A great post came across my twitter radar today, written by Sam Lawrence, forwarded by Chris Brogan, then Jason Alba.

Sam’s Blog, Go Big Always, pushes the envelope just by its nature. He hits right at home when he says, “Companies are so highly matrixed and political that they make sticking your neck out nearly impossible”.

He gives 5 ways to GO BIG ALWAYS:

• Bravery
• Conceptualization
• Intuition
• Relationships
• Execution

I love the visuals, but what do YOU think of his message? Please comment!

A great post came across my twitter radar today, written by Sam Lawrence, forwarded by Chris Brogan, then Jason Alba.

Sam’s Blog, Go Big Always, pushes the envelope just by its nature. He hits right at home when he says, “Companies are so highly matrixed and political that they make sticking your neck out nearly impossible”.

He gives 5 ways to GO BIG ALWAYS:

• Bravery
• Conceptualization
• Intuition
• Relationships
• Execution

I love the visuals, but what do YOU think of his message? Please comment!

The official Google Blog noted Friday that Google will be shutting down their Phoenix, Arizona office in November.

We opened our Phoenix office in 2006 and hoped that it would develop to support many of our internal engineering projects, the systems that make Google, well, Google. But we’ve found that despite everyone’s best efforts, the projects our engineers have been working on in Arizona have been, and remain, highly fragmented. So after a lot of soul searching we have decided to incorporate work on these projects into teams elsewhere at Google. We will therefore be closing our Arizona office on November 21, 2008.

Tirana Magazine adds that “The office opened in 2006 on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe, just south of Phoenix.” and “The closure is the latest of several: the company announced plans in July to close offices in Denver and Dallas.”

Startup Meme, among others wishes the Phoenix Googlers well, but what really caught my eye was this wry I-told-you-so-ish comment from Daily Hoopla:

“Google made the decision to put their campus on the Arizona State University campus nearly two and half years ago.  …. Clearly, Google was in it for Google, not the university and not the city.  Ask yourself, have you seen Google at local technical events?  Have you seen them contribute anything beyond job solicitations?  Google while we love you, we are disappointed you didn’t make it work.  I think your approach here was all wrong.  The next time you come into a community remember you receive in accordance to what you give.”

I like his clarity, and his comment. Maybe a little bitterness, but it makes a lot of sense… if you’re trying to tap into a technical community, then you need to GIVE to that technical community!

The official Google Blog noted Friday that Google will be shutting down their Phoenix, Arizona office in November.

We opened our Phoenix office in 2006 and hoped that it would develop to support many of our internal engineering projects, the systems that make Google, well, Google. But we’ve found that despite everyone’s best efforts, the projects our engineers have been working on in Arizona have been, and remain, highly fragmented. So after a lot of soul searching we have decided to incorporate work on these projects into teams elsewhere at Google. We will therefore be closing our Arizona office on November 21, 2008.

Tirana Magazine adds that “The office opened in 2006 on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe, just south of Phoenix.” and “The closure is the latest of several: the company announced plans in July to close offices in Denver and Dallas.”

Startup Meme, among others wishes the Phoenix Googlers well, but what really caught my eye was this wry I-told-you-so-ish comment from Daily Hoopla:

“Google made the decision to put their campus on the Arizona State University campus nearly two and half years ago.  …. Clearly, Google was in it for Google, not the university and not the city.  Ask yourself, have you seen Google at local technical events?  Have you seen them contribute anything beyond job solicitations?  Google while we love you, we are disappointed you didn’t make it work.  I think your approach here was all wrong.  The next time you come into a community remember you receive in accordance to what you give.”

I like his clarity, and his comment. Maybe a little bitterness, but it makes a lot of sense… if you’re trying to tap into a technical community, then you need to GIVE to that technical community!

The semiannual Omniture Web Analytics Competition kicks off this Thursday at 251 TNRB (Tanner Building) in the Marriott School building of the BYU campus in Provo, Utah (Google Map). The competition is co-sponsored by Omniture (OMTR) and the Kevin and Debra Rollins Center for eBusiness at BYU.

Check out the event notice on Facebook for more information, share with your friends, or to RSVP! Save to your calendar here.

The competition, which has been running for several years, gets steadilly more intense. With that, the prizes this year have also been increased to reflect the incredible creativity and passion the competitors have placed in the event.

What is the Web Analytics Competition?

The Omniture Web Analytics Competition is an event where student teams analyze an actual company’s web site using Omniture’s flagship software SiteCatalyst. After performing the analysis, teams then present their findings and recommendations to a panel of Omniture judges who in turn choose four teams to present at the competition’s final event.

About Omniture

Omniture, Inc., headquartered in Orem, Utah, is the pioneer of next-generation online analytics technology that delivers the essential intelligence web commerce leaders and innovators that drive business decisions to increase ROI. Omniture’s SiteCatalyst is the most mature and comprehensive technology for web analytics, offering unprecedented scalability and flexibility combined with an intuitive user interface. Omniture is the only company in its market to offer a comprehensive view of activity on a company’s website, including historical (data warehouse) and real-time analysis and reporting. In addition, Omniture offers smart professional service teams, experienced in helping customers determine the questions they must ask in order to arrive at the answers they require. Proof of its world-class technology and outstanding team, Omniture has the highest level of retained and satisfied customers in the market, including eBay, AOL, Wal-Mart, Gannett, Microsoft, Oracle, Intel, Overstock.com, GM and Hewlett-Packard.

No Experience Necessary

Omniture trains all the participants on SiteCatalyst, which in and of itself is a reason to enter. This training is invaluable and could be a difference maker come interview time. If you don’t have a team put together don’t worry. Not only will there be a chance to meet other students at the competition kickoff meeting, but even if you don’t decide to join a team we have had teams of one do very well in the past…even win! So don’t miss out on the chance to gain amazing experience and a nice boost to your resume!

Questions? E-mail owac@byu.edu

Prizes

• 1st place: $10,000 + HDTV(s)
• 2nd place: $5,000 + iPhone(s)
• 3rd place: $2,500 + iPod Nano (s)

More information:

• Check out Omniture.com
• More about Omniture
• More about the eBusiness Center at BYU
• Jobs and Work at Omniture

The semiannual Omniture Web Analytics Competition kicks off this Thursday at 251 TNRB (Tanner Building) in the Marriott School building of the BYU campus in Provo, Utah (Google Map). The competition is co-sponsored by Omniture (OMTR) and the Kevin and Debra Rollins Center for eBusiness at BYU.

Check out the event notice on Facebook for more information, share with your friends, or to RSVP! Save to your calendar here.

The competition, which has been running for several years, gets steadilly more intense. With that, the prizes this year have also been increased to reflect the incredible creativity and passion the competitors have placed in the event.

What is the Web Analytics Competition?

The Omniture Web Analytics Competition is an event where student teams analyze an actual company’s web site using Omniture’s flagship software SiteCatalyst. After performing the analysis, teams then present their findings and recommendations to a panel of Omniture judges who in turn choose four teams to present at the competition’s final event.

About Omniture

Omniture, Inc., headquartered in Orem, Utah, is the pioneer of next-generation online analytics technology that delivers the essential intelligence web commerce leaders and innovators that drive business decisions to increase ROI. Omniture’s SiteCatalyst is the most mature and comprehensive technology for web analytics, offering unprecedented scalability and flexibility combined with an intuitive user interface. Omniture is the only company in its market to offer a comprehensive view of activity on a company’s website, including historical (data warehouse) and real-time analysis and reporting. In addition, Omniture offers smart professional service teams, experienced in helping customers determine the questions they must ask in order to arrive at the answers they require. Proof of its world-class technology and outstanding team, Omniture has the highest level of retained and satisfied customers in the market, including eBay, AOL, Wal-Mart, Gannett, Microsoft, Oracle, Intel, Overstock.com, GM and Hewlett-Packard.

No Experience Necessary

Omniture trains all the participants on SiteCatalyst, which in and of itself is a reason to enter. This training is invaluable and could be a difference maker come interview time. If you don’t have a team put together don’t worry. Not only will there be a chance to meet other students at the competition kickoff meeting, but even if you don’t decide to join a team we have had teams of one do very well in the past…even win! So don’t miss out on the chance to gain amazing experience and a nice boost to your resume!

Questions? E-mail owac@byu.edu

Prizes

• 1st place: $10,000 + HDTV(s)
• 2nd place: $5,000 + iPhone(s)
• 3rd place: $2,500 + iPod Nano (s)

More information:

• Check out Omniture.com
• More about Omniture
• More about the eBusiness Center at BYU
• Jobs and Work at Omniture

A friend asked me last night for some advice in his job situation.  He’s been there only a short time, and interested in long-term salary increases and other promotions, etc. He was, in effect, asking me how and when to negotiate your next moves within a company.

How to do this?

LISTEN TO YOUR COACH

Your “coach” in this sense is your best advocate. They want you to win.

My usage of the term here comes from the Miller-Heiman sales training series where a “coach” is defined as a certain individual of particular influence in the “buying” process… here, the so-called sale is you-being-promoted.

The unique and very special role of a Coach is to guide you to your particular sales objective by leading you to the other Buyers (people with other types of influence on the decision) and by giving you information that you need to position yourself effectively with each one… Your Coach’s focus is on helping you make this sale. [The New Strategic Selling by Robert B. Miller and Stephen E. Heiman, p. 68-69]

The point is, find the person in your organization who wants most for you to win, and can introduce you to the other people who will ultimately make the decisions about your promotion, etc… the “buyers”.

Your coach might be:

• Your boss
• Your CEO
• The CEO’s admin
• Your recruiter
• An outside consultant
• Another team’s director
• The receptionist

When you determine who your coach is, ask for their time. Buy them lunch if you need to get them offsite, and let them know what you’re trying to accomplish and ASK FOR THEIR HELP and ADVICE.

Note: Make sure to give them the opportunity to back out. Coaching doesn’t work when they don’t really want YOU to win THIS promotion. If this backfires on them–if they even sniff that in the air–they will run from you like you have the plague.

Finally, remember the COACH watches from the sidelines. Strategy and Timing. YOU have to EXECUTE. Nobody ever blamed a coach when the receiver fumbled the ball. Don’t forget your part… execution.

GO, FIGHT, WIN!

A friend asked me last night for some advice in his job situation.  He’s been there only a short time, and interested in long-term salary increases and other promotions, etc. He was, in effect, asking me how and when to negotiate your next moves within a company.

How to do this?

LISTEN TO YOUR COACH

Your “coach” in this sense is your best advocate. They want you to win.

My usage of the term here comes from the Miller-Heiman sales training series where a “coach” is defined as a certain individual of particular influence in the “buying” process… here, the so-called sale is you-being-promoted.

The unique and very special role of a Coach is to guide you to your particular sales objective by leading you to the other Buyers (people with other types of influence on the decision) and by giving you information that you need to position yourself effectively with each one… Your Coach’s focus is on helping you make this sale. [The New Strategic Selling by Robert B. Miller and Stephen E. Heiman, p. 68-69]

The point is, find the person in your organization who wants most for you to win, and can introduce you to the other people who will ultimately make the decisions about your promotion, etc… the “buyers”.

Your coach might be:

• Your boss
• Your CEO
• The CEO’s admin
• Your recruiter
• An outside consultant
• Another team’s director
• The receptionist

When you determine who your coach is, ask for their time. Buy them lunch if you need to get them offsite, and let them know what you’re trying to accomplish and ASK FOR THEIR HELP and ADVICE.

Note: Make sure to give them the opportunity to back out. Coaching doesn’t work when they don’t really want YOU to win THIS promotion. If this backfires on them–if they even sniff that in the air–they will run from you like you have the plague.

Finally, remember the COACH watches from the sidelines. Strategy and Timing. YOU have to EXECUTE. Nobody ever blamed a coach when the receiver fumbled the ball. Don’t forget your part… execution.

GO, FIGHT, WIN!

Utah Blogger/Geek Dinner May 2008: Read CodeAway for the whole story: http://voxpopdesign.com/wordpress/?p=136

Come and geek out (or just hang out) with fellow geeks, bloggers, etc. Find more info at Codeaway.org and RSVP at Upcoming:

September’s Utah Geek/Blogger Dinner is this Thursday, September 4th, 2008 at 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM.

We are having it at My Thai, which is a new Thai restaurant in the Salt Lake Area. They have EXCELLENT food and the owners are so nice. When I asked her if it would be a problem if we invaded and took up her whole restaurant on a Thursday night, she looked grateful instead of annoyed. Yeah!

Here’s a link to a review of the restaurant:

My Thai Salt Lake City | Thai restaurant in South Salt Lake | Restaurant menus, reviews and maps on urbanspoon.com

My Thai
1425 South 300 West
Salt Lake City, Utah 84115

Description:
Bloggers, freelancers, web workers, and digital Bedouin - all are welcome to this once-a-month event. Come with your stories, your conversations, and you questions and enjoy the curries and Pad Thai!

Google Map

Utah Blogger/Geek Dinner May 2008: Read CodeAway for the whole story: http://voxpopdesign.com/wordpress/?p=136

Come and geek out (or just hang out) with fellow geeks, bloggers, etc. Find more info at Codeaway.org and RSVP at Upcoming:

September’s Utah Geek/Blogger Dinner is this Thursday, September 4th, 2008 at 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM.

We are having it at My Thai, which is a new Thai restaurant in the Salt Lake Area. They have EXCELLENT food and the owners are so nice. When I asked her if it would be a problem if we invaded and took up her whole restaurant on a Thursday night, she looked grateful instead of annoyed. Yeah!

Here’s a link to a review of the restaurant:

My Thai Salt Lake City | Thai restaurant in South Salt Lake | Restaurant menus, reviews and maps on urbanspoon.com

My Thai
1425 South 300 West
Salt Lake City, Utah 84115

Description:
Bloggers, freelancers, web workers, and digital Bedouin - all are welcome to this once-a-month event. Come with your stories, your conversations, and you questions and enjoy the curries and Pad Thai!

Google Map

I received an email today from a dear colleague that starts with “I don’t even know where to begin…”

Me, too.

Today marks my last day as an employee of SOS Engineering & Technology, and my last day running the Orem, Utah branch of their company. Tuesday, I will begin working in the recruiting department of a certain well-known company in the area.

My feelings are mixed.

I am a thousand-times excited about the opportunity and vision waiting around the corner. But there are so many people and companies I have come to love that I won’t be communicating with as regularly… and that’s tough.

But I also wonder and think about the deep connections I have made and I wonder partially about the vision I have always had for this branch and for what this organization can do.

I can remember clearly preparing for work on the morning of my first day working for SOS.  I remember looking out the window of my bedroom as the sun began to barely break the horizon of that cool spring morning. I was tying my necktie as a compelling thought crossed my mind:

“There’s someone out there, right now, who is in a job they don’t want, and they don’t know how to get out.”

That thought has driven the things I have done for this branch–a relentless and tireless desire to help great people find great jobs, and to provide high-touch technical recruiting services that are customized for my clients.

I just packed up a framed quote that I have kept visible in my office for the last three years. It has given me energy countless times to move forward and serve, and I am sure it will continue to do so for me in my new roles.

I would’ve never made it through the difficult times, which are guaranteed to happen, without a core belief in what I am doing.

Once you’ve made the decision that you will be there “no matter what”, it frees you up, and gives you the strength you need.

~ Leslie Stanford

I look forward to seeing how things play out.

I received an email today from a dear colleague that starts with “I don’t even know where to begin…”

Me, too.

Today marks my last day as an employee of SOS Engineering & Technology, and my last day running the Orem, Utah branch of their company. Tuesday, I will begin working in the recruiting department of a certain well-known company in the area.

My feelings are mixed.

I am a thousand-times excited about the opportunity and vision waiting around the corner. But there are so many people and companies I have come to love that I won’t be communicating with as regularly… and that’s tough.

But I also wonder and think about the deep connections I have made and I wonder partially about the vision I have always had for this branch and for what this organization can do.

I can remember clearly preparing for work on the morning of my first day working for SOS.  I remember looking out the window of my bedroom as the sun began to barely break the horizon of that cool spring morning. I was tying my necktie as a compelling thought crossed my mind:

“There’s someone out there, right now, who is in a job they don’t want, and they don’t know how to get out.”

That thought has driven the things I have done for this branch–a relentless and tireless desire to help great people find great jobs, and to provide high-touch technical recruiting services that are customized for my clients.

I just packed up a framed quote that I have kept visible in my office for the last three years. It has given me energy countless times to move forward and serve, and I am sure it will continue to do so for me in my new roles.

I would’ve never made it through the difficult times, which are guaranteed to happen, without a core belief in what I am doing.

Once you’ve made the decision that you will be there “no matter what”, it frees you up, and gives you the strength you need.

~ Leslie Stanford

I look forward to seeing how things play out.

Job Searching is emotional.

Angel Matos is led away by his coach after kicking the match referee

And, sometimes, things simply don’t turn out as you planned it. But, like most things in life, its not what happens to you, but how you react to what happens that matters. And, yes, there is a right way and a wrong way to handle job-search defeat.

… and there’s also a very wrong way.

I thought of this when I learned about Cuban Olympic Taekwondo competitor Angel Matos, who lost his match due to what he felt was an unfair disqualification… he took too long for a medical injury break.

Feeling that you were disqualified unfairly is one thing, but how he reacted to the disqualification is totally something else, and totally inappropriate:

From AP: “Cuba’s Angel Matos deliberately kicked a referee square in the face after he was disqualified in a bronze-medal match, prompting the World Taekwondo Federation to recommend he be banned for life.”

Angel Valodia Matos (L) kicks Taekwondo Referee Chakir Chelbat of Sweden after being disqualified from an olympic match

Matos was winning 3-2, with 1:02 left in the second round, when he fell to the mat after being hit by his opponent, Kazakhstan’s Arman Chilmanov. Matos was sitting there, awaiting medical attention, when he was disqualified for taking too much injury time. Fighters get one minute, and Matos was disqualified when his time ran out.

Matos angrily questioned the call, pushed a judge, then pushed and kicked referee Chakir Chelbat of Sweden, who will require stitches in his lip. Matos spat on the floor and was escorted out. [Source: NBCOlympics.com]

Watching video of the altercation makes it clear Matos was warned of the timing, and apears to have been disqualified fairly.

In terms of job searching, there are countless reasons why a company may have disqualified you from landing the current position. Whatever they tell you may seem trite or even insulting… if they deliver the news at all.

But again, it’s how you react to the dissapointment that can make all the difference. Here’s some possible reactions that might not land you a job there, but will ensure you don’t get “banned for life” in terms of possible employment by that company, or the people who work there:

1. Thank them graciously.
   Some thoughtful, but simple thank-you notes to those who interviewed you could go a long way to making sure you aren’t a sore loser. Keep it very simple:
   Mary,Thank you for considering me for your position. Sorry it didn’t work out this time, but I am glad you found the right match. Good luck with your endeavors and please let me know if there is anything I can do for you in the future.

   Take care,
   [Signature & contact information]

2. Don’t go away mad, but please… go away.
   For some, thank-you notes might seem too out of character. No problem. But, emails or voicemails pleading or begging for another chance just adds insult to the situation–for you, and the company that turned you away.Just let it go. Really, it’s better that way.
3. Don’t let grudges develop.
   If you see these people at events or other functions, be cheerful and cordial. Ask a polite question about the project you were being considered for, but BEWARE not to show off, or get overly exuberant with your former would-be employer that you end up making a fool of yourself (think: lampshade images from company christmas party-kind of foolishness).Be courteous and genuine, but be BRIEF. Wish them well, and be on your way.

What do you think? How have you handled losing a job opportunity better than Matos lost his gold-medal opportunity?

Job Searching is emotional.

Angel Matos is led away by his coach after kicking the match referee

And, sometimes, things simply don’t turn out as you planned it. But, like most things in life, its not what happens to you, but how you react to what happens that matters. And, yes, there is a right way and a wrong way to handle job-search defeat.

… and there’s also a very wrong way.

I thought of this when I learned about Cuban Olympic Taekwondo competitor Angel Matos, who lost his match due to what he felt was an unfair disqualification… he took too long for a medical injury break.

Feeling that you were disqualified unfairly is one thing, but how he reacted to the disqualification is totally something else, and totally inappropriate:

From AP: “Cuba’s Angel Matos deliberately kicked a referee square in the face after he was disqualified in a bronze-medal match, prompting the World Taekwondo Federation to recommend he be banned for life.”

Angel Valodia Matos (L) kicks Taekwondo Referee Chakir Chelbat of Sweden after being disqualified from an olympic match

Matos was winning 3-2, with 1:02 left in the second round, when he fell to the mat after being hit by his opponent, Kazakhstan’s Arman Chilmanov. Matos was sitting there, awaiting medical attention, when he was disqualified for taking too much injury time. Fighters get one minute, and Matos was disqualified when his time ran out.

Matos angrily questioned the call, pushed a judge, then pushed and kicked referee Chakir Chelbat of Sweden, who will require stitches in his lip. Matos spat on the floor and was escorted out. [Source: NBCOlympics.com]

Watching video of the altercation makes it clear Matos was warned of the timing, and apears to have been disqualified fairly.

In terms of job searching, there are countless reasons why a company may have disqualified you from landing the current position. Whatever they tell you may seem trite or even insulting… if they deliver the news at all.

But again, it’s how you react to the dissapointment that can make all the difference. Here’s some possible reactions that might not land you a job there, but will ensure you don’t get “banned for life” in terms of possible employment by that company, or the people who work there:

1. Thank them graciously.
   Some thoughtful, but simple thank-you notes to those who interviewed you could go a long way to making sure you aren’t a sore loser. Keep it very simple:
   Mary,Thank you for considering me for your position. Sorry it didn’t work out this time, but I am glad you found the right match. Good luck with your endeavors and please let me know if there is anything I can do for you in the future.

   Take care,
   [Signature & contact information]

2. Don’t go away mad, but please… go away.
   For some, thank-you notes might seem too out of character. No problem. But, emails or voicemails pleading or begging for another chance just adds insult to the situation–for you, and the company that turned you away.Just let it go. Really, it’s better that way.
3. Don’t let grudges develop.
   If you see these people at events or other functions, be cheerful and cordial. Ask a polite question about the project you were being considered for, but BEWARE not to show off, or get overly exuberant with your former would-be employer that you end up making a fool of yourself (think: lampshade images from company christmas party-kind of foolishness).Be courteous and genuine, but be BRIEF. Wish them well, and be on your way.

What do you think? How have you handled losing a job opportunity better than Matos lost his gold-medal opportunity?

Utah Open Source Conference

Thursday August 28, 2008 - Saturday August 30, 2008
Salt Lake Community College Redwood Campus
4600 S Redwood Road
Salt Lake City, Utah 84130

Website: http://2008.utosc.com

The Utah Open Source Conference 2008 will be held at the Salt Lake Community College, Redwood Road campus from August 28 - 30, 2008.

The Salt Lake Community College Computer Science department is excited to be a sponsor of the 2008 conference and will be using it to improve students’ awareness and understanding of open source software.

The Utah Open Source Foundation is proud to volunteer their time to help such a great cause as promoting free software and open source.

The pricing for this event is $70, but for college students, Local User Group members and a few select others, the total price will be $35/person. This price is less than last year’s event but will have almost twice the presentations and more room for the presentations.

On the Couchcast, we spoke with Jason Hall about the Utah Open Source Conference this year.

Utah Open Source Conference

Thursday August 28, 2008 - Saturday August 30, 2008
Salt Lake Community College Redwood Campus
4600 S Redwood Road
Salt Lake City, Utah 84130

Website: http://2008.utosc.com

The Utah Open Source Conference 2008 will be held at the Salt Lake Community College, Redwood Road campus from August 28 - 30, 2008.

The Salt Lake Community College Computer Science department is excited to be a sponsor of the 2008 conference and will be using it to improve students’ awareness and understanding of open source software.

The Utah Open Source Foundation is proud to volunteer their time to help such a great cause as promoting free software and open source.

The pricing for this event is $70, but for college students, Local User Group members and a few select others, the total price will be $35/person. This price is less than last year’s event but will have almost twice the presentations and more room for the presentations.

On the Couchcast, we spoke with Jason Hall about the Utah Open Source Conference this year.