“I just wanted to let you know that I thought you did an excellent job of presenting the material. I like the way the class was so conversational and not just a typical academic sort of class structure.”

‘What a great set of experiences! This training really fueled my enthusiasm and gave a tremendous boost to my passion for improvement.”’

These are just a few examples of unsolicited participant praise for Corporate Service’s new Lean Culture Change Program, a series of ten highly interactive two-hour discussions facilitated by George Friesen, Business Practice Leader-Lean Manufacturing. This new program joins our Lean Leadership Certification Program, as training services designed to give participants tangible and practical tools to make Lean stick.

“Time after time, Lean fades because organizations do not address head on the fact that Lean won’t stick unless their culture—their organization’s DNA—undergoes a major transformation. Making this happen is difficult but it is possible. When it does happen, Lean delivers, driving the increases in productivity and profitability anticipated when the organization made its initial investment in Lean,” stated George.

More than anything else, making Lean really deliver requires a highly engaged workforce coupled with a team of managers and supervisors who understand what they need to do to help drive the implementation of Lean work processes. Just what are some of the very practical tools that are reviewed in the series of discussions, tools that make Lean stick? Here are descriptions of two of the most powerful.

Included among the hundreds of highly effective tools reviewed in the Lean Culture Change Program is the “IdeaBoard.” The IdeaBoard is an elegantly simple and very powerful tool for stimulating employee thinking about ways to improve work processes, gathering employee process improvement suggestions, processing these suggestions, and acting upon them. It’s nothing more than a “board” with four columns labeled “My Idea”, “To Do”, “Doing”, and “Done.” And employee ideas are posted on the IdeaBoard with simple Post-it® notes on which employees briefly describe their suggestions, sign, and date. Here’s an “IdeaBoard” at work for one of our clients. Within months of first use, this client’s IdeaBoard had gathered hundreds of employee suggestions on how to increase productivity. Another client has carefully tracked the financial impact of their IdeaBoard and has told us that in one year line employees contributed ideas with a net, bottom-line impact of over $130,000. But the most important impact of the IdeaBoard in regard to Lean manufacturing is that it drives higher and higher levels of employee engagement because it is employee engagement upon which the success or failure of Lean directly depends.

Another powerful tool reviewed and applied in this program is Taiichi Ohno’s “Standing in a Circle” exercise, coupled with a “Waste Observation Checklist”, adapted from Ohno’s listing of the “Seven Wastes of Lean.” A consistent theme in this program’s very active discussions is the tremendous importance of supervisors and managers being very acute and astute observers of the work processes for which they have responsibility. Ohno teaches us that without highly disciplined, focused observation managers and supervisors literally don’t see many forms of waste. When they use his “Standing in a Circle” process they do. One team of program participants, using this disciplined form of observation, documented over 100 types of waste in their facility. And how did they drive immediate action on their observations? They posted them on their facility’s IdeaBoard.

The Lean Culture Change program would provide vital reinforcement for your implementation of Lean work processes. To put this powerful set of experiences to work for your company, call George Friesen, Business Practice Leader – Lean Manufacturing, at 314.303.0612 to schedule a meeting.

Corporate College Receives 2012 Business Development Award

On behalf of the Corporate College of St. Louis Community College, Rod Nunn, Vice Chancellor, Workforce and Community Development accepted a North County Inc. (NCI) 2012 Business Development Award at their 35th Annual Breakfast held on May 18th at the St. Louis Airport Marriott. NCI’s Business Development Awards are presented to organizations whose efforts positively affect the economic development and business climate of the North County area.
http://corporatecenter.stlcc.edu/2012/corporate-college-receives-2012-business-development-award/

How to Get Feedback When You’re the Boss

“The higher up in the organization you get, the less likely you’ll receive constructive feedback on your ideas, performance, or strategy. No one wants to offend the boss, right? So, what can you do to get people to tell you what you may not want to hear?”
http://blogs.hbr.org/hmu/2012/05/how-to-get-feedback-when-youre.html

Meet the Meeting Killers

“When it comes time for a meeting, co-workers can be deadly. Discussions get hijacked. Bad ideas fall like blunt objects. Long-winded colleagues consume all available oxygen, killing good ideas by asphyxiation. Here’s some advice from executives, meeting planners and trainers on productive meetings:”
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304192704577404434001058726.html

6 Habits of Truly Memorable People

“How to stick out in the minds of your colleagues and customers – no gimmicks required.”
http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/6-habits-of-truly-memorable-people.html

The Fastest-Dying Jobs of This Generation (and What Replaced Them)

“Two graphs that track the fastest-declining and fastest-growing occupations between 1983 and 2002.”
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/05/the-fastest-dying-jobs-of-this-generation-and-what-replaced-them/257154/

Help Your Employees Be Strategic Thinkers

“Ongoing education is a core part of every great business. The investment is small, but the return can be a game changer.”
http://www.inc.com/vanessa-merit-nornberg/help-your-employees-be-strategic-thinkers.html

The High Cost of Treating Job-Seekers Like Cattle

“Here are six rules for ensuring that job applicants, whether they’re hired or not, come away with positive impression of your company. After all, who knows? The person who’s rejected today might just be a regular shopper or even the perfect candidate for tomorrow’s job.”
http://blogs.wsj.com/atwork/2012/05/17/the-high-cost-of-treating-job-seekers-like-cattle/

11 Questions You Should Be Asking Employers Before Accepting A Job

“By now, job seekers hopefully know the two cardinal rules of interview questions, but there’s an often overlooked rule that you should remember for your own good. Here are 11 questions you should be asking employers throughout the interview process:”
http://www.theworkbuzz.com/get-the-job/interviews/11-questions-you-should-ask-employers/

Networking for Introverts: 3 Tips for Success

“An unwillingness to invest time in building professional relationships can limit your career. Here are some ways to reduce the stress of developing a robust network.”
http://www.inc.com/karl-and-bill/networking-for-introverts-3-tips-for-success.html

In Defense of Polymaths

“We live in an age where deep-specialization is highly encouraged … just about everyone professionally specializes. The more deeply you specialize, the more money you’re likely to make. And that’s fine. Except when it’s not. The problem with deep specialization is that specialists tend to get stuck in their own points of view. They’ve been taught to focus so narrowly that they can’t look at a problem from different angles. And in the modern workscape we desperately need people with the ability to see big picture solutions. That’s where being a polymath has certain advantages.”
http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/05/in_defense_of_polymaths.html

“Feedback is the breakfast of champions.” – Kenneth Blanchard

Rod Nunn Receiving the 2012 Business Development Award

“We are extremely honored to receive this NCI award for the Corporate College, St. Louis Community College’s first facility solely dedicated to corporate education unlike any other asset the college owns.” stated Nunn. “We look forward to the Corporate College serving as a home away from home for NCI’s members in the form of over 18,000 square feet of best-in-class meeting and event space combined with a robust menu of entrepreneurial workforce solutions designed to advance people, businesses and communities.”

The Corporate College, a state-of-the-art 149,553 square foot Class A building conveniently located at 3221 McKelvey Road, at the crossroads of I-70 and I-270 just south of DePaul Health Center, was purchased in 2010, renovated in 2011 to become the newest addition to the college’s growing network of facilities and programs bringing demand driven workforce training to the greater St. Louis region. The Workforce Solutions Group, which operates the Corporate College, offers a robust set of programs and services at the facility through its units of Corporate Services, Continuing Education and Community Services. The programs and services offered at the Corporate College include meeting and event services, professional development opportunities including industry-specific licensure and certification preparation/testing, a vast array of performance improvement programs, industry-specific seminar series highlighting critical issues and lifelong learning courses for personal enrichment. Visit http://STLCC.edu/CorporateCollege for more information on the Corporate College.

2012 North County Incorporated Business Development Award

North County Incorporated, a regional development organization, was founded in 1977 and represents the 47 municipalities and unincorporated area in North St. Louis County. With 400,000 people residing in North County, NCI’s membership includes successful businesses of all sizes, chambers of commerce, neighborhood associations, individual professionals, residents, churches, hospitals, schools, law enforcement agencies and a variety of other institutions. As an advocate for North St. Louis County, NCI works to connect community, municipal and business leaders to collaboratively work together for positive growth, economic development and a great quality of life. Visit http://northstlouiscounty.com for information on North County Inc.

Established in 1962, St. Louis Community College is the largest community college district in Missouri and one of the largest in the United States. STLCC has four campuses – Florissant Valley, Forest Park, Meramec and Wildwood – and annually serves nearly 80,000 students through credit courses, continuing education and workforce development programs. For more information about STLCC, visit www.stlcc.edu.

Use Your Head by Barry Schapiro

I came across an article (http://www.generationaldiversity.com/index.php?option=com_myblog&show=managing-by-reason-rather-than-rules.html&Itemid=13) by Bob Wendover, the founder of the Center for Generational Studies, the other day. He points out that when dealing with people who are new in the organization, simply telling them what to do and how to do it may be a good short term solution, but can cause problems in the long run. Wendover says:

“When things are busy, it is always so much easier to simply answer a question rather than stop to reason through the solution with the questioner. The problem this creates is a learned dependence on you, as a manager, for all decisions. When there is uncertainty involved and you aren’t immediately available, some people will retreat to hiding behind the rules even if those rules don’t make sense… If we want those we supervise to develop and use their own problem solving skills in ambiguous situations, we must draw a line in the sand and encourage (or maybe force) them to take ownership for decisions that lay squarely within their job responsibilities. They need to exert reason and not just hide behind the rules.”

While Wendover is focusing on how to work with the Millennial Generation, he touches on a general principle of leadership: one of a leader’s most important responsibilities is to develop the next generation of leaders. If we, as leaders, simply give instructions, we don’t help people to develop their own critical thinking skills, nor do we help people learn how to deal with exceptions to the rules we lay down. In real life, whenever we deal with employees, customers, friends, family, et al, most of what we encounter are exceptions.

Effective leaders aim to help their people think through problems and questions in order to come up with their own solutions. These solutions may not turn out to be the ones we would select, but if they work just as well, not only do we solve problems, but we help people to use their skills and judgment in future situations.

The Corporate Solutions group at St. Louis Community College has lots of experience in helping organizations develop leaders. For more information, feel free to call me at 314-539-5329 or send an e-mail to bschapiro@stlcc.edu.

The 4-Question Meeting: You Can’t Be Brilliant Alone

“Well-organized meetings have real value. They stimulate dialogue, create fresh thinking and move the business forward. The discipline to conduct them effectively must be developed as a core competency of your team. The question is… given the resource impact and cost, how can you quickly improve the probability of having a successful, productive meeting?”
http://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherfrank/2012/05/05/the-4-question-meeting-you-cant-be-brilliant-alone/

How to Engage Your Customers and Employees

“Without engagement, the influence of brands will continue to decline and big organizations will lose out on the best workers. Engaged customers are three times more likely to recommend or advocate a product or service to a friend. Improved engagement creates business value and strategic differentiation, and technology is enabling a shift from transactions to engagement.”
http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/05/how_to_engage_your_customers_a.html

The Midwest’s Manufacturing Conundrum

“America’s manufacturing revival is being hailed by a growing chorus of voices. Manufacturing jobs increased at their fastest rate in almost a year. Between two and three million new manufacturing jobs is forecast by 2020, which will contribute an estimated $20 to $55 billion in added economic output per year. The Midwest had the fastest manufacturing job gains over the last two years. But a recent study suggests that the heavy concentration of manufacturing in Midwest metros may well have hindered their economic growth and development over the past several decades.”
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/jobs-and-economy/2012/05/midwests-manufacturing-conundrum/1920/

Most teleconferences are a special kind of hell. They don’t have to be.

“Teleconferences can be a huge waste of time. But, when conducted properly, they can be both efficient and effective, even more so than face-to-face meetings. The obvious advantage of teleconferences is that they are a quick, easy, and relatively cheap means of getting people together. But virtual meetings are tricky to conduct. The primary challenge is keeping everyone engaged. Here are some guidelines:”
http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/05/the_right_way_to_run_a_virtual.html

10 Ways to Motivate Anyone

“Understand the unique brain and personality types of your employees to keep them invested in their work.”
http://www.inc.com/geil-browning/ten-ways-to-motivate-anyone.html

InfoGraphic: How Tech Is Changing College Life

“More than 90% use email to communicate with professors and 73% say they cannot study without technology. Seven in 10 take notes on keyboards instead of paper, virtually all students who own an ereader read textbooks on it and most use digital tools when preparing a presentation. All that tech has caused something of a dependency too — 38% of students can’t go more than 10 minutes without checking their smartphone or other device.”
http://mashable.com/2012/05/06/tech-college-infographic/

2012’s Best-Performing Jobs for Associate Degrees

“A list of the associate’s-level occupations that grew by at least 8,000 jobs since 2008. Most of the occupations are related to healthcare.”
http://www.economicmodeling.com/2012/05/07/2012s-best-performing-jobs-for-associate-degrees/

The 8 Things You Do Wrong On LinkedIn

“In today’s world, you need to have online professional presence out. And until someone rolls in with something better, the best place to go to build one is LinkedIn. This is about using your LinkedIn profile correctly — and to your advantage. Because in the corporate world, people read into things.”
http://www.forbes.com/sites/glassheel/2012/05/10/the-8-things-you-do-wrong-on-linkedin/

10 Resume Mistakes You Must Avoid

“You are the product, and your resume is the brochure. To find your perfect job you must differentiate yourself from the others who are also vying for attention. Your resume must be specific, individualized, easy to skim to invite a closer reading, and focused on the accomplishments you’ve achieved with – and for – each previous employer. This tells the hiring company what you can do for them – and it is about the hiring company, not you. The resume is what gets you in the door. If it’s poorly written, looks sloppy, is difficult to read, is cryptic, or necessitates being slogged through, you’ll be tossed aside and forgotten. And how can you decide if you want the company, when they’ve already decided they don’t want you?”
http://www.careerrocketeer.com/2012/05/10-resume-mistakes-you-must-avoid.html

When Choosing a Job, Culture Matters

“Some organizations will excite you. They’ll stimulate your success and growth. Others will be stressful. It’s not uncommon for job seekers to enter organizations without understanding the culture and come away disappointed. When considering a new job, be sure to investigate the institution’s culture. Consider these questions to guide you:”
http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/05/when_choosing_a_job_culture_ma.html

“People who enjoy meetings should not be in charge of anything.” – Thomas Sowell

8 Things Great Bosses Demand from Employees

“When your team asks you want you want, here’s what you tell them.”
http://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/keep-the-boss-happy-8-rules.html

The Thought-Patterns of Success

“Your passion for your career can sabotage your attempts to succeed. When you go from feeling energized, excited and in control of your work to feeling an overwhelming compulsion to achieve and produce, you’ve tipped from helpful harmonious passion into harmful obsessive passion. Replace harmful thought patterns with helpful ones. Here are nine common harmful thoughts and suggestions on how to modify them.”
http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/04/the_thought-patterns_of_succes.html

Want to spot the next great business opportunity? Look for simplicity.

“The only companies or products that will succeed now are the ones offering the lowest possible level of complexity for the maximum amount of value.”
http://www.fastcompany.com/1835983/the-simplicity-thesis

The Rebirth of American Manufacturing

“The prevailing American manufacturing narrative of decline and decay is overly simplistic and, in some ways, flat-out wrong. It turns out that America still makes lots of things. In fact, we manufacture more products today than at any other time in our history. But how we make things and what we make has changed — in some cases, dramatically.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/yul-kwon/american-manufacturing-_b_1467925.html

Just How Powerful Are You?

“The gateways of power have changed. Or have they? The Social Era shows us that power can also come from how we create with others. In this way, power can be about what we can each affect. It comes down to contributing based on what we can each uniquely bring.”
http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/04/just_how_powerful_are_you.html

10 Tips for a Powerful Elevator Speech

“What you say and how you say it are equal parts to delivering an ES that will either cause people to take notice of you or go to sleep.”
http://www.careerealism.com/elevator-speech-tips/

10 Costly Job-Search Mistakes You Have to Stop Making

“If you’re having trouble finding a job, it might be because you’re sabotaging your chances without even realizing it.”
http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2012/05/02/10-costly-job-search-mistakes-you-have-to-stop-making

10 Things You Need To Do While You’re Unemployed

“Experts recommended a variety of activities you should engage in to build, expand, and strengthen your skills during period of unemployment, in order to increase your marketability.”
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2012/03/21/10-things-you-need-to-do-while-youre-unemployed/

20 Phrases You Can Replace With One Word

“Circumlocution is so prevalent in today’s corporate writing that we may not even notice it.”
http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/11285.aspx

The Twelve Most Important Lessons I’ve Learned So Far

“Birthdays — always an opportunity for reflection.” Insights from life experience.
http://blogs.hbr.org/schwartz/2012/05/turning-60-the-twelve-most.html

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” – Leonardo DaVinci

8 Core Beliefs of Extraordinary Bosses

“The best managers have a fundamentally different understanding of workplace, company, and team dynamics. See what they get right.”
http://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/8-core-beliefs-of-extraordinary-bosses.html

Turn Your Career Into a Work of Art

“Today, fundamental questions of identity and purpose are no longer a once or twice-in-a-lifetime occurrence. Many of us face them again and again. Not only when we are struggling, but, paradoxically, when we are succeeding. What does it mean to succeed? What does it take to thrive?”
http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/04/turn_your_career_into_a_work_o.html

Non-Awkward Ways To Start And End Networking Conversations

“The most important part of successful networking is to have a good icebreaker to start a conversation and a smooth closing statement for when you’re ready to move on.”
http://www.forbes.com/sites/dailymuse/2012/03/06/non-awkward-ways-to-start-and-end-networking-conversations/

Increase Your Team’s Motivation Five-Fold

“When we choose for ourselves, we are far more committed to the outcome. Conventional approaches to change management underestimate this impact.”
http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/04/increase_your_teams_motivation.html

How Do Employers Review Resumes?

“Understanding the typical process on the employer’s end when reviewing resumes can help you be more strategic in crafting your resume so that it has the best possible chance of being selected.”
http://www.careerrocketeer.com/2012/04/how-do-employers-review-resumes.html

Why I Tossed Your Résumé

“After serving on numerous hiring committees, I’ve developed a list of six mistakes that will guarantee your résumé a one-way ticket to my shredder.”
http://chronicle.com/article/Why-I-Tossed-Your-R-sum-/131576/

5 Resume Statements That Prove You’re Fit For the Job

“Determining how to communicate your value in a resume and prove that you are an employer’s bottom-line solution is critical component of convincing an employer you’re the best fit for the job. But your resume should also look beyond numbers and relate soft skills that you’ve applied to projects and interactions. These soft skills directly tie into your emotional fitness, and ultimately, demonstrate your cultural fit with your target employer.”
http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2012/04/16/5-resume-statements-that-prove-youre-fit-for-the-job

The Four Rules of Effective Feedback

“If you want to make the most of the time you have with your people, take advantage of the opportunities you do have by using the most effective communication skills available to you.”
http://www.tlnt.com/2012/04/24/the-four-rules-of-effective-feedback/

Make Your Job More Meaningful

“Amy Wrzesniewsk’s ‘job crafting’ describes three attitudes about work — what she calls jobs, careers, and callings. These three attitudes can indicate how satisfied individuals are in the workplace. Identifying your own outlook toward work can help you define what you need — or want — in your professional life.”
http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/04/make_your_job_more_meaningful.html

Walking On Air: Time-lapse Video from Space

This NASA video features a series of stunning time-lapse sequences photographed by the Expedition 30 crew aboard the International Space Station. (YouTube 4:01).
http://youtu.be/hWz5ltE_I4c

“I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.” – Unknown

Becoming a Mentor by Barry Schapiro

I had the opportunity to attend a meeting at HRMA a few weeks ago, where the topic of presentation was all about mentoring. Rik Nemanick (http://leadership-effect.com/) was the primary speaker and resource, and he made an excellent case for setting up a mentoring program within an organization.

Some of the obvious benefits include helping employees develop their skills and careers over the long term. Building a leadership “pipeline” is an important issue in many organizations, especially when faced with imminent retirement of senior executives and managers. Internal mentoring can facilitate this process.

One of the benefits of mentoring is that the mentor also grows personally and professionally. Mentoring is definitely a two-way street. Sometimes a mentoring program can offer opportunities for reverse-mentoring, in which a younger, less experienced person, nominally a “mentee,” offers the older, more experienced mentor the opportunity for growth in areas such as newer technologies and the use of social media. This keeps the nominal mentor from growing stale, while ensuring that s/he stays up to date on the value and use of newer approaches to sales and marketing, corporate communication, and even operations. Many mentors, according to Nemanick, report that they gain insight into other parts of their own organizations. Many organizational consultants (including our people at Workforce Solutions Group) offer assistance and consultation with setting up a mentoring or coaching program. It is often an advantage to the organization to get professional consultation with mentoring and/or coaching, since it tends to reduce confusion between the roles of boss and mentor/coach, increases the comfort level of mentees with sharing sensitive information, and maintains the independence of the mentee in the learning process. It also helps the organization to have a clear goal for the program, rather than doing it because it’s the trendy thing to do.

I wonder how many of you have had experience with coaching or mentoring, either within your organization or individually. I invite you to share your experiences with me, and I’ll try to compile some experiences (confidentially, of course) for a future blog post. I can be reached at bschapiro@stlcc.edu. And if you don’t care who sees what you have to say, post a comment below.

Corporate College Grand Opening Video

Scenes from the March 8, 2012 grand opening of St. Louis Community College’s Corporate College and comments from Rod Nunn (Vice-Chancellor, STLCC), Myrtle E.B. Dorsey, Ph.D. (Chancellor, STLCC), Melissa Hattman (Board Chair, STLCC Board of Trustees), JoAnn Shaw (Vice President, Chief Learning Officer, BJC HealthCare), Debbie Walkenhorst (Regional Vice President, Human Resources, SSM Health Care-St. Louis), Julie Gibson (Director, Missouri Division of Workforce Development), and Charlie Dooley (St. Louis County Executive). Thanks to those that helped us celebrate the opening of our facility. (YouTube 3:12).
http://youtu.be/VrekgvoQ218

For People to Trust You, Reveal Your Intentions

“If you want to lead and influence others, you must reveal your intentions. People won’t believe you will do the right thing unless they’re convinced you genuinely want to do it. Here are three important ways to reveal your intentions and convince others of your sincerity:”
http://blogs.hbr.org/hill-lineback/2012/04/for-people-to-trust-you-reveal.html

InfoGraphic: Which Social Network Should You Use — and When?

“Want to make the most of the social web? It’s more complicated than just posting status updates at random and seeing what sticks. When is Facebook most effective? When are you better off using Twitter, or LinkedIn? And what exactly is Google+ good for, anyway?”
http://mashable.com/2012/04/16/social-networks-tips-infographic/

Business Etiquette: 5 Rules That Matter Now

“The word may sound stodgy. But courtesy and manners are still essential—particularly in business.”
http://www.inc.com/eliza-browning/business-etiquette-rules-that-matter-now.html

The 10 Best Interview Questions to Ask

“When your interviewer wraps up your job interview by asking if you have any questions, you might think that he or she is finished assessing you, but that’s not quite the case. Interviewers draw conclusions about you based on the questions you ask—or don’t ask. You don’t want to give the impression that you’re not very interested in the job, or that you’re only concerned about the compensation. Instead, ask about the work, company, and team. Here are 10 great questions for your interviewer:”
http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2012/04/18/the-10-best-interview-questions-to-ask

4 Secrets of Great Critical Thinkers

“The best problem solvers see a complex problem through multiple lenses. Here’s how to become a better strategic thinker and leader yourself.”
http://www.inc.com/paul-schoemaker/4-secrets-of-great-critical-thinkers.html

Top 100 Most Powerful Resume Words

“Poorly chosen words and clichéd phrases can destroy the interest of the reader. Power words when chosen correctly can have the opposite effect of motivating and inspiring the reader.”
http://www.careerealism.com/top-resume-words/

The Four Worst Innovation Assassins

“If innovation is so important, why do so many companies have so much trouble with it? Many of the things leaders do to encourage innovation actually kill it. Look carefully at your company and you might spot one of four types of unintentional innovation assassins.”
http://blogs.hbr.org/anthony/2012/04/the_four_worst_innovation_assa.html

10 Tricks Job Interviewers Use

“With more job candidates coming to interviews with prepared and rehearsed answers, savvy interviewers are developing ways of getting beneath the surface so that they can find out what you’re really like. Here are 10 tricks interviewers often use that can trip you up if you’re not careful:”
http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2012/03/28/10-tricks-job-interviewers-use

How We Pay Taxes: 11 Charts

“If you care about national values, or the relationship of citizens to their government, or the way we choose to award and discourage behavior, there is nowhere better to start than the gnarled and fascinating world of levies and tax breaks. Here are my favorite, most controversial, and most illuminating graphs about taxes.”
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/04/how-we-pay-taxes-11-charts/255954/

“Thought is the sculptor who can create the person you want to be.” – Henry David Thoreau

12 Ways to Attack Any Challenge: Be Proactive and Turn Average Into Awesome

“Stuck in a rut? Need to accomplish the impossible? Step right up. Here’s how to get started.”
http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/12-great-ways-to-turn-average-into-awesome.html

The 50 Most Common Interview Questions

“When it comes to the interview process, research and preparation for the interview can often times determine your chances of making it to the next step. One of the best ways to get ready for a job interview is to practice your responses to any and all interview questions.”
http://www.glassdoor.com/blog/common-interview-questions/

Every Generation Struggles with Social Media

“Never fall into the trap of thinking that ‘those other people have an advantage over me.’ With social media, the playing field is level, and those millions of Americans winning their jobs with it are the ones willing to go through the stages of adoption and take their time to educate themselves on something new. Here are some of the struggles each generation must face when using social media in their job search.”
http://www.careerrocketeer.com/2012/04/every-generation-struggles-with-social-media.html

The Manager’s Cheat Sheet: 101 Common-Sense Rules for Leaders

“Management is all about connecting with the people on your team. So how do you effectively manage a team? With common knowledge, of course. These are a few back-to-basics rules that will help you develop management skills that really matter.”
http://www.focus.com/fyi/managers-cheat-sheet-101-common-sense-rules-leaders/

Transparency is the New Leadership Imperative

“Whether it’s in person (through speeches, meetings, or one-on-one interactions) or leveraging social media, it’s more essential than ever for leaders to embrace transparency. Employees, customers, and shareholders need to understand your vision, your values, and your approach. The new leadership imperative is to make yourself known.”
http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/04/transparency_is_the_new_leader.html

You Already Know The Right People To Land Your Dream Job: How To Get In Front Of The Decision-Makers

“It’s a common frustration of job seekers everywhere: you know you are the right person for the job if only you could get the attention of the person actually hiring. Submitting a resume to the company website falls into a black hole. Appeals to HR go unanswered. Somehow you need to bypass these gatekeepers and get to the decision-makers.”
http://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2012/04/10/you-already-know-the-right-people-to-land-your-dream-job-how-to-get-in-front-of-the-decision-makers/

Best and Worst Jobs of 2012

“CareerCast.com ranked 200 jobs from best to worst based on five criteria: physical demands, work environment, income, stress and hiring outlook. To compile its list, the firm primarily used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and other government agencies.”
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303772904577336230132805276.html

7 Examples of Fresh New Ways to Start Your Cover Letter

“Discover seven new examples of how you can catch the hiring manager’s attention with an attention-grabbing opening line.”
http://www.careerealism.com/examples-start-cover-letter/

How to Answer One of The Most Important Interview Questions

“This is understandably one of the most unnerving questions to be thrown at you; but consider why it’s being asked at most interviews, and understand how to answer it. If you break it down to three phases, formulating your answer will be easier than you think.”
http://www.recruitingblogs.com/profiles/blogs/how-to-answer-one-of-the-most-important-interview-questions

Illinois: Top Jobs for 2012

“Current labor market trends exploring the top jobs in Illinois for 2012. The jobs that pay the most, the jobs that show the greatest growth since 2007, and the jobs that have the greatest concentration in the state.”
http://www.economicmodeling.com/2012/04/12/illinois-top-jobs-for-2012/

Easily Create Timelines Using Microsoft Office PowerPoint

“Office Timeline a free timeline maker for Microsoft PowerPoint that allows you to easily create and share beautiful timelines, Gantt charts, and project schedules.”
http://www.officetimeline.com/

“Do something worth remembering.” – Elvis Presley