Could I have Madeoff by Faking Authenticity?

In a year where banks showed that what once looked like solid profits was in many cases a mirage, could I have madeoff by faking authenticity. OK these two words side by side sound like strange bedfellows. I got started on the topic after reading the Outside Edge column If...

We're Only in It for the Money...sanity at Work

Should work be meaningful? Is it just meant to be something you do to pay the bills, put food on the table and a roof over your head? As I was reading Money is the new secret of a happy job by Lucy Kellaway, yes, her again (FT, December 15), I thought of one of Frank Zappa's...

Hugs not Threats, What People Want at Work in A Recession

With all the stress people are already feeling in times of recession the last thing people need at work is being lined in front of a firing squad.Some managers do not show much grace under pressure and turn into nervous Nellies, call them demotivators.I was not that...

Is 'Topless Meeting' part of your Vernacular?

As I was browsing the Oxford Word of the Year 2008 List after hearing of Frugalista being one of the selections, I was surprised to see Topless Meeting share the spotlight.Nothing kinky here as Meetings going ‘topless’ by Jessica Guynn (LA Times, March 2008) tells us that...

Smile...Downturns Come to an End...At Some Point

Let's face it, whether we like it or not, we are in a downturn. Unlike bears we cannot go into hibernation until things pick up as Stefan Stern points out in Let’s meet when it’s over (FT, November 6).Keeping your expenses under control is important yet it will not be...

Is China All Work and No Play? The World according to Wang Chuanfu

I never heard of Wang Chuanfu or the company he created BYD until I read The quiet man of cars by John Reed and Patti Waldmeir (FT, November 3rd).The writers state that 'life of leisure just wouldn't play well for the boss of batteries'.Here is his take on life as...

From a Few Pounds to a Few Ounces: Time to Leave the Laptop Behind?

Nick Wingfield (Wall Street Journal, October 27) asks if for many of us now is the Time to Leave the Laptop Behind thanks to the smaller, better, lighter Blackberries, I Phones and more recently the G1.Since I switched from my very old Nokia to a Blackberry Curve earlier this...

Furious Networking...Me and My 10.000 Friends

To be honest, I don't Facebook that much and spend only slightly more time on LinkedIn. Even though I was in Austin (Texas) for South by Southwest 2007 when Twitter hit the big time, I did not get on board until recently.My Twittering is parsimonious rather than compulsive. I...

From 5 Ways the Downturn Helps to 14 Tips to Survive a Layoff

If you cut through the drip drip of bad to worse news coming from the wobbly economy, you might be able to find some wisdom and even rays of light.Lets start with 5 Ways the Economic Downturn Could Help You (Newly Corporate, October 10).My 2 Favorite Ways from the piece: An...

Drowning in Electronic Clutter? 6 Tips from the Information Overload Research...

Feeling adrift on a sea of information or worse drowning in it, the Information Overload Research Group comes to the rescue. The IORG offers 6 Tips to reduce (eliminate?) your electronic clutter:" Current Tip: Set up a “Five Weeks Folder” that deletes its content...

Don't Stay at Jobs that Suck: Advice from a Gen Yer

Trying to put her finger on what could be perceived as instability in the constant job hopping of some younger workers, Sacha Chua looks at the Cons and Pros of sticking with a job in Why Gen Y Won't Stay in Jobs that Suck. Her perspective on the issue is that "when...

Bad Bosses Are Energy Vampires says Steve Miranda

I might not have called them vampires even though Halloween is fast approaching yet who has not met a manager or higher up who does not have a clue as to how to speak to her/his staff.They usually choose a time when everyone's positive spirit and energy are needed to give a...

Marshmallows, Life and Money: Under the magnifying glass in 'The Time Paradox'

The first 2 lines on the front cover 'Reclaim Yesterday, Enjoy Today and Master Tomorrow' say it all. Philip Zimbardo and John Boyd look at our perception of time, how we use it and what it all means in The Time Paradox (Free Press). The best compliment I can give them is to...

Did you Get what You Paid For? Where is the Money Going?

The last shopping occurrence I really felt like I was taken for a ride is when we ordered a Rocking Pony for my then toddler son.The price was high and the quality average, it left a bad taste in my mouth.I also wondered where the money I paid for it was going.I could not...