воскресенье, 30 декабря 2012 г.
среда, 26 декабря 2012 г.
SKOLKOVO business school shares its plans for 2013!
One of the core SKOLKOVO business school’s results of the year 2012 was the graduation of the Startup academy-2, MBA-3 and EMBA-4 students. Congratulations again to our graduates on completing their studying!
We have a great amount of plans for 2013, and we’ll gladly share some of them with our readers.
After the return from winter holidays the fourth SKOLKOVO MBA class students can participate in an optional international module in China. From January 16 to 24 all comers will travel to Shanghai, where they can dive into the country’s real business environment and study its major particularities. Also in January EMBA-5 and EMBA-6 will attend the international module in the Silicon Valley (USA).
We have a great amount of plans for 2013, and we’ll gladly share some of them with our readers.
After the return from winter holidays the fourth SKOLKOVO MBA class students can participate in an optional international module in China. From January 16 to 24 all comers will travel to Shanghai, where they can dive into the country’s real business environment and study its major particularities. Also in January EMBA-5 and EMBA-6 will attend the international module in the Silicon Valley (USA).
среда, 12 декабря 2012 г.
Information Leadership: Inventing a New Media Code of Conduct
What is Information Leadership and how it impacts our perception you can find out from the article by Pierre Casse, Professor of leadership at the Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO, and Nataliya Berezovska, CEO at Detonate Ventures, and SKOLKOVO Executive MBA graduate, publushed in the "New marketing" magazine.
There is a little doubt that traditional public communication channels have a tremendous impact on the way people think, feel and behave. This is nothing new and has always been the case. Information can become knowledge and knowledge is power. This is becoming even more palpable since social networks and other user-generated web sites have become so ubiquitous across the world. People read, watch and listen to the news as well as to the countless comments made by a myriad of people across the spectrum of events, from local to global, and whilst absorbing this information consumers often fail to realize the extent of the impact such information may have on them. As such they may become brainwashed into interpreting reality in such a way.
Nevertheless the freedom of expression is a vital component in any democratic system. With respect to the World Wide Web, the United Nations’ Council on Human Rights has recognized the right of all people to connect to the Internet as a medium of expression. However, we must accept that access to such an abundance of information, coupled with the fact that interpretation is subjective and control of information flow is limited, can have an adverse effect on the proper functioning of any democratic system.
“What’s worse than a the lack of tolerance is the excess of tolerance” VoltaireThe Power of the Media
There is a little doubt that traditional public communication channels have a tremendous impact on the way people think, feel and behave. This is nothing new and has always been the case. Information can become knowledge and knowledge is power. This is becoming even more palpable since social networks and other user-generated web sites have become so ubiquitous across the world. People read, watch and listen to the news as well as to the countless comments made by a myriad of people across the spectrum of events, from local to global, and whilst absorbing this information consumers often fail to realize the extent of the impact such information may have on them. As such they may become brainwashed into interpreting reality in such a way.
понедельник, 12 ноября 2012 г.
Mikhail Kusnirovich: “Each morning teaches us something”
Last week Mikhail Kusnirovich, Founding partner of the SKOLKOVO business
school and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bosco di Ciliegi group of
companies, met students of the SKOLKOVO MBA and EMBA programmes and
eagerly answered all their questions. Below you can find the brightest quotes from
the performance of Mr. Kusnirovich.
At first it was important to be self-sufficient, then the guideline has changed to being in demand.
The attachment to family life in company should definitely exist, it does not let as use all the competitive advantages, but it is an advantage itself.
It is really significant to love people, it is beneficial. Endeavour for others, be responsible for your commitments.
воскресенье, 11 ноября 2012 г.
Open lecture of Richard Reed “Building a Sustainable Business”
On October 27 an open lecture of Richard Reed, Co-founder of Innocent Drinks, “An Innocent Approach to Business.Building a Sustainable Business” took place on the SKOLKOVO business school Campus.
There were really many people interested in how three young 26 year old guys have managed to develop an enterprise on production and sale of smoothies (natural fruit cocktails without preservatives) starting from a homebrew business to the first position on the European market. Everybody would like to get to know the secret, how is it possible to become the niche leader with zero expense on advertising?!
First of all Ruchard has told about the corporate culture, internal communications and the company’s mission. The principles of Innocent Drinks are as follows: to hire A class people who share the company’s values, appreciate and support employees.
There were really many people interested in how three young 26 year old guys have managed to develop an enterprise on production and sale of smoothies (natural fruit cocktails without preservatives) starting from a homebrew business to the first position on the European market. Everybody would like to get to know the secret, how is it possible to become the niche leader with zero expense on advertising?!
First of all Ruchard has told about the corporate culture, internal communications and the company’s mission. The principles of Innocent Drinks are as follows: to hire A class people who share the company’s values, appreciate and support employees.
“95% of employees is proud to work at Innocent Drinks. It is not a that bad competitive advantage of the company!”
вторник, 23 октября 2012 г.
Alexander Voloshin: the biggest mistake people make is that they live in captivity of illusions about themselves
On October 19 Alexander Voloshin, member of the Coordination Council of the SKOLKOVO business school and Chairman of the Uralkali Board, held an informal meeting with SKOLKOVO students.
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Mr. Voloshin has discussed with the participants of the meeting Russia’s investment climate and problems that the modern society faces:
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Mr. Voloshin has discussed with the participants of the meeting Russia’s investment climate and problems that the modern society faces:
I believe that in the course of this year our society has made a huge step forward, it has started to keener respond to what is going on.
The investment climate is still rather nasty, and not because the government does not want to improve it, but because it is the Soviet Union heritage.
пятница, 19 октября 2012 г.
Dr. Pehong Chen, CEO of BroadVision: "You just need to think bigger"
On October 6 during the SKOLKOVO Open Day we had a great chance to talk to one of the most famous online-business entrepreneurs Dr. Pehong Chen, CEO of BroadVision. So we asked him and Gary Fowler, SKOLKOVO Startup Academy mentor, a few questions about Russian entrepreneurship and the Silicon Valley impact on it.
- Good afternoon, Dr. Pehong Chen. Thank you for spending a few minutes on our quick interview.
P.C.: Hi, it’s also my pleasure to be a part of the SKOLKOVO Open Day.
- First of all, could you share with us your strategic plan for Russia and its market?
P.C.: Well, it’s not just about Russia, but also about other countries. We want to primarily work with partners rather than do direct sales as BroadVision is not a very big company. The thing is that it’s more important to establish an eco-system where many partners would work together. Especially in Russia that is a new market for us. Gary (Gary Fowler- editor’s note) is our new representative, country manager here, and his goal is to set up several partnerships for us, for example, with the government or other clients from different sectors and industries in order to have their own cloud. Basically, it calls for a more partner oriented approach than direct sales approach.
- Good afternoon, Dr. Pehong Chen. Thank you for spending a few minutes on our quick interview.
P.C.: Hi, it’s also my pleasure to be a part of the SKOLKOVO Open Day.
- First of all, could you share with us your strategic plan for Russia and its market?
P.C.: Well, it’s not just about Russia, but also about other countries. We want to primarily work with partners rather than do direct sales as BroadVision is not a very big company. The thing is that it’s more important to establish an eco-system where many partners would work together. Especially in Russia that is a new market for us. Gary (Gary Fowler- editor’s note) is our new representative, country manager here, and his goal is to set up several partnerships for us, for example, with the government or other clients from different sectors and industries in order to have their own cloud. Basically, it calls for a more partner oriented approach than direct sales approach.
суббота, 6 октября 2012 г.
SKOLKOVO Open Day
Dear friends, thank you all for coming! We hope that this event was helpful and interesting for you. All details coming soon in our blog.
четверг, 4 октября 2012 г.
SKOLKOKO Inspiration Day
On September 15 the SKOLKOVO business school celebrated its sixth anniversary. In honour of the event lots of activities, both formal and informal, were organized on the Campus. The day began with the presentation of student ID cards to the fourth MBA class. After that, guests took part in the open discussion “Creative Economy: Inspiring Entrepreneurship”. More detailed information about the official part of the day you can find on our website, and here we’d like to share with you the brightest impressions. So, let’s start with master classes!
We’ve already told our readers about the “Dialogues in the dark” project. And today we’d like to speak about the “Touching the Darkness” workshop. At the entrance participants had to hand in all the things that may glare or be a source of any light – mobile phones, watches, etc. And then a group of six people had to make a column, put their left hand on the shoulder of the person staying in front and to hold on the wall with their right hand, walking behind the curtain where they were awaited by total darkness and a blind guide – Evgeny. The pitch darkness weirdly has not dispersed neither in ten minutes, nor in half an hour. The ultimate aim was a round table where the participants had to sit next to each other in the alphabetic order in accordance with their names. Actually it was the first task of the training. As a result everybody got to know each other really quickly.
An interesting fact: communicate with each without actually seeing your opponent is much easier than under usual circumstances. At the table an easy and free atmosphere set in, and all the following tasks were implemented with laugh and jokes. Besides, the tasks were captivating and had something in common with the “Do you know what I mean” game. We had to divide into groups vegetables by their kind or find a match for the socks we got without touching your partner’s socks, just describing their “appearance”, which was possible only by touch.
We’ve already told our readers about the “Dialogues in the dark” project. And today we’d like to speak about the “Touching the Darkness” workshop. At the entrance participants had to hand in all the things that may glare or be a source of any light – mobile phones, watches, etc. And then a group of six people had to make a column, put their left hand on the shoulder of the person staying in front and to hold on the wall with their right hand, walking behind the curtain where they were awaited by total darkness and a blind guide – Evgeny. The pitch darkness weirdly has not dispersed neither in ten minutes, nor in half an hour. The ultimate aim was a round table where the participants had to sit next to each other in the alphabetic order in accordance with their names. Actually it was the first task of the training. As a result everybody got to know each other really quickly.
An interesting fact: communicate with each without actually seeing your opponent is much easier than under usual circumstances. At the table an easy and free atmosphere set in, and all the following tasks were implemented with laugh and jokes. Besides, the tasks were captivating and had something in common with the “Do you know what I mean” game. We had to divide into groups vegetables by their kind or find a match for the socks we got without touching your partner’s socks, just describing their “appearance”, which was possible only by touch.
среда, 3 октября 2012 г.
Tinkers50: W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne
New week and new experts from Top management thinkers ranking.
Do not forget to visit our exhibition at SKOLKOVO Open day.
2. W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne Professors of strategy and management and authors of Blue Ocean strategy.
“A blue ocean strategy is about pursuing differentiation and low cost simultaneously. In contrast, in competitive strategy, differentiation is achieved by providing higher value at a higher cost.”
“A blue ocean strategist does not gain insights about reconstructing market boundaries by looking at existing customers, but by exploring noncustomers.”
Blue ocean strategy: how to creat uncontested market space and make the competition irrelevant
W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne
Harvard Business School Press,
2005 xv, 240 pages
ISBN: 9781591396192
2. W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne Professors of strategy and management and authors of Blue Ocean strategy.
“A blue ocean strategy is about pursuing differentiation and low cost simultaneously. In contrast, in competitive strategy, differentiation is achieved by providing higher value at a higher cost.”
“A blue ocean strategist does not gain insights about reconstructing market boundaries by looking at existing customers, but by exploring noncustomers.”
Blue ocean strategy: how to creat uncontested market space and make the competition irrelevant
W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne
Harvard Business School Press,
2005 xv, 240 pages
ISBN: 9781591396192
вторник, 25 сентября 2012 г.
An expert from global ranking Thinkers50
Starting from now every week we will introduce an expert from global ranking Thinkers50. We will also recommend one book of each expert.
You can also visit the Thinkers50 exhibishion at SKOLKOVO Library during the SKOLKOVO Open Day which will be conducted on Saturday, October 6th!
CLAYTON M. CHRISTENSEN
World expert on innovation and growth.
CLAYTON M. CHRISTENSEN
World expert on innovation and growth.
It’s easier to hold to your principles 100% of the time than it is to hold to them 98% of the time. If you give in to “just this once,” based on a marginal cost analysis, you’ll regret where you end up. You’ve got to define for yourself what you stand for and draw the line in a safe place.
You may hate gravity, but gravity doesn’t care.
понедельник, 24 сентября 2012 г.
SKOLKOVO Entrepreneurial Club meeting. September 2012.
Last week a long-awaited SKOLKOVO Entrepreneurial Club meeting took place for the first time after the summer holidays. Lots of thanks to all of our guests and experts for an intensive and fruitful evening! Special thanks to the SKOLKOVO Startup Academy graduates who “were sold like hot cakes” and eagerly shared their impressions from the Silicon Valley trip and their success stories.
That time we had Taso Du Val, founder of TopTal, as a foreign speaker. Taso talked about difficulties of a startup launch in the Silicon Valley and about advantages of the Russian market. At the moment Taso is starting his business in Russia, and at that he mentioned that he had managed to cope with the local shortcomings using his Valley connections, so, chalk up!
That time we had Taso Du Val, founder of TopTal, as a foreign speaker. Taso talked about difficulties of a startup launch in the Silicon Valley and about advantages of the Russian market. At the moment Taso is starting his business in Russia, and at that he mentioned that he had managed to cope with the local shortcomings using his Valley connections, so, chalk up!
You have to understand why you’re launching this particular product in the USA and in Russia. Without understanding the market no success will be gained.
вторник, 18 сентября 2012 г.
SKOLKOVO MBA IV Movie Awards
Last week a really creative and bright event took place on our Campus – the SKOLKOVO Movie Awards where the MBA-4 students displayed their short films about the upcoming studying. For you to know the Movie Awards is a part of the students’ joint work within a team-building course. And it seems that they have coped with that task excellently!
The students split into three groups, and each of them presented to the jury its video. The first team, Mandarin production, shot a story in the style of classical silent movies. The main character of the film, the charismatic artist named Guran, is experiencing all the delights of living in Russia, gets arrested by the police and falls in love with a charming SKOLKOVO employee.
The second team presented the film called “One upon a time” that tells a story of a young Indian girl who has dreamt of becoming a Russian entrepreneur. Despite all the resistance and discontent of her brothers, the courageous girl set off for the far Russia in order to study at the SKOLKOVO business school, graduate and save her ill grandmother by means of her own startup project. In the end, obviously, everybody was dancing and smiling.
The third film by the REDD team was full of pursuits and adventures. Guys decided to shoot the next chapter of the famous American film “Man in Black” and presented to the audience their “MIB IV”. The idea is that some bad guys have kidnapped the SKOLKOVO President, and brave agents, man in black, are to save him. In the end, after pursuits and exiting fights the evil portrayed by a beautiful stranger with a band on her eye is defeated. However the team makes a slight hint that the film is going to be continued. To cut a long story short, the film is an excellent example of American action thrillers!
The students split into three groups, and each of them presented to the jury its video. The first team, Mandarin production, shot a story in the style of classical silent movies. The main character of the film, the charismatic artist named Guran, is experiencing all the delights of living in Russia, gets arrested by the police and falls in love with a charming SKOLKOVO employee.
The second team presented the film called “One upon a time” that tells a story of a young Indian girl who has dreamt of becoming a Russian entrepreneur. Despite all the resistance and discontent of her brothers, the courageous girl set off for the far Russia in order to study at the SKOLKOVO business school, graduate and save her ill grandmother by means of her own startup project. In the end, obviously, everybody was dancing and smiling.
The third film by the REDD team was full of pursuits and adventures. Guys decided to shoot the next chapter of the famous American film “Man in Black” and presented to the audience their “MIB IV”. The idea is that some bad guys have kidnapped the SKOLKOVO President, and brave agents, man in black, are to save him. In the end, after pursuits and exiting fights the evil portrayed by a beautiful stranger with a band on her eye is defeated. However the team makes a slight hint that the film is going to be continued. To cut a long story short, the film is an excellent example of American action thrillers!
понедельник, 17 сентября 2012 г.
The 6th anniversary of the SKOLKOVO business-school
Last Saturday we celebrated the 6th anniversary of the SKOLKOVO business-school! Many thanks to our founding partners, advisory board, staff, students, alumni and all people who believe in SKOLKOVO! All this six years we were holding on to our mission "Helping successful people become more successful" and we promise to follow this idea every upcoming year.
On that day our MBA-4 students got their ID cards and officially became a part of the SKOLKOVO family! Andrey Rappoport, the SKOLKOVO President, and Andrey Volkov, the SKOLKOVO Dean, congratulated our students and wished them success in their studies. John V. Faraci, Chairman and CEO of International Paper, also congratulated our students and presented ID cards for the IPShip contest's winners.
Thank you all for celebrating with us! All details about these special events coming soon in our blog!
On that day our MBA-4 students got their ID cards and officially became a part of the SKOLKOVO family! Andrey Rappoport, the SKOLKOVO President, and Andrey Volkov, the SKOLKOVO Dean, congratulated our students and wished them success in their studies. John V. Faraci, Chairman and CEO of International Paper, also congratulated our students and presented ID cards for the IPShip contest's winners.
Thank you all for celebrating with us! All details about these special events coming soon in our blog!
вторник, 31 июля 2012 г.
GO INSIDE: Business without fairy-tales
Here's the article from the brand new issue of SKOLKOVO business-school corporate magazine GO INSIDE!
Keith Goodall, visiting professor at the Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO, tells how to manage a company in order to make it successful and explains why he is so fond of teaching at the SKOLKOVO Business-School.
пятница, 27 июля 2012 г.
GO INSIDE: On your marks!
Today we would like to introduce to you the article from the brand new issue of SKOLKOVO business-school corporate magazine GO INSIDE!, which includes three stories of SKOLKOVO students’ enterprises and the difficulties they had to face.
GO INSIDE: On your marks!
GO INSIDE: On your marks!
вторник, 24 июля 2012 г.
GO INSIDE: Startup Academy in faces
Here's the article from the brand new issue of SKOLKOVO business-school corporate magazine GO INSIDE!, devoted to the professors of SKOLKOVO Startup Academy, each of which is the acknowledged international expert in his field.
GO INSIDE: Startup Academy in faces
воскресенье, 22 июля 2012 г.
Interview with Arjun Nair, F1GMAT
Why did you choose SKOLKOVO MBA?
It is a school with a strong focus on entrepreneurship and at the same time the learning by doing approach gives you the opportunity to understand how businesses in different geographies ( India, China, US and Russia) work.
You gain a first hand knowledge on the business processes that define the company's daily operations, and get a chance to work on improving a particular processes or developing new strategic initiatives, etc depending on the scope of work defined by the client.
It is the program structure that really got me interested in the program.
How has been your experience till now (Class Experience, Curriculum and Value you received from the program)?
Class Experience - The class size is relatively small (20), which has its pro's and con's. But the caliber of the students representing 9-10 different nationalities is great.
Curriculum - The program structure as such is something very unique. Although, i would like to see some improvements in the academic support & project guidance provided during phases where we work with companies.
Value from the program - Working with different nationalities in different geographies in very different business environments and project requirements. I am sure i will be able to carry forward this gained experience and knowledge to help me in my professional life.
As an Indian student in SKOLKOVO, what has been some of the challenges and rewards of joining SKOLKOVO MBA?
A key personal challenge in the program, is to keep focus on your academics, as you can easily mistake the program for a nice long cross country vacation; maintaining a disciplined approach to your studies and your project performance will ensure that you would get the desired results at the end.
The MBA team and my classmates have been excellent, and made me feel just like back home.
Although, once you step out of the doors of campus, you would need to speak Russian, knowledge of English will not help you get around the city. Once you learn the language, get used to seeing a lot of snow and get introduced to Vodka, Moscow has a lot more to offer.
What advice would you give to MBA Aspirants and Indian students in particular about joining SKOLKOVO MBA program
Be clear on what your purpose is for joining a relatively new B-School in Russia, have a clear goal.
What advice would you give to MBA Aspirants and Indian students in particular about joining SKOLKOVO MBA program
Be clear on what your purpose is for joining a relatively new B-School in Russia, have a clear goal.
If you are a risk taker, who is against most conventional MBA's, this is great.
The program is great for entrepreneurship and there is a lot of opportunity to network with leading entrepreneurs in Russia and quite a few in Boston and at MIT.
The program is very well suited if you want to work ahead in Russia (with knowledge of Russian), if you would like to work outside Russia after the program, as of now the Skolkovo Brand reach might be comparatively lower in the international market.
The program is great for entrepreneurship and there is a lot of opportunity to network with leading entrepreneurs in Russia and quite a few in Boston and at MIT.
The program is very well suited if you want to work ahead in Russia (with knowledge of Russian), if you would like to work outside Russia after the program, as of now the Skolkovo Brand reach might be comparatively lower in the international market.
пятница, 20 июля 2012 г.
Personal development: summer reading
Fun to read these books also have a serious purpose. Find out more about how teams really work, how to be more creative, how to motivate yourself and others, how to communicate and finally how to switch off.
There is an I in team: what elite athletes and coaches really know about high performance
Mark de Rond
Harvard Business Review Press, 2012
xxii, 224 pages
ISBN: 9781422171301
What can sport teach us about teams? This book sheds new light on the inherent conflict between the team and the individuals within it and the challenge, for the leader, of making a team add up to more than the sum of its parts. Using examples from the world of professional sport the author looks at issues like why the best teams rarely ever comprise the best individual performers, why likability often overrides competence even in sophisticated environments, why everyone on the team is not equal, why a focus on harmony can harm a team’s performance and why a belief in luck can itself improve performance.
Search inside yourself: the unexpected path to achieving success, happiness (and world peace)
Chade-Meng Tan
HarperOne, 2012
xvi, 268 pages
ISBN: 9780062116925
This book is about the very popular personal development course at Google. The author was originally an engineer during Google’s start up phase but now, in his new post of “jolly good fellow”, helps Google employees get in touch with their feelings. The focus is on personal awareness achieved through meditation and mindfulness and on improved relations with others by gaining a better understanding of emotions and developing empathy.
inGenius: a crash course on creativity
Tina Seelig
HarperOne, 2012
216 pages
ISBN: 978006020703
Everything - every single word - provides an opportunity to leverage what you know to stretch your imagination. But many people have not been encouraged to think in this way. This book presents a set of tools, the “innovation engine”, taught at Stanford University, to enhance creativity. Creativity techniques are likened to the scientific method as being useful ways of formally developing everyone’s innate creative potential. Students learn how to polish their powers of observation, practice connecting and combining ideas, challenge their assumptions and reframe problems.
Drive: the surprising truth about what motivates us
Daniel H. Pink
Canongate, 2010
ixx, 242 pages
ISBN: 9781847677686
Money is of limited use as a motivator and can even have the effect of turning what could be fun into drudgery. This book discusses the importance of the intrinsic motivation of self direction, engagement and purpose. For the entrepreneur who needs to keep going in challenging circumstances and inspire others also, Pink provides both an understanding of motivation and a took kit to keep motivated.
Executive presence: the art of commanding respect like a CEO
Harrison Monarth
McGraw Hill, 2010
256 pages
ISBN: 9780071632874
Executive presence is a personal image which inspires respect. It is cultivated by self awareness, communication skills and managing perceptions. Everyone has a brand created by an amalgamation of the impressions they make on others but it is desirable to replace this "random" brand with a crafted one. This book describes how to pitch ideas, read people, manage conflict, convince others and increase one's reputation, in person and online. Practical suggestions include a seven day plan for improving one's Social IQ by focusing on a key aspect each day. Awareness of how people filter information, by their biases and previous experiences and of basic neurolinguistic techniques is critical for effective communication and obtaining buy-in.
Poke the box: when was the last time you did something for the first time?
Seth Godin
Do You Zoom, Inc, 2011
85 pages
ISBN: 978 1 936719006
This very short book by marketing guru Seth Godin encourages the reader to get started. Godin believes that a culture of compliance, established in factories for mass production and in other industries using the factory model, has robbed many people of their natural initiative. He identifies "instigation capital" as a key differentiator in the new project world; translating ideas into products or services which can "ship". The anecdotes and exhortations in the book are designed to overcome obstacles and inspire the reader with the necessary mindset to do this.
Obliquity: why our goals are best achieved indirectly
John Kay
Profile Books, 2011
210 pages; ISBN: 9781846682896
John Kay, economist, business school professor and Financial Times writer, presents his new approach to problem solving - obliquity. Obliquity is the best approach whenever complex systems evolve in an uncertain environment and whenever the effects of our actions depend on the ways in which others respond to them. Instead of approaching a solution head on, Kay recommends a process of iteration and adaption, choosing from a limited set of options and then reviewing the impact. The book is full of anecdotes pointing out the failures of the direct approach and the wide use of "Franklin's Gambit", the presentation of a logical rationale for a decision after the solution has already been made using the oblique approach.
Blah, blah, blah: what to do when words don’t work
Dan Roam
Portfolio, 2011
350 pages
978-1591844594
This is the new book from visual thinking expert Dan Roam, author of the Back of the napkin and Unfolding the napkin. Roam believes that words can get in the way of thinking: people can become overwhelmed by too much information or disengaged through boredom. Instead he describes how simple pictures can be much more effective at communicating complex ideas; a new grammar of vivid thinking. The key elements are: draw while talking; learn the basic elements of visual grammar, identify visually the essentials of an idea.
Rework: change the way you work forever
Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
Vermilion, 2010
279 pages, 9780091929787
The creators of popular web-based apps for small businesses, 37signals, identify a focus on the fundamental needs of a type of customer as the core of a successful business. But the operating principles they use are in contradiction to much established practice: minimize external funding; no five year plans; cut back on meetings; say no to customer proposed enhancements; turn some business away; use just the social media to build the audience. The book describes how this has worked for them.
Sleeping with your smartphone: how to break the 24/7 habit and change the way you work.
Leslie A. Perlow
Harvard Business School Publishing, 2012
vi, 265 pages
ISBN: 9781422144046
Do you feel you always have to be available to clients and colleagues? The cycle of responsiveness, while seemingly a necessary part of life for ambitious people, in reality detracts from the quality of work. This is the story of teams of consultants from Boston Consulting Group who worked together to ensure each one had some time each week to truly disconnect from work, “predictable time off”. There are two steps to the process: agreeing a goal of the time off to be had by each team member and regular discussions each week as to how this is working in practice. Statistics showed that those teams using the method both had much higher job satisfaction and also reported significantly higher scores of collaborative team work and team efficiency.
среда, 18 июля 2012 г.
GO INSIDE: The Other Side of the Screen
Here's the article from the brand new issue of SKOLKOVO business-school corporate magazine GO INSIDE!
Find out more about the new executive education module programme designed especially for sport broadcasting (sportivnoe veschanie), ANO:
GOinside5_ENG: The Other Side of the Screen
Find out more about the new executive education module programme designed especially for sport broadcasting (sportivnoe veschanie), ANO:
GOinside5_ENG: The Other Side of the Screen
понедельник, 16 июля 2012 г.
SKOLKOVO Startup Academy students’ first impressions
The SKOLKOVO Startup Academy students’ agenda is so busy that only at weekend they have found time to share their impressions with us! It is the first week in the Silicon Valley, but a lot of things have happened within those 7 days! Actually, it is impossible to name everything, which is why we suggest you follow the SKOLKOVO Startup Academy in Twitter where you can find live broadcasting from the lectures our students attend.
So, let us introduce Ekaterina Runova, SKOLKOVO Startup Academy first intake student, who has shared with us her impressions concerning the module in the Silicon Valley.
понедельник, 9 июля 2012 г.
SKOLKOVO open lecture: Stephen Carver
On June 23rd the open lecture “Brilliant Project Management: Fast Track to Success – Adapt or Die” by Stephen Carver, visiting professor at SKOLKOVO, professional in the project management sphere, took place at the SKOLKOVO business school.
Stephen Carver has spent the major part of his working activity in the real business environment and is still successfully running his own enterprise managing his consulting company that provide services in the project management area. Stephen sticks to the rule, “If you have never done it yourself, you must not teach anybody”.
As all participants think that lecture has been one of the most outstanding, it won a round of standing applause! Probably, the audience has highly appreciated Stephen’s performance as he cleverly mixed theory with real examples and sparkling jokes. The audience has perceived Stephen Carver’s analogy as he compared airplane control and project management with great interest as well. From Stephen Carver’s point of view, a project manager as a pilot brings his team or a whole company from point A to point B. You can find all the details regarding that theory in the book by Stephen Carver that will see the light in the beginning of 2013.
The audience was impressed with a visual experiment that Stephen applied to illustrate the “idea acceptance” process. Unfortunately, we do not have a video release of that open lecture that is why we suggest you watch a video release of a similar Stephen Carver’s performance at Skoll World Forum 2011:
Stephen Carver has spent the major part of his working activity in the real business environment and is still successfully running his own enterprise managing his consulting company that provide services in the project management area. Stephen sticks to the rule, “If you have never done it yourself, you must not teach anybody”.
As all participants think that lecture has been one of the most outstanding, it won a round of standing applause! Probably, the audience has highly appreciated Stephen’s performance as he cleverly mixed theory with real examples and sparkling jokes. The audience has perceived Stephen Carver’s analogy as he compared airplane control and project management with great interest as well. From Stephen Carver’s point of view, a project manager as a pilot brings his team or a whole company from point A to point B. You can find all the details regarding that theory in the book by Stephen Carver that will see the light in the beginning of 2013.
The audience was impressed with a visual experiment that Stephen applied to illustrate the “idea acceptance” process. Unfortunately, we do not have a video release of that open lecture that is why we suggest you watch a video release of a similar Stephen Carver’s performance at Skoll World Forum 2011:
среда, 20 июня 2012 г.
Advice on business literature from Helen Edwards
Here comes Helen Edwards with her new business literature recommendations. We wish you an exciting reading experience!
The start up owner's manual: the step-by-step guide for building a great company
Steve Blank and Bob Dorf
K & S Ranch, 2012.
608 pages
ISBN: 9780984999309
This comprehensive and authoritative books tells the new entrepreneur everything they need to know about starting a business. It provides a step by step guide to how to develop customers using tools such as the business model canvas and metrics for measuring results. A start up is not a small version of a big company and using standard product development and launch processes can lead to disaster. Instead it is critical to get out, talk to customers, experiment with what works and learn from mistakes.
Seeing the big picture: business acumen to build your credibility, career and company
Kevin Cope
Greenleaf Book Group Press, 2012.
vii, 184 pages.
ISBN: 9781608322466
Think of an employee who, in his own opinion, is doing an excellent job. Unfortunately without taking into account the big picture, such an employee may unwittingly be sabotaging his companies real goals - for example with a focus on efficiency and saving money rather than customer service and growth. The first part of this book describes the interplay of the 5 key drivers of any business: cash, profits, assets, growth and people. The second half shows how to use an understanding of these 5 drivers to better understand financial statements.
The power of habit: why we do what we do and how to change
Charles Duhigg
William Heinemann, 2012.
xx, 371 pages.
ISBN: 978043020362
Habits can become hard wired and difficult to change in both individuals and organisations. Investigative reporter Charles Duhigg shows how techniques such as changing one thing, making detailed plans for overcoming deficits in willpower and using habits to predict behaviour can have powerful effects. He tells the stories of Alcoa where the new CEO's focus on a single understandable issue, employee safety, had far reaching effects on entrenched behaviours across the company; how Starbucks rewrote their training manuals to focus on preparing employees for difficult and unpleasant customer interactions; and how Target uses its huge customer databases to predict life events and focus its marketing at the level of the individual.
Steve Blank and Bob Dorf
K & S Ranch, 2012.
608 pages
ISBN: 9780984999309
This comprehensive and authoritative books tells the new entrepreneur everything they need to know about starting a business. It provides a step by step guide to how to develop customers using tools such as the business model canvas and metrics for measuring results. A start up is not a small version of a big company and using standard product development and launch processes can lead to disaster. Instead it is critical to get out, talk to customers, experiment with what works and learn from mistakes.
Kevin Cope
Greenleaf Book Group Press, 2012.
vii, 184 pages.
ISBN: 9781608322466
Think of an employee who, in his own opinion, is doing an excellent job. Unfortunately without taking into account the big picture, such an employee may unwittingly be sabotaging his companies real goals - for example with a focus on efficiency and saving money rather than customer service and growth. The first part of this book describes the interplay of the 5 key drivers of any business: cash, profits, assets, growth and people. The second half shows how to use an understanding of these 5 drivers to better understand financial statements.
Charles Duhigg
William Heinemann, 2012.
xx, 371 pages.
ISBN: 978043020362
Habits can become hard wired and difficult to change in both individuals and organisations. Investigative reporter Charles Duhigg shows how techniques such as changing one thing, making detailed plans for overcoming deficits in willpower and using habits to predict behaviour can have powerful effects. He tells the stories of Alcoa where the new CEO's focus on a single understandable issue, employee safety, had far reaching effects on entrenched behaviours across the company; how Starbucks rewrote their training manuals to focus on preparing employees for difficult and unpleasant customer interactions; and how Target uses its huge customer databases to predict life events and focus its marketing at the level of the individual.
четверг, 14 июня 2012 г.
Negotiation Books Reviews
Here's a great new article written by Moty Cristal, our Professor of Professional Practice in Negotiation Dynamics, published on Forbes Russia. The original Russian version you can find here.
Dear Readers,
As many of you have requested that I'll review and recommend negotiation books, I've picked the most valuable books on my negotiation books' shelf. There are plenty of negotiation books. Most of them offer a "manual" of "how to…". However, I don't believe that there is a manual which can cover all the various scenarios that could be developing during a given negotiation process. Let alone when it is written from a cultural perspective, and you are trying to apply American negotiation tips to a negotiation session between a Russian business man and a Japanese business woman.
This is the reason that I've picked five different books which are bringing more "concepts" than "manuals". Once you read them, they are easily adjusted to the Russian, or any other, negotiation culture. Some of them were translated to Russian, however, as I'm not speaking Russian (yet..) I can't guarantee the quality of their cultural modification to the Russian business culture. In any case, I'm confident that you, as learned readers, will know how to do the required cultural modifications.
Getting to Yes (Roger Fisher, William Ury and Bruce Patton)
Probably the most classic and worldwide known book on negotiation, by the Harvard Negotiation Projects professors. The book, first published in 1981, turned the negotiation from a mathematical and quantitative art (See: Howard Raiffa, The Art and Science of Negotiations) to a popular science. The book states a four pillars methodology:
(1) Separate people from the problem. Meaning, look at the issues to be negotiated, rather than focus on the people because many times focusing on people divert your attention to the emotional level.
Dear Readers,
As many of you have requested that I'll review and recommend negotiation books, I've picked the most valuable books on my negotiation books' shelf. There are plenty of negotiation books. Most of them offer a "manual" of "how to…". However, I don't believe that there is a manual which can cover all the various scenarios that could be developing during a given negotiation process. Let alone when it is written from a cultural perspective, and you are trying to apply American negotiation tips to a negotiation session between a Russian business man and a Japanese business woman.
This is the reason that I've picked five different books which are bringing more "concepts" than "manuals". Once you read them, they are easily adjusted to the Russian, or any other, negotiation culture. Some of them were translated to Russian, however, as I'm not speaking Russian (yet..) I can't guarantee the quality of their cultural modification to the Russian business culture. In any case, I'm confident that you, as learned readers, will know how to do the required cultural modifications.
Getting to Yes (Roger Fisher, William Ury and Bruce Patton)
Probably the most classic and worldwide known book on negotiation, by the Harvard Negotiation Projects professors. The book, first published in 1981, turned the negotiation from a mathematical and quantitative art (See: Howard Raiffa, The Art and Science of Negotiations) to a popular science. The book states a four pillars methodology:
(1) Separate people from the problem. Meaning, look at the issues to be negotiated, rather than focus on the people because many times focusing on people divert your attention to the emotional level.
вторник, 5 июня 2012 г.
When negotiation is stuck!
Here's English version of article written by Moty Cristal, our Professor of Professional Practice in Negotiation Dynamics, published on Forbes Russia. The original Russian version you can find here.
Dear readers! If you are with me on this column, I guess that you have read some of my previous ones, and are interested to learn more. And this is communication. Not negotiations. I read your interesting comments and with some I agree and some makes me feel how challenging is providing negotiation tips in a written form, without the depth of the context. In negotiation, the context and the subtext are more important and influential than the text itself. An advice to a woman will be different from an advice to a man. A tip for an experienced salesman will be not be relevant for a guy who negotiates his salary, and a process design for a government official will not necessarily work in private sector.
So, here is my suggestion to you: while posting your comments, try not only to "shoot" but also to "talk". Try to direct me towards what is in your mind, what you are interested to learn about in the field of negotiations. From your comments, I've already picked issues for the next few columns: how to deal with difficult negotiators, how should I start my negotiations, what is the difference between the "art of sales" (which I'm not an expert..) and the art of negotiations, the main differences between a two-party process and multiparty negotiations, and even the need for a good summary of the existing books on negotiations, which 95% of them are written from an American perspective and require a significant adjustment when applied in Russia.
Now, imagine the following scene. They were sitting there, facing one another, and hardly said a word. It was obvious that both of them wanted the deal. It was obvious that the alternative was worse. It was obvious that they ran out of time, and it was clear to them that it will end with a compromise. But still, negotiations were stuck. No one wanted to make the first move. No one wanted to be perceived as the weak side. If you picture yourself in that situation, the first step out is to understand why negotiations are stalled.
Dear readers! If you are with me on this column, I guess that you have read some of my previous ones, and are interested to learn more. And this is communication. Not negotiations. I read your interesting comments and with some I agree and some makes me feel how challenging is providing negotiation tips in a written form, without the depth of the context. In negotiation, the context and the subtext are more important and influential than the text itself. An advice to a woman will be different from an advice to a man. A tip for an experienced salesman will be not be relevant for a guy who negotiates his salary, and a process design for a government official will not necessarily work in private sector.
So, here is my suggestion to you: while posting your comments, try not only to "shoot" but also to "talk". Try to direct me towards what is in your mind, what you are interested to learn about in the field of negotiations. From your comments, I've already picked issues for the next few columns: how to deal with difficult negotiators, how should I start my negotiations, what is the difference between the "art of sales" (which I'm not an expert..) and the art of negotiations, the main differences between a two-party process and multiparty negotiations, and even the need for a good summary of the existing books on negotiations, which 95% of them are written from an American perspective and require a significant adjustment when applied in Russia.
Now, imagine the following scene. They were sitting there, facing one another, and hardly said a word. It was obvious that both of them wanted the deal. It was obvious that the alternative was worse. It was obvious that they ran out of time, and it was clear to them that it will end with a compromise. But still, negotiations were stuck. No one wanted to make the first move. No one wanted to be perceived as the weak side. If you picture yourself in that situation, the first step out is to understand why negotiations are stalled.
понедельник, 4 июня 2012 г.
SKOLKOVO Startup Academy: the first module
The first course of SKOLKOVO Startup Academy started on the 1st of June, and today we are ready to draw up the results of the first programme unit. It should be reminded, that students have they evening sessions on Thursdays and Fridays and the whole day sessions on Saturdays and Sundays. They have already plunged into studying and were hot-eyed listening to the first lecturer, mentor of the Academy, Bob Dorf. Bob is a fabulous speaker, and his presentations are full of personal experience, challenging observations and large amount of real examples. Bellow you can see some major theses of Bob Dorf, which he noted during his presentations.
You should work as strong as possible, paying attention to customers’ reaction.
Excited costumers, who tell their friends about you – that’s what matters.
Search for a business model that makes sense and works.
A startup is a temporary organization used to search for a repeatable and scalable business model.
You should work as strong as possible, paying attention to customers’ reaction.
Excited costumers, who tell their friends about you – that’s what matters.
Search for a business model that makes sense and works.
A startup is a temporary organization used to search for a repeatable and scalable business model.
вторник, 29 мая 2012 г.
Report on SKOLKOVO Women Association and EWMD meeting
Recently a meeting of the SKOLKOVO Women Association and the European Women’s Management Development International Network has taken place at the SKOLKOVO business-school. It was dedicated to new opportunities for women in the modern world.
The event comprised three parts. In the beginning participants got acquainted with the activity of both organizations, and then Maria Mordvinova, leader of the SKOLKOVO Women Association, SKOLKOVO EMBA-3 graduate, told about how studying at the school had influenced her life and why the Women Association had been created.
“It is easier for women to make a successful career and create a family in Russia than in other countries”, said Maria Mordvinova.
After that PhD Maria-Therese Claes, leader of EWMD, held a great workshop on detection of opportunities for women in the modern world. First of all the workshop participants researched modern trends in the society that affect women and compared them with the actual Russian and European trends. Then PhD Claes suggested identifying new opportunities women may enjoy in the light of the described trends.
The event comprised three parts. In the beginning participants got acquainted with the activity of both organizations, and then Maria Mordvinova, leader of the SKOLKOVO Women Association, SKOLKOVO EMBA-3 graduate, told about how studying at the school had influenced her life and why the Women Association had been created.
“It is easier for women to make a successful career and create a family in Russia than in other countries”, said Maria Mordvinova.
After that PhD Maria-Therese Claes, leader of EWMD, held a great workshop on detection of opportunities for women in the modern world. First of all the workshop participants researched modern trends in the society that affect women and compared them with the actual Russian and European trends. Then PhD Claes suggested identifying new opportunities women may enjoy in the light of the described trends.
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