Artificial Brains

http://www.adaptiveai.com/ - yes I have even read about this firm too - it is truly interesting, throw in the power of cheap bandwidth and an army of developers - makes a lot more sense now-yes this is possible and feasible - see http://www.80legs.com !

Short Task

I have joined http://www.shorttask.com and will be doing simple stuff to earn money - do visit and join.

How good employees add value

This post is about executives that “get it”. I think the critical skills that differentiate better executives from the rest are:

1. Business acumen. They have a true understanding of the company, its business, the products and the industry it operates. Too many executives don’t even know the products their company sells and at what price or margin.
2. Analytical mindset. They think in numbers not emotions. They leverage data to make decisions and measure their business proactively.
3. Accountability. They are will to make hard, critical decisions independently and will to put their proverbial “ass on the line”. Accountability also means they have a favorable reputation within the organization and can garner support throughout.
4. They know what they don’t know. This really means they know the right questions to ask and surround themselves with smart people, experts and knowledge.
   
5. They really know about where to find relevant information and present the same at the first instance to the relevant decision makers.
6. They know how to use relevant tech,the internet for sourcing,selling (goods and services) and positioning the firm locally and globally.
7. They are not afraid to innovate and know about who potential customers for a new offering might be.In other words they communicate the business value and tech benefits.
   
8. They have the best interest of the firm in mind at all times.

Many times these people also help by :
Encouraging less vocal employees speak up. Banish the “suck it up” message that pollutes many organizational cultures. This is not a call to Whiners, but a request for frank, adult-to-adult conversation about what you do as an employer that makes people want to stay and do their best, and what makes people polish up their resume.
Thank employees for speaking up. Do this both when it happens and later in a public forum. Share examples in your team and organization-wide meetings of how employee feedback is being used to make your organization a better place to work. This both communicates that management values employee input and it also energizes people, because they hear proof that they can make a difference, they do matter.
Don’t devolve into an arrogant “It’s an employer’s market they’re lucky to have a job” mentality. While you may have the upper hand in terms of people being security-conscious right now, remember the ROAD Warrior phenomenon. Even if people don’t leave, poor management and organizational practices significantly reduce the performance of those who stay. In this economy — or any economy for that matter — can you afford 15, 20, or 30% less productivity than your workforce is capable of?
Help your managers help you. Since an employee’s supervisor plays the most significant role in that employee’s performance and level of engagement, according to Gallup’s research as well as other studies, make sure your managers know how to do the things that lead to maximum performance and engagement. Make sure they also have the skills to engage employees in “crucial conversations” and foster honest, open dialogue.
Involve your employees in making improvements. Doing this helps you in three ways:

• First, it taps into the human need to matter, to make a difference. Believing that your input matters and that you can make a difference are huge drivers of employee engagement.
  
• Second, involving employees in making improvements fosters an adult/adult relationship with management, rather than a “kids-complain-to-mom-and-dad” dynamic created when employees are encouraged to speak up about what’s bothering them, and management’s job is to come up with solutions.
  
• Third, engaging employees in finding solutions is a powerful antidote to the feeling of helplessness and lack of control many people feel during these difficult times.Solving problems and generating creative solutions triggers the biochemistry and emotions of confidence and success, which puts employees in a more productive frame of mind to face the big challenges ahead.

How many of your employees are really good and why - how can a firm or organization get better inputs and work done by such people and is your firm really fair to all employees.Some people may want to leave because a firm is not really doing enough for society or any other pet cause dear to them!

The interesting website I visit is below

http://marketing-jobs.theladders.com