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!

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