Citation
(2009), "What's on the web", Strategic Direction, Vol. 25 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/sd.2009.05625aag.001
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2008, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
What's on the web
Article Type: What’s on the web From: Strategic Direction, Volume 25, Issue 1
Strategic development
www.strategicdevelopmentllc.net/
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of web sites out in cyber space all offering, near promising, if not guaranteeing, to be able to help both your business and your staff achieve and maximize its and their potential. This one is no different, and it comes with all the expected acknowledgements, assurances and wording to convince you that they have got what you need to give your company the competitive edge in the ever so turbulent and iceberg ridden waters that modern business is sailing through these days. Could be true that these people have what you need, but the world of business must be in at least a state of flux, if not a complete mess, for there to be so many companies offering services to get a business doing what it should be doing in the first place. And with so many to choose from why pick one with a cheap and antiquated look to it, and the word “Testimonials” spelt incorrectly?
Government link to business
Businesslink.gov.uk helps your business save time and money by giving you instant access to clear, simple, and trustworthy information. That’s what it states in the first paragraph of the home page and, upon closer inspection, that is more or less what this site does. It is fundamentally a web site to help businesses to understand and comply with government regulations, regulations that are amended, altered and changed every bit as much as everything else in the fast-paced modern world. The site is clean, easy to navigate and packed with useful, well presented, information on all manner of subjects relevant to businesses in the UK. It offers free advice and support to business, and while it may appear to be more geared towards the smaller business model, there is more than enough useful information for anyone in business in the UK today.
A load of Brint
Brint.com do not sell themselves short, claiming on their home page to be, “the world’s number one resource for business technology management and knowledge management.” If that is not enough to tempt you in, there is a list of potent magazines, such as Forbes, Fortune and The Wall Street Journal, who recommend Brint, and a delicious quote from a magazine called Fast Company that states, “If BRINT doesn’t have it, then you probably don’t need it.” The site is dedicated to professionals in “knowledge driven organizations that can survive and thrive in the new world of uncertainty and risk”, and there is no doubt there is enough information on the site to see you through a six-month sabbatical from work. The site is clean enough, although old fashioned to look at by today’s standards, and if they do half as good a job as they claim to do, on practically every page of their site, then they are well worth dipping into.
Insomniacs’ dream
www.amazon.co.uk/Strategic-Development-Robert-G-Dyson/dp/0471974951
If you operate in the world of strategic development, and let’s face it you would have to in order to have any inclination to read great tomes on the subject, and you think you could do with brushing up on your knowledge base, then here is the book for you. For a penny short of 38 pounds, although postage and packaging is extra, Strategic Development: Methods and Models can be yours, delivered to your door in less than 24 hours. It has got everything there is to know on the subject of strategic development, apparently, and is yours with a fancy, almost science-fiction style, front cover. If it does not end up winning you friends and helping you influence people with your knowledge and wisdom on all things strategic, it might just help you sleep at night!
Oscar’s in the post
Ever fancied yourself as a thespian? Whether treading the boards or in front of the camera, maybe you have always suspected you could be a match for anyone from DeNiro to Depp, or Dunaway to Kidman. Well, if so, strategicdevelopments.com could be the site for you. George Smart, the man behind the site, claims to have 25 years of leadership development simulations and executive coaching. The site itself is sharp and efficient, although George’s simulation of a man you can trust in his jauntily angled photograph is more than a little suspect. It is the word “simulation” that, although becoming all too prevalent in business circles these days, causes the most concern. They basically mean “role play”, which has enough of its own connotations to think about, but they call it simulation. So if you do not get enough of the reality of your job, and you are bursting to prove your acting talent, sign up to George Smart and spend some time simulating a role playing version.
And finally
Two mathematicians were having dinner in a restaurant, arguing about the average mathematical knowledge of the American public. One claimed that this average was woefully inadequate; the other maintained that it was surprisingly high.
“I’ll tell you what,” said the second, “ask that waitress a simple math question. If she gets it right, I’ll pick up dinner. If not, you do.” He then excused himself to visit the men’s room, and the other signaled to the waitress.
“When my friend comes back,” he told her, “I’m going to ask you a question, and I want you to respond ‘one-third x cubed.’ There’s 20 bucks in it for you.” She agreed.
When his colleague returned they called the waitress over. “The food was wonderful, thank you,” the mathematician started. “Incidentally, do you know what the integral of x squared is?” The waitress looked pensive; almost pained. She looked around the room, at her feet, made gurgling noises, and finally said, “Um, one third x cubed?”
So the cynic paid the check. The waitress wheeled around, walked a few paces away, looked back at the two men, and muttered under her breath, “… plus a constant.”
Best of all
For a particularly interesting and useful site you could always try the Emerald one!
If you have any favorite (or otherwise) sites that you would like us to review on these pages, or wish us to consider your own site, please drop us an e-mail and we will ask our reviewers to check them out.