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Networking - Part 2

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 15:52:07 -0500

Last week I talked about the importance of networking and promised to follow up with some tips that have been helpful to me. These are some things to think about when networking.

1. Be patient- most people I've run in to at events are there to help their business or to support a cause or group. You can spot the impatient networker from across the room. Pushy is a turn off. People do business with people they like. And for most relationships, especially in business, getting comfortable takes time. I was at an event where I met an enthusiastic sales guy. Within the first 15mins of meeting, he said "Let's get together for breakfast so we can chat about how you can help me." Easy there killer!

2. If you don't know where you're going, any plan will get you there - When you're out networking, you must have a clear vision of where you're heading and how the people you meet can become integral in getting you there. What's the goal and what are the next steps to getting there? Do you need an introduction to the CEO of a company that you'd like to partner with or is meeting the head of Biz Dev the more appropriate entry point? Are you looking for an Angel to invest in your company or just someone that's done it before and can help keep you from investing your limited resources in the wrong place? Being good at networking is like being good at puzzles...you need the ability to visualize getting to the goal and how the different pieces fit to build the final product.

3. Don't be a one way street -Don't just look for networking opportunities that go one way, helping you. You have to be open to helping others with no expectation of them reciprocating. This is tough, especially early in one's career. It can often feel as if you have no expertise to share or contacts to give. When you have no experience, the most valuable thing you can give is your time. Join a group that's relevant to your goal and volunteer for a committee. Do the grunt work. Pick up the ice and sodas for the party. But most of all, keep your eyes and ears open and ask lots of questions

4. Qualify your contacts - If you plan on investing time in a new contact, make sure you qualify their relevance to your mission. Most people fall in to one of three categories: Those who watch it happen, those that make it happen, and those who wonder what happened. Make sure you know the difference.

]]> Tags: Related tags: happen those, networking, people, getting, business, those

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The importance of networking

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 17:28:58 -0500

From a very young age, my father's advice to me was to go out and get involved. Join groups, attend events, meet people. As an educated immigrant who came to the United States with little money, he learned from starting his own company "If you want to be in business, you have to be in politics." That was the principal on which I based many of my decisions. From a very young age, I knew I wanted to own a business. But what did getting in to politics mean? My father's business is Civil Engineering and land development. Heavily regulated industries with lots of bureaucracy. In order to succeed, you had to not only have a firm grasp of the rules and regulations, the decision makers had to WANT you to succeed. If they didn't WANT you to succeed, there would be some roadblock that kept you from gaining the needed approval. So, I started to look around to see how other successful people had done it. I quickly found that the "self made" success was mostly a myth. People that were successful got help from someone. Help doesn't necessarily equal money. In this case, help can be something simple...an introduction, a nugget of wisdom, pointing out a land mine. So if it's that simple, why isn't everybody good at networking? I think there are several reasons which I'll review in next week's post.

]]> Tags: Related tags: succeed, business, people

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Undercover Boss: Lessons in Management Techniques

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:10:29 -0500

There was a show on after the Super Bowl last week called Undercover Boss. It followed an executive of a large company, Waste Management, as he disguised his identity to get a front line view of how his company operates and to gauge the impact of his policies on the people actually doing the work. The experiences were so impactful for him that he used them to make real changes in the way his company operated. It was such an interesting show that I couldn't wait for the second episode this past Sunday.

This week's CEO was the head of Hooters who went undercover at several restaurants as well as the Hooters plant that manufactures their sauces and dressings. I was really struck by how different the two episodes were. Where the Waste Management CEO actively engaged employees and was genuinely interested in their success and the success of his company, the Hooters episode revealed a disinterested CEO who was only interested in being on a reality television show.

Undercover Boss provides an opportunity for CEOs to reach out to their employees and see how the company truly functions. This episode, however, became a sort of what-not-to-do for corporate management. Here are some worrisome traits revealed by the Hooters CEO that should be avoided in your management techniques:

The CEO lacked passion - He appeared to interact with his team because he "had" to, not because he had a burning desire to make his organization the BEST. The CEO sets the tone for his or her company, and a negative attitude permeates quickly through an organization.
He lacked conviction - When a restaurant manager humiliated female members of the staff, he stayed in "disguise" and allowed the manager to continue working. Even after he revealed himself later in the show as the CEO of the company, he gave the manager a soft "reprimand" and allowed him to keep his job. Employees need to know that the person at the top has the fortitude to make difficult and uncomfortable decisions for the good of the company.
He asked questions but it was clear he wasn't listening to the answers. When employees start believing their voices are not being heard, they will stop talking.
When he found employees doing a great job he congratulated them with lip service. While a pat on the back and an "at-a-boy" are often welcome, when you find truly talented, energetic, and hard working people in your organization, you MUST reward them both financially and with the appropriate title and role within the organization. Don't assume that a kind word from the boss is enough for them to sustain the energy level and enthusiasm that makes them great.

Management styles can definitely vary, but remaining engaged with your employees is essential to your company's success. How do you stay connected to your employees? And if you saw the show, any other tips to share?
]]> Tags: management techniques, management tips, undercover boss Related tags: engaged employees, management techniques, waste management, company, employees, management
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The Road to PCI

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 09:57:49 -0500

Securing the network isn't usually what comes to mind when people think of PCI, or PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard). For businesses that process credit cards, which include retail organizations and a growing number of government, education, and healthcare facilities, complying with PCI means getting rid of credit card numbers after they are processed and encrypting payment data. In reality, if access to an organization's network isn't tightly monitored and controlled, many of the other PCI guidelines are useless. Ensuring the security of the network transactions are processed on is imperative.

First, the basics: The objective of PCI is to implement a worldwide information security standard so that all merchants that accept credit cards would be required to protect cardholder data by complying with a set of universal security standards. The Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) was formed in 2004 to ensure that consistent security measures are taken worldwide to protect cardholder data with comprehensive regulations reaching the market with force in 2006.

The PCI DSS requirements cover six basic control objectives covering many areas of company networks and practices:

1.   Build and maintain a secure network
2.   Protect cardholder data
3.   Maintain a vulnerability management program
4.   Implement strong access control measures
5.   Regularly monitor and test networks
6.   Maintain an information security policy

PCI regulations are designed to be comprehensive and iterative with many companies currently entrenched in the early stages of the two-year Lifecycle Process for changes to PCI DSS. Unfortunately, many companies have also recently incurred steep fines for not complying with PCI, and if PCI hasn't caught them, their customers have. Despite some debate around whether PCI whether PCI goes too far or not far enough in securing networks and protecting cardholders, it does not appear to be going away and instead seems to be gaining in momentum, emphasized by Ellen Messmer of Network World in 'New laws complicate security efforts in 2010'.

In the times we live in, network and information security are absolutely necessary--as is regulatory oversight to ensure this security when outside interests are at risk. So, how far has your company come on its road to PCI compliance? What road blocks have you encountered? What combination of security tools are you using or researching? ]]> Tags: network monitoring, network security, PCI, PCI compliance, PCI DSS Related tags: protect cardholder, credit cards, information security, security standard, security standards, security
, PCI, PCI compliance, PCI DSS, network security, network monitoring

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Where Security and Compliance Meet - Dec 09, 2009

Hello! - Nov 30, 2009

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Where Security and Compliance Meet

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:26:15 -0500

In my role as CEO of a technology company, I am constantly evaluating the market and working to understand the needs of IT departments and the technology industry as a whole. My company, eTelemetry, makes products that solve a host of IT-related problems, with a focus on security and compliance.

In conducting market research and talking to IT staff in the field, I am always surprised to see compliance and security officers operating independent of one another. Sure, not all compliance is security compliance, but the two intersect in enough ways to warrant tight collaboration. Not only do data security regulations, such as Payment Card Industry (PCI) Security Standards, require additional network visibility and control, but regulations that may on the surface seem unrelated to IT, such as those involving personnel actions, often require documentation from IT relating to an employee's online activity. Each of these places a burden on IT staff, primarily those closely involved with network security.

Preparation for and identification of solutions available to achieve compliance, in addition to executing on the myriad tasks required for compliancy, is made easier and more efficient when the security and compliance officers communicate regularly and rely on a common toolkit. Do your organization's security and compliance departments get along? How do you handle the scenarios where security and compliance overlap? What tools do you use to manage these two areas?
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]]> Tags: compliance, IT, network security, network visibility, PCI, regulatory compliance, security Related tags: security compliance, compliance security, security, compliance
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The Road to PCI - Dec 28, 2009

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Hello!

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 08:56:36 -0500

Thank you for taking the time to stop and read my newly created blog. I intend on using this forum to discuss issues concerning regulatory compliance and the challenges currently faced by IT staff in gaining visibility and control of their network resources. I hope that you will check with me regularly and contribute to the conversation. I welcome all suggestions and look forward to discussing the trends, developments and issues in NAC, E911 and PCI compliance, Cloud Computing, Virtualization, Bandwidth Management, and more.

I look forward to meeting you soon!

]]> Tags: Bandwidth Management, Cloud Computing, E911, NAC, PCI compliance, Virtualization Related tags:
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The Road to PCI - Dec 28, 2009

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