Getting the Right People on the Bus

A common recommendation of management consultants is to “get the right people on your bus,” then worry about getting them in the right seats. We here at Port-to-Port have been trying to find the right people to get on our bus for several months. After many false starts, we’ve got most of the empty seats filled with the right people. Now we’re going to start moving some seats. As I mentioned last month, the most significant change you will notice will be Becky Hardwick’s seat change. She is going to be the voice of the Help Desk less often than in the past. Becky is going to help with more of the higher level planning with some of you. In her place, you will probably hear Derrick. Don’t worry, Becky is nearby while we make this transition. Additionally, we’ve added Matt Griffin to the technical staff. You’ll see him tagging along with Tony, Chris, or Andrew in the next few weeks before we let him go solo.

....(More)

Inspiration Corner

Some goals are so worthy that it is glorious even to fail.

Unknown

Tips & Tricks

In Office 2007, create a Task from an email.

Simply right-click to flag your message and designate a date for completion. The item is then added to your To-Do Bar, and the due dates are integrated automatically into your calendar.

Did you know?

In 2001 more information could be sent over a single cable in a second than in 1997 was sent over the entire Internet in a month

There is still room to join the 2008 Port-to-Port Golf League... check it out:

Port-to-Port Golf

Things that are Cooking

Several things are going on in our test kitchen here at Port-to-Port. As you may recall, we changed our internal tracking system from our home-grown Gamut to one of the leading software applications, Autotask. In the next few weeks, we will unveil features that will make it easier for you to keep track of what’s going on with your network. In addition, we’re auditioning a new spam filtering service to replace SpamArrest and Clutterfree. This one works a bit differently and we haven’t reached consensus on whether it’s better, worse, or just different.

For those of you who are cringing at the idea of switching to Office 2007, we’ve found an add-in application that will restore the Office 97/2003 style menus. We’ll be testing it in our office to see if it behaves with other applications. We’re also moving forward with online backup trials and online marketing tactics that include blogging and social networks.
Apple will release an update to the iPhone software in June that promises to make it a viable option for you to use with Microsoft Exchange Server to get email, calendar, and contacts over-the-air. If it works, this will be my recommendation for greatest phone available, even though you can only get it with AT&T service.

Mark your calendars for May 8th. That’s the day that Port-to-Port will host the Microsoft Across America Truck in conjunction with our first ever Pertingo® Customer Appreciation event. More details will be coming as we finalize the plan.

If you have new (or old) technology things that you’d like to know more about, let us know. We’re always looking for things to investigate. Sometimes we find radically new ideas while searching for mundane things.

....(More)Return to top

Please join us in welcoming the newest member of the Port-to-Port technical team, Matt Griffin.  Matt is from Batesville in southern Indiana.  After high school he worked his way up – literally.  He has always wanted to work in technology, and believed that in order to really find his market, he had to come to Indianapolis.  Matt worked several stops along his road to Indy, including factories, home satellite installations and as a Field Operations Analyst for a home builder. 

When I asked Matt what he liked most about working with Port-to-Port Consulting, he said our culture is what excited him.  Working in different offices with different people in different atmospheres is “wow” different.   He said he’s still a bit nervous, but he’s getting more and more comfortable.  We think he’s doing just fine. 

Matt now resides on the southside of Indianapolis with his wife, Donella.  When he’s not working with his home network or gaming with is son, he enjoys playing and recording music with friends.  He also plays golf when he can squeeze it in. 

Even though took us a while to find Matt, but we are certain it won’t be long before you have a chance to meet him.   If you happen to meet Matt when he’s in your office, please welcome him to the team.  You can reach Matt via email at matt@port-to-port.com, or by phone at (317) 624-9380, extension 118. 

Return to top