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HEADLINES ADDED: May 14, 2007
Online Applicant Screening Idea
Last night I was doing some research on the Boston Consulting Group and came across their online interview preparation process. They base part of their hiring decision on the questions that people ask. When you really think about it there are such things as "stupid questions" and it's a good tool to use to judge a potential applicant whether they are applying for an electrician slot or senior management. See the Boston Consulting Group example... Read More
Retaining good employees takes commitment
... Read More
Writing a Business Plan And Tracking Your Goals
Help for keeping your start-up on track? An update on angel-investor activity. And more.... Read More
It's Worth it to Have Your Customers Stay
Always remember, your company’s current customers are the absolute No. 1 source of your future sales. When you lose customers, you lose all of their future business and all of their referrals to your competition. When you keep customers, you keep that pool of sales for yourself.... Read More
Heeeeeeeee's Back!
Crusty & curmudgeonly former Chrysler boss and almost presidential candidate Lee Iacocca is back with ... Where Have All the...... Read More
I don't want to be a manager!
Getting promoted, especially into that first management job, can be a nightmare, one that is made all the worse by a lack of support and training. Which could be why so many people just don't want to be managers.... Read More
Will Black Be The New Green For The Web?
--> Will Black Be The New Green For The Web? Did you know that an all-white Web page takes roughly 74 watts to display, while an all-black page uses only 59 watts? This little piece of information could lead to a revolution in Web design. more Update your feed preferences powered by SimpleFeed... Read More
Does Their Corporate Culture Pass Your Sniff Test?
How much do you know about the corporate culture of a prospective employer? Until you work there, you're in the dark, right? By reputation, a manufacturing company might be known as a meat grinder or a large law firm as a cold and unfriendly place. Yet how much of this reputation is true and how much of it is sour grapes? It's imperative to discover the true nature of corporate culture before you accept a job offer. If the company likes go-getters, but you're a slow-starter, look elsewhere. If... Read More
Disconnected
So the unthinkable happened. I was in a cab last Thursday talking on my BlackBerry and hoping to catch my flight home to Boston. As I approached the airport, I got off the phone and prepared to make the usual dash to catch my flight. "Ahhhh", I remember feeling. I made it just as they shut the doors. As I settled into my seat, I heard the safety announcement informing all passengers to turn off their electrical devices. I reached into my briefcase to turn off my BlackBerry and... Read More
Recruiter follow up should be a two-way street
Career experts have written countless articles encouraging, and often requiring, job seekers to send thank you notes or emails within 24-48 hours of an interview. Yet there’s no industry standard or similar expectation for hiring companies. Recruiter follow up should really be a two-way street. Not only because it’s the right thing to do, but also because it can positively or negatively impact the hiring company’s brand with potential candidates. Each and every day, human resources departments at companies everywhere are inundated with hundreds and thousands of applications from... Read More
Firing Neeleman; JetBlue Just Blew It
Mark February 14th, 2007 as the day that destroyed JetBlue. Not because the airline massively screwed up, stranded 1,000 planes, and turned passengers into captives. But because David Neeleman, JetBlue's founder and CEO, was unable to recover from the debacle. Despite more apologies than Mel Gibson and Alec Baldwin combined, last week he was removed as CEO from the company he visioned into flight. The board did what boards do: replacing a passionate, entrepreneurial creator with a skilled "operator." In this case, it's David Barger, who had been president... Read More
Building Design Leaders Collaborating on Carbon-Neutral Buildings by 2030
A recent press release from the The U.S. Green Building Council reports that: "The American Institute of Architects (AIA), the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), Architecture 2030, the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), and...... Read More
Commemorative hand tools
In honor of the company’s 150th anniversary, six commemorative Journeyman hand tools will bear Klein Tools’ lasered anniversary emblem... Read More
What's Wrong Here?
Hint: You’ve got mail... Read More
Code Quiz
... Read More
The Duty of the Internet
I was struck this morning by the juxtaposition of two very important stories having to do with the Internet’s role in the world. Specifically, its role in promoting transparency and freedom of information. The first story came out in the NYTIMES this morning. In an article entitled, “In Web Uproar, Antipiracy Code Spreads Wildly,” reporter Brad Stone writes: “Sophisticated Internet users have banded together … to publish and widely distribute a secret code used by the technology and movie industries to prevent piracy of high-definition movies. “…its relentless spread has... Read More
What Kind Of Green?
Today, PRWeek is hosting the “Target Green” Conference in San Francisco (supported by a blog written by PRWeek’s prolific Keith O’Brien). I hear it’s booked solid. That’s cool. Honestly, we ought to save the planet. I am all for that. We have a “green” client here at SHIFT that we are really excited about. We hope to gain more traction in this arena. And so does everybody else. Which has me worried. The hubbub amongst my PR peers re: “green opportunities” (i.e., this is a hot new sector: there are... Read More
Once & Future Dips
Marketing maven and common-sense guru Seth Godin has a new book out, called The Dip. You can read its accompanying manifesto here (PDF). It’s about “when to quit and when to stick” … According to Godin, “What really sets superstars apart from everyone else is the ability to escape dead ends quickly, while staying focused and motivated when it really counts.” One fun way that Godin is promoting his book is via an interactive poster (pictured) of UPSIDE Magazine’s Year-2000 Bubble Party Players. You get to help identify those former... Read More
Construction Insurance and Bonds Simplified
When planning to build, many consumers are confused as to what protection is available to them, what is needed or recommended and what the bonds and insurances are actually protecting you against.... Read More
Accelerating Interoperability in Capital Projects
A few weeks ago we wrote about a green homebuilding technology that was being highlighted at FIATECH's conference in early April.... Read More
A New Solution for Controlling Costs
Most contractors want to avoid litigation of any dispute with a project owner. But most contractors also want to maximize the outcome of any negotiating session so they don't have to go to court. Now there is a proven way out of this dilemma called "empowered negotiating" that can help parties prepare effective presentations.... Read More
China's Equipment Growth Could Yield Global Fruit
By the time newspapers in Munich reported the first-quarter news that Toyota had eclipsed General Motors as the world's largest automaker, more than half a million construction equipment buyers shopping for iron at Bauma 2007 may have been wondering when China would move from a fledgling net exporter of heavy machinery to a full-fledged global producer.... Read More
Concrete Prices Post Spring Gains
Prices for ready-mix concrete increased this month as portland cement and aggregate prices made gains.... Read More
Caltrans Scrambles To Fix Fire-Damaged Maze Fast
Two days after a 3,000° F fire from the crash of a tanker truck hauling 8,600 gallons of gasoline caused the collapse of a major San Francisco-area transportation artery, the Oakland office of Cleveland Wrecking Co. completed debris removal.... Read More
Global Building Boom Swamps Suppliers
Suppliers stung by the homebuilding bug in the U.S. are riding high elsewhere in the world, while an unprecedented surge in global demand for capital equipment has put a stranglehold on available supplies.... Read More
Emerging Green Builders Struggle to Gain Traction
When Joe Snider entered his architecture career following college graduation in 2001, he faced a harsh reality.... Read More
Test Drive: Rubber Tracks Go Almost Anywhere and more new products
It takes less than 10 minutes to master the simple, go-anywhere Scout, but your ears might be ringing for awhile longer.... Read More
Incentive Programs Can Be Dangerous
One of the great debates in workplace safety today is over the role of incentives. Two philosophies seem to exist: One says that workers will not work safely unless employers give them incentives to do so, while the other says incentives should not be required for workers to do their jobs without injury.... Read More
New Face in the 'Hood
I met Jose Velazquez while touring the Biloxi Bay Bridge May 2, 2007. Velazquez has been a carpenter on the $338-million job for only "about two months," he says. "I was hearing about this Slidell bridge. I heard they are paying carpenters a lot more than Florida."... Read More
Is it Time for a National Engineering License?
In Europe, an engineer who wishes to practice throughout the European Union can obtain an EU Professional Engineers License.... Read More
Latina America Grabbing Share of the U.S. Market
Last March I sat in a conference room of one of the leading construction firms in Panama, Constructora Urbana or CUSA, and had an extensive conversation with company president, Rogelio E. Aleman.... Read More
Secure Mailing Envelope to Shield Smart Card Data
Prevents personal data in the smart card's embedded integrated circuit from being transmitted via radio frequency (RF) waves to reading device.... Read More
Smart Card Alliance Says 2-D Barcode in Proposed Real ID Driver's License Would Be Inadequate ...
Static nature of 2-D barcode allows printed media to be copied and disassociated from the original ID and its bearer, enabling misuse of the information.... Read More
Governor Rendell Announces $8.6 Million Federal Grant to Enhance Port Security
"This grant will enhance our ability to deal with any potential threat."... Read More
High-Performing Contractor - NEWSLETTER May 2007
**************** Leadership A recent survey of US workers found that only 49% trust their senior managers. The trust level has dropped annually since 2004. Only 53% of the employees surveyed feel that senior management makes the changes necessary for the company to stay competitive. In 2004, this was 57% for the same survey. "This dip in ratings is concerning because employees' attitudes about their senior leaders are a key factor in building engagement," said Ilene Gochman, national practice director for organization effectiveness at Watson Wyatt (the company that did... Read More
Lean Works in Construction - Kansas City, Mo
Start: Jun 20 2007 - 11:00am End: Jun 20 2007 - 4:00pm June 20, 2007 - Lean Works in Construction – Kansas City, MO –Sponsor: SMACNA- KC – Contact Sang 816-421-3360 ext. 112 and at information@smacnakc.com Visit smacnakc.com event page _uacct = "UA-1458603-1";urchinTracker(); read more... Read More
How Lead Nurturing Improves Lead Generation ROI
I know there's a lot of emphasis on lead generation (that's a good thing) but, getting a ton of leads doesn't guarantee that increased sales will follow. In a complex sale, my experience is, most of the selling actually happens when the sales person isn't there. Startling as it may seem, recent research (and even studies from ten years ago) shows that longer-term leads (future opportunities), often ignored by salespeople, represent almost 80% of potential sales. You can increase your odds success by adding a lead nurturing program. What’s... Read More
The Difference Between ROI and Marketing Accountability
What's the difference difference between ROI and marketing accountability? My post a few weeks ago, "On B2B Demand Generation tools and Lead Generation Dashboards," started an email exchange between me and Jeffrey Eisenberg on the subject. Our exchange spawned an article by Bryan Eisenberg over at ClickZ. He writes, "Measuring the ROI of lead generation isn't the same thing as full accountability. If marketing is a profitable activity, it still doesn't mean that what it is communicating to the universe of buyers is building the business. I've seen lots... Read More