Last week there was a similar article from Jonah Lehrer, author of How We Decide, pointing to a study on work-based predictors of mortality.  The newsworthy conclusion being drawn there was linking stress (which, as we all know, gets you to death’s door faster) with the perceived niceness of co-workers.  In short, the jerks you have to work with every day are killing you.

My mother always told me “you attract more flies with honey” and even if I hadn’t found that to be true, I don’t enjoy being mean and it rarely ever gets me what I want.  So being a jerk has never been a priority – in life or at work.  But all this workplace research makes me ask, how much does getting along with your co-workers really matter?  Is pay-for-performance about the work you do, what sex you are, or how you behave?

I’m tired of hearing that the technologies I have been relying on for years are practically dead. Studies show that that teenagers are using email less, but has anyone really thought about why? Because their primary use of email was to communicate short, immediate messages to their friends. I don’t think anyone would argue that email is the best medium for this type of communication. Instant Message, Texting, Tweeting or even a Facebook message are more efficient and effective. Let’s face it – unlike those of us with full time jobs, kids aren’t sitting in front of a computer most of the day, tracking their email messages.

But, just wait until they get into the working world, where they have to send around spreadsheets of data or collaborate on presentations and documents. We all know folks who use email as a document storage and retrieval system – much to the chagrin of the IT folks, who send those friendly threats about full Inboxes. ?

But, why does it matter? It matters because…

“They [teens] pick the method that works best for them at the moment, and teens are just more likely than older adults to choose a wider variety of tools to use, and that’s what’s really different.” – Amanda Lenhart, senior research specialist with the Pew Internet Project

I agree with Amanda that teens are most likely to, and more adept at, adopting new technologies and fitting them comfortably into their routines. But, we all want to use the best tool for the job at hand. Given the fast pace and competitive nature of business today, everyone needs to be using the most efficient and effective method for communication and collaboration.

SuccessFactors acquired CubeTree last year, knowing that it would have an immediate and significant impact on how companies bridge the gap between creating and executing a successful strategy. We use it heavily internally to collaborate on documents, broadcast questions and surveys and just keep up with each others’ projects. But, email isn’t going away. Like those teenagers, we all use it because it’s the best tool for the job at hand.

Which brings me to our latest release, which goes live on March 18, 2011. We’ve built both an email gateway and a SharePoint connector to CubeTree because we know that it’s more effective to connect the various communication and collaboration tools than to try to convince anyone to change how they work. I can scan my CubeTree feed from my email and send off a response or a question just by replying to a thread. No need to toggle to a different window. I can also drop a note on my CubeTree wall knowing the right folks will see it, whether it’s in their email, on their smart phone or their desktop. It’s extremely efficient, and I don’t have to give up my email habit. I also love that the SuccessFactors SharePoint connector gives me access to documents stored on SharePoint, both in CubeTree and on my BlackBerry, and I can even add comments or start a discussion, which I couldn’t do before. It’s turned our SharePoint library from static to dynamic – overnight.

So, let’s tone down the hype about dying technologies and let them live to do what they were designed for and do best. But, let’s act like teenagers, and embrace the new tools, when they are the best tools for the job at hand! This is where true business execution begins. You can check out our CubeTree social collaboration tool free here.

• Network for Good
• Mercy Corps (through Peace Winds Japan)
• Medical Teams
• Médecins Sans Frontières
• World Vision

Authorities fear that the powerful 8.9 earthquake and subsequent massive tsunami that struck Japan on Thursday, March 9th have left more than 10,000 people dead, many thousands homeless and millions without water, power, heat or transportation.  The magnitude 8.9 quake is Japan’s worst-ever quake on record and the fifth-largest in the world since 1900.  Latest news reports the Japanese government has declared a state of emergency at two nuclear power plants.  Thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate due to fears of radioactive releases and continued strong aftershocks.

We here at SuccessFactors send out our hearts, thoughts and support to our customers, partners, employees and their families and all the victims who are affected and responding to the disaster.  SuccessFactors is announcing a 1:1 matching fund for SuccessFactors employees to double the impact of our financial contribution.  As we continue to monitor recovery efforts over the next few weeks, we will distribute the matching funds to an organization dedicated to high impact, direct relief at the local level.  We will send updates on our response and the recipient organization as details become available.

For further questions, please contact japanhelp@successfactors.com.

Rubbish In = Rubbish Out = Waste of Time.  Not much we can do about it, right?

Wrong.

The biggest problem in dealing with Data Quality is the tendency to do nothing: “Rubbish Out” gives you the perfect opportunity for a focused Data Quality effort.

Waiting for a Business Case for Data Quality management to build itself is like never brushing your teeth and waiting for a tooth ache before going to the dentist. Perhaps a better approach is to learn how to brush your teeth and look out for decay before it is too late.

Do this, if like your teeth, you would like to take care of your data:

• Write-down each complaint you receive about data quality and say, “THANK-YOU.”
• Get the person to explain what they would achieve with good information in the same context.
• Work out who owns the data – the Data Owner is someone senior from the line of business (not IT). If you are lucky, there will be Data Owner appointed Data Steward(s) either by line of business or function or both. This probably means that your organisation is placing some of the required focus on Data Quality. If not, find the closest thing – Business Analyst / Functional Analyst / Reporting Specialist. Note the Data Steward is not the Data Owner, rather the Data Owner’s appointed “Bull Dog”.
• Do a cost benefit analysis by Data Owner. Easier said than done but this does not need to be 100% accurate.  Look for easy wins.  The benefits almost always outweigh those identified at the outset.
• Do nothing if the benefits don’t outweigh the cost, but don’t throw away your cost benefit analysis – the process needs to be reviewed and repeated.
• Send your Data Owner(s) the results – whatever the outcome.
• Set-up a meeting with them to plan actions.

Organisations need to treat intangible Information Assets like their Fixed Assets on the Balance Sheet. Nurture your data and you will be rewarded with more efficient and successful decision making efforts and easier business execution.

An important step in this journey is integrating disjointed data assets. However, data integration alone is not sufficient. Data needs to be coupled to the context of the business. This can be achieved through a conceptual data model.  A conceptual data model will align and contextualize the relationship between an entity (person, place or thing) and the individual data elements that exist across multiple systems in a meaningful way.

In the context of human capital data, value can be derived from understanding an employee’s employment behaviours, organizational dealings and employment characteristics in the course of their lifecycle with an organization, from talent acquisition to separation. Add the ability to aggregate workforce data and you can uncover significant trends and use the information to find insights:  Do we have a pay for performance culture? Does engagement impact productivity? What recruitment sources produce the best performers?

In order to turn data into business insights, you must begin to treat your human capital data as a corporate asset to be valued and managed as with any other investment.

Not so at SuccessFactors – we’re getting ready for the launch of our talent management roadshows (entitled “Workforce Planning & Talent Acquisition: New Practices for a New Generation”), coming to 13 cities around North America. I’ll be speaking at the Minneapolis event on November 9^th and hope to attend a couple of other sessions.

Aimed at HR, Recruiting, and Finance leaders, these complimentary (free!), half-day, sessions are a little different than ones we’ve held previously.

Firstly, we’re delighted to partner with the Human Capital Institute (HCI), a renowned thought leader in the strategic talent management research space. Their speakers will bring a wealth of expertise, as well as the latest insights, to each event, giving attendees a unique opportunity to hear what leading HR functions are planning for 2011.

Secondly, we’ve brought together two of the hottest topics on the HR management agenda – talent acquisition and workforce planning. Together, these two terrains illustrate how both short- and long-term investments in the workforce can drive top and bottom-line results, improve employee productivity, and improve organizational agility (not to be overlooked in today’s fast-paced markets!).

If you’re in Recruiting, you’ll want to hear how firms are taking a fresh look at measuring the effectiveness of different sourcing channels, and how data-driven career pathing changes the balance of internal and external hires for critical job roles.

For those of you in Finance, the events offer the chance to learn how workforce planning is used to mitigate operational risks (through objective assessments of human capital risk factors) and predict the total cost of workforce.

HR leaders will find the mixture of research, company case studies, and lessons learned essential for validating (or challenging) your strategic plans for next year.

In short…’tis the season for learning… check out the SuccessFactors event homepage for a full listing of cities we’re coming to in the next 5 months. I hope to see many of you in Minneapolis the week after next.

Included in the list of reasons for why firms’ struggle to demonstrate true business impact of such programs is the absence of objective metrics, with one commentator wondering “I wonder how realistic some of the numbers being thrown around are”.

Earlier this year, in response to burgeoning interest in the topic, we facilitated a working session with 10 SuccessFactors Workforce Analytics clients on how they measure the business impact of wellness.

Here are some of the soundbites:

 “We track volume metrics: participation, programs in the area of prevention and protection care (diabetes, fitness challenges, weight management, tobacco, and well-being).”

 “One of the analytics we are looking at is the relationship between wellness program participation and BMI.”

 “We look at how many people have more than 1 risk, or 2 risks, or 3, or 4, or 5. Then we break it out by location.”

 “Currently, we track participation for various programs and campaigns, enrollments at gym, flu shots, wellness center, and fitness challenge.”

It was clear from our discussion that HR leaders lack many of the standardized financial, operational, and even individual measures developed for other HR programs – leadership development programs being a prime example –  and that sourcing wellness data is more challenging than normal due to privacy regulations.

Even so, many firms are laying the foundation for a suite of metrics – returns on investment, correlations with other human capital metrics, and even the number of lives saved.

Time will tell whether wellness programs are indeed a waste of time, but for now, we see it as an opportunity to break new ground in workforce analytics. I look forward to continuing the discussion.