Friend and author Annie wrote a nice blog post on Harvard Business Review on what it was like to go public the day of one of the hottest IPOs in 1999. Good observations for Facebook and the leadership team.

Nice blog by @anniebourne on Harvard Business Review on #facebook IPO and ours in 1999. http://t.co/XJhYSuOl #in

We won – again! The Verghis Group was announced as the winner of the ‘Best in Tour’ at the Spring 2012 TSIA conference. We also were a finalist in the ‘Innovation in Consulting’ award, having won it in the Fall of 2011.

I had a great TSIA Spring 2012 session with two smart and talented co-presenters – Janet Ramey (Sr. Director, Cisco) and Karen Lim (VP, Pitney Bowes) on Measures, Metrics and Madness. Both shared how two very different companies with different cultures and styles made major changes by moving away from obsessing on metrics. I shared some new research we have seen from behavioral psychology on how to target specific habits in order to change behaviors.

Just put the final touches on a ‘Beyond Metrics’ session with Karen Lim (VP, Worldwide Software Support at Pitney  Bowes) and Janet Ramey (Senior Director, Strategic Business Operations at Cisco). Two very smart individuals who are committed to making a difference for their customers. Learn what has worked and what hasn’t. Session is from 4 – 5 PM on Tuesday May 8th.

http://www.technologyservicesworld.com/schedule/

Adam, Priya and I will be at the Technology Services World conference in Santa Clara this coming week. We have a number of 1:1 meetings already set up — there are a few slots left if you’d like a private conversation on what’s on your mind.

• The Verghis Group booth – 44b.
  Do stop by for a preview and launch of a new service we have been working on, which will be available to a select group of beta-testers by invitation only. We are looking for innovators. No followers. Interested? You know where to find us.
• Monday May 7th: 12:45 PM – Expo hall.
  I can’t give you details yet, but this is superb news. If you are a friend/client – do come. You won’t regret it and we will really appreciate it.
• Tuesday May 8th: 4 – 5 PM
  Phil will be facilitating a session with Karen Lim (VP of Global Software Support at Pitney Bowes) and Janet Ramey (Senior Director of Strategic Business Operations at Cisco). We will talk about large-scale changes that resulted from a new way of looking at metrics at two very different companies. The practice sessions have been superb, and I’m looking forward to sharing and learning.

You can see the schedule here: http://www.technologyservicesworld.com/schedule/

We are pleased to offer our Knowledge Centered Support (KCS V5) Foundations workshop, July 10-12 in Boston, presented by experts from The Verghis Group. We will be presenting the foundations of KCS, with several Verghis Group twists, particularly “un-mad” measures and internal communications strategies that will accelerate your success!

Take a long, hard look your organization’s existing approach to support. How much do you suppose this outdated model is costing? Not just in terms of morale, but the company’s bottom line? Chances are, it’s thousands – maybe hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Would your bosses be pleased if you could trim your budget by even a fraction of that amount?

Want to learn more about how KCS can transform the lifeless pool of support information into useful knowledge, action and excellence? In a cost effect and proven way?

This workshop is specially designed for support/service center directors and managers, Knowledge Management program managers, and other professionals responsible for implementing Knowledge Management strategies.

More info and registration here

We have put together a great new article on some of the limitations of radar charts, a warning label that gives you tips on when to use them and when to avoid them!

Take a look at ’3 Things to Think About – A Warning Label for Radar Charts’

and other hints from an economist foodie. A great read, and one I found myself nodding with as a fellow foodie…

http://bit.ly/HXUnbF

An independent panel of judges awarded us the first ever ‘Innovation in Consulting’ award at the Fall 2011 TSIA conference. Thanks to our customers, our community and to Adam and Jen for their hard work.

From the listing:

The Verghis Group is a management consulting firm focused on senior service and support leaders. The firm’s founder, Phil Verghis, is an internationally recognized expert who has helped dozens of support and services executives devise winning strategies. He’s been a top-level support executive himself, he’s written a book on customer-centric management, and he has hands-on experience with implementing new metrics, new systems, new business models, and new market development initiatives.

The application from the Verghis Group detailed multiple client projects and business challenges, with four specific areas of innovation cited from client projects.

Innovation One: Clear alignment from vision to the individual;
Innovation Two: Let the “doers” do;
Innovation Three: Focus.
Innovation Four: New way of managing, ‘Guiding, not Grading’.

Announcing the Nov 2011 Verghis View newsletter — ‘Einstein and the Pursuit of Gross National Happiness’ — lessons on measurements from disparate sources like Einstein, an ancient Egyptian cartographer and a tiny, landlocked Himalayan kingdom.

http://conta.cc/verghis_newsletter_nov11

This has generated an immense response – from  five continents so far…