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Tech Decision Maker
Toni Bowers
TechRepublic Staff
Toni Bowers

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On leadership, success, TouchPad, and The Godfather
How often do we cancel (or let die slowly and painfully) business ventures, initiatives, and projects without giving them every chance to be successful, without actually trying hard enough?
Posted by Ilya Bogorad | October 19, 2011, 4:19 AM PDT | Latest comment by tkejlboom
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Long-Term Infrastructure: Building an enterprise shared services platform that will last
Like federal highway systems, enterprise infrastructure is never quite complete and never quite ends up as planned. How can it be kept on track over the years?
Posted by Scott Robinson | October 17, 2011, 5:47 AM PDT
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Tool-leading processes vs. process-leading tools
Processes and tools go hand in hand, so the question again is which one comes first?
Posted by Abhinav Kaiser | October 17, 2011, 4:10 AM PDT | Latest comment by Fairbs
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The benefits of a successful strategic BI implementation
Without BI, a company runs the risk of making critical decisions based on insufficient or inaccurate information. Making decisions based on "gut feel" will not get the job done!
Posted by Robert Eugene Miller | October 13, 2011, 6:00 AM PDT
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Use Whitman and Jobs as your role models
Today -- more than ever -- says executive leadership coach John M. McKee, leaders need to be guided by the right role models. He explains why Jobs and Whitman are those role models.
Posted by John McKee | October 12, 2011, 2:15 PM PDT | Latest comment by William_Hart007@...
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The Cloud isn't a strategy
If you asked the builder who is designing your dream home what his strategy was and he replied, 'The Binford Sawzall 9000,' would you feel comfortable? It's the same with the tool known as the cloud.
Posted by Patrick Gray | October 12, 2011, 5:57 AM PDT | Latest comment by hippiekarl
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Upgrade lessons learned from Microsoft Vista
Like odd-numbered Star Trek movies, some Microsoft software releases seem best skipped. Is there a pattern here?
Posted by Scott Robinson | October 11, 2011, 4:41 AM PDT | Latest comment by hippiekarl
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A day in the life of a small college CIO
Scott Lowe, the CIO at a small college, is often asked the question "What actually do you do?" Here's his answer.
Posted by Scott Lowe | October 10, 2011, 4:27 AM PDT | Latest comment by WaimairiIT
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HP's CEO failure was lack of leadership savvy
It's not what you're selling -- it's what you stand for. For both leaders and organizations it's important to keep this rule of success in mind.
Posted by John McKee | October 6, 2011, 10:15 AM PDT | Latest comment by CharlieSpencer_Palmetto
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When policy changes are mere corporate narcissism
A technically elegant tweak or data optimization with a raft of benefits on the IT side might be nothing but trouble for the overworked shift manager on the factory floor.
Posted by Patrick Gray | October 5, 2011, 5:54 AM PDT | Latest comment by DFO_REXX
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Are IT projects really ticking time bombs?
There are obviously numerous other factors that affect the outcome of an IT project, but executive involvement and leadership are the most important reasons for project success.
Posted by Andrew King | October 5, 2011, 4:35 AM PDT | Latest comment by car breakdown cover
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The unfulfilled promise of SOA
For years now, there's been lots of hype about service-oriented architecture, and many of us bought in. Did we get our money's worth?
Posted by Scott Robinson | October 3, 2011, 5:39 AM PDT | Latest comment by Tony Hopkinson
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Four attributes of a successful IT organization
What makes an IT department awful or excellent is dependent on a variety of factors as well as the company culture. But there are some things that are pretty universal when it comes to a...
Posted by Scott Lowe | October 3, 2011, 5:17 AM PDT | Latest comment by uberlist@...
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Don't try to avoid hard work by automating
The root cause of automated crap is perhaps the basic notion that applying a technology, methodology, or other management voodoo can replace the hard work required for personal (and...
Posted by Patrick Gray | September 28, 2011, 6:13 AM PDT | Latest comment by D. Kevin Berchelmann
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Do better in your waking hours by sleeping better
Successful individuals recognize the value of ensuring that they are functioning at a high level of performance. In this blog, executive leadership coach John M. McKee shares six tips that can...
Posted by John McKee | September 27, 2011, 2:41 PM PDT | Latest comment by g01d4
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Confessions from the PM of a chaotic project
If you've ever had the misfortune of managing a project that spiraled out of control, you'll relate to this story.
Posted by Benny Sisko | September 26, 2011, 5:22 AM PDT | Latest comment by robinsdr
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Protect your systems from the dangers of web browsing
Here are the most common myths around web browsing and the necessary steps to take to ensure a safe and secure browsing environment for all your users.
Posted by Robert Eugene Miller | September 23, 2011, 5:39 AM PDT | Latest comment by wizard57m-cnet
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Careers are like nature: Only the fittest survive
Ever notice that some people have great careers even though they're not the best at what they do? This week, John M. McKee says that's because they know the most important rule of success. He...
Posted by John McKee | September 21, 2011, 1:06 PM PDT | Latest comment by HypnoToad72
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Reactivity is not heroic; it's a leadership failure
Swooping in and getting things done in the organization's darkest hour might seem heroic, but it's not. In the long run, this is also one of the costliest ways to operate an IT shop.
Posted by Patrick Gray | September 20, 2011, 8:09 AM PDT | Latest comment by Tony Hopkinson
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The great shared service question
While operating with a profit-or-loss mentality can offer leadership opportunities and a drive for efficiency, there are several problems with a full-shared service model.
Posted by Patrick Gray | September 15, 2011, 8:05 AM PDT | Latest comment by Diahnne Berthold
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Windows XP: If it ain't broke...
Although XP has less than one year of official support remaining from Microsoft, many organizations have no plans to replace it. What's going on?
Posted by Patrick Gray | May 3, 2013, 5:25 AM PDT | Latest comment by willis0966@...
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Does IT have a problem with women?
If we can shed some of the industry's juvenile past, while maintaining this merit-based culture, IT will attract all comers, regardless of gender.
Posted by Patrick Gray | April 24, 2013, 6:03 AM PDT | Latest comment by duckboxxer
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How large IT departments waste time and effort
Is your IT department being efficient? Here are some ways you could be wasting time and effort.
Posted by Carlo Pandian | April 22, 2013, 5:34 AM PDT | Latest comment by Englebert
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The business value of Google Glass and wearable computing
Wearable computing is an emerging technology that's affecting both the consumer and enterprise space.
Posted by Patrick Gray | May 15, 2013, 4:52 AM PDT | Latest comment by rexrich2k
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Want to motivate your team? Here are 20 things to start doing now
Ilya Bogorad shows you how to create a dynamic, exciting, motivating environment in an otherwise unexciting, underperforming or stodgy organization
Posted by Ilya Bogorad | November 28, 2011, 4:21 AM PST | Latest comment by jkameleon@...
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Amazon to develop 3D smartphones. Why?
Amazon has plans to develop 3D smartphones. Somebody please give me a reason why this is a good idea.
Posted by Toni Bowers | May 21, 2013, 7:40 AM PDT | Latest comment by Dukhalion
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6 essential elements for a winning business case
The vast majority of unsuccessful projects fail not because of poor project management, but because of poor decisions with respect to the choice of projects. A good business case helps to make...
Posted by Ilya Bogorad | July 28, 2008, 3:31 AM PDT | Latest comment by rajeshamith
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Why critical path is critical to project management
If the PMBK definition of critical path has you puzzled, read Dr. Andrew Makar's explanation of this project methodology in real-world terms.
Posted by Andrew Makar | September 10, 2009, 1:02 PM PDT | Latest comment by Tony Hopkinson
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Infographic: Which E-Commerce platform is best?
This infographic compares Magento, osCommerce and OpenCart.
Posted by Toni Bowers | February 25, 2013, 5:24 AM PST
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Manual vs. autoscheduled tasks in Microsoft Project 2010
Microsoft Project 2010 gives you the option of scheduling tasks manually or letting Project use the scheduling engine. Andy Makar explores these options for project managers.
Posted by Andrew Makar | March 23, 2011, 5:23 AM PDT | Latest comment by MickeyBlueOwl
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Hiring a programmer? Ask these questions in the interview
Routine interviews for programmers often offer tests that evaluate rote memorization that the modern development environment doesn't require. Here are some better questions to ask.
Posted by Justin James | February 18, 2010, 4:11 AM PST | Latest comment by youareyouyou
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Create the Timeline View in Microsoft Project 2010
If you use PowerPoint or Visio to create milestone reports, find out how using Microsoft Project 2010 Timeline View instead can save you time and a lot of hassle.
Posted by Andrew Makar | January 20, 2011, 5:24 PM PST | Latest comment by lbostic@...
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Best practices for software license management
Organizations spend a fortune on licenses every year, and a lack of management around it can result in heavy fines. Here are some best practices to follow.
Posted by Abhinav Kaiser | November 5, 2012, 4:33 AM PST | Latest comment by secureoncloud
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15 great leadership questions
In this article, Executive and leadership coach John M McKee shares questions any leader can use to improve results and morale.
Posted by John McKee | February 23, 2010, 11:13 AM PST | Latest comment by Grants Man
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Are your tender requirements killing your IT project?
Plenty of organizations have well-formed procedures for procurement on large projects, but when the projects are small, the contracts are short-term, or the budget is low, those same procedures...
Posted by Ben Evans | May 20, 2013, 6:23 AM PDT | Latest comment by Slayer_
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Download this project status report template
Download this template, created by project management guru Tom Mochal, to effectively communicate project status to stakeholders and keep everyone on the same page.
Posted by TechRepublic Staff | March 10, 2009, 12:10 PM PDT | Latest comment by Mammoun
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Yahoo and the perils of going remote
In light of Yahoo's reversal on its employees working from home, Patrick Gray talks about why the decision is more complicated than people think.
Posted by Patrick Gray | April 16, 2013, 4:55 AM PDT | Latest comment by sslevine
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IT Training Policy now available
Download TechRepublic's IT Training Policy. It's free to TechRepublic Pro subscribers, or can be purchased by non-subscribers.
Posted by Teena Hammond | May 2, 2013, 6:55 AM PDT
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View the critical path in Microsoft Project
Learn how to view the critical path in Microsoft Project and interpret the data by reading this tutorial by Dr. Andrew Makar.
Posted by Andrew Makar | September 15, 2009, 1:24 PM PDT | Latest comment by vilansmit
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Don't put off making your web site mobile friendly
It's been a while since a tech development has gained traction like the mobile movement. If you want to stay in the game you're going to have to adjust your web site. Here are some options to...
Posted by Toni Bowers | April 1, 2013, 7:04 AM PDT | Latest comment by sohelmahfuz

































