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    <title><![CDATA[Discussion on Look outside conventional techniques to manage 'geeks' ]]></title>
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        <title><![CDATA[Am I missing something?]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/13-131105-1555931]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Inst a manager supposed to know what they need to do to get the best work out of their workers? It should not matter if you are managing a team of people, a server or a fleet of vehicles. Everything has a different requirement to make it run well, no two people will be exactly the same when it comes to how to manage and motivate them. I think you could pretty much summarise as know your people and you will get the best out of them.]]></description>
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        <dc:creator><![CDATA[StephenCairns]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 02 Dec 2003 16:54:19 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Nice Article Toni...]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/13-131105-796918]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[It reminds me of a manager who once compared his job to trying to herd a bunch of cats.Of course, there are geeks and then there are GEEKS.  Lots of geeks these days don't fit the stereotype at all.  I guess you've gotta know which kind of geek you're managing before you follow this advice.]]></description>
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        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Tim Heard]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 14 Jul 2003 03:19:43 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Speak for yourself.]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/13-131105-792992]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[As the geek who was also the captain of the basketball team in high school and then a company sergeant in a combat unit of the army, I think that DC_Guy is ONCE AGAIN making unilateral statements that demonstrate little past his tunnel-vision of theworld.  My servers sit in a closet with no sunlight.  I love the glorious picture window in my office, and even appreciate the American Kestrels who have decided to nest on the wires outside.DC_Guy: Turn off your computer for a bit... read a book, catch a ball game.  Widen your scope and remember the old adage: It is better to be silent and thought the fool than to speak and remove all doubt.www.e-mitch.com]]></description>
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        <dc:creator><![CDATA[MithGarvis]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Thu, 03 Jul 2003 03:30:34 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Good point, but...]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/13-131105-790165]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[... just as a great many psychotherapists and psychiatrists call themselves &quot;shrinks,&quot; a lot of software specialists, mathematicians, and others who choose careers that offer minimal human interaction, proudly refer to themselves as &quot;geeks.&quot; Check out SciForums.com, there's a poll running on &quot;your favorite geek.&quot; The nominees are respected and beloved characters such as Daniel Jackson on Stargate SG-1 and Seamus Harper on Andromeda. Hardly anyone knows where the word &quot;geek&quot; came from, much lessthat people in carnivals used to do that for a living. Captain Kirk called the Enterprise's physician &quot;Bones.&quot;]]></description>
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        <dc:creator><![CDATA[DC_GUY]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Thu, 26 Jun 2003 06:27:14 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Will we ever get past &quot;Geek?&quot;]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/13-131105-790116]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[The chapter of Mr. Glen's book does show he has some thoughtful and relevant ideas into the mind of an I.T. Professional.  That being said, I think he misses the key point, which is technologists (I.T. pros, or whatever we refer to ourselves) should be regarded with the same respect as any other member of an organization.  Using the term &quot;geek&quot; does nothing other than trivialize what we do and undermines our value.  Do we refer to &quot;sawbones&quot; (doctors), &quot;sharks&quot; (lawyers), or &quot;shrinks&quot; (psychologists)?  Anyway, who wants to be referred to as a person who bites heads off of chickens? ]]></description>
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        <dc:creator><![CDATA[TJdeLuna]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Thu, 26 Jun 2003 04:41:20 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Be an parasol]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/13-131105-789334]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Managing a team of geeks is like raising a colony of moles. They do not want to ever have to see the sun. You will be most appreciated by your geeks if you can keep the sunlight out of their moleholes. Interpret all communications from upper management into geekspeak. Tell them only what they need to know and tell it concisely. The memos about new assistant vice-presidents, the inspirational speeches by the CIO, read them and toss them directly into the trash. The new rules about parking, opportunities for training and promotions, condense them into one sentence each and hand them or download the documents with the supportive statement that you're sure they won't commit an infraction that could result in termination, or miss out on a career-shaping opportunity, by failing to speed-read the sections of the documents that affect them at their leisure. If the company or department is in financial trouble and jobs are in jeopardy, explain this in plain language and invite these creative people to suggest a solution. The only time to assert your authority is if they seem determined to fail to deliver what your users want. Then and only then explain that the world above ground is where their paychecks come from and they ignore it at their peril. You may have to mentor them through the consequences of one actual failure and watch one of them be sacrificed before this will be taken seriously.]]></description>
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        <dc:creator><![CDATA[DC_GUY]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 24 Jun 2003 23:40:45 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Basic Approach versus Technique]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/13-131105-789277]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I believe Paul Glen has made a fundamental error in confusing the underlying principals with approaches. Most management guides include a caveat that each individual is unique and the degree to which a particular approach will work will vary.At the core, all relationships deal in five currencies - time, money, knowledge, security, and prestige. The secret is understanding whether a particular individual sees an act as a gain or loss in these currencies, and to what degree.Paul recommends creating community and culture. Good advice. These address the currencies of security and knowledge, and provide the framework for prestige. He discourages status meetings, which are viewed as a net loss in time, but forgets the bull sessions whichare often viewed as net profit in knowledge, security, and prestige.Understand the currency and you can lead and manage any group.]]></description>
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        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Oldefar]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 24 Jun 2003 22:35:53 -0700</pubDate>
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