Performance Magazine 13th Edition by The KPI Institute

Issue No. 13

December/2018

COVER STORY DECISION-MAKING: AN APPLIED CASE

ARTICLES AMAZON GROWTH STRATEGIES - BRINGING MORE VISITORS 7 QUICK TIPS ABOUT BUILDING MOTIVATION AMONG YOUR EMPLOYEES 8 KPIS TO MEASURE THE SUCCESS OF YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAM THREE KEY PROCESSES DEFINING AI AND BUSINESS

KPIs # LONGEST DELAY IN QUEUE # BRAND IMAGE INDEX # PREVENTIVE RISK CONTROLS + LIFESTYLE - 7 TIPS TO EFFECTIVELY STUDY FOR LONG HOURS PORTRAIT

GUNNULF RASMUSSEN Empowering teams is what breeds organizational success.

INDEMNITY STATEMENT

ÂŠ 2018 The KPI Institute Ltd. All Rights Reserved. ID Number: TKI0182101 ISBN-13: 9781791585648 ISBN-10: 1791585646 Imprint: Independently published An appropriate citation for this magazine is: The KPI Institute, Performance Magazine, Printed Edition, no. 13, vol. 5/2018, December, 2018, Melbourne, Australia Indemnity statement: The KPI Institute has taken due care in preparing the analysis contained in this publication. However, noting that some of the data used for the analysis has been provided by third parties, The KPI Institute gives no warranty to the accuracy, reliability, fitness for purpose, or otherwise of the information. The KPI Institute shall have no liability for errors, omissions, or inadequacies in the information contained herein or for interpretations thereof. The opinions expressed herein are subject to change without notice. Published by:

Headquarters: Melbourne Office Life.lab Building, 198 Harbour Esplanade, Suite 606 Melbourne Docklands, VIC 3008, Australia T: +61 3 9028 2223 M: +075 4864 336 www.kpiinstitute.org DECEMBER 2018

CONTENTS

3 EDITOR'S NOTE 4 NEWS 8 COVER STORY 8 Decision-Making: An Applied Case

12 INTERVIEWS 13 Franklin Rodriguez - Performance Management 16 MartĂn BalcĂĄzer - Performance Management 18 Tom Buckland - SEO Performance

21 PORTRAIT 21 Gunnulf Rasmussen

24 ARTICLES 24 Strategy 24 Amazon Growth Strategies - Bringing More Visitors 26 How to Develop a Perfect Mobile App Strategy 28 Technology Helping You Build Lasting Relationships 30 Employee Management 30 7 Quick Tips About Building Motivation Among Your Employees

46 Marketing Performance 46 Why Social Networking is Important for Your E-Commerce Business 47 Sales & Tech 47 Salesforce - Career and Job Predictions for 2019

50 KPIs 50 Customer Service 50 # Longest delay in queue 50 % Customer calls answered in the first minute 51 % Customer satisfaction with complaints handling 52 Marketing 52 # Brand image index 52 $ Customer retention cost 53 % Net promoter score 54 Risk Management 54 # Preventive risk controls 54 $ Cost of insurance 55 $ Financial risk

56 LIFESTYLE 56 7 Tips to Effectively Study for Long Hours 58 Probiotics - A Possible Health Solution to Obesity in Australia 62 5 Ways to Improve your Health with Dandelion Root

32 How to run effective employee appraisals 34 Office Drama: How to Deal With A Difficult Coworker 36 KPI Performance 36 8 KPIs to Measure the Success of Your Customer Service Team 38 10 Most Important KPIs for Content Marketing 40 Which KPIs Are Ideal for a Successful Social Media Campaign 42 AI Performance 42 Three Key Processes Defining AI and Business 44 How AI is Already Central to the Biggest Companies 45 The Difference between Deep Learning and Machine Learning

DECEMBER 2018

64 RECOMMENDATIONS 64 Books: The following is a list of must-haves for your reading list going into 2019

Aurel Brudan CEO, The KPI Institute Andrei Costea Head of Publishing & Media

EDITORIAL TEAM Borbala Pentek Marcela Presecan

CONTRIBUTORS Tom Buckland Peter Davidson Mila Jones Ester Brierley Robin Singh Emily Watts James Cummings Thibaud Peverelli Steve Conway Vikas Arora Shreya Singh Anna Kucirkova Katie Stone

With these thoughts in mind, we proudly announce the launch of our thirteenth issue of PERFORMANCE Magazine. PERFORMANCE Magazine is The KPI Institute’s prime resource for insights into the discipline of Performance Management. The content published in PERFORMANCE Magazine pursues high and wide for some of the best, latest and most pressing topics of discussion in Performance Management and in adjacent areas of interest.

EDITOR’S NOTE

STAFF EDITORIAL COORDINATION

Encompassing The KPI Institute’s experience, research and expertise, PERFORMANCE Magazine – Printed Edition provides its readership with first-hand howto, resources, and insights from practice, so as to assist them in their performance endeavors and in becoming state-of-the art professionals.

This edition provides details on the subjects of AI Performance, Employee Management, Sales & Tech, Strategy, SEO Performance and KPIs, among others. Flip through pages of extensive research studies, interviews, concept presentations, insights from practice, alongside KPI in-practice examples and book recommendations, all related to performance management. Our 13th issue of PERFORMANCE Magazine explores the professional journey of Gunnulf Rasmussen, Group Vice President at Corporater, Norway. Mr. Rasmussen has had the opportunity of being a leader from a young age, given at that 19 he found himself leading his own platoon in the Norwegian Military, as part of his compulsory training. After serving in the army, he’s had the chance to work in several industries, such as IT, ERP, Collaboration & Integrated Operations in Oil industry and Telemedicine, expanding his already budding leadership & management capabilities. Right before joining Corporater, he was the manager for an Innovative Well Service Business for Enhanced Oil Recovery. So now we invite you to take part in a world dedicated to improving performance and all that is comprised in the search for improvement, in its smallest details. Enjoy this December’s PERFORMANCE Magazine!

DESIGN Csaba Pete Dexign

As we are always interested in gaining insights from practitioners who activate in a multitude of environments, contact us at editor@kpiinstitute.org if you are interested in becoming a Guest Post Editor, or having your interview featured in PERFORMANCE Magazine. Andrei Costea Head of Publishing & Media, The KPI Institute DECEMBER 2018

NEWS

better understanding of KPIs that will surely help us with our performance measurement and improvement.” – Priscille Rose – HR Coordinator, Medine The course had over 20 attendees, mostly Senior Managers, HR Managers, Finance & Administration Managers, from some of the biggest companies in Mauritius, with a diverse industry background, from banking & healthcare to aviation and education.

> Bringing KPIs to Mauritius – a TKI & Soft Skills Consultants Partnership Between the 16th – 18th of October, The KPI Institute, in partnership with Soft Skills Consultants, held the first ever edition of our worldwide renowned course – The Certified KPI Professional, in Quatre Bornes, Mauritius. Soft Skills Consultants (SSC) is a company whose primary objective is that of providing soft skills training to organizations and individuals in Mauritius. SSC went all the way in order to bring maximum visibility to this course, hosting workshops aimed at promoting this course, as well as ensuring it receives local media visibility. Moreover, with their support, we organized a series of executive meetings in addition to the course, where top ranking representatives from some of the leading companies in Mauritius had the opportunity of training under one of our foremost consultants, Andrea Minelli. In regards to the course itself, The Certified KPI Professional – C-KPI for short, brought to Mauritius a whole new world of insight into how businesses can & should look to optimize their operations and management processes. “If you do not have a Performance Management System in place, this is an excellent place to start, as it provides the foundation to implement a KPI Framework.” – Annick TolbizeManager, RCA School Rodrigues It represented a 3-day intensive learning experience, in which attendees got the opportunity of better understanding the following: ▶▶ Differentiating between objectives, KPIs and initiatives;

Following the event’s resounding success, one of Mauritius’ biggest players – Poivre Corporate Services (PCS), requested we host another edition of our course for their holding company, given that they own several entities operating in numerous fields, such as engineering, industrial services, oil and healthcare, among others. Poivre Corporate Services recognized the importance of having a streamlined, clear-cut, robust method of managing one’s organization, especially when it comes to conglomerates. As a result, The KPI Institute and Soft Skills Consultants teamed up again, to host our second edition of the C-KPI course, between the 22nd – 24th of October, which saw 15 participants from PCS, all raring to go & learn how to better improve management practices across their multi-level holding company. “This course provides participants not only with a very clear insight into the subject, but also very practical exercises to facilitate the implementation of a Performance Management System.” – Sarawon Shashi Puddo – Group Head of Human Resources, Poivre Corporate Services Ltd Given how well received both of our C-KPI editions were, we and our partners, SSC, have decided to host a 3rd edition of the Certified KPI Professional course, between the 22nd – 24th of January, 2019. Moreover, given that it was hotly requested in both of our previous sessions, we’ll also be bringing you the very first edition of our Certified KPI Practitioner course, which will be held once again in Quatre Bornes, on the 25th – 26th of January, 2019.

▶▶ Applying best practice techniques to KPI selection and much more;

If you are interested in measuring & improving the performance of your company, be sure to check out The KPI Institute or Soft Skills Consultants’ website from time to time, for more details on this course, as we will be updating them in the following weeks.

“Excellent course – A practical approach that offered me a

Key Business Benefits for attendees interested in this course

▶▶ Understanding KPI selection in different contexts;

“The course reflects clearly our business reality. It is not filled with academic theories, but easy to apply the know how gained in our day to day activities.” – Rutah Anjayla Devi -Service Manager, Hard Henry Services

DECEMBER 2018

NEWS

▶▶ Improve the performance of your company by practicing a sound framework for KPI measurement;

iPhones at the same rates they used, specifically its latest mid-range model, the iPhone XR.

▶▶ Obtain better business results by selecting the right KPIs to monitor for your company;

Apple suppliers that build parts for the company, such as Lumtentum, noted 20-30% iPhone order cuts for its XR, XS and XS Max editions, citing that one of their largest Industrial and Consumer customers for laser diodes for 3D sensing requested earlier this year that Lumentum reduce their material shipments to them during their 2nd fiscal quarter, as there wasn’t enough demand registered.

▶▶ Generate value from using KPIs by optimizing the data collection process. If you would like to enquire or register for our upcoming course, please contact our partner from Mauritius, e-mail: sales@softskills. mu | phone number: 5449-6110, or contact us directly at carmen. boboc@kpiinstitute.org | phone number: +61 (390) 282 223.

In addition to the aforementioned reasons, other motives for Apple’s slump include waning consumer confidence in emerging economies as the dollar’s strength increases – this prompts people to go for devices that offer the same features, but at a lower price; increased regulation for its products from China & competition from Huawei and burgeoning threats from the home front, where President Trump announced a possible new series of tariffs on products from Asia. All of these scenarios have led to Apple experiencing a very nauseating downward rollercoaster dive. While the former of the list may be alleviated through internal fixes – switching phone designs, offering different features, improving upon the existing ones, the latter are not within Apple’s reach to influence, and they can only sit at the table, watching political actors enact the play for them.

> Microsoft surpassing Apple as the MVP of tech Apple has had a rough year, but it’s ending on a much worse note. In November, its market valuation had fallen by 21%, or in absolute figures, by over $200 billion. As a result, the company has decided to no longer reveal how many iPhones it sells in a given quarter, which leads many to believe the company is trending downwards. What’s more so, Apple isn’t even the most valuable American company any more, as Microsoft’s market cap was $838 billion when markets opened, while Apple’s stood at around $833. So why is Apple in a slump this year? One answer comes from the worldwide smartphone market, that has been constantly diminishing, and with Apple making around 61% of its revenue selling iPhones, this isn’t welcomed news. Based on information from the International Data Corporation Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, smartphone vendors shipped only 355.2 million units during 2018’s 3rd quarter, 6% less than 2017. While this may not seem alarming on its own, this is the 4th consecutive year that has seen a decline for the industry. Another possible answer may be that people simply do not purchase

> Uber has decided to go public After many years of waiting and hoping for individual investors and companies alike, Uber has decided to hold its IPO session, or Initial Public Offering. IPOs or stock market launches are a type of publick offering in which shares of a company are sold to organizational or retail investors. Previously, specialists noted that Uber had been valued at $76 billion, however from internal sources, it has been reported that the company may go with a market cap of around $120 billion, starting with the first quarter of 2019. So why now? Why did all of a sudden Uber decided to go public now, after so much time? Competition. Its nemesis, Lyft, had announced earlier in 2018 that it has prepared all the necessary paperwork to go public, aiming to be the first big brand on the public market in 2019. DECEMBER 2018

NEWS

When Dara Khosrowshahi – CEO of Uber, and his executive team caught wind of this, they couldn’t back down. They had to go all in, otherwise they would lose the race to first place, and for an IPO listing, that can make or break companies. When you look at some figures, it becomes even more understandable why Uber decided to go this way. Since 2009, the company has raised $24.2 billion in both debt & equity funding, and has garnered an impressive array of investors, from Microsoft, Jeff Bezos, Softbank, Toyota, to Jay Z, Morgan Stanley and Axel Springer – parent company of Business Insider, to name just a few. In addition to this, in 2018, while the company did lose nearly $1 billion in 3rd quarter of the year, it saw a quarterly revenue of over $2.95 billion, as it expanded into new lines of business. It not only offers its now world-wide known car-hailing service, but also a bike and scooter hailing one, as well as Uber Eats, a food delivery business. After a series of scandals that led to the release of founder and CEO Travis Kalanick, who was replaced by Dara Khosrowshahi, uber also hired former Merrill Lynch CFO, Nelson Chai, as its own CFO. With these moves, the company looks poised to get ahold of that top spot in the IPO listings of 2019’s first quarter.

At current, 33% of US consumers make use of weareables like smartwatches or fitness trackers and as per an Accenture study, this number is poised to grow to more than 80%. These tools act as a medium between the individual and the doctor, offering the former quick information about their health, while being able to feed the same data to the latter, through appropriate software. What’s more so, not only healthcare providers can benefit from the mass adoption of wearables, but insurers and employers alike. On the one hand, employers can lob together wearables with monetary incentives to diminish costs and grow worker productivity. Case in point, The Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority yielded $5 million in healthcare cost savings through a wearable-centered worker wellness strategy. On the other hand, insurers can use the information provided by these apparatuses to enhance risk assessments and drive customer lifetime value. As per one study’s data, wearables tend to encourage healthier behavior, being linked to a 30% reduction in risk of cardiovascular events. Last, but not least, providers themselves can use the remote patient monitoring capabilities of such tools to improve the aforementioned chronic disease management or alleviate staff shortages. Furthermore, since many people don’t have a strong reason to stay long-term with one provider or another, wearables might create another form of customer incentivization. All things considered, this type of technology may be just what the industry needs to breathe new life into it and bring an era of change where change is sorely needed.

> Artificial Intelligence and Retail For the pasts few years, hype around Artificial Intelligence (AI) in retail marketing has grown to new heights. From Alibaba & eBay to Amazon & L’Occitane or even fashion retailers, everyone is on poised to get on-board with this new tech.

> Wearables opportunities for the US medical industry With the US healthcare industry reeling from unsustainability, as its aging population and chronic diseases are on the rise, from a case number standpoint, healthcare providers are frantically looking for ways to keep up with demand.

Business Insider (BI) recently released a report showcasing how investment in AI has gone up and will continue to skyrocket in the coming years. If in 2017, the average retailer’s spending on AI was $994 billion, this number went to $1,374 billion in 2018. In 2019, most experts foresee it rising all the way up to $1,900 billion, with the following years witnessing a much more drastic growth, as companies providing AI services are likely to see earnings of over $5,034 billion by 2022.

Furthermore, with almost every other industry turning a page and digitalizing its services one way or another, customers are now looking to receive the same kind of treatment from healthcare specialists.

AI’s rise to greatness comes as a result of its 3 main shining functions for retail: personalization, search and chatbots.

One way in which the industry can help develop greater sustainability and nurture a connection with its customers is through wearable devices.

As per the BI’s research, we now know that brands using AIprovided personalization see sales rise up by an average between

DECEMBER 2018

Personalization

NEWS

human language, as it can map items to conversational words and phrases. Companies such as Best Buy have already implemented this, which is why whenever you write in the search bar “best laptop”, it autosuggests “or tablet for college/for business/for graphic design” and so on. Chatbots

6% – 10%, which is around 3x faster than those not using such a service. In addition to this, AI can identify with pinpoint accuracy, through machine learning, what a person’s preferences are, leading to personalized product recommendations being way more effective than ever before. Search From the same report, we find out that 80% of shoppers regularly use a website’s search option and 72% will abandon the site altogether if it produces poor search results. Here’s where AI comes into play. It has a system called natural language processing (NLP), which enables units to understand

A large majority of customers oftentimes try to solve an issue online, before contacting customer service. Based on BI’s numbers, that figure stands around 80%. An interesting number to add to this one is the fact that the average percentage of customers who stopped dealing with a company because of bad customer services went up, from 2016 to 2017: 49% vs 54%. Moreover, if we isolate millennials, this figure becomes 61%. This is why many companies have started using chatbots, as they work 24/7, respond immediately and eliminate waiting times, through the aforementioned systems and processes – NLP and machine learning. While this is all fine and dandy, retailers still have several challenges to work around when implementing AI, with the chief one being lack of skills and talent in the workforce for this tech. However, as time moves on, they have to address these head on or be left in the dust, as it won’t be long until one or several companies find the magic solution.

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DETAILED DOCUMENTATION

COMPLEX ARTICLES DECEMBER 2018

COVER EVENTS STORY

DECISION-MAKING: AN APPLIED CASE OF PROBLEM-ANALYSIS AND SOLUTIONS FINDING BORBALA PENTEK

Asses present situation Identify the problem

2 ollecting the data based on which decisions are made, C analyzing it and checking it for accuracy will bring insights into the performance of an organization, however, this does not

guarantee adequate decision-making. Therefore, to ensure that these insights are effectively transformed into actions, one should be familiar with the main steps of the decision-making process, as well as the most commonly used decision-making techniques.

1. Assess present situation The first step of the decision-making process would be to assess the current situation based on the data available. Data analysis helps pinpoint the most crucial organizational issues drilling down into the performance of internal processes as well. Defining the problem correctly will save decision-makers time and money. On the other hand, confusion about the problem at hand will lead to lack of focus and efficiency in actions taken based on data analysis. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s take, for example, a company operating in the telecommunications industry that is looking into the following dashboard for its Customer Service Department. 8

DECEMBER 2018

Evaluate alternatives Identify pros and cons

4 5

Search the proper alternative Decide on the alternative that minimizes the risk and costs and maximizes benefits

Implement the decision Ensure the decision is implemented correctly

6 7

Search for solutions Come up with ideas

Monitor decision execution Use feedback for learning and improvement

Evaluate impact

COVER STORY

# Complaints received

Problem: Increased number of customer complaints 200

Why is this happening?

220

Dissatisfaction with services provided

235

M3 M4

241

Why is that?

297

287

Unexpectedly high bills

# Complaints received 297 200

220

235

287

241

Why is that? Charges on international calls

Why is that?

Figure 2: Organizational Dashboard

The target for #Customer complaints received being 210, there is clearly a problem with the company’s operations that leads to an increased number of customer complaints. The problem, therefore, needs to be identified and adequate solutions provided.

2. Search for solutions After correctly stating the problem, one needs to search for solutions and come up with ideas to solve it. This implies the analysis of the stated problem, considering all the variables and data available at hand (time, financial data, frequency of occurrence, etc.) By making use of brainstorming sessions preferably conducted with the participation of the organization’s main stakeholders - possibly during the performance review meeting - decision-makers should list more than one solution to the problem identified. In the case of the telecommunications company presented above, the purpose of the performance review meeting would be to find out the cause of the increasing number of customer complaints, propose and evaluate solutions, as well as develop initiatives to improve the results of # Customer complaints received, as an indicator of customer dissatisfaction with the company’s products or services performed. As a first step, the problem needs to be defined correctly. In order to do this, managers must learn to distinguish between problem and symptom. Using root cause analysis tools such as the Fishbone (Ishikawa) Diagram and problem analysis techniques such as the 5 Whys can support with identifying the causes behind the issues experienced. The high number of customer complaints in this case may most likely be a symptom of a deeper issue; therefore, we use the 5 Why Method to determine the actual root cause of this indicator not meeting its target.

Unrealistic customer expectations regarding international tariffs

Why is that? Poor quality of information available to customers regarding international tariffs Figure 3: 5 Why’s Technique

According to the 5 Whys Root Cause analysis, the cause for complaints is dissatisfaction due to unexpectedly high bills, or billshock. However, the issue is not related to incorrect charging, but, in most cases, unexpected charges when being abroad. This means that customers don’t have the adequate information regarding their monthly allowance and international charges which leads to unrealistic expectations in many of the cases. What is interesting about this is the fact that even though most of the time the high number of complaints are directly associated with the Customer Service department, in this case asking the question Why? Five times points out to a different direction regarding the root cause of the issue. In order to go even deeper into the causes of the problem, a Fishbone Diagram is used to identify other possible factors to contribute to the increase in customer complaints. In order to develop the Fishbone Diagram facts should be gathered during a preliminary investigation of the problem. The value of using the fishbone diagram is to dig deeper and better understand what in the organization’s systems and processes are causing the problem, so they can be addressed. DECEMBER 2018

COVER STORY

No other means of customer support

Inadequate pre-sale information

No customer support through live chat

Innaccesibility of Customer Support Representatives

Long hold lines

No customer support through e-mails

Too many calls

No budget for innovative CRM platforms

Not enough customer support representatives in call center

# Clients per agent per day target too ambitious

No content promotion

No enough time to discuss contracts in-depth

Not enough website traffic

Contract language hard to understand

Lack of updates on the website

Poor quality of information available to customers regarding international tariﬀs

Low return on investment

Figure 4: Fishbone (Ishikawa) Diagram

Clustering or cluster analysis in its simplest form is a highly useful technique as far as classifying problems is concerned. A simple cluster analysis performed on the information identified through the Ishikawa Diagram for our telecommunications company, turns out to be very helpful with identifying main areas/activities that the organization should look into for further introspection.

Customer Support ▶▶ Long hold lines ▶▶ Too many calls ▶▶ Not enough customer support agents ▶▶ No customer support through e-mail ▶▶ No customer support through chat

Communication

3. Evaluate alternatives Choosing the most suitable solution for the problem at hand further implies that advantages and disadvantages are presented for every solution identified during the performance review meeting or alternate problem-solving sessions organized with this purpose in mind. This is defined as the evaluation phase. The best alternative will be the one that minimizes risk and costs and maximizes benefits. Some techniques, such as cost-benefit analysis or stakeholder analysis can help managers identify the best solution the organization can consider for the future. Getting back to our telecommunications company, after having identified that the main issue to contribute to a high number of customer complaints is the poor quality of information offered, and finding out the main causes behind this problem, the next step is to propose alternatives for resolution.

Problem

Alternative solutions

▶▶ Lack of website updates ▶▶ Contract language too hard to understand for clients ▶▶ No website content promotion ▶▶ No diversified communication channels available

Increased number of

Policies and procedures ▶▶ #Clients per agent per day target too ambitious

Figure 5: Cluster analysis 10 DECEMBER 2018

Support System

customer complaints

▶▶ No budget for innovative CRM platforms

E-mail Customer

Figure 6: Evaluating alternatives

New Design of Company Website

COVER STORY

In the area of customer support, a solution with a high return on investment would be to implement an E-mail Customer Service System. As far as the area of information/communication, enabling a new design of the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website would facilitate better transparency and raise awareness on international tariffs. Since the organizational budget allows for only one of these initiatives to be implemented, these alternatives must be evaluated and the most viable one maintained.

4. Select the proper alternative A technique as simple as Pro/Con enables a useful comparison analysis between the two alternative solutions proposed for solving the problem of our telecommunications company.

E-mail Customer Support System Pros

Cons

More transparency in CRM

More formality in communication

Budget friendly

Not efficient regarding the quantity of information disseminated towards customers/ potential customers

Easy to set up More time efficient to solve general information inquiries Possibility to generate automatic responses to general inquiries

Once the most beneficial alternative has been found, managers must make sure that the decision is implemented correctly. This can be achieved through constant monitoring in terms of resources, timeline, objectives and stakeholders; setting regular monitoring intervals (daily, weekly, monthly etc.) is useful to find the balance between excessive and insufficient monitoring activities conducted internally. During this monitoring phase, data collection becomes important and valuable again, given that the last step, evaluating impact, is based on the analysis of data previously collected.

5. Evaluate impact Due to budgetary constraints and the fact that, while implementing a new website could bring many additional benefits, it is more expensive, the problem at hand is believed to be solved more efficiently through e-mail customer support. Therefore, the telecommunications company we have been following up on throughout this article decides to implement the first idea: E-mail Customer Support System. Impact evaluation is this last step in the decision-making process and it implies making use of the lessons learnt by tackling the problem identified and assessing the effectiveness of the actions taken. This enables an organization to take better decisions in the future based on past experiences. A real impact can be generated by turning improvement ideas into initiatives and managing such initiatives for the ultimate benefit of improving organizational results.

New Design of Company Website Pros

Cons

Efficient regarding the quantity of Expensive information disseminated towards customers/potential customers Greater audience reach

Time consuming

New platform for advertising and marketing

Less personal

Improved accessibility of information Improve brand awareness Improved credibility Insights on customers Constant availability to information Table 1: Pro/Cons Technique

DECEMBER 2018 11

INTERVIEWS

EVENTS INTERVIEWS

Franklin Rodriguez Planning Deputy Manager, Andes Petroleum Ecuador Ltd., Ecuador

Martín Balcázer Trainer / Consultant, B&T Meetings, Perú

Tom Buckland Founder, HQ SEO / Ghost Marketing, UK

12 DECEMBER 2018

INTERVIEWS

I believe companies will lean towards implementing customized performance management systems.

FRANKLIN RODRIGUEZ

Performance Management Franklin Rodriguez

Planning Deputy Manager, Andes Petroleum Ecuador Ltd., Ecuador

TRENDS Which were the key trends in Performance Management, from your point of view, as seen in 2018? So, in my opinion, there were three noteworthy trends: Simplicity: More and more organizations are trying to make their performance management systems simpler and more accessible to company members at all levels. This includes a different approach towards performance automatization systems and the progressive elimination of bureaucracy in internal processes related to performance assessment. Engagement: Involvement of employees in performance management concepts including goal definition and target setting, as well as on the assessment process used in the organization will increase acceptance and engagement. A clear understanding of their contribution to Company’s results would ultimately drive better results and increase accountability. Focus on corporate and team performance vs. individual: the trend involves shifting attention to team performance towards goal achievement in order to avoid the subjectivity involved in individual assessments. This is an important tendency

to encourage better performance and to base any recognition system in group results.

What are your thoughts on the integration of Performance Management at organizational, departmental and employee level? From what I have experienced over the years, the integration of corporate, departmental and individual performance has brought important results not only in improving results but also promoting a general alignment considering corporate definitions to all areas. As a result of that, there has been a significant cultural change in which all employees feel part of Company’s outcomes resulting in the optimization of internal processes and increasing participation and involvement in performance related topics.

Which will be the major changes in managing performance, in the future? I believe companies will lean towards implementing customized performance management systems, considering their unique characteristics in terms of industry’s standards, organization’s objectives, corporate culture, resource availability and previous performance results. All these elements must be aligned to measure a clear route defined by the strategic planning. Another thing to consider is the availability of new performance management technologies. This would result in performance management systems that work for the organization and really become a tool to achieve better results. Organizations will have to adjust to these new technologies and an increasing flow of information.

RESEARCH What aspects of Performance Management should be explored more through research? When it comes to comprehensive research, some of the aspects that I say should be analyzed with more depth are the following: ▶▶ Impact: Given that the performance management model has been implemented more widely within all types of organizations, it is necessary to analyze the impact, both positive and negative, that it has had in different industries. ▶▶ Target Setting: Research deeply current trends and applicability of proven methodologies toward setting targets across industries. ▶▶ Role Evolution: Work towards a shift in the role of employees involved in performance assessment within the organization, from data providers to performance analysts in their corresponding areas with a wide view and understanding of the company’s processes. ▶▶ Continuous Learning: Focus on a “lessons learned” approach based on the organization’s path in performance management implementation and its previous results, while investigating new concepts, methodologies, success cases and technologies available for performance assessment, goal definition, target setting and results analysis, in order define which ones can be adopted and customized within the organization. DECEMBER 2018 13

INTERVIEWS

The focus on individual performance results is, in my opinion, something that has progressively lost its relevance.

Which organizations would you recommend be looked at, due to their particular approach to managing performance, and their subsequent results? Within the oil & gas industry there are some companies that represent a referent is this matter. All of these companies have an important participation in the oil stock market. Their visibility within the industry increases their need to maintain strong strategic planning and performance management processes, as well as dedicated teams for these topics, in order to drive positive outcomes. Therefore, from my perspective, the most stand-out players are Aramco, Shell, ADNOC and BP.

Which of the existing trends, topics or particular aspects within Performance Management have lost their relevance and/or importance, from your point of view? The focus on individual performance results is, in my opinion, something that has progressively lost its relevance. A shift towards corporate and departmental performance has gained importance proving more effective to drive better performance results.

PRACTICE Which are the main challenges of Performance Management in practice, today? Although performance management has proven to be a model that adds value, helps us make decisions, increases alignment within the organization, and ultimately, drives better 14 DECEMBER 2018

results, there are still many challenges that need our attention so that we can obtain the most benefits from this process. In our experience, one of the most significant challenges is the definition of customized KPIs to our particular reality. Given that the oil industry has many standard metrics for exploration, drilling, development and production areas already widely used, there is a need to continuously innovate and define new indicators that allow us to measure other processes, not necessarily technical but more related to administrative, financial and human capital topics. However, the main focus should be given to the importance of using performance management as a tool that facilitates analysis and decision-making. To focus not only on results, but in how is that information relevant to make timely and correct decisions in a dynamic environment to progressively make any necessary adjustments. Also, to not lose sight of the fundamental role that people play in this process, to continuously work towards building their motivation and involvement in performance management is something that will help us achieve better results.

What should be improved in the use of Performance Management tools and processes?

ownership from all managers to adopt this matter as a tangible benefit to improve their results through time and adjust their processes to the corporate desired behaviors. Second, as a core team in charge of the performance management there is an opportunity to improve some of our processes such as data gathering, information processing and results analysis delivery.

What would you consider as a best practice in Performance Management? During the time, we have implemented some best practices to avoid “emotional” results interpretation. Some of them are reflected in an internal policy that supports our performance management in the company. As an example of that, the company avoid having results over 100%, has no moving targets and uses budget execution thresholds to assure plan execution with some flexibility.

EDUCATION Which aspects of Performance Management should be emphasized during educational programs? Some of the aspects that would require much more emphasis are the following:

Considering performance management as a key process in some organizations, there are two main perspectives of improvement:

▶▶ Everyone in the company follows one single route defined by the strategic planning

First, this process requires a strong leadership from upper management in order to internally align the company and obtain

▶▶ Every department plays a role in Corporate goals

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In our experience, one of the most significant challenges is the definition of customized KPIs to our particular reality.

▶▶ Maintain focus on goals alignment throughout the process ▶▶ Target setting methodologies ▶▶ Start simple, keep it simple While these seem like basic starter notions, as people acquire more complex knowledge, these elements sometimes get swept under the rug and forgotten, which is why I’d wager educational programs should more heavily emphasize their importance.

What are the limits that prevent practitioners from achieving higher levels of proficiency in Performance Management? Lack of understanding of the real advantage of this management model in the company. Some actors of this business just want to play a role of “data providers” without considering the direct benefits of analyzing their own data to obtain better information for their decision-making process. Lack of alignment across corporate, departmental and individual objectives. All components need to work in synergy to visualize each area’s and employee’s contribution towards Company’s results. Lack of motivation is one the most important limitations in this matter. Tying compensation to performance is one of the most effective ways to ensure better results; however, companies could find non-monetary ways of recognition to each contributor.

PERSONAL PERFORMANCE What is your opinion on the

emerging trend of measuring performance outside working hours, during our private time? I don’t like to measure everything in my life, however the only thing that I monitor outside working hours are the exercises that I do weekly, gym or mountain biking. That helps me to track my performance and understand my progress, considering a baseline to take care of my health. 13. What personal performance measurement tools do you use (i.e. gadgets that track blood pressure, steps taken, heart rate, burnt calories or tools that help with one’s finances or personal skills)? My preferred gadget is a heart rate monitor for my workout activity, which combined with the GPS in my smartphone give me a full vision of my performance in different activities.

PRACTITIONER POINT OF VIEW Which were the recent achievements in generating value from performance management in your organization? In our experience, alignment is one of the achievements that we have evidenced since the implementation of performance management. In time, we have been able to create a culture of synergy between our different Departments. In a dynamic business such as oil & gas, it has taken some time, but most managers are adopting concepts such as budget and plan execution, Corporate & Departmental KPIs, goal alignment and cascading until individual levels and periodic performance management reviews. DECEMBER 2018 15

INTERVIEWS

Big companies such as Google, Apple or Netflix have shown to be much more productive than more traditional companies.

FRANKLIN RODRIGUEZ

Performance Management Martín Balcázer

Trainer / Consultant, B&T Meetings, Perú

TRENDS Which were the key trends in Performance Management, from your point of view, as seen in 2018? As far as I noticed, while there were many small-scale trends here and there, the big 3 that I’d say were most impactful were the following:

the alignment must also be transversal or horizontal, which entails having objectives aligned between areas.

Which will be the major changes in managing performance, in the future? The proliferation of data, thanks to the ongoing process of digital transformation and the great generation of data, as is with social networks for example. Given the large amount of data available at any given time, the challenge is to identify which are the really relevant factors or key indicators.

RESEARCH

What aspects of Performance ▶▶ 1. Usage of specialized software to Management should be explored monitor performance indicators more through research? throughout the entire organization, including departments, teams and people.

▶▶ 2. Identify talented people and develop their abilities to achieve the established goals. ▶▶ 3. Involve the team in the “why” of the things we do and not only in the “what”, in order to motivate them to achieve the objectives.

The motivation of people to do things or achieve goals. A person can be motivated by extrinsic reasons (for example, money), intrinsic reasons (for example, developing one's own abilities) or transcendental ones (for example, wanting to help others). Knowing the motivations of people will help us understand them better and make them achieve their objectives for the right reasons.

Which organizations would you recommend be looked at, due to their particular approach to What are your thoughts on the managing performance, and their integration of Performance Management at the organizational, subsequent results? departmental and employee level? It is very important for the alignment of objectives within the organization. The alignment must be vertical, meaning from top management to employees. In addition, 16 DECEMBER 2018

Big companies such as Google, Apple or Netflix have shown to be much more productive than more traditional companies. It is known that these companies are not traditional in their ways of interacting and

working with their teams.

Which of the existing trends, topics or particular aspects within Performance Management have lost their relevance and/or importance, from your point of view? I would say that the focus on the indicators of results that show the final result, in other words, lagging indicators, those that look at the past. Now it is much more effective to have focus on the leading indicators, those that can create future value, those that impact the result of the lagging indicators.

PRACTICE What are the main challenges of Performance Management in practice, today? One of the biggest challenges is defining and collecting the necessary data to generate relevant indicators. With all the proliferation of data, it might seem easy to find an indicator. However, the truth is that we find too many indicators, but not all of them are what we really need to measure performance correctly.

What should be improved in the use of Performance Management tools and processes? We must have clearer fundamental concepts and methodology, in order to better use the tools at our disposal. A carpenter, if they want to manufacture the best furniture, needs to know very well how to handle his tools. The same stands true for performance & business management. This level of

INTERVIEWS

We must have clearer fundamental concepts and methodology, in order to better use the tools at our disposal.

understanding is achieved through research, studies and practice.

What would you consider as a best practice in Performance Management? An example of good practice is to start by knowing how to establish objectives correctly, how to identify the indicators with which we will measure the achievement of these objectives (KPIs) and the initiatives that will influence the KPIs. Besides, we need to also monitor the risks associated with our objectives, through what are known as Key Risk Indicators (KRIs).

EDUCATION

Which aspects of Performance Management should be emphasized during educational programs? There must be a lot of emphasis in the execution follow-up. I believe that one of the great problems of strategic planning is execution. A good start is the establishment of objectives, indicators and initiatives, but if we do not carry out a correct long-term follow-up, we will not achieve the expected results.

What are the limits that prevent practitioners from achieving higher levels of proficiency in Performance Management?

If you have a talented team, which has clear objectives, understands how results will be measured and what are the initiatives to achieve said objectives, then the only limitation is the continuous monitoring of their execution.

PRACTITIONER POINT OF VIEW Which were the recent achievements in generating value from performance management in your organization? The alignment of the objectives through the organization, in a vertical and transversal way. By ensuring this, we have achieved greater collaboration and cooperation among the people that make up the organization.

DECEMBER 2018 17

INTERVIEWS

Everyone’s talking about using AI in SEO at current, but as it’s so expensive from a resource point of view to implement, that’s years away yet.

TOM BUCKLAND SEO Performance Tom Buckland

KeyworX is to build a one-stop software where Amazon sellers can see exactly how much (in dollar value) each specific keyword is worth for their specific rankings.

In your opinion, what have been the biggest changes in the SEO field, in 2018?

This would make competition analysis a 2-minute task, as well as help your marketing team and even your product developers build specific angles for your products, knowing that you are targeting the most profitable areas.

Founder, HQ SEO / Ghost Marketing, UK

Primarily the manner in which people (should) approach rankings and organic marketing. Previously it was looked at as an independent, granular approach – Keyword research, onpage, links etc. Whereas now, with some much emphasis on searcher intent and topical relevance, your primary focus should be on building out a site structure at once where your content, keywords, on-page and link generation efforts all work together and you don’t approach one deliverable at a time.

Moving onward into 2019, what are some of the hottest SEO trends or industry patterns that you believe may leave a lasting impact? Everyone’s talking about using AI in SEO at current, but as it’s so expensive from a resource point of view to implement, that’s years away yet. In my opinion, an industry pattern that’s going to leave a lasting impact is how the low-quality guest posting strategies are being implemented. With the majority of sites now turning into payto-play, I think it’s just a matter of time before Google tweaks their algorithm to downplay the obviously purchased guest post approaches.

How has marketing within the Amazon universe changed due to KeyworX? We’re still just getting started, but our goal at 18 DECEMBER 2018

What’s your best tip for gaining visibility on Amazon? I actually have two tips here. First off, do keyword research properly, like an actual business – Who is your target audience, what makes your product specific to them, are you fighting based on price or are you a premium brand. If as a result of what keywords you are targeting, those questions don’t all align, then you’re essentially just shooting in the dark. Secondly, I’d say people do not look closely enough into their actual organic rankings for large terms. This is why we built KeyworX in the first place, because implementing a campaign to rank for a highly competitive search term (even if you invest $5, $10k on the front end) can be incredibly profitable once you have those organic rankings.

Another issue would be the sheer volume of incorrect information online. Even some of the most famous players in the industry are peddling information and tips that are outdated or in some cases just straight wrong. This makes it a lot more difficult for the average person to learn the skill in a correct way.

Moreover, do you have any best practice advice for other specialists in the field, to overcome these challenges and maximize their performance? Specialize in a certain type of organic marketing. Even down to the specific link type you’re building. For example, don’t be an “online marketing agency” niche down further and further. This is what we’ve done with our Ghost Marketing brand, where we have 1 service, link building. It’s a specialized service and it makes operations a lot more streamlined and generates better results than trying to solve all aspects of the SEO puzzle for clients.

We’ve implemented this hundreds of times for clients, and in my opinion the best long-term ROI marketing for Amazon sellers is in the organic search rankings market.

Also realize that It’s OK to say no to the wrong types of clients – I think when a lot of people get started they want those early clients to help with the cash flow (ourselves included) but the problem is you build custom services and move away from your core skill set. As a result, you end up not being able to deliver your best results and even if you do, you do not have a scalable business model, so growth past a certain point becomes pretty much impossible.

From your point of view, what are some of the industry’s biggest challenges to date?

On an opposite note, what are some of the most widespread mistakes professionals should look to fix?

The SEO industry has always suffered from an image problem – because the barriers to entry are so low and the fact that SEO itself is seen as a commodity, it makes selling/closing uneducated clients (usually the ones that need you the most) more difficult.

Essentially the exact reverse of the above – if you are currently offering 20 different service types, out of which none have processes built out inside your agency or are very reliant on you as the owner, then it’s just going to hurt you in the long run.

INTERVIEWS

DECEMBER 2018 19

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PORTRAIT

PORTRAIT EVENTS

GUNNULF

RASMUSSEN Group Vice President COMPANY: CORPORATER

Honesty rewards success Mr. Rasmussen’s foray into the world of leadership began at a young age, specifically 19, when he was appointed platoon leader during compulsory military service in Norway. The very fact that such a young individual would have to lead people that were more experienced, mature and knowledgeable in all aspects of life, but military training opened the proverbial door into the world of leadership. During his service, he kept pondering “Why should these people follow me? or Why should I be the one to lead them?”. This self-reflection kept gnawing at his thoughts all the way into higher education, where he pursued a Master’s Degree in Computer Systems and Cybernetics. It was only after finishing his academic endeavours and spending 2 years in consultancy practice, in an environment with a very steep learning curve, he decided to join 4 of his colleagues and establish a privately-owned company that he managed for 10 years. This experience took him through the doors of many enterprises in the fields of IT and System Development. Moreover, as a result of the aforementioned leadership experience, he was co-opted as manager for numerous other businesses in various industries, such as IT & ERP, Collaboration, Integrated Operations in the Oil industry and Telemedicine. What’s more so, even before joining Corporater, he was the manager for an Innovative Well Service Business for Enhanced Oil Recovery. All that being said, a most curious aspect is that unlike many other noteworthy managers, he did not grow up professionally by having any specific mentor/role model in

"Empowering teams is what breeds organizational success." DECEMBER 2018 21

PORTRAIT

His work managed to put in words what I tried to achieve in my consultancy career. A humble approach, putting the clients first. mind. The only item he stated left a mark on him was a 2001 book by David Maister, The Trusted Advisor. Furthermore, aside from developing a strong sense of customer relationship management and understanding the intrinsic value of customer intimacy, he also valued putting himself in the shoes of consultants as well. If during his military service, he kept pondering about whether or not he was the best man for the job, the same could be said about his early professional journey. Questions regarding client needs, their professional experience with him, about ideas & concepts that can be further exploited or the best method of building a highperformance culture were all ubiquitous. He worked tirelessly to showcase that honesty is his core value. His mission was to earn the title of a trusted advisor, never faltering from David Maister’s saying: Do not chase the money, do the right things, and money will follow.

Encouraging assertiveness and participation Although he hasn’t formally worked with Performance Management concepts all of his life, Mr. Rasmussen notes that it has, in a sense, always been there for him, offering guidance even without him putting a label on it. In his view, Performance Management (PM) is the fine art of truly understanding what drives a business. It is the science of inculcating strategy into a company’s plans & activities, thus allowing individuals to contribute to its overall growth in a structured, layered manner. While many individuals believe that you can identify a management system’s worth by looking at the final results from the Board of Directors, Gunnulf Rasmussen is of the opinion that the only true measurement indicator is 22 DECEMBER 2018

how empowered are one’s employees. If they’re allowed to scrutinize the mesh of activities & structures that are put together as a PM system, then that will be just the thing a company needs to acquire true buy-in from its employees. Modern leadership understands this, which is why you see so many organizations decentralizing their command structure, to allow small, agile teams to provide answers and solutions in quick fashion.

whole, on their contribution to the big picture, you need visibility for your targets, objectives and general activities. A well-tuned Performance Management System will help businesses execute these strategies to a tee, allowing for greater internal customer visibility – its employees, and external customer transparency – its clients. However, all of this does not come easily. As is with any change, the process of mapping all business processes to value creation and reveal insights will inevitably rub people the wrong way. This doesn’t even pertain that much to lean management as some would make it seem, it is just a byproduct of a rapidly changing world.

I have seen a strong drive from individuals to take part in a larger system, to understand how they People resist change. can contribute to the Engaged and professional big picture. I have seen knowledge workers strong energy coming do not embrace from truly engaged micromanagement either.” colleagues, as a result of In other words, Performance Management itself not be the issue, but how it is implemented their efforts being aligned may and presented to its would-be users. with the purpose of the If a company’s senior management team improvement, innovation, company and need from celebrates experimentation and simplification, you’re building an organizational culture that is open the customers. to change. Allow your employees to pay proper In addition to this, in today’s modern business world, transparency has become the single most important value that all customers expect. This is something Mr. Rasmussen believes PM truly shines at, given that if you want to raise awareness among teams and organizations as a

attention to those objectives over which they have influence; assign & collaborate with them on projects relevant to their specialization. Do not set up barriers between them and their objectives and then wonder why your employees are alienated, burnt out and generally despise

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your management & measurement system. Moreover, do not build your entire business in a top-down manner - try to weave in bottom-up approaches for various elements. Lastly, focus on teams as a whole, not on each individual within a team.

Such a comprehensive system will allow for extremely accurate pinpointing of inefficiencies and will provide individuals with metrics on true improvement, helping them stay engaged and paving the way for the organization to experience greater innovation levels.

Specifically when it comes to building teams, not individuals, Mr. Rasmussen noted that from his leadership experience over the years, he has never found a good justification for putting a strong emphasis on individual assessments, nor for tying salary metrics to performance, as neither of these two strategies managed to nurture and grow outstanding organizations.

However, as a tip to any newcomers in the field, he pointed out that PM is ultimately not only about tech and software, but also about psychology, processes and leadership.

Digitalizing Performance Management Building upon the last point, we asked Corporater’s Group Vice President to name at least one aspect which Performance Management has managed to do right, irrespective of the organization it was implemented in. He noted that one of PM’s greatest achievements is its incredible ability to truly decompose value drivers, allowing you to understand beyond any doubt what your business is made of and what are its primary sources of value. Nonetheless, this can only take you so far, and he urged that PM should most likely join the digitalization hype train if it wants to continue staying as relevant as it is now.

We need more than just advanced analytics on rigid data, from rigid processes. PM must adapt to the age of Big Data. As a system of measurement designed to highlight avenues of improvement to its owners & users alike, Performance Management must find methods to carefully examine a company’s entire array of processes and all of its data assets that form its knowledge base. Once you achieve that, you will find yourself in an environment where you can benchmark and define hyperspecific areas of improvement.

It is a professional’s duty to guide the organization through its change period and make sense of all the measurements it wants to pursue. Make intelligent use of your tools, adapting them to the challenges you will face, instead of trying to expect people to adapt to your tools. Ultimately, your system and the entirety of your data will only be as good as the people whose results you will try to evaluate.

Taking it easy from time to time, as a professional While measuring one’s professional aspects with greater accuracy can definitely lead to improved efficiency, it may also spill over into our personal lives if we do not pay proper attention. While Mr. Rasmussen has a focused mind and a keen eye when it comes to helping his clients, he also understands the value of “me time”, and just how important it is to keep your work and life separate. We asked about his thoughts on the new trend of measuring one’s performance outside working hours. He just offered us a candid smile and said: “I do not measure my qualities of being a husband or a father. However, I do keep in mind a holistic approach to life, and set time aside for my wife and my kids.” He and his family fill up their personal time with activities that are fulfilling to everyone, from outdoor hiking, experiencing the cabin life or watching his daughters partaken in recreational activities such as horse riding and soccer. In this manner, he stays true to his vision of focusing on a team’s well-being – or in this case, a family’s, rather than on one individual’s.

“While I do not believe that you should constantly check your apps and gadgets for updates on your lifestyle, I do think that defining realistic, yet ambitious goals will help you get there in the end.” While he won’t go overboard and start measuring everything he does in his spare time, when it comes to a healthy lifestyle and exercise, Gunnulf Rasmussen takes great interest in measuring sports activities using his smart phone or sports watch.

Minutes spent, the mileage achieved and the intensity measured all highlight whether you are doing the right things. Most of all, I love to exercise, so measuring is not the whip for me, it is the carrot! However, he did note that people such as himself tend to get too involved in their work, due to the amount of passion with which they approach each task. In the past, there were a few occasions where his professional life got the better of his personal one, so nowadays he puts in the effort to ensure that his family & leisure activities have their own time and place, alongside his work, because at the end of the day, if we don’t learn to take things easy every so often, we’ll soon find out that even if we want to wind down a bit, there isn’t any place left to do so.

However, he did state that he does fancy today’s modern digital gadgets, and likes to make use of them. DECEMBER 2018 23

ARTICLES

STRATEGY

AMAZON GROWTH STRATEGIES BRINGING MORE VISITORS TOM BUCKLAND

f you have an Amazon ecommerce business and are looking to grow in 2019, undoubtedly the primary thing you need is more visitors to your listings. Of course, converting these visitors to sales is the equally important second part of the puzzle. However, the first stage – bringing traffic to their listings – is where the majority of sellers struggle the most. The number one thing you can do to drive more traffic to your Amazon business, and therefore make more sales and grow your business in the long term is to improve your products’ organic search rankings. Doing so can increase profits and revenue exponentially and foster incredible business growth. In fact, even when these strategies require a front-end investment of $5K or $10K, the best long-term ROI for Amazon sellers when it comes to marketing and growing their business is organic search rankings. Of course, organic search rankings are not the only thing you can do to attract more customers, drive sales and grow your business: there are other strategies which 24 DECEMBER 2018

can be effective as well, particularly when used in conjunction with a successful ranking strategy. In this article, we will cover the key strategies you can implement to grow your Amazon ecommerce business in 2019. However, whether you apply a couple or all of these tactics, it is important to recognize that these techniques work together and support each other. So, don’t think of these as separate strategies, but rather elements of a comprehensive approach. How to Rank on Amazon With over 5 million sellers now on Amazon, achieving a high organic search ranking is essential to make sure potential customers find your product while searching. Very few customers look past the first page or even the first few listings, so ranking at the top of results makes an incredible difference. The simple fact is, the higher you rank on Amazon the more sales you will make. The major factors which influence how Amazon ranks your listings are the following:

▶▶ 1. Relevance to search query: largely determined by keywords ▶▶ 2. Sales history and conversion rates ▶▶ 3. Visibility of the product and organic traffic Keyword Research Keyword research is essential to be able to identify the correct keywords to rank your product and drive more traffic to your listing. Use Amazon keyword research tools, but also approach your research strategically. Consider your target audience and what makes your product specific to them and incorporate this in the primary keywords you use. Also think about your brand’s positioning – are you a premium brand or are low prices your selling point – and consider this as part of the keywords you may use. An effective keyword research strategy goes far beyond the initial research: it is equally important to track and monitor your keywords as your listing progresses.

STRATEGY

Tracking keywords in Amazon is critical to maintain great rankings even as the market changes, allowing you to maintain high sales numbers without having to do much if any external marketing.

ranking. One of the main factors considered by Amazon’s A9 algorithm is sales conversions. It is important to remember that Amazon is a business, and therefore has a vested interest in promoting listings which are more likely to make it money. Therefore, the processes of increasing rankings and driving sales work together to support each other, and both are great for business growth.

Keeping an eye on your rankings, keywords and factors which influence them will allow you to make any necessary adjustments and avoid a decline in rankings and sales, which some ecommerce sellers experience in the medium to long-term.

Other Growth Strategies

On Page Optimization

PPC

Similar to SEO on a website, it is critical to optimize your product listing on Amazon in line with Amazon’s algorithm (known as the A9 algorithm) in order to improve your rankings.

Amazon PPC, Amazon’s paid advertising medium, can be an effective way to drive sales while also increasing organic traffic. However, it is worth noting that executing a successful Amazon PPC strategy can be challenging and it is growing increasingly challenging as more sellers are using the medium.

This is a complex process, but here are some of the key ways to optimize your product listing: ▶▶ Incorporate as many primary keywords in the product title as possible without compromising quality copy ▶▶ Use dashes and pipes to break up keywords for better readability ▶▶ Use long tail keywords which explain the benefits of your product. ▶▶ In the product development process, look to products which are “rankable”: factors such as low competition and higher price brackets (over $20 listing price) ▶▶ Consider site factors such as site security – see this SSL 101 guide for more. On-page optimization is also where the second part of business growth comes in: high conversion rates and converting traffic to sales. As part of on-page optimization, make sure your product description is persuasive and clearly explains the features and benefits of the product. Also, be sure to optimize product images, and make sure your listing looks great on both mobile and desktop devices. Higher conversion rates are not only great for business, but will also help your product

Therefore, it is critical to apply particular tactics and techniques in order to achieve a profitable pay-per-click campaign and get a decent ROI. In order to effectively execute a PPC campaign on Amazon, keyword research is vital. For similar reasons to those discussed above, optimizing your PPC campaign with the correct keywords will let you better target your ideal customer. You will also need to implement on-page optimization techniques for your listing for maximum conversions.

Amazon ecommerce business include social media and content marketing. Competition Analysis Competition analysis is critical because it enables you to know exactly what your competitors are doing, what is working for them and what isn’t. Such valuable insights can allow you to outperform even your strongest competitors. Competition analysis can be used in keyword research to see which keywords your competitors are ranking for, letting you know the best keywords to use to rank your listing. Such analysis can also be used to help you refine your marketing strategy, and know which angle to take in selling your products. Competition analysis can even be helpful for product development, allowing you to create products which will target the most profitable areas for your business. Improving organic search rankings is the number one thing you can do to grow your Amazon business in 2019. To do this you will need a well-researched, tactical keyword strategy, supported by well-executed onpage optimization. Implementing these strategies in conjunction with other Amazon growth strategies, such as digital marketing and Amazon PPC will set your business up for exponential growth.

Digital Marketing Digital marketing may result in a lower volume of traffic compared to other strategies, namely optimizing your product listing in order to rank it on Amazon, however it also generates a higher proportion of quality leads. This ties back to conversions: the prospects and leads generated through digital marketing have come to your site or listing because they already know something about your product and are interested in buying it. This means they are less likely to abandon their cart and more likely to finalize the sale. Some key ways you can market your

About the author: Tom Buckland is the Founder of a link building firm based in the UK. Specializing in increasing revenues on Amazon & Google, he’s the #1 ranked Amazon marketing consultant.

DECEMBER 2018 25

ARTICLES

HOW TO DEVELOP A PERFECT MOBILE APP STRATEGY PETER DAVIDSON

nvironmental Health and Safety (EHS) is a crucial discipline for organizations of all sizes. It protects your employees, helps you meet your regulatory goals, and reduces the impact on your business activities. We live in a world full of apps, spending most of our time finding the most suitable mobile application to meet our exigencies. The demand to develop the best mobile application is ever increasing and with a saturated market, competition is at a cutthroat level. As an app developing company, how do you plan to work around this? Adding a custom feature, working upon the user experience, adding relative colors and idealizing your app is not enough to outshine your competition as this is the most common approach applied by app developers these days.

26 DECEMBER 2018

Put in extra efforts in idealizing and strategizing to make it count once your app is popular amongst the crowd. Deploy these amazing strategies of app development and find out how to add your contribution to the digital world seamlessly. Focus on your companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s objectives and strategies What do you think is the motive behind creating a mobile app? Have you ever noticed any similarity between various apps that you have used? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the purpose of the mobile app that remains the same, that is to provide relevant solutions to the target audience. As a company you need to understand the strategies and objectives created by you such as vision, mission, and values of your company to develop an exceptional app.

Having a clear focus and objective will help in mapping down the need for a mobile application. Now that you are clear with your objective, why do you think it is important for your business? Can you map a solution for your potential customers? Answers these questions and eventually you are good to go. Know your Target Audience The biggest focus of marketing is on engaging with the target audience, knowing their preferences and create products that can solve their problems. Delivering the right message to your target audience does half of the work of developing an application. In addition to this, you need to be specific about the age, gender, demographic and

STRATEGY

taste of your target audience to build an app that empathizes with their needs. Marketers often go wrong in analyzing their target audience and partially assume about the taste of their audience. Hence, create an app that is comprised of various components with a wide option for making multiple choice to suit each requirements of your audience.

app once you know its final outcome and the impact it will create on the end users. Highlight your apps strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats in comparison to its competitors to draw a clear picture of the final potential of mobile application.

Choose the right Platform

The reason behind going extensive in researching the internal and external growth factors of the app is simply to create an underlying app experience at the disposal of your end users.

Your ideas can be given shape in multiple forms but the most ideal approach for showcasing your idea must be decided by you. Talking about the strategy building of your app, you need to select its platform.

Moreover, you can also analyze the market and competition of your application in order to create an exceptional app that leaves no room for imperfection and provides an end to end competition.

How will you choose the platform? what is the best platform that can give voice to your app? On what basis should you choose the applicationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s platform?. These questions are always daunting due to the availability of a number of alternatives such as Android, iOS, Microsoft etc.

Enriched User Experience

Choose the most suitable online platform keeping in mind the requirements of your end users. For example, if your app is youthoriented at the demographic location of a metro city, IOS can prove to be the best operator for your app development and return on investment.

What is the point of switching to mobile application from a website? Eventually, it is to upgrade the user experience and make the complete idea of the particular business easy, understandable, intuitive and clutter free to its target audience.

Quality over Quantity

Thus, you need to be specific when developing a strategy for a mobile application, as the whole idea behind its development is to enrich the UX/UI experience. Learn from the experts in the industry and create an application that supports solving problems of your target audience even after 5 years down the lane.

Now, that you have identified your target audience, you need to provide your audience a compelling reason to use the app, and the quality of your app backs you in the process.

Furthermore, create an application that looks simple and is easy to operate without any complex features to expand its reach widely.

Keep your app plain, simple yet attractive to win customers loyalty and engage with them for greater business endeavour. If a person downloads the app, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like getting into the real estate of their phone, hence, make each bit count by providing a welldefined and designed app for the users.

Test it before you launch it

Make a SWOT Analysis for the App

The spoonful extra salt can ruin the complete taste of your dish and maybe no one would notice your efforts involved in preparing the dish. This is what a negative review about your application can do to your efforts. Hence, be extra careful in planning, designing, and executive your mobile application and put in your 100 % to create an unmatched user experience for your target audience.

You can only be sure about developing the

With constant efforts and rechecking of

You can further add specifications to your mobile application if further required.

your application before its final launch gives room for perfection and scope to improve your application for an even better user experience; after all your efforts need to be acknowledged. Plan your marketing strategies Now, that you are all geared up with the perfect app in hands, your marketing plan needs to be strong enough to convince your target audience to download it. Spread the branches of your marketing plan and approach even the farthest corner of the potential ground to maximize the reach of your app. How do you plan to showcase your unique selling proposition (USP)? What is the brand message that you want to convey through your app? What are the problems that can be solved by your app? Be precise yet informative in giving out answers in the form of advertisement. You can choose for online as well as offline marketing including banners and flyers as well as social media approach depending upon your scope of marketing. Once your message is delivered to the right ears, half of the work is already completed, and the other half lies in providing the best app experience to the users. By now you must have understood the fact that innovation matched with the superb strategies are the building block of mobile app success. These are few out of the many strategies that can align you with your application goals; all you got to do is dig into the topic and create an application that is unique, problem-solving and can directly connect to the audience. Start it today because you never know about the opportunity waiting for you next door. About the author: Being a senior business associate, Peter Davidson strives to help different brands and startups to make effective business decisions and plan effective business strategies. With years of rich domain expertise, he loves to share his views on the latest technologies and applications through his well-researched content pieces. DECEMBER 2018 27

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TECHNOLOGY HELPING YOU BUILD LASTING RELATIONSHIPS PETER DAVIDSON

s an HR manager, you understand A the importance of building great relationships with your employees. Here’s

how technology can help you accomplish this. Technological advances have helped businesses develop a much deeper understanding of their employees today. This is because things like human resources portals, artificial intelligence (AI), and cloud technologies help companies gather great insight from their employees then analyze it and put it to use in a more productive and inclusive way – something that’s come to be known as a “systemic relationship” with talent. There are many ways this will benefit your business including improving employee engagement, financial outcomes, and overall performance. These are just several reasons you should sit up and take notice of how to use this in your company. Use Digital Checklists to Establish Your Priorities Paper lists are outdated and wasteful. Today’s checklists are digital. These help your staff succeed in meeting your company’s standards and initiatives. They’re easily modified and updated in real time so you can instantly create priorities for your employees.

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This is something your employees will appreciate since it shows them the big picture and what’s absolutely necessary for them to help you get there. It also shows them what they can “put off ” doing until later. By using these lists you’re also creating trust and respect, which will help you retain top talent – something that will, in turn, ensure large-scale growth. Even more so, when your employees feel like you’ve set them up for success, they’ll trust you and be willing to go to great lengths to achieve your goals. Enhance Communication Forbes says you should enhance your business’ communications by installing a cloud-based phone system. In fact, studies back this because 72% of the 2,700 employees surveyed in such studies say they believe that their performance would improve if managers provided corrective feedback. While you’re at it, you should also consider adding video platforms as these can make your employees feel more confident. This is because they take the guessing work out of properly managing tasks like cleaning sales floor areas and assembling promotional displays.

Now, higher-level managers can be readily available to empower your employees and provide them with the detailed instructions they need. Managers can also be more available to help with any issues that arise without worrying about being in multiple locations at once. By connecting people visually, it’s also easier for trainers to show your employees how they should perform certain activities. Tools like these help your employees receive the ongoing, constructive feedback they deserve. In turn, this will improve their performance because they’ll feel more confident in the decisions they’re making. This will help them be better equipped to meet your expectations, which will also make them more successful. Studies show that this is how you create a work culture that’s filled with employees who are both engaged and motivated to work hard – a little acknowledgement really goes a long way. Hire Committed Talent As a business owner, it’s up to you to find and hire employees who are committed to delivering value, who are excited to learn and take action, in order to help you grow your business. The only way you can expect the employees you hire yesterday to remain competitive in the future is

STRATEGY

by continually offering them more training. As such, it is important to not only hire top talent, but also make sure that the people you hire are engaged and can continue to learn & develop new skills that your organization will need a few years from now. While this is something that most of today’s top performing organizations already know, you can’t afford to ignore the importance of creating a learning environment when you’re first starting out. You must consistently bring in new information, respond to changes, and test out new technologies from the very beginning. Use Performance Analytics to Track Goals People analytics is a booming industry today because it lets you accurately track and measure your employee’s performance and view real-time results. There are several different ways you can use this information since you’ll receive progress reports that you can share with others in real-time. Some of the best ways to use these reports include: ▶▶ Showing sales representatives when a massive new product launch is underperforming so they can see what products need more promotion. This will help with better product positioning and rep behavior. ▶▶ Collaborating with employees to help them create goals that improve their sales and help them better manage their daily activities will help them perform better. This also shows your employees that you trust and respect them. Enhance Business Outcomes Cornerstone on Demand says when businesses develop a systemic relationship with their employees, they’re better prepared to thrive in today’s continually changing environment. Instead of taking a traditional employer-employee approach to talent management, working towards cultivating a deeper relationship with your employees will help you show them

you value the work they do for you. This requires you to stop viewing people as employees who are just there to do a task. Instead, you must start seeing them as people who are there to work with you to create a more agile and productive organization. Doing so will require you to create an employment experience that’s mutually beneficial for everyone who’s involved. In order for this to happen your leaders must be willing to listen to new ideas and value diversity of thought. This will make each of your employees feel valued for what they bring to your company. Use the Cloud to Provide Training on Demand When you use the cloud for training, you’ll have the materials you need on-

demand – things like job descriptions, process documents, and interactive webbased training activities. This is great because your employees can learn at their own pace. They can also stay informed and updated about your policies and any changing initiatives, which will help you ensure compliance throughout your company. That being said, you’ll need to show your employees how to access your internal web portal where these employee development solutions are located. You’ll also need to teach them to be resourceful and accountable for their own performance. This essentially means you’re making a change from dictating orders to empowering with information – something that will show your employees you trust them to be independent.

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EMPLOYEE MANAGEMENT

7 QUICK TIPS

ABOUT BUILDING MOTIVATION AMONG YOUR EMPLOYEES MILA JONES

worked really hard to get where Yfor ouyouit. have are, and you should be congratulated Dedication and a stalwart desire to achieve results have brought you the level of success you may be currently enjoying.

That being said, amidst the celebration, let’s not forget the people that have helped you along your journey – your employees. Employees work hard for you, so by looking into ways of motivating them to be even more successful, you’ll get better results for both yourself and themselves. There are two types of business owners and managers in the world: those who really take the time to appreciate the people that work for them, and those who believe they got to 30 DECEMBER 2018

the top by themselves. Don’t be that person. If you want to continue your upwards trend, you have to give credit where credit is due. Recognize a Job Well Done While a lot of people have made the argument that only Millennials crave attention, that is not the case. Giving credit to those who have done a good job creates a connection between employer and employee, which makes your employees feel appreciated and important, whilst confirming that they are doing their job effectively. Research demonstrates that employees who are appreciated work harder than employees who are not given appreciation.

Research has also shown that recognition can be as simple as a handwritten thank you note, or an email shout-out. Other employers do a monthly recognition, such as allowing employees to vote for team members who displayed a great work ethic or attitude during a particular month. Another way is to have celebrations each month, or when your employees score a big sale or open new, big-ticket account. Your monthly award winners could get a small gift card, or a day off — anything you think might be a motivator. Avoid stacking meetings There is nothing that kills motivation more

EMPLOYEE MANAGEMENT

than stacking meetings that don’t have to happen, over and over. We now know that an average professional spends nearly four hours a week in meetings that aren’t productive. Instead of sapping time & motivation, keep meetings short and on point. Moreover, don’t invite everyone in the company in a meeting that’s designed to tackle topics that concern only two or three people. Only invite those whose presence is necessary. In addition to this, make sure to start and end meetings on time. If you’re going to start at 09:00 and end at 09:30, then keep to the schedule, don’t go overboard. Set Clear Goals and Targets Employees work more effectively when they understand how goal-setting works. This is where you come in, because you can work with your employees to help them set personal goals, as well as professional goals, for both themselves and their team. Goal setting should be a priority if you want to ensure that everyone is on the same page and know towards what they are working. These goals can even be public, hung on a wall or somewhere in plain sight, so that everyone can celebrate when they’re reached. However, once you’ve established those goals and targets, you need to give your employees a bit of room, and trust in their capacity to get the job done, efficiently and professionally. No one likes a hawkish manager, who is always there, watching every move they make. Help your employees set goals and allow them to figure out the best ways to reach them. Lead with Vision Not only do you have to make sure your employees have goals, but you also have to inspire a vision for them. Without it, you and your employees have no direction. Your company will be like a ship sailing without a purpose. Leading with a vision gives you a starting point. If everyone understands it and is on board, then it is much easier to achieve the

goals you’ve set. Encourage Happiness While this sounds like a no-brainer, not all company managers are on board with it, which is quite intriguing. If you think about it, happy employees keep a positive attitude at work, and encourage other employees to be happy as well. It’s a domino effect, so why wouldn’t managers pay attention to something that can potentially increase their performance tenfold?

If your company is based in the city, think about finding a rural retreat. If you are in the suburbs, you could choose to take your team to the city or the country. The point is, company days together or company retreats help everyone recharge their batteries and prepare for work. Be sure that your retreat is not simply a relocation, where you still do or talk about work, but instead of the office, it’s a cabin. Plan some fun activities or hikes, something that will allow people to unwind.

Pay attention to your employees, to see whether or not they are happy. Sometimes, there may be very little you can do about that unhappiness, as it may not relate to their work, but about something going on at home. In that case, all you can do is offer your employees a sympathetic ear, or if you believe it might help, point them towards people that may provide support.

Create an Awe-Inspiring Work Environment

However, if they are disgruntled by something at work, you have the ability to fix that. Talk to that person and see what can be done to help them with their issues at work, so they don’t become everyone else’s unhappiness as well.

Research has shown that cubicles in office buildings, with artificial light and low ceilings, with dingy walls serve only to demotivate people. However, office spaces that are colourful and enjoy a collaborative atmosphere, with high ceilings and the option of letting in natural light make for an environment where people actually want to come to work.

Provide Motivational Seminars There are times in every manager or company owner’s life that they realize everyone needs to get out for a while, even if it is just out of the routine. People may have a good attitude about their job in general, but they might get burnt out due to a recent streak of repetitive tasks. One thing you can do is have your company or your team take the day off, and hire motivational speakers to create energy and excitement. This gives your employees an opportunity to learn new ideas and strategies in a different setting. In addition, your employees may revel in the opportunity to get to know their co-workers on a more personal level. You can try spurring motivation in other ways as well. Research has shown that when employees are able to escape their workspace for a little while, they are more creative, and their work passion intensifies.

Believe it or not, your work environment has a great deal to do with your creative process during the day. If you want your employees to be motivated and successful, you need to invest in making your work environment more motivational.

Final thoughts Every organization goes a certain way during their business life. Yours can either continue to climb higher, reaching its zenith or experience hitting the nadir, as they chose to ignore the signs of their would-be downfall. It all depends on whether you choose to pay attention to your employees, and understand when you’re needed to fix a situation and when to let things settle on their own. About the author: Mila Jones is a Senior Business Consultant, with rich experience in the fields of technology consulting and strategy. She works with both established technology brands and market entrants, to offer research inputs and insights on leveraging technology as a source of strategic competitive advantage.

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HOW TO RUN EFFECTIVE EMPLOYEE APPRAISALS BORBALA PENTEK

erformance appraisals are an opportunity P for employers and employees to have a dialogue on past achievements and future development plans.

Using specific performance management tools such as the employee performance plan to include the necessary competencies and behaviors, performance criteria and the expected outcomes, can help avoid bias. Moreover, it leads to employee appraisals that are based on data and reflect on actual accomplishments and progress. Types of performance appraisals The three most popular and most used employee appraisal methodologies are the standard appraisal, the 360-degree appraisal and the self-appraisal. The main difference between these methodologies is the hierarchy of appraisers. The standard appraisal process is either a 1 on 1 meeting, or a meeting between a main appraiser, the appraisee and other appraisers. However, 360-degree appraisal is a multi-source assessment where other stakeholders (colleagues, subordinates, etc.) can also contribute; through this method more than one viewpoint is assessed, thus surpassing the traditional supervisorsubordinate feedback model. In the self-appraisal process the only participant is the appraisee. However, it is considered beneficial for the organization to add this type of evaluation to the performance appraisal process, as it gives employees an active role instead of the role 32 DECEMBER 2018

of the listener, while it facilitates a broader perspective for managers and appraisers. One of the biggest disadvantages of selfevaluations is that employeesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; perceptions of themselves and their performance is not objective, therefore using solely selfevaluations is not an option and managers will still need to monitor performance through other methods as well. Performance appraisal tools There are several tools that, if developed and used accordingly, can ensure effective appraisals, such as the Individual Scorecard, the Competencies List and the Desired Behavioral Commitment. These tools can all support such evaluations and it is recommended to use them in order to avoid subjectivity and emotional decision-making. Individual Scorecard The Performance Scorecard groups organizational/departmental/individual KPIs under strategic objectives thus providing a great structure to monitor performance (based on target completion) and identify areas of improvement. Individual scorecards therefore define performance expectations based on the Departmental and Organizational Scorecards, the Job Description and the Performance Plan. Competencies List The competencies list, or competencies framework is a list of attributes necessary to

successfully fulfill a specific role. It is used to evaluate employee competencies from two perspectives: self-assessment and manager assessment, both assigning a score from 1 to 5 for each competence. Competencies are structured from individual to organizational level, therefore, when developing such a framework for employees, it is recommended to cascade the Organizational Competencies Framework and complete it with the specifics of the job. Desired Behavioral Commitment Employee behaviors should reflect the organizational values at the individual level, therefore it is important to define expectations and describe desired behaviors associated with corporate values. This document assesses the individualâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment to these values on a scale of 1 to 5. Examples of such behaviors: responsibility, respectfulness, autonomy, creativity, honesty, etc. Evaluating overall employee performance can be done through the # Overall performance index, which represents the average of the Scorecard score, the Competencies score and the Behaviors Score.

Additional tools to consider for effective performance appraisals Individual Dashboard Unlike scorecards, dashboards focus on day-

EMPLOYEE MANAGEMENT

to-day activities: they provide insights to KPIs relevant to specific business processes and operations and are a useful tool to facilitate data-based decision making on all organizational levels. Having specific dashboards for employees that encompass the most important KPIs – with targets, historical data and evolution – surely contributes to a successful performance review meeting. Individual dashboards are especially used in sales to monitor sales force performance and hold sales representatives accountable. In order to encourage teamwork, employees monitor the key metrics of the company and their departments, but individual dashboards are used as an employee motivation tool and a tool for ensuring that performance standards are met. Some common KPIs appearing on sales employee dashboards are: ▶▶ $ Sales per employee ▶▶ # Leads generated ▶▶ % Lead conversion rate ▶▶ $ Revenue per sale ▶▶ # Closed deals in the sales pipeline The 9-Box Tool This matrix can contribute to a more complete picture of employee performance and helps in succession planning and employee development as well. The

9-Box tool evaluates employees based on their performance and potential; senior management, through a collaborative effort, arranges them into one of the 9 categories in the matrix. This tool is especially useful in succession planning and employee development planning. The HR Department of the Tennessee Government is using the 9-Box Tool in their succession planning practices. Their succession planning strategy focuses on improving the percentage of critical roles with more than one qualified internal candidate as well as the employee engagement results regarding growth and development. The department uses the Nine Box Tool in their annual talent reviews and the results are assessed and implemented through investments in growth opportunities that meet the needs of the organization’s talent.

Common mistakes in the individual evaluation process Ill-fitted performance indicators When KPIs are not role-specific, cascaded from the organizational scorecard, or when they are not measurable, they become a frustration to both the employee and the evaluator. KPI selection is one of the biggest challenges

in performance measurement, as they need to be relevant, clearly defined and balanced to facilitate employee engagement and improve performance. Focusing on the negative While avoiding negative feedback altogether is not recommended, it is important to address poor performance. Focusing solely on the negative aspects of performance can cause employee disengagement and even lower performance levels. Organizations focusing on employee strengths are proven to increase performance, productivity and profitability. One-sided evaluation It is not recommended for the appraisal process to focus on the supervisor/evaluator judging the employee’s progress and competencies; a best practice is to use selfevaluation techniques as well and let the employee present their self-appraisal, this way encouraging a two-way conversation where both sides can share observations, recommendations and discuss potential issues. Recommendations There are many alternatives to the formal, yearly performance appraisal. The following best practices can improve the review process and focus on a constructive approach: ▶▶ Regular, more frequent conversations on performance, besides the annual review, such as the mid-year evaluation and the occasional informal evaluation of employee performance; ▶▶ Discussing development plans instead of exclusively focusing on past performance; ▶▶ Multi-source feedback (or 360-degree performance evaluations) that provides an opportunity to gather inputs from more staff members than the standard evaluation procedure; ▶▶ Using software enabled data and automated data collection systems to be able to offer instant feedback on individual performance. DECEMBER 2018 33

ARTICLES

OFFICE DRAMA HOW TO DEAL WITH A DIFFICULT COWORKER ESTER BRIERLEY lmost every one of us knows how hard A it can be to focus on work when there is a coworker or boss with a really difficult character. Some people don’t care what others think of their behavior, they may test your patience and push your buttons. It thus goes without saying that such coworkers make the overall atmosphere in the team unhealthy. Moreover, according to research by Gallup, actively disengaged employees make companies lose up to $550 billion, which makes workplace communication an even more important issue. Bad attitudes can be very distracting. Difficult coworkers may be the reason why

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you’re not being productive enough or even the cause behind you starting a new job hunt.

possible to distinguish a few most common behavioral patterns that create challenges for managers and other workers.

However, if you’re smart and patient, you can handle it, regardless of whether you are an employee tired of a manager or a manager who has a valuable, yet difficult employee. This article will go over some simple tips that will help you do your job without being annoyed by someone else’s emotions.

Negativity towards the company

The Main Challenges of Modern Workplace Communication We all are different, and there’s no single type of a difficult employee or boss. However, it’s

There are many employees who constantly make sarcastic remarks about their company, leaders, coworkers, etc. They create an atmosphere of negativity towards the company’s goals, which is bad for motivation. This problem can be solved only if the organization pays attention to the root causes

EMPLOYEE MANAGEMENT

of such behavior. Perhaps, employees don’t feel comfortable in the workplace or are not satisfied with their salary. Sometimes, such behavior may also indicate that leaders don’t stay in touch with their teams. Laziness Some employees are just unmotivated and not engaged in what they’re doing. They may spend most time goofing around and distracting their coworkers. Such employees are considerably less productive and make more mistakes. In addition, if they get away with such behavior, other employees may feel frustrated and lose motivation as well. In this case, it’s important to determine whether the effective communication is still possible, trying to understand what motivates such workers. Quite often, such people are manageable, and there’s often no reason to fire them, paying costs associated with hiring new employees. Lack of subordination On the one hand, some employees may oftentimes challenge the authority of their leaders and even refuse to work on some tasks just to prove their point. Such behavior is dangerous and disrespectful, so leaders should react to it immediately. On the other hand, it’s important to make sure there’s no misunderstanding or confusion. In addition, all employees must clearly understand the consequences of such behavior. Bullying The problem of bullying is present everywhere, from schools to the workplace to politics. Some employees are overly argumentative and never miss an opportunity to pick a fight with their coworkers. Usually, such people don’t want to compromise and act rude every time somebody doesn’t agree with them. According to statistics, the majority of American workers have experienced bullying in the workplace, and around 61% of bullies are bosses. It’s a difficult problem to tackle, and the only way to change this

situation is to improve the corporate culture. Companies need to build the environment of mutual respect, where leaders understand that their position implies demonstrating an example of proper behavior.

How to Deal with Difficult Coworkers 1. Focus and rise above This is the simplest yet the most effective solution, especially if you deal with a difficult boss. Every time you stop to reply to the negativity, you also sacrifice your productivity. If somebody bothers you, don’t stoop to their level and keep it professional.

help, you can also ask them to move you to another department. 5. Don’t take it personally It’s hard to work in the negative environment, but you shouldn’t let this negativity affect your productivity, motivation, or selfesteem. It’s important to realize that the toxic behavior of some employees existed a long before they started working for your company. Some people just blame others for their own faults or try to assert themselves by hurting others. You have nothing to do with their personal problems, so don’t take their behavior personally.

2. Talk directly

6. Don’t be afraid to move on

Just talk to your coworker directly and address the problem honestly. Some people spread the negativity in the workplace but don’t even realize it. No matter what your situation is, talking about it is the most logical solution.

If you’ve tried everything above but it hasn’t worked out, ask yourself whether this job is worth your negative emotions. What if the real problem is a bad corporate culture? Don’t let this job hold you back. Think of other career opportunities and move on to a better place.

If you don’t want to be tough on your coworker, try using softer language, for example, say “I feel that we have to talk about it” instead of “You must stop doing it.” 3. Talk to your coworker as a group If you’re not the only one who is tired of a certain worker’s behavior, it makes sense to address this problem with a group of other coworkers. Kristeen Stahl, HR manager from College-Writers, notes: “Even the most stubborn people may reconsider their habits if many people express constructive criticism from different angles.” 4. Seek help from higher-ups When you have problems with another member of your team, it may be enough to talk to HR. However, if you experience toxic behavior from your leader or boss, it makes sense to talk to talk to people who have more power and ask them to intervene. In the same vein, if you believe that simply not sharing the same workspace might

Conclusion Many people have to deal with difficult coworkers. Toxic behavior in the workplace is a common issue. It may distract you from important tasks, affect your productivity, and undermine your team’s goals. It’s important to understand that most often, such a problem can be solved. Leaders should stay in touch with their teams, understanding the motivation of each employee and looking for possible roots of the problem. Employees shouldn’t be afraid of addressing such a problem. Finally, if the situation has passed the point of no return, it’s better to move on, looking for a company with a proper corporate culture and well-developed team values. About the author: Ester Brierley is a QA Engineer in software outsourcing company, a seasoned content creator and virtual assistant for College Writer. When she’s not writing about cutting-edge digital trends, Ester tries to bring the Lagom lifestyle philosophy to live by. DECEMBER 2018 35

ARTICLES

KPI PERFORMANCE

8 KPIS TO MEASURE THE SUCCESS OF YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAM ROBIN SINGH n today’s world of business, a company’s Iteam customer support team is a vital asset. The contributes significantly to the business’

success, because of how it helps in retaining customers. In addition, did you know that it’s much more expensive for a business to acquire a customer than it is to retain one? Yet, ensuring optimal customer service is no easy task, and considering how quickly bad news spreads among consumers, you will need to take proper measures to uphold quality. Do you think your business might be in a pinch because of inadequate customer service practices? The only way to find out is to measure how successful your customer service live chat team has been. According to Forrester Research, over two-thirds of companies that took a survey explained that successful customer service is one of their business goals, but they didn’t have a strategy to do so. You can learn about your business’ customer service trends by evaluating measurable factors that relate to customer service. These factors are KPIs and you have to track them. This way, you’ll get a deeper insight as to whether your team is working well or not. What is a KPI? A Key Performance Indicator is a certain level of performance that shows how well your company is doing against a key objective in business. It’s a value that can be measured and evaluated at numerous levels to assess how much improvement is required in order to meet targets. While organizational KPIs are used to

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measure performance in overall categories, KPIs for measuring your customer service team’s success are known as individual or employee KPIs, because it examines the work of employees in a department.

a quick response rather than one that was helpful but delayed because it saved their time.

Main KPIs to Measure

Since your team specializes in customer support live chats, it’s essential that you measure how often the customer they’re talking to leaves them on ‘read’ instead of replying.

Now that you know what a KPI is, let’s get down to the ones you need to select & track, so you can understand how well your customer support live chat team is doing. 1. Customer Satisfaction Score Now, you don’t need to give all your customers a call when it’s time to assess the team’s performance. Most companies nowadays record conversations between clients and service representatives for quality assurance. However, since your team will be managing queries and complaints through a chat system, it’s much better if a pop-up opens every time they satisfy a query. Customers can give their representative a rating on a scale, which is far more objective than a recorded phone call. 2. First Response Time Speedily answering a customer’s requests is crucial; a second too late can mean you losing a potential customer. Salesforce conducted a survey and its results prove in favor of the idea. The survey showed that one-third of the respondents thought of a company to be highly efficient when they received a fast response. Hence, even though it’s important that a customer care representative be of help to your client, responding quickly takes precedence over everything else. You know why? Respondents of the survey preferred

3. Abandoned Live Chat Rate

This occurrence of abrupt inactivity is known as abandoning the live chat. Customers that do so won’t mark their satisfaction on the scale. Hence, it’s hard to objectify how they felt about the conversation. However, for the sake of objectivity, abandoned live chats are regarded as dissatisfaction. 4. The Rate of Customer Retention This is the rate at which your business is able to engage customers with your brand over time. A low retention rate indicates a few factors. Poor customer care service comes second only to poor product quality. To gain a new customer, you need to invest large amounts of money. Moreover, you have to splurge on marketing campaigns, loyalty programs, and whatnot. After spending so much money, it’s necessary that your company achieve customer satisfaction. Otherwise, you risk losing access to not just a customer, but also their entire circle. 5. Your Net Promoter Score This is the sole KPI that not only measures whether you’ll be retaining a customer but also if your company will be gaining a new

KPI PERFORMANCE

one at no cost. That’s because this indicator measures how likely it is that a customer will refer your brand to someone they know.

schedule and other factors. Only then should you call them in to ask them how they feel about the impact they’re making.

Net Promoter Score – NPS for short, as an indicator, has an edge over the Customer Satisfaction Scale because it asks customers to think about their overall experience rather than how they feel at the moment.

7. An Employee’s Percentage of Transferred Sessions

6. How Engaged Your Employees Are As a general rule, you can’t measure the success of a whole department without knowing how they feel. However, despite its significance, it’s often overlooked. It’s no secret that without satisfied employees, you won’t get satisfied customers. This is especially true when clients can have one-on-one contact with people inside your organization. Measuring customer satisfaction shouldn’t be all about your customers, but employees as well. According to Gallup News, a poll for employee engagement that was conducted in 2015 showed a rate of around 32%, which can be problematic for business. Turnover can cost you almost double their salary when you hire and train someone to replace them. Assess your employees’ relationships with each other, their work

The main goal is measuring the success of your entire team. However, you need to know the contributions of each member and work to boost lower numbers. Oftentimes, members of your customer support live chat team don’t have the requisite skills to answer queries. Hence, they transfer their session to someone else. At other times, it could be a personal issue, like anger or introversion, but this is rare. By measuring an employee’s rate of transferred sessions, you can work on their ability to handle different types of complaints themselves. 8. Callbacks by a Customer In most cases when a customer contacts a live chat representative with a complaint, it’s a must that your employee discusses the problem at hand. Moreover, he or she should address any other related issues that may occur in the future as well.

It’s simple to measure this. If a customer calls repeatedly within a seven-day period, it’s likely that your live chat representative didn’t handle all necessary queries the first time. Are You Willing To Attain Customer Service Success? It’s no secret that all aspects surrounding customer service are largely subjective. However, you mustn’t discount the fact that quantifying data is the only method that allows you to look at the situation in an objective manner. Quantifying customer satisfaction, customer retention, and employee engagement maximizes your potential by highlighting what needs improvement. However, it doesn’t end with simply tracking KPIs; you need to evaluate results carefully and develop strategies to improve performance in critical areas. Improvements in the customer service department should always start by applying an effective live chat system. Then, you can leverage its features to suit your different needs. About the author: Robin Singh is a Technical Support Executive. He is an expert in knowledge management and various Knowledge base tools. Currently, he is a resident knowledge management expert at ProProfs.

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10 MOST IMPORTANT KPIS FOR CONTENT MARKETING

ontent marketing is an area of expertise where you may feel that you have to measure everything, otherwise you might be missing important information. However, as is usual with indicators, not all of them are necessarily relevant either all the time, or for all aspects of content marketing. Nonetheless, there are some KPIs that we can consider universal or core, let’s say, and we may use these in relation to almost every marketing project we ever start. 1. Unique visiting pages It is one of the simplest indicators of success in KPI marketing, because sales largely depend on traffic and most of a marketing expert’s efforts are focused on traffic generation. Speaking of traffic generation, there are many ways to improve traffic, from advertising, social media, creating attractive headlines, to more technical things such as on-page SEO, targeting long-tail keywords or implementing schema microdata. You can also see how many unique visitors go to your site from the organic search in Google Analytics and you should also 38 DECEMBER 2018

monitor the attendance of individual pages. 2. Time spent on the page Now this is an often-overlooked indicator, but it’s a quintessential one – whether visitors stay on your website long enough to fully read the article or not – this highlights that your content is qualitative enough to get an additional attention from visitors. 3. Page views It is one of the most important content marketing KPIs that you should never ignore – a high number of page views indicates that the audience actively interacts with your site and they are interested in your publications. 4. Bounce Rate It is a rather ambiguous indicator compared to the other content KPIs. For example, a page will have a bounce rate of 100% when the user leaves the site a couple of seconds after the visit, because the content is uninteresting to him or it does not answer his query. However, the bounce rate will be the same to 100% when the user navigates to your page

EMILY WATTS

of 5000+ characters, reads it to the end, gets a full answer to the question, after which he will close it to get back to his business. Therefore, the rate should be taken into account in correlation with the time spent on the page – it will be a mistake to consider you should work on improving those materials that are already good. 5. Visibility by keywords Each content writing plan should be based on a thoughtful search engine optimization strategy. Your articles should be well optimized for a qualitatively composed semantic core. This is the way to make your site visible in search results and receive stable organic traffic towards it. 6. Conversions and lead generation It would be foolish to try to increase sales directly with the help of KPI content marketing. But it is quite influential for leads and conversions. Among the conversion actions, the number of which can be increased due to competent work with content, it is possible to single out subscriptions for mailing, filling out forms,

KPI PERFORMANCE

downloading information materials and so on. This is achieved through the proper placement of calls for action, experimenting with their location, appearance, and analyzing all of results you obtain. 7. Social reactions It’s like “social evidence” – sharing your articles on social networks, they serve as public evidence that your content is interesting and people like it. It is not the most trustworthy indicator, as people will like or unlike articles based on their daily whims, however it is used in general to gauge your audience’s immediate reaction towards certain content. You may do a small analysis, once a week, to see what publications were shared most often. This can help you learn interesting things about your audience and to adjust your strategy if it is necessary. 8. Comments Communication with readers allows authors to increase their influence on the audience and it often helps them explain to their audience, in greater detail, what they meant

in that specific piece of content that people are leaving comments on. 9. Links When you test the effectiveness of campaigns, do not focus on the metric of referral links or all referral resources – it has no special meaning. Not all your articles will be able to earn many referral links on the side. But some of them that are really successful will open you powerful opportunities for the next content campaign. Always check the source of the transitions. That way, you will find out which new users came to your site and how much time they spent on it. Moreover, do not miss the chance to get in touch with opinion leaders in your industry, if you can get ahold of them. If the number of natural external links to your blog has increased dramatically, it means that the article referred to finds live users, so pay attention to learn what topics attract readers more. 10. ROI While this one may be not the most exciting one, you always need to calculate the return

on investment for your content marketing campaign. You cannot spend money and not generate at least equal value in return. You may sometimes look to go under the investment value, for certain projects, but it should never become a habit. You cannot simply leave this to chance and guess whether you’re doing fine or not. Math is needed here and there is no going around it. Be sure to consider the cost of the product and the cost of distribution for each article. Find out how much each lead costs after the user has left the page and divide the revenue received into each article the user read before leaving the site. Author’s Bio: Emily Watts is a content marketing specialist with many years of experience. She is part-time employed at essayontime.com.au as a professional content writer and she knowledgeable when it comes to providing smart content marketing solutions. Emily is a die-hard marketing professional, always keeping up with the latest trends and rules for an effective content marketing strategy.

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ARTICLES

WHICH KPIS ARE IDEAL FOR A SUCCESSFUL SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN JAMES CUMMINGS nline marketing encompasses a wide O scope of communications, aimed at attracting and engaging the consumer. The

overall objective is to persuade consumers to carry out a desired action. However, it is not enough to run a campaign and simply wait for results. A systematic process must be put in place to track and monitor performance as the campaign progresses. 40 DECEMBER 2018

Unlike traditional marketing campaigns (TV and print for example), one of the major advantages of a digital campaign is the ability to monitor activity in real time and modify the mechanics to boost performance. With this in mind, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll examine various ways to determine the success of your ongoing social media campaign and how

to apply them effectively in your day-to-day activities. This is also relevant for individual profiles.

Why social media marketing is important If you want to succeed as a business (or even a sole proprietor), a robust social media

KPI PERFORMANCE

campaign is essential. It’s not just enough to dominate just the offline market. The number of smartphones used around the world is expected to exceed 2.5 billion by 2019. This means businesses will continue to encounter significant sales activities via their mobile platforms. If you know how to engage and influence this channel, you’ll stand a better chance of beating your competitors. Having a dominant online presence is key to maintaining good customer relationships and sustaining loyalty. An organized social media campaign can help you achieve this. The following performance indices will guide you towards an effective tracking process. 1. Follower growth If people like something, they will come back for more. When an individual or company follows you on a social media platform – be it Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn – it means they want to continue seeing more of your content. Follower growth is a good metric for measuring progress, as it means people want to align with your brand or personality. Ideally, you should grow your followership consistently. This means the content you churn out regularly should be fresh, interesting and engaging enough to attract new fans, followers and page ‘likes’. On the flip side, a steady decrease in followership could be an indication of disinterest. When this occurs, you’ll need to improve the quality of content or your whole social media strategy. 2. Mentions It’s important to know what people are saying about you or your brand. Is it positive or negative? Are they even talking about you at all? Social media ‘mentions’ are a key metric for determining how popular (or not) you are in the online space. Knowing the conversations taking place about your brand allows you to stay ahead of the narrative and act quickly if need be. Certain keywords related to your brand – such as company name, services, products,

and even your competitors – are mentions worth tracking. So, how do you keep track of these keywords, as you can’t be online 24/7? The answer is to set up a Google alert for certain keywords. This is free, but if you want alternatives, you can register them as well. The program identifies your keywords and notifies you whenever you’re mentioned online. 3. Likes and reactions for your posts Engagement rate is a very relevant KPI when it comes to managing online content. In fact, it might be the most important metric, as it helps you determine whether your audience is interested in the content you publish. This KPI allows you to strategize and put some flavour into your content. If your engagement rate is blank, you should find out why. Could it be you’re talking to the wrong audience or your message is a bit outdated? Maybe it’s just plain boring? Consider checking what is trending online and align it to your posts. Sometimes, studying your competitor can prove useful. Add some spice to your content and use relevant information to make it resonate with your audience. 4. Determine your reach This KPI measures the total number of people your post has reached, within and outside of your audience. When users engage your content, their activity is seen by their followers. This increases your page reach. The more interesting the content, the more likely second-hand engagement will occur. This has the potential to double or even triple your reach. Some brands reach their audience via ‘nonactive’ sites. For instance, a parked domain name may feature engaging information that reaches out to prospective buyers and directs new fans to a page. Many brands drive traffic to their site via engaging content on their parked domains. This automatically increases your reach across other networks.

your page, then you can replicate or enhance it for better results. For instance, if you run a www.freeparking.co.nz and you notice more traffic on one of the pages (say, www. freeparking.co.nz/web-hosting/), then you need to improve that particular page more. Knowing your best performing content is a great way to get insight on what your audience likes, so you can duly deliver it to them. Conversely, you can withdraw your least performing posts or repurpose them with more relevant information. This allows you to tailor subsequent posts around audience interests and avoid topics that don’t drive engagement. Many social media networks have inbuilt analytics to guide you accordingly. 6. Study your click rates Clickthrough rate refers to the ratio of users who click on your content to the total number of people that see it. This is often measured as a percentage. For example, if 1000 people saw your Facebook post and only 10 people clicked on it, the clickthrough rate (CTR) is 1%. Based on expert analysis, a good clickthrough rate is 2%, but you should strive to continually increase this figure. You can increase your clickthrough rate by making your content relevant, enhancing the efficiency of your web page and using the right keywords. Programs such as Google AdWords and Google Analytics help you track the performance of your CTR regularly. Most (if not all) social networks have their own insights page, and you can get more when you register for a premium account. Your KPIs are a good way to stay on top of your social media objectives. Are audiences responding the way they should? How popular is that Twitter post? Can you drive sales at your current CTR value? With these performance figures, you can manage your online activities to augment your overall marketing goals.

5. Find out your most popular content If you know what’s pulling the numbers to DECEMBER 2018 41

ARTICLES

AI PERFORMANCE

THREE KEY PROCESSES DEFINING AI AND BUSINESS

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

THIBAUD PEVERELLI

s artificial intelligence continues to expand its role in modern commerce, there are three aspects of AI that are proving particularly important. In this article, we will examine process automation, cognitive insight, and cognitive engagement, and how they relate to the world of business. Process Automation Artificial intelligence can play a major role in automating processes within a business that were previously conducted by human beings. Both digital and physical tasks can be included under this umbrella, with back office administration and financial activities particularly prominent. Robotic process automation technologies enable machines to act much as a human being would when inputting and consuming information from IT systems. This means that machines can cover some of the technological donkey work within an office setting, freeing up employees to engage in more edifying, fulfilling and productive work. Underlining just how sophisticated such systems already are, NASA has recently launched a pilot of robotic process automation in its accounts payable, IT spending and invoicing, and human resources departments. It is expected that AI will play a big role in these areas in future businesses.

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Cognitive Insight Algorithms are central to the artificial intelligence experience, and this second key business usage of AI certainly takes advantage of this technology. Cognitive insight uses algorithms in order to examine data and detect patterns, providing critical analysis for businesses. This is proving increasingly valuable in a culture in which vast amounts of big data is being produced. Such machine learning can be used in order to predict what customers are likely to purchase, identify fraud in real-time, and target consumers with digital adverts. This can be done in a far more sophisticated, intuitive, and accurate fashion than traditional analytics, thanks to the rapid calculation of computers, coupled with their new learning capabilities. General Electric has already utilized cognitive insight in order to integrate its supplier data, while Deloitte is similarly using this technique in order to extract important terms from contracts. As understanding of the potential of AI in cognitive insight increases, so will the number of companies using this technology. Cognitive Engagement Another key area in which AI is already assisting businesses is in directly engaging with customers. Cognitive engagement is

possible via chatbots, intelligent agents, and machine learning, and many companies are already taking advantage of this technology for customer service purposes. Intelligence can also be utilized in this area in order to interact with internal stakeholders, and it is arguably more effective in this arena. Companies such as The Vanguard Group are piloting intelligent agents that assist customer service staff with answering frequently answered questions. A key innovation in this area is the avatar Amelia, developed to play a major supportive role for help-desks, in various businesses across the globe. One example of a company that has decided to take matters into its own hands and assist others with implementing such systems is Napal Innovation. They specialize in ascertaining whether AI would bring an improvement to your company, and if so, how to best implement it, through several series of consultations. Their technology experts accompany you on all your technological endeavors, whether it is a Big Data PoC, an MVP for a fintech or the operation and support of your business application. As artificial intelligence technology becomes more sophisticated, it seems certain that they will be used in a cognitive engagement capacity with both internal and external human resources.

AI PERFORMANCE

DECEMBER 2018 43

ARTICLES

HOW AI IS ALREADY CENTRAL TO THE BIGGEST COMPANIES THIBAUD PEVERELLI I has become a massive buzzword over A the last few years, and part of the reason for this is its increasing utilization by the most powerful corporations on the planet.

It is time to look at how some of them have decided to go about working with this new tech. Household names such as Apple and Amazon have already enthusiastically embraced the artificial intelligence revolution, and this has already led to some highly recognizable AI-related brands becoming part of the public domain. Apple Apple’s intelligent personal assistant is already one of the most recognizable examples of artificial intelligence. All over the world, consumers and Apple fans interact with this voice-activated computer system, in order to make using Apple products more convenient and intuitive. Siri helps millions of Apple users locate information, access directions, add events to calendars, and send messages to clients, friends and family. Siri is also utilizing machine learning technology in order to become more efficient over time. Alexa A major rival to Siri is the Alexa system pioneered by Amazon. Alexa has been particularly praised for its ability to understand speech, and has already been incorporated into many people’s homes via the Amazon smart speaker system. Smart homes may have seemed like something out of science fiction until quite recently, but the reality is that Alexa has played a major role in popularizing and spreading such technology. We can expect Alexa to be a fixture in the homes of the future, and indeed this technology is already being included in some new-build houses. Tesla 44 DECEMBER 2018

The electric car manufacturer Tesla has been one of the most disruptive companies on the planet over the last few years. Thus it comes as no surprise that the corporation is already intimately involved in the AI revolution, via driverless vehicles. Tesla’s cars are known to be the smartest in the industry, thanks to the company’s artificial intelligence technology, and provision of over-the-air updates. Netflix The highly popular video site Netflix already responds to its customers’ behavior by using predictive technology. Netflix analyses billions of records of data collated by the company in order to suggest movies that you might enjoy based on previous choices. This system also utilizes machine learning, which ensures that it is becoming smarter and more intuitive in its suggestions as its dataset grows. Nest This learning thermostat is now owned by the behemoth that is Google, with the corporation having purchased it for $3.2 billion back in January 2014. It has

since integrated this technology with the aforementioned Alexa, meaning that it can be voice-controlled. The Nest system utilizes behavioral algorithms in order to predictively learn from your heating and cooling behavior, ensuring that your residence caters for your needs. Other products are also included in the Nest portfolio, such as proprietary cameras, providing an attractive package for consumers. Amazon From its investment in Alexa, Amazon has also produced a transactional AI system, which has played a central role in the company becoming the world’s biggest retailer. These algorithms become ever more intelligent, so Amazon is able to better understand what consumers are interested in, and thus make intelligent suggestions regarding future purchases. The company continues to expand its AI operations, and these will undoubtedly play a major role in Amazon’s operations going forward.

AI PERFORMANCE

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DEEP LEARNING AND MACHINE LEARNING THIBAUD PEVERELLI

rtificial intelligence (AI) is becoming an increasingly prominent aspect of the contemporary technology landscape. Utilizing the latest development in the AI sphere can definitely give a company an advantage over its competitors. But in order to achieve this, it’s important to understand some of the key concepts involved within this technology. Central to the whole notion of AI is learning. Ultimately, artificial intelligence represents the attempt to teach computers to learn; something that has been impossible historically. And when trying to understand modern AI, it is vital to comprehend precisely what is meant by the terms ‘deep learning’ and ‘machine learning’, and the differences between the two. Machine Learning

has become widely used across multiple industries. It is perhaps most commonly used in the field of generating personal recommendations for people on the Internet. Complex algorithms are used in order to generate user profiles, which are then matched with suitable information by the computer in question. Deep Learning Deep learning is technically a sub-field of machine learning, with a specific remit. Deep learning has the perhaps more ambitious aim of attempting to teach computers to carry out tasks that come relatively naturally to human beings. This is an aspect of artificial intelligence that is expected to grow in the coming years, as the technology involved becomes more sophisticated.

Machine learning is what the uninitiated would typically associate with AI, being based around using statistical techniques to help computers to learn. Machine learning has been defined as “algorithms that parse data, learn from that data, and then apply what they’ve learned to make informed decisions”.

One of the most high-profile uses of deep learning has been in the field of self-driving cars. Already, companies such as Tesla have produced technology which enables vehicles to effectively pilot themselves, even if some human involvement is still legally requisite. Deep learning involvement in this field is expected to amplify, as people become more accustomed to self-driving cars as a concept.

This key technique in artificial intelligence

Let’s compare them

Perhaps the most obvious fundamental difference between machine learning and deep learning is that the former requires some guidance. While machine learning models will become better at the task assigned to them over a period of time, they still require helping hands from humans. Deep learning is intended to master and refine a computer’s ability at a particular task, without any human involvement whatsoever. As mentioned above, machine learning is based on algorithms, which it then uses to parse data and makes decisions on the basis of this learning process. Whereas deep learning structure algorithms in layers, in order to create what is referred to as an ‘artificial neural network’. Once this structure is created, it can effectively learn on its own. The performance of deep learning programs produced by Google in the fields of chess and Go have demonstrated the possibilities of this technology. Meanwhile, the technology is also expected to play a major role in multiple industries in the coming years, with finance and healthcare both at the top of the list. As the field continues to develop, AI certainly offers many exciting opportunities for businesses. DECEMBER 2018 45

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MARKETING PERFORMANCE 670

WHY SOCIAL NETWORKING IS IMPORTANT FOR YOUR E-COMMERCE BUSINESS

890

980 1000

STEVE CONWAY

media channels have come on in Sdays.ocial leaps and bounds since their first humble What used to be a way of keeping in touch with those in your personal network and having a bit of fun, has now developed into a multi-billion-dollar industry that is used by an incredible number of people and businesses.

When you realize that more than a third of the planet’s population uses some form of social media, you appreciate how valuable it can be. If you’re relatively new to the whole idea of social media, where have you been the last few years? If you’ve heard about it but don’t understand how it can benefit your e-commerce business keep reading. The Power of Social Media Social media has moved on from sending friendship requests, tweeting, liking, or watching what people are doing in their free time. When people sign up for a social media account, whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram or one of the many others, they share a lot of personal information. This information allows social media platforms to target the marketing experience. Which means the message you want to share can be targeted to a specific audience. Television, radio, and print can’t match the level of targeting social media can offer. 46 DECEMBER 2018

The Benefits for Your E-Commerce Business Traditional marketing methods tend not to work very well for an e-commerce business. To direct customers to their online store, an e-commerce business has to focus on digital marketing. These strategies include social media marketing, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and PPC (pay-per-click) advertising. Social media marketing is still very much in its infancy, but it is being adopted by an increasing number of e-commerce businesses because it is so effective at driving customers to your store. This happens in a number of different ways. For example, once you’ve decided what to sell with the Oberlo app, you can circulate product information on a very large scale as well as targeting a specific audience. Customers are also able to recommend products via a social media platform, thereby increasing the scope of your marketing. As a business owner, you’re given much greater control over any reviews and are able to learn more about your customers. Social media platforms allow you to retarget products. In other words, you can show a consumer the products that they have expressed an interest in since their last

visit. If you can’t get a customer to make a purchase when they first visit, you get a second chance to catch their attention. Introducing Special Offers One of the best ways of using social networking for increasing sales is by making an offer or discount. Consumers love a bargain and you can create special offers for your products through one of the many ad networks. If a customer is introduced to a special offer via your social media page, they are more likely to make a purchase than if it was offered on the e-commerce front-end store. These are just a few ways in which your business can benefit from using social networking. There are many other ways you can make use of it to increase sales. You’re not going to be successful in the short term but invest time and thought into a social media marketing strategy and you’ll reap the rewards. About the author: Steve Conway is a content marketing professional and inbound marketing expert. He is passionate about discovering new software that will that will advance his already well-honed digital marketing techniques.

SALES & TECH

SALESFORCE CAREER AND JOB PREDICTIONS FOR 2019 VIKAS ARORA

ontinuous professional development, CPD for short, is a building block to any successful career today, and many Australian employers mandate it as part of their terms and conditions. Business has advanced to a stage where clients wish to communicate with people less and accomplish more individually on their own. They need self-service encounters. They need answers to their inquiries without the aid of any kind of calling support. They wish to plan service arrangements without calling the administration office. What’s more, they wish to put orders without having to deal with a pushy deals reps. This rise in the demand for self-service encounters is great news for the sales force folks.

With this change in customer attitude, sales companies are on the lookout for more and more sales force professionals. The company wants a professional who can simply weave up an app for them that can help provide this facility to their customers. Here is what you are going to experience if you are planning to build a career in Salesforce. High Demand Sales force developers are in a dauntingly high demand. Not even a week passes by where they don’t get a LinkedIn message or email from a sales force enrolment specialist. Worldwide interest in Salesforce CRM programming stays solid. It claims 18% of the worldwide CRM market and the

incomes will outperform $10B in the year 2018. Salesforce’s fast development has led to a worldwide Salesforce skills shortage. There aren’t sufficient Salesforce professionals who can meet the performance requests of its client base. The ongoing dispatch of Trailhead, Salesforce’s web-based learning stage, is centered on this issue. Be that as it may, the vast majority of its preparation is for amateur and intermediate clients. It will be a couple of years before it starts to affect the worldwide ability deficiency. High Compensation Popularity for Salesforce specialized skills DECEMBER 2018 47

ARTICLES

prompts frequent job changes. Barely any Salesforce engineer remains with the same organization for more than three years. The high demand for Salesforce talent additionally prompts high pay. Salesforce engineers have the leverage to arrange high pay rates also, they know about this fact that they have an upper hand. Organizations frequently overpay Salesforce designers with normal abilities. They have to do it keeping in mind the end goal to fill

their vacant Salesforce positions. Serving Business Users Most Salesforce designers work around the business-centric applications that keep running inside the Salesforce ecosystem. Alluded to as “native”, these applications are fundamentally utilized by business clients. Business clients have a mandate to utilize organization’s authorized programming. The organization pays for their permit and

preparing and anticipates that they will utilize it. A business rep that deals with their pipeline in Excel rather than Sales Cloud won’t be around for long. At the point when end clients have an order to utilize an application, the advancement group doesn’t need to seek clients. They aren’t worried about client procurement. They are worried about the skills Salesforce professional who can solve this issue for them on daily basis.

Salesforce Jobs Predictions for the Year 2019 After a careful deliberation, we have prepared a list of a few Salesforce Jobs Predictions for the Year 2019

▶▶ Around the world, Salesforce and its environment are expected to enable the formation of 3 million occupations inside the Salesforce client base from the utilization of cloud computing between the beginning of the year 2018 and the end of the year 2022. ▶▶ Amid this very same time frame, Salesforce and its environment will empower the making of in excess of 2.8 million indirect occupations, or those occupations made in the supply and conveyance chains serving Salesforce clients, and also from new organization workers burning through the money in the general economy ▶▶ Salesforce admin roles have a normal compensation of $95k, and Salesforce developer job roles presently pay you a normal pay of $125k — that’s 25% higher than in 2017 and the trend is on an upward move for the coming years too. Salesforce-particular job roles that require propelled specialized aptitudes, for example, Visualforce and Sales Cloud, can easily bag more than $100k every year. ▶▶ Two of Indeed’s top 10 best jobs of 2017 were Salesforce-specific, with Salesforce Administrator ranking fourth and Salesforce Developer coming in sixth place. ▶▶ Two of Indeed’s best 10 best employments of 2018 were Salesforce-particular, with Salesforce Administrator being positioned fourth and Salesforce Developer coming in 6th place. ▶▶ Currently, there are 4670 occupations in the USA alone, which implies 4670, divided by 12, turning out to be about 390 fresh openings each and every month. That is fantastic! ▶▶ 4% development rate implies that you can expect no less than 6417 occupations in one year, from now which takes the month to month average to 535 employment for each month. ▶▶ Out of every one of these employments, 39% are entry level which implies 2502 occupations; out of this 6417 are for basic or entry level experts or freshers, and the month to month occupations are 209 for freshers. Conclusion Salesforce is a tech mammoth that is acquiring each and every sector of the market slowly and steadily. The career in Salesforce for the few coming years looks very promising. As you can see based on the predictions, you are on a safe ride. All you have to do is to remain up to date with every latest thing in Salesforce and keep on upgrading your skills.

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SALES & TECH

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CUSTOMER SERVICE

KPIs

indicator of customer satisfaction and loyalty. It is influenced by the volume of incoming calls at any point, which are most of the times random and cannot be projected by the call center. Longest delay in queue or LDQ can be measured for two specific situations. ▶▶ 1. The longest delay for a customer whose service request was finally handled by an agent. ▶▶ 2. The longest delay for a customer who ultimately abandoned the contact. If the longest delay of a call in a queue is not very far from the average speed with which calls were answered, this indicates that all the incoming calls were answered in a rather acceptable time frame which was very close to the average.

# Longest delay in queue Definition Measures the longest period a customer waited in a queue before being connected to an operator or hanging up. Purpose It indicates what was the maximum time a customer had to wait when making a call. If compared to the average speed of answer, it can indicate how far was the longest delay from the average delay. Recommendations The # Longest delay in queue is a real-time indicator that can be used to determine the efficiency of inbound call centers and customer support operations. It also acts as a historical performance indicator for the customer’s worstcase experience in a certain time span, for instance during the time span of a day. A speed-of-service measure, the # Longest delay in queue is strongly impacted by the # Speed of answer or # Call handling times, as well as the # Customer requests received. Furthermore, the longest delay in a queue indicates the call with the smallest speed of answer and this can be a good 50 DECEMBER 2018

% Customer calls answered in the first minute Definition Measured the rate at which customers calls are being answered during the first minute. Purpose To indicate the promptness in answering calls, as having to wait too long for calls to be answered may affect lead conversion and customer satisfaction. Recommendations

KPIs

The speed of answer, as related to customer calls, can have a strong impact on customer satisfaction, call handling times, abandonment rates, first call resolution rates and nonetheless, on the operational costs of the call center dealing with inbound customer requests. As important as it is to answer a call as fast as possible, it is sometimes the longest call wait times that provide a reason for further introspection, as well as, signal an opportunity for improvement. A large volume of customer calls answered in the first minute reflect on a high call center efficiency, that can further relate to adequate staffing as per the capacity and need to cover customer requests. Some recommended practices on optimizing call center service delivery include: ▶▶ Forecasting call volumes; ▶▶ Agent dashboards for data-driven decisions; ▶▶ Streamlined processes; ▶▶ Call routing software functionalities;

▶▶ Alternative communication channels the customer can choose from, that reflect on their specific lifestyle and preferences; ▶▶ Exclusive relationships between one certain customer and the agent assigned to handle the complaint; ▶▶ Continuity of contact between callers and the handlers who assist them with their concerns. Gauging customer satisfaction is based on customer surveys, thus subjectivity can alter the results’ accuracy sometimes. Measurement, meaning the conduction of the survey, can be either directed only to customers that have filled a complaint at a particular moment, or to a larger group of customers, complaints resolution being only one of the issues in the survey. High results for this indicator are associated with high rates of overall customer satisfaction. It is argued that a customer that filed a complaint and had it solved in a satisfactorily manner can be even more satisfied than a customer that never filed a complaint.

▶▶ Queue callbacks; ▶▶ Employee training and development. The indicator can be very helpful in analyzing the customer calls staff coverage, as a low level indicates the need for more persons to answer customer calls.

% Customer satisfaction with complaints handling Definition Measures the percentage of customers satisfied with the way their complaints were solved, from overall customers that have made a complaint. Purpose To assess the success in handling customer complaints, as this impacts customer satisfaction and loyalty. Recommendations Customer satisfaction with complaints handling ultimately reflects on customer loyalty. Customers become more loyal when they feel treated as individuals and complaints handling is customized to their needs, wants and habits. Personalization of complaints handling is achieved through: ▶▶ Use of customer databases and loyalty cards to adapt to the customer’s needs and habits; DECEMBER 2018 51

MARKETING

KPIs

# Brand image index Definition Provides a rating of the brand image on a predefined scale, based on customer surveys. Purpose To indicate brand image quality and awareness. A brand with a good image is likely to sell more. Recommendation Brand image, in general, bears a strong influence on consumer behavior. Purchasing choices are commonly based on the client’s perception on a brand as a result of past interactions with it (directly through consumption or indirectly through advertising). Brand image can be defined as the sum of all customer impressions and attitudes with regards to a specific brand. The brand image index is based on survey questions and does not yet possess a standardized format. Thus, it may incorporate questions targeting the assessment of a great variety of brand dimensions such as brand attributes, associations, values, personality, recognition, awareness, response, resonance, value, equity, quality, knowledge and recall among others. Furthermore, the index is not only a valuable indicator of brand loyalty, brand advocacy and brand selection behavior, but also a powerful forming tool of positive results in these areas. Given its complexity, this index analyzes customer responses based on rationality, emotion and sensorial perception, thus often being unpredictable and fluctuating. Some recommendations aimed at optimizing this index include the following: ▶▶ Regularly updating the brand image index results, because, while for some customers, brand image is stable and tends to remain unchanged throughout time, for others it is highly dynamic;

$ Customer retention cost Definition Measures the organization’s average expense to retain one customer. This includes targeted expenses to existing customers, aside from general marketing expenses. Purpose To help assess customer profitability, by comparing the cost of retention to the revenue the customer generates. Recommendations There are opinions stating that it costs about 5 times more to gain a new customer than to maintain an existing one. However, calculating with precise accuracy both the cost of gaining a new customer and the cost of retaining an existing one is difficult to do. Comparing the retention and the acquisition costs for customers is what ultimately stands at the basis of a healthy marketing strategy. Acquisition extends the customer base while retention builds loyalty.

▶▶ Either delegating a specialized firm to assess this KPI for benchmarking reasons, or making sure of using the same or similar questionnaires for comparable historical results over time;

In the past, the main focus was placed on new customer additions. Nowadays, as retention costs rise in importance, businesses are more oriented towards balancing the two concepts and regularly measuring their return on investment (ROI).

▶▶ Building the brand image by offering cognitive, emotional and sensorial experiences.

Assessing the average expenses for retaining customers is a complex endeavor since it amalgamates the efforts of various

52 DECEMBER 2018

KPIs

departments and teams from within the organization. Furthermore, retention strategies incur additional costs with customer service, with the constant monitoring of customer satisfaction and customer experiences, the development of an effective customer retention program. Thus, the strategy for keeping customer expenses down should focus on obtaining cost-efficiency in terms of all the activities that add to customer retention. Further tips in this regard include: ▶▶ Expressing appreciation towards loyal customers, even though inexpensive means such as sending digital and personalized birthday or holiday wishes; ▶▶ Monitoring the behavior of the profitable customers for signs of deflection; every customer relation interruption is a loss, but spending more on retaining a customer than that customer is worth in revenue is disadvantageous ▶▶ Connecting with loyal customers on social media and answering to as many remarks as possible whether positive or negative; digitally attending to customers is a low-priced strategy; ▶▶ Focusing on rewarding repeat customers over and over again through small incentives, thus encouraging their behavior.

% Net promoter score Definition Measures the net difference between promoters and detractors, of all customers that express an opinion. Important to note: Net Promoter, Net Promoter Score and NPS are registered trademarks of Fred Reichheld, Bain & Company and Satmetrix.

Passives – are satisfied clients, but would not further recommend the company’s products and services. “Passives” can easily be convinced by similar products and services on the market. Detractors – are unsatisfied customers, who most certainly would not further recommend the company’s products and services. At a first glance, it seems very easy to quantify % Net Promoter Score. You simply subtract the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters. A survey consisting of one question is used to capture this data: “How likely is it that you would recommend us to a friend?” However, there is at least one noteworthy challenge in measuring this KPI, which is to distinguish between a customer’s satisfaction with one service, like Customer Care and his loyalty to the company or brand. This is why companies also use bottom-up and top-down surveys, for further inquiries that help generate a more precise diagnostic. Nowadays, NPS is used by many large companies as a customer feedback tool. It gives an unambiguous number that is easy to understand for all employees and useful as input for managers to steer the company. NPS also gives a good indication of growth potential and customer loyalty for a company or product. To understand the motivations of Promoters and Detractors, it is recommended to accompany the NPS question by one or more open-ended questions that probe the underlying reasons behind the given score. This allows managers to make the appropriate adjustments to increase the future NPS, either by boosting the percentage of Promoters, either by reducing the proportion of Detractors (or better yet, a combination of both).

Purpose To monitor the level of customer satisfaction, by evaluating the extent to which customers act as brand ambassadors. Recommendations Customer satisfaction is no longer the ultimate goal of companies in their relationship with clients. Going beyond the satisfaction level, the % Net promoter score outlines the percentage of clients who would further recommend the company’s products and services. NPS divides customers into 3 categories: Promoters – are considered loyal clients that will keep on buying the company’s products and services and will recommend other people to do the same. DECEMBER 2018 53

RISK MANAGEMENT

KPIs

Recommended practices on risk prevention include: ▶▶ Assigning accountability to key risk control personnel; ▶▶ Regular internal investigations of risk generating factors; ▶▶ Tailored control measures to analyze and minimize negative impact; ▶▶ Corrective action occurrences;

design

counteract

damaging

▶▶ Continuous risk assessment for a robust risk management approach. When it comes to limitations, it should be noted that accurate reporting on this KPI relies on a well-maintained system that records relevant data. This KPI does not provide information on the validation or performance of risk controls.

# Preventive risk controls Definition Measures the number of preventive controls put in place. Preventive controls aim to deter or prevent undesirable risk events from occurring. Purpose To reflect the emphasis and effort put into preventing risk events from happening, thus indicating the effectiveness of active risk control. Recommendations An effective control framework manages risks and supports planning, stewardship, compliance, and informed decisions that help management achieve operational objectives. Besides preventive risk controls, detective and corrective controls are equally important to form a complete risk control framework. Controls to reduce risk related occurrences provide a preventive approach to risk management. An effective risk management strategy will focus on # Preventive risk controls to detect possible risk related occurrences and generate timely response rates. Regularly monitoring # Preventive risk controls, provides an assessment of the manner in which preventive strategies are implemented within the organization. Periodical evaluation of this key performance indicator minimizes the negative impact of risk related events, by preventing them from happening or alleviating loss. 54 DECEMBER 2018

$ Cost of insurance Definition Measures the amount of money that is paid to insure assets during a certain period of time. Purpose To indicate the expenses generated by the prevention of risks.

KPIs

Recommendations In the case of unfortunate events occurring, insurance protects companies against total loss. It provides a safety net against financial disaster. However, different types of risk generally imply different types of insurance. As per type of insurance the $ Cost of insurance can also vary. Moreover, there are certain categories of pure risk and human perils that are commonly difficult to insure. Although they can be insured against natural phenomenon or human destruction, organizations preponderantly deal with economic risk. As a consequence, companies generally protect themselves against asset depreciation, employee strikes, property damage or arson for profit. However, much safety and security they may provide, insurances can be rather costly. Minimizing the $ Cost of insurance while making the most of the insurance’s benefits is a strategy well sought after. Some recommended tips that might lower the $ Cost of insurance tell companies are the following: ▶▶ Prioritize risk; ▶▶ Focus on insuring the most probable risk; ▶▶ Make sure that insurance covers all possible damage;

price volatility, liquidity, inflation etc. Similar to any kind of risk, financial risk is hard to source, quantify, measure and address. The exposure to financial risk is even greater, as there are so many factors completely out of an organization’s control that can prove to be leading indicators of financial loss. Apart from the nigh-impossible task of truly eradicating financial risk, there are several techniques that can help mitigate financial risk and minimize loss: ▶▶ Financial provisions and capital funds to cover unexpected losses; ▶▶ Risk assessments conducted at organizational level; ▶▶ Regular controls of individual business units; ▶▶ Hedging exposure to risk through third parties or derivatives. In addition to this, the present model will be quite useful for anyone interested in determining both the financial risk and the economic risk of a company. That being said, this model has its limitations, which mainly derive from the user’s ability to predict costs. Data collection requires advanced risk modelling and quantitative risk analysis per each of the categories of financial risk an organization is exposed to.

▶▶ Negotiate policies to maximize their benefits and coverage; ▶▶ Seek discounts for premium packages. A particular type of insurance is replacement insurance which replaces lost, stolen or destroyed property by paying current market prices, rather than depreciated value. Generally, all assets susceptible to risks should be insured. This means each organization will have a different value for this indicator.

$ Financial risk Definition Measures the company’s inability to remunerate all of its capital owners, the shareholders and the creditors. Purpose The model examines whether the company’s capital structure is adapted to its cost. Recommendations Financial risk is defined by all risk that can be otherwise related to financial aspects such as credit, stock market, foreign exchange, DECEMBER 2018 55

LIFESTYLE

7 TIPS TO EFFECTIVELY STUDY FOR LONG HOURS

! S TIP

SHREYA SINGH

he journey to your desired goal isn’t easy, but not impossible either. In order to achieve your dreams, you need to push yourself, stay motivated, be positive and maximize your efforts. When you push yourself to put in extra effort, no matter what may come your way, that’s when you are actually entitled to achieve your goals.

You need to munch upon a lot of carbohydrates & protein, as well as drink a lot of water to keep yourself full and hydrated at all times, allowing you to source into your personal power bank. Also, refrain from cola, sugar and dried fruits. While they may be sweet, they lack the necessary elements that give you energy.

When it comes to cracking exams, in order to get a shot at accessing your dream career, you need to ask yourself two questions: are you willing to put in the maximum you can? and are you ready to sacrifice your sleep?

Among our suggested food items are sprouts, whole grains, berries, nuts and caffeine, in a calculated, healthy amount. When it comes to caffeine, it is especially important not to go overboard, as it can lead to potentially damaging effects on both your body, as well as brain activity.

These two queries are important, as you need to spend hours upon hours of studying to ace examinations. Knowing this, we bring you 7 tips to multiply your study hours and enhance your productivity with ease. 1. Work on Your Diet When it comes to training your mind to sit for 10 hoursstraight of studies, it is important to feed your body, first and foremost. The human body is the most complex machine ever known to mankind, however without getting into biology, the point is due to continuous digestion and involuntary activities, food in our body is constantly being broken down to release energy. 56 DECEMBER 2018

2. Reinvent Your Room The world is full of colors, so why not paint your room? Colors break down monotony and play a crucial role in giving you a feeling of joy. When you plan to sit for 10 hours in a single room, engrossed in your books, you definitely need colors and creativity around you to keep yourself motivated. Another thing you can do, if you are lacking creativity, is to simply switch rooms in your house every day, to study. Sometimes we don’t see the need for change, but that doesn’t mean it is not there subconsciously. As you become more accustomed to a room, your eyes dart to

LIFESTYLE

the same things over and over, which creates a slight sensation of boredom that can get exacerbated over time, based on your patience. While going into another room may offer new distractions, it might also give you that much-needed feeling of change so that you do not fall into a boredom trap. 3. Keep Yourself Motivated So far, we’ve spoken about external aid when it comes to studying, changing diets and reinventing your environments. What about internal aid? What happens when all the external help isn’t enough? How do we keep going forward in our endeavours? One well-known method is to appeal to whatever brings us motivation. Reading short stories, watching movies, surfing motivational videos or simply engaging in meditation/introspection might be the thing you need to re-balance yourself. Whatever your preferred method of briefly winding down may be, it is important you do it as soon as you start feeling burnt out. Studying for 10 long hours in one day isn’t easy. Studying for 10 long hours, while doing daily chores, requires a lot of focus to stay positive and keep yourself motivated, in order to maximize that day’s achievements. 4. Choose Your Ideal Time What are your ideal study hours? Are you an early bird or a night owl? All of us have an ideal time when we get creative, effective and productive. While some people find it easy to pull off studies the whole night, when the world is calm and fast asleep, others may prefer studying in the morning with their minds as fresh as dew. If you are someone dedicated to studying 10 hours a day, you need to find your ideal time frame and extract maximum productivity in those chosen hours. 5. Plan Your Breaks (take ample break) Rome was not built in a day, so how do you expect yourself to excel in 10 hours? Our brain is designed to support us in our deeds only if you provide it with ample rest and proper breaks. For a focused and guided study experience, you need to plan out your

breaks based on your studies’ schedule. We suggest you set targets. For example, you can take a break after successfully completing a chapter or after 1-2 hours of studies. In doing this, you will rejuvenate your mind and start afresh, which is key to absorbing maximum knowledge. 6. Study the Way You Want To! What study technique best works for you? Are you more of a writer? Do you like watching videos to acquire knowledge, or you are more of a library reader? Everybody is different and so are our minds, there is no one-size-fits-all style. However, there are some general criteria which seem to work for a large part of the global population. a) Are you more of a visual learner, someone who is at their best when they can see what they’re learning? Then try taking online classes or invest time into online lectures. b) Are you more of a slow learner, who tries to obtain a comprehensive recollection of everything they’re studying? In that case, we recommend jotting down points of interest instead of just reading through your entire material at once, quickly scribbling every detail you find. Remember, you have to be effective and efficient with your learning process. c) Are you more of a creative person, who seeks novelty in everything? Well, then you can simply invent your ideal approach to studying – write your own quizzes, create little cards with hints on them or even go for the “Who wants to be a billionaire?” approach. This latter method simply requires you to write down questions for each bit of information you want rechecked, accompanied by 4 different answers. You then ask a friend/family member to pose said question, alongside the answers, in any given order they choose to. They may change the answers’ & questions’ orders. Once you identify your particular approach to studying, things become easier and your daunting 10-hour task may become a breeze.

Gaining knowledge has no foundations, the more you seek, the more your deliver. 7. Keep Your Study Hours Organized Even mere words require a certain letter structure. Being organized is important. This means we need to plan most of our life moments in advance, if we do not wish to be caught off-guard. From cleaning our rooms, to choosing our career, planning plays a crucial role in guiding us going forward. When it comes to late night studies or significantly prolonged periods of selfeducation, planning brings a state of normalcy into what would be chaos. If you’re not careful, you might end up reading the 2nd chapter after wasting 4 hours of your valuable time. Hence, budget your time accordingly! If you plan to spend 9 hours on a particular subject, segment it on an hourly basis. This will not only ensure you have a structured approach to studying, but will also boost your productivity fourfold. Work Hard, Work Smart Pumped up to get started with your studies? If yes, congratulations! You have been successful in motivating yourself to achieve the very best. Dealing with competitive exams –such as minimum selection ones, is quite tough and hectic. You need strong willpower alongside as many tips as you can get, to hit the books at any hour, anywhere and everywhere. Remember, in order to double your gain, you need to triple your efforts, because we’re talking about your dream career, at the end of it all. Hard work and dedication, those will see you through your 10 hours of study. Put in the most you can, because nothing and no one can get it done for you. Author bio: Shreya Singh is a freelance writer since 2012. She is an alumna of the University of Delhi and has a post-graduation degree in English literature. She has more than 5 years of experience in the publishing field, writing articles & editorials on numerous topics, spanning from education & lifestyle, to business and technology. DECEMBER 2018 57

LIFESTYLE

PROBIOTICS A POSSIBLE HEALTH SOLUTION TO OBESITY IN AUSTRALIA ANNA KUCIRKOVA

t’s safe to say that obesity is a problem in Australia. The frequency of obesity among Australians has steadily increased for the past 30 years. In 2011–12, around 60% of Australian adults were classified as overweight or obese, and more than 25% of these fell into the obese category. In 2007, around 25% of children aged 2–16 were overweight or obese, with 6% classified as obese (Dept. of Health and Ageing, 2008).

Simply put, obesity refers to extreme excess body weight. There are multiple methods in determining obesity, the most popular being Body Mass Index, or BMI. According to the Mayo Clinic, obesity is diagnosed when your BMI is 30 or higher. BMI is calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms by your height in meters squared. Most physicians use the following as a guideline in diagnosing obesity:

And while obesity is a prevalent problem in all population groups, variations exist throughout the Australian population. Obesity is particularly widespread among those in disadvantaged socioeconomic groups, and is rampant in rural and remote areas as well.

BMI

Weight status

Below 18.5

Underweight

18.5-24.9

Normal

25.0-29.9

Overweight

Health problems directly related to obesity create economic burdens on individuals, families, and communities.

30.0-34.9

Obese (Class I)

35.0-39.9

Obese (Class II)

This raises the pressing question: How can Australia curb the growing obesity problem among its populations?

40.0 or higher Extreme obesity (Class III)

What Do We Mean By “Obesity”? First, let’s make sure we’re on the same page when we talk about obesity. 58 DECEMBER 2018

For the majority of people, BMI provides a reasonable estimate of body fat. But BMI doesn’t measure body fat directly, so some people, like muscular athletes, may have a BMI in the obese category, though they don’t have excess body fat.

As rates of obesity continue to rise in Australia, the government is looking for more data on how obesity is affecting the nation, as well as what can be done to stop the increase in obesity. Health Risks of Obesity To say that obesity is dangerous is a dramatic understatement. People with obesity die younger and are prone to more illnesses than people who maintain a healthy weight. Cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, musculoskeletal conditions, and some cancers are illnesses that tend to strike obese people. Obesity puts extra stress on your joints, bones, and organs. They have to work harder than they should. Too much body fat can raise your blood pressure and cholesterol, making heart disease and stroke likely. Obesity also makes conditions like arthritis, asthma, back pain, and sleep apnea worse. Too much fat can also cause inflammation that damages cells. Obesity is also linked to several types of cancers, it can make your body insulin resistant, and it can lead to early death. The Mayo Clinic also lists other complications

LIFESTYLE

that can occur frequently with obesity: ▶▶ High triglycerides and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol ▶▶ Type 2 diabetes ▶▶ High blood pressure ▶▶ Metabolic syndrome — high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol ▶▶ Heart disease

Primarily, obesity is caused by an imbalance between calorie intake and energy expenditure. When you eat more calories than you burn, you gain weight. So, the most common causes of obesity are overeating and lack of physical activity. There are other causes of obesity. People can become emotional eaters when they cannot handle the stress of their life, have a family history of obesity, or have friends who influence eating and exercising habits.

▶▶ Stroke

The different reasons for obesity can be summed up as follows:

▶▶ Cancer

1) Consuming too many calories

▶▶ Breathing disorders

2) Leading a sedentary lifestyle

▶▶ Gallbladder disease

3) Not sleeping enough

▶▶ Gynecological problems, such as infertility and irregular periods

4) Endocrine disruptors, such as some foods that interfere with lipid metabolism

▶▶ Erectile dysfunction and sexual health issues

5) Lower rates of smoking (smoking suppresses appetite)

▶▶ Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

6) Medications that make patients put on weight

▶▶ Osteoarthritis In addition, the quality of life for an obese person is severely diminished. You can’t do all the things you used to, you may be shy and not want to be in public, or you may even be discriminated against. Other obesity related issues that can affect your quality of life include the following: ▶▶ Depression ▶▶ Disability ▶▶ Sexual problems ▶▶ Shame and guilt ▶▶ Social isolation ▶▶ Lower work achievement When taken together, these risks show that being obese puts diminishes the quality of your life. Causes of Obesity

7) Obesity is self-perpetuating 8) Obesity gene Obesity and a Probiotics Deficiency There is also research available that strongly suggests a connection between gut health and obesity. Studies have demonstrated that obesity is associated with an imbalance and lower bacterial diversity in the intestinal tract. In obese people, low bacterial gene richness is associated with more marked overall obesity, impaired glucose regulation, and higher overall body inflammation. Gut bacteria produce important nutrients like vitamin K and some B-vitamins. They also break down fiber the body doesn’t digest, transforming it into useful short-chain fatty acids. There are two families of good bacteria that affect body weight: Firmicutes and

Bacteroidetes. Studies have found that individuals with a healthy weight have different gut bacteria than overweight or obese people. In those studies, people with obesity had more of one type (firmicutes) and fewer of the other type (bacteroidetes), compared to those with a healthy weight. These studies suggest that gut bacteria could play a significant role in weight regulation. How Do Probiotics Prevent Obesity? A study published in Nutrition and Metabolism investigated the gut flora phenomenon in weight regulation. Researchers found that gut flora is strongly affected by dietary patterns. A high-fat and high-sugar diet increases Firmicutes at the expense of Bacteroidetes, but low-calorie diets increased the abundance of Bacteroidetes in obese individuals. The researchers also found that the human intestinal ecosystem can be altered within a single day of changing from a high-fat, highsugar diet, to a plant based, low-calorie diet. They also found that subjects with healthier diets showed fewer instances of metabolic problems than can lead to obesity. The body of evidence suggests that associations exist between intestinal microflora function and health issues linked to obesity, such as atherosclerosis, insulin resistance, and lowgrade chronic inflammation. The low-grade inflammation seems to be a significant factor in metabolic problems that can lead to obesity. Other research suggests that there are specific probiotic strains that can help prevent obesity. Some researchers believe that certain probiotics can inhibit the absorption of fat, increasing the amount of fat excreted from the body. Probiotics may also fight obesity in other ways: ▶▶ Release of GLP-1: Probiotics may help release the appetite-reducing hormone GLP-1. Increased levels of this hormone may help you burn calories and fat. ▶▶ Increase of ANGPTL4: Probiotics may DECEMBER 2018 59

LIFESTYLE

increase levels of the protein ANGPTL4. This may lead to decreased fat storage. By improving gut health, probiotics may reduce systemic inflammation and protect against obesity and other diseases. Nutritionists at Healthline.com suggest the following conditions can be significantly helped by probiotics – and many of these are linked to obesity: ▶▶ Inflammation: Probiotics have been shown to reduce systemic inflammation, a leading driver of many diseases. ▶▶ Depression and anxiety: The probiotic strains Lactobacillus helveticus and Bifidobacterium longum have been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression in people with clinical depression. ▶▶ Blood cholesterol: Several probiotics have been shown to lower total and LDL cholesterol levels. ▶▶ Blood pressure: Probiotics have also been shown to cause modest reductions in blood pressure.

60 DECEMBER 2018

▶▶ Immune function: Several probiotic strains can enhance immune function and lead to reduced risk of infections, including the common cold. ▶▶ Skin health: There is some evidence that probiotics can be useful for acne, rosacea and eczema, as well as other skin disorders. ▶▶ The Overall Solution: A Healthy Lifestyle ▶▶ The best and safest way to fight obesity is with a commitment to a lifestyle of healthy diet and exercise. Losing weight and keeping it off safely should include several features: ▶▶ The diet should be safe ▶▶ The weight-loss program should be directed toward a slow, steady weight loss ▶▶ The program should include plans for weight maintenance after weight-loss ▶▶ The program includes a probiotic that balances your gut flora Studies have found that certain strains of

bacteria can help you reduce weight. In one study, women taking probiotics lost 50% more weight compared to the placebo group. But choose your probiotic with caution. Some studies found that certain probiotic strains like Lactobacillus acidophilus (the main strain in yogurt) can lead to weight gain. Before adding a probiotic, do appropriate research and talk with professionals familiar with the various probiotic formulae available on the market. Conclusion You can be confident that, beyond diet and exercise, supplementing with probiotics is another way to increase weight-loss and decrease obesity. But it’s important that anyone seeking to use probiotics in combination with a weight-loss program check with his or her physician prior to beginning a program. Stopping the pandemic of obesity in Australia will require education of the general public, not only on healthy eating and appropriate exercise, but also on the health benefits of probiotics.

THE KPI INSTITUTE’S PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS

Framework v 2.0 2015

This program is meant to improve the practical skills in working with KPIs and developing instruments like scorecards and dashboards. Participants will acquire a sound framework to measure KPIs, starting from the moment they are selected, until results are collected in performance reports.

Certified Performance Improvement Professional

C-PM

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

Framework v 1.0 2015

This course offers insights and best practices for improving performance in different scenarios, from data analysis and reporting, decision making and initiative management, to building a performance culture.

Certified Employee Performance Management Professional

C-EPM

EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

Framework v 1.0 2015

Attendees will gain exposure to best practices and key concepts and will learn how to establish and use criteria for performance evaluations, from implementation to improvement and maintenance of the company’s employee performance management system.

Certified Personal Performance Professional

C-PP

PERSONAL PERFORMANCE

Framework v 1.0 2015

The two-day interactive program will help you understand personal performance, by explaining the benefits and clarifying the process of measuring it. It focuses on identifying ways to boost your performance outside working hours.

Certified Data Visualization Professional

C-DV

DATA VISUALIZATION

Framework v 1.0 2015

An exclusive framework that provides insights on effective visual communication, through a rigorous approach to creating visual representations of vast information, techniques of standardization and tailored data visualization tools.

C-DA

Attendants will understand through practical learning how to effectively collect, analyze and interpret data by enabling managers/ analysts to draw insights from both quantitative and qualitative data, based on historical statistics and trend analysis.

Certified Benchmarking Professional

BENCHMARKING C-B

C-KPI

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Framework v 1.0 2015

Benchmarking methodological uniqueness is represented by the identification and analysis of the processes that lead to a superior performance of a company, offering the opportunity to compare an organization’s performance against industry competitors.

Certified Supplier Performance Professional

SUPPLIER PERFORMANCE C-SP

Certified KPI Professional and Practitioner

DATA ANALYSIS

Framework v 1.0 2015

Participants’ skills in managing supplier performance and developing a strategic approach to procurement will be developed by enabling the identification of performance gaps and implementing action agreements with suppliers.

Certified Customer Service Performance Professional CUSTOMER SERVICE PERFORMANCE C-CSP

Framework v 1.0 2015

The course will help improve the business planning process and long-term organizational performance, through the use of strategic planning tools that will ultimately lead to smarter and quicker strategic decisions.

Framework v 1.0 2015

Participants will not only understand the importance and implementation phases for the Customer Service Excellence standards, but they will be given the necessary tools to implement it internally and measure its impact externally.

Certified Performance Audit Professional

PERFORMANCE AUDIT

C-PA

C-SBP

STRATEGY & BUSINESS PLANNING

Certified Data Analysis Professional

Performance Maturity Model Framework v 2.0 2017

This educational program presents a rigorous approach to diagnosing and auditing the maturity of performance architectures for 5 capabilities: strategic planning, performance measurement, performance management, performance culture and employee performance management.

Certified Balanced Scorecard Management System Professional

BALANCED SCORECARD MANAGEMENT C-BSC

Certified Strategy and Business Planning Professional

LIFESTYLE

Framework v 1.0 2015

The course focuses on delivering all the information needed to fully comprehend the value of the Balanced Scorecard, as well as on developing the necessary skills for a successful implementation.

To browse through our upcoming training courses visit our online store at: marketplace.kpiinstitute.org/scheduled-courses DECEMBER 2018

LIFESTYLE

5 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH WITH DANDELION ROOT KATIE STONE nitially thought of as only a common weed, Imore extracts from dandelion plants have become and more present in today’s healthcare

industry. While for many this view persists in present day times, modern medicine has generally adopted this representative of the Daisy family and is making good use of the many medicinal benefits its root, leaves and flowers offer. Dandelion root had long been used in Korean and Chinese herbal medicine to improve energy levels and overall wellbeing. Therefore, let’s see how we can take note of this and use nature’s remedies to improve our nutrition, as well as our general health levels. Liver Health Dandelion root helps to improve liver function by speeding the body’s ability to remove toxins. It also helps to increase the production of bile. A Korean study on mice found that it helps prevent damage to the liver caused by environmental toxins such as alcohol and chemicals. It appears that its high concentration of antioxidants can protect liver cells, as well as warding off free radicals that can harm the cells. When tested in rabbits on a high-cholesterol diet, treatment with dandelion root was found to improve plasma antioxidant enzyme activities and lipid profile.

62 DECEMBER 2018

The researchers concluded that dandelion has many potential hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects. It also appears to protect against oxidative stress linked atherosclerosis as well decrease the atherogenic index. From a nutritional standpoint, it also contains a variety of vitamins and nutrients that help to cleanse the liver and keep it working properly. Kidney Health Dandelion root is a powerful diuretic, which means it helps to increase the amount of water and salt expelled from the body as urine. In fact, it is so effective, it has been used as a diuretic for over 2000 years in both Traditional Chinese Medicine and in Ayurvedic medicine. It allows the kidney to eliminate toxins more efficiently. Medical herbalists use it to treat urinary and renal diseases by enhancing the renal elimination of fluids. Reducing Cholesterol Dandelion root can help to reduce high cholesterol levels. A study in which rabbits were fed a high-cholesterol diet and supplemented with dandelion root resulted in a significant improvement in the rabbits’ health.

The root appeared to reduce total cholesterol levels, including triglycerides and “bad” LDL cholesterol. The rabbits also showed an increase in beneficial HDL cholesterol. Urinary Health Dandelion root may help to prevent urinary tract infections, as well as bladder disorders and other kidney issues. Because the root helps reduce uric acid whilst also stimulating urine production, it can be beneficial for fighting bacterial infections within the digestive tract and reproductive organs. Although scientific evidence is somewhat lacking, there is an abundance of anecdotal reports from women who have used dandelion root to help remedy recurring UTIs or other infections. Some natural health practitioners also say that dandelion root may help to prevent cysts on reproductive organs. Antibacterial On top of its many other health benefits, dandelion root is also thought to harbor antimicrobial properties that can help slow or stop the growth of pathogenic bacteria. Research by physiotherapists has found that dandelion root can be especially effective in fighting off certain strains of bacteria that can lead to staph infections and other foodborne illness.

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DECEMBER 2018 63

RECOMMENDED

RECOMMENDATIONS

The following is a list of must-haves for your reading list going into 2019: 3

1. The ETTO Principle: Efficiency-Thoroughness TradeOff: Why Things That Go Right Sometimes Go Wrong

2. Answering Why: Unleashing Passion, Purpose, and Performance in Younger Generations

The ETTO Principle looks at the common trait of people at work to adjust what they do to match the conditions - to what has happened, to what happens, and to what may happen. It proposes that this efficiency-thoroughness trade-off (ETTO) usually sacrificing thoroughness for efficiency - is normal. While in some cases the adjustments may lead to adverse outcomes, these are due to the very same processes that produce successes, rather than to errors and malfunctions.

If you've ever struggled to motivate the young people in your sphere of influence, Answering Why is the game-changer you've been looking for. From the urgent skills gap crisis to the proven strategies to inspire our youngest generations, Answering Why addresses the burning questions faced by educators, employers, and parents everywhere.

By Erik Hollnagel

By Mark C. Perna

3. From Hire to Fire and Everything in Between 4. Rewarding Performance: Guiding Principles; Second Edition: Managing the Employee Life Cycle Custom Strategies By Robert J. Greene - Hire, Manage, Well Being & Exit By Natasha Hawker

The barrier to start a business is at its lowest but the task to start, build and run one is as difficult as it has ever been. From 'Hire to Fire & Everything In Between' reveals Natasha's 9 Step Employee Life Cycle, which shares everything you need to know about Human Resources and makes managing your employees' career journey easier and more straightforward.

5. Value Creation through Executive Development By Solomon Akrofi

The ability of organizations to generate long-term value and growth depends to a very large extent on the capacity of the executive cohort to conceive and implement strategic initiatives through a well-motivated and enabled workforce. However, generating consistent value in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) and rapidly evolving digital economic landscape can prove to be quite the challenge, which this book strives to take head on.

64 DECEMBER 2018

Building on evergreen principles, concepts, and strategies of performance and rewards management, the second edition of Rewarding Performance is a clear guide to how strategies must be adjusted to align with new realities, and programs revised to ensure their effectiveness. Among other aspects, this second edition also addresses the rise of the "gig economy," which has challenged organizations to brand themselves as employers of choice.

6. Counterproductive: Time Management in the Knowledge Economy By Melissa Gregg

As online distractions increasingly colonize our time, why has productivity become such a vital demonstration of personal and professional competence? When corporate profits are soaring but worker salaries remain stagnant, how does technology exacerbate the demand for ever greater productivity? Melissa Gregg explores how productivity emerged as a way of thinking about job performance at the turn of the last century and why it remains prominent in the different work worlds of today.

Performance Magazine, Printed Edition. Thirteenth issue, December, 2018. Content: News. Bringing KPIs to Mauritius – a TKI & Soft Skills Consultants Partnership. Microsoft Surpassing Apple as the MVP of tech. Uber has decided to go public. Wearables opportunities for the US medical industry. Artificial Intelligence and Retail. Cover Story. Decision-Making: An Applied Case of Problem-Analysis and Solutions Finding. Interviews. Performance Management. Practitioner Interview: Franklin Rodriguez. Consultant Interview: Martín Balcázer. SEO Performance: Tom Buckland. Portrait. Gunnulf Rasmussen, Group Vice President at Corporater, Norway. Performance Management – the fine art of understanding business drivers. Articles - AI Performance. Three Key Processes Defining AI and Business. The Difference between Deep Learning and Machine Learning. How AI is Already Central to the Biggest Companies. Employee Management Performance. 7 Quick Tips About Building Motivation Among Your Employees. How to run effective employee appraisals. Office Drama: How to Deal With a Difficult Coworker. KPI Performance. 8 KPIs to Measure the Success of Your Customer Service Team. 10 Most Important KPIs for Content Marketing. Which KPIs Are Ideal for a Successful Social Media Campaign. Strategy. Amazon Growth Strategies – Bringing More Visitors to Your Listings. How to Develop a Perfect Mobile App Strategy for Your Business. Technology: Helping You Build Lasting Relationships with Your Employees. Marketing Performance. Why Social Networking is Important for Your E-Commerce Business? Sales & Tech. Career and Job Predictions for 2019. KPIs – Human Resources. # Management-to-staff ratio. % New hire failure. % Employee cost over sales revenue. Business Consulting. $ Cost of services delivered. $ Delivery overhead costs. % Consulting hours generating revenue. Accounting. # Days in accounts receivable. # Berry ratio. # Liquidity ratio. Lifestyle. Personal purpose, mission and vision and how to live by your values. Daily routines, productivity and personal performance. Helpful hacks to boost your memory. Recommended Books. The ETTO Principle: Efficiency-Thoroughness Trade Off: Why Things That Go Right Sometimes Go Wrong, by Erik Hollnagel. Answering Why: Unleashing Passion, Purpose, and Performance in Younger Generations, by Mark. C. Perna. From Hire to Fire and Everything in Between Second Edition: Managing the Employee Life Cycle – Hire, Manage, Well Being & Exit, by Natasha Hawker. Rewarding Performance: Guiding Principles; Customer Strategies, by Robert J. Greene. Value Creation through Executive Development, by Solomon Akrofi. Counterproductive: Time Management in the Knowledge Economy, by Melissa Gregg. Keywords: Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Balanced Scorecard. Performance Management. Performance Measurement. Strategy. Employee Performance Management. Personal Performance Management. Balanced Scorecard Management System Performance. Measurement. Management. Business Intelligence. Education. Solution. Problem-solving. Decision-making. Project Management. Project Planning. KPI Selection. KPI Documentation. KPI Evaluation. Data gathering. Data presentation. Expert Interviews. Academics. Consultants. Events. Research. Mission. Vision. Strategy. Best know-how. Data and Facts. Common Sense. Data Accuracy. Performance Magazine Focus Categories: Editorials. Articles. News. Interviews. Multimedia. Strategy. Balanced Scorecard. KPI. Organizational Performance. Operational Performance. Individual Performance. Personal Performance. Around the World. The KPI Institute’s Professional Certification Programs. Certified Strategy and Business Planning Professional. Certified KPI Professional and Practitioner. Certified Performance Improvement Professional. Certified Employee Performance Management Professional. Certified Personal Performance Professional. Certified Data Visualization Professional. Certified Data Analysis Professional. Certified Benchmarking Professional. Certified Supplier Performance Professional. Certified Customer Service Performance Professional. Certified Innovation Performance Professional. Certified Balanced Scorecard Management System Professional.