Interesting articles that get to a key question: "IF people are your most important assets, why would you get rid of them?"

• The Case Against Layoffs - from Newsweek

  "Our overreliance on downsizing is killing workers, the economy—and even the bottom line."

• The Disposable Worker - from BusinessWeek

  "Pay is falling, benefits are vanishing, and no one’s job is secure. How companies are making the era of the temp more than temporary."

I am not sure these trends are going to change any time soon. What can we as "disposable workers" do to acclimate to this new reality? What can companies do to work with "temps" more effectively?

I enjoyed this New York Times article featuring Xerox CEO Ursula Burns. It describes her leadership skills, as well as her career (and passion) for Xerox. Enjoy! 
 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/21/business/21xerox.html

Some simple tips from Sologig that are quite compelling on a Friday…
 

Sologig Quick Tip:  Knowing when to disconnect

If you get home from the office, or if you work from home and have a difficult time winding down, try the following:

1. When you’re not at work, don’t work:  if you receive your work e-mails on your phone, don’t respond outside of normal working hours unless absolutely necessary.
2. Take a break:  if you’re constantly worrying about work when you’re not at work, take a break!  The same issues you’re thinking about at home will still be at the office the next day.
3. Remember "you:" While being passionate about your work is a wonderful thing, don’t forget your other non-work related passions:  for example, cooking, traveling, and reading.

Achieving the right work-life balance is in your hands and once you find it, both your professional and personal life will be much more enjoyable.

I’ve heard people say, "You can tell more about how a person will react in a business situation from one round of golf than many hours of business meetings…" 
We have a new predictor of behavior: GoKart Racing! 

Last week several BSP team members met at Chicago Indoor Racing for a fun morning of racing GoKarts. We sat through a safety briefing, suited up, and took a couple of warm-up laps.

Then the gloves came off!

We saw good-natured consultants turn into hyper-competitive speed racers. They had their 200cc four cycle motors revved up to 5500 RPMs in no time, and were soon racing for the best pole position. Take a look at the video; I never knew racing around at 35 MPH would be so much fun!

Thanks to the folks at Chicago Indoor Racing. We are sure to repeat the event next year!

We’ve all heard, and said, some variation on "people are our most important asset."

This article from Fortune tells us the world’s top-performing companies are really good at turning this into practice by attracting, developing, and keeping business leaders.

Read the article here to learn how IBM, Procter & Gamble, General Mills and others do it…

 

http://blog.ted.com/2006/06/majora_carter_o.php

Here is one of my favorite presentations. What makes it effective?

• She quickly establishes an emotional connection with her audience;
• She is passionate about her topic;
• She has rehearsed her presentation;
• The focus of her presentation is her words -the images and text highlight her key points.

What presentations have you found to be engaging? What makes them so?

BTW - Here is more info on the presentation:

Majora Carter is the Macarthur-winning founder of Sustainable South Bronx, an organization dedicated to holistic community development, sponsoring projects that create jobs, protect the environment and bring beautiful green space to the inner city. In this charismatic presentation (which received a prolonged standing ovation), she explains her commitment to environmental justice and her vision for a renewed South Bronx. [Recorded February 2006 in Monterey, CA. Duration: 19:14]

Outstanding article from George Colony at Forrester urging CEOs to understand how technology changes your customers; and customers, in turn, change your company. Here is his summary of Forrester’s recent survey of U.S. consumers.

1. The 2009 customer is unrecognizable from the 1999 customer. What it means (WIM) to you: If your business looks the same now as it did in 1999, you are risking irrelevancy.
   
   
   
   
2. Consumers in every age group are quickly moving from offline channels to online. WIM: If your marketing department is filled with people that still over-emphasize TV or magazine advertising rather than a more balanced approach to the customer, you’re wasting your money.
   
   
   
3. Americans spend 8 hours per week with old media (TV, newspapers) and 8 hours per week with new media (Internet). WIM: spending on your Web site and new media advertising should be comparable to your old media spend.
   
   
   
4. 25% of households have digital video recorders — devices like Tivo that let TV watchers record shows and fast forward over ads. WIM: you’re probably over-paying for TV ads.
   
   
   
5. 88% of people under the age of 40 are regular Internet users — at home and at work. WIM: while all of your customers are changing, your future customers (young people) are changing even faster. Moving slowly now will inhibit market share and new customer acquisition over the next ten years.
   
   
   
6. Half of all Americans research products online before buying. WIM: your customers are ever smarter about what they purchase. All the more reason to treat them like partners and enlist them to help you design your next product.
   
   
   
7. Half of all U.S. adults play computer games. WIM: begin to use this medium, as IBM has done, as a training medium for your workforce.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize to President Barack Obama for

"…his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples."

The news is sure to garner a lot of attention on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and blogs…

What a way to start our Friday!

• What do you think? 
• Is this premature?
• Was this a good choice?