The "Huh?"
Factor
Talking to a techie requires two sets of skills. The first
barrier is understanding their language: CAT 5, DSL, VPN, etc. Once
you're past that roadblock, you've got to distill the
business benefits. Don't expect proficiency in the first area
to help you understand your techie's explanation of the
second.
According to a survey by ClarITeam Corp., 71 percent of
executives can't efficiently evaluate the performance of their
IT infrastructure. "It's actually more of a challenge for
small business than for the corporate folks," says Ray Boggs,
vice president of technology market research firm IDC.
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Unfortunately, the problem is getting worse as technology needs
increase. "Just when you're understanding processor speed
and memory, now what matters is networking speed, routers and
VPNs," says Boggs.
There's only one real solution. Find someone who can
translate the babble into English and match technology to your
needs. "If somebody can't explain the benefits to you in a
way you can understand, it's time to find somebody else,"
says Boggs. That may be your computer dealer or a consultant. Be
ruthless. As Boggs notes: "You're on the hook."
Strong Build
If the folks at Cleveland's Case Western Reserve University
are right, your office may need rearranging. The school hired Frank
Gehry-the world's hottest architect since the opening of his
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain-to design the Peter B. Lewis
Building for its Weatherhead School of Management.
The exterior incorporates Gehry's distinctive swirling
walls, but inside is where the revolution took place. "We were
trying to create an opportunity for the student to interact with
faculty and researchers to create knowledge," says management
professor Richard J. Boland Jr., the school's point man on the
project. "If you teach them a fact, they'll forget it in
six weeks. If they create the information, they will always
remember it."
"Serendipitous encounters often produce the most fruitful
exchanges," says Jim Glymph, a partner at Gehry Partners LLC.
"[Looking] at the layout of the building-which surrounds
classrooms and seminar rooms with faculty offices and student
areas-the circulation that's established creates opportunity
for mixing."
The combination of elements on each floor accomplishes its goal.
"Once you go in, you're amazed that you keep running into
people," says Weatherhead's dean, Mohsen Anvari.
The design also accommodates individuality. Gehry's team
watched top professors in the class. There was no common way they
taught, so some classrooms resemble traditional lecture halls,
others have a U-shaped seating design, and another's oval shape
encourages discussions among equals (think King Arthur's Round
Table).
Students can turn from their desks in certain halls to form
study groups with fellow scholars sitting behind them. Acoustic
consultants created canopies over discussion areas that help all
students hear comments.
Substitute employees for students and management for professors,
and the same principles could invigorate your business.
Business writer Chris Sandlund works out of
Cold Spring, New York.
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