Interesting On The Internet Today: Zagato, Maserati, Ferrari, Abarth, Mercedes

by Mike -

I surf around the Internet everyday and today there were three items that caught my attention.

Ferrari
A One-Off 1954 Maserati A6G/54 Zagato Spider "Specially built for Argentina’s Juan Peron, the car is the only open version of Maserati and Zagato’s ‘gentleman racer’ coupé collaboration." according to Classic Driver.
This car and many others were at 'Uniques - Special Ones' 2011 - a

Be a Service, not Servant organization

There's a lot of confusion out there.

By "there", I mean where you are... and I am...

... and the confusion is about service - what it is and what it isn't.




The reason this is relevant to IT leadership is that we are (or should be) working to transform our department or division into a full functioning service organization.

We tell people that our core mission in life is to 'help them be successful in their jobs, and leverage technology to do things they could never do before'.

But sometimes our customers get confused.

They confuse "service" with "servant".


They seem to think that IT is their personal assistant, ready to drop everything and come running when beckoned.

And sometimes we do drop everything and come running... when there's a real emergency or equipment failure. But running a report that our customer knew was due for three weeks but didn't get around to it doesn't really constitute an emergency.  But sometimes IT is resented because they don't think it is.

So how do you balance this?  How does your team, from Directors to the newest co-op student know what constitutes an emergency?  How do they know what are appropriate timeframes for responses?  How do they politely but confidently handle the customers who are expecting 'servant' behaviour?

You could start with a service catalog, or a version of it. (See my post on What does the IT department really do? )

You also need to clearly communicate how to get assistance from IT... and then make it easy to do.  Many IT departments have a ticketing system or help desk, but does your average user use these resources, or do they find it easier to bypass these systems and call the person they know in IT?  This is known as the "end run system".

You have to define the situations that actually constitute an emergency.  Usually this is part of your service catalog.  Note: it should by prioritized based on the impact on the organization, not the convenience of the IT department.

You have to meet with your customers and provide an overview of services and expected response times.  This is usually part of new employee orientation or regular all staff meetings.  If you are not on these agendas, find a way to get on.

Once you have done this, you have to deliver consistent, equitable, exceptional service.

I am not disparaging people who are in roles that require them to be at the beck and call of another individual, if that is the career they chose.  After all, Alfred the butler was one cool guy.

In an IT organization, the only place for a servant attitude is in leadership - where you will focus with every bit within you to lead your team in ways that brings out the best in them, to accomplish things they didn't think was possible.  But that's another post.

A thinspo post.  I'm hoping to post later, but it will end up being full of pictures so it probably won't have thinspo.  I ended my fast at 8 am.  I had a drinkable Greek yogurt thing.  I'll probably post a picture later and show you what I'm talking about.  But thinspo.  And then I'm going to work.  And apparently, I skipped some numbers when I was saving thinspo or the pictures got saved to the wrong folder or they just disappeared or something, so I guess you get 16 pictures instead of 20.  :|

~Kes

Deepika Padukone – Her recent religious trip

(1) After visiting Ajmer, Deepika Padukone went on another religious sojourn - and reached the Golden Temple in Amritsar to attend a prayer session.

As per Latest Deepika Padukone Interviews, she said that,

"I am here to pay obeisance. It was a long pending trip and finally, I am happy to have come here."

"She's going through a transition period and is therefore seeking blessings."

"She stood in a queue while enjoying Shabad Kirtan."

"It's for peace in life and will keep her balanced. Religion is an important aspect of my life."

(2) Deepika Padukone New Penthouse in Prabhadevi, Central Mumbai –

As per Latest Bollywood Interviews, she said about her house that, “I am excited about moving to my penthouse. Yes! I will be on the 26th floor residence when you visit me next.”

“I am a very house proud person and I have been looking into every aspect of my home.”

“I also love my current flat in Pali Hill. However, what excites me about my new home is the fact that I have earned it through my own hard work.”

“There is a sense of achievement. And there is also pride. I truly believe that each of us sets out with a dream and when we achieve even a small part of it, there's that feeling of fulfillment. My home is just one of the many things I have dreamed out. There are miles to go before I sleep.”

“I hope mum and dad and my sister will spend time with me in Mumbai in my new home. After all, a home is complete only when the family is around. I also hope, I get more time in Mumbai to enjoy my new home. As I said earlier, between January and July this year, I was in Mumbai for only three weeks. Living out of suitcases is a way of life for a celebrity. However, there are times when you long to just stay home, put up your feet and enjoy a good movie or a book.”