Motivating Your Workforce

This column reinforces Automation World's editorial focus on the automation team, which brings together engineering, management and information technology (IT). As with most teams, leaders are needed to provide a vision, identify objectives and navigate project waters. Our December issue focus is on the workforce. In the September 2010 issue, the Automation Team column/primer tackled the topic of how leaders motivate their workers. The September article is the most read online column/primer over the last three months (as of this writing), and it provides some surprising observations on the best way to motivate knowledge workers. See below.

Automation Team: Motivating Knowledge Workers
http://bit.ly/awprimers_001

Related Workforce feature: Operator Training Simulators to the Rescue
http://bit.ly/awfeature_006

Grant Gerke
Digital Managing Editor

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Achieving Next-Generation Connectivity
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Topic – Conferences
Mintchell Video Report: Automation Fair Recap
Gary Mintchell, Editor in Chief, provides an update on Rockwell Automation's most recent path, integrated control, redundant networks and his interviews with Rockwell Chief Executive Officer Keith Nosbusch and Chief Technology Officer Sujeet Chand. Visit http://bit.ly/awvid_009

Topic – Smart Phone App
Video: OpsManage'10: SmartGlance Demo and Interview
Wes Iversen, Managing Editor, reports from the OpsManage'10 Conference and talks with Bimal Mehta, Director, Invensys Application Management, for Invensys Operations Management, about the new SmartGlance app. Visit http://bit.ly/awvid_010

2010 Fall Conference Coverage:
Catch up on Automation World's conference coverage for Emerson Exchange, www.emersonexchange2010, and Invensys OpsManage, www.automationworld.com/opsmanage2010

Topic – Safety
On-Demand Webcast: Functional Safety: What It Is, Why It's Important, and How to Comply
Webcast speakers provide an overview of testing and certification programs available from Underwriters Laboratories (UL), including a new Functional Safety Mark. Visit http://bit.ly/awcast010

Top 5 on AutomationWorld.com for 2010
Automation Gear Blog Posts:
Video with Your SCADA
http://bit.ly/awblog_005

Fingerprint-Recognition Switch Designed for Factories and Plants
http://bit.ly/awblog_010

Wastewater Plants: New iPad App for Operators
http://bit.ly/awblog_011

PLC Functionality in PC
http://bit.ly/awblog_012

FDT Configuration Tool
http://bit.ly/awblog_013