CEOs Cautious on Rebuilding Staff

Via The Wall Street Journal

By JOANN S. LUBLIN and ROGER CHENG

WASHINGTON—U.S. corporations remain hesitant to give the gift of a new job this holiday season, except for a select few.

That's the sentiment among chief executives gathered here at The Wall Street Journal's CEO Council. Leaders from across the corporate landscape spoke of cautiousness in rebuilding work forces reduced severely during the worst economic downturn in generations.

"We aren't close to needing to hire people in a significant way," said Mike Splinter, chief executive of semiconductor equipment maker Applied Materials Inc. The company now employs about 15% fewer people than two years ago, largely as a result of layoffs, Mr . Splinter said.

Other companies also are waiting to hire. As of October, the U.S. unemployment rate—at 10.2%—was the highest since April 1983, and the percentage of those who are unemployed, marginally attached to the labor force or working part-time because they have no other option stood at 17.5%.

Stephen P. MacMillan, chief executive of orthopedic product maker Stryker Corp., isn't optimistic. "I don't see the employment picture changing much over the next year," he said.

Any improvement may not come from large business, said Rupert Murdoch, chief executive of News Corp., owner of The Wall Street Journal.

"You've got a huge number of unemployed here in the United States, and we're not going to get that cured or people re-employed until we get the formation of small business on a big scale," Mr. Murdoch said, adding that the lack of jobs remains the biggest short-term obstacle.

Meanwhile, Thomas Glocer, chief executive of Thomson Reuters Corp., called unemployment "a serious economic and political issue" because some jobs aren't coming back as they have been eliminated, sent overseas or replaced by technology. He said the U.S. would see a "slow climb back."

The hesitancy of companies to hire comes despite a surge in productivity in the third quarter, possibly indicating that existing workers are being stretched to do more.

Mr. Splinter said that in Applied Materials' case, the company's recruitment plans depend "on how fast our customers see improvement." Similarly, he didn't foresee an imminent end to the company's cost-cutting efforts that are part of a broad efficiency drive.

"We want to become more efficient because we will be stronger" once the economy fully recovers, Mr. Splinter said.

Those companies that are hiring are doing so strategically.

"Selectively, we're hiring on certain projects," said John Chambers, chief executive of networking giant Cisco Systems Inc. While most of the hiring is being done in the company's 30 new business ventures, he said some new jobs still tie into the core routing and switching business.

Job creation usually lags capital investments by a few quarters, Mr. Chambers said, noting that the company has done its investing through several recent acquisitions.

The theme of selective hiring was echoed by CEOs from companies as diverse as food maker Conagra Foods Inc., communications-chip supplier Broadcom Corp., and power companies Progress Energy Inc. and Calpine Corp.

Nearly 100 chief executives were attending the annual WSJ CEO Council meeting Monday and Tuesday in the nation's capital to discuss business and political issues and meet with top policy makers. Participants scheduled to attend included White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel; Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius; and Council of Economic Advisers Chair Christina Romer.

To be sure, not all chief executives attending the meeting halted hiring during the downturn. Among them is Surya N. Mohapatra, chairman and CEO of Quest Diagnostics Inc.

"I never stopped hiring," Dr. Mohapatra said. "Every year, we hire almost 2,000 people," including engineers, scientists and managers. The company also avoided significant layoffs, he noted.

How soon Quest Diagnostics accelerates its current pace of hiring is unclear, however. A big uptick "won't happen overnight," the CEO said.

—Jon Kamp, Mark Peters, George Stahl and Paul Ziobro contributed to this report.

The Examined Life - The Un-Comfort Zone with Robert Wilson

THE UN-COMFORT ZONE with Robert Wilson

The Examined Life

“Hola!”
“Hola. ¿Qué tal?”
“Bien. ¿ y tu?”
“Bien.”

Paul and I were sixteen years old and had taken highschool Spanish for a year. We called each other every night on the phone and spoke to each other in our new language. More than anything we wanted to test our skill with a real Spanish speaking person, but we did not know any. Then we got the idea to have dinner at a Mexican restaurant. For two boys who had never dined out without their parents, this was a big adventure. We were so motivated that when we made reservations, we asked to be seated with a waiter who could not speak English.

What motivated us? Knowledge. We made the same discovery that led Sir Francis Bacon to make his famous quote in 1597, “Knowledge is power.” We were empowered by what we had learned, and it gave us the confidence to take a risk we would never have taken before.

By the end of dinner we found out we didn’t know nearly as much as we thought we did, but the important thing was that our knowledge, albeit meager, moved us to action.

It is the same reason that we find seminars and lectures so motivating -- because we acquire new insights in a relatively brief period of time that we can act on right away. If the information is good, we can’t wait to put it to work making our lives better and our jobs easier.

Knowledge also motivates us because it enables us to be more inventive. Many new innovations are the result of two or more existing ideas synthesized into a new one. Creative thinkers regularly expose themselves to new learning experiences, and to different viewpoints. With each new experience, they create new synapses – electrical connections between the nerve cells – in their brains. This gives them more data to draw from when they are looking for solutions.

Complete Article

Robert Evans Wilson, Jr. is a motivational speaker and humorist. He works with companies that want to be more competitive and with people who want to think like innovators. For more information on Robert's programs please visit www.jumpstartyourmeeting.com.

To Do More With Less, Governments Go Digital

Via The New York Times

By STEVE LOHR

IN government, as in business, crisis can fuel creativity. These days, the pressure to rethink things is particularly intense for state and local governments, which have far less leeway than Washington to borrow in bad times.

“The economic pressures will force us to be more efficient and change how we deliver government services,” says Sonny Perdue, the governor of Georgia.

Mr. Perdue was one of more than 500 government officials, business executives and academics who attended a two-day conference in New York this month. Under the theme “Smarter Cities,” the meeting was sponsored by I.B.M. in partnership with the Brookings Institution, the City University of New York, the Urban Land Institute and other nonprofit groups.

That a giant technology company underwrote the gathering suggests that there is money to be made in helping governments tackle thorny problems in traffic management, energy use, public health, education and social services — and that technology has an important role to play.

Local governments, like many businesses, are struggling with a data glut. Agencies collect huge amounts of information about topics as diverse as building permits, potholes, Medicaid cases and foster-child placements. Technology, according to computer experts and government officials, can be a powerful tool to mine vast troves of government data for insights to streamline services and guide policy.

“The mistake people make is to think that collecting the data is the endgame,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, the mayor of New York. The real payoff, he said, takes another step. “We actually use the data,” he noted.

Complete Article

How Cool Are You? - The Un-Comfort Zone with Robert Wilson

THE UN-COMFORT ZONE with Robert Wilson

How Cool are You?

My sons recently started talking about being cool, and I recalled my own teenage years and the need to be cool. That driving desire dictated the clothes I wore, the music I listened to, and what subjects I became conversant in. And, yet despite all my motivation and effort, it remained elusive.

When I look back, I can see that all I really wanted was to be accepted, liked and admired. But, whatever I tried, I never quite felt cool enough. The problem was that I didn’t really understand the term until I’d spent a few years living and working in the real world.

So, I explained to my kids, “Cool is when there’s a problem and you do not get upset by it. When everyone else is panicking, rushing around and over reacting, the cool person is the one who stays calm, assesses the situation, then makes a reasoned decision on what to do.”

Complete Article

Robert Evans Wilson, Jr. is a motivational speaker and humorist. He works with companies that want to be more competitive and with people who want to think like innovators. For more information on Robert's programs please visit www.jumpstartyourmeeting.com.

Global 360/The Bureau of Labor Statistics

FROM THE CHAIRMAN … Robert A. Jacobson, MPS


Global 360/The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today in the USA Today that on average “Workers spend 1.7 hours a day doing nothing, costing businesses $4.4 USD billion a day.” Now can you imagine what that is on an annualized basis???? And can you imagine how damaging that is to the bottom line and to profitability around the world???

Swiss Topple U.S. as Most Competitive Economy: WEF

VIA REUTERS

By Sven Egenter

GENEVA (Reuters) - Switzerland knocked the United States off the position as the world's most competitive economy as the crash of the U.S. banking system left it more exposed to some long-standing weaknesses, a report said on Tuesday.

The World Economic Forum's global competitiveness report 2009/2010 showed economies with a large focus on financial services such as the U.S., Britain or Iceland were the losers of the crisis.

The U.S. as the world's largest economy lost last year's strong lead, slipping to number two for the first time since the introduction of the index in its current form in 2004.

"We have been expecting for some time that it may lose its top-position. There are a number of imbalances that have been building up," said Jennifer Blanke, Head of the WEF's Global Competitiveness Network.

"There are problems on the financial market that we were not aware of before. These countries (like the U.S. and Britain) are getting penalized now," she said.

Trust in Swiss banks also declined. But in the assessment of banks' soundness, the Alpine country still ranked 44th. U.S. banks fell to 108 -- right behind Tanzania -- and British banks to 126 in the ranking, now topped by Canada's banks.

The WEF bases its assessment on a range of factors, key for any country to prosper. The index includes economic data such as growth but also health data or the number of internet users.

The study also factors in a survey among business leaders, assessing for example the government's efficiency or the flexibility of the labor market.

Complete Article

The Un-Comfort Zone - Leadership vs. Power

THE UN-COMFORT ZONE with Robert Wilson

King George III asked Benjamin West, his American painter, what George Washington would do if he prevailed in the Revolutionary War. West replied, “He will return to his farm.” The British monarch incredulously said, “If he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world.” On December 23, 1783 Washington did just that and retired to Mount Vernon – despite the encouragement of many to stay in power. Despite the willingness of Americans to crown him king. Thirteen years later, he would do it once again.

In 1787, Washington was coaxed back to Philadelphia to attend the Constitutional Convention. While there he provided the leadership necessary to get the fractious delegates to settle down and complete the work of designing a new constitution. Afterwards, in 1789, he was elected the first President of the United States. He reluctantly ran for a second term in 1792. He refused to run for a third term, setting a precedent that lasted 150 years, and retired once again to his farm.

Abraham Lincoln said, “If you want to test a man’s character – give him power.” George Washington passed that test. Twice in his life he walked away from power and proved that he was indeed the greatest man in the world. He demonstrated that leadership is something that you give – not take – and that power should be used responsibly.

Washington died in 1799, the year that Napoleon Bonaparte became the ruler of France. In contrast to Washington, Napoleon could not acquire enough power. His legendary lust for command drove him to take over much of Europe. “Power is my mistress,” he once claimed, “I have worked too hard at her conquest to allow anyone to take her away from me.”

Years later, having lost all power and living in exile, he lamented "They wanted me to be another Washington."

Complete Article

Robert Evans Wilson, Jr. is a motivational speaker and humorist. He works with companies that want to be more competitive and with people who want to think like innovators. For more information on Robert's programs please visit:
www.jumpstartyourmeeting.com

Thrown Into The Driver's Seat - The UnComfort Zone with Robert Wilson

By Robert Wilson

On June 29, 1863, a 23 year old First Lieutenant received an unexpected promotion. The freckle faced, strawberry blonde, who graduated at the bottom of his class at West Point, was elevated directly to the rank of Brigadier General in the Union Army. He completely skipped over the traditional ranks in between of Captain, Major, and Colonel. As you can imagine such a promotion was met with skepticism, dismay, and envy by his former peers and superiors. Especially at a time when the South was winning against the North during the American Civil War.

Major General Alfred Pleasonton, who promoted the boy, saw his gamble put to the test just four days later in the Battle of Gettysburg. The young general was put in charge of the Michigan Cavalry and tasked with keeping Confederate General Jeb Stuart from attacking the Union Army’s rear.

Was he up to the task? Could he keep that dubious star on his shoulder that so many wanted removed? Motivated by the desire to prove himself, George Armstrong Custer, his gleaming saber outstretched in front of him, led the cavalry charge and held the Union line. His successful leadership served as a crucial contribution to the battle that was the turning point in the North winning the war.

When leadership is thrust upon us, many of us are motivated to rise to the occasion. Sometimes, however, leadership must rise in a vacuum. What motivates us to become leaders when there are none?

Complete Article

Robert Evans Wilson, Jr. is a motivational speaker and humorist. He works with companies that want to be more competitive and with people who want to think like innovators. For more information on Robert's programs please visit www.jumpstartyourmeeting.com.

Turn Off Outlook's New-Message Alerts

Via PC World

by Rick Broida

Wait, did you read that right? Turn off Outlook's you've-got-mail alerts? Why on Earth would you want to do that? In a word: productivity.

Think about it: New messages are constantly flowing into your inbox, and by default Outlook alerts you to each and every message.

That's not much different from a co-worker popping his head into your office every five minutes to ask a question. Talk about productivity-killing interruptions!

Consequently, you might want to try life without the alerts. Disabling them is easier than you might think:

1. Choose Tools, Options, and click E-mail Options.

2. Click Advanced E-Mail Options.

3. Uncheck the box next to Play a sound.

4. Uncheck the box next to Briefly change the mouse cursor.

5. Uncheck the box next to Show an envelope icon in the notification area.

6. Uncheck the box next to Display a New Mail Desktop Alert.

Click OK and you're done! Outlook will continue to fetch (or receive) new mail at regularly scheduled intervals, but without any of the usual interruptions.

In other words, you can review your inbox on your schedule, not Outlook's. Give this a try, then let me know if you prefer working this way.

Complete Article

More Powerful Than You Know

THE UN-COMFORT ZONE with Robert Wilson

“Writing is not a job; it’s a hobby!” thundered my father when I told him my plans for college. “You need to get a profession: medicine, law, engineering or accounting.”

I cheerlessly acquiesced and enrolled in a Pre-Med program, but at the end of my first year, after struggling through Chemistry, I changed my major to Philosophy. When I told Dad, he grunted, “That and a dime will get you a cup of coffee.” He passed away shortly after that but his words echoed in the back of my mind for years.

After graduation I searched for a job in writing. At the same time, I wrote short stories like crazy, and sent them off to dozens of magazines. Years passed and I failed to find a job in writing, so I supported myself by waiting tables and bartending. Meanwhile, rejection letters from the magazines began piling up, and I was beginning to get discouraged.

Then one day, I met a friend for a beer in a bar near the campus of my alma mater. When I visited the restroom, some graffiti written on the wall with an arrow pointing to the toilet paper dispenser caught my eye. It read: “Bachelor of Arts Degrees – take only one, please!” Rather than laugh, I grimaced and thought, “Boy, does that sound like my Dad.”

Five years had gone by, and other than a few freelance jobs writing advertising copy, I had not made a penny from writing. I was beginning to re-think my life, when I recalled the encouraging words from my ninth grade English teacher.

Complete Article

Robert Evans Wilson, Jr. is a motivational speaker and humorist. He works with companies that want to be more competitive and with people who want to think like innovators. For more information on Robert's programs please visit www.jumpstartyourmeeting.com

To Sleep, Perchance to Analyze

Via The New York Times

By DAVID POGUE

In the last nine years, I’ve reviewed nearly 1,000 products for The New York Times. Can you guess what every single one of them has had in common?

All of them were intended for use while you’re awake.

Today, the exception.

Studies show that about half of all Americans don’t get the recommended amount of sleep. ( For adults it’s seven to nine hours.) And as we stumble our way through each day, groggy and cranky, we pay a terrible price in our relationships, productivity and health.

Science has learned all kinds of things about sleep. We now know, for example, that during the night, we experience several cycles of different kinds of sleep. There’s REM (rapid eye-movement) sleep, which restores and refreshes our brains. There’s deep sleep, which restores and refreshes our muscles. There’s light sleep, which is better than nothing. And there are all those times we wake up but don’t even remember we slept.

Now, to find out why you feel so wretched in the morning, you could go to a sleep lab, pay thousands of dollars, and spend the night hooked up to wires and sensors. Or you could pay $400 and get yourself a Zeo alarm clock.

That’s expensive, sure, but this one does a few things your basic Wal-Mart special doesn’t do.

Complete Article

Shock! Offices Lose Productivity to Facebook - study

Via Reuters Blogs - USA

Posted by: Yinka Adegoke

We think you saw this one coming: Employers are losing a whopping 1.5 workers per 100 in employee productivity to the social networking phenomenon that is Facebook.

This number was uncovered by the clever folk at Nucleus Research, who surveyed 237 randomly selected office workers. They discovered that some of you spend more time than you probably should poking, adding and making inane comments on friends’ pages.

In fact some of you may be horrified to learn that Nucleus is advising corporations to consider restricting Facebook access at work to reclaim that productivity — all the more important in a global recession and rising unemployment they say.

Among the findings from Nucleus’ interviews with said randomly selected workers:

•Nearly two-thirds of those who have Facebook access visit the site during working hours.
•Those who visit Facebook at work do so for an average of 15 minutes each day.
•87 percent of those who use Facebook at work couldn’t define a clear business reason for using it.
•Of those who do visit Facebook at work, 6 percent never use it anywhere else, meaning one in every 33 workers built their entire Facebook profile during work hours.
•There are also serious security concerns as IT departments can’t monitor Facebook messages.

It wasn’t immediately clear if Nucleus’s survey took lunch-break time into account (some people might only visit Facebook during break-time). Either way, one imagines if a survey of 237 workers can ever be used as an adequate sample, then there will be a lot of unhappy workers out there in the office world, should all those IT departments take Nucleus’ advice. As Nucleus concludes in its press release:

Companies should evaluate their Facebook policy and the cost to the organization in allowing access to Facebook, as today blocking Facebook may actually result in a 1.5 percent gain in productivity.

In other words blocking Facebook will give you 1.5 more workers for every 100 workers. Nice.