LiveOps Blog
Go Big or Go Home: It’s All About Doing Big Things
Maynard Webb, CEO
As anyone who knows me will tell you, I’m very passionate about what we do at LiveOps – not only because of the role we play in evolving the customer service industry, but because it creates an innovative and quality model for work. I couldn’t help but think about our work as I read the State of the Union address. A number of points struck a chord with me as a CEO but the one idea that resonated the most was: ”We do big things.”
It reminds me of my time at eBay – we did so many big things – and this same spirit and opportunity is the reason I chose to join LiveOps. We have been doing many big things. But, amazingly, the most rewarding part is not in the “bigness,” but in the individual pieces that are ultimately responsible for building a powerful (and big) story.
In the Internet world we used to have a phrase – you probably know it (and you probably loathe it): Go Big or Go Home. Although I believe that anything worth doing is worth doing with every ounce of your being or not at all, that’s not what I’m talking about here.
Going Big in this era is about something else. We at LiveOps are proud of the innovation and leadership role we play in transforming how sales and service work is done in contact centers. (more…)
Solving the Dilbert Paradox: Be the CEO of Your Domain
Tim Whipple, VP Agent Services, "The Mayor"
Recently I was invited to the Aspen Institute Communications and Society Program Roundtable on Talent Development, where the theme was Solving the Dilbert Paradox. The paradox, in a nutshell, is that while managers claim that their highest priority is the selection, retention and satisfaction of high-quality employees, many of the most talented contributors feel under-appreciated and under-utilized. And those who are the most passionate about what they do often end up being the most frustrated and dissatisfied with their jobs.
A Comment to USA Today: The Importance of Distinguishing the Good from the Scams
Regan Parker, Director of Workforce Innovation and Advocacy
As the director of Workforce Innovation and Advocacy at LiveOps, a company that provides work at home opportunities to individuals interested in call center type work, I found Jillian Berman’s article “Before Signing Up with Work-at-Home Firm, Check for Red Flags” a good reminder for how to avoid job scams. While Berman has many good points to share for signs of a scam, there are two generalizations made that, in my opinion, unfairly cast legitimate opportunities into the same pool as scams. (more…)
Meritocracy Part 2 – Overcoming the Fear Factor
Maynard Webb, CEO
As the CEO of LiveOps, I talk a lot about the opportunity of flexibility for both companies and workers. Flexibility has become a modern day value that everyone wants.
But flexibility comes with a cost. The cost is accountability, which is necessary to gain the opportunity to work where you want, when you want, and how you want. Just as it is in pro sports (http://blogs.liveops.com/2010/06/16/meritocracy-part-1-world-cup-fever/), being managed by outcomes, maintaining an outstanding record, and doing something to get voted onto the team every day is mandatory to make our system work. (more…)
Meritocracy Part 1 – World Cup Fever
Maynard Webb, CEO
World Cup fever is here again and I’m more excited than ever — especially because this year I can catch the live games on my smartphone and laptop. The games are expected to get more online coverage than any major sporting event, and while fans across the planet are going ballistic monitoring matches, results, and statistics, I can’t help but think: why can’t work be more like this?
I’m not talking about the obvious good stuff — the energy, the teamwork, the camaraderie — I’m talking about the way the World Cup works. The event, like all athletic activities, represents a meritocracy at its finest. (more…)
A Letter to the Class of 2010: Carpe Diem!
Maynard Webb, CEO
Many of you will be starting new jobs in the coming weeks. Others might still be searching. Either way, many will tell you it’s a less than ideal time to enter into the workforce. Recent news headlines point to a grim job outlook that doesn’t exactly offer the inspiration for grads to conquer the world.
As the CEO of a fast growing company, and one that creates work opportunities for hundreds of people (contractors and employees) a month, I see the world of work very differently than the one that’s being reported in the headlines. (more…)
Adjusting Our Work-Life Balance in the Internet Economy
Maynard Webb, CEO
Recently, I was honored to be a guest blogger on The Huffington Post. For those who missed it, below is what I had to share:
I came out of retirement to run a start-up. Over the span of my career, I have rarely used my vacation time and, if my recollection serves me, the last time I called in sick was in 1992. Some think my dedication to work is a bit extreme and unbalanced. (more…)
Update from Workplace Flexibility Forum in Washington, D.C.
Regan Parker, Director of Workforce Innovation and Advocacy
I have just returned from a whirlwind week in D.C. and I am thrilled to have been asked to participate in the White House Forum on Workplace Flexibility this past Wednesday. I want to thank the White House Council on Women and Girls for hosting such an important forum. It was an overwhelming honor to be in the presence of the President and First Lady and other business and policy leaders who, like LiveOps, are striving to change the way we approach the traditional workplace. (more…)
Regan Parker at the Workforce Flexibility Forum
Regan Parker summarizes LiveOps’ participation at the Workforce Flexibility Forum in Washington, D.C.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOa6tA7QhxY]
Read more:
White House Invites LiveOps to Discuss Workplace Flexibility
Work Flexibility Remains Top Priority for the American Workforce
Wall Street Journal Blogs: First Lady to Speak at White House Workplace Flexibility Forum
The Hill: White House looks at ‘flexible workplace’ technologies