And the only way to implement proper motivation in the workplace is through effective, clear, and coherent communications.
Who speaks for your organization?
Who is monitoring the “pulse” of your company?
Remember Chernobyl? Anyone?
But, in terms of dollars, the Current Way costs $5 billion to provide electricity for 800,000 homes.
The New Way will cost $50 million to provide electricity for 20,000 homes.
Here’s the math: The New Way costs only 40% that of the current way. In other words, for every 8 houses, what used to cost $50, now costs $20.
Maybe we’ll figure out a way to make these things nearly failure-proof. Just maybe.
Here’s the full story written by Brian Dumaine of Fortune magazine. Click the logo below to go to the story.
Top 5 tax tips for 2010:
1. Tax deadline is Monday, April 18.
2. Singles: if your modified adjusted gross income is less than $105k, your maximum investment into a Roth IRA is $5,000.
3. Married: if your MAGI is less than $167k, you can invest $5,000.
4. Traditional IRA (401k) – your max contribution is $16,500.
5. Approximately $1,000 tax savings for every $2,500 contribution into a traditional IRA or Flex Spending Account.
Chip and Dan Heath, in their book SWITCH, describe the emotional tug as the superior force in our lives and compares that to an elephant being 
directed by the analytical man sitting atop it. You can tell the elephant that not wearing a seatbelt is dangerous; that wearing a seatbelt may save your life; and that it is against the law to not wear the belt. But ultimately, the elephant will do what the elephant wants to do.
No matter how many times I tell my children to buckle up, every time I look into the back seats I see them scurrying to avoid the $1 dollar per infraction fee I have implemented (to no effect) for failure to wear the seatbelt. Perhaps if I had “tugged” on their emotional beings, rather than their intellectual I might have succeeded. Perhaps this video will do it not only for my family, but for yours as well. Buckle up!
“Battle-Tested, how a decade of war has created a new generation of elite business leaders” is a good article and one that is long overdue in recognizing the talents of those who’ve served in the military, however, what the article fails to address are those who go beyond the initial tour and serve an entire career in the military devoting their lives and that of their families to 20 or more years faithful service. Those doors are not as welcoming. Yes, Wal-Mart is happy to hire a young 29 year old as a store manager, but when it comes to corporate jobs, corporate america still has little to offer.
Growing up learning English as a second language, I often wondered why adults didn’t say things as they meant it. Often, it was subtle or nuanced in a way that the ignorant would never pick up on and the smart ones would end up staying up half the night replaying the “real” meaning of what Joe said during last night’s event.As a young Marine, I was taught to say what I mean, and mean what I say, however, it seems as I approached the senior ranks and now into my second career in the civilian sector, this type of buffered-speak is a required skill.
So, here’s 3 ways to speak up during a meeting that won’t leave everyone in the room thinking you’re an absolute jerk… by Ms Jodi Glickman, founder of the consulting firm Great On The Job.
Speaking up in meetings is easy for some, but for others it can be completely intimidating. If you’re in the latter group, build your confidence with a few useful phrases you can use to interject. Here are three to start:
1. Have we thought about… If you have an idea to add but aren’t overly confident about it, phrase the suggestion as though you are contributing to the conversation, rather than putting a firm stake in the ground.
2. To play devil’s advocate… It can be hard to disagree without sounding like a jerk. Finesse your comments by explaining that you are playing a certain role.
3. This may be a dumb question… You may hesitate to speak up when you don’t know what’s going on in a meeting. Don’t stay lost — ask for clarification. You may help others who are in the same position.
Not military might nor economic might will cause our Nation to fall.
It will be our continued proclamation for “tolerance” that will be our ultimate downfall.
We fire school teachers for asking children to cite the pledge of allegiance, yet when public school students are taken to a mosque and proselytized to, nothing, not even the ACLU gets involved. We spend billions each year on public services for illegal aliens, yet the first word in protest is deemed racist.
The genesis of our great nation was not based upon “tolerance”. It was based upon a belief, an absolute belief that all men are created equal; that all men have a right to certain freedoms; and that all men, not just the PC-minority of the day, but ALL men shall enjoy equal rights.
by Dan Carrison and Rod Walsh
There are a lot of very practical reasons for Marines to watch their language, especially on the battlefield.
For example, Marines never use the word “Repeat” in radio communications, for fear that it may be misinterpreted as “Retreat.” Instead, a Marine will use the phrase “I say again”-a little clumsy, perhaps, but certainly unambiguous.
The Army may refer to a hole dug in the ground as a “fox hole,” but Marines balk at the term; after all, foxes hide in fox holes. The same hole, in Marine parlance, is a “fighting hole.” And, while Army soldiers refer to their drab, olive green, field uniforms “fatigues,” Marines call their exact same drab, olive green, uniforms “utilities.”
There is another word you’ll never hear a Marine Corps officer, sergeant, or drill instructor use – and that is, “Manage.” In fact the word is treated with such abhorrence, it is often referred to as the “M Word.”
That’s because Marines are trained to lead, not to manage.
Lead, manage…so what’s the difference
Now, to those of us who are managers, the distinction may not be so obvious. Here, then, are a few of the differences between “managing” and “leading,” as seen from the Marine Corps perspective.
Managers push their people. Leaders pull theirs’ by sheer force of personal example.
Managers order their personnel to get the job done. Leaders inspire their personnel to get the job done.
Managers build a fire under your butt. Leaders build a fire in your belly.
“Hands on” managers cultivate obedience. “Hands off” leaders cultivate independence and resourcefulness.
Managers consider themselves part of an exclusive club. Leaders maintain the respect and fellowship of the rank and file.
Managers accept credit for the success of their subordinates. Leaders turn away from the spotlight, letting it shine upon those they have the honor to lead.
When a project turns sour, the manager asks, “Who is responsible?” Leaders say “I am.”
You work overtime for a manager; You work all the time for a leader.
Managers need to constantly make their presence known. Leaders inspire from afar – even from the grave.
We hope we’ve given you an idea of why Marines never use the “M Word.”
But before you despair, we do believe that Marine officers, sergeants, and drill instructors would be very impressed by the new breed of managers, leading the corporate mission, in today’s workplace.
Now and then, though, it doesn’t hurt to remind ourselves of the differences between the “M Word” and the “L Word.”
