($’s)
Look for ways to sell new items to existing clients. Find ways to increase geographic footprint. At Intertech, we rolled out a virtual training offering to teach students in other markets.

Cash is king. Stay on top of customers who are late to pay. There’s wisdom behind the saying that the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

Navigating Your Firm (Part 2)

2009-11-23T19:38:00.000-08:00

... Here's a continuation of the previous post...

If you have separate divisions or workgroups and one is doing well and the other is not... let underperforming group know how it helps performing group. Declare win for one as a win for all.
Keep in mind there is uncertainty daily in the media. To ensure your people know that things are well: Be transparent. Provide regular updates. When in doubt, over communicate.
If there are issues, don’t pretend that they don’t exist—talk about them, talk about your plan, and act
If you have months that are doing well, set aside $’s in reserve for a rainy day fund. A risk in reporting financials monthly are the ups-and-downs (there's a reason that publicly held company's report their $'s quarterly).
Have a member of the management team who is high on empathy and will be a go-to for concerned employees
People may be having stress outside of your workplace. Ask how things are. Actively listen. Provide help where you can.

Navigating Your Firm (Part 1)

2009-11-19T15:24:00.000-08:00

I've finished an article on managing through the current "mixed" economy (GDP set to grow but so is unemployment... there's unprecedented government spending to stimulate economic growth but commercial credit is tight). Here's the first in a series of posts from the bullet points of my first draft (out of respect to the publisher, I'm not including the final piece here):

...

We have board member who's shared, "The best way to get people concerned about their jobs is to stop talking about the future." I agree 1,000%. Communicate your long-term plan and keep your values alive.

Focus on what you can change. In good times or bad, you can't change the world -- focus on yourself, your team, your firm.

Be positive. There's an Italian saying that "a fish rots from the head down." It’s the job of leadership to see the opportunities and guide execution. When problems happen, look in a mirror not out a window.

Celebrate wins. Give credit away. Recognize a job well done.

Know your numbers. What were your sales today? What’s your cash position today? How many contacts did the salespeople make? What stuck items or problems happened today? Who owes you money that's late in paying? If you don’t have a daily meeting/huddle to discuss these types of things, set one up now.

Even though economic growth (an increase in GDP of 2-3%) is predicted for 2010, unemployment is expected to climb (to ~10%) and not start ticking down until sometime the first half of next year. People are concerned about their jobs. Because of this, if you have people who are between work assignments, give them internal work. For this work, generate sense of constructive urgency. Set achievable near term goals that require hard work and focus. Action cures fear. It's hard to be working towards a goal and worried about your job at the same time. For these folks between gigs, share how what they're doing will impact the firm. Recognize them. Celebrate wins.

...

Look for more in future future posts...

Supplement your team with carefully chosen vendors

2009-11-08T10:34:00.000-08:00

From law to software, using outside expertise to round out the team is common. In software, 97 percent of organizations use consulting services for some aspect of their software initiatives at some time according to VarBusiness/Reality Research. Obviously, choosing the right vendor partner is key. Here are my top tips for doing it right:

Take time to pick a good provider. The difference between a top and bottom performer is a factor. Don't rush to find a vendor because you have a urgent, current problem. Treat the selection like recruitment process for an executive in your firm.
Ask around. In a meeting with a vendor, it's pretty easy for both sides to put on their "game face." A set of reference checks can provide insights to how the vendor has performed over the years.
Look at the firm’s long-term track record. Here’s a sad reality of service firms—the barrier to entry is low—stop by Kinko’s, print a business card, and you can be a consultant.
Make sure you’re comparing apples to apples. Unlike cars or detergent, services are harder to quantify. Ask questions about what’s in the bid, what’s outside of the scope, and how inevitable changes will be handled.

Tom's Takeaway: While using outside vendors to complete projects is extremely common selecting the appropriate vendor takes work and attention to detail. Invest in the process and you'll be rewarded with a valuable addition to your team.

Free Talk on ASP.NET Ajax Server Controls

2009-10-25T13:22:00.000-07:00

Davin, one of our fantastic instructors, is doing a talk on ASP.NET Ajax Server Controls on November 25th. You can attend this event in-person n Minneapolis/St. Paul in the AM or if you're not in Minneapolis/St. Paul, you can attend the webinar in the PM.

Intertech R&D: Share your thoughts, save $

2009-10-21T14:34:00.000-07:00

James White, who oversees R&D at Intertech, is conducting a survey to help define our 2010 R&D plan. If you complete the survey, you'll be eligible to save $250 on any Intertech course.

If this is an area where you thoughts and insights, take a moment and complete the Intertech R&D Survey.

Get the team right

2009-10-18T20:45:00.000-07:00

Books on the topic of human capital -- recruiting, motivating and retaining employees -- fills many shelves at the local Barnes and Noble. And they should. Studies show that top performers out produce low performers by a factor. In software, it is a factor of eight-to-ten.

With the stakes so high, it's important to create an environment that draws talented people. It's also smart to take your time when hiring new people. (One highly successful firm I know conducts between 25 and 40 interviews to fill one position.) Once the right people are on board, make sure to pick the leaders wisely.

Tom's Takeaway: To ensure a great team, work to bring in great work opportunities. Take your time when hiring and make sure talented people with proven leadership skills are in charge. If you pick your leaders wisely, employee retention will be automatic.

Execution makes all the difference

2009-10-10T09:04:00.001-07:00

Few professionals readily admit to being "process oriented," which some believe connotes images of uptight individuals who are so busy cataloguing trees that they completely miss the proverbial forest. I'd like to challenge that perception.

People who can follow a carefully designed process are most likely to achieve success. This is a fact CEOs understand. When asked to name the main reason for the success of their companies, 75 percent of the CEOs leading Inc magazine's top 500 companies said "superior execution in a mundane business."

That's pretty mind boggling, but it makes sense in light of a estimate from the Gartner Group that approximately 75 percent of software projects fail due to lack of technical consideration or poor business planning.

Tom's Takeaway: Execution of a well-planned approach equals profits.

Just Do It!

2009-10-03T18:34:00.000-07:00

Successfully executing a business project, from launching software to implementing a major marketing initiative, requires a clearly defined plan that all parties understand and endorse. It also requires effective teamwork and people who are willing to put their shoulder against the work everyday. Once a team is ready to execute the work project, the focus needs to be on doing the right things and having systems in place to compensate for inevitable miscommunication and human errors.

Before laying out the game plan for successful project execution, though, I'd like to share a broader thought about getting things done: Just Do It! In my experience, it's far better to take action than to procrastinate while obsessing about making things perfect.

Perfection is nearly impossible to achieve...although it's a worthy goal and one we strive for when developing software for our customers. Rather than software, I'm referring to general business decisions about priorities. I've seen too many organizations nearly grind to a halt over a single issue, or the inability of top managers to make a tough decision. Don't let this happen to your company.

Tom's Takeaway: It's better to move and get things done than to let organizational rigor mortis set in as you search in vain for perfection.

Intertech a Wall Street Journal Winning Workplaces Finalist

2009-09-29T13:07:00.001-07:00

Intertech was selected as a finalist in the Wall Street Journal Winning Workplaces award. There were over 600 nominations and 35 finalists. Here's a link to the online article that mentions Intertech: http://www.winningworkplaces.org/topsmallbiz/2009finalists/index.php#intertech

Invest in Key Relationships

2009-09-22T14:26:00.000-07:00

At Intertech, we don’t believe “nice guys finish last.” What we do believe is that trust is absolutely fundamental. Not surprisingly, we are intentional about building strong trusting relationships among partners. A weekly lunch and an annual ski trip takes the leadership away from the daily press of business and helps us reconnect on a more fundamental level. We also get together with our spouses a couple of times a year for dinner and conversation.

And to keep us from driving each other crazy in those little annoying everyday ways that can creep up when people are working in close proximity over a long time, we have personality profiles of each other. It’s a “cheat sheet” that we carry around in our binders to remind us who hates long winded descriptions and who struggles to make a decision that involves something unpleasant. The profiles are the result of personality testing similar to a Meyers Briggs test. I highly recommend it for any group of partners or managers who work closely together.

Tom's Takeaway: Understanding how we're all wired helps us work together in the most effective way possible…it’s also a lot more fun. Partners (or fellow managers or executives) should find ways to connect and look at the big picture as a team several times a year.

Build your team over time

2009-09-18T13:07:00.000-07:00

As employees reach their learning goals, prove their commitment and move up in the company, we keep a close eye on those employees just behind them. We believe reaching our company-wide goals means making sure we are continually building talent. We have the farm team philosophy and today’s team player might just be tomorrow’s team leader.

Tom's Takeaway: Creating an environment where people can grow, learn and advance is a great recipe for success. Pay attention to today's team players to uncover your future superstars.

Compensation Should be Tied to Outcomes

2009-09-13T16:39:00.000-07:00

Compensation is another area where it’s important to match up goals with results. It’s also one of the easiest ways to link performance to outcomes.

Every employee at Intertech has performance goals that correspond with financial incentives. For example, Intertech consultants have a bonus tied to their personal utilization (billings to clients). In addition, they receive a multiplier based on company profitability.

Intertech Principals are those that have demonstrated our values, have exhibited leadership and have significantly contributed to the firm. In return, they participate in a special bonus program tied to profit and receive a premium level of options in our firm. For leaders, including me, there’s more upside and more risk. If Intertech hits our targets, everyone wins. If we don’t, we all have significant personal earnings at risk.

Tom's Takeaway: Tying compensation to outcomes gives everyone in the company a stake in a successful business performance. In bonus systems, a known outcome within the control of the employee is most effective. And in both promotion and compensation, transparency is critical.

Promotions require advance planning and commitment

2009-09-09T22:06:00.001-07:00

Employees who deserve a promotion are those who behave as if they already have been promoted (they know the wisdom of "fake it 'til you make it"). At the same time, enlightened companies share a commitment to provide training and tools to help people achieve their professional objectives.

At Intertech, we ask employees during their annual performance review, “What do you want to be doing two years from now?” We also build employee learning goals into the formal review process. Individual goals and publicized bonus systems replace the “good old boy network.”

I believe organizations that operate transparently inspire and empower employees to reach their goals. Tied to this transparency, at Intertech, we’ve defined in clear terms what’s needed to become a Principal in the firm. Once a year, at one of our monthly all company meetings, we go over the requirements.

Tom's Takeaway: Employees need a chance to gain confidence and prove themselves before moving up the ladder. Management, while providing tools to help employees succeed, also needs the chance to observe a person’s commitment, and ability to handle tough situations and to exercise sound judgment.

Ensure Alignment

2009-09-03T13:16:00.000-07:00

Once the big picture planning work is complete, many people are tired of the process and simply put all the information into a binder that quickly begins gathering dust until the following year when the process is repeated. Don’t let that happen to your company!

Defining the strategy is just the first step. For the strategy to be meaningful, you must align everything in your organization to mate the strategy. McKinsey & Co consultants Tom Peters and Robert Waterman created a useful alignment tool known as the 7-S-Model. It advises that the following areas—structure, systems, skills, shared values, staff and leadership style—all be in alignment in support of the strategy.

Tom’s Takeaway: Proper alignment is imperative for more than just your skeletal structure. To achieve your strategy you must make sure that all aspects of your organization are “lined up” to support the strategy.

Complete a SWOT analysis

2009-08-29T10:21:00.000-07:00

After gathering feedback from all team members and company leaders, it’s easy to become mired in anecdotal comments and random observations. That’s why I’m a big believer in the discipline required by a SWOT analysis, which involves summarizing major patterns in terms of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.

We perform the SWOT analysis annually at our leadership strategy retreat. Nothing beats those big white pieces of paper listing your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in bold black letters. We find this work, along with some other focused questions-and-answers, ensure that the leadership team is all on the same page as we begin the hard work of setting strategy and goals for the coming year.

Tom’s Takeaway: Analyze your company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats once year. This SWOT analysis lays a strong foundation for setting strategy and company goals for the year ahead.

Let Everyone Weigh In

2009-08-24T20:05:00.000-07:00

It’s hubris to believe that good ideas only come from the people at the top of an organization. In fact, many great ideas first occur to the folks on the front lines as they’re working with customers or developing products. That’s why savvy managers take time to listen to all employees, ideally through a systematic process that ensures all voices are given an opportunity to be heard.

For my company, this process takes the form of an annual half-day session in which all team members discuss a series of questions designed to elicit feedback that Intertech partners can consider at our annual strategy retreat. Employees discuss how we can make things better for them, for the company and for our clients. They also consider how we can improve, as well as how to attract more highly qualified employees and class A clients.

A respected employee who is not a member of the leadership team leads this half-day session. He aggregates the feedback and shares it in anonymous form with the leadership team so employees don’t worry that any negative comments will affect their performance review. The leadership team doesn’t always follow through on every idea generated by employees, but we do weigh every recommendation carefully and many times are able to adopt ideas through this process.

Tom’s Takeaway: No one has a patent on good ideas. Make sure everyone in your organization has the chance, at least once a year, to tell management his or her ideas.

Measure the goals that must get done

2009-08-18T20:12:00.000-07:00

Ever heard the adage, “What gets measured, gets done”? If you’ve ever tried to lose weight, for example, you understand all too well the wisdom inherent in this old chestnut.

Tracking our progress forces us to make a true commitment to reaching our goals. Stepping on the scale each morning, or at least once a week, makes us confront our progress – or lack thereof – in a most tangible way. If we’re truly committed to reaching our goals, keeping track of how we’re doing along the way is essential.
To make sure your work goals are implemented, assign a key metric to each goal so you can assess progress and when the mission is complete for each goal.

This measurement advice applies to projects and teams, as well as to overall corporate goals. For example, if a team is working on a large software project, a key metric might be the number of bugs; for a sales team, it would be total sales.

Tom’s Takeaway: Find ways to measure progress toward, and completion of, business goals. If you measure, you can be sure it will get done.

Make time to set your strategy

2009-08-15T19:55:00.000-07:00

Ever notice that some things on your “to do” list never seem to get done, at least not until someone in the organization calls a meeting to get the task onto your prioritized short list? It’s the old adage, “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.” To make something happen, we have to decide it’s important enough to set aside time to actually do it.

At Intertech, leaders participate in an annual retreat away from the company to set our strategy for the coming year, with the objective of establishing the top three goals for each of our divisions. While getting away is a crucial aspect of this work, a great deal of the work happens before we ever leave town. Retreat participants all complete an exhaustive survey in advance, while employees not participating in the retreat take part in a working session where they share ideas and provide feedback. All of this information is rolled into a SWOT analysis, which is reviewed and further analyzed at the retreat. We also hire a facilitator to lead the retreat discussions so all participants can interact on equal footing.

Tom’s Takeaway: Make time for annual strategic planning. By putting it on the calendar, you’re ensuring this crucial work happens in a systematic and meaningful way.

Three is the number to strive for

2009-08-11T15:18:00.000-07:00

What is about three? There are many phrases in our language that point to the specialness of things that come in threes: Three is the magic number. Three times is the charm. Three blind mice. There’s even an old rule in comedy writing that says you can milk the same joke for three laughs…but try for a fourth and you’ll find the audience is no longer laughing.

In business, the rule of three also applies, particularly when you’re formulating values, principles and goals. Three is the ideal (five should be the absolute cap!)
Why three? Maybe that’s all we can keep in our conscious minds at the same time. As the number of priorities expands beyond three it becomes harder to focus. When goals exceed three, the simpler things get done first and the more challenging goals simply fall away in the press of everyday business.

Tom’s Takeaway: Limit top values, principles and goals to no more than three per category. The discipline of limits will force your organization to hone in on what’s most important, increasing the odds that the truly critical will get accomplished.

Continually Communicate and Reinforce the Mission

2009-08-06T15:38:00.001-07:00

Figuring out your mission and related guiding principles doesn’t mean your company has hit a home run and will automatically reach its desired destination. A lot of hard work needs to happen along the way, including finding innovative and fresh ways to continually communicate your mission to employees, customers and other key stakeholders.

To the outside world, Intertech communicates its mission through a simple brand statement: Instructors Who Consult/Consultants Who Teach. This means our combination of training and consulting results in instructors who understand the real world applications of technology. It also means that training is part of our consulting solution. Internally, we use large banners in our office, as well as statements in our portal and our weekly newsletter.

Tom’s Takeaway: It’s impossible to over communicate your organization’s mission and guiding principles. Develop a brand statement that encapsulates what makes your company different – and why that matters to customers -- and then communicate that information widely and often.

Make the mission comprehensive

2009-08-02T17:27:00.000-07:00

No one achieves a complex mission without careful thought, thorough preparation and keen attention to details. When organizations ponder their missions and how to achieve them, they should devise supporting guiding principles that support its mission and influence how daily decisions are made.

My company has boiled our guiding principles down as follows: (1) Dominating our market (Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area) through a unique combination of training and consulting; (2) Employing exceptional people and attracting great work opportunities for them; (3) Being different in a way that matters to our customers.

Tom’s Takeaway: Your company’s principles should be comprehensive enough to capture the scope of your operations, your competitive value proposition and your approach to employees.

Begin with the end in mind

2009-07-29T11:54:00.000-07:00

Planning a trip begins with the destination. From there, most travelers work backwards to determine a route, itinerary and even what to pack. Running a successful business is much the same. Business expert Stephen Covey succinctly espouses this principle in his book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. In business, the “end” could mean your mission, vision or Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG).

No matter what defines your BHAG, stating it aloud is essential; it’s also powerful and a little scary. At Intertech, we have clear and measurable metrics to determine when we’ve arrived at our destination. These include revenue and employee growth figures. We also assume it will take many years to arrive at this destination, which is why the destination is big, hairy and audacious. It’s also inspiring.

Tom’s Takeaway: The only way to arrive at your destination is to know in advance where you’re going. Take the time to determine your organization’s mission by determining and articulating specific mission-related metrics.

Intertech URLs

2009-07-23T09:58:00.000-07:00

Thanks to our wonderful IT person, Wu, here are some "shorthand" URLs for some of Intertech's resources:

http://facebook.intertech.com/
http://youtube.intertech.com/
http://linkedin.intertech.com/
http://itunes.intertech.com/

We're in the process of setting up a shorthand for our upcoming Twitter account... stay tuned!

Make your values come alive

2009-07-21T11:53:00.000-07:00

As your Mom or high school sports coach probably told you, “Talk is cheap.” What really matters is what we do. That’s why reinforcing our values extends well beyond conversation and banners at Intertech. We’ve instituted a program that gives employees an important way to help keep the values alive and top of mind.

It’s called “You’re the Ace” and involves nominating fellow employees for recognition when someone is observed putting the ACE values into practice. Four times a year we host company-wide meetings in which employees who either nominated someone, or were nominated themselves, have the chance to win prizes through drawings. The prizes are inconsequential, such as modest gifts from thinkgeek.com or gift cards, but the drawings are fun events and they give us yet another opportunity to reinforce employees who embody our values.

Tom’s Takeaway: Find creative ways to recognize and reward employees who embody your company values. Doing so will communicate volumes to employees about the importance of company values, while helping keep them alive as a powerful force within your organization.

Intertech Named a Best Place to Work

2009-07-14T09:17:00.000-07:00

For the fifth year, Intertech is being recognized as one of the Best Places to Work in Minnesota by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. Our actual ranking will be shared at an awards seminar next month (last year, we were #2).

The award is based on confidential surveys completed by our employees and administrated by an outside research firm. Because it's anonymous and done by an outside firm--our folks aren't just saying what they think I want to hear--it means a ton and is truly humbling.

Intertech and this award wouldn't be possible without our phenomenal employees and wonderful customers. I thank them both.

Articulate your values early and often

2009-07-07T15:35:00.001-07:00

Like anything we care about, we must continually reinforce our commitment. No one tells his spouse “I love you” exactly once and remains happily married anyway!. I believe it’s just as important to verbally communicate company values on a regular basis. At Intertech, we articulate our values with the following statements:

Attitude: Each day we choose our attitude. Attitude is contagious. For others to be positive, excited and inspired, we must be.

Commitment: As a team, we deliver. We demand more of ourselves than others could ask.

Excellence: We’re committed to providing a world-class customer experience that results in world-class customer satisfaction.

When someone is called an “ACE” at Intertech, it’s more than just a fleeting comment or a gratuitous pat on the back. ACE is the acronym for our values. It’s also the name of a program we’ve put in place to make our values come alive every day. We’ve put tremendous energy into developing the program and the results have paid off in the form of revenues that exceed expectations, satisfied customers and very low employee turnover. While less measurable (unless you count smiles and laughter), I think it’s also safe to say that our company culture is upbeat and enjoyable.

Tom’s Takeaway: To make your company values come alive, you must find ways to talk about the values on a regular basis. The rewards of this effort will impact every aspect of your operation.

When the going gets tough, the tough tread thoughtfully

2009-06-30T10:23:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to an article that I wrote for Upsize magazine called When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Tread Thoughtfully.

Values should be differentiators

2009-06-25T09:40:00.000-07:00

Values are most valuable as an organizational compass when they differentiate your company from your competitors. In addition to positive attitude, commitment to clients and professional excellence, our employees identified honesty and teamwork as two other core values at Intertech.

We were gratified to learn that employees were nearly unanimous in their agreement that these five values were most reflective of our company’s culture. According to Jim Collins and other business experts, however, company values must represent a point of difference to be meaningful. So we took another hard look at our values and determined that the first three-- positive attitude, customer commitment and professional excellence—truly set us apart from our competitors.

Those three values became the foundation of core operating principles that guide Intertech to this day. We describe the principles as follows: (1) to dominate the local market by offering a unique combination of technical training and consulting; (2) to be exceptional by hiring great people and landing them great work; and (3) to be different in a way that matters to our customers. Your company’s principles will be different, but to be effective they must not compete with your core values.

Tom’s Takeaway: Identify the values that truly set your company apart from its competitors. This valuable information should become the basis of your core operating principles. Operating principles and core values should be mutually consistent.

Involve the team when defining values

2009-06-18T18:44:00.000-07:00

Like purpose, your values should be rock-solid and unchanging. Most likely, your organizational values already are in operation. Think of the company values as an invisible hand guiding interactions between customers, employees and vendors. To be most effective at guiding interactions, values should be identified concretely.

We articulated our values many years ago through a “Mars Group” exercise created by business expert and author Jim Collins. In essence, all employees are asked to pick the handful of employees to “send to Mars” to recreate your company on that distant planet. The chosen employees are intended to be the best exemplars of your organization’s core values and purpose, have the most credibility with their peers, and the highest levels of competence.

Everyone also should supply three adjectives that best describe his nominees. By sorting through the adjectives, you eventually should be able to find the most common values. At Intertech, the common values were positive attitude, commitment and excellence.

Tom’s Takeaway: Values are present in all organizations. Effective companies make the effort to consciously identify them, asking employees to be part of this important process.

Know What Matters

2009-06-14T14:29:00.000-07:00

Ever heard the maxim, “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything”? The wisdom it communicates applies equally well to individuals and organizations. We all need to be clear about our core beliefs and purpose; otherwise we can be blown off course by the latest fads or, worse, come to believe that we don’t matter.

I learned this lesson personally during my first job after college. I was working for one of the top employers of information technology talent in the Twin Cities. Despite my motivation to add value, a well-meaning manager told me I didn’t need to expend extra energy in my work. In essence, the company was so big there wasn’t a need for any one person to shoulder any additional effort. That was the moment I found my purpose: I knew I wanted my efforts to matter. Intertech was founded quickly thereafter.

Tom’s takeaway: Building a great organization, no matter whether it’s a small company or a division within a large company, means knowing what matters. A company’s purpose should be clear and unchanging. For Intertech, that translates as “Creating a place where people matter and our partners’ businesses are improved through technology.”

Fire Quickly

2009-06-11T09:54:00.000-07:00

Firing someone is the worst part of my job. It’s also one of the most important aspects of what I do. I believe organizations succeed or fail largely based on whom they employ – as well as whom they fire. While this may sound heartless, the survival of my organization and the livelihood of my clients and employees are at stake.

Sadly, most employees are not fired because they lack the technical skills to do their jobs well. Typically, they have problems in the area of “emotional intelligence” (author Daniel Goleman has written extensively on this topic). Specifically, their personality or people skills are a poor fit with our cultural expectations. Someone with top skills who alienates clients or teammates through arrogance or bullying, for example, is not an asset. The same is true for those salt-of-the-earth types who just can’t get anything done.

Showing these people the door quickly is essential. Always have two management team members present during the firing. A legal separation agreement may be a good idea, particularly if severance pay is involved (talk to your attorney to see what makes most sense for your organization). Quickly pay a fired employee for all hours worked and any unreimbursed expenses (you want this to be a clean break). Finally, be mentally prepared for the person to promise he will change. This should not influence your decision to let him go.

Tom’s Takeaway: There’s a small delta between what you say you are and what you really are as an organization. Keeping employees who don’t fit your company values risks bringing down the whole ship in time. Don’t hesitate to fire someone when it’s clear they do not fit with your values, no matter how skilled or congenial they may be. People are hired for skill and fired for personality.

Identify the Stars, Saints and Dogs

2009-06-06T11:55:00.000-07:00

How you operate at the fringe of your organization strongly impacts your core employees. To keep morale and motivation high, it’s essential to identify your top performers, as well as those who need to improve and those who need to be shown the door.

I’ve developed shorthand code for these three groups of employees. “Saints” are those individuals who may be a great fit with our culture but who are poor performers. “Dogs” are folks who score high on the performance scale but are a poor cultural fit with Intertech (they tend to extraordinarily arrogant). “Stars” those fantastic individuals who are both high performers and are a good fit with our cultural values.

Not surprisingly, our response to Saints and Dogs is the same: shape up or ship out. Stars, however, are given extra incentives to remain long-term members of our organizations.

Tom’s Takeaway: Not all employees fit neatly into the category of stars, saints and dogs. Most folks fall somewhere in the middle. How you treat the people who obviously qualify as stars, saints and dogs, however, will speak volumes to the rest of your team about expectations, rewards and the consequences of living up – or down – to company values.

Assess results clearly

2009-05-30T13:23:00.000-07:00

Professionals expect clarity in performance appraisals and promotions. Make sure the expectations are set clearly from the very first day and give frequent feedback along the way. We use the following questions to keep it simple:

What is the purpose of my job? This answer should be extremely simple, such as “selling our services.”

What do I need to do to make it happen? For someone in sales, the answer might be “call 100 potential clients every day.”

What tools do I need to be successful? For a sales person, training on phone skills or negotiation might be in order.

How do I know when it’s been achieved? Again, in our sales example, reaching a specified dollar amount would be an objective measure of goal achievement.

Tom’s takeaway: Provide a clear assessment of an employee’s performance by making the expectations clear and measurable.

Intertech Beta Course Offer

2009-05-26T12:32:00.000-07:00

We have a special offer. For the Beta (first public offering) of two Intertech courses, we’re offering a 25% discount on the standard course rate. In exchange for the discount, you agree to give detailed course feedback. The courses and dates are:

Complete Spring Core Training, June 8-10
Complete Spring Web Training, June 11-12

To get this special pricing, you must register over the phone (651-994-8558 +23) and mention “BETA-RUN.” This is a onetime offer.

Help them avoid burnout

2009-05-24T17:06:00.001-07:00

Need a recipe to ensure that your high talent/high need for achievement employees burn out? Give them a repetitive task with significant time pressure. This is the classic definition of boring, stress-inducing work. A steady diet of it ensures that your top performers will seek relief by seeking more interesting work elsewhere.

Of course, not every project allows our programmers to use emerging technology in cutting-edge ways every single day. In cases where a programmer is working on a boring assignment, we do three things to help him deal with the situation: (1) we verbally recognize the nature of the assignment and express our gratitude that he’s doing it; (2) we give him a chance to take on a more interesting additional assignment or offer to provide a training opportunity, and (3) we put a time cap on it. People can endure almost anything if they know when it will end. If you’re unsure how long someone can endure a dreadful assignment, ask him.

Most important, we don’t ask anyone to repeatedly take on boring, repetitive tasks. Occasionally this has meant that Intertech has passed on lucrative assignments that would have driven our people to distraction. That’s a tough call but you must be willing to make if you’re committed to attracting and retaining the very best people in your industry.

Tom’s takeaway: Don’t expect top performers to do boring, repetitive work. If they must do mind-numbing work on a rare occasion, help them survive by expressing your thanks, giving them something else to do to keep their mind engaged and let them know when the boring work will be over.

Provide work that matters

2009-05-20T18:26:00.000-07:00

To be satisfied at work, people need to stay challenged and to believe they’re using their strengths in ways that matter. As simple as this sounds, a whopping 80 percent of U.S. workers do not think they use their strengths every day. And the longer someone stays at a firm, the less likely they are to say that they use their strengths on a daily basis.

As managers, we need to understand what people need and we must balance their needs with the needs of our company or clients. Most people need to know how they rate compared to others. They also need to know how they fit within the overall organization. Mostly, though, they need to know that the work they are doing is important, that it matters.

Tom’s takeaway: To keep employees motivated, provide challenging work that is important.

Keep them motivated

2009-05-18T07:36:00.000-07:00

Another snapshot from the upcoming book...

After a reasonable period of adjustment, don’t be afraid to push employees outside of their professional comfort zone. Motivated technical employees want to build their skills by working with high-profile companies on challenging assignments.

Build a specific learning goal into every employee’s performance plan at the beginning of each year. At Intertech, everyone has 3-5 goals that tie in with the company’s overall goal, one of which specifically relates to learning.

We also encourage less experienced employees to sign up for special projects that can help them develop skills while developing something we can use internally. In addition to building their skill set, they earn a financial bonus for doing these projects. Most importantly, our employees become more skilled but not at the expense of our clients.

Tom’s takeaway: Everyone needs to learn new skills to stay motivated. Find ways for all your team members to develop professionally and give them incentives, such as performance goals and even financial bonuses, to embrace these opportunities.

Be patient

2009-05-12T19:45:00.001-07:00

Another snippet from the upcoming book...

With introductions and administrative formalities out of the way, it’s time for your new team member to roll up his proverbial sleeves and get to work. Understandably, your expectations are high. You’re finally going to see this genius in action!

Take a deep breath, make a cup of tea and repeat this ancient Chinese proverb three times: “He who makes no mistakes, usually makes nothing at all.”

With software and probably every other creative endeavor in the world, a poor first draft is almost a requirement. Just expect it. Actually, do more than that. Give your new employees support and encouragement—you know they’re capable of getting it right.

Tom’s takeaway: Nothing of value is created without time and effort. Be patient with new employees and communicate your confidence in their ability. People usually live up or down to our expectations of them.

Check in regularly

2009-05-07T12:10:00.001-07:00

From the upcoming book...

Successfully launching a new employee means checking in on regular intervals to see how things are going. I recommend checking after the person has been on the job for 30, 60 and 90 days. These are informal opportunities to ask how things are going and if the employee has clear direction on what they should be doing. We also ask if they need any tools or training and, most importantly, if there is anything else we should be aware of or that they would like to discuss.

Check-ins provide a one-on-one opportunity for introverted employees to share thoughts and concerns. They also continue to communicate to employees that you want them to succeed.

Tom’s takeaway: Regular, informal check ins with new employees let them know you are committed to their success. They also allow you to fix early problems before they fester into major issues.

Free Expression Blend Presentation

2009-05-03T08:53:00.000-07:00

While I’ve posted earlier, I want to give anyone reading this blog a heads-up... this week we’ll be doing a general announcement of our upcoming Oxygen Blast on May 26th on Expression Blend.

We’ll cap the registrations for the event at Microsoft at 120 and over the web at 250. Both will fill. If you’re interested, beat the pack and register today:

Live At Microsoft: https://www.clicktoattend.com/invitation.aspx?code=135487
Live Over the Web: https://www.clicktoattend.com/invitation.aspx?code=135590

Set the tone quickly

2009-04-30T12:51:00.001-07:00

Another part of the upcoming book...

As anyone who has ever had an awkward first date knows, first impressions matter. Likewise, the amount of effort you put into effectively bringing someone new into your organization plays a significant role in whether or not he becomes a long-term employee. At Intertech, we send a floral arrangement to a new employee’s home upon acceptance of our offer, with a note of welcome. The week before he starts, we send an email explaining what to expect the first week and the name of his mentor. (We assign a mentor from our senior management team to every new employee to allow new people to see our values in action—up close and in person--from day one.)

Beyond the obvious orientation activities—lunch, HR forms and meeting other employees—set the tone quickly by telling the new person about your company’s history, particularly through anecdotes and personal observations. This can be more challenging at large and long-established corporations, but even then a mentor can tell new employees about their own relevant work experiences to make the culture come alive.

At Intertech, I personally take each new employee to lunch soon after they start and follow it with a drive around town to see the company’s milestones (such as the dumpy apartment where our firm was hatched in my early 20s!). We also talk about the company’s strategic plan, where we’re headed and our communications guidelines.

Tom’s takeaway: You only get one chance to make a first impression. Take the time and care to communicate with new employees, letting them know you’re confident that they will quickly become a valued member of your team.

Make a clear, time-sensitive offer

2009-04-27T16:12:00.000-07:00

Here's another excerpt from my upcoming book...

When negotiating an offer, clarity and a deadline are essential. The person with the least amount of interest has the most power. When you’ve presented your offer, don’t hound the candidate. It makes you seem desperate. If the candidate starts making hefty demands, think hard about whether this person will fit in your organization over the long term. If you agree to bonuses and other perks, make sure the person understands what you expect in return.

If you require employees to sign a non-compete agreement, remember that you must disclose that at the same time that you make the offer. Conversely, if you decide to pass on a candidate, succinctly thank the person for his time and frame rejection letters correctly by stating, “At this time, given our interview process, we are choosing to proceed with other candidates.” This makes the break fast and clean and gives the rejected candidate no opening to try to change your mind.

Finally, put an expiration date on the offer. Give the candidate a reasonable amount of time to make a decision but, for everyone’s sake, provide a definite end date on the offer consideration period.

Tom’s takeaway: Once you’ve presented a fair offer with an expiration date, give the candidate a reasonable amount of time to make the decision—with a clear deadline attached.

Book Excerpt: Get inside their heads

2009-04-23T08:01:00.000-07:00

Here's another snippet from my upcoming book...

When you’ve found a top-performing candidate whose skills, personality and values fit with your organization, it’s time to negotiate an offer. I believe in the advice given in the book “First, Break All the Rules,” which advises to treat people candidly. When talking with a serious candidate, find out what’s most important to them by asking them upfront—is it time off, telecommuting, money, or something else? Take that into consideration when you make your offer.

Of course, there are no guarantees that candor will result in a happily ever after scenario. We’ve had experienced executives demand significant pay, bonus and benefit packages. In some cases, we’ve agreed. In a few of those cases, we later let them go. There is no entitlement. If someone demands a lot, a lot should be expected of them. If they don’t live up to what they promised, they need to be let go.

Tom’s takeaway: Understand what a potential employee values before making an offer. If someone expects a lot, you should expect a lot in return.

Intertech Podcasts

2009-04-21T16:05:00.000-07:00

If you're a tech person, Intertech has a free series of Intertech Oxygen Blast Podcasts. These presentations cover .NET, Java, and Open Source technologies. Check it out!

Book Excerpt: Only hire top performers

2009-04-18T12:39:00.000-07:00

Here's another piece from my upcoming book...

Maybe this sounds like a tall order, especially when times are good and great employees are hard to find. But no matter the business climate, making a commitment to only hire top performers is a strategy worth pursuing. It’s the only way to ensure that you can deliver the best service or product to your customers—and the only way I know to stay competitive, especially in an age of global outsourcing. If you think you can get by with mediocre employees, you’ll soon see your profit margins eroding since the only way you’ll be able to compete is to lower prices.

It pays to be picky. By this I mean, only hire people you rate at a 9 or 10 on a 10-point scale. In my industry, the data state that a top programmer will produce eight times more work than an average or poor performer!

Great performers are rarely unemployed or desperate for work. For this reason, it’s important to build a virtual bench of possible candidates who are exceptional at their jobs but who are happy in their current positions. Eventually things may change and they will be interested in finding a new position. Conversely, if a top performer leaves your organization on good terms and later wants to return, don’t hesitate to take him back. This sends a powerful message to everyone about the your company being a great place to work.

Tom’s takeaway: While it takes time and patience on the front end to find and recruit top performers, you’ll get this investment back with hefty dividends over time.

Looking For Some Great Free Learning in Minnesota?

2009-04-15T16:18:00.000-07:00

If you live in Minneapolis/St. Paul and are looking for some great free learning, consider attending our Oxygen Blast event at Microsoft. This free two seminar is titled “A Programmer's Introduction to Expression Blend” and is delivered by Intertech's Andrew Troelsen, best-selling author and instructor. Here’s more info:

Date: 5/26/2009

Time: 9:00 AM - 11:00 PM

Location: Held at Microsoft Corporation, Bloomington, MN

Description: If you are creating WPF or Silverlight applications, you have most certainly wondered about Expression Blend. While it is true that this tool is geared towards graphical artists, software engineers can also use this tool to simplify their XAML creation efforts. In this talk, attendees learn the mechanics of working with Blend to author a UI, create animations, generate application resources, and establish data binding operations. During the process, numerous bits of XAML are clarified. No artistic experience required.

To register: https://www.clicktoattend.com/invitation.aspx?code=135487

If you're out of MN, you can register for the virtual version of this webinar:

https://www.clicktoattend.com/invitation.aspx?code=135590

SBTV Interview

2009-04-13T16:35:00.000-07:00

For both Q3 and Q4, Intertech was named one of the fastest growing firms in North America by PCI Entrex. Related to these awards, SBTV did an interview with me.

Here's a link to the Podcast interview on Intertech.

Book Excerpt: Watch out for bias

2009-04-11T10:34:00.000-07:00

To improve your interviews with job candidates, be aware of your own biases and the tendency to make snap judgments. Author Malcolm Gladwell in his best-selling book, Blink, chronicles the human tendency to make huge decisions in the “blink of the eye” based on a person’s appearance, the color of their eyes or if they remind us of someone else. Most of us don’t even realize we make decisions about others based on such shallow “information,” which is why we need systems to override our very human tendency to unconsciously and subjectively size someone up.

Here’s a tip for keeping biases in check. Make a note of your initial impressions and then set that aside. Try to keep your mind open as you learn more about the potential candidate and be willing to alter your original impression. Your goal should be to not let your initial impressions outweigh other evidence about the person gleaned from a rigorous hiring process.

Tom’s takeaway: It’s human to size someone up in the “blink of an eye,” but savvy hiring managers consciously set their initial impressions aside and take the time to thoroughly assess a candidate before making a decision.

Book Excerpt: Verify the story

2009-04-08T12:29:00.000-07:00

Here's another snapshot from my upcoming book...

Hiring someone is a highly human interaction. After all, it’s a matter of people coming together and making a decision to spend 40-plus hours together for an undefined period of time well into the future. It’s easy to let emotions, especially positive ones, tempt you into skipping your due diligence before offering a job to someone who appears ideal.

Here’s my advice: don’t let this happen to you.

No matter how impressive someone appears to be, you should always call their past three employers and ask questions that get the real story. Ask, “what did Bill do?” instead of, “Bill said he was project manager who oversaw 20 employees. Is this true?” Open-ended questions ensure you will get a more complete and accurate description of the candidate’s past job responsibilities and performance (although some companies do maintain a strict HR policy of only confirming the dates and job titles a person had while in their employ).

It also makes sense to get a professional outside assessment of your leading candidates. We spend about $500 per assessment, which provides us with an extensive overview of the candidate’s personality and allows us to decide if the person will fit with our culture. Sound expensive? Think about the costs (both time and money) involved in a bad hire.

Tom’s takeaway: There are three places where you can’t always see a person’s true personality: a first date, in church and at a job interview. Increase your odds of hiring someone whose personality, values and work ethic matches your own by thoroughly checking him out before you extend an offer of employment.

Book Excerpt: Hiring, Have a Process

2009-04-03T21:32:00.000-07:00

Here's another snapshot from my book-in-progress...

You probably wouldn’t choose a college for your child or even a new car for yourself without doing diligent research. Your process would include talking with many people, doing some Internet sleuthing, keeping a spread sheet showing key comparative data and the like. Hiring a new employee requires the same diligence.

To ensure the best hiring result, use consistent questions that all candidates must answer. You’ll find it will be much easier to compare candidates if you have an “apples to apples” set of responses. Vary the interview settings when interviewing the same candidate multiple times. If the potential employee will have substantial client contact or need to interact with top levels of management, for example, take him or her to lunch to observe social skills and table manners. It’s also smart to involve more people in the process. At Intertech, the final interview involves the prospect meeting with two of our employees for a team interview

The hiring process is designed to primarily elicit important information from job candidates. It’s also important, however, to provide clear information about your organization’s culture, values and expectations. When done correctly, weak prospects self-select out of the hiring process because they’ve learned enough about your company to realize if it will not be a good fit—saving valuable time and money for all involved. We’ve taken this part of the hiring process a step further at Intertech by creating a “Complete Guide to a Career with Intertech” booklet, which describes everything a prospect should know about our company before making a decision to join us.

Tom’s takeaway: A thorough, consistently used hiring process will increase your odds of finding solid employees who fit your culture.

Intertech on Facebook

2009-04-02T15:42:00.000-07:00

Intertech has a group on Facebook. Similar to our LinkedIn group, this will be a place where we can connect in the Web 2.0 social world with our students and customers. Check it out.

Upsize Magazine Index of My Articles

2009-03-31T13:06:00.000-07:00

Over the past several years, I've written a dozen articles for Upsize Magazine--a MN-focused magazine for growing businesses. They recently put out an index to all their magazine articles and the content is available for free online: http://upsize.ecndigitaledition.com/Magazine.aspx

A Fantastic Day for BCA

2009-03-27T11:24:00.001-07:00

For over two years, we've had a team of our folks working for the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA). The system helps law enforcement, attorneys, and the courts process criminal complaints faster. It went to pilot last week with rave reviews and earned attention in the local media. My thanks and hats-off to everyone at Intertech who made this possible. Awesome work!

http://www.wdio.com/article/stories/S852417.shtml?cat=10335

Book Excerpt: Hire Slowly

2009-03-24T09:29:00.000-07:00

I'm in the process of writing a book. The book covers the principles we use at Intertech. To get some feedback, I'm going to start posting chapters to my blog. Here's the first... if you have feedback, please let me know!

---

Building a great team starts with finding great people. Top firms spend an inordinate amount of time recruiting. One worldwide executive recruiting firm conducts between 25 and 40 interviews per hire. A leading financial services company interviews a single potential employee up to 200 times before extending a job offer!

Most of us don’t have the time or resources to put job candidates through such a rigorous recruiting process. We can, however, take the time to thoroughly check out a potential new employee before asking him to join our team.

If you’re wowed by someone’s technical prowess but concerned about his honesty or attitude, don’t risk it. When we have justified hiring someone—usually in response to an especially heavy work load-- he may have provided short-term relief but he did not work out in the long-term.
Tom’s takeaway: Avoid hasty hires. While it may seem like a simple solution in the short-term, you’ll end of paying more and spending more time on the process in the long-run since employees hired in a hurry rarely make a good fit.

MN Dislocated Workers (2nd Time)

2009-03-16T13:16:00.000-07:00

I've already posted this once but, given the current state of the world, it's worth noting again...

If you know of anyone who has been part of a workforce reduction, they may be interested in state funded training. The program offers individuals who have been part of a layoff up to $5,000 worth of free training. The link below provides more information about the program. I have also included a link to our training offerings. If you know of anyone who may benefit from this program, please share.

http://www.deed.state.mn.us/dw/

http://www.intertech.com/Training/Training.aspx

If you have additional questions, or need assistance, feel free to drop me a line at 651-994-8558 +12 or fire me an email t salonek @ intertech dot com

Intertech Named Top Growth Firm

2009-03-09T09:06:00.000-07:00

PCI Entrex, a group that follows privately held organizations and maintains an index similar to the Dow or NASDAQ, gave us word that for the second quarter in a row, we were one of the top growth firms in the county. Here's a link to the article with more info: http://www.privatecompanyindex.com/Top5.php

Another Intertech Blogger!

2009-03-01T15:13:00.001-08:00

Jason Shapiro, Java Instructor Extraordinaire, is up-and-running with a blog: http://decoupledmusings.blogspot.com/

Andrew Troelsen... Wow!

2009-02-27T21:09:00.000-08:00

Andrew Troelsen--a close friend... partner in our firm... great instructor... and author of a half dozen books was named the top languages author for 2008 according to State of the Computer Book Market (http://radar.oreilly.com/2009/02/state-of-the-computer-book-mar-22.html).

Because AT authors for Apress and this was published on OReilly... it's pretty legit... cheers Andrew... congrats!!!

Our Most Recent Investment

2009-02-24T07:37:00.000-08:00

This week, we're delivering our first course using our new world-class virtual training infrastructure. While we've delivered virtually for years at our client's sites and at our site, this week's virtual delivery is different.

Over the course of a three months, several of the Intertech folks worked to define and work with outside experts to build out an integrated virtual training room. It also allows in-person students to interact with remote students.

In total, this investment was 10's of thousands of $'s. In today's world, where companies are focusing on less spending vs. more, the leadership team saw this as a key investment. It allows customers from around the country to enroll in our live courses, save on travel expense, and, with the infrastructure investment, enjoy a world-class experience.

If you haven't been able to attend an Intertech course due to the cost or hassle of travel, now's your time! Give us a call at 800-866-9884 +23 or check out our website (http://www.Intertech.com).

Fellow Intertech Bloggers

2009-02-16T15:19:00.000-08:00

Several fellow Intertech folks are blogging. You can check out their posts at:

White's Board: Jim White, Intertech Partner, Director of Training, Author, and Java Instructor

Troelsen’s Tutorials: Andrew Troelsen, Intertech Partner, .NET Instructor and Best-Selling Author

MN Developer: Davin Mickelson, Intertech .NET Instructor

Failure set path to success

2009-02-01T20:58:00.001-08:00

The Star Tribune, in Minneapolis, MN, ran a story on Intertech. You can read it here: http://www.startribune.com/business/38714732.html?elr=KArksUUUU

Dear President-Elect Obama: Please Don’t Kill the Gazelles

2009-01-20T14:25:00.000-08:00

With our new president taking office hours ago, I have an open message to the president...

“I knew Uncle Tom had money but I didn’t know he was a millionaire,” noted my young nephew eight years ago when Intertech made the list of the 500 fastest growing firms in the country. That story, which ran in the Star Tribune, reported that Intertech’s sales were just over $2 million. Despite my nephew’s false impression, my wife and I were not millionaires. We just own a company with gross sales in the millions and that is an important distinction.

Sales aren’t profits. Further, today’s profits fund tomorrow’s growth. For my nephew, it was an understandable mistake. At the time, he was about 11 years old. Even adults can get the numbers screwed up. What’s perplexing is how someone who is Harvard educated could be making similar mistakes. I’m talking about President Elect Barack Obama’s proposed tax strategy.

Throughout the election, Obama talked about supporting small business, keeping high paying jobs in America, and fostering growth in jobs and innovation. Along with this, he had a clear message of tax increases for those that earn more than $250,000 a year. I’m one of those people. While there’s no doubt that $250,000 is a lot of money, there is considerable misunderstanding about what that money means when you’ re running a small business.

I founded and work for Intertech, a local software development and training firm that is organized as an “S Corporation” for tax purposes. Like the other 35 employees at Intertech, every other week, I receive a paycheck. At the end of the year, when taxes are due, Intertech’s profit is reported on my personal tax return. While I pay tax on these profits—at the current rate of 40 percent – the bulk of the profits remain with the firm. These retained profits cover payroll and finance bills that we’ve given to clients but for which we have not yet received payment.

Most importantly, retained profits fund Intertech’s growth. A growing company consumes cash…lots of cash. Think of growing companies like mine as “gazelles,” which is a term applied to companies growing at the rate of 20 percent a year. With the economy in its current distressing condition, I believe we need “gazelles” like Intertech more than ever. Gazelles represent only three-to-four percent of all “small” businesses. These are the firms that generate most of the net new jobs in an economy. They also drive innovation.

Until recently, the U.S. has been a haven for growth firms – but, more recently, we have been experiencing “death by a thousand cuts.” Slowly and steadily the environment for gazelles is eroding in the U.S. due to actions by both Democrats and Republicans. From health care costs to our tax structure, we are facing increasing international competition to attract and keep gazelles.

Part of it is our own fault. As a group, we’re not organized, like a union, nor do we have paid lobbyists, like big business. Because of this, I believe, we carry an unequal burden of our country’s costs. Also, while our government is proposing increased taxes, some foreign countries are offering lower taxes and giving subsidies.

Two-thirds of small business profits are earned in households making more than $250,000 per year—part of that five percent of the tax base that Obama sees as low-hanging fruit ripe for the picking. It might sound like a good idea to help the other 95 percent of U.S. tax payers by increasing taxes only on the remaining five percent, except for one compelling reason: the bulk of profits, job growth, and innovation (our main competitive weapon) comes from about a half million mid-size firms included in that five percent.

These exact firms that will be hit most directly by Obama’s tax proposals if they are carried out as he described them in the campaign. For us, we’ll see another 40 percent increase in our taxes (between Obama’s proposed increases in the top two tax brackets, along with his proposed increases in Medicare and Social Security taxes paid by businesses). Keep in mind that today roughly 40 percent of my earnings go to taxes—so with these proposed changes more than half of every dollar of profit will be eaten up by taxes!

I would like to propose that our new President instead consider the following thoughts from someone who is proud to be part of America and wants to see our country remain strong and competitive.

First and foremost, as a gazelle that’s running a business in one of the—if not the—biggest uncertain economic time in our history, I don’t need more expense through higher taxes. I don’t want a hand out either. Speaking for myself and other gazelles, we don’t need a handout, bailout, or rescue. Necessity is the mother of invention. While times are uncertain and will be challenging, it is in these very times that we work harder, think harder, and force ourselves to work “out of the box.” This makes us stronger as individual companies but also stronger as a nation.

At a government level, regardless of who is in office, we need to shore up spending. I believe a business fallacy can be thinking that we’ll grow out of a problem through more sales. It usually isn’t that simple. While it may be painful and unpopular, we need to get our nation’s checking account back in balance. I’m not a politician. The budget and deficit are well beyond my ability to understand. That said, if I ran my company the way we run our country, we’d be out of business. Today, according to the U.S. Debt Clock, we have more than $30,000 of debt for every person in our country.

As a collaborator, but not financial contributor, our government should be a huge conduit between our universities and business to commercialize innovation already occurring in the undisputed best universities in the world.

And, finally, we should keep the IRS Section 179 Expense accelerated schedules. While some may call this a “loophole,” it isn’t. Here’s an example. When we purchase a computer for our firm, though we write a check today for $1,500, in our taxes we can only deduct $500 this year because a computer has a three-year useful life. For 2008, using Section 179, we’re able to deduct the full value from our taxes. In the computer example, this would be $1,500 instead of $500. This provides incentives for firms to make investments now and get dollars back in our economy. For 2008, the limit of 179 expenses is $250,000.

Intro to Intertech

2009-01-16T17:36:00.000-08:00

If you're unfamiliar with Intertech, this intro video summarizes who we are in a few minutes.

Treating Elite Customers with Elite Rewards

2009-01-15T09:55:00.001-08:00

We were a finalist in the Upsize Business Builder awards. We were noted for our best practices in customer relations. Below is a link to the magazine article that followed the award show: http://www.upsizemag.com/article.asp?issueID=65&articleID=1187

Training in Difficult Times

2009-01-11T19:33:00.000-08:00

Economies and markets go up... and they go down... Below is an article from me published in the Business Journal in 2002. Given the current state of the world, it's relevant today.

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Making Training Count

by Tom Salonek

Wondering if there’s a silver lining to the current economic slowdown? How about the extra available time for training employees? In good times or bad, successful companies continue to invest in their most important asset--employees. Business experts, including Stephen Covey and Dale Carnegie, tout the importance of ongoing employee training and include personal development as standard elements of their management advice systems.

Employees are rejuvenated by time away from the day-to-day routine and the new ideas that always arise during a successful learning experience. And by training employees during bad times you’re also building confidence and morale at a time when employee motivation and loyalty can be taking quite a hit. Most importantly, ongoing training is your only insurance in a constantly changing competitive landscape.

But successful training doesn’t happen by accident. Maximizing your training investment requires knowing your desired outcome in advance, making sure employees are prepared for training, and not letting the learning go unapplied when your employees have left the classroom. As the organization paying for training, you also should shop around and negotiate for the best possible deals.

Defining the need

Like most things in life, successful training hinges on knowing your objective in advance. Employee learning objectives obviously need to support corporate goals and should be SMART, which stands for specific, measurable, achievable, results-oriented and on a timetable. For example, if your organization is switching from mainframe programming to a newer technology like Java, your employees’ learning objective could be to reach a level of efficiency in Java that allows him or her to be Java certified within one month after finishing training.

For training to be effective, it should occur right before the new skills will be needed in the workplace. It’s frustrating for employees not to be able to put new skills to work immediately after learning them, not to mention a poor investment for your company.

Investing Wisely

Corporate belt-tightening often targets training budgets as expendable fat. But there’s plenty of ways to squeeze more from lean training budgets, which is much better than simply eliminating training altogether. Consider these strategies:

* Enroll multiple students--If you have more than one student in a training session, vendors typically will give you a price break. If you have a small organization and don’t have multiple students, explore the possibility of working with business associates with similar training needs. By pooling your learners you could still qualify for a combined student discount.

* Consider block enrollments--Look into discounts for purchasing a block of enrollments with the same vendor at one time. These might be used during the course of a year but a cash-strapped training vendor will welcome the discounted cash payment in advance.

* Conduct the training in-house--When you only need to train six to eight employees, it may be more economical to purchase training for just your organization for a flat fee instead of the more typical “per student” fee. Vendors refer to this as “onsite” training. This is also an opportunity to think about pooling employees from other companies to share the costs.

* Look for special promotions--Most training companies offer e-newsletters that may contain specials. Sign-up for these newsletters. By having the information come to you, you won’t miss opportunities or waste time continually checking the vendor’s website for discounts.

* Be flexible--With give and take, everything is negotiable. For example, you could offer to send employees to one of several training sessions during the next few months in exchange for discounts. The vendor could then put your employees in a class that is being held with open seats. In this way, you get a better price and the vendor sells its unused capacity--similar to a cyber saver program.

Be Prepared

It’s that old Scout motto, but it applies equally as well to training as camping. Before sending employees to a training class, make sure they know and have met the prerequisites. A student who isn’t familiar with required prerequisites creates a frustrating experience for himself, the instructor and the other students. To make the most of training, ask for materials in advance. Encourage employees to review the materials and note their questions before they enter the classroom. By boning up in advance, employees will be better able to participate. Active participation and note taking increases retention.

The greatest benefit of instructor-led training is the instructor. Encourage your employees to take advantage of the training expert. They should ask work-related questions before class and during breaks. Sometimes the answers from this “free consulting” more than covers the training investment.

Keep Learning

Reinforcing learning after the training is essential for retention and practical application. Many companies require the employee to present an overview of recent training to other employees during an informal lunch session in the company conference room.

At both of my companies, we hold weekly one-hour group learning sessions. In the sales group, employees on a rotating basis present one element from a sales process workshop. Role-playing follows. This simple process accomplishes several objectives. For the “teachers,” a thorough understanding of the material is essential. In role playing, practical application is reinforced, which translates into measurable business results. (Speaking of results, be sure to verify that the employees’ SMART goals were met during training once they return to the office.)

The Bottom Line

Maximizing the learning experience requires knowing your desired outcome, being prepared and continuing to learn after training is completed.

Welcome

2009-01-10T21:22:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my blog on the software development industry and all things Intertech.