The first two arrived after Thanksgiving. Nestled in with the catalogues were two promising looking envelopes. I could hardly wait! Setting aside the stack of junk mail, I made myself a cup of mint tea and sat down to read the early batch of holiday letters. I can almost hear...

From hardcopy headlines to top stories on internet news sites, we are inundated with swine flu warnings. H1N1 has infiltrated almost every aspect of our lives. Even with the vaccine hitting our healthcare providers' offices, the guidelines of who-should-be-vaccinated-when are shifting. With schools in session, offices staffed and upcoming meetings...

The title may tease, but the current outbreak of Swine Flu is no laughing matter. Close to 300 schools across the country have closed, vacationers and business travelers alike have curtailed their movements, and colleges are forgoing the congratulatory handshake during diploma ceremonies. Where does that leave those of...

Did you know...The average business never hears from 96% of unhappy customers. For every complaint received there are in fact 26 customers with problems, 6 of which are considered serious. An average customer with a problem tells 9-10 others, 13% tell 20 or more. - Bruce L. Katcher, Ph.D.
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The work smarter not harder philosophy brought to life...

Happy New Year to all! To help you succeed for another year, during January take the time to pause, reflect and refocus. After all, we know it is easy to keep busy. Yet one can be perpetually busy without accomplishing anything....

The economic news lately has not been good. And if you are like most Americans, the effects of the economy have been hitting closer and closer to home. Within the past week, a handful of people I know well have been laid off from their jobs. We have heard about...

Whoever said "getting there is half the fun" never traveled during the holiday season... especially in a post 9/11 world. Travel has become more tedious and more tenuous. While traveling over the past few months, I have had my toothbrush case opened and toothbrush carefully inspected. As if I would...

The headlines loom large. Circuit City, Starbucks, General Motors...many of the country's employers, large and small, are steadying themselves by laying off workers. And truth be told, it is rare nowadays to hear about anyone retiring after working a whole career for just one company. Whether you are...

Watching Don, Duck and the other character's of AMC's Mad Men raise their glasses raises the question, "What ever happened to the three-martini lunch?" Whether it was the changes in the IRS business deductions, the health craze of the 80's or the recession of the early 90's, the three-martini lunch...