We're back for some more links and we're starting with the New York Times which is reporting that there are big obstacles for the anonymous tips of misdeeds: "A study published in The Journal of Management Studies has found that corporate audit committee members attributed lower credibility and allocated fewer resources for investigations when reports of malfeasance were received through anonymous tips, compared with nonanonymous reports. The study also found that the audit committee members were more concerned with protecting themselves than shareholders if they faced considerable damage to their reputations as a result of a tip, a clear violation of their fiduciary duties."
Now we head to onwallstreet which talks about the retirement "Catch-22": too young to retire and too old to get hired. Age discrimination is hard to prove but is pretty prevalent in this economy.
Lastly, for everyone looking for a job right now, they probably agree with this FINS article which says that job hunting is often one step forward...and two steps back.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
Astronology - Bedbugs in the City
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Thursday, January 27, 2011
Guest Post: Don't Let Gloomy Weather Keep You Down at Work
Once in a while we get a guest post submitted to this blog, but I don't think any of them have been as timely for us New Yorkers as this post on gloomy weather. So when you wake up this morning and see all the snow out there, you'll want to read through this post. This guest post is contributed by Alisa Gilbert, who writes on the topics of bachelors degree. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: alisagilbert599@gmail.com. Thanks to Alisa for this great post!
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Sometimes the dead of winter can make for some terribly gloomy weather when we leave for work. Nothing makes a commute more frustrating than having to drive through heavy rain and cold weather knowing that all you'll do is sit at work in a grumpy mood. Even worse is when you get caught in the rain walking to the office and you don't have a change of clothes! In any case, bad weather can often ruin the mood at the workplace, affecting both productivity and people's spirits. For those bad weather days, you have to try to come up with some ways to stay cheery. Hopefully these five tips can help you.
Shake it Out
If you find yourself sitting at work stewing in a foul mood, then maybe you should consider getting up and moving around. You may not be able to take a walk outside, so instead do walk through the office, maybe stop for coffee or a soda, and recharge you energy. Moving around gets blood flowing throughout your body, and as a result, it can be enough to shift you into a better mood.
Surround Yourself with Positivity
On your walk around the office, consider trying to have some chats with your co-workers and friends, especially those who are characteristically cheery people. The social interaction will help distract you from your inner frustration; hopefully, some of their cheer can rub off on you. The energy of the social interaction will help prime your pump to be productive and get your next project done.
Add Color to Your Cubicle
If you know the weather is going to be terrible, then you should consider trying to brighten up your workspace. A freshly cut flower, a bowl of candy, even a photo of yourself on a beach far away can help lighten the mood in your office. Just a little splash of color can be enough to rest your eyes.
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Sometimes the dead of winter can make for some terribly gloomy weather when we leave for work. Nothing makes a commute more frustrating than having to drive through heavy rain and cold weather knowing that all you'll do is sit at work in a grumpy mood. Even worse is when you get caught in the rain walking to the office and you don't have a change of clothes! In any case, bad weather can often ruin the mood at the workplace, affecting both productivity and people's spirits. For those bad weather days, you have to try to come up with some ways to stay cheery. Hopefully these five tips can help you.
Shake it Out
If you find yourself sitting at work stewing in a foul mood, then maybe you should consider getting up and moving around. You may not be able to take a walk outside, so instead do walk through the office, maybe stop for coffee or a soda, and recharge you energy. Moving around gets blood flowing throughout your body, and as a result, it can be enough to shift you into a better mood.
Surround Yourself with Positivity
On your walk around the office, consider trying to have some chats with your co-workers and friends, especially those who are characteristically cheery people. The social interaction will help distract you from your inner frustration; hopefully, some of their cheer can rub off on you. The energy of the social interaction will help prime your pump to be productive and get your next project done.
Add Color to Your Cubicle
If you know the weather is going to be terrible, then you should consider trying to brighten up your workspace. A freshly cut flower, a bowl of candy, even a photo of yourself on a beach far away can help lighten the mood in your office. Just a little splash of color can be enough to rest your eyes.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Cleaning Out the Links Part 4
The first link was sent to me by a co-worker who used to work for Bridgewater Associates from Dealbreaker. "Be the hyena. Attack the Wildebeast" would certainly be a different motto than most companies as will most of the things you'll read in that article.
Next is The Economist which has a very interesting article about "The Difference Engine" and the wisdom of crowds. How can you apply this to your workplace and the co-workers who make up the crowd?
Then to Monster and Yahoo! for 10 job sectors which are in decline...and what to do if your industry is on the way out.
Lastly we go to Investopedia and Yahoo! for 7 jobs companies are desperate to fill...and how you can qualify for those jobs.
Next is The Economist which has a very interesting article about "The Difference Engine" and the wisdom of crowds. How can you apply this to your workplace and the co-workers who make up the crowd?
Then to Monster and Yahoo! for 10 job sectors which are in decline...and what to do if your industry is on the way out.
Lastly we go to Investopedia and Yahoo! for 7 jobs companies are desperate to fill...and how you can qualify for those jobs.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Cleaning Out the Links Part 3
We start out on this Monday morning with 18 common e-mail mistakes from US News and World Report via Yahoo! Finance (H/T Sarah). I can tell you from the experience of receiving e-mails (in both my professional and personal life) that people hit reply all way too often when they just mean to hit plain ole reply.
Next, from FINS we have Goldman Sachs updating their interview tips via a nifty little video (H/T Wendy). The most important advice, in my opinion, is the last point: "At the End. Ask two or three questions about the company or about the interviewer's view of broad industry trends. Don't ask about salary and benefits. You'll have plenty of time for that once you get an offer. And, of course, e-mail a thank you note. It's a classy touch."
ABC News is next with some things not to do during an interview such as, well, bringing mom. Some of these are priceless.
Next, from USA Photos Pictures Blog is a list of the top ten worst jobs in the United States...with pictures of each.
Lastly, from SIFMA, a list of what the positions really mean in simpledetails.
Next, from FINS we have Goldman Sachs updating their interview tips via a nifty little video (H/T Wendy). The most important advice, in my opinion, is the last point: "At the End. Ask two or three questions about the company or about the interviewer's view of broad industry trends. Don't ask about salary and benefits. You'll have plenty of time for that once you get an offer. And, of course, e-mail a thank you note. It's a classy touch."
ABC News is next with some things not to do during an interview such as, well, bringing mom. Some of these are priceless.
Next, from USA Photos Pictures Blog is a list of the top ten worst jobs in the United States...with pictures of each.
Lastly, from SIFMA, a list of what the positions really mean in simpledetails.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Cleaning Out the Links Part 2
Back to our winter cleaning for our HR links here at Astron's World of HR:
From Tuesday's Wall Street Journal, a very interesting article about recruiters changing their online job hunt tactics now that they are beginning to hire again: "Many plan to scale back their use of online job boards, which they say generate mostly unqualified leads, and hunt for candidates with a particular expertise on places like LinkedIn Corp.'s professional networking site before they post an opening. As the market gets more competitive again, they are hiring recruiters with expertise in headhunting and networking, rather than those with experience processing paperwork." This is some good advice that I'll discuss in a future post.
One of the biggest hiring organizations during the past year has been our Federal Government and FINS explained back in July why the Financial Reform Bill would add thousands more jobs (H/T Wendy).
From Woman's Day via Yahoo!, it's 10 things that they don't think the HR department will tell you...so make sure that some of it is very clear and plain to your employees so they do know what they need to know.
Next we have Forbes with the most outlandish resume mistakes ever. Yes, I think listing "God" as a reference was probably a bad idea for that candidate...
Lastly, we have our own Managing Director, Jennifer Loftus, quoted in an article from You at Work saying that offering perks "is a good way to pique employee interest." Good advice from the boss ;)
From Tuesday's Wall Street Journal, a very interesting article about recruiters changing their online job hunt tactics now that they are beginning to hire again: "Many plan to scale back their use of online job boards, which they say generate mostly unqualified leads, and hunt for candidates with a particular expertise on places like LinkedIn Corp.'s professional networking site before they post an opening. As the market gets more competitive again, they are hiring recruiters with expertise in headhunting and networking, rather than those with experience processing paperwork." This is some good advice that I'll discuss in a future post.
One of the biggest hiring organizations during the past year has been our Federal Government and FINS explained back in July why the Financial Reform Bill would add thousands more jobs (H/T Wendy).
From Woman's Day via Yahoo!, it's 10 things that they don't think the HR department will tell you...so make sure that some of it is very clear and plain to your employees so they do know what they need to know.
Next we have Forbes with the most outlandish resume mistakes ever. Yes, I think listing "God" as a reference was probably a bad idea for that candidate...
Lastly, we have our own Managing Director, Jennifer Loftus, quoted in an article from You at Work saying that offering perks "is a good way to pique employee interest." Good advice from the boss ;)
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
A Few Post-MLK Day Articles
Hope that everyone who was off yesterday had a nice day off and everyone who had to work didn't have too bad of a Monday. As we all exercise our ability to be part of this workforce, we can thank people like Martin Luther King Jr. and others who made this opportunity possible for us. Even those who are out of work can certainly take a day to reflect and that's the important part of holidays like yesterday.
HR.BLR takes it one step further and says that MLK Day should be an opportunity for workplaces to celebrate diversity and instead of talking about how we're all the same, talk about the unique ways in which we are different. Everyone brings something to the workplace and having diverse backgrounds is one way to help build a successful organization.
The New York Times has a story about some Starbucks workers in New York City who took the holiday to celebrate...and then to protest. If you're trying to argue for some sort of equality, MLK Day seems like a good occasion to do so, even for baristas.
Lastly, from the Boston Globe JobDoc, some advice on handling a canceled interview. Although this information is for the candidate, a lot of advice can be extracted for the interviewer in how they handle their interview cancellations.
HR.BLR takes it one step further and says that MLK Day should be an opportunity for workplaces to celebrate diversity and instead of talking about how we're all the same, talk about the unique ways in which we are different. Everyone brings something to the workplace and having diverse backgrounds is one way to help build a successful organization.
The New York Times has a story about some Starbucks workers in New York City who took the holiday to celebrate...and then to protest. If you're trying to argue for some sort of equality, MLK Day seems like a good occasion to do so, even for baristas.
Lastly, from the Boston Globe JobDoc, some advice on handling a canceled interview. Although this information is for the candidate, a lot of advice can be extracted for the interviewer in how they handle their interview cancellations.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Cleaning Out the Links Part 1
Winter Cleaning! I have tons of great links to share with everyone that I will post here at the Astron Solutions blog over the next few days:
The first is from way back in May from ResumeBear and, with the national spotlight on the healthcare, they have a list of the healthiest companies in America.
From back in December about how young entrepreneurs are making their own jobs in this bad job market instead of waiting around to find one from the New York Times.
Then on to ABC News which has tips for interviewing and 5 tips that no one mentions. These are helpful hints not only for the job applier but for Human Resources as well.
Next, from this past week, some advice from TLNT on how you can avoid a people management fiasco at your company like the Juan Williams/NPR case.
Lastly, from FINS we have an article which states there's actually a science behind your employees blowing their bonuses.
The first is from way back in May from ResumeBear and, with the national spotlight on the healthcare, they have a list of the healthiest companies in America.
From back in December about how young entrepreneurs are making their own jobs in this bad job market instead of waiting around to find one from the New York Times.
Then on to ABC News which has tips for interviewing and 5 tips that no one mentions. These are helpful hints not only for the job applier but for Human Resources as well.
Next, from this past week, some advice from TLNT on how you can avoid a people management fiasco at your company like the Juan Williams/NPR case.
Lastly, from FINS we have an article which states there's actually a science behind your employees blowing their bonuses.
Friday, January 07, 2011
Unemployment Rate, Small Businesses and New Mobile Site
We'll actually lead-off with the last one in the subject line. Today more and more people are accessing the web via a smartphone and here at Astron Solutions, we understand the need to do so. So we've developed a new mobile site for you to use that should work very easily on your Blackberry, iPhone, Droid or other smartphone. Go to http://astronsolutionsworldofhr.blogspot.com/?m=1 and you should have a nice, clean mobile site to use. Eventually, you should be able to just go to our regular blog address and access the mobile site but for right now, that address is the best one to use.
If you work for or own a small business, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that things will start to look brighter in 2011...but old problems will still remain: "Companies, helped by a loosening in the credit markets as well as improvements in consumer spending, are showing some interest in raising prices and hiring new employees. But most improvements are expected to be marginal, likely benefiting only the healthiest small businesses while the rest continue to struggle, relying on survival tactics adopted during the recession, such as deep discounts to lure customers and operating with fewer hands."
Also before you start cheering the "great" unemployment data from today (the largest drop in unemployment since 1998), read this Forbes article and realize that unemployment rate is always a flawed figure: "The big drop in the unemployment rate did not come from all of the new jobs created (which were largely in hospitality and health care, with 25,000 new bartenders and waitresses minted in December and 36,000 health professionals finding work) but simply from the erasure of unemployed people from the rolls."
Stay dry on this snowy Friday and have a great weekend!
If you work for or own a small business, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that things will start to look brighter in 2011...but old problems will still remain: "Companies, helped by a loosening in the credit markets as well as improvements in consumer spending, are showing some interest in raising prices and hiring new employees. But most improvements are expected to be marginal, likely benefiting only the healthiest small businesses while the rest continue to struggle, relying on survival tactics adopted during the recession, such as deep discounts to lure customers and operating with fewer hands."
Also before you start cheering the "great" unemployment data from today (the largest drop in unemployment since 1998), read this Forbes article and realize that unemployment rate is always a flawed figure: "The big drop in the unemployment rate did not come from all of the new jobs created (which were largely in hospitality and health care, with 25,000 new bartenders and waitresses minted in December and 36,000 health professionals finding work) but simply from the erasure of unemployed people from the rolls."
Stay dry on this snowy Friday and have a great weekend!
Monday, January 03, 2011
A New Year...But Old Issues Remain
As I looked through the New York Times yesterday I realized that while we had just turned the calendar on a New Year, we're still dealing with the same issues in jobs, healthcare, and the economy.
Andrew Cuomo was sworn in as the new governor of New York and is already set to deal with budgetary and job issues left for him by his predecessors. Yesterday Cuomo said he will seek a one-year salary freeze for state workers and today he followed that up by saying that he would take a 5% cut on his own salary and will cut many of his senior aides salaries the same amount.
Downstate in Manhattan comes news that there are new rules for restaurant tips that have come into effect: “'Never before were there any regulations regarding tips in New York State,' except for a mysterious paragraph in a 1968 law that barred employers from appropriating tips, said Jean Lindholm, a supervising labor standards investigator at the State Department of Labor. An inconsistent mixture of Labor Department opinions and lawsuit judgments has governed industry practice through the years, she said, adding, 'It was time, long overdue, to clarify the rules.'”
Lastly, for those people who can find new jobs, most of them have had to switch careers and with a career switch has come a lower pay according to a new report from Rutgers' Heldrich Center for Workforce Development. The article starts out with "even the lucky ones are not so lucky" which is the sad truth in the matter. Some of the same issues remain for 2011...
Andrew Cuomo was sworn in as the new governor of New York and is already set to deal with budgetary and job issues left for him by his predecessors. Yesterday Cuomo said he will seek a one-year salary freeze for state workers and today he followed that up by saying that he would take a 5% cut on his own salary and will cut many of his senior aides salaries the same amount.
Downstate in Manhattan comes news that there are new rules for restaurant tips that have come into effect: “'Never before were there any regulations regarding tips in New York State,' except for a mysterious paragraph in a 1968 law that barred employers from appropriating tips, said Jean Lindholm, a supervising labor standards investigator at the State Department of Labor. An inconsistent mixture of Labor Department opinions and lawsuit judgments has governed industry practice through the years, she said, adding, 'It was time, long overdue, to clarify the rules.'”
Lastly, for those people who can find new jobs, most of them have had to switch careers and with a career switch has come a lower pay according to a new report from Rutgers' Heldrich Center for Workforce Development. The article starts out with "even the lucky ones are not so lucky" which is the sad truth in the matter. Some of the same issues remain for 2011...
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Astronology - Holidaze: Beating the Holiday Blues & Stress
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Saturday, December 25, 2010
Happy Holidays!
I wanted to wish all the readers of Astron a very happy holidays. We had a great year here at the blog and we thank you for reading and following along. Plenty more to come this next week and so much more in the New Year. Hope 2010 has been a good one for you and your family from everyone here at Astron Solutions!
-Andrew
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Do Something Nice for the Holidays
In this tough economic environment many companies are cutting budgets and tightening their belts. But one time they should be relaxing this is during the holidays. Although this is hard because of budget and time constraints before the end of the year, a little effort can go a long way to employee happiness in the New Year.
It doesn't have to be a large bonus or a lavish holiday party either. Do a dinner at a local restaurant or a happy hour at a local bar. Instead of counting days off until the end of the year, tell everyone they can either take a day between Christmas and New Years...or carry a roving holiday into next year. If you have employees out of town, help them to get to their families by buying their bus ticket or letting them leave earlier to make it on time.
And the good things you do don't have to be monetary in nature. Have everyone volunteer in a soup kitchen or do a bakeoff in the office with the donations going to charity. Surprise employees by shutting the office for an extra hour during lunchtime and putting on a movie in the conference room.
Trust me, little gestures will go a long way to employee satisfaction in 2011.
-Andrew
It doesn't have to be a large bonus or a lavish holiday party either. Do a dinner at a local restaurant or a happy hour at a local bar. Instead of counting days off until the end of the year, tell everyone they can either take a day between Christmas and New Years...or carry a roving holiday into next year. If you have employees out of town, help them to get to their families by buying their bus ticket or letting them leave earlier to make it on time.
And the good things you do don't have to be monetary in nature. Have everyone volunteer in a soup kitchen or do a bakeoff in the office with the donations going to charity. Surprise employees by shutting the office for an extra hour during lunchtime and putting on a movie in the conference room.
Trust me, little gestures will go a long way to employee satisfaction in 2011.
-Andrew
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Job Growth and Job Loss
Yesterday President Barack Obama pushed 20 CEOs to "start investing in job creating enterprises." According to the Wall Street Journal, though, "nearly half of the executives [in a quarterly survey by the Business Roundtable]—45%—expected to hire within the next six months, compared with 31% who said that last quarter." As the article says, US businesses are sitting on $2 trillion in cash. Although slack demand is adding to their reluctance, hopefully a new year means new jobs appearing in the market.
In good news this morning, Bloomberg is reporting that jobless claims in the US unexpectedly fell to 420,000 last week. The bad news, though: "the total number of people receiving unemployment insurance and those getting extended payments rose." So what does that mean for hiring in the new year? "Fewer firings signal employers may be gearing up to add to their payrolls and help reduce a jobless rate hovering near a 26-year high. While the economy is gaining momentum heading into 2011, Federal Reserve policy makers said this week it isn’t strong enough to reduce unemployment."
And if you decide to look for one of those jobs in the new year, Simply Hired Blog has the best 50 careers of 2011 (H/T Wendy).
In good news this morning, Bloomberg is reporting that jobless claims in the US unexpectedly fell to 420,000 last week. The bad news, though: "the total number of people receiving unemployment insurance and those getting extended payments rose." So what does that mean for hiring in the new year? "Fewer firings signal employers may be gearing up to add to their payrolls and help reduce a jobless rate hovering near a 26-year high. While the economy is gaining momentum heading into 2011, Federal Reserve policy makers said this week it isn’t strong enough to reduce unemployment."
And if you decide to look for one of those jobs in the new year, Simply Hired Blog has the best 50 careers of 2011 (H/T Wendy).
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Astronology - Bridging Generational Gaps Starts with RESPECT
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Friday, December 10, 2010
Encourage Employees to Talk About Themslves
I was speaking with a former co-worker this past week and she happened to tell me about some good personal news that she recently found out about. When I loudly gave my congratulations she shushed me and told me not to spread the news because she didn't want her company to find out. This wasn't something that would effect the company or a new job opportunity or anything of the sort and while I was confused I understood her predicament.
There is a very fine line between too much information at work and being personable and sharing. Most of us work collaboratively while at our jobs but very few of us know that much about the people we work with. Some of that is intentional with employees failing to share the good or the bad when it could really help foster better communication with others. An employer should know when something bad is going on in an employee's life so they can maybe give them some extra time to deal with a sick parent or allow them to get out a little early on a Tuesday so they can go to physical therapy for that ailing back. And an employer should know when good things are happening with their employees so they can share in their joy of a birth of a new child or an engagement.
The problem is that the workplace isn't always an atmosphere conducive to sharing. Health issues aren't supposed to be talked about with certain people and employees may worry that revealing bad health may open them up to discrimination. A new child or a spouse could mean higher healthcare costs and make employees think that employers will hold that against them. Employees usually don't have incentive to share and that is what employers need to work to change. Reward and announce good news--even if it is personal. Allow employees to stretch vacation times if a loved one is dying or give them a holiday present of a new chair if they have a chronic bad back. When employees feel like they all know each other better, collaboration occurs even more.
There is a very fine line between too much information at work and being personable and sharing. Most of us work collaboratively while at our jobs but very few of us know that much about the people we work with. Some of that is intentional with employees failing to share the good or the bad when it could really help foster better communication with others. An employer should know when something bad is going on in an employee's life so they can maybe give them some extra time to deal with a sick parent or allow them to get out a little early on a Tuesday so they can go to physical therapy for that ailing back. And an employer should know when good things are happening with their employees so they can share in their joy of a birth of a new child or an engagement.
The problem is that the workplace isn't always an atmosphere conducive to sharing. Health issues aren't supposed to be talked about with certain people and employees may worry that revealing bad health may open them up to discrimination. A new child or a spouse could mean higher healthcare costs and make employees think that employers will hold that against them. Employees usually don't have incentive to share and that is what employers need to work to change. Reward and announce good news--even if it is personal. Allow employees to stretch vacation times if a loved one is dying or give them a holiday present of a new chair if they have a chronic bad back. When employees feel like they all know each other better, collaboration occurs even more.
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Jobs are a'Opening
The Wall Street Journal reported today that job openings increased in October to the highest level since before the 2008 financial crisis. "But," cautions the article, "the increase in job openings in October didn't translate into increased hiring. Companies hired 4.20 million people during the month, down slightly from September's 4.21 million. That could be a sign that companies are struggling to find workers with the necessary skills to fill the positions they have open."
Also from The Journal, a question whether the tax freeze for the wealthy will create jobs (answer: probably not). This will certainly be an issue debated for the next two years until they have to talk about this issue once again.
Lastly, USA Today talks about Baby Boomers who are going back to work after they turn 65, mostly because of the increased age at which you can file for Social Security. But about 25% of these workers are unable to physically work at that age anyway, says the article, which, ironically, means that they will have to file for disability which would increase the imbalances of Social Security. With 25% of Boomers equaling about the population of New York State, this is not a small issue.
Also from The Journal, a question whether the tax freeze for the wealthy will create jobs (answer: probably not). This will certainly be an issue debated for the next two years until they have to talk about this issue once again.
Lastly, USA Today talks about Baby Boomers who are going back to work after they turn 65, mostly because of the increased age at which you can file for Social Security. But about 25% of these workers are unable to physically work at that age anyway, says the article, which, ironically, means that they will have to file for disability which would increase the imbalances of Social Security. With 25% of Boomers equaling about the population of New York State, this is not a small issue.
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
Disappearing Jobs, Fiancial Advice and King James
Want to know if your job is being eliminated? Well, the first place to look is to see if the industry you work in is disappearing. To help with that, Yahoo! Finance and CBS Money Watch have put together a list of high-paying jobs that are disappearing (H/T Wendy). Let's just say that if you were planning to work in sports journalism, you may want to rethink that decision.
Want to know why you can't treat your employees better than their manager? Well, look at the situation going on in Miami with the Heat, their star player, LeBron James, and their head coach, Erik Spoelstra as told by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. This one passage should make most managers and Human Resources professionals cringe: "The fundamental problem for Spoelstra isn’t that James doesn’t respect coaches – he doesn’t respect people. Give LeBron this, though: He’s learned to live one way with the television light on, and another with it off. He treats everyone like a servant, because that’s what the system taught him as a teenage prodigy. To James, the coach isn’t there to mold him into the team dynamic. He’s there to serve him." Eek.
Most people don't want to invest their own pensions, 401(K)s or IRAs, but if you do, there may be a book by two former Wall Street honchos you may want to pick up. As told by the New York Times: "when Mr. Murray, a former bond salesman for Goldman Sachs who rose to the managing director level at both Lehman Brothers and Credit Suisse First Boston, decided to cease all treatment five months ago for his glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer, his first impulse was not to mourn what he couldn’t do anymore or to buy an island or to move to Paris. Instead, he hunkered down in his tiny home office here and channeled whatever remaining energy he could muster into a slim paperback. It’s called “The Investment Answer,” and he wrote it with his friend and financial adviser Daniel Goldie to explain investing in a handful of simple steps."
Happy Hanukkah to fall my fellow Jews out there. May your nights be full of light and your bellies be full of oily foods. Even without the presents, it's probably my favorite holiday.
Want to know why you can't treat your employees better than their manager? Well, look at the situation going on in Miami with the Heat, their star player, LeBron James, and their head coach, Erik Spoelstra as told by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. This one passage should make most managers and Human Resources professionals cringe: "The fundamental problem for Spoelstra isn’t that James doesn’t respect coaches – he doesn’t respect people. Give LeBron this, though: He’s learned to live one way with the television light on, and another with it off. He treats everyone like a servant, because that’s what the system taught him as a teenage prodigy. To James, the coach isn’t there to mold him into the team dynamic. He’s there to serve him." Eek.
Most people don't want to invest their own pensions, 401(K)s or IRAs, but if you do, there may be a book by two former Wall Street honchos you may want to pick up. As told by the New York Times: "when Mr. Murray, a former bond salesman for Goldman Sachs who rose to the managing director level at both Lehman Brothers and Credit Suisse First Boston, decided to cease all treatment five months ago for his glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer, his first impulse was not to mourn what he couldn’t do anymore or to buy an island or to move to Paris. Instead, he hunkered down in his tiny home office here and channeled whatever remaining energy he could muster into a slim paperback. It’s called “The Investment Answer,” and he wrote it with his friend and financial adviser Daniel Goldie to explain investing in a handful of simple steps."
Happy Hanukkah to fall my fellow Jews out there. May your nights be full of light and your bellies be full of oily foods. Even without the presents, it's probably my favorite holiday.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Astronology - A Recap of The Road Show: What's New from the 2010 Human Resources Conferences
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Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving!
Here at the Astron blog, we have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving but most of all we want to thank all of you for coming to the blog and making us part of your daily Human Resources reading.
While you're busy shopping for presents between now and New Years, let us give you many presents as we provide great content here on the blog. Hope all of you have a great weekend of turkey (or tofurkey or turduken or turturkeykey) and football and family. Happy Thanksgiving!
-Andrew
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