Loraine Antrim

Normal 0 0 1 521 2975 Core Ideas Communication 24 5 3653 10.265 0 0 0 As an IT professional, you talk about IT issues all the time. But when you speak to a business crowd, well… it can sometimes be very challenging, to say the least. Have you ever been faced with this type of communication challenge? Let's say you're talking about cloud computing to your business users. After two minutes of speaking, your audience's eyes glaze over, brows furrow and zombie-like faces stare back at you. And no matter how many times you rephrase and restate your ideas, still, you're talking to a black hole. Do you feel like screaming, "Can you hear me NOW?!" Welcome to the communication dead zone (CDZ for acronym aficionados). Your non-technical listeners don't have a clue what you're talking about. You've forced them to tune out and shut down, and once they fall into the CDZ, it's ... (more)

Does Cloud Computing Need a Shrink?

What if "The Cloud" visited a psychiatrist? Does Cloud and Cloud Computing need therapy? Are they suffering from split personality disorder? With so many people giving different definitions of what Cloud Computing is, no wonder The Cloud has an identity crisis. Be a fly on the wall and listen in to the Cloud's therapy session. Scene: Office of Dr. Virgil I. Zation, a noted Silicon Valley Psychiatrist. Dr. Zation is having a therapy session with a new patient named Cloud. Doctor: How can I help you, Mr. Cloud? Cloud: You can drop the "Mr." and just call me "The Cloud." Doctor: Ok, Cl... (more)

Walter Cronkite's IT Career Advice

The late Walter Cronkite as a role model for IT managers? At first glance, we might not see the connection between "the most trusted man in America" and high tech management. But if we pull back the layers of how Cronkite approached his job, there are solid day-to-day career lessons for those working in IT. Seven Best Practices Straight From the Desk of Uncle Walter 1. Explain things in a simple way so everyone can understand. CBS' Bob Schieffer said people "understood Cronkite was guiding you through events." He translated the complex or hard to understand in a way that made you n... (more)

ASSESS YOUR BRAND

This is the first in a five part series on maximizing your online brand. What Does Google Say About You? Before you put any real time and effort into developing your online brand presence, check out what kind of brand presence you already have. Do an online brand assessment. Google yourself. Or use Bing or Yahoo or any other search engine. Come on, you know you all do it anyway. But this time, do a very clinical assessment. We're going to get a little methodical to really see a very accurate account of your brand online. Tips for an Accurate Google Search Tip 1.  Don’t just type in you... (more)

IT Personnel Hit Hard by New Flu Outbreak

The newest target population is IT presenters, and the geographic scope of this nascent disease is now global. Rapid onslaught of symptoms include the inability to focus and then agitation. Physical symptoms are fidgeting, then heavy sighing, culminating in the urge to scream.  The final symptom is Cerebral Mortis: the brain just shuts down. The original or parent disease is DBP: Death by Power Point, but a recent variation, the F5 strain, is gaining strength especially in the IT community. What is this new mutation of Death by Power Point? Embedded  Content The new strain embeds ... (more)