""Priscilla Oppenheimer"" wrote in message news:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Someone also just sent me a URL to this newspaper article that points out > the importance of learning business practices, not just particular > technologies. It's a good read: > > http://www.startribune.com/stories/789/3936460.html >
An interesting artivcle, and one with some nuggets of good advice, particularly for those new to the business cycle. For those who have been seeing articles like this over the past twenty years or so, this article reinforces good advice, much along the lines that NRF has offered in other threads that appear regularly on Groupstudy. Good advice is timeless, and the advice in this article, which reiterates similar outlooks as have appeared in the business press over the past couple of decades remains true. Way back when I was learning things and formulating my own technology philosophy, I was blown away by three things I read - Peter Keens book Competing in Time, Paul Strassman's book The Business Value of Computers, and an obscure article written by an economist working for the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank. Each of these sources in its own way says similar things from a higher level. The Fed study was a short and simple one, but of all the business sources I have read, still seems the most relevant. The gist of the study was that investment in infrastructure yielded high returns in productivity. The author was reporting on government investment in physical infrastructure such as roads, water treatement, and the like, but a clever studentworking towards his master degree while going to night school ran with that theme and wrote a master's thesis which earned him departmental honors. Anyone in the technology field, whether it be IT Management, Consulting, or even something as seemingly mundane as sales, should ALWAYS be aware of the business value of technology. Over the past 15 years or so it has been technology which has driven productivity. The dark side is that technology changes, and has a way of becoming more appliance like, meaning that what as skilled labor yesterday is out of the box tomorrow. Thin about it. All you folks who are AVVID experts and therefore in high demand. How long before AVVID is nothing more than another PBX, and routers self configure for QoS? Think the telco employee who drives the truck and installs your DSL is making 100K? not likely. So yes - keep your skills up to date, so you don't end up like the guy in the article. My own opinion is that one must always consider the value to business for any skill set one pursues. JMHO NRF - your comments are always welcome on topics such as these. Message Posted at: http://www.groupstudy.com/form/read.php?f=7&i=70816&t=70816 -------------------------------------------------- FAQ, list archives, and subscription info: http://www.groupstudy.com/list/cisco.html Report misconduct and Nondisclosure violations to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
