Making IT Work

Is That A Phone In Your Pocket Or Are You Happy To See Me?

Pedro Cardoso — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 18:10:00 GMT

There is no doubt about it, I am a geek, techie, engineer...But in this connected world, are you really connecting or are you actually disconnecting? ...(read more)

IBM Hypes Cognos 10, Looks Over Shoulder Sees Ballmer's Head!

Pedro Cardoso — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 12:37:00 GMT

I love working with top BI and Data Management talent - knee deep and waist high in informatics and data models. Living the dream I tell you. With IBM's big pending Cognos 10 announcement, are they living the dream or waking from a nightmare that includes Ballmer's bobbing head?? ...(read more)

Will The Thinkpad W510 Finally Bring Me Laptop Satisfaction?

Pedro Cardoso — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 22:00:00 GMT

The fact is when you're busy Making IT Work you need a tool you can depend on - after putting the Apple Macbook, HP Envy & Dell Lattitude through their paces, the Lenovo Thinkpad came out on top. A 25% online coupon code didn't hurt either... ...(read more)

Windows Phone 7 Will Save Us From The Zombies?

Pedro Cardoso — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 15:15:00 GMT

The iPhone, Blackberry and Android phones have turned us into detached inwardly focused zombies that wander the streets putting themselves and others in danger. Enter Windows Phone 7 to save us all from this existence. Really? Seriously? ...(read more)

ME.Brand - We All Remember The Bling-Bling

Pedro Cardoso — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 01:43:00 GMT

You're an IT superstar with a lot to offer. You want to make a great first impression and distinguish yourself from the pack. Your ME.Brand might just need some Bling-Bling to make that happen... ...(read more)

ME.Brand - Step 3: Walking The Talk

Pedro Cardoso — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 19:00:00 GMT

When it comes to building your ME.Brand, the most important thing to keep in mind that this is about YOU - and this is a fact that needs to stick. Just as the Heath brothers emphasize in their recent book Switch, it isn't enough for your intellectual side (or "Rider" as the metaphor goes in the book) to acknowledge it but you need to truly believe it, which means the "Elephant" inside you has to get it too. ...(read more)

RIM Announces PlayBook Tablet - Batten Down The Hatches, We've Got A Real Tablet War On Our Hands!

Pedro Cardoso — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 21:38:00 GMT

We interrupt our ongoing series ME.Brand - Personal Branding for the IT Professional, to announce the official commencement of what will become down as the Tablet Wars... ...(read more)

Me.Brand - Step 2: Talking The Walk

Pedro Cardoso — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 17:30:00 GMT

What's that? YOU'RE from IT? Say, you don't look or sound like those other IT folk! You dress sharp - What do you do anyway? It's your M&M moment... ...(read more)

ME.Brand - Step 1:Defining What Makes You Special

Pedro Cardoso — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 18:45:00 GMT

What's that? You're Trust worthy? Honest? Customer Focused? Take a number IT hero. Want to be memorable? Better off saying you're Unreliable, Dishonest and Customer resenting IT professional. Now THAT would be memorable... ...(read more)

Why If "You Work In IT" Your Career May Be In Trouble

Pedro Cardoso — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 22:30:00 GMT

Coca-Cola - Microsoft - IBM - Apple - Nike. We know what the top brands stand for - they spend time to make sure we do. Most of us spend very little time thinking about our own personal brand. For most in IT, ask a friend or family member what they think we do and the answer normally is "We work in IT...or...We work with computers". What's your brand? ...(read more)

Making Presentations That Stick - It's About Credibility

Pedro Cardoso — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 03:13:00 GMT

When was the last time you sat through a presentation and once it was over, you weren't really sure what was expected, or even worse, still trying to figure out what the heck it was all about? Unfortunately, IT technologists as a group, are not recognized for their prowess as compelling and articulate story tellers and communicators. This is a perception, while not reality, all of us in IT leadership roles need to change... ...(read more)

Stop Death By PowerPoint - Make Your Presentations "suck" Less

Pedro Cardoso — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:56:00 GMT

They say that at any one moment there are approximately 1,000,000 presentations going on, and if you consider that over 50% of them "suck", that’s a lot of unhappy, bored people out there. All that hard work you put into that Powerpoint deck, that time spent editing, preparing your “talking points” - the angst you felt in the time leading up to “the event” where you just hoped, prayed even, that your presentation would not “suck”. And then it does suck. Or maybe “suck” is too strong a word - but your audience, just didn’t get the message. Yet another case of Death By Powerpoint. ...(read more)

Is MDM The New CRM? Demystifying This Latest ERP Buzzword

Pedro Cardoso — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:15:00 GMT

If there is one thing that has remained constant in my many years in IT, it is our industry's inexhaustible ability to come up with new buzzwords in brain numbing numbers. While within the walls of corporate IT, as senior IT leaders we work tirelessly on campaigns to demystify IT and drive functional transparency, it seems everyone else - from vendors to solution providers are intent on ensuring we continue to have our work cut out for us. Enter Master Data Management A.K.A MDM - heard of it? Chances are you are encountering this acronym with increasingly frequency wherever you turn... ...(read more)

The Workplace Of The Future Is Around The Corner

Pedro Cardoso — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 19:45:00 GMT

Organization. The word we have used to represent the model of how to best "organize" the activities of many around a common purpose or shared goal is undergoing a prolific transformation. In fact, the recent prediction from Gartner on what your workplace in 2020 will look like really comes as no news at all, and we can see it happening already today, all around us. Our role as IT professionals in stewarding organizations and increasingly, the society we live in through this transformation and change is both exciting and daunting. ...(read more)

Why You Should Blog (Even If Only Your Mom Reads It)

Pedro Cardoso — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 20:54:00 GMT

Blogging can be one of the best marketing tools you have - and in this job market, ways of supporting your brand (in particular free ones) can play a key role in distinguishing you from the pack. Last week I wrote about hard work being an opportunity and not an excuse. Blogging is an example of hard work... ...(read more)