Wed, 27 Jun 2007 13:22:13 GMT

How To Get Ahead In the Modern Business World

If you ever fall off the Sears Tower, just go real limp, because maybe you'll look like a dummy and people will try to catch you because, hey, free dummy. -- Jack HandeyJack Handey, author of the popular deep thoughts, would have a tough time making it in today's business world. Why? Because it's not what you think, it's not how good you are, it's ultimately who you know.

I first began to realize that in 1995 when I was an electrical engineering student at the University of Kentucky. I applied for a co-op position at Lexmark, and never heard anything back.

I applied every semester for two years. Still nothing. Then one day an accounting professor or mine gave the class an assignment - go interview someone in your industry.

I found someone at Lexmark to interview about engineering, and we kept in touch after the interview. At the end of the semester he sent me a note saying that their co-op was leaving, and asking if I wanted to co-op in his department. Two years of following the rules got me nowhere. One hour of meeting with a real engineer got me what I wanted. He never asked for my resume. Never asked about GPA. Never asked anything except whether or not I wanted the position. It was my first taste of a major life lesson - it's who you know, not what you know.

Fast forward to my first real job out of college. It didn't take long for me to realize that management's perception of who should be promoted was heavily biased by who they liked. There was one engineer in particular who was highly skilled and detail oriented, but was one of the last to be promoted to the next level. Why? Because he was always working instead of schmoozing. As a result, it was thought that he "didn't have good people skills," when really, he was an excellent communicator, but simply didn't waste time with frivolous talk and schmoozing.

Fast forward to today. I sit in meetings with strangers and say things that are deep and insightful (at least, I think they are), but no one pays attention. A friend of mine in the group says "Rob has a popular business blog...." and suddenly I can say nothing wrong. My ideas are the same, but five minutes earlier, no one cared. Now I'm perceived as popular. Now my ideas matter.

The point of all this is that, in business, you really do get ahead more by being liked rather than by being brilliant. Sure, you need to have some minimum level of competence, but if people like your personality, they will let mild transgressions slide. And deep deep down, they really don't want to work with someone disciplined and demanding, because it might make them look bad. No one likes to be held accountable.

We wonder what is wrong with business today. I will tell you what is wrong. Corporate executive teams are unbalanced. They are heavy on the popular, but light on the deep thinkers.

I'm not saying that the deep thinkers should replace the jovial people-oriented executives. The latter bring a lot to the table, and are an important component of a well balanced team. I'm simply saying that corporate hierarchies should have both, and that my (admittedly limited and anecdotal) evidence is that corporate hierarchies heavily favor schmoozers.

People often ask me what I'm good at or what I love to do. They want me to say "finance" or "marketing," or some business discipline that has nice clean borders. That makes it easier to put me in a box with the others. For a long time I felt lost, because I would recite a long list of things that I enjoyed and felt qualified to do, and it came across to people as "this guy is unfocused." Eventually I figured out what they all have in common, and now I tell people "I'm good at holding complex models of systems in my head, and optimizing them for certain outputs." To me, designing a circuit, teaching a college course, starting a business (I have done all three) all have this trait in common - they are complex systems that need to be understood and manipulated to attain certain goals. By understanding how the parts of a circuit fit together, I can create the voltage I need at the output. By understanding the interaction of variables in a business, I can move them around one way to maximize cash flow, another to maximize market share, or a different way to maximize profit. It depends on what is needed.

I fancy myself a deep thinker, but the truth is that I've gotten ahead primarily by schmoozing.

I guess what I really want to accomplish with this post is two things. First, to those of you who hire regularly, I want to encourage you to look beyond minimum qualifications and how much you like someone as a person, and to probe for deep intuitive thinkers. They can bring a creative problem solving touch to your organization that may otherwise be lacking.

For those of you that are deep thinkers and feel like you sometimes get overlooked, I want to encourage you to suck it up and network as much as you can. The world works a certain way, and it makes no sense to fight the system until you have a position of authority that allows you to make a difference.

Just last night I was on a phone call explaining to someone that I was worn out from "meeting with people." She said that it didn't sound too hard. But she's not an introvert. It's not hard for her. We discussed that for a second, and then I explained that, even though I don't enjoy it, it is something I have to do to be successful.

Ultimately, a business that only promotes one type of person is like a car that without a steering wheel. It's fine as long as there are no curves on the road. Long term success comes from being flexible, and for that, you need a team of people who don't all think and act the same way. Embracing the deep thinkers in your organization is a step in the right direction. Posted by: rob      Read more     Source

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 12:15:54 GMT

A Colourful Way to SMS

No, it doesnt show your future. It is not a magic ball. It is an iBall. No kidding! This orb displays SMS. Yes, like a phone but in a different way. It does it with the help of 85 dazzling RGB LEDs. Maybe the next time you are going nuts deciding what to gift your boyfriend, you have your solution. Utility and aesthetics rolled in one. I must say this is one very flashy way to display SMS. And boy! Doesnt this make your love more colorful? And at 28 cm, it does help when you wish to make it big.

Well, about its features it incorporates an in-built memory of 64MB to save your images and text for eternity. You can also avail 1000 free texts, which means you can keep sending SMSes and not get charged till you hit 1000.

The dome is made of polycarbonate, so you do not have to worry about dropping it. You can mount it on the ceiling or place it on your table top.

However, for all this, you would be flabbergasted if you get to know the price. It costs a staggering $2225.19. Yes, the additional 19 cents included.

Now, you reckon the plain old mobile phone is a better choice, dont you?

Via: Techeblog, Zedomax Posted by: Alpheus      Read more     Source

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 05:02:42 GMT

Schwarzenegger Joins Blair in War Against Global Warming

Californian Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger praised Tony Blairs environmental leadership as a factual replica to the world. The two men met at Downing Street on Mr. Blairs last day as Prime Minister, issuing a plea for countries to join the fight against the global warming. At the press conference Arnie said the visit by the Prime Minister last year had been a great source of inspiration to everyone in California following a cap and trade British style model on curbing emissions.

Though the critics say that Bush administration has been reluctant, the Governors attitude in terminating the greenhouse gas emissions is growing popular in Europe. Last year the Governor signed a law committing to reduce the carbon emissions by 25% till 2020.

A day after meeting the French PM Nicolas Sarkozy, the Californian Governor was in UK for a day of round-table conference on the climate change. The praises went vice-versa when the President appreciated the hallucination and the headship of Schwarzenegger on the issue which has seen California lead a small number of US states in adopting Kyoto protocol objectives, even though Washington having pulled out of that treaty back in 2001.

Both men insisted on growing popular will globally for individuals, businesses and governments to reduce their carbon footprint which aims at the emergent and worthwhile business opportunities in Britain and California for environmentally friendly cars and other green technologies.

Schwarzenegger without selfish reasons persisted Blair to be the envoy for the environment, bringing all the countries of the world together to reduce greenhouse gases.
He showcased Californias success in well-disposed action on the environment, getting Republicans and Democrats to work together. It’s the only way we’re going to fix anything, he told reporters in Downing Street. I think the Prime Minister is the only person who can do that. he added.

Both Blair and Schwarzenegger stressed on the importance of getting international agreement to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases once the targets set in the Kyoto Protocol expire in 2012. It is essential that a new agreement has the support, not only of America but also China and India, which are fast heading towards becoming the world’s biggest carbon emitters.

Mr. Blair responding to the willingness of the US President to agree with other leaders of rich industrialized countries at this months G8 summit in Germany to calm down global temperatures called it a vital breakthrough.

The Californian Governor said that its up to the state administrators like him to show leadership on global warming rather than the US federal govt., though he mentioned it as a normal procedure in the US.

He added: Its not good enough for the US to demand action on climate change from developing countries, when it produces 25% of the world’s carbon emissions with just 5% of its population.
The idea of continuing to say that China should come in otherwise I’m not going to, that doesn’t work. We have to show leadership.

Adding flair of humor, standing along with a superstar, the President borrowed a famous line from one of Schwarzenegger’s Terminator film to end the news conference: My press officer said to me, whatever else you do this morning, don’t say, I’ll be back.
The Governor joked that the Number 10s flavorsome English breakfast has caused him to put on five pounds of weight.

TimesOnline :Images:smh

smh:Credit :The Indipendent Posted by: Parul      Read more     Source

June 25, 2007, 7:50 PM CT

The Cost Of Being Black

How much do white Americans think it "costs" to be black in our society, given the problems associated with racial bias and prejudice?

The answer, it appears, is not much.

When white Americans were asked to imagine how much they would have to be paid to live the rest of their lives as a black person, most requested relatively low amounts, generally less than $10,000.

In contrast, study participants said they would have to be paid about $1 million to give up television for the rest of their lives.

The results suggest most white Americans don't truly comprehend the persisting racial disparities in our country, said Philip Mazzocco, co-author of the study and assistant professor of psychology at Ohio State University's Mansfield campus.

"The costs of being black in our society are very well documented," Mazzocco said. "Blacks have significantly lower income and wealth, higher levels of poverty, and even shorter life spans, among many other disparities, compared to whites".

For example, white households average about $150,000 more wealth than the typical black family. Overall, total wealth for white families is about five times greater than that of black families, a gap that has persisted for years.

"When whites say they would need $1 million to give up TV, but less than $10,000 to become black, that suggests they don't really understand the extent to which African Americans, as a group, are disadvantaged," Mazzocco said......... Posted by: Ethen      Read more         Source

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 04:31:37 GMT

Migrant Workers Boosting British Economy

The British economy is at advantage from the influx of migrant workers and some sectors would ‘collapse’ if they were taken out overnight, say a latest report. According to the report released by TUC, migrant workers have actually helped to improve the UK economy and concluded that with their influx not having a negative effect on employment or wage levels. The TUC has said that its research argued against accusations from the far right that immigrants are a drain on the welfare state. However, the recent data indicate migrant numbers from Eastern Europe are greatly down so far this year largely because improved job opportunities and wages at home.

The report further revealed that migrant workers are paying more in taxes than the value of the public services they receive, despite claims from organizations such as Migration Watch UK that immigrants place additional pressure on housing and public services. Treasury figures show that inflowing migration adds about 10 percent to economic growth each year. The Bank of England has also welcomed the effect migrant labor has had on pay settlements by preventing them from picking up more sharply in response to recent higher inflation.
The UK has witnessed an influx of migrant workers from Eastern Europe since 2004 after many new countries joined the European Union. This trend has triggered concerns that workers willing to take low-paid jobs in sectors such as construction, farming and domestic service would press down wages and compel other low-skilled workers out of jobs. Speaking over the issue Brendan Barber, the TUC’s general secretary said, ‘Migrant workers are making a substantial contribution to Britain’s economy. They have not caused mass unemployment or held down wages as some would have us believe.’ He further argued that if migrant workers are treated fairly and paid a decent wage they can only add to the economy.

The report has also suggested that the profusion of migrant labor should not prevent the government from helping unemployed and disadvantaged British citizens from getting into work. However, the low numbers of incoming migrants has triggered concerns about the impression on industries such as fruit farming, which are dependant on seasonal foreign labor. In the meanwhile, farmers have criticized about the effect of restriction placed on foreign workers, brought in to promote employers to recruit mainly from local populationImage

Read Posted by: Balendu      Read more     Source

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 04:28:57 GMT

Gorgeous Girl Teaches Advertising

Back in the early 80s my boss purchased a Travelhost franchise for the Cincinnati market. As part of the purchase we both flew to Las Vegas for a week of training. Part of the week of training involved a class in sales and how to close the deal.

We watched what would now be considered a less than PC video about the 7 types of closes. A man attends a training seminar and then comes home and shares what he learns with his gorgeous girl friend. As he talks about each close type, she attempts to use that same close technique to move the conversation to the bedroom.

Once again a gorgeous girl comes into play to teach us a lesson in business. The guys at Retired at 21 share their humorous lessons in the different types of promotions.

Here is an amusing guide to show you the different types of promotion.

You're a man and you see a gorgeous woman at a party, you go up to her and say, "I'm fantastic in bed,"

That's (Direct Marketing)

You're at a party with a bunch of friends and see a gorgeous woman. One of your friends goes up to her and pointing at you says,"He's fantastic in bed,"

That's (Advertising)

You see a gorgeous woman at a party. You go up to her and get her telephone number. The next day you call and say, "Hi, I'm fantastic in bed,"

(That's Telemarketing)

You're at a party and see a gorgeous woman. You get up and straighten your tie. You walk up to her and pour her a drink and then say, "By the way, I'm fantastic in bed,"

That's (Public Relations):

by the way - does anyone remember that training video on the different types of sales closes?

Deborah Chaddock Brown
Professional Writer, Fan of Humorous EduAllWriteInk

Posted by: Deborah Brown      Read more     Source

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 04:27:06 GMT

Lady Chatterley.

From a French adaptation in 1955 with Danielle Darrieux through, let's say, less auspicious reworkings at the hands of Ken Russell, Sylvia Kristel and dozens of others, DH Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover hasn't fared too well on film, notes Dennis Lim in the New York Times. "The newest Chatterley - a nearly three-hour French-language adaptation, directed by Pascale Ferran - effectively wipes the slate clean," he announces. "Lady Chatterley, which opens Friday, is both sober and sensual, not just a world away from the high-toned smut of its predecessors but also, in its directness and simplicity, an anomaly in the elaborately ornamented genre of the costume drama. In France it has won widespread critical acclaim and five Cesar Awards."

Updated through 6/21. Posted by: dwhudson      Read more     Source

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 04:23:54 GMT

Google Complains About Microsoft's Vista

Internet search leader Google Inc. said Microsoft Corp.'s Vista operating system is stifling competition as the high-tech heavyweights struggle for the allegiance of personal computer users.

Michael Liedtke, AP businereports:
In a 49-page document filed April 18 with the U.S. Justice Department and state attorneys general, Google alleged that the latest version of Microsoft's Windows operating system impairs the performance of "desktop search" programs that find data stored on a computer's hard drive.

The Vista operating system, which became widely available in January, includes a desktop search function that competes with a free program Google introduced in 2004. Several other companies also offer desktop search applications.

"The search boxes built throughout Vista are hard-wired to Microsoft's own desktop search product, with no way for users to choose an alternate provider," Google spokesman Ricardo Reyes said in a statement issued Monday.

In its own statement, Microsoft said it already has made more than a dozen changes to address regulators' concerns about Vista and pledged to address any other legitimate problems. "While we don't believe there are any compliance concerns with desktop search, we've also told officials we are committed to going the extra mile to resolve this issue," Microsoft spokesman Jack Evans said. Posted by: noel      Read more     Source

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 03:20:21 GMT

Fillfull: No More Scratching

Fillfull, telecommunication service provider in UAE, had launched this amusing print advertisement campaign in Dubai to announce the introduction of new service. The campaign revolves around a new service started by the firm that enables a subscriber to top up the credit in phone by dialing a toll-free number. Consequently subscribers get relief from buying scratch cards to recharge or to refill credit in their mobile phones. The advertisements are interestingly showing a few situations where the very concept of scratches is clearly visible.

The campaign fantastically displays the product benefit in an effective manner. While the first advertisement is remarkably fantastic and impressive, the second advertisement featuring a dog is not that impressive. However, overall the campaign communicates the message across humorously. The tag line of the campaign reads, No more scratching. The campaign was created by Tonic Communications, Dubai, UAE.

Via Ad Blog Arabia Posted by: Balendu      Read more     Source

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 17:56:50 GMT

Hillary Clinton Upstages Sopranos

Source:www.peoples.ru

It doesn't matter whether you love her or hate her you just have to love this Hillary Clinton video.

The Clintons seem to always find a way to turn any negative to their favor, which I personally find both amusing, and a great response to their detractors, most of whom have a great deal more to be ashamed of than do Bill and Hillary.

Hillary Clinton's contest for a campaign song has now ended, and the fan's choice was a song that was a write-in, which is kind of cool for something connected to a political campaign.

I won't give the title away, for those of you who aren't awhere and check out this great video, which is a take off on the final scene in the recently concluded "Sopranos" TV series, and a lead in to the campaign song. Posted by: jim      Read more     Source