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InfoXchange -- ICCA-Boston Newsletter
The Newsletter of the ICCA Greater Boston Chapter
September/October 2007              Volume 3, Issue 4
IN THIS ISSUE
Announcements

From the Board - The Deadly Sins of IT Consultants

Networking For Beginners - Part 2

Who Are We?
From the Editor:
We would like to encourage anyone to submit articles to the ICCA Greater Boston Chapter newsletter. If you know of anyone interested in free publicity, ask them to write an article of any size or topic pertinent to our organization for submission in the next issue of our newsletter. The good news is the smaller the article, the better, since long articles are hard to read on-line.

We are very open to ideas and suggestions regarding article topics in all sections of the newsletter, including:

Local or Chapter Announcements;
Articles;
Member-to-Member Spotlights;
Member-to-Member News;
Mentor's Corner.
Submit ideas or articles to:
Kim Reddington
Managing Editor, Newsletter
newsletter@
icca-boston.org
Next Deadline:
October 22, 2007 for the Nov/Dec Issue
Board of Directors:

President
Robert Goodearl

Vice President
Gloria Metrick

Treasurer
James Connell

Secretary
Michael Kibler

Director of Programs
François Bigot

Immediate Past President
Norman Daoust

Click for Board contact info

Announcements

I'm excited to mention details about our annual meeting in conjunction with the Software Development Best Practices Conference & Expo
The Deadly Sins of IT Consultants
Our speaker this year will be: Scott Ambler, Practice Leader Agile Development with the IBM Methods group
website: http://www.ambysoft.com

Wednesday, September 19, 2007, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Hynes Convention Center, 900 Boylston St, Boston, MA

Don't forget to sign up for you free Expo pass. Details about the pass are described in the From the Board article below.

From the Board

The Deadly Sins of IT Consultants

[Ed. You can find a link to Scott's slides here.]

Why You Want To Attend Our September 19 Meeting?

  • Relevant Topic: The Deadly Sins of IT Consultants. You can't afford to not know them because you need to avoid them!
  • Great Speaker! Scott Ambler is one of the most compelling speakers around in our field. He has an international reputation and is a sought-after speaker. He's a thought leader in agile methods and in applying the Unified Process for software development. He's written more than a half dozen books. But you might not realize that Scott has been a consultant for many years!
  • It'll improve your consulting practice. You'll be glad if you learn to avoid just one of the typical mistakes IT consultants make of those that Scott points out. Just one of his tips might help you win a new contract, avoid a costly mistake, improve your reputation, etc.
  • Excellent networking opportunity. Conference attendees and speakers come from around the country. How often do you have the opportunity to network with professionals and potential clients from around the country?
  • No cost. That's right, this meeting is absolutely free. However you must register for a free Expo pass to the Software Development Best Practices Conference and Expo by ? (the cost rises to $50 after that date). Don't worry, the show sponsor, CMP Media, respects your privacy and allows you to opt out of promotional mailings.
  • Free food and drinks! OK, I confess: we're not providing any food or drinks. However your free Expo pass provides you free admission to the opening of the show exposition at 5 p.m. that day and they're providing free food and drink at the expo opening. Show up at 5 p.m., have free food and drink at the Expo, check out the vendors if you desire, then come to our meeting at 6 p.m.
You pick the reason(s) that are the most compelling for you, mark the date on your calendar, and register now for your FREE Expo pass to the conference. You'll be glad you did!

Note: You must register by September 13 at 4:00 PM PST or the price changes to $50.

Of course, if you'd like to attend the educational sessions at the conference, be certain to use our ICCA discount code to obtain a $500 discount off of the regularly priced VIP Pass. Full information on the conference is available at http://www.sdexpo.com/2007/sdbp/

By Norman Daoust,
Past President, ICCA-Boston

Networking For Beginners - Part 2


In Part 1, we took a view of what networking it. In this part, we will discuss the issue of finding the right group.
Which Groups Are For You
There are groups, such as ours, that have informal networking sessions. Then, there are groups that have been created solely for the purpose of networking. Some of the pure networking groups are there to teach us to network, while others expect us to be serious networkers to begin with. The rules of various groups differ, as well. Some groups require that each person bring a number of leads with them to each meeting. I happen to belong to a group that does not require anyone to bring any leads. However, the group I have joined has strict participation rules. Our membership rules require us to attend the events, to actively participate, and to work on our leads and other networking tasks between meetings.

To further subdivide this, there are groups that are general as well as those groups that pertain to specific industries. Some groups are less formal than others. For example, there is an even called "Biotech Tuesday" which is a fun networking event held monthly for those people working in Biotech that qualify: http://www.biotechtuesday.com/index.cfm More formal and more general-purpose groups include BNI (Business Networking International):
http://www.bni.com/
and LBN (Local Business Network):
http://www.locbusnet.com/
as well as Le Tip:
http://www.letip.com/

Many Chamber of Commerce organizations hold special networking sessions, sometimes on the golf course, other times as breakfasts, to give a couple examples.
More About Networking
One local speaker and writer that gives presentations on networking skills is Diana Darling. I have seen her talks publicized through various Chamber of Commerce organizations, for one. She has a newsletter with networking tips http://www.dianedarling.com/. She has more information at http://www.effectivenetworking.com/

Another way to learn better networking skills is to ask other networkers you meet for their networking tips or sharing your own.

Or better yet, participate in a Networking Workshop at our November 2007 meeting!
Gloria Metrick is the Owner of GeoMetrick Enterprises, which helps companies understand and manage their laboratory data. Primarily, she works with LIMS (Laboratory Information Management Systems) and has twenty years of experience with these systems, as well as a solid background in consulting. Her company newsletter, "Out on a LIMS: The Newsletter for People Who Risk Life and LIMS on a Daily Basis" is distributed throughout the international LIMS community and has representatives not just from end-users, but from every major LIMS vendor.

Who are we?

Founded in 1976, the Independent Computer Consultants Association (ICCA) is a national not-for-profit organization of independent computer consulting firms sharing the highest ethical and professional standards.

The ICCA Greater Boston Chapter Mission Statement:
The Greater Boston Chapter of the ICCA supports and encourages the growth of individuals and small firms in the business of computer consulting through education, networking, advocacy, and the exchange of ideas and knowledge among peers.

The ICCA offers great services and benefits to its members including business and health insurance, marketing programs, a National Conference, standard form consulting and subcontracting contracts, and many discount programs. For additional information regarding the ICCA or to search the National Membership Directory, visit the national website http://www.icca.org or the Greater Boston Chapter website http://www.icca-boston.org
Legal Stuff
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Publisher: Greater Boston Chapter of the Independent Computer Consultants Association, http://www.icca-boston.org Copyright 2007, Greater Boston Chapter of the Independent Computer Consultants Association This newsletter may be distributed without charge as long as it's distributed in its entirety. Individual sections and portions may be distributed with permission.