Steve Neiderhauser

From COBOL With Love

Dear University:

I'm a corporate recruiter and would love it if you forced your students to take a COBOL class.

You see, my company uses COBOL and we wouldn’t think of hiring someone with more than ten years of experience. In fact, we throw those resumes away as fast as we receive them.

Sincerely,

A Texas Corporate Recruiter

That's the transparent attitude one corporate recruiter--for a major Dallas retailer--had in an interview with the Dallas Morning News. Don’t get me started...

College students are too smart for this nonsense. They grew up in the information age, and intuitively understand that skills and abilities are important. Learning COBOL isn’t going to help their careers or foster innovation. Besides, there’s more than enough talent to fill this recruiter’s job order. Don’t believe me?

When you read University of California at Davis professor Norman Matloff’s articles you’ll see just how off track this recruiter is.

The gang that couldn't shoot straight -- Forbes Magazine op-ed.

Debunking the Myth of a Desperate Software Labor Shortage -- Testimony to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee.

Developing talent, should be one of management's highest priorities.

Dear Management,

For heaven's sake, please lead your company back to the future.

The “HP Way” Hits the Highway

The Register posts an article describing the fear that now pervades the HP-post-merger workplace. In 1999, HP was ranked 10th on Fortune’s annual survey of top corporate cultures. In 2004, HP didn’t even make the list.

A savvy executive limits exposure to a merged company, since he understands the downside.

An unhappy workforce is likely to create customer vigilantes.

If you’re developing IT strategy, it’s important to understand that merged companies tend to lose focus and the ability to create compelling products. Typically, you will benefit by purchasing products from companies with targeted markets. There’s a reason why most spin-offs outperform their peers -- focus.

How Nonlinear Ideas Produce New Wealth

In his book Leading the Revolution, author Gary Hamel makes several interesting statements. He writes, "In a nonlinear world, only nonlinear ideas will create new wealth."

He also states, "Radical, nonlinear innovation is the only way to escape the ruthless hypercompetition that has been hammering down margins in industry after industry. Nonlinear innovation requires a company to escape the shackles of precedent and imagine entirely novel solutions to customer needs."

Fast Company quotes Gary Hamel in a recent article about Apple--the main focus is on the business model Apple is using. True, Professor Hamel talks about the importance of business models, however, he also highlights the importance of innovation and options in his book.

Economic Undevelopment in Dallas

While attending a networking event two weeks ago, I heard of an interesting article that appeared in the Dallas Morning News. The Dallas Mayor’s office decided to hold an economic development meeting. Included in this meeting were a number of local CEOs. What did these business masters want to talk about? How to increase their ability to offshore jobs.

Sounds backwards to me. Perhaps this story will shed some light on their thinking.

Let Go of My Lego

Last Sunday in the Dallas Morning News, I read an article about software quality. In this article, the reporter quoted a computer science professor who said that it wasn’t possible to think of software like Lego building blocks. How long have these guys been asleep--NeXT was using object-oriented components to design software ten years ago.

When I was 12 years old, I recall visiting my friend Bill, and looking at his Lego houses. For some reason, his houses didn’t look right. Somehow, he managed to make Legos more difficult than they needed to be.

Object-oriented Legos provide a framework. It’s like building a house. Once the framework is in place, you still have to add the roof, floors, windows, doors, stairs, until you have a complete building. If you don’t know what you’re doing, it’s still possible to create software that rests on a foundation of sand.

The great thing about object-oriented Legos is that when a wide-asleep developer grabs your Lego you don’t have to say, “Let go of my Lego.” Instead, you are free to use your software Legos in a fashion that creates quality software.

What’s as Hollow as a Chocolate Easter Rabbit?

Carly Fiorina, CEO of HP, had this to say regarding offshore workers, “We can’t keep our head in the sand, there’s talent all over the globe.” No kidding, what's the real message here?

Once upon a Tuesday, shortly after WorldCom merged with MCI, we were graced with a Bernie Ebers' video. The key phrase in this drama, “That’s where you come in,” was so transparent that Connie, a coworker, turned to me and whispered, “That’s where we go out.” Mergers mean cost-cutting, not exciting new opportunities.

What is Carly really saying? Perhaps, that revenues are not as great as they should be, therefore we’re going to use the cheapest labor possible even when there’s plenty of talent right in our own backyard. By the way, don’t expect us to be creative.

How to Create New Jobs in Dallas

This past Friday, I lunched with a colleague at Cool River Cafe in Dallas. It was the same old story, just a different restaurant. A major telecom firm is shipping more software jobs to India. My friend confides that past offshore attempts by this company have failed, but the cost-savings looked so good they were moving forward anyway.

It’s almost impossible to influence wide-asleep managers, so let’s focus on a way to create new jobs in Dallas. Many people talk about creating new jobs, but few create a framework that will produce new opportunities. Let me show you how new jobs can be created in Dallas:

Just for fun we’ll pump up SMU’s computer science program. Hire several top computer science professors, bring them to SMU, give them a cause--to turn Dallas into one of the top software centers in America.

In the computer science program, add classes on creativity and classes from SMU’s world-class business school--focus on how business models work.

Add support and infrastructure from the local business community.

As you think about this approach, you suddenly realize this might work. It has for other regions--ever hear of the Silicon Valley.