2012年9月18日星期二

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There are many important skills that are wanted in an organisation for organisational success. One of this is risk management. Risk management is very important at times of uncertainty and a good risk manager helps the organisation to glide smoothly through such turbulent times.

As such, an important qualification that is looked for by an organisation upon employing managers is that of risk management. One who wishes to obtain a risk management certificate will have to undergo rigorous and thorough a risk management program. There are a number of institutes which will provide risk management programs. Taking up these programs will increase one's chances of clearing the exam by arming one with all the necessary knowledge and skills needed to pass the exam.

These programs will train one in various aspects of risk management like mitigation, assessment, etc. By going through such a program one can learn and sharpen the skills analysis and management.

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Data loss and unauthorized access can bring about unprecedented events and literally make your company go out of business. Data loss is a contributing factor to declining profits, significant downtime and in the worst case scenario complete shutdown of business. So always make sure that you have a competent online file storage system onboard to make your business documents. Before delving further into the subject here are a few facts regarding how data loss can affect your business:



60% companies that have lost their data close all operations within 6 months
6% of all PCs will suffer an episode of data loss in any given year. Given the number of PCs used in US businesses in 1998, that translates to approximately 4.6 million data loss episodes. At a conservative estimate, data loss cost US businesses $11.8 billion in 1998. (The Cost Of Lost Data, David M. Smith)
Companies unable to resume operations within 10 days of a disaster are unlikely to survive. (Strategic Research Institute)

These are some shocking facts indicating what happens when we do not take preventive measures to protect our data. Traditionally data backup was taken in CDs and DVDs but they were also susceptible to damage. The emergence of online document storage and sharing applications played a key role in data protection.images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT-rgsvg0hnWBrDfvvXunr vspace="3" width="246" height="205" align="left" />

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?Perception has the uncanny ability to impact our understanding of both ourselves and the world around us. With proper perception comes the potential for a more holistic understanding and effective decision making. In organizational management the information we access, selectively focus on, categorize, and recall from memory impacts our judgements and decisions.


Improper perception leads to inaccurate perspectives which creates all types of inefficient decisions. Organizational decision-makers who understand their personal influence on perception develop stronger responses to a wide range of environmental and organizational challenges. Perceptual accuracy has a wide range and leaders may perceive the same concept in different frameworks (Biesanz, 2010).


Strategic+Perception+Model.jpg


A problem with perception is that the brain prefers some cues while ignoring and inadvertently skipping over other information. The brain is selective about the information it lets in. Even though the eyes are seeing the brain is not computing.


"The real voyage of discovery consists of not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes."- Marcel Proust

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Creativity is the driving force of innovation and change. We were all created with imagination and the inherent ability to create. Creativity can be broken down into three categories: creation, synthesis, and change. When we create, we fashion something new out of nothing. We think, imagine, build, and produce something new that never was before. This has been demonstrated countless times throughout history. Just think of the great artists and writers, such as Leonardo Davinci and William Shakespeare, who produced masterpieces from what existed solely in their minds. When we use creativity to synthesis, we take what already exists and combine them in new and pioneering ways. For example, the axe was created by combining a sharp rock and a stick, or a more contemporary example may be gene synthesis, where genes from one organism are combined with another to create a new gene. Creating something by way of change implies that we take something that already exists and change it in a way to perform a new function or to perform its original function more effectively. We are all capable of creativity, and since it is so central to innovation, which is imperative to business success and survival, it makes sense that managers should be able to identify and address ways in which employees hinder their own creativity.


People limit their own creativity in many ways. These self-restricting actions stem primarily from the false belief that not everyone is creative, and in order to be creative you need special qualities or abilities. Many people believe that creativity is a mystic gift and only a rare few possess it. To combat this artificial belief, managers need to encourage and reward creativity. They should promote an environment of affirmation and support that promotes the development of people's creative ability. I've experienced this tactic first-hand while working as the Director of IT at a mid-sized telecom company. Our VP would find business problems and rather than deal with them himself; he would seek the input and ideas of lower level staff. He would encourage imaginative solutions and reward participation in the process. This was not only an excellent way to promote creativity, but it also boosted moral and company cohesion.


People also make the wrong supposition that creative people are formed from a different mold, that they have special skills or abilities unattainable to the general population. For example, people often think creative people have a certain genius, or possess qualities such as audacity or impudence. These suppositions are unfounded and managers should try and dispel these myths in an effort to unlock the hidden potential of their employee's inner creativity. When we take a quick look at some of the most successful inventors or visionaries, we see a common theme; many did poorly in school. For example, Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison were both underachievers in traditional schools; however, they went on to change the world as we know it. Managers can help employees to overcome these psychological obstacles by reducing problems down to size and breaking them into less overwhelming quandaries. In my field, which is Information Technology, we always take this logical approach when evaluating and designing systems for companies. Networks, just as all problems, need to be broken down into their component parts and then addressed individually in a systematic manner.


Creative people are often viewed as noble, a quality many believe they can never attain, and therefore, could never be creative. Additionally, creative people are also viewed as living in a vacuum and alone, where they let the magic flow. Both of these misconceptions are also unsubstantiated. Take for example John D. Rockefeller, who became the richest man in the world through foresight and imagination. Before this, however, he was arrested several times and was considered to be a crook. Moreover, Thomas Edison, who is arguably the greatest inventor the world has ever seen, collaborated on many of his inventions, while driving innovation on the shoulders of those who went before him. This leads us to an excellent method for managers to encourage creativity; through team work and collaboration. When minds come together, magic happens. In my current role, I encourage this on a regular basis. Our team meets weekly to brainstorm ideas that help drive our strategy and business approach. Each person has their own view point on the world of technology and brings new ideas and perspectives to the table, which in turn stimulates imagination and creativity in solving problems.

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What you can accomplish as an IT manager is closely tied to how much money the company is willing to entrust you with. The more money that they are willing to give you, the more you'll be able to get done. The way that you'll get your hands on the company's money is to create a budget and then manage it. Let's talk about what you'll need to know in order to do this correctly…


Planning


IT managers get to show leadership by starting their budget creation process by thinking about what their team is going to be asked to accomplish during the upcoming year. This is done by selecting the goals that you want your team to achieve. In most cases these goals will relate to the overall goals of the IT department or the ones that your company's senior management have set for the firm.


Your next step will be to evaluate how you can achieve these goals. There is always more than one way to make this happen. At the same time you are going to want to take a close look at each option and use your best judgment to determine what you think the most likely outcome would be.


Once you've identified your options and their probable outcomes, now comes time for you to make a decision. Using the costs and benefits of each option, pick the one that you believe will have the best chance of leading your team towards accomplishing their goals.


Coordinating and Communicating


Most IT leaders will have multiple goals that they will want their teams to accomplish each year. This means that the budgets that they are creating will have multiple parts to them.

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A high profile event requires special security arrangements before it gets going. This is because the moment the guests start to arrive, they feel secure and comfortable when they learn that the event is properly supervised. In occasions of this caliber, it is essential to consult security consultant agencies that will advice on the measures necessarily to make sure the guests will feel secure and comfortable. Event organizers should make sure that they plan ahead of the event so as to create time for each and every requirement of the event. This will ensure that they have time to hire security agencies and fix security measures that fit the occasion. Once security measures are in place, they will go about fixing other requirements that go hand in hand with events of this caliber.

To make your work easier, you should consider going for an events management company. They have experienced and focused experts who will take you through the essentials to make sure that every aspect of the event is fully and professionally taken care of. This will ensure that you have detailed information on the essentials to be able to come up with a budget. Once you have fixed the budget, the management company will guide you on other requirements that go along with high profile events. This will ensure that dignitaries attending this event will feel at ease with the event which augurs well for future interactions. The impact sent by a well organized event has the power to lift your business profile to international levels. This means every aspect of the event should answer to acceptable standards to ensure you reap maximum benefits. This is very important for your business prospects, because once you have made a name at the national front you can expect event higher gains at the international front. Resources used to organize a high profile event can turn out to be a fruitful investment provided one has focused correctly. This means one should have well pronounced goals when making the invitations.

To ensure that you reap maximum benefits from high profile events, you should make sure that you consult far and wide on the business aspect of the event. This is because; during high profile events you should make sure that every invited guest has the means and ways to consult for business after the end of the event or in the course of the event.

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Hazardous waste is generated by each and every industry; no matter how big or small. It has properties that make it dangerous or potentially harmful to human health and the environment which makes it vitally important to ensure that hazardous waste disposal is done with utmost care.


Hazardous waste is generally defined by one or more of these characteristics:

Ignitable: Such hazardous waste is highly inflammable. It is capable of burning at or below 140o F. Unwanted gasoline is an ideal example.

Corrosive: It burns the skin, causes irritation in the eyes and is capable of destroying living tissue when contact occurs. It can corrode metals, plastics or rubber. Automobile battery is a corrosive waste.

Explosive or Reactive: Such waste is capable of causing an explosion or releasing poisonous fumes when exposed to water, air or other chemicals. Old medicinal ether and out-dated ammunition are reactive wastes.

Toxic: These wastes are fatal if swallowed. Heavy metals like lead and mercury are toxic wastes.

Radioactive: This type of waste is capable of damaging and destroying cells and chromosomal material in the human body and other living organisms. It can also contaminate the air and the surrounding environment.

Hazardous waste can be in the form of liquid, solid, contained gases, or sludges. It can cause illness, injury or even death and also destruction of environment. Because of such potential risks, hazardous waste is treated differently from ordinary wastes.
It needs to be disposed of properly by professionals who are trained in environmental hazardous waste services . The improper disposal of even small quantity of hazardous waste poses a long-term risk to public health and the environment. After all it takes only a small amount of waste to contaminate a large area of soil or groundwater.