When Marcia Feola wants to know what workers are really thinking, she wanders around and looks for themes to the cartoons they post on computers, bulletin boards or desks.
"Humor is the truth about the culture in those jokes," she says, whether they point to being snowed under with work or finding managers always in meetings.
When Jeffrey Kudisch talks to his MBA students about locating an employer that's a "good fit," he suggests asking questions before and during the interview. "Selection is a two-way street," said Kudisch, who teaches management at the University of Maryland's Smith School of Business.
Read this Article at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/09/19/ST2009091901876.html
Friday, September 25, 2009
Fall Semester Professional Development Classes
Very exciting stuff.
We have already received and processed registrations for the fall, 2009 semester of professional development classes offered with CSN.
Beginning in October, these great programs will be offered:
Leadership 1 Certification Series
Customer Service 1 Certification Series
Human Resources 1 Certification Series
Please visit our schedule page at: http://www.soaringeagleent.com/schedule.htm to check dates and to register.
We have already received and processed registrations for the fall, 2009 semester of professional development classes offered with CSN.
Beginning in October, these great programs will be offered:
Leadership 1 Certification Series
Customer Service 1 Certification Series
Human Resources 1 Certification Series
Please visit our schedule page at: http://www.soaringeagleent.com/schedule.htm to check dates and to register.
Training Journal: Staff performance can be boosted a third through improved management says business guru
Businesses willing to improve their management practices could increase the performance of their staff by up to a third, according to Chris Roebuck (pictured), a talent manager who has worked in organisations as varied as London Underground and HSBC.
The ex-British Army soldier was speaking at The People Strategy Forum 2009 yesterday and said many CEOs were missing an opportunity to improve their bottom line and position themselves well for the upturn.
Read the Article at: http://www.trainingjournal.com/news/2435.html#
The ex-British Army soldier was speaking at The People Strategy Forum 2009 yesterday and said many CEOs were missing an opportunity to improve their bottom line and position themselves well for the upturn.
Read the Article at: http://www.trainingjournal.com/news/2435.html#
Training Journal: McDonalds Receives Award for Investing in People
McDonalds has become one of the first in a handful of companies to be honoured with a new look Investors in People (IIP) Gold award.The organisation was presented with the award at the Institute of Directors this week, in recognition of its continued investment in talent management and its use of people metrics to identify the impact of development strategies.
Investors in People said McDonald’s employees were able to identify inspirational leaders at all levels and there had been an improvement in people’s view of how they were managed and developed within the organisation.
Read the article at: http://www.trainingjournal.com/news/2441.html#
Investors in People said McDonald’s employees were able to identify inspirational leaders at all levels and there had been an improvement in people’s view of how they were managed and developed within the organisation.
Read the article at: http://www.trainingjournal.com/news/2441.html#
Companies that Headhunters Avoid-Business Week
When Revlon (REV) hired Jack Stahl as CEO in 2002, the board thought he'd be a boss who could turn the cosmetics giant around. In his 22 years at Coca-Cola (KO), where he rose to president, the telegenic executive had become a darling of Wall Street for his financial savvy and operational discipline.
Stahl stumbled, however, when he left Coke. While he managed to pare down Revlon's heavy debt load, he lost millions on failed campaigns for new products, most notably an "age-defying" makeup line called Vital Radiance. Industry consultants say he relied too heavily on finance types who made basic marketing errors: The line was overpriced, curiously didn't incorporate the vaunted Revlon name, and used no-name models in its campaign. After four years of losses during which the stock lost roughly two-thirds of its value, Stahl left in 2006. "He didn't know what he didn't know," says Suzanne Grayson, a consultant who worked for Revlon in the 1960s and '70s. "He brought in statisticians instead of marketers, and the decisions they made were atrocious." Stahl and Revlon didn't respond to requests for comment.
Read the Entire Article: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_37/b4146042031508.htm
Stahl stumbled, however, when he left Coke. While he managed to pare down Revlon's heavy debt load, he lost millions on failed campaigns for new products, most notably an "age-defying" makeup line called Vital Radiance. Industry consultants say he relied too heavily on finance types who made basic marketing errors: The line was overpriced, curiously didn't incorporate the vaunted Revlon name, and used no-name models in its campaign. After four years of losses during which the stock lost roughly two-thirds of its value, Stahl left in 2006. "He didn't know what he didn't know," says Suzanne Grayson, a consultant who worked for Revlon in the 1960s and '70s. "He brought in statisticians instead of marketers, and the decisions they made were atrocious." Stahl and Revlon didn't respond to requests for comment.
Read the Entire Article: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_37/b4146042031508.htm
The Great Trust Offensive-Business Week
Companies as diverse as McDonald's, Ford, and American Express are revamping their marketing to win back that most valuable of corporate assets.
"The spark began where it always begins, at a restaurant downtown, in a shop on Main Street," intones a narrator as the camera lingers in a restaurant, bakery, and bike factory. "Entrepreneurs like these are the most powerful force in the economy. As we look to the future, they'll be there ahead of us." The music swells, and the narrator concludes: "While we're sure we don't know all the answers, we do know one thing for certain. We want to help."
The commercial, which began airing across the U.S. this summer, was developed by Ogilvy & Mather for American Express (AXP). Its mission: to cast AmEx not as a financial titan but as a humble service provider assisting mom and pops—establishments consumers typically like to support. AmEx, its gold-plated reputation tarnished by subprime bets, wants to regain the trust of its customers.
Read the Entire Article at: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_39/b4148038492933.htm
"The spark began where it always begins, at a restaurant downtown, in a shop on Main Street," intones a narrator as the camera lingers in a restaurant, bakery, and bike factory. "Entrepreneurs like these are the most powerful force in the economy. As we look to the future, they'll be there ahead of us." The music swells, and the narrator concludes: "While we're sure we don't know all the answers, we do know one thing for certain. We want to help."
The commercial, which began airing across the U.S. this summer, was developed by Ogilvy & Mather for American Express (AXP). Its mission: to cast AmEx not as a financial titan but as a humble service provider assisting mom and pops—establishments consumers typically like to support. AmEx, its gold-plated reputation tarnished by subprime bets, wants to regain the trust of its customers.
Read the Entire Article at: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_39/b4148038492933.htm
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Recharge Technique
Courtesy of Steve Forst and the Author Noted Below:
A lot of people have been feeling “overwhelmed” lately…they have too much to do in too little time and no one to delegate to (due to downsizing within the organization.) Therefore, I am hoping that “Stillpoints” will remind you how to find space in each day to renew yourselves.
A Stillpoint is stopping quickly and doing nothing for just a moment. It is brief and meant to be used any time, all the time (every day, in fact), and many times a day. Stillpoints are essentially very short: a few seconds or a few minutes. They are designed to take advantage of the unfilled moments in life: waiting for the microwave to heat your coffee, brushing your teeth, or sitting at a stoplight. They are also to be used at moments of stress: walking into an interview, during a feeling of anger, or when you know you are going to be late for an appointment… to name a few.
A day with fifteen Stillpoints will make you much more peaceful, satisfied, and calm, no matter how much you have to do, how many people you have to attend to, or how many fires you have to put out. The advantage of Stillpoints is that they can be incorporated into your life with minimal disruption and maximum effect.
What you do during a Stillpoint is simple: you stop doing whatever you are doing, sit or stand, take a deep breath with your eyes open or closed, focus your attention inward, and remember what you need to remember. Stop, breathe, and remember. The remembering part is very flexible: it can mean recalling a belief or event that motivates you. But it can also mean remembering a thought that brings you strength or peace, a message you need to hear at that moment like, “You can do it,” or a self-encouragement like, “You are okay.” Stop, breathe, and remember.
An example of how I use Stillpoints in my work is…in the midst of a tough team facilitation process…I stop, breathe, and remember why I am there: “To help the team have insight or guidance to overcome an obstacle or to make an important change.” This Stillpoint process keeps me energized and focused on what matters most in the moment.
So, Stillpoints have a physical part (being still and breathing) and a spiritual part (remembering what your purpose is, feeling appreciation, or other words that are meaningful for you to hear.) The very essence of Stillpoints is deep, intentional breathing and a moment of quiet recollection. Try it…it can be life changingJ
Excerpt from: Stopping: How To Be Still When You Have To Keep Going by Dr. David Kuntz.
A lot of people have been feeling “overwhelmed” lately…they have too much to do in too little time and no one to delegate to (due to downsizing within the organization.) Therefore, I am hoping that “Stillpoints” will remind you how to find space in each day to renew yourselves.
A Stillpoint is stopping quickly and doing nothing for just a moment. It is brief and meant to be used any time, all the time (every day, in fact), and many times a day. Stillpoints are essentially very short: a few seconds or a few minutes. They are designed to take advantage of the unfilled moments in life: waiting for the microwave to heat your coffee, brushing your teeth, or sitting at a stoplight. They are also to be used at moments of stress: walking into an interview, during a feeling of anger, or when you know you are going to be late for an appointment… to name a few.
A day with fifteen Stillpoints will make you much more peaceful, satisfied, and calm, no matter how much you have to do, how many people you have to attend to, or how many fires you have to put out. The advantage of Stillpoints is that they can be incorporated into your life with minimal disruption and maximum effect.
What you do during a Stillpoint is simple: you stop doing whatever you are doing, sit or stand, take a deep breath with your eyes open or closed, focus your attention inward, and remember what you need to remember. Stop, breathe, and remember. The remembering part is very flexible: it can mean recalling a belief or event that motivates you. But it can also mean remembering a thought that brings you strength or peace, a message you need to hear at that moment like, “You can do it,” or a self-encouragement like, “You are okay.” Stop, breathe, and remember.
An example of how I use Stillpoints in my work is…in the midst of a tough team facilitation process…I stop, breathe, and remember why I am there: “To help the team have insight or guidance to overcome an obstacle or to make an important change.” This Stillpoint process keeps me energized and focused on what matters most in the moment.
So, Stillpoints have a physical part (being still and breathing) and a spiritual part (remembering what your purpose is, feeling appreciation, or other words that are meaningful for you to hear.) The very essence of Stillpoints is deep, intentional breathing and a moment of quiet recollection. Try it…it can be life changingJ
Excerpt from: Stopping: How To Be Still When You Have To Keep Going by Dr. David Kuntz.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Overled and Undermanaged-From Business Week
By Henry Mintzberg
BW Magazine
Have you heard the word "leadership" lately—say, in the last 10 minutes? How about "management"? Remember that word? Let me suggest that you should, because what we've been calling a financial crisis is actually one of management. Corporate America has had too much of fancy leadership disconnected from plain old management.
How did this happen? It became fashionable some years ago to separate "leaders" from "managers"—you know, distinguishing those who "do the right things" from those who "do things right." It sounds good. But think about how this separation works in practice. U.S. businesses now have too many leaders who are detached from the messy process of managing. So they don't know what's going on.
Read the entire article: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_33/b4143068890733.htm
BW Magazine
Have you heard the word "leadership" lately—say, in the last 10 minutes? How about "management"? Remember that word? Let me suggest that you should, because what we've been calling a financial crisis is actually one of management. Corporate America has had too much of fancy leadership disconnected from plain old management.
How did this happen? It became fashionable some years ago to separate "leaders" from "managers"—you know, distinguishing those who "do the right things" from those who "do things right." It sounds good. But think about how this separation works in practice. U.S. businesses now have too many leaders who are detached from the messy process of managing. So they don't know what's going on.
Read the entire article: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_33/b4143068890733.htm
Thursday, August 20, 2009
The Square Watermelon
Japanese grocery stores had a problem. They are much smaller than their US counterparts and therefore don’t have room to waste. Watermelons, big and round, wasted a lot of space. Most people would simply tell the grocery stores that watermelons grow round and there is nothing that can be done about it. But some Japanese farmers took a different approach. ”If the supermarkets want a space efficient watermelon,” they asked themselves, “How can we provide one?” It wasn’t long before they invented the square watermelon.
The solution to the problem of round watermelons wasn’t nearly as difficult to solve for those who didn’t assume the problem was impossible to begin with and simply asked how it could be done. It turns out that all you need to do is place them into a square box when they are growing and the watermelon will take on the shape of the box.
Read the complete Article: http://www.hardknoxlife.com/2008/06/18/lessons-of-the-square-watermelon/
Favorite Quotes
1. Opportunity is missed by most people, because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.
Thomas Edison
2. If three people call you an ass, buy a bridle.
Spanish Proverb
3. The man who complained about how the ball bounces is usually the one who dropped it.
Lou Holtz
4. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him much will be required.
Luke 12:48
5. It is not by whining that one carries out the job of the leader.
Napolean I
6. Great people are those who make others feel that they, too, can become great.
Mark Twain
Mark Twain
7. Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.
General George S. Patton
General George S. Patton
8. I have as much authority as the Pope, there’s just not as many people who believe it.
George Carlin
George Carlin
9. Although your customers won’t love you if you give bad service, your competitors will.
Kate Zabriskie
Kate Zabriskie
10. Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us.
Bill Watterson
Bill Watterson
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