Looking more closely at 6MM jobs lost (thankfully) November 26, 2009
Posted by hardly economics
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Between September 2008 and September 2009 the U.S. lost about 6 million jobs.
And this is what Tom Peters has to say about it.
A great reminder of one reason I give thanks to live here! Thanks, Tom!
Looking more closely at 6MM jobs lost (thankfully) November 26, 2009
Posted by hardly economics
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Between September 2008 and September 2009 the U.S. lost about 6 million jobs.
And this is what Tom Peters has to say about it.
A great reminder of one reason I give thanks to live here! Thanks, Tom!
Another view on risk(s) November 23, 2009
Posted by hardly Other
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Risk v. Reward.
This comes up frequently on the business end of the Internet world, often with respect to a release, or a specific feature in a release. These conversations can be easy when it's obvious to all involved that a given action would most definitely benefit or, alternatively, harm the company, and they can be hard when it appears to be something close to a 50/50 chance of benefit or harm.
But after reading this article, most of those conversations seem so pedestrian. This guy is catching tuna while on a kayak, and living to tell the tale?
Makes you think about adding a new hobby to your list, and I don't mean golf!
A story about finding a new job November 17, 2009
Posted by hardly Strategic Concerns
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A buddy of mine just accepted a new job.
Hurray for him!
He's a Dev Manager, and has been through this before, so he told his Supervisor that he had an offer on the table. His Supervisor had also been through similar before, and said, "So, are you done here, or can we do something to keep you?" My buddy said that he was not done, and laid out conditions that would make it worth his while to stay.
His Supervisor then said, "O.K., let me see what I can put together for you, and I need to check in with HR." So, my buddy put on his waiting hat and returned to his work.
A couple days later, the Supervisor came back with an answer. Yeah, the counter had arrived!
This was at least 24 hours too late. This small process had reminded my buddy more and more of all the things that he disliked about the place. The bureaucracy, the red tape, HR making a mess of things, the inability to just get stuff done.
Could be almost any company, except it's not. It was Microsoft.
People matter. When business process gets in the way of people's lives, and their ability to make informed decisions that improve their lot in life, then that business is probably getting less nimble, less innovative and more likely to fail in the future.
Why couldn't the Supervisor in question just have done the right thing in a timely manner?
A story about finding a new job November 17, 2009
Posted by hardly Strategic Concerns
Digg! this story.
, add a comment
A buddy of mine just accepted a new job.
Hurray for him!
He's a Dev Manager, and has been through this before, so he told his Supervisor that he had an offer on the table. His Supervisor had also been through similar before, and said, "So, are you done here, or can we do something to keep you?" My buddy said that he was not done, and laid out conditions that would make it worth his while to stay.
His Supervisor then said, "O.K., let me see what I can put together for you, and I need to check in with HR." So, my buddy put on his waiting hat and returned to his work.
A couple days later, the Supervisor came back with an answer. Yeah, the counter had arrived!
This was at least 24 hours too late. This small process had reminded my buddy more and more of all the things that he disliked about the place. The bureaucracy, the red tape, HR making a mess of things, the inability to just get stuff done.
Could be almost any company, except it's not. It was Microsoft.
People matter. When business process gets in the way of people's lives, and their ability to make informed decisions that improve their lot in life, then that business is probably getting less nimble, less innovative and more likely to fail in the future.
Why couldn't the Supervisor in question just have done the right thing in a timely manner?
Taking a grain of salt with layoff news November 15, 2009
Posted by hardly Strategic Concerns
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Techcrunch has an thought-provoking post about three firms which have just recently gone through lay-offs. They are:
- Microsoft
- RealNetworks
- Classmates
More doom and gloom regarding the economy? Nah. Just companies which have internal problems or challenges with their current products (or both).
Historically, job growth during an economic turn-around comes from new or small companies which are highly innovative and bringing new products to a market that may not yet exist.
If you want good economic news about how our economy is rebuilding, look for newish companies bringing products to market which make you go 'hmm, that's something new', and avoid the news about older companies - unless it's about a new product for a new market by a team which is running unfettered.
Taking a grain of salt with layoff news November 15, 2009
Posted by hardly Strategic Concerns
Digg! this story.
, add a comment
Techcrunch has an thought-provoking post about three firms which have just recently gone through lay-offs. They are:
- Microsoft
- RealNetworks
- Classmates
More doom and gloom regarding the economy? Nah. Just companies which have internal problems or challenges with their current products (or both).
Historically, job growth during an economic turn-around comes from new or small companies which are highly innovative and bringing new products to a market that may not yet exist.
If you want good economic news about how our economy is rebuilding, look for newish companies bringing products to market which make you go 'hmm, that's something new', and avoid the news about older companies - unless it's about a new product for a new market by a team which is running unfettered.
What’s going to torture you in November? November 4, 2009
Posted by hardly Sports
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- Preparing for Thanksgiving Dinner?
- Having the in-laws stay over?
How hard is this, I mean one day, two day tops, right?
Here's my poison, should be F-U-N, FUN!
What’s going to torture you in November? November 4, 2009
Posted by hardly Sports
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- Preparing for Thanksgiving Dinner?
- Having the in-laws stay over?
How hard is this, I mean one day, two day tops, right?
Here's my poison, should be F-U-N, FUN!
Wonder if they’d believe it in Michigan? November 3, 2009
Posted by hardly Strategic Concerns
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Interesting graph, courtesy of Paul Krugman and the NYT.
My mind goes to the nooks crannies of the graph.
How are the workers who used to make cars in the U.S. doing? Is the economic stimulus plan in China working, and if so, how have the workers creating the infrastructure faring in all this? What products are just about to be brought out into the world that will make our lives better? What longer-term behavioral shifts will we see in how people handle money, and assess risk?
Finally, it's nice that it's going up and to the right, but my hunch is that it is about to flatten out. Or maybe worse, the part of that graph that comes from the U.S. will.
