Quote of the Day

If a little knowledge is dangerous, where is the man who has so much as to be out of danger?



- T.H. Huxley

Music Break

Judy Collins: Send in the Clowns.

Interview with a Kawasaki

Here's an interesting duo: Rowan Manahan interviews Guy Kawasaki about Alltop, Truemors, blogging, RSS, and more.


[Judging from the amount of time that Guy devotes to ice hockey, his time management skills must be formidable. I've outsourced my ice hockey playing to India.]

7 Ways to Alienate Employees

Some executives and managers deftly alienate their employees on a daily basis. Here are some classic techniques:

1. Not recovering their wounded. Jack got into trouble working on behalf of Frank. Frank responds: "Jack? That name sounds vaguely familiar. Did he do something wrong?"



2. Changing the ground rules. But not quite announcing the changes, of course. "Sorry you didn't get that memo. Hope you weren't embarrassed."



3. Taking care of themselves first. "Gee, there's no more left. Pity."



4. Applying the old double-standard. "That rule doesn't apply to Mary. She's one of our best performers."



5. Being vindictive. Carlos once crossed Sally and Sally got promoted. Carlos is off to Siberia.



6. Tolerating incompetence. Rex is not the brightest bulb on the tree but the boss and Rex go way back. Unfortunately, the boss doesn't have to work alongside Rex. You do.



7. Slights. These are whipped up in many a corporate kitchen: Take numerous little put-downs, stir in a pinch of condescension, and chill with reserve. Sprinkle with false camaraderie.

The Degrees Women Earn

Women now earn 57 percent of bachelors degrees and 59 percent of masters degrees. According to the Survey of Earned Doctorates, 2006 was the fifth year in a row in which the majority of research Ph.D.’s awarded to U.S. citizens went to women. Women earn more Ph.D.’s than men in the humanities, social sciences, education, and life sciences. Women now serve as presidents of Harvard, MIT, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania, and other leading research universities. But elsewhere, the figures are different. Women comprise just 19 percent of tenure-track professors in math, 11 percent in physics, 10 percent in computer science, and 10 percent in electrical engineering. And the pipeline does not promise statistical parity any time soon: women are now earning 24 percent of the Ph.D.’s in the physical sciences—way up from the 4 percent of the 1960s, but still far behind the rate they are winning doctorates in other fields. “The change is glacial,” says Debra Rolison, a physical chemist at the Naval Research Laboratory.

Read the rest of Christina Hoff Sommers's article.

Quote of the Day

This is the real world, muchachos, and you are in it.

- B. Traven

Business Slogans

Many years ago there was a small business in downtown Phoenix that sold hot dogs for a nickel. Its owner, clearly a man of wisdom, posted a sign that pretty much summed up his pricing philosophy:

"A fast nickel is better than a slow dime."

I've had cause to remember that throughout my career. So often, we are waiting for the dime and missing the benefit of the immediate. It is odd that the hot dog vendor decided to explain his pricing instead of extolling his hot dogs but perhaps he assumed that, given the price, his customers didn't expect extraordinary quality. I suspect they appreciated his candor.

Some slogans go right to the heart and minds of the customer base. The beer company that touted its brew as "The one to have when you're having more than one" knew its drinkers, many of whom were probably having six or seven before dozing off in the Barcalounger.

"Diamonds are...[fill in the blank]" illustrates how these slogan get drilled into us. However memorable, the catchy phrases only work if there is at least a plausible linkage to reality. The effective slogans have a measure of credibility.

The flakey ones only elicit a hearty "Oh yeah?"

We Hire Individuals

McDonald's has an unusual equal opportunity ad.

Defeating Self-Discipline

Time-tested rationalizations for abandoning self-discipline:

Once won't make a difference.

It's only a minor lapse.

You deserve it.

Everybody does it.

You don't want to become a robot.

It will be balanced out elsewhere.

If you're going to lapse, why do it half-way?

That didn't hurt. Why were you worried?

All that self-discipline talk is sort of neurotic.

You can get back on track tomorrow.

Time for another program.

Quote of the Day

Advice is seldom welcome; and those who want it the most always like it the least.

- Lord Chesterfield