Posts
Giving the Employees’ the Right to Telework 2015 – The Best Christmas Present?
At Microsoft Finland, we’ve been teleworking for a few years already using our so-called “being present” working model, which means that goals guide our work and it doesn't matter where or when we work. Many people, actually more people than the capacity of the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, have visited our Meeting Point in Keilaranta, Espoo, to find out, how we use modern technology, new spaces, and management to achieve challenging goals, yet at the same time keep job satisfaction high. During this inspiring and compelling journey we’ve had to think over the very fundamentals of work.
In the Midst of Cultural Differences – Leadership in Europe and in Asia
Over the past 18 months, I have had a great opportunity in being given the responsibility for a mix of teams from Europe and Asia and I thought I’d share some of the things I’ve learned in the process of effecting change.
Leader Plays a Big Role in Meaningful Volunteer Work
Four years ago I was studying in Santiago, Chile. During my studies, I got to know a few really great people also from El Salvador, which is a small, beautiful developing country in Central America. A year later, when back in Finland, I invited them to join my birthday party. Of course they couldn't travel across the world, but this invitation led to something bigger.
Bean Bags and Circus Tricks Won’t Change the Corporate Culture for Better
”Corporate culture is all that happens when nobody’s looking.” This is how William Wolfram, the founder of DealDash, defined corporate culture to me. I haven’t yet found a better definition for corporate culture anywhere and believe me, I’ve tried. William’s definition captures the meaningfulness of corporate culture very well; culture affects everything and on all levels of the organization. For your organization, corporate culture can either be a strength or your biggest obstacle to success.
Successful Marketing is Human-to-Human – Serve, Listen and Meet Your Clients as People
As an entrepreneur, I’m a very satisfied customer of Tommi Kivistö. He sells me the phones I need and takes care of the cell phone plans. He makes sure I’m satisfied and explains all the bureaucracy in a way I can understand. The new logo of the Finnish operator Elisa decorates his workspace. Sometimes I wonder, how that money could’ve been spent to train other people to be more like Tommi. Because that’s what marketing and selling to human beings is all about: encounters and experience.
