Lou Markstrom - News, Features, and Slideshows

News

• How to build a consultative culture

  Difficult situations with customers are often the result of a reactive rather than a consultative IT mindset.

• 8 tips to manage difficult people and situations over the holidays

  Amongst all the joy and festivities of the holidays, it can also be one of the most stressful and hectic times of the year.

• 9 tips for building rapport with people

  Understanding the human side of the IT equation is critical to the success of any IT professional. The ability to develop a feeling of connectedness and understanding is an important aspect of developing productive and trusted relationships.
  

• Leadership for performance

  Is your team operating at their optimal level of performance? Are they inspired? Motivated? Do they show up day to day in tune with a vision and purpose that they are excited about?
  

• 8 time management tips for the holiday season

  It’s that time of year. Work, shopping, parties, family and the list goes on and on. This joyous and festive time of year can very easily turn into overload, stress, and overwhelm you if you don’t manage your time effectively.
  

• The six mindsets of effective leadership

  The world of IT leadership has changed; it’s no longer about keeping IT systems humming. It is now about the ability to lead high performance organisations that partner with the business to consistently deliver services.

• 6 essential steps for managing vendors

  Gartner once predicted that in the future, an IT career will not be about technology but rather managing a range of service providers.
  

• Can you handle change?

  The one constant in today’s business world is change. It’s constant, inevitable and unending. The individuals and organisations that will rise to the top of the marketplace are the ones who can embrace, manage and lead change throughout an enterprise.

• How to negotiate and get what you want

  As an IT professional, you negotiate every day. If you’re launching a new app, for instance, how many times do you negotiate with people?
  

• Marketing IT’s value

  Do your clients truly understand what you do? Does the business recognise the value that IT provides or does it simply view you as mere code changers, network fixers, and PC installers?
  

• Building a client-focused IT culture

  When you think of good service, what comes to mind? What separates elevated service from the norm? To answer these questions, let’s first understand the difference between customer service and hospitality.
  

• 10 ways to become a business consultant

  In the first of a series of monthly blogs, Lou Markstrom provides 10 useful tips on how IT pros can gain the consulting skills they need to succeed.