Bruce Harreld, IBM | The Human Factor

We had one of those wide-ranging interviews that manages to be intellectually stimulating and frustrating at the same time, because it wound up being far too short. As I was going through my notes this week, two things really leapt out at me, both to do with the human side of business. (Aside from what we've published in print this week, you can read an extended Harreld interview excerpt at crn.com and listen to a podcast with more questions by visiting varbusiness.com.)

First, Harreld notes that companies often make the mistake of putting inexperienced people in charge of skunkworks projects because they're afraid to risk the contributions a more senior manager or employee might make in the short term.

Is this you? Or are you willing to take your best sales driver and put him or her in charge of a new initiative that may not actually produce revenue for six to 12 months? Emerging businesses will thrive only through the efforts of your best and brightest, Harreld believes. Makes sense to me. By the way, it also takes someone with experience to know when it's time to get out of something that might not work.

Which brings me to the second point we touched on briefly: In this era of cutbacks and cost efficiencies, many businesses are leaving the success of their employees to chance. Once they've signed up and gotten that first-day orientation (if they're lucky), they're pretty much on their own. Newsflash: Even the brightest and most self-motivated person could use a regular booster shot from his or her manager, whether it's actual training on a new business technique or for a new piece of software that helps automate a task, or simple good, old-fashioned mentoring and feedback.

If you want your team to reach new places, you have to give them the compass to help guide them, even if you're leaving the route-planning to them.

What chances will you take next year? HEATHER CLANCY, Editor at CRN, welcomes your feedback at hclancy@cmp.com.