Reference: New York Times
- Paul Wolfowitz doesn't seem like a zealot
- he is patient, logical, respectful and soft-spoken
- but he has a missionary's optimism about America's
ability to build a better world
- has an activist bent
- he sees trouble coming before others do
- doesn't want to stand by while bad things happen
- and thinks about the cost of not acting
- Wolfowitz was sympathetic to the war in Vietnam
- later, he accepted that it was a case of overreaching
- for Colin Powell, Vietnam is the prime example of good
intentions gone wrong
- Wolfy was an architect of the Iraq War.
- could we predict from his activist orientation and optimistic
perspective the likelihood of over-reaching?
Selling Your Personality
The Lessons of David Axelrod
- David Axelrod is Obama's campaign manager
- his campaigns don't focus on issues but on the candidate’s life
- he wants to portray the candidate as having a leader's personality
- a job hunter can do the same in an interview
- she should have clear ideas about how her job is done
- but she can also tell a story about her life and focus on moments
in her history that define her as the person she wants to be
- while the image you project may be edited,
to be convincing it has to be based in reality
- Axelrod's campaigns are upbeat
- they contain a message of idealism and optimism moderated by pragmatism
- he believes that the promise of the future, where you're going,
trumps a focus on the past
- he also believes that a candidate should focus on strategic issues,
not just the needs of the moment
- he fends off critics by stressing the flip side of Obama's alleged flaws.
- lack of a rigid ideological position is seen as independence
- a lack of combativenes becomes bipartisanship
Reference: New York Times.
- David Axelrod is Obama's campaign manager
- his campaigns don't focus on issues but on the candidate’s life
- he wants to portray the candidate as having a leader's personality
- a job hunter can do the same in an interview
- she should have clear ideas about how her job is done
- but she can also tell a story about her life and focus on moments
in her history that define her as the person she wants to be
- while the image you project may be edited,
to be convincing it has to be based in reality
- Axelrod's campaigns are upbeat
- they contain a message of idealism and optimism moderated by pragmatism
- he believes that the promise of the future, where you're going,
trumps a focus on the past
- he also believes that a candidate should focus on strategic issues,
not just the needs of the moment
- he fends off critics by stressing the flip side of Obama's alleged flaws.
- lack of a rigid ideological position is seen as independence
- a lack of combativenes becomes bipartisanship
Reference: New York Times.
Leaders Are Flexible
Reference: George Jonas.
Jonas says that politics make strange bedfellows and that leaders have to be willing to praise and partner with whomever they must to get to their goals.
But is Powell as opposed to Obama's positions as Jonas suggests? He was a dove in the Bush Administration. He is cautious about going to war and sees Iraq as an mistake.
Everyone also respects his commitment to his country and his personal character even if they do not agree with all of his political positions.
So there is reason to be impressed when a man like that crosses party lines to endorse you.
So, to prove a point, Jonas has exaggerated their opposition.
Recruiter, Toronto, Canada
It’s definitely not for nothing that Obama -- who, in theory, stands against everything Powell has stood for, from party affiliation to policy -- responded to the endorsement of Bush’s former secretary of state by saying that he was feeling honoured and humbled.
Presidential? Pragmatic? Practical? Unprincipled?
All of the above, I’d say. The first adjective sounds like a compliment; the last one certainly doesn’t. Yet they’re not incompatible and may even be complementary.
Jonas says that politics make strange bedfellows and that leaders have to be willing to praise and partner with whomever they must to get to their goals.
But is Powell as opposed to Obama's positions as Jonas suggests? He was a dove in the Bush Administration. He is cautious about going to war and sees Iraq as an mistake.
Everyone also respects his commitment to his country and his personal character even if they do not agree with all of his political positions.
So there is reason to be impressed when a man like that crosses party lines to endorse you.
So, to prove a point, Jonas has exaggerated their opposition.
Recruiter, Toronto, Canada
Send Out Cards.com
Matt Mancino, a construction industry recruiter in Phoenix called to tell me about Send Out Cards.com.
You can create your own thank you or greeting cards online - in your own handwriting, if you choose -- and they print them and snail mail them for you.
Because everything is electronic today, these snail mailed cards stand out and differentiate you from the pack.
Recruiter, Toronto, Canada
You can create your own thank you or greeting cards online - in your own handwriting, if you choose -- and they print them and snail mail them for you.
Because everything is electronic today, these snail mailed cards stand out and differentiate you from the pack.
Recruiter, Toronto, Canada
Free Online ATS
SmartRecruiters.com is a free, online applicant tracking system.
Key Points: Launches Oct 28, 2008. Set up in 2 minutes. Easy to use. Personalize your own Career Site. Includes a "vibrant" recruiter community. Includes "integrated pay-per-use recruiting services" (sounds like they will do your recruiting for you).
Recruiter, Toronto, Canada
Key Points: Launches Oct 28, 2008. Set up in 2 minutes. Easy to use. Personalize your own Career Site. Includes a "vibrant" recruiter community. Includes "integrated pay-per-use recruiting services" (sounds like they will do your recruiting for you).
Recruiter, Toronto, Canada
Immigrants Dislike Preference For Skilled People
TheStar.com warns that:
1. Immigrants with skills do not get a chance to use them in Canada.
2. So the government's increased preference for immigrants with job skills discriminates against the unskilled people the country actually needs.
Recruiter, Toronto, Canada
1. Immigrants with skills do not get a chance to use them in Canada.
2. So the government's increased preference for immigrants with job skills discriminates against the unskilled people the country actually needs.
When Chakraborti joined her husband, Sailen, in Canada, it took her just two months to parlay a master's degree in philosophy into a job as a bank teller.
"Many immigrant communities are already being discriminated left, right and centre..."
His parents have a university education and worked for Ontario Hydro as clerks...
Recruiter, Toronto, Canada
People Can Surprise You
Source: Wall Street Journal. (edited)
Harry Truman was a small town man whose career had been sponsored by a corrupt political boss. Then he was carelessly elevated to a senior role by Frank Roosevelt. And, yet as the sponsor of the Marshall Plan and the policy of containment, he had done great things.
From this example, Peggy Noonan concludes that:
Recruiter, Canada, Toronto
Harry Truman was a small town man whose career had been sponsored by a corrupt political boss. Then he was carelessly elevated to a senior role by Frank Roosevelt. And, yet as the sponsor of the Marshall Plan and the policy of containment, he had done great things.
From this example, Peggy Noonan concludes that:
People can come from nowhere, with modest backgrounds and short résumés, and yet be individuals of real gifts... that are suddenly revealed
You have to give people time to show what they have. Because maybe they have magic too.
Recruiter, Canada, Toronto
Your Company Needs A Consistent Tone
Reference: Commune Media via One Degree
A large company will usually have strict rules about the presentation of its image. For instance, it will only use specific colours, photos and fonts . The reason? Once these signals become familiar to the viewer, it becomes easy to relate to the firm as a known quantity.
The same restrictions and clear definition are required for any appearance of the company's voice. But this is where firms often err.
When they are trying to reel you in as a customer or an employee, they are very personable and friendly. But once you are sold, they become very task-oriented. You're no longer a pal. The only thing that matters is business.
People don't like that sudden about-face from caring about them to caring exclusively about yourself. It makes you seem untrustworthy and dishonest.
So, if you have a friendly voice in your marketing vehicles, including your recruiting communications (on your blog, for instance), you should maintain it in all of your ongoing communications as a basic element of your firm's culture.
Note: The same is true of individuals. Most of us don't feel comfortable around people who are really nice -- until they get angry. Then all concern about other people is thrown out the window.
The person who throws the tantrum might excuse it as his way of getting rid of an upset as quickly as possible. But those who are on the receiving end become wary of him.
Homepage: The Canadian Headhunter.com
A large company will usually have strict rules about the presentation of its image. For instance, it will only use specific colours, photos and fonts . The reason? Once these signals become familiar to the viewer, it becomes easy to relate to the firm as a known quantity.
The same restrictions and clear definition are required for any appearance of the company's voice. But this is where firms often err.
When they are trying to reel you in as a customer or an employee, they are very personable and friendly. But once you are sold, they become very task-oriented. You're no longer a pal. The only thing that matters is business.
People don't like that sudden about-face from caring about them to caring exclusively about yourself. It makes you seem untrustworthy and dishonest.
So, if you have a friendly voice in your marketing vehicles, including your recruiting communications (on your blog, for instance), you should maintain it in all of your ongoing communications as a basic element of your firm's culture.
Note: The same is true of individuals. Most of us don't feel comfortable around people who are really nice -- until they get angry. Then all concern about other people is thrown out the window.
The person who throws the tantrum might excuse it as his way of getting rid of an upset as quickly as possible. But those who are on the receiving end become wary of him.
Homepage: The Canadian Headhunter.com
Do Interviewers Disagree?
Take a look at the judgements of the third presidential debate.
Presumably both writers are well-informed, politically. Liddle, who supports Obama, was a speechwriter for the Labour party in England. And, yet, they disagree.
What could possibly account for it? And does this disagreement reflect something that might happen when a candidate meets a number of stakeholders within the same firm?
Homepage: The Canadian Headhunter.com
McCain looked and sounded like a man who is floundering and doesn't know what to do about it.
-- Editorial, The Age (Australia)
In my mind McCain won the last debate by some margin
-- Ron Liddle, TimesOnline (England)
Presumably both writers are well-informed, politically. Liddle, who supports Obama, was a speechwriter for the Labour party in England. And, yet, they disagree.
What could possibly account for it? And does this disagreement reflect something that might happen when a candidate meets a number of stakeholders within the same firm?
Homepage: The Canadian Headhunter.com
Do You Still Need a Resume? Yes
According to Debbie Dib, the resume is losing its role as the primary tool in a job search.
But not really. You might have a blog or a website or a video profile but I'm a headhunter and when I call you about a job, you'd better have a resume.
How else am I going to get a quick overview of what you've done and, based on that, assess what you can do. I have to have something to pass on to my client, too. And to anyone else involved in the search.
And, if I don't have a resume, what am I going to use? A LinkedIn profile? That's just a resume online, nothing more, nothing less. And I love LinkedIn; every recruiter does. But it's got some strikes against it.
1. It's got the LinkedIn format which includes a lot of junk on the right side of the page.
2. At present, LinkedIn is still foreign to a lot of people. A hiring manager might not recognize it as a resume. Many people who register on LinkedIn don't recognize its potential value either so they don't put a lot of details or stable contact information into their profiles.
Home Page: TheCanadianHeahdunter.com
But not really. You might have a blog or a website or a video profile but I'm a headhunter and when I call you about a job, you'd better have a resume.
How else am I going to get a quick overview of what you've done and, based on that, assess what you can do. I have to have something to pass on to my client, too. And to anyone else involved in the search.
And, if I don't have a resume, what am I going to use? A LinkedIn profile? That's just a resume online, nothing more, nothing less. And I love LinkedIn; every recruiter does. But it's got some strikes against it.
1. It's got the LinkedIn format which includes a lot of junk on the right side of the page.
2. At present, LinkedIn is still foreign to a lot of people. A hiring manager might not recognize it as a resume. Many people who register on LinkedIn don't recognize its potential value either so they don't put a lot of details or stable contact information into their profiles.
Home Page: TheCanadianHeahdunter.com
Success Lessons From Immigrants
Reference: Ray de Souza, National Post. (edited)
A report from Statistics Canada's 2006 census has revealed the professional success rates of immigrants from various national and racial groupings.
The children of Chinese and Indian immigrants do best. Ray de Souza, the son of Indian immigrants, offers some possible reasons why.
Asian parents take it for granted that a university education is the path to advancement. They are also used very demanding schools of their homelands so when they make their kids live by their standards they do very well in Canada where the schools do not push students so hard.
Also, Asian parents are usually hard-working and their families are stable so the children grow up in a community of immigrants in which good values are modelled and none of the problems caused by family disintegration are present.
Finally, Chinese and Indian immigrants don't worry too much about prejudice. Where it exists, it's difficult to change -- and it has little influence on the opportunities that Canada holds out for them. So they ignore the problems and focus on the potentials.
Canadian Headhunter Homepage
A report from Statistics Canada's 2006 census has revealed the professional success rates of immigrants from various national and racial groupings.
The children of Chinese and Indian immigrants do best. Ray de Souza, the son of Indian immigrants, offers some possible reasons why.
Asian parents take it for granted that a university education is the path to advancement. They are also used very demanding schools of their homelands so when they make their kids live by their standards they do very well in Canada where the schools do not push students so hard.
Also, Asian parents are usually hard-working and their families are stable so the children grow up in a community of immigrants in which good values are modelled and none of the problems caused by family disintegration are present.
Finally, Chinese and Indian immigrants don't worry too much about prejudice. Where it exists, it's difficult to change -- and it has little influence on the opportunities that Canada holds out for them. So they ignore the problems and focus on the potentials.
Canadian Headhunter Homepage
The Toronto Blogger Bash: January 27, 2006
Nobody Waved Goodbye
I went to the blogger bash on Friday night and all the "celebrities" showed. In fact, when I arrived at the pub, Let It Bleed was in the lobby arguing with the manager about a tear in the rug.
"I'm a lawyer," he said softly, "And there's a guy coming here who likes to sue people so if you're smart you're going to do something about that carpet."
They moved off into the other room and I settled into a conversation with Huge Seagull who was part of the large Newfie contingent. We were standing near the doorway when Zerb came in and, with her gaze set firmly forward, started marching upstairs.
"It's in here," I said.
She swung around. "Who the blank are you?"
I mumbled my blog's name.
"They said it was upstairs!"
"Well, it's down here now."
She tore her coat off and handed it to me. "Hold this," she ordered, then, turning to Huge, she said "Get me a Stella," and stomped into the main room. "Where's Kathy Shaidle?" she snarled, "I've got some scores to settle." Later, I saw them arm-wrestling.
Jason Cherniak walked by. "Hey," I said. "I saw you on Studio 2." "Did you like the show?" he asked. "Yeah, but you looked better on TV. Did they put makeup on you or something?"
My mother always tells me that I've got a fantastic sense of humour but, surprisingly, he didn't laugh. Or even smile. "See that girl over there?" he said. "She produced that segment. Maybe you'd like to speak to her." "Oh yeah?" I replied, excited as a puppy. "I love that show. I've got to talk to her."
Now, she was in conversation with The Ghost of a Flea but I barged right in. "Sorry to interrupt," I said, "but I just want to tell you how much I enjoy your show. It's so interesting. A stellar performance every night. I remember the time Paula interviewed the NDP leadership candidates. They were so [expletive] boring but she almost made them watchable.
"Hey, asshole." said the producer, "Can't you see I'm talkin' to someone? Buzz off."
Okay, I've got to admit, that wasn't the first time that happened to me. Whenever I meet someone from Studio 2, I just go crazy and, quite frankly, I know I'd do the exact same thing again.
So, I moseyed over to Free Advice. Apparently, he's got some kind of mental problem. He falls asleep while you're talking to him and starts seeing things but you don't know what's happening because his eyes are still open. He told me that he once chased his wife around the house because he thought she was a big doughnut. I tried to convince Kathy that this is how religions get started but she wasn't buying.
Andrew Coyne came in and a little woman who has a blog about garlic asked us who he was. "He's cute," she said. "I like his shoes". "He blogs about knitting," I told her, "Go and talk to him. I hear he likes cooking, too." We had a chuckle as he leaned down to listen to her with a pained, confused look on his face.
Just then, Ricky McGinnis appeared wearing that same red cowboy shirt he had on the last time I saw him. (He claims he's got a million of them).
"Hey," I said. "I saw a movie on Vision TV last week. Glen Ford was a train engineer who falls in love with Ida Lupino who wants him to murder her husband, Broadrick Crawford. What movie was that?"
"Double Indemnity?" he asked.
"Come on!"
"Postman Rings Twice?"
"Look everybody," I crowed, " This guy claims to be a film critic!"
The Meatriarchy winced because he's my friend and he felt embarrassed for me. But those Diet Cokes add up and by this time there was no holding me back.
I dove into a deep discussion with Rick about vulgarity on TV. If he's such a big social conservative, I said, how can he like South Park? He trotted out Pope and Swift and started pining for the 18th century and I decided it was time to leave.
On my way out I saw The Accordion Guy singing karaoke. Apparently, he likes Bob Marley. But Bob Marley doesn't like him.
And did I mention Nick Quotavicious? I love that guy. His goal in life is to memorize every nasty quip that's ever been said and find a way to use it in his everyday life. He mumbles something nasty every time he passes by me but I can't quite make it out so I don't care.
See you all at the next do when Damian comes in February.
I went to the blogger bash on Friday night and all the "celebrities" showed. In fact, when I arrived at the pub, Let It Bleed was in the lobby arguing with the manager about a tear in the rug.
"I'm a lawyer," he said softly, "And there's a guy coming here who likes to sue people so if you're smart you're going to do something about that carpet."
They moved off into the other room and I settled into a conversation with Huge Seagull who was part of the large Newfie contingent. We were standing near the doorway when Zerb came in and, with her gaze set firmly forward, started marching upstairs.
"It's in here," I said.
She swung around. "Who the blank are you?"
I mumbled my blog's name.
"They said it was upstairs!"
"Well, it's down here now."
She tore her coat off and handed it to me. "Hold this," she ordered, then, turning to Huge, she said "Get me a Stella," and stomped into the main room. "Where's Kathy Shaidle?" she snarled, "I've got some scores to settle." Later, I saw them arm-wrestling.
Jason Cherniak walked by. "Hey," I said. "I saw you on Studio 2." "Did you like the show?" he asked. "Yeah, but you looked better on TV. Did they put makeup on you or something?"
My mother always tells me that I've got a fantastic sense of humour but, surprisingly, he didn't laugh. Or even smile. "See that girl over there?" he said. "She produced that segment. Maybe you'd like to speak to her." "Oh yeah?" I replied, excited as a puppy. "I love that show. I've got to talk to her."
Now, she was in conversation with The Ghost of a Flea but I barged right in. "Sorry to interrupt," I said, "but I just want to tell you how much I enjoy your show. It's so interesting. A stellar performance every night. I remember the time Paula interviewed the NDP leadership candidates. They were so [expletive] boring but she almost made them watchable.
"Hey, asshole." said the producer, "Can't you see I'm talkin' to someone? Buzz off."
Okay, I've got to admit, that wasn't the first time that happened to me. Whenever I meet someone from Studio 2, I just go crazy and, quite frankly, I know I'd do the exact same thing again.
So, I moseyed over to Free Advice. Apparently, he's got some kind of mental problem. He falls asleep while you're talking to him and starts seeing things but you don't know what's happening because his eyes are still open. He told me that he once chased his wife around the house because he thought she was a big doughnut. I tried to convince Kathy that this is how religions get started but she wasn't buying.
Andrew Coyne came in and a little woman who has a blog about garlic asked us who he was. "He's cute," she said. "I like his shoes". "He blogs about knitting," I told her, "Go and talk to him. I hear he likes cooking, too." We had a chuckle as he leaned down to listen to her with a pained, confused look on his face.
Just then, Ricky McGinnis appeared wearing that same red cowboy shirt he had on the last time I saw him. (He claims he's got a million of them).
"Hey," I said. "I saw a movie on Vision TV last week. Glen Ford was a train engineer who falls in love with Ida Lupino who wants him to murder her husband, Broadrick Crawford. What movie was that?"
"Double Indemnity?" he asked.
"Come on!"
"Postman Rings Twice?"
"Look everybody," I crowed, " This guy claims to be a film critic!"
The Meatriarchy winced because he's my friend and he felt embarrassed for me. But those Diet Cokes add up and by this time there was no holding me back.
I dove into a deep discussion with Rick about vulgarity on TV. If he's such a big social conservative, I said, how can he like South Park? He trotted out Pope and Swift and started pining for the 18th century and I decided it was time to leave.
On my way out I saw The Accordion Guy singing karaoke. Apparently, he likes Bob Marley. But Bob Marley doesn't like him.
And did I mention Nick Quotavicious? I love that guy. His goal in life is to memorize every nasty quip that's ever been said and find a way to use it in his everyday life. He mumbles something nasty every time he passes by me but I can't quite make it out so I don't care.
See you all at the next do when Damian comes in February.
The Job Market is Colour Blind.
We received an email recently from someone who wants to move to Canada. I say we because he sent the email to both Michael and I.
This person had a concern, he had heard that skilled people who migrate to our country have trouble finding work and often end up driving cabs. Was that the case he wanted to know? In particular he seemed worried that a form of institutional racism was keeping skilled immigrants from finding work when they move to Canada.
He was basing this on some articles he had read.
It's too bad he didnt' read this article from Canadian Business. It would have presented him with a much different view. Consider some of the following quotes:
"On average, Canadian women are having only 1.5 children each, far below the 2.1 necessary for a population to sustain itself. The numbers mean the labour supply will slowly shrink as the nation ages. By 2011, Ottawa estimates that all new growth in the labour market will have to come from immigrants. In other words, the future of the Canadian marketplace will soon depend for its very survival on a steady supply of foreign-born workers."
"Stephen Plummer is president and chief operating officer of IMP Group International Inc. The company, owner of CanJet Airlines as well as Execaire corporate jet services, is one of the largest private employers in Nova Scotia and has an insatiable appetite for skilled workers in the aerospace field. "One of the things I worry about all the time is Canada's declining workforce," says Plummer. "I don't see things reversing themselves. Immigration has got to be part of the solution.
Plummer's company has hired an entire class of aerospace graduates from one Canadian college, but it's still not enough. To fill critical skill needs, such as engineering, tool design, avionics technology and computer applications, Plummer has also recruited in the United Kingdom, eastern Europe and China."
"Friesens Corp., a commercial printer based in Altona, Man., around 100 kilometres south of Winnipeg, has a standing offer of employment for trained press operators and is finding it increasingly necessary to bring new staff in from overseas, from such places as Germany and Uruguay."
"The situation is even more acute in the trucking industry. "The marketplace is incapable of supplying us with drivers," grumbles Norman Schultz, director of recruitment and retention at TransX, a major trucking firm based in Winnipeg. "We are looking in Romania, China, England, Italy and elsewhere for drivers. We want to grow as a company, but our customer demand exceeds the number of drivers we have." Schultz has found the most effective method of importing labour is to bring foreign workers in on temporary work permits and then use the provincial nominee program to convert them to permanent residents."
Ok one thing I should clarify for those of you who haven't figured it out yet. None of these companies is located in Toronto. And that was the crux of the article. Most immigrants want to move to Montreal, Toronto or Vancouver for a variety of reasons. However this isn't always where the jobs are.
So you should consider which is more important living in Nova Scotia with a job or living in Toronto with none. Incidentally Nova Scotia is a much cheaper place to live than Toronto (and more beautiful).
The second thing that should be obvious from the quotes above is that there is no discrimination against foreign workers. The job market is dependent on the available talent pool and if the pool is depleted the willingness to look elsewhere becomes magnified.
I remember in the late 80s when the demand for programmers was so acute that recruiting firms were actually traveling to Hong Kong to recruit IT professionals. They wanted to get them before they landed in Canada because they would be snapped up so quickly.
If you have a skill that is in demand you will have no problem finding work. If your there is a surplus of talent in your area of expertise you will have trouble. My advice to anyone who wants to move to any country is to evaluate your skill set and find out if it is in demand. If not you might want to select a country where your skills are needed.
Podcast Alert
Jason at Recruiting.com has posted his first-ever podcast.
It's an interview of Joel Cheesman of the Online Recruitment HR blog.
You can listen online or download the mp3 file for later auditation.
Jason at Recruiting.com has posted his first-ever podcast.
It's an interview of Joel Cheesman of the Online Recruitment HR blog.
You can listen online or download the mp3 file for later auditation.
Do Canadians Lack Discipline?
Yesterday, a friend of mine who came to Canada when he was in his twenties, told me that Canadian workers are lazy goof-offs.
If it's true, not many newcomers would be surprised.
For, according to a recent article in The Toronto Star they think there's something wrong with the way Canadians raise their kids.
- Yang Bin was surprised by what she saw when she walked her two-year-old granddaughter Sophia Jiang into a family drop-in program...
"Kids just run around and play," said the 65-year-old retired university professor... They are free to do whatever they want. Kids growing up in the West need more discipline.
Parenting is about teaching kids to respect their authorities, so they learn the traditional values and know how to behave properly."....
[Kenise Murphy Kilbride, an early childhood education professor at Ryerson University] said studies have shown that immigrant parents disapprove of their children questioning parental authority.
"They could not understand how `Canadian' parents can tolerate public tantrums of their children and think that the Canadian law prohibiting physical punishment restricts their ability to discipline their children," she added.
Yang...agrees. "In China, we tend to be more restrictive to our children and grandchildren. We spank them when they misbehave... You don't give them choices. You tell them what to do."
- The Afghani way of life is very different from the Canadian way of life. Out of respect, there is always a distance between children and their parents. There's no emotional support, no display of emotions, because parents are afraid that'd lessen their authority over their children.
But, I wonder about the relationship between child-rearing and productivity. Is there a relationship between them?
Martin Seligman claims that the power to make and follow through on one's own decisions from an early age is a great boon to a healthy personality. In The Optimistic Child, he writes:
- The more we make decisions (good or bad) the more we feel in control, the more competent we feel, the more self-esteem we have.
So, again, what is the relation between child-rearing and economic productivity? A search on Google provided no quick answers. Perhaps because there are none.
George Jonas wrote an interesting column about saying "No" to children. It doesn't address productivity directly but it does imply that the issue is not a simple one. Here is an excerpt:
- About 15 years ago, a friend made a pedagogical observation:
"Why should I say no to my daughter when she keeps kicking the table?" he said. "Should I stop her just because it annoys me?"
My friend had a whole zoo of kids... They... interrupted everyone, demanded centre stage, and went into hysterics when -- all too rarely -- their desires were frustrated... My friend's kids may have wanted a very firm hand indeed, but as he gave them none, they became little monsters...
He implied that adults who impose limits on children do it just for their own convenience. He tried to suggest that restrictions were senseless, and served merely to stifle a child.
In making this suggestion my friend echoed a school of pedagogical thought that achieved near-domination among North America's middle-class parents.
The thesis held that... any moulding would suppress a child's spontaneity, creativity and self-confidence. It would risk turning him into a mindless conformist or an inhibited bundle of neuroses.
Saying no to a child who does something annoying serves at least three purposes beneficial both to the child and to society.
First, it habituates the child to obey the parent. Parents, on the whole, have more life experience than their children...
Second,.... shedding infantile selfishness is the basis of any social life, and it's doubtful if children can shed it without some training...
Third, a "no"... accustoms him to the idea that things don't accrue to him by right, and that in order to get something (say, approval) he'll have to give something in return....
Fifteen years have passed...and the table-kicking little monsters...have grown into young men and women. First question: How did they turn out?
Answer: Splendid, I'm happy to report, as well (if not better) than kids of stricter upbringing.
Second question: Has this caused me to change my mind about raising children? Answer: Not a bit.
Its Who You Know
Much is written about networking as the primary job search tool. Personally I think it is overrated and prevents people from doing any sort of cold calling on their own. But that's ok. If candidates really learned how to conduct a job search recruiters would be obsolete pretty quickly.
A lot of companies do hire via internal referrals however so it is wise to keep track of where your friends are.
One example is an outfit called Corporate Executive Board which recruits aggressively for MBA's from some of the finest B schools in the US.
Wendy Person who is the Senior Director of Talent Management tells Businessweek that those who want a job with their company had better work their network:
More than 40% of all hires come from internal referrals. If candidates aren't networking with alumni here at CEB, they are missing out on a wonderful opportunity.
Of course that's assuming they want to work at a place with a lame name like "Corporate Executive Board". Was "Company Limited Incorporated" already taken?
A lot of companies do hire via internal referrals however so it is wise to keep track of where your friends are.
One example is an outfit called Corporate Executive Board which recruits aggressively for MBA's from some of the finest B schools in the US.
Wendy Person who is the Senior Director of Talent Management tells Businessweek that those who want a job with their company had better work their network:
More than 40% of all hires come from internal referrals. If candidates aren't networking with alumni here at CEB, they are missing out on a wonderful opportunity.
Of course that's assuming they want to work at a place with a lame name like "Corporate Executive Board". Was "Company Limited Incorporated" already taken?
An Unemployed Woman
CIBC # 3 Takes Kassie Highway
Every Canadian knows that 20 top bankers (and Marie Cordero) recently left the CIBC to join their ex-boss, Wonderboy David Kassie, at Genuity Capital Markets.
Now the CIBC has axed it's No.3 executive, Jumpin' Jill Denham, Vice Charwoman and Head of Consumer Banking.
CIBC spokesman, Bobby Waite, struggled to hide the truth but, by now, everyone knows the (Soviet-style) code. Like Dave, Jill has left the bank to "pursue other interests".
After some run-ins with the law a few years back, CEO, Handsome John Hunkin, decided to shift his interests from corporate to consumer lending.
And, in order to boost earnings from consumer banking, Jumpin' Jill had to go. But don't feel too bad; she earned $2.1 million Cdn last year in salary and bonus. (That's $1.7 mill US funds).
Sonia "Baxie" Baxendale, age 42, will replace Jill. Her new title is Sr EVP Retail Markets. Vic Dodig, age 39, was hired from UBS Global Asset Management to take her place as head of the asset-management division. Both report to Dave Kassie's old friend and replacement, COO, Gerry McCaughey.
As for Jill's next step? Only, time, will tell.
Based on a story in: Bloomberg.com: David Scanlan reporting in Toronto; Erik Schatzker is his editor in New York
Technorati Tag: Genuity
See Also: GenuityGang Strikes Back -- CIBC Recruiting Scandal -- David Kassie, Kingpin -- David Kassie's Dream -- Dan Daviau -- Earl Rotman -- Kassie Defiant -- Phil Evershed -- Hirst, Morrison, Eggertson -- Marie Cordero -- Bad 4 Recruiters -- Sweet Marie -- The Kassie Cult -- Kassie Honoured -- Hunkin's Millions -- BlackBerry Got 'Em -- Kassie Family Hunted -- Blackberry Mystery Solved -- The Genuity Revolution
CIBC # 3 Takes Kassie Highway
Every Canadian knows that 20 top bankers (and Marie Cordero) recently left the CIBC to join their ex-boss, Wonderboy David Kassie, at Genuity Capital Markets.
Now the CIBC has axed it's No.3 executive, Jumpin' Jill Denham, Vice Charwoman and Head of Consumer Banking.
CIBC spokesman, Bobby Waite, struggled to hide the truth but, by now, everyone knows the (Soviet-style) code. Like Dave, Jill has left the bank to "pursue other interests".
After some run-ins with the law a few years back, CEO, Handsome John Hunkin, decided to shift his interests from corporate to consumer lending.
And, in order to boost earnings from consumer banking, Jumpin' Jill had to go. But don't feel too bad; she earned $2.1 million Cdn last year in salary and bonus. (That's $1.7 mill US funds).
Sonia "Baxie" Baxendale, age 42, will replace Jill. Her new title is Sr EVP Retail Markets. Vic Dodig, age 39, was hired from UBS Global Asset Management to take her place as head of the asset-management division. Both report to Dave Kassie's old friend and replacement, COO, Gerry McCaughey.
As for Jill's next step? Only, time, will tell.
Based on a story in: Bloomberg.com: David Scanlan reporting in Toronto; Erik Schatzker is his editor in New York
Technorati Tag: Genuity
See Also: GenuityGang Strikes Back -- CIBC Recruiting Scandal -- David Kassie, Kingpin -- David Kassie's Dream -- Dan Daviau -- Earl Rotman -- Kassie Defiant -- Phil Evershed -- Hirst, Morrison, Eggertson -- Marie Cordero -- Bad 4 Recruiters -- Sweet Marie -- The Kassie Cult -- Kassie Honoured -- Hunkin's Millions -- BlackBerry Got 'Em -- Kassie Family Hunted -- Blackberry Mystery Solved -- The Genuity Revolution
Grade A Meat
Brad Smart's TOPGRADING system ranks employees as
A's, B's and C's.
A' and B's are assets.
C's will kill your company.
The employee pool is a pyramid with A's on top.
Here's it's composition:
A's - 10%, B's - 25%, C's - 65%.
The definition of an A, B or C depends to some extent on the requirements of the job. Theoretically, a C-player in one job could be an A-player in another.
All, A-Players, however, (unlike most C's) are quick studies in any role. They also have a lot of integrity and a great track record. (But not every one is a team leader or long-term visionary).
What are "A" players looking for? They want:
1. a challenge and to have fun coming to work.
2. the resources and opportunity to make things happen.
3. an informal culture with little bureaucracy.
4. compensation that's tied to performance.
B-Players aren't Grade-A because they fall short in 2 or 3 areas.
Here's a problem. B-players hirelosers B or C players. That's why, if you hire A-players, you can start a favorable chain reaction.
Here's some good news: some B's can be upgraded to A's through coaching and training. Others can become A's if their jobs are fine-tuned to suit them.
C's have to be moved to other jobs or fired. And since most can't cope with new or complex situations, their likely destination is dog food.
Get a Brad Smart DVD. Only $995. USD. Or buy the books: Topgrading and
The Smart Interviewer (Amazon gives you both for $36.27 USD)
Source: Fortune Small Business, via Derby Management site
Brad Smart's TOPGRADING system ranks employees as
A's, B's and C's.
A' and B's are assets.
C's will kill your company.
The employee pool is a pyramid with A's on top.
Here's it's composition:
A's - 10%, B's - 25%, C's - 65%.
The definition of an A, B or C depends to some extent on the requirements of the job. Theoretically, a C-player in one job could be an A-player in another.
All, A-Players, however, (unlike most C's) are quick studies in any role. They also have a lot of integrity and a great track record. (But not every one is a team leader or long-term visionary).
What are "A" players looking for? They want:
1. a challenge and to have fun coming to work.
2. the resources and opportunity to make things happen.
3. an informal culture with little bureaucracy.
4. compensation that's tied to performance.
B-Players aren't Grade-A because they fall short in 2 or 3 areas.
Here's a problem. B-players hire
Here's some good news: some B's can be upgraded to A's through coaching and training. Others can become A's if their jobs are fine-tuned to suit them.
C's have to be moved to other jobs or fired. And since most can't cope with new or complex situations, their likely destination is dog food.
Get a Brad Smart DVD. Only $995. USD. Or buy the books: Topgrading and
The Smart Interviewer (Amazon gives you both for $36.27 USD)
Source: Fortune Small Business, via Derby Management site
File Under: Self-Management
The Zen of Patience
Spurgeon On Patience
Patience is better than wisdom.
An ounce of patience is worth a pound of brains.
It is a medicine which is good for all diseases.
It is as natural for us to murmur as for a horse to shake his head when the flies tease him. But nature should not be the rule.
Grin and bear it is the old-fashioned advice,
but sing and bear it is a great deal better.
Pain past is pleasure; experience comes by it. We ought not to be afraid of going down into Egypt when we know we shall come out of it with jewels of silver and gold.
Sorrows are visitors that come without invitation, but complaining minds send a wagon to bring their troubles home in.
They chew the bitter pill which they would not even know to be bitter if they had the sense to swallow it whole.
What cannot be cured must be endured.
"Must" is a hard nut to crack, but it has a sweet kernel.
Poverty is no shame, but being discontented with it is.
In some things, the poor are better off than the rich.
It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy.
A poor man's table is soon spread.
And hunger finds no fault with the cook.
The Zen of Patience
Spurgeon On Patience
Patience is better than wisdom.
An ounce of patience is worth a pound of brains.
It is a medicine which is good for all diseases.
It is as natural for us to murmur as for a horse to shake his head when the flies tease him. But nature should not be the rule.
Grin and bear it is the old-fashioned advice,
but sing and bear it is a great deal better.
Pain past is pleasure; experience comes by it. We ought not to be afraid of going down into Egypt when we know we shall come out of it with jewels of silver and gold.
Sorrows are visitors that come without invitation, but complaining minds send a wagon to bring their troubles home in.
They chew the bitter pill which they would not even know to be bitter if they had the sense to swallow it whole.
What cannot be cured must be endured.
"Must" is a hard nut to crack, but it has a sweet kernel.
Poverty is no shame, but being discontented with it is.
In some things, the poor are better off than the rich.
It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy.
A poor man's table is soon spread.
And hunger finds no fault with the cook.
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