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Ben Smith

Ben Smith is a security strategist at Microsoft, where he researches methods to help organizations achieve better security through improved management and measurement techniques. He is coauthor of Assessing Network Security (Microsoft Press).

Email: bensmi@microsoft.com

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Author Articles

Liberate Your Inner Salesperson

By Ben Smith, 07/25/2007

You might not think of yourself as a salesperson, but whether you're trying to get another rack of servers or consensus among stakeholders, you're selling. These tips will help ...

To Get Ahead, Think Ahead

By Ben Smith, 05/30/2007

Look beyond your next job to work toward the position that delivers the career advancement and success that you really want.

Managing the Underperformer

By Ben Smith, 04/25/2007

Turning an underperforming employee into a high-level achiever is far from easy, but it can be one of the most satisfying accomplishments of your career.

Successfully Managing Change

By Ben Smith, 03/28/2007

You can successfully manage change by being sensitive toward your employees' needs and honest about the progress of the change.

Take Control of External Audits

By Ben Smith, 02/26/2007

Follow these 5 tips to better manage the time and effort your IT department spends on external audits.

The Sky Is Falling

By Ben Smith, 01/30/2007

As an IT manager, you're bound to have to deal with at least one crisis situation. Here are three rules to follow when dealing with emergency situations.

It’s Hard to Warm Up to Cold Efficiency

By Ben Smith, 12/26/2006

All work and no play can lead to a cold, impersonal work environment. Here are 12 activities that will help your team enjoy coming to work.

Buying a New Line of Business Application

By Ben Smith, 12/19/2006

Among the more important business decisions that IT departments are called on to make is selecting the most effective application to solve a given business problem.

10 Tips for Meaningful Meetings

By Ben Smith, 11/28/2006

Are poorly organized, inefficient meetings costing your company too much time and money? Here are 10 tips for making meetings worthwhile and productive.

Improving IT Health with Audits

By Ben Smith, 10/31/2006

Internal audits can have a positive impact on your IT department. Here's a simple IT audit framework and five tips on how to make an audit almost painless.

Global Outsourcing: Trick or Treat?

By Ben Smith, 09/26/2006

Offshoring can be beneficial to business—or not. Learn the pros and cons of offshoring to understand the hype surrounding it.

Becoming a Complete People Manager

By Ben Smith, 08/29/2006

Learn how to master all the different dimensions of people management.

Call an End to the IT-User Cold War

By Ben Smith, 07/25/2006

Conduct IT-user summits to improve IT's relationship with users and help your business achieve its goals.

Power Cost Savings in IT

By Ben Smith, 06/28/2006

How much money can you save your company by paying attention to the usage and efficiency of computers and peripherals? The answer might surprise you.

Bulletproof Your Training Strategy

By Ben Smith, 05/30/2006

Follow these tips for evaluating instructor-led training and get the most from your training dollars.

The Art of the Executive Presentation

By Ben Smith, 04/25/2006

Sooner or later, you'll need to make a presentation to your company's executives. Follow Ben Smith's guidelines for turning these opportunities into successes.

The Vital Few and the Trivial Many

By Ben Smith, 03/29/2006

The 80/20 rule is a well-known management principle. Here's how you can put it to use to reduce and retarget IT resources allocation.

Beware Personal Data

By Ben Smith, 02/28/2006

Does your company adequately secure the personal information it gathers from customers and employees?

Congratulations, You're a Manager. Now What?

By Ben Smith, 01/30/2006

If you're a new IT manager, here's a 100-day plan for making a successful transition to your new role.

4 IT Resolutions for the New Year

By Ben Smith, 12/27/2005

The start of a new year is a great time to make resolutions to improve your IT organization. Here are four resolutions that will help get you started.