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The Asian Century – A Travelogue With Some Business Observations

- My wife and I had the opportunity to take a cruise in Southeast Asia in November 2009. While having fun as a tourist, I read the local English language papers and observed the local business conditions. We've heard a lot about the coming Asian Century. Without detailed analysis, just my observations instructed by several decades of business experience, I think the projections are correct.

A View from Under the Bus

- I really should have seen it coming. I could hear the hiss of the air brakes as they were released, the rattle of the diesel engine, and the shifting of gears. My world seemed to turn a bit darker as this colossal frame began to pass over me, overwhelming in both size and stature. I had been "thrown under the bus!"

Talent Trap: Better Times Ahead Spell Trouble for Firms that Ignore Talent Retention

- There are scattered but growing indications that the U.S. economy is slowly finding its way out of the recession. Layoffs, salary freezes and other business cost-cutting measures have peaked, according to several reports, and are expected to taper off throughout the remainder of the year.

From the Publisher: Death By E-mail

- We all know the famous book "Death By Meeting" by Patrick Lencioni. Well, I think it needs a sequel, "Death By E-mail." While there is value in e-mail, the problem is e-mail should not be the main communication tool between a business and its clients. It should never be the main communication tool for anyone.

From the Publisher: From Entitlement to Engagement

- Do you remember the "old days" just a few years ago, when everyone was talking about "Entitlement" in our businesses? Usually it focused around expectations of employees and how they felt entitled to benefits, entitled to increases in pay, entitled to perks, etc. Back then, the discussion was focused on how can we do a better job quantifying the costs and challenges of providing perks to team members.

One Stone at a Time

- The warm summer sun painted our neighborhood with the pastel colors of the fragrant flowers, contrasting the neatly manicured lawns in shades of bluegrass and clover green. My parents sat on their lawn chairs on our front porch, each with a bottle of Coca-Cola in their hand. My Dad was listening to his transistor radio, with George Kell and Ernie Harwell calling the play by play of his beloved Detroit Tigers.

President Obama’s Energy Independence Plan Misses the Point

- During the recent Earth Day festivities around the nation, President Barack Obama visited Newton, Iowa where the site of a shuttered Maytag Corp. appliance factory has been replaced by a wind energy plant.

Conscious Capitalism: Where Company IS Cause

- In today's business community, new conversations are emerging, reminiscent of dialogue you would expect from ministers, rabbis and other people of faith. Words such as authenticity, transparency and truth are infusing corporate speak and mission statements. Corporate culture is evolving-”for the better.

From the Publisher: Where have all the Leaders Gone?

- Is it just me, or do you think leadership has waned in our communities? Perhaps it's that we have overused the word so much that it has lost is might.

Thought Leaders: Is This Just The Beginning?

- For generations, Industrial Age thinking was at work. It's the age when rules and boundaries were power based and dependence on the leader was commonplace.

Attitude – The Driver of Success or the Successor of Failure

- It seems that people either celebrate the individual or find comfort in a crowd. They either identify their own shortcomings when troubles arise -- then resolve them -- or they blame others, seeking excuses for disappointment outside of themselves.

Off The Deeb End – Today Free Enterprise Must Resist Government Controls

- In the past, I have promoted the concept of "free enterprise resisting monopoly." As most of you know, I for one, do not favor any form of socialism. But today, it seems that free enterprise is losing ground to "government control." The new slogan should be "free enterprise resists government control."

From the Publisher: Repurpose your 30 seconds of Judgment Time

- They say you have 30 seconds to make a good impression, perhaps not.

Agriculture A “Growing” Industry

- Intrinsically many of us understand the need to preserve farmland. We enjoy the sight of open land, take pleasure in beauty of crops as they dot our rural landscapes and contemplate the life of living on a farm and working the land. But truth be told agriculture is more than just "green acres" and majestic landscapes.

More Than Ever, Employees Are Vital to Companies in Down Economy

- "You can't cut your way to prosperity" is an often-quoted piece of business advice heard even more often these days amid the jitters on both Wall Street and Main Street.

Analysis and Opinion on Federal Stimulus, Transit, Employment and Education

- For those of us who have been wondering what we're likely to receive in the way of dollars in the areas of health care, education, transportation - what that might mean for road improvements for our respective states - each state has been given an overview of what they might expect.

How to Save the Small-business Community

- Anxiety pervades the small-business community of America. Owners are struggling to make payroll, to build inventory, to keep the doors open another day.

From the publisher: Final Four Coverage too Focused on Economy

- Being a Michigan State University alumnus and living in Michigan, I was thrilled with the Spartans making the final championship game. It was exciting to see a young and aggressive team beating the odds to make it to the final round.

It’s Not My Job!

- How many times have you heard that statement? It doesn't seem to be limited to a specific vocation, enterprise, business, organization or industry.

From the publisher: True Colors Emerge; Truth and Honesty are Rare Gems

- Last week was incredibly weird. I had several conference calls and meetings where I knew people were not being honest and not giving me a straight answer.

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