Management Websites

Think you're not business savvy enough? Want to get a MBA but don't have the time to pursue it? Fret not. With the advent of technology, information is right at our fingertips. And there's a whole slew of websites dedicated to management you can view at your own leisure.


Used either for reference or as supplement to new learning, these websites contain a vast amount of information on anything and everything about management. It's never too late to turn that savvy on!

1  12Manage - All you need to know about management

         http://www.12manage.com/

12manage is an executive network targeted to senior managers and MBA students alike and contains a vast repository of knowledge about management methods, models, and concepts. The play on the number "12" actually refers to the 12 management disciplines (strategy, leadership, etc.) featured on the site, plus, it is written in 12 different languages. The site also offers a management dictionary, a monthly newsletter, and links to various MBA programs among many others.

12manage.com Homepage

A closer look on a sample article below shows a snippet of information 12manage provides. In addition to the detailed description, the site also presents the history of the subject, a forum where people can discuss their ideas, some expert tips, and links to other internet resources regarding the subject.

"Balanced Scorecard" on 12manage.com

Perhaps the most important feature which struck me the most is that there are actual file resources available for download about the subject. Talk about being able to utilize your new learning at work right away!

Resources on "Balanced Scorecard"

I'd say 12manage has what it takes to be the default site for management resource in the internet. The range of subjects is so varied, the quality of content is in-depth, not to mention, the site looks pretty neat too.

2  1000 Ventures - Ten3 BUSINESS e-COACH

         http://www.1000ventures.com/

1000. Ten3. Get the connection?


1000 Ventures is actually just the website name of the Ten3 Business e-Coach, which claims to be the world's top inspirational business e-coaching resource designed for entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, innovators, consultants, and trainers. Its breadth of subjects is similar to 12manage and also offers mini-courses that are downloadable as PowerPoint files, either free or for sale.

1000ventures.com Homepage

Checking on a subject reveals the following content - the usual detailed description and visual of the framework, some applications and shortcomings of the subject, links to other related topics, and even short case narratives of companies who actually used the management concept.

"Balanced Scorecard" on 1000ventures.com

In terms of content, I don't think you'd go wrong with this site. You can actually use your learning here to supplement what is found in 12manage. My only qualm about it though is the site looks amateurish. Ads are posted everywhere and it is very messy. I hope the site administrator will do something to improve on this.

3  ProvenModels - The Management Toolkit

         http://www.provenmodels.com/

Next up on the list is a site which offers a bare-bones version of the previous two sites presented. ProvenModels is a web-based library dedicated to management models (obviously) and is similarly targeted to MBA students, business executives, and consultants. 

Provenmodels.com Homepage

The site features a handy search tool so you can conveniently look for the management model you desire. It also has a model browser you can use if you just want to flip pages, feel geeky, and look for the next big thing awaiting your discovery.

Management model browser on Provenmodels.com

Unfortunately, I was not able to find in ProvenModels the subject I used for the previous two management sites which is "Balanced Scorecard". So it can be said that the assortment of subjects here is not as varied. Nonetheless, I was still able to find significant management concepts such as "Blue Ocean Strategies" as shown below. Written about the subject is its description, some characteristics, pros and cons to its use, and references to other internet resources.

"Blue Ocean Strategies" on Provenmodels.com

I'd recommend this site for anyone looking for a quick snapshot of a management model - from business executives wanting a brief refresher of a situation, to MBA students needing a neat resource for a paper.

4  CBS MoneyWatch - formerly BNET

         http://www.cbsnews.com/moneywatch/

Veering away from the style of the previous management sites discussed so far, CBS MoneyWatch is an extension of the former BNET website which was one of the top online magazine sites about business management in general. Here, there are no management models or theories, only anecdotes and write-ups on what and how to do business. BNET was absorbed into the CBS MoneyWatch website in November 2011.

CBS MoneyWatch Homepage

Topics in this site include Markets & Investing, Tech, Leadership, and Small Business among others. Articles are designed for light reading and are usually written in how-to and top lists format.

A feature article on CBS MoneyWatch

Other than those in the pictures, samples of interesting articles include: "How strong leaders handle surprises" and "Learn to sell like the geniuses at Apple". It's easy to while away your time and lose track of it when your browsing through this site.

Another feature article on CBS MoneyWatch

Now that you've learned some secrets in management, it's time to step it up in the workplace. Like a boss!

Internet Picture Taking

Got a webcam and some attitude? One-up the pictures you take over the internet with these fantastic photo taking and sharing sites!




Seenly.com
http://www.seenly.com/


Apparently, Windows does not have a built-in universal camera application for people using a webcam. And that's where this nifty little app comes in. Seenly is a Flash-based app that lets you take pictures using a webcam, plus, you can add some effects too and share them with your friends.

Source: http://files.computertotaal.nl/

From mashable.com:
"The application uses Flash 9 to offer its web-based photo editing tools. Some of the effects include Black & White, Artsy, X-Ray and a sequential snapper that takes several pictures in a row. You don’t need to register to use this service, but having an account will let you save your pictures and manage them for future use."




Cameroid.com
http://www.cameroid.com/


This app on the other hand also runs on Flash 9, but Cameroid has even more effects to boot.

Cameroid.com Homepage

From mashable.com:
"Cameroid directly accesses your webcam in order to collect snapshots and let you choose from their menu of special effects to be added to your image. You can change the color of your photo, morph its shape, or place it in a scene template like Mona Lisa’s face, or on a hundred dollar bill. All images come with their own unique URL for sharing and viewing purposes. You can also email or bookmark an image with Digg, Del.icio.us, StumbleUpon or BlinkList."

Source: http://static.pcinpact.com/

Happy snapping!

Tablets

Moses, medicine, and computers - all of them have something in common. And now, the word "tablet" is back in popular consciousness and in a big way. The tablet has re-invented itself again.


The idea of tablet computing is not an entirely new concept. It has been around for years but never really gained a foothold in the market. Microsoft tried it a decade ago with a tablet running on the Windows XP OS and enabled by a stylus. The concept seemed viable; however, some complications prevented it from being a success. The gadget was still too heavy to hold, there were not enough applications supported by the format, and as Steve Jobs puts it, "Yuck, nobody wants a stylus!" Luckily for the desktop computer, it still had a few years to live.

A Microsoft Tablet PC manufactured by Fujitsu

Over the next couple of years, smart-phones came and dominated the scene. Phones that do not just make calls and send messages, but pretty much does everything a small computer can - surf the web, take photos, play games, etc. People have something new to play with.


Still, there was a demarcation line set between a personal computer and a smart-phone. People had to have both. Nobody chose one over the other. So where does the tablet of yesteryear fit now? Is there still room for one more product?


And by some whip of miracle, Apple was able to achieve exactly just that! It completely revived tablet computers out of oblivion when it launched the iPad just last year. Since then, a lot of other companies have launched competing models such as Samsung's Galaxy Tab, RIM's BlackBerry Playbook, and Amazon's Kindle Fire. And we are still in the midst of the craze. 

The Apple iPad - the barometer by which other tablets are measured

This technology is truly game-changing in the sense that it re-created a whole new product segment altogether. People suddenly needed tablet computers even if they are not really needed at all - what with smart-phones and portable computers still around. Or perhaps it's just the charm of an Apple product which paved the way for the tablet's return.

In terms of capability, much of a tablet's use so far is similar to what a smart-phone can do, but it is of course far better in areas such as viewing content and apps. And this has numerous benefits to productivity in the workplace, especially for managers who want to see reports on the dot. While its use in business has not yet reached the level of mainstream, partly because working on spreadsheets and the like is still better on an actual computer, I believe the direction of technology will make us see more of the tablet in the future.

This is especially true for some of the students now who instead of carrying big bulky bags, can now go to school with just a tablet where all of their textbooks (in e-book format), notes, and even the quizzes can be found. I think it is a sound investment for middle school students and up who need to read and create a lot of material, plus it's pretty safe to say that they should be able to handle the device fairly well by that age.

One can only be excited on what the future has in store. And as Howard Hughes once quipped, "The way of the future, the way of the future, the way of the future..."

How to use Torrent

If you have been living under a rock since God knows when, then please take the time to read this very important piece of lecture. It won't hurt, promise.

What is a torrent anyway?

Simply put, "It is a peer-to-peer file sharing protocol used for distributing large amounts of data over the Internet (from Wikipedia)". What that essentially means is that it makes file sharing over the internet a breeze, so that you can download large files such as movies and application software with the help of other people using the same service. The best part about it is that your download need not be completed in one shot, unlike how it is done in the past. No need to worry anymore about power outages and connection disruptions!

Basically, that's all you need to know. No further details, save those for the geeks.

So how do we get started? Easy. Just follow the steps below (and click on the buttons highlighted in red as shown in the pictures).

1  Download a torrent client program.

This program will manage all of your active torrents (or downloads, in layman speak). The most popular ones are uTorrent (http://www.utorrent.com/), BitTorrent (http://www.bittorrent.com/), and Vuze (http://www.vuze.com/).

uTorrent Homepage

2  Follow instructions on downloading.

Just click on Run and Next on the following dialog boxes that will appear. Installation of the client program shouldn't take long as it's file size is just small.

After installation, you can leave it for now as the client program automatically opens every time you download a new torrent!

3  Search for a file you want to download on a torrent site.

Similar to Google and Yahoo!, there are search engines dedicated to finding torrents in the web. The most popular ones are Mininova (http://www.mininova.org/), isoHunt (http://isohunt.com/), and The Pirate Bay (http://thepiratebay.org/). Main categories of torrent include audio, video, applications, and games.

The Pirate Bay Homepage

As a tip, you might want to select the torrent with the most "seeders" as this is the number of people effectively sharing the file, so you're download will be completed faster!

4  Again, just follow instructions on downloading.

After successfully searching for the file that you want, the following screen below will appear. Again, just keep on clicking the buttons highlighted in red.

The client program should then automatically open once you are done downloading the torrent. The torrent is a very small file which just initializes your main download and it's over in a snap.

5  Your download should start automatically.

Once you are in this part, the formal downloading of your file begins. The time it would take depends of course on the size of the file, your connection speed, and the number of seeders. Usually, it would take around an hour or two to download a complete movie file (700Mb in .avi format).


The client program has a status bar showing the progress of your download so far in percentage.

6  Once done, the file is yours to open!

You can now open the file you have just downloaded either directly through the client program, or by opening it from the "Downloads" folder found in "My Documents". Enjoy!

TED Videos

TED, which stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design, is an annual forum event held with many influential speakers talking about the central theme of "ideas worth spreading". Each speaker has about 18 minutes to give his talk and present it in the most captivating way possible. Most of the talks center on universal human concerns and what we can do moving forward. Such a gathering of enlightened people definitely brings inspiration to anyone willing to spare a few minutes to watch and listen.


The videos shown below are among the most watched clips of TED in YouTube, which definitely says something about their appeal - both on the content of the talk itself, and the persona of the speaker.




1. Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY

How can a noted and respected British author and educator bring up the idea that schools may be the very reason for inhibiting our natural creative talent? Could it be that the very institution which is supposed to educate us is instead preventing the full realization of our mind's potential?


I, for one, agree with Sir Ken Robinson. As mentioned in a previous post, my 3rd grade art teacher sort of quashed my artistic self-esteem at a very young age. It is also quite evident in school that subjects such as art and music are relegated to the sidelines. You see, our current educational system is still patterned over what was adopted for the Industrial Revolution, where the sciences are heavily favored over the arts to accommodate the surge in factories and mechanical work during that era. Up until today, society still does not provide any incentive, financial in particular, to those taking arts as a career. In fact, Vincent van Gogh was not able to sell any of his artwork during his lifetime.


Do you also think it's time to change our educational approach to creativity?




2. Daniel Pink: The surprising science of motivation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrkrvAUbU9Y

"There is a great difference between what science knows, and what business does." Daniel Pink, an American author and journalist who has written books regarding the changing workplace, tries to reverse our commonly accepted notion on work incentives. Despite the popular belief that bonuses, commissions, and what have you make employees work harder to produce better results, unfortunately, it doesn't make them work smarter. This is at least true for the more complex tasks at hand. Incentives actually narrow a person's line of thinking which is not exactly its desired outcome.


Given this knowledge, businesses nowadays have to think of new ways to get their employees up and running.




3. David Blaine: How I held my breath for 17 min
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFnGhrC_3Gs

Who doesn't know David Blaine? Street magician, illusionist, and performance artist extraordinaire. He has been buried alive, frozen in a block of ice, stood atop a 100-foot pillar, and sealed in a hanging glass cage - all acts requiring a number of days to be completed. He is our generation's Houdini. And in some ways, the man has already eclipsed his hero.


Yet, maybe his greatest achievement to date didn't take days to finish, it only took minutes. 17 minutes to be exact. Imagine holding your breath for that amount of time. I can't even think of holding mine for a minute.


This actually became a world record back then but it has since been broken. Nevertheless, we should all still applaud the man, who behind his nonchalant exterior, continues to push the boundaries of human performance forward.

Interesting Videos

It hasn't been long ago since we started watching any video we wanted to on demand. Back in the day, loading videos over the internet took a turtle's pace and the waiting time wasn't worth it at all - it was in the order of minutes, if not hours. Then, YouTube happened. And as they say, the rest is history.


Let me show you some interesting videos from YouTube particularly about the skills which I'd like to learn, some very interesting foreign commercials, and a few words from some top management gurus. I hope you'll enjoy watching them while at the same time, picking up a thing or two.




Skills I would like to learn


I'm still a relatively young guy in this journey called life and I believe that learning never stops until your final breath. So it's always handy to learn a skill which can improve your life, get you out of a sticky situation, or even if you simply just want to impress your friends (Teach me how to Dougie anyone?).



1. Perfect Scrambled Eggs Breakfast by Gordon Ramsay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dU_B3QNu_Ks

Oh how I love food! Who doesn't? Sad part is, I don't know how to cook. Well, actually, I'd like to think that I can in theory since I always watch all of these cooking shows (e.g. MasterChef, License to Grill), but in reality, I haven't done any cooking in practice. I don't think I've even tried frying something as easy as an egg. Or a hotdog. Zero. Nada.


Here, Gordon Ramsay shows us why he's the top man in the kitchen. He really can turn anything as simple as a scrambled egg into a gourmet delight. And he makes cooking look that darn easy.




2. Killer Presentation Skills by JD Jefferys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whTwjG4ZIJg

Public speaking is a very important area in life which I believe is under-taught in school. No wonder, many people grow up shunning the opportunity to shine in front of a large crowd. Sometimes, merely having this skill alone produces great careers even for people with low intellect (think Filipino politicians). Kidding aside, I admit that this is not a strong point of mine.


At the end of the day, learning how to communicate in public requires practice, practice, and more practice.




3. Photography Tips, Essential Skills, Quickly Transform Your Photos, by Karl Taylor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9prcUCHlqM

Being artistic is not my greatest strength as well. As a left-brained person, it took some time before I started to appreciate art and the thought that I can also be creative. This is after the fact that my 3rd grade art teacher gave me the lowest grade of my whole schooling life ever - which is essentially life's way of saying to me, "Art is not for you" (I still can't believe how she can be so heartless).


But then, there's still hope. And I believe that the easiest way I can express myself artistically is through taking photographs.




Foreign Advertisements


There is a noticeably marked difference in the commercials shown abroad, particularly in the USA, as compared to those that we have locally in the Philippines. While some may be downright sleazy, making use of cheap comedy, others still reek of pure brilliance, just like the ones shown here below.




1. Old Spice - The Man Your Man Could Smell Like
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owGykVbfgUE

What makes a man? Is it his career? Family? Or his many achievements? Is it in the car that he drives or the suit that he wears? Is it his money in the bank or his stature in society?


Well, if you believe this commercial, it's just actually in his deodorant.




2. Porsche - 911 Carrera
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRbzJ0L1Zn8

Every young boy aspires to drive a great car by the time he grows up. Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini - name it, the kid definitely knows it. Sadly, not all of us gets to drive one. It is far from reality.


The great thing about this commercial is that it captures that idealistic admiration in a melodramatic tone and tries to wake up that "inner kid" within each of us.




3. Apple - Think Different
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oAB83Z1ydE

This is what commercials ought to be made of. It gives me goosebumps every time I watch it. How can something in black-and-white showing rolls of old video clips possibly do that? Well of course, it is in the very beautiful message being narrated.


In many ways, this commercial is a landmark event in the history of Apple. On the verge of collapsing, the company got back together under the heel of Steve Jobs when this aired, as if to say, "Apple is back."




Management Gurus


While we have our very own Manny Pangilinan and Ramon Ang who are corporate bigwigs having the Midas' touch for business, I believe the Philippines still lacks a poster boy for management who actively preaches and innovates ways on how to do it, much like what America has. These "gurus" may have graying hair in common, but one cannot fail to notice that they still remain as sharp as ever.



1. Tom Peters - Innovation is Actually Easy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AGTpu_i8sc

A self-confessed "loud-mouth", Tom Peters is one of America's top management gurus who became famous after he wrote the book "In Search for of Excellence". Here, he drives the point that success doesn't come in a neatly packaged formula. What worked for others before isn't necessarily true for us now.


So how can you succeed given this reality? Be different. Sounds familiar?




2. Michael Porter - What is Strategy?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibrxIP0H84M

If you are a MBA student, then you must certainly have heard about the Bishop William Lawrence University Professor of Harvard Business School who is Michael Porter. Most of the material being taught today on strategic management and competitive advantage originally came from him. Industry staples such as the "Five Forces Analysis" and the "Value Chain Model" are among the top tools corporations use today to formulate winning business strategies.




3. Philip Kotler - Marketing Strategy at the London Business Forum
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bilOOPuAvTY

I haven't had any marketing class yet even during my undergrad but I am certainly looking forward to it within MBA given my interest in the subject. What I do know though is that the standard text material used in majority of marketing classes is written by Philip Kotler (imagine having that kind of acclaim?).


In this video, he briefly discusses 3 essential elements of marketing: Product, Brand, and Customer Management, and how they can effectively bring a company to the promised land. Needless to say, he implies that one thing is again needed to stay on top of the game. Did I hear innovation?




* BONUS: Download videos using RealPlayer Downloader


Not only can you stream videos over the internet nowadays, you can also simply download them so you can watch on the fly. And this option is conveniently offered by RealPlayer (http://www.real.com). Their Basic Player version is available for free. Once you have it installed, a "Download This Video" button will appear automatically when you have your mouse over a video as shown below:

"Download This Video" is on the upper right-hand corner

Google Chrome Apps

I previously thought that apps can be found only in the realm of the iPhone. I have to admit that my view on the capabilities of an internet browser was so narrow and that I settled using Internet Explorer since time immemorial. Little did I know that these fantastic apps are what sets Google Chrome apart. And the best part about it? Just like the best things in life, they are free.

My Google Chrome Dashboard

Let me take you through the first 6 apps that are installed in my Google Chrome:

1.   Offline Google Mail

Check your e-mail at your own time, whenever you want it. Convenient? We're only getting started.

"Gmail Offline beta is a Gmail app built to support offline access, allowing mail to be read, responded to, searched and archived without network access. After first start-up, Gmail Offline will automatically synchronize messages and queued actions anytime Chrome is running and an Internet connection is available. More than just an offline app, the streamlined user interface, based off Gmail’s popular tablet interface, provides extremely fast response time with a pure, email focused experience."

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ejidjjhkpiempkbhmpbfngldlkglhimk?hl=en-US&hc=hp&hcp=pop-all

2.   Thoughtboxes

Mind mapping - simple, flexible, and easy.

"Thoughtboxes is a simple tool that helps to organize your thoughts so you can make things happen. You can keep track of just about anything, and share your thoughts with friends.
Thoughtboxes combines the structure of lists with the flexibility of mind maps in a deceptively simple package."

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/peemmgabfefjgggemockhkicpcnbonfh?hl=en-US&hc=search&hcp=main

3.   Quicknote

Notepad's cousin - only a lot more slicker.

"Quick Note is especially designed for lightweight note-taking. You can use it as a simple notepad, scratchpad, clipboard, or to record to do lists."

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/mijlebbfndhelmdpmllgcfadlkankhok?hl=en-US&hc=hp&hcp=pop-all

4.   Google Books

Books, books, and more books. Being a certified book junkie, this one is a real catch. And take note of the power of the Cloud, which this app utilizes.

"It's time to set your reading free. With Google eBooks, you can use just about any device you own to read any book, anywhere.
- Millions of books in every imaginable category, from the New York Times ® bestsellers to favorite classics
- Nearly 3 million free ebooks available instantly
- Hundreds of thousands of ebooks for purchase"

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/mmimngoggfoobjdlefbcabngfnmieonb?hl=en-US&hc=hp&hcp=pop-all

5.   Google Docs

Left your USB at home? Left your laptop in the office? No problem. You will never leave a file behind.

"Edit your online documents from any computer.
- Offline access: read your documents and spreadsheets without an internet connection."

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/apdfllckaahabafndbhieahigkjlhalf?hl=en-US&hc=hp&hcp=pop-all

6.   Audiotool

Wow, that's all I can say. For free? Are you kidding me? I drooled upon seeing this app for the first time. The frustrated inner DJ in me just woke up again. Looks like I'll be counting the hours with this nifty little app really soon.

"Audiotool is a powerful online music production studio right in your browser.
You can create melodies using our amazing Pulverisateur synthesizer or go completely crazy with the Rasselbock. Audiotool lets you create your own sounds by wiring more than fourteen different effects together with one of our three drum machines or synthesizers. There are endless possibilities."

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/bkgoccjhfjgjedhkiefaclppgbmoobnk?hl=en-US&hc=search&hcp=main

Those are just the first 6 apps to get me started; needless to say, there is a whole lot more. Seems like the idea of living alone in an island nowadays isn't so hard as long as you have your trusted smartphone or tablet with you, plus all of these amazing apps from Google Chrome. Hmm, but how will you get electricity anyway?