The best time to look for a job is when you have a job.

Question: But what if you don't have a job?

How to look?

And what to do meanwhile?

Answer: Go back to school.

Your Business Blogger(R)
The Washington Post

Continuous learning is, well, continuous.

And it doesn't have to be expensive.

Here are three FAB's, the Features, Advantages and Benefits of going back to class.

If you have a job or not.

First Feature

Meet a professor

Advantage

Learn subject matter.
Learn presentation -- interview -- life skills.
Get referrals.

Benefit

Cheaper than a personal coach.
Get a character reference letter.
Get employed faster

Second Feature

Meet other inquisitive minds

Advantage

Expand your Friend contact database.
Challenge assumptions.
Increased network of contacts for job referrals.

Benefit

Faster learning.
Cheaper than a job placement agency.
Get employed faster

Third Feature

Regularly scheduled class times.

Advantage

Encourages the student to get out of bed, out of the house.
Provides structure to the job seekers' week.
Forces the student to walk past career counselors' office.

Benefit

Get more done in less time.
Spend less time in Starbucks.
Get employed faster.

The purpose of continuing education is the gaining of new knowledge, skills and abilities. But this is even more important when one is out of work. A perspective employer is going to ask you a number of questions.

The first question will be, "What are you doing now?"

The perfect answer is, "As I look for my next position, I am taking a business refresher course at my local community college."

Remember: the best time to find a job is when you are working -- going to class is your job.

You may be unemployed, but you are busy: You are using your time wisely while you look for work.

As it happens, the Northern Virginia Community College has the perfect solution to help you find your next job.

Sit in my class.

NOVA has openings in one of my Business 100 classes. We will meet once each Friday from 3:10 to 6:00 at the Alexandria Campus. Starts January 16th. Call now to register. Operators are standing by.

Or apply on-line.

This Friday afternoon class is the perfect capstone to the week and allows the student to job hunt early in the week, early in the day.

Come join my class. And get employed faster.

Thank you (foot)notes:

For more on your job search: tattoos, lying, resume enhancement and trick questions follow links below.

Read Job Search? PASS This Test

See how "Sarah" is getting it right. To get your next job, assignment or project PASS this test! See how the mythical composite Sarah learned new behaviors to find new opportunities.

As first appeared in The Daily Progress, Charlottesville, Virginia, January 20, 2002

To get a job, first get a plan and then get busy...

Your Business Blogger(R) is of a certain age from a certain generation with teenage children and is confused by various body art. I do not understand tattoos. (Except on my dad, who was in the Navy...) A future employer also may not understand body art. Not even Starbucks.

What is the first question hiring managers ask themselves? Get a Blog; Get Hired -- And the First Question

The Lie: A Guide to Fibbing in the Job Interview, it's not what you think.

Here's what your interviewer is really looking for, Job Interview: How To Tell If the Candidate Will Lie, Cheat, Steal?

There is actually controversy on hiring competence, Hiring Super Stars vs Tolerating Turkeys

Be sure to ask some questions in your job interview, Job Interview: 3 Questions for Your Prospective Boss.

Yes, High School still counts. Forever. What's the One Best Question to Ask a Job Candidate?

Why Were You Really Hired? The Two Qualities That Count.

Here's the Business 100 course outline:

Ch. 1 Exploring the World of Business and Economics

Ch. 2 Being Ethical & Socially Responsible

Ch. 3 Exploring Global Business

Ch. 4 Navigating the World of e-Business

Ch. 5 Choosing a Form of Business Ownership

Ch. 6 Small Business, Entrepreneurship, and Franchises

Ch. 7 Understanding the Management Process

Ch. 8 Creating a Flexible Organization

Ch. 10 Attracting and Retaining the Best Employees

Ch. 11 Motivating and Satisfying Employees and Teams

Ch. 13 Building Customer Relationships Through Effective Marketing

Ch. 14 Creating and Pricing Products that Satisfy Customers

Ch. 15 Wholesaling, Retailing, and Physical Distribution

Ch. 16 Developing Integrated Marketing Communications

Ch. 18 Using Accounting Information

Ch. 19 Understanding Money, Banking, and Credit

App. C Business Law

Posted at 10:09 AM | Permalink
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Planned Parenthood has covered up another rape. Or did they?

Indiana Planned Parenthood Covers Up Sexual Abuse of 13-year Old -

Planned Parenthood
Rape cover upLifeNews reports,

Lila Rose, a UCLA student journalist and president of right-to-life advocacy group Live Action, posing as a 13-year-old seeking abortion. In an appointment with a Planned Parenthood nurse, Rose says she has been impregnated by a 31-year-old man, a clear case of child molestation punishable as a felony under Indiana state law.


On tape, the nurse acknowledges her responsibility to report the abuse, but assures Rose she will not. The nurse says, "I am supposed to report to Child Protective Services," but tells Rose, "Okay, I didn't hear the age [of the 31-year-old]. I don't want to know the age."


She then instructs Rose how to obtain a secret abortion by crossing state lines to avoid Indiana's parental consent law.


The nurse also coaches Rose to cover for the 31-year-old man by saying he is only 14. She says, "You've seen him around, you know he's 14, he's in your grade and whatever. You know what I mean."

The diminutive and talented Lila Rose can act like and pass for a 13 year-old and appeared on Hannity and Colmes Friday December 5th.

The liberal Alan Colmes went after Lila for misleading Planned Parenthood and "filing a false report" and taking up "valuable staff time" for a problem that did not exist.

Did Lila Rose cross an ethical line in a sting operation on Planned Parenthood?

No.

Your Business Blogger(R) teaches business ethics at the local college. The bright line in ethics is Quo Bono? Who Benefits?

Is there unjust enrichment?

Lila did not enrich herself by exposing a malicious, felonious intent of a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic.

Even though posed Lila as a 13 year-old, is this action actionable? Is it a lie?

I would submit that Lila's act was a misdirection that all businesses should welcome and use.

Decades ago Your Business Blogger(R) worked as a sales rep for a manufacturer producing a private label product for a national retailer. It was a part of my job description to regularly "shop" my client to test their salesman's product knowledge, sales techniques, in store displays and product availability.

I reported my findings to the store manager and my boss.

I did indeed take up "valuable staff time" as Colmes would charge in a sting operation. Managers would recognize this exercise as the 'control' part of managing. To learn what the store is doing right.

Or, in the case of Planned Parenthood, what the business is doing wrong.

Planned Parenthood should thank Lila Rose for acting as a "mystery shopper" providing valuable feedback on the conduct of the Planned Parenthood abortion operations.

Join Fight FOCA

Thank you (foot)notes:

Planned Parenthood does not have the integrity to process the 360 millions of our tax dollars. Planned Parenthood should be defunded.

And Planned Parenthood president, Cecile Richards (with her million dollar salary), and the so called 'Freedom of Choice Act' FOCA should be stopped. Join FightFOCA.com

"I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just"-Thomas Jefferson. See Values Voter.

Charles Lewis, at National Post has Obama bill could fan flames of abortion debate.


Bio Medicine has Americans United for Life Urges State Legislatures to Oppose Federal Power Grab: Provides Model Resolution Denouncing Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA)
'Freedom of Choice' Act Promotes Extreme Abortion Agenda

CNS News, Faith-Based Hospitals Could Close If Obama Signs Freedom of Choice Act

Posted at 8:38 PM | Permalink
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An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest said Ben Franklin. And sometimes learning a skill will pay off in ways unintended and unanticipated.

My favorite interview question is to ask candidates,

An expert interviewer, like Your (humble) Business Blogger(R), can discern the contentment and the fire in the belly of the job candidate, by analyzing any gap between high school plans and the current stage in life -- I find that the larger this gap, the more unhappy the candidate.

Unhappy candidates make for unhappy employees.

Critics of this crazy question accurately say that technology, markets, the world have changed since we were in high school, back in the day.

And they are right: the material world changes. Less so people. And what people love to do, and how each individual candidate would like to make a difference -- remains constant thru life.

Here is my favorite example.

She was a competitive swimmer in her youth. And wanted to be a Life Guard. Her dream job that would make a difference. She trained, studied and was certified.

She found her calling; her vocation but she never found that job.

A disappointed teenager, she took a position as an Assistant Cashier in the athletic center at Camp of the Woods in Adirondack Park of upstate New York in June of 1982. She didn't get what she wanted, but at least she was near the water.

One afternoon while ringing up a sale, the young girl heard a commotion from the pool behind her across the hall.

A woman was just pulled from the pool. Limp, on her back turning blue. Not breathing.

Stunned on-looking bystanders frozen.

Inaction.

The teenage girl darted to the woman. Started mouth-to-mouth. The woman moved, struggled, gagged, puked and breathed.

And Lived.

Our teenager never got exactly the job she wanted; that job she trained for.

But her education did pay off. Especially for one swimmer visiting Adirondack Park.

Today that teenage girl, now a mature woman, lives out her high school dream making a difference in her dream vocation.

She wanted to make a difference in a unique way.

For Life.

And does so today.

Thank you (foot)notes:

The management at the resort was concerned that the near death by drowning would cause adverse publicity, I suppose. The life-saving event was never reported. Bad for business, you see. Our young heroine was never thanked.

And she doesn't want to be thanked now. And really doesn't want this blogged.

(But that's what husbands do.)

Posted at 10:54 PM | Permalink
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Managing Management Time(tm)
Video production credit: Peter Shinn Your Business Blogger(R) opened up my Northern Virginia Community College classroom to guests and a camera to present an overview of Bill Oncken's Managing Management Time(tm)

The video clip is divided into five segments and totals some 70 minutes. Please comment on the section that worked best for you. Or the least.

Press Release: The William Oncken Corporation Announces Licensed Marketing Agreement With Management Training of DC, LLC

See Monkey Management Ad Campaign.

Harvard Paper on Managing Management Time(tm): Monkey Management

Instructor notes at the jump.

Continue Reading »

Posted at 9:55 PM | Permalink
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Managers & Staff, Career Advancement:
How to Promote & Be Promoted. FREE

Managers, How do you train your team members to take more responsibility?
To Award a Promotion.

Staffers, How do you work to earn more responsibility?
To Earn a Promotion.

If your career management skills need to be sharpened, join us at the Northern Virginia Community College, Arlington, Virginia.

Who: Managers & Individual Contributors; Owners & Direct Reports

What: Learn the benchmarks to promotion.

When: Wednesday, November 19, 2008, 4:00 to 5:30pm

Where: NVCC, Room 304, 4600 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA, 22203 Behind Holiday Inn. See Map.

Why: Increase the student's value to the organization

Cost: No Charge. Registration is required. Parking is limited.

Since 1960, over one million people have been trained in our practice of management. The MMT class teaches the manager, to leverage management time, and the time of your team, to get more done.

We teach Solutions to Your Management Problems.

Harvard Business Review published Managing Management Time: Who's Got the Monkey? in 1974, by Bill Oncken, Jr.. The article, an edited excerpt of the MMT seminar, has gone on to become one of the two most requested reprints in the history of the Review. The training summarized in the article is sometimes called the "Monkey Management" seminar.

Jack Yoest, Adjunct Professor of Management and President of Management Training of DC, is a former Armored Cavalry Officer in Combat Arms. His military leadership training and experience guides his management philosophy at the core of Managing Management Time™. He has managed software, health care and international human resource management companies.

Jack also served in the Governor's Office of the Commonwealth Virginia as Assistant Secretary for Health and Human Resources where he acted as the Chief Technology Officer for the secretariat. He was responsible for the successful Year 2000 (Y2K) conversion for the 16,000-employee unit. He was also a manager with a medical device start-up and helped move sales from zero to over $12 million, resulting in a buy-out by Johnson & Johnson. Jack has consulted in China and India.
Questions? www.Yoest.com, Jack@Yoest.org, or call Jack at 202.215.2434 to save your spot.

Here's the script for the YouTube clip,

Manage Your Career: Learn How To Get Promoted, Managers & Staff, Career Advancement: How to Promote & Be Promoted. #9

This is Jack Yoest Your Business Blogger® with Solutions to Your Management Problems.

Managers: How do you train your team members in the right way to take more responsibility?

So that You can Award them with a Promotion?
Staffers: How do you work the right way to earn more responsibility?
So that You can Earn that Promotion...Or to keep from getting fired.
If your career advancement management skills need to be sharpened, join us in the seminar named
Manage your career: Learn how to get promoted & be promotable.
This course is designed for both Managers & Individual Contributors; Owners & Direct Reports
To Learn the benchmarks to promotion...or termination
The purpose is to increase the attendees' value to their organizations.
To successfully navigate the office politics of promotion and earn more money.
To learn more about getting promoted visit YOEST dot com
That's Y O E S T dot com

Posted at 8:03 PM | Permalink
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Your Business Blogger(R) is opening a Northern Virginia Community College classroom in Arlington, Virginia near the Ballston Metro for a one hour seminar:

Managers and Staff; Career Advancement: How to Promote and be Promotable.

There is no charge to sit in on the class. On Wednesday, Nov 19 at 4pm.

But you will need to email me to register -- class size is limited.

Posted at 10:06 PM | Permalink
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Solutions to Your Management Problems

Managers work to control events, instead of events controlling them. They anticipate the future . . . adapt to the present. . . and learn from the past.

* * * The Managing Management Time™ class trains managers

how to apply this philosophy to their own leadership challenges * * *

Are you running out of time...while your staff runs out of work? If your management skills need to be sharpened, join us at the Northern Virginia Community College, Arlington.

Who: Managers who need to get in control of events or to better influence results

What: An introduction to Managing Management Time™

1. Vocational vs Management Time

2. Molecule of Management

3. Followership and Leadership

4. Management and Sales

5. Development of Direct Reports

When: Wednesday, October 8, 2008, 4:00 to 5:30pm

Where: NVCC, Room 304, 4600 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA, 22203

Behind Holiday Inn. See Map.

Why: Improve managerial effectiveness

Cost: No Charge. Registration is required. Parking is limited.

Harvard Business Review published Managing Management Time: Who's Got the Monkey? in 1974, by Bill Oncken, Jr.. The article, an edited excerpt of the MMT seminar, has gone on to become one of the two most requested reprints in the history of the Review. The training summarized in the article is sometimes called the "Monkey Management" seminar.

Jack Yoest, Adjunct Professor of Management and President of Management Training of DC, is a former Armored Cavalry Officer in Combat Arms. His military leadership training and experience guides his management philosophy at the core of Managing Management Time™. He has managed software, health care and international human resource management companies.

Jack also served in the Governor's Office of the Commonwealth Virginia as Assistant Secretary for Health and Human Resources where he acted as the Chief Technology Officer for the secretariat. He was responsible for the successful Year 2000 (Y2K) conversion for the 16,000-employee unit. He was also a manager with a medical device start-up and helped move sales from zero to over $12 million, resulting in a buy-out by Johnson & Johnson. Jack has consulted in China and India.

Questions? www.Yoest.com, Jack@Yoest.org, or call Jack at 202.215.2434 to save your spot.

Class reading at the jump.

Continue Reading »

Posted at 7:37 AM | Permalink
Comments (2)

Your Business Blogger(R) was interviewed on a series of articles on Bad Managers, Maybe (Gulp) The Problem Is You and in Think Your Boss Is Bad? Some Managers Can't Manage. What to Do If You've Got a Boss Who Only Makes Things Worse. By Tara Swords, Special to The Washington Post, Sunday, September 28, 2008

Jack Yoest says many people haven't learned how to be good workers.

In my conversation with Tara, my concern was not so much with mis-managers as it was with subordinates,

"Jack Yoest, president of Management Training of DC, takes a harder line on the boss-employee relationship and says it's the employee's job to relieve the boss's anxieties, not the other way around.

"If you have a nervous, micromanaging boss who's always in your hair, he probably doesn't trust you," Yoest says. "The employee hasn't sold the boss on his ability to get anything done, and I'd say, most of the time, it's the employee's fault." "

We talk about leadership but not follower-ship. And we teach neither,

Yoest says most people haven't been taught the mechanics of being a good employee. Rather than insisting that managers empower employees, Yoest urges employees to convince the boss that they are dependable and can act as the boss would.

The goal should be to go from an employee who does nothing unless told, or who is always asking the boss what to do, to an employee who recommends a course of action and, after gaining the boss's trust, acts on the boss's behalf.

And the end result of being a good subordinate who can anticipate, adapt and learn is to give the employee more control over the timing and content of his workload,

"When you've reached that level, you're at a whole new level of job security" because you're behaving like a leader, Yoest says. And that puts you one step closer to being the leader .

Not everyone aspires to management. But everyone wants independence and respect at work.

Read the entire story here. And check out the comments.

Thank you (foot)notes,

Caution! Sales Pitch Follows: Check your calendar for Wednesday, October 8th at 4pm in Northern Virginia. I'm giving an open seminar on Solutions to Your Management Problems. No Charge, but registration is required. Email me for info.

Your Business Blogger(R) is an Adjunct Professor of Management at the Northern Virginia Community College.

YouTube syllabus Here,

Posted at 7:40 AM | Permalink
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Two Items for Your Consideration:
1) An Invitation
2) An Article
Your Business Blogger(R)

An Invitation for managers (with direct reports, the power to hire and fire, and a budget) Wednesday, October 8th from 4 to 5:30 pm in Northern Virginia near the Ballston Metro. A brief overview on Solutions to Your Management Problems. No Charge. Email me if you'd like more detail -- click here.

Your Business Blogger(R) was interviewed for an article on dealing with -- and managing -- Bad Bosses. It is scheduled to run this Sunday, 28 September in The Washington Post, Sunday Source section.

Let me know what you think and do make plans to attend the class.

And remember, If you are near Charlottesville, Virginia tomorrow, Saturday September 27th, Charmaine is speaking at the University of Virginia on women in leadership.

UPDATE: The article is up. Please take a look and link to the article in WaPo and I will owe you.

Posted at 12:20 PM | Permalink
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Your Business Blogger(R) just returned from meeting a number of conservative friends in Minneapolis-St. Paul in preparation for the GOP convention. It was exciting to talk with the good-guys from across the country especially during the Palin pick for VP.

I ran into my good friend Morton Blackwell who has run conservative politics in Virginia for decades and heads up the Leadership Institute in Arlington, Virginia.

Recently, I was honored to give a brief presentation on management to LI. The overview requested was on Managing Management Time(TM) created and developed by The William Oncken Corporation.

LI also asked about some time management techiques and I certainly obliged.

But.

But Alert Readers will know that Managing Management Time(tm) is a philosophy created to teach managers to be more effective; to control events. MMT is NOT a time management course.

The briefing is divided into four short segments.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Thankyou foot(notes):

Full Disclosure: Your Business Blogger(R) is a licensed agent for The William Oncken Corporation.

Charmaine and I spent last week in Minneapolis and we just put her back on a plane this afternoon to attend the GOP convention. See her quotes in The Wall Street Journal. She is the president and CEO of Americans United for Life and former senior advisor to the Huckabee for president campaign.

Posted at 9:15 AM | Permalink
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The new Leadership Development Carnival #1 is up and running at Great Leadership, hosted by Dan McCarthy. The Carnival is a clearing house of leadership and leadership development advice and commentary from over 30 leadership pundits, including Your Business Blogger(R).

Carnivals serve a vital function in the blogosphere that is missing in most conventional blogs: Editorial oversight.

Dan McCarthy does this ably and without direct compensation. Bloggers work for links and traffic. Go visit.

Dan will be working as the editor of the Leadership Development Carnival every month. If you'd like to submit an article, use the carnival submission form.

My humble submission was The Four Speeches Every Speaker Delivers.

Most people fear public speaking more than death itself. The public-speakers'-adrenaline rush forces the talker to review his podium performance.

And while there at Great Leadership be sure to visit Keeping Your Study Skills Razor Sharp that I may have to steal borrow for my students.

Posted at 10:43 PM | Permalink
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Your Business Blogger(R)
at the Stern School of Business
New York University From the Leadership Institute,

Do you want your interns to be more organized, resourceful and effective?

The best internships enable interns to complete projects that create value for the organization, and to learn useful skills under the supervision of a mentor.

But interns often come to Washington with unrealistic expectations, which frustrate interns and mentors alike.

Send your interns to the Intern Workshop at the
Leadership Institute’s Stephen P.J. Wood building in
Arlington, Virginia on June 12, 2008,
from 9:15 am to 7:00 pm.

LI’s Intern Workshop teaches interns to set and achieve realistic goals during their internships.

Workshop speakers present tips about:

How to become an unforgettable asset

How to prioritize and get more done

Effective networking

Surviving on zero dollars a day

Personal development

This day-long workshop is free of charge.
It includes a free lunch and free dinner.

The Leadership Institute provides this service to philosophically like-minded organizations and offices to help you and your interns get the most out of your investment in them.

[To learn more about this seminar, click here.]

To register visit www.leadershipinstitute.org

For questions or additional information please
email Mary Koehn

or call (800) 827-LEAD

Your Business Blogger(R) will be teaching a short segment on Completed Staff Work and Managing Management Time(tm).

When LI says Free Workshop at the Leadership Institute, they really mean FREE. And there is a FREE LUNCH.

Thank you (foot)notes:

Jack Yoest is an Adjunct Professor of Management and President of Management Training of DC, LLC. He blogs with his wife Charmaine at Reasoned Audacity.

Posted at 1:29 PM | Permalink
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The Dreamer scored in the 93rd percentile in Math for her grade in the Commonwealth of Virginia. I promised her a reward night out -- But a daddy-daughter-dinner-date at Subways won't be happening.

A good deal of her education was in homeschooling where Your Business Blogger(R) worked with her on that topic that counted: Counting. The hard sciences that "girls don't do well."

Not good in Math? Not my girls. My expectation was that they would do well in the quantitatives. (Parent and teacher expectations are the biggest variable in the success of students.) My wife is a genius with SPSS and regression analysis . The Dancer and The Diva are rabid readers and love 'rithmatic -- and are bloggers.

The Penta-Posse are outliers on the bell curve of school age young'ums.

So. I promised The Dreamer a night out. But not at Subway. The restaurant is off the good-guy list for two reasons:

1) The company doesn't care for homeschoolers, and

2) They can't spell.

Our friend Don Wildmon at the American Family Association sends this along,

Subway tells home schoolers: We will not allow you to participate in our contest. Subway discriminates against home schoolers.

Subway, the sandwich restaurant, wants to hear your child's story – unless he or she is home schooled.

The national chain's "Every Sandwich Tells a Story Contest" offers prizes and a chance to be published on the Subway Web site and in Scholastic's "Parent & Child" magazine but specifically excludes home schoolers. Subway's website states:

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Contest is open only to legal residents of the Untied (sic) States who are currently over the age of 18 and have children who attend elementary, private or parochial schools that serve grades PreK-6. No home schools will be accepted.

Subway will probably say they excluded home schools because of the main prize ($5,000 worth of athletic equipment to the winning child's school). But Subway could have given it to a local park, church or school of the winning home schooler's choice.

Subway's Web site promotion not only misspells "Untied (sic) States," but offers the grand prize winner a "Scholastic Gift Bastket (sic) for your home."

Subway's leadership clearly does not understand the value of homeschooling. In addition to learning how to spell, we are keeping our kids clear of the public schools' Family Life Education: Which is, as is commonly known, Sex Ed taught by liberals. When almost 20% of teens have herpes -- one would hope that this objective fact might persuade our feminist free-lovers that the condom classes might not be working.

Nope. The public payroll sex trainers are working even harder.

Here's some of what appears in Family Life Education for grades six through eight,

6.1 The student will learn that there are many health care and safety agencies in the community.
No need to talk with mom or dad, or aunt Sally or uncle Joe. The Planned Parenthood abortion clinic is just around the corner.

6.7 The student will be able to describe the etiology, effects and transmission of the HIV virus.
Clean needles for drug users? Contaminated blood supply? This is more important than spelling or math? The school will not reveal the detail of homosexual sex acts in the spread of the HIV virus. I did see a very nice man who teaches the course, however.

6.8 ...[E]valuate ...sexuality, and gender stereotyping...
The feminists are determined to get women in combat in the armed services.

7.7 The student will recognize that sexual behaviors are conscious decisions...
The public schools are a bit confused even about their own world view: homosexuality is a conscious decision; a preference -- not an orientation. FLE lurched into the truth.

So Subway supports only public schools, can't spell and doesn't like homeschoolers.

Dinner at Subway? No sirree -- We all are a-going to Chick-fil-a.


Chick-fil-A

Thank you (foot)notes:

Tom Peters once remarked that excellence should permeate an organization, especially for managing the perceptions of the customer. This is why managers make so much money. Airlines, in the consumers' mind, must understand that if the tray tables are dirty, the airline doesn't do engine maintenance.

The Army taught if boots were not shined, the soldier couldn't shoot straight.

If Subway can't spell, their food will make you [sic].

Send an e-mail to Subway President Frederick A. DeLuca. Tell him you will not eat with them anymore until and unless they allow home schoolers to participate. ©2008 Doctor's Associates Inc. SUBWAY® is a registered trademark of Doctor's Associates Inc.

This is an unpaid endorsement of Chick-fil-A.

See some commonsense at The sexual ‘revolution’ that keeps on turning

This is a cross post from Pro-Life Unity.

Posted at 10:36 PM | Permalink
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Launching area for the crew regatta
click on image for live feed web-cam Building Teams and Teamwork is the mantra of the modern manager.

How does a manager take a group of talented individual contributors and motivate them to, well, pull together as one unit in the same boat?

Last year The Chronicle of Higher Education lurched into the truth in an article All for One.

It was a story on rowing.

And in it Your Business Blogger(R) read a business lesson.

For both my business practice and The Dreamer's crewing at her high school.

Race Course
Click on image for live feed
web-cam The Oak Ridge Rowing Association and the Scholastic Rowing Association of America is sponsoring the 2008 National Scholastic Championships in Oak Ridge, TN. Several thousand visitors will go down to the river and pray for blue skies and flat water.

We are packing up the monster Huck-a-truck and the Penta-Posse (minus The Dreamer traveling with her team) and will gas-guzzle our way to the Volunteer State to watch our girls compete at the regatta.

With a monster carbon footprint.

Listening to the Oak Ridge Boys .

(Ain't America great or what?)

The Women's Freshmen Eight will row at 10:15am on Friday the 23rd. Please check the schedule.

The Women's coach was able to persuade decision makers to allow his team to use the Invictus. A new and faster boat used by upper class men at their high school.

Where tenths of a second determine winners, the perception of crewing a world-class shell can make the difference. If the women think they are faster, they will be.

Rowing is 90 percent mental, the other half is physical.

Apologies to Yogi Berra.

Scholastic Rowing Association
of America
Regatta 2008
Which brings us back to Notes From Academe, in The Chronicle of Higher Education. Writer Scott Smallwood visited the Cambridge University Boat Club in the UK to write about the yearly Oxford-Cambridge competition.

Alert Readers will recall that Charmaine and Your Business Blogger(R) read at Oxford and attended our first rowing event on the narrow creeks that pass for rivers at ox ford.

Duncan Holland, the Cambridge coach with some 20 years experience, helped Dutch rowers to an Olympic medal. He well understands that even though he's got winning seasons, only one race matters as a condition of (enjoyable) employment:

Beat Oxford.

Picking eight rowers seems like an easy task for a coach,

With rowing machines that can spit out reams of numbers about how fast and hard every rower can pull, what's so hard about choosing a team? Why not just pick the eight strongest guys and be done with it? It turns out...that team dynamics are trickier than that. The eight who are eventually chosen will be not necessarily the fastest individual rowers, but the best combination of rowers.

Smallwood continues,

Quintus Travis, a past president of the boat club and now treasurer, puts the mystery more bluntly: "There are always a couple [of rowers] who are stunted, but somehow they make the boats go faster."

The Brits can be brutal.

Mr. de Rond is a professor at Cambridge's Judge Business School and is studying the Cambridge athletes and the team and the coach,

...de Rond sees the answer [of the faster boats] in how team members bond. He draws a comparison from a 2005 paper in the Harvard Business Review by Tiziana E. Casciaro, of Harvard, and Miguel Sousa Lobo, of Duke University. The pair studied likability versus competence. Their work boils down to this: When choosing whom to work with, do you pick the lovable fool or the competent jerk? People, especially managers, often say they value competence above all. But in practice, they'll often trade some of that competence for likability. And that may not be so dumb.
Mr. de Rond doesn't think any of the Cambridge rowers are incompetent. No matter how lovable you are, you can't get in this boat unless you're a top-notch rower.

But here the Cambridge rowers become a self-directed team. Something business managers talk about but seldom see,

When the tentative roster was chosen," says [de Rond], Dan wasn't originally on the list." The other men successfully lobbied the coaches to put him in the varsity boat, even though by the numbers he was a borderline choice. Now, he says, [Dan's] social skills -- he's the class clown, really -- have improved the psychology of the entire team.

Like the coaches, this is where managers work their magic. To assemble a team that maximizes strengths and minimizes weaknesses, as Peter Drucker said.

So the women's coach got a better boat for his team. Coaches and managers get paid to figure out the immeasurables; the intangibles that go into building a winning team.

This Freshman Women's coach has got it figured out.

If he reported to me, I'd get him a raise...

Yorktown Crew Boosters Thank you (foot)notes:

On April 7, 2007, in the 153rd match-up: Cambridge beat Oxford.

This is a cross post from Management Training of DC, LLC.

All for One by Scott Smallwood was published on May 4, 2007 in The Chronicle of Higher Education.

See video from the Stotesbury Regatta.

From The New York Times, From a World-Class Rower, Tips to Sharpen Technique. Watch the video on how to film a rower's movement and a slide show on training.

Mix It Up

“There’s this saying that ‘Miles make champions,’ ” Michelle Guerette said. So she spends up to five hours a day on the water, doing a variety of workouts. Mix these pieces into your own sculling training:

BUILDING BLOCKS A base training session “addresses fitness, feeling and rhythm,” Charley Butt said. As with a runner, he said, what matters is “how a rower gets in the miles.” He advised rowing for 25 minutes at 75 percent of full pressure at a stroke rate of 16 to 20. Then, he said, paddle for 5 to 10 minutes and repeat. Maintaining a low stroke rate allows you to concentrate on technique.

Stan Hudy will not be at the races. A loss for us all.

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National
Review
Online Your Business Blogger(R) and Charmaine have an article up on NRO.

Bad Management: Hillary Clinton in practice.
May 5, 2008 4:00 AM

By Jack & Charmaine Yoest

Good management looks easy when good numbers come in. But when the numbers are down -- whether in sales or votes -- managing begins to look like real work.

As recently as this past November, the New York Times was trumpeting Hillary Clinton’s “No-Nonsense Style” as a manager. The story hailed her as a well-organized leader who had “honed” her skills, adjusted her style after the health care reform debacle, and had generated enduring loyalty from a cadre of skilled aides operating smoothly in HillaryLand.

Continue reading at the jump.

Thank you (foot)notes:

Kentucky and Oregon are voting today. Obama cannot win. Hillary cannot lose.

Full Disclosure: Charmaine served as senior advisor to the Huckabee presidential campaign.

See The Best Company Structure in Four Easy Steps and Management: 10 Tips.

Continue Reading »

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Dr. Mom has written extensively on women in management. I appreciate her writing: it keeps her and Charmaine out of Nordstroms...

Here is a speech she gave some 20 years ago -- it seems that mom was on the cutting edge.

Note her use of 'alliances' used by managers to get things done. Your Business Blogger(R) was using the term "networks." Bill Oncken uses "support" both as a verb and as an adjective describing 'system' in his "molecule of management."

Dr. Crouse has the better word, I believe.

The Managerial Woman
SETTLING IN, BRANCHING OUT, MOVING UP

By JANICE SHAW CROUSE, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs,
Taylor University

Delivered to the Career Women’s Council, Marion, Indiana, August 19, 1986

It is with a tremendous amount of gratitude and to be honest just a few pinches of regret that I stand here today and officially close the first year of the Marion-Grant County Career Women’s Council. I hope that you all share in the sense of satisfaction at what has been accomplished this year. There is a summary of the year’s activities at your place setting. Here you see the joint product of the hard work of this year’s officers and committee chairs as they worked to launch this organization and to plan challenging and interesting programs. I am proud of the growth and development that has occurred in our founding year and I know that you join me in expressing appreciation to each person who made this year such a success. Further, I look forward to the coming year since I know that the new officers whom we installed today are well-qualified and the plans which they have already begun laying out for next year are exciting. I look forward to seeing the continuing progress and growth which is sure to come under their leadership....

Continue Reading »

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Your Business Blogger(R): and
Your Circle of Friends When Your Business Blogger(R) served a tour of duty in government, I learned the harsh reality of what academics called "Multiple Points of Accountability."

I thought that my boss was my only constituent.

Nope. I learned that I had better pay attention to the press, to other department silos, to numerous associations (aka lobbyists), other political appointees, elected officials -- and finally: The Voters.

There is no difference between management in government and business. The basics are constant.

The first thing every manager learns is that he has multiple points of accountability. Points outside his silo.

The manager must nurture multiple points of accountability to turn these to multiple points of support.

He’s got to turn his silo into a circle -- of friends.

Watch the one minute clip and let me know what you think.

Thank you (foot)notes:

Script at the jump.

Continue Reading »

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Management Training for Church Leaders.

Management Training for Church Leaders:
The QuestionsYour Business Blogger(R) would often tease Preachers about their work-load.

After all, they only work one hour a week. On Sunday.

Pastors always laugh at that old joke. Diplomacy is part of their discipline.

But as managers, Pastors have double duty.

They have the work of an individual contributor.

They have the responsibilities of management.

Between the christening, marrying and burying, they really do have the hardest job on this side of eternity.

The Christian Church which shepherds believers and their faith worldwide, is nevertheless much like any organization in terms of order and structure. Basic management principles apply.

Pastors often must focus on numbers: numbers: attendance, budget, seating, parking, programs.

But the Pastor as manager doesn’t manage numbers, he manages behaviors.

If not of the congregation, then hopefully of his staff.

The following questions concern management strategies. The numbers will follow once skills are in place.

All church organizations and staffs experience personnel challenges and management concerns. The following questions concern management strategies and skill building for pastor-managers who can benefit from knowing that the numbers will follow once the staff is trained and trusted, and skills are in place.

Remember:
The Pastor leads people and manages behaviors.
The Pastor doesn't manage numbers; he manages behaviors.
The Pastor doesn't manage staff; he leads people.

The YouTube video presents 5 common questions. Here are the 5 answers and bonus solutions to many church management problems.

1. What does the church leader, the manager really do?
Plan, Lead, Organize, Control, Motivate.

The pastor’s focus must be on both the congregation and his staff. This requires skill building and continuous learning as the pastor also undoubtedly must commit serious time and attention to study and sermon preparation.

Here the Pastor is radically different from the manager in business and government. In business there are many areas of which the manager will know little or nothing. But he depends upon department heads to support him.

A great deal of the Pastor's time is consumed in the research and review of the sermon. This is work that only the Pastor can do -- this is vocational time.

The Pastor is one of the few managerial disciplines that has considerable management time and the vocational-knowledge responsibilities of an individual contributor.

For most managers the formula is simple: Knowledge plus Network equals Success. The manager's success is dependent on getting his network...to work. To succeed, the manager needs the support of his Ruling Board, outside peers, and staff.

2. What does the individual contributor do?
The work. The individual contributor does the hands-on work -- in business it would be the accountant, brick layer, college professor. This is the vocational, the knowledge-worker.

The manager, in a routine management position, has few vocational duties.

Except for the Pastor.

His is one of the few positions requiring both extensive hands on -- sermon writing -- and management skills. Little wonder Pastors run out of time.

3. Pastors, why were you hired?
If management wasn’t mentioned, that’s not unusual. Indeed, the search committee had a list of KSA’s (knowledge – skills – abilities), but often they don’t delve into management maturity or the candidates ability to garner support of his network. Pastors usually are hired for their wisdom and judgment.

Traditionally, seminaries haven’t focused on the day-to-day management challenges. So even pastors over 50 may only have the management maturity of a twenty something. Henry Ford once said that, "If you take all the experience and judgment of men over fifty out of the world, there wouldn't be enough left to run it."

4. Can the church manager be a victim?
Many Church leaders feel this way – but the Pastor must have impact on his church and the community. The manager must be in control of events or favorably influence outcomes.

The successful Pastor- manager is able to develop a team that is proactive. The Pastor and his staff are on the "offensive" for good. For example, a church received visits by the police for violating noise level ordinances. That church was on defense.

The best Pastor-manager and his team would have anticipated any community friction and worked out solutions.

5. What happens when the team/church staff is angry?
Even if the staff displays no emotion because they are “people of faith,” they still need
a trusted manager to whom they can turn and who knows how to deal with their concerns and get to the bottom of the matter. The worst outcome of an angry staffer in a church work environment is not disobedience, but incentive-stifling compliance. Such negative attitudes, in turn, damage the manager who will often need his team to protect him from (his) mistakes.

In the army the cliché was, “Take care of the troops and they will take care of you. And if you don’t take care of the troops, they will take care of you – the troops always get even.” But even if the staff displays no emotion, the manager will often need his team to protect him from (his) mistakes. The worst outcome of an angry staffer is not disobedience, but supervise compliance.

Of course church staff aren't really into vengeance; they just hurt, withdraw, and stay
out of sight as much as possible. This is especially true for staff with a distracted pastor-boss and it is why staff-building events, lunches, silly contests and required prayers together seldom work.

Your Business Blogger(R) and Charmaine
and the Penta-Posse on Easter Sunday
2005 Grand Canyon 6. Who are the church ‘constituents’ and ‘customers’?
This is the classic dilemma in the non-profit world – the disconnect between who gives and who gets. The constituents, who tithe in the pews, are not the customers; recipients of charity from the pastor’s discretionary fund or outreach budget are the actual customers.

These ‘customers’ probably are not even members of the church. This poses unique challenges for church managers and staff, who need skills and understanding. Many church employees, especially the young, don’t know that the dynamics they find frustrating are the result of working for a non-profit.

7. When is counsel, coun-‘sell’?
A council of advisors - akin to a church’s Administrative Board or Vestry - should ‘sell’ counsel, advice to the pastor. The pastor can buy the advice or not and making the best decision is the wisdom of mature management.

If the senior pastor isn’t trained to make good decisions by asking for recommendations, people at all the other levels will suffer the consequences and have no opportunity to express themselves.

8. What is the most important concern for the church staff? The work/ministry, the people/congregation or the boss/Pastor?
The Pastor. (Staff and Pastors always get this wrong – staff thinks it has the answer and gives the wrong answer. Pastors know the right answer and give the wrong answer, out of embarrassment…)

Even in the atmosphere of 'servant leadership' the Senior Pastor is the final arbiter, the final decision maker and sets the tone for decisions made by subordinates.

Here again, the church leader is quite different than other business leaders. In any other 'industry' some managers might prefer to be low profile. Pastors do not have this option; commanding a pulpit three times or more a week puts him, well, front and center whether he wants to be seen or not.

It is the Pastor's direction that counts in making decisions on the strategic direction of his church. Every church staff member, of course has his work to do.

The staffer does not have his own agenda.

Only the Pastor.

9. Is office politics good or bad?
Politics is the normal interaction of people and power and position and process. Office politics in a church setting is a tool to be acknowledged and used by church management.

10. Is it better for the church leader to have the answers, or to ask the questions?
Neither. It is best for the church leader to have competent staff who anticipate questions, research alternatives and present recommendations. Why does the pastor have to think of everything? (I know, I know…I’m sorry to ask.)

But if the structure only allows for a few associate pastors – those who insulate the church leader or senior pastor – to offer information, the intelligence and experience of other staffers who work in different parts of the church is wasted.

The subordinate should bring not only questions, but suggested answers. The church leader can then grade the answers and make decisions on staffer’s recommendations.

11. How does the Pastor know when he is managing well?
The best church staff will bring a memo/course of action/decision that will require nothing more than the Pastor’s signature.

There is friction if communications channels aren’t in place. Many challenges may not even be known to some staffers who could make a difference; the manager should be looking for input.

12. Does the Associate Pastor have the “right” to church resources?
Nope. The mere position of authority may or may not command compliance from the church bureaucracy. It has to be earned.

Church managers, like mid-level managers in any organization, do not have a "right" to assets or support from his peers in sister departments -- even if the manager's position warrants.

The professional manager nurtures his network.

13. Who is the boss? Who is the subordinate? How can an observer tell if the Senior Pastor they trust as their spiritual leader is the one really making the decisions?
The military has the template. There is a term for a subordinate in the Army called, “Action Officer.” There is no doubt when the superior officer and junior officer work together, that the action, the next steps remain with the lower ranking Action Officer. Management training teaches managers and staff to understand who is tasked with an assignment and what the follow-up will look like. Training reviews the understanding of clean lines in the chain of command and who has the next move.

14. Is there a relationship between the time a manager ‘works’ and the results?
No. The manager should see himself, not just as the captain of a ship – but as the helmsman with a light touch on the rudder. Where the slightest movement, the smallest effort moves the rudder and can direct the largest vessel.

15. What is the Pastor responsible for?
All that his church does, or fails to do.

Even if The Senior Pastor delegates to another pastor and gives him both the responsibility and the authority, the congregation will likely still demand that the Senior Pastor do it instead: the christening, marrying and burying.

16. What makes for the best Associate Pastors?
If the Associate Pastor, or any staff, waits until being told what to do or has to ask what to do, the senior pastor is not running a healthy organization -- he is running a kids-daycare center for adults. Associate Pastors need to know what to do, how to do it, and when. Training and discipline preparation for them is not unlike the Army’s definition: Prompt obedience to orders or the initiation of appropriate action in the absence of orders.

Every Senior Pastor’s deam.

Every Senior Pastor should be training his successor.

17. When should the church leader raise his voice? – When should the church leader not take counsel?
When the sanctuary is on fire. And a fire-and-brimstone sermon, to be sure.

Emergencies are the few times that a direct order -- or direct shouting -- is required. And maybe not even then if you’re Presbyterian…

In most instances the Pastors should make a moment to take council of the mature adivsors. Seldom in any situation will the manager need to raise his voice.

For more on management in 60 seconds, see:

Management Training: A Formula For Success

Thank you (foot)notes:

Cross Post at Management Training of DC, LLC.

Please email me for comments and suggestions.

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Your Business Blogger(R) reviewing
The Manager's Formula For Success Knowledge+ Network= Success

Managers looking for a formula for success do not need complicated, expensive, pronouncements from academia* or beyond.

As Occam's Razor suggests, the simplest solution is usually correct.

See E=MC squared. Einstein simple.

Email me if you would like an expansion on the formula and the key constant, support.

Professional managers know well that Knowledge can be nil in the formula and the manager can still be successful.

The Pros know that, if given a choice between Knowing and Getting -- for example, the hiring manager evaluating a candidate for a management slot -- chooses the ability to garner support.

Even more than knowledge.

A manager can know nothing -- but as long as the net in his network is well constructed, he will not be let down.

The transcript is at the jump.

Knowledge plus Network equals Success

The Penta-Posse (-) and Einstein
at Princeton University

Monkey Business
Management

Thank you (foot)notes:

*Your Business Blogger(R) is an Adjunct Professor of Management in Business Technologies at the Northern Virginia Community College.

See: The William Oncken Corporation Announces Licensed Marketing Agreement With Management Training of DC, LLC,

Press Release: The William Oncken Corporation Announces Licensed Marketing Agreement With Management Training of DC, LLC

Dallas, Texas, July 4, 2007 – The William Oncken Corporation (WOC) is pleased to announce it has signed on Management Training of DC, LLC, (MTDC) to launch an initiative to broaden the world-wide reach of WOC’s leadership training products.

Since 1961, The William Oncken Corporation, (WOC) a management consulting company, has trained more than one million managers and leaders. WOC’s flagship seminar, Managing Management Time™, was specifically designed for those individuals in an organization who are valued as much, if not more, for their judgment and influence than for their time and personal effort.

For more on William "Bill" Oncken see bio at the jump.

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Barack Obama with
America Hater Jeremiah Wright "I'm here to help you get elected. Do you want me to campaign for you? Or against you?" Quipped Jerry Falwell to a conservative candidate.

Your Business Blogger(R) once served on the Board of The Family Foundation in Virginia and had the honor of meeting Falwell and learning how he was so effective in politics.

The burden of the candidate is to know how to gather support, package it and send it forth, was Falwell's philosophy. Falwell has a lesson for Obama.

Jeremiah Wright had said, "God D@m America" from the pulpit. Wright is a part of Obama's life, formerly with the campaign.

Gary Baurer, left, Jerry Falwell, and John McCain far right
Liberty University function, Lynchburg, Virginia, 2006
photo credit: Charmaine Barack Obama must distance his candidacy from his pastor. Obama's problem is to know who should do the talking.

And it's not him.

Every sales professional, account manager and marketer knows the value of using surrogates, or testimonials as they are known in business. The classic Xerox sales training program, Personal Selling Skills or PSS, taught that a sales rep only uses proof when faced with customer skepticism of the value proposition.

To use a third party if the sales rep was not believed.

If the customer didn't believe the sales representative, then, and only then would the sales pro present backup evidence -- a believable third party endorsement who does the talking. The sales rep knows that this is when his voice is silent and the customer should hear the testimonial from another customer or respected authority.

The salesman, like the politician must shut up. Difficult for both to do.

Barack Obama is sounding like a salesman who keeps talking and talking when the sale is not being made. It sounds like pleading, like whining -- even if the words are elegant: it doesn't sell.

Your Business Blogger(R) carried as bag as a sales guy for decades and made the same mistakes as Obama is doing, but without the eloquence. But the problem has a simple sales solution.

Barack with the cussing "Reverend" Wright or to a much lessor extent, McCain with Pastor Hagee, should not keep talking. The candidate as sales guy is not going to fix the unfavorable endorsement in this instance.

Only the witness, the source of the testimonial, the endorser can help the candidate/sales rep. Obama has said enough.

Jeremiah Wright could help Obama by telling all, telling early, telling often -- only Wright can now convince voters that Obama does not hold Wright's Hate America First position. Only Wright can, well, preach that Obama does not believe that white people are evil. Only Wright can now say that Obama has different values.

Only Wright can make right.

Wright should do the talking -- but with out the hate, with out the cussing.

But McCain shouldn't worry: Wright won't be able to do it. And Obama will continue to think he can talk his way out of this.

Obama is wrong. And he will lose.

Thank you (foot)notes:

Full Disclosure: Charmaine served as senior advisor to Mike Huckabee for president campaign.

Is John McCain Courting the Religious Right?

Comments section is down -- please email us.

Update: See The New York Times on Clinton's reaction.

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Ladies, You are not perfect, and you don't have to beLadies only please. The first step Your Business Blogger(R) advises women who are managers or who aspire to take on more responsibility is to understand -- and appreciate the risk of failure.

And how really unimportant failing is.

Men also need to be reminded of the nature of risk -- but men are hard-wired differently from women on risk-taking. Men naturally take risks. Women less so.

Women are indeed more relational and nurturing -- but the real challenge is to understand that perfection is not required. No, biology is not destiny, but it is instructive. For example, women are hard-wired not to assume risk. Women as care-givers for infant children know instinctively that failure in her "job" will result in a dead baby. Perfection in constant care and attention and feeding are absolute. Don't feed a new-born for a few hours and the outcome can be tragic. Women are not permitted any margin of error in infant care. Women worry about children and relationships -- Charmaine wrote about this in her book: Mother in the Middle: Searching for Peace in The Mommy Wars. Men worry less about the kids when at work.

We see this in Academia. Studies have shown that male scholars will publish more articles -- but they will be of lower quality than compared with their female counterparts. Women will publish fewer papers, but they will be cited by other scholars more than male-authored articles. Women write better articles.

Women, I have also learned from clients and students, are perfectionists: they do not guess at test questions, do not use aggressive test taking or management strategies.

Women prefer all the traffic-control lights to be green before getting in the car to leave town.

Carly Fiorina, the former CEO of HP who engineered the merger with Compaq, writes about perfection in her book, Tough Choices. She calls this management philosophy "perfect enough" to encourage HP's culture that mistakes will be made, but this is the only path to success. "The goal is not perfection; the goal is progress," she writes.

The Dude getting a hit 2007In seminars, I review baseball's at-bat analogy. If a batter only gets on base 4 out of 10 times, he is a super star.

Many women might view with horror a 60% failure rate. But management, like baseball does not deal in perfection. A manager can have a lot of strike outs, but an occasional home run will win games. A .400 batting average will make you a rich woman and win games.

Please watch the short video clip and let us know what you think. Our comments section is down so please email us.

Thank you (foot)notes:

See the video script at Management Training of DC. I originally wrote about women getting to first base -- so consumed I was with the baseball metaphor -- that Charmaine had to remind me that the base running has taken on another meaning in our sex-drenched culture.

Biology is not destiny, but it is a co-conspirator. Apologies to Sigmund Freud.

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William Tecumseh Sherman.
National Archives Our friends at Military.com have a short, four question test to determine which military model of leadership you might fit.

No wrong answer.

No bad answers either.

Your Business Blogger(R) tests out as Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman.

Well.

I married into a Georgia family with deep Confederate roots. Poor back then, they would remind me when we visit near Atlanta, No slaves.

They are still mad about Sherman's March to the Sea. They'all are not going to appreciate my test results.

When in the south, do not say "Civil War." It was technically, "The War Between The States." We just wanted to leave, say my southern kin. The North wouldn't let us be and came after us.

Firing on Fort Sumter didn't help, though...

Take the Leadership Profile evaluation.

But if you are thankful for our current, reunited uniformed services, you might consider the Grateful American Coin. It is a Challenge Coin to present to veterans. Neat gift. 100% of Net Proceeds Benefit Wounded Veterans.

Your Business Blogger(R) bought a bunch. You should too. Why?

Why are we doing all of this? ...The answer is gratitude.

Grateful American Coin was founded on the belief that it is out of a deep sense of gratitude that we should honor and acknowledge the sacrifices of members of the U.S. military. In doing so, we should individually do what we can, however small, to help those service men and women who have sustained the most severe injuries.

We feel that there are a great many Americans who share our sense of gratitude and are looking for an ideal way to express it.

Grateful American Coin is a non-profit organization and has submitted a 501(c)(3) application.

Grateful American Coin is based outside of Tampa, FL and is entirely staffed with non-paid volunteers.

Thank you (foot)notes:

Thanks to John Howland at USNA at Large for the referral to Grateful American Coin. Unpaid link.

What's a Challenge Coin?

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Following is an excerpt from a panel discussion hosted by iConcept Media in New York City.

Pull Out Quotes,

If it's not core, Ship it off-shore.

If your business is growing more than 20% a year, you must buy some debt or sell some equity -- this is the only way to fund receivables, unless you have a cash business (or a Dell business model...).

In marketing run the numbers down the funnel: how many touches going in at the top, to an action, to a sale at the bottom of the funnel. Work that sale backward up the funnel to learn the size needed for your marketing budget. (And remember: Half your marketing budget will be wasted. You get paid to figure out which half. Apologies to John Wanamaker.)

Your job in business is to create a customer and make a profit. If you are not doing this, you do not have a business; you have a hobby.

Your Business Blogger(R) is honored to be speaking in Baltimore on March 26th; in Washington DC, on April 3rd and in New York City on May 29th.

For more Solutions To Your Management Problems please visit Management Training of DC, LLC

Visit USAToday Columnist Steve Strauss.

See Birol's Blog for Advice, Assistance, Attitude

And while in New York City, go visit the Indian Bread Company.

If you are looking for the perfect gift, go visit NYCSubwayLine. Your Business Blogger(R) did all his Christmas shopping on-line and got the coolest backpacks, clutches, hoodies and shirts for the Penta-Posse. The hoodie is The Dreamer's favorite. The cutting edge, high quality products are the brain-child of actress Lynne Lambert,

One day, while waiting for her train, Lynne found herself staring up at the subway signs with its big colored circles with the letters and numbers inside and thought "Why hasn't anyone ever done anything with these quintessential NYC icons? I bet people would wear them if it was done right!" And so the NYC subway Line was born. Licensed from NY State's Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the tees have appeared in movies like "Bring It On" and "Prime," on MTV, BET and VH1 by artists and their audience, and worn by celebrities such as rapper "Fabolous" and President Clinton. Recently, Ms. Lambert was awarded the Make Mine a Million Business award that was founded by Count Me In for Women's Economic Independence along with OPEN from American Express where she received financing from OPEN, one year of intensive business coaching and mentoring from a dream team of successful women entrepreneurs, business software and training from Intuit, discounts on shipping and business services from FedEx, marketing assistance from QVC, and assistance on work/life issues and financial security from AIG.

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The Dude and Baby Boo circa 2005
USAF Academy The Dude wants to fly military war planes. Never too early to start planning. So which branch? Air Force or Navy?

John Howland who runs USNA-AT-Large has (very) Alert Readers who have written in with suggestions on just this topic. The following deserves a wide audience to aid the high schoolers -- and younger -- students in picking a military academy.

"Bill Taylor provides this handy guide for young Americans who have the choice --

Great comparison of USAF vs. USN Aviators. Pretty much fits my experience.
Regards, Bill

The piece is written by Bob Norris, a former Naval aviator who also did
a 3 year exchange tour flying the F-15 Eagle. He is now an accomplished
author of entertaining books about U.S. Naval Aviation including "Check
Six" and "Fly-Off".

Check Six
Bob Norris

In response to a letter from an aspiring fighter pilot on which military
academy to attend, Bob replied with the following:

22 December 2005
Young Man,

Congratulations on your selection to both the Naval and Air
Force Academies. Your goal of becoming a fighter pilot is impressive and
a fine way to serve your country. As you requested, I'd be happy to
share some insight into which service would be the best choice.

Each service has a distinctly different culture. You need to ask
yourself "Which one am I more likely to thrive in?"

Baby Boo, Your Business Blogger, The Dude
P-51 Mustang, USAF Academy

USAF Snapshot: The USAF is exceptionally well organized and well
run. Their training programs are terrific. All pilots are groomed to
meet high standards for knowledge and professionalism. Their aircraft
are top-notch and extremely well maintained. Their facilities are
excellent. Their enlisted personnel are the brightest and the best
trained. The USAF is homogenous and macro.

No matter where you go, you'll know what to expect,what is
expected of you, and you'll be given the training & tools you need to
meet those expectations. You will never be put in a situation over your
head. Over a 20-year career, you will be home for most important family
events. Your Mom would want you to be an Air Force pilot...so would your
wife. Your Dad would want your sister to marry one.

Navy Snapshot: Aviators are part of the Navy, but so are Black
Shoes (surface warfare) and Bubble Heads (submariners). Furthermore, the
Navy is split into two distinctly different Fleets (West and East
Coast). The Navy is heterogeneous and micro. Your squadron is your home;
it may be great,average, or awful. A squadron can go from one extreme to
the other before you know it.

Fly Off
Bob Norris

You will spend months preparing for cruise and months on cruise.
The quality of the aircraft varies directly with the availability of
parts. Senior Navy enlisted are salt of the earth; you'll be proud if
you earn their respect. Junior enlisted vary from terrific to the
troubled kid the judge made join the service. You will be given the
opportunity to lead these people during your career; you will be humbled
and get your hands dirty. The quality of your training will vary and
sometimes you will be over your head. You will miss many important
family events. There will be long stretches of tedious duty aboard ship.

The Chapel at the USAF Academy
Credit: The Diva

You will fly in very bad weather and/or at night and you will be scared
many times. You will fly with legends in the Navy and they will kick
your ass until you become a lethal force. And some days - when the
scheduling Gods have smiled upon you - your jet will catapult into a
glorious morning over a far-away sea and you will be drop-jawed that
someone would pay you to do it.

The hottest girl in the bar wants to meet the Naval Aviator.

That bar is in Singapore.

Bottom line, son, if you gotta ask...pack warm & good luck in
Colorado.

Banzai

P.S.: Air Force pilots wear scarves and iron their flight suits."

Thank you (foot)notes:

The Diva on the stick

Posted at 7:32 PM | Permalink
Comments (0)

Your Business Blogger at the
Stern School of Business, NYU Solutions To Your Management Problems,
Invitation to The Harbour League Seminar-fund raiser for 26 March 2008.

You Are Invited!

60 second script.

This is Jack Yoest Your Business Blogger with Solutions to your Management Problems.

I want to invite you to a short seminar – that you won’t want to miss.

In this short two hour meeting I will talk about what management is – and what it is not.

Here are corrections to common management myths:

Management is not barking out orders.

Management by walking around -- is not management.

Management does not empower subordinates.

A Hands – on Manager is not a manager.

In our class I want to emphasis three tactics that will help change your practice of management

1 -- Discipline – As a former Armored Cavalry officer I like the Army’s definition – and it’s not what you think.

2 -- Selling – If you’ve ever carried a bag like I did as a sales guy – you know that in every transaction – especially in office politics -- someone is selling, someone is buying – and managers always get this wrong.

And finally 3rd – Stop it – Every client I’ve ever worked with – every project I’ve ever managed – we’re working too hard because we’re working on the wrong things.

Don’t make these mistakes.

Go to www.yoest.com for details and registration

Posted at 10:51 AM | Permalink
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Watch the 90 second clip. Students: this is not a substitute for class attendance. But it is good to know what the professor thinks...

Comments disabled due to DoS attack, please email here.

Posted at 11:33 PM | Permalink
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Your Business Blogger gives a five minute presentation for Managing Management Time (TM)

Are you controlling events?
Or are events controlling you?

Posted at 10:04 PM | Permalink
Comments (0)

Watch Charmaine on CNN,

Charmaine Yoest, Vice President for Communications at Family Research Council, appeared on CNN Headline News October 16, 2007 to discuss a proposal at a middle school to dispense contraceptives to its students.

Watch the clip here. Please forgive the click thru the FRC site.

If you will be in New York City on October 18th, let's visit. Your Business Blogger will be a panelist for the iNetwork2Networth event organized by the iConcept Media Group.

And be sure to come to The Washington Briefing.

Posted at 7:22 PM | Permalink
Comments (1)

Kinglsey Brown Alert Readers will know of Your Business Blogger's endorsement of Professor Kingsley Brown and his research. Brown is on faculty at Wayne State University teaching law.

He writes to John Howland with USNA At Large,

“Co-ed Combat: The New Evidence that Women Shouldn’t Fight the Nation’s Wars” is due out on November 8, although it can be pre-ordered now on Amazon...

My book examines physical and psychological differences between the sexes and their implication for integration of combat forces. This examination includes not just individual traits -- such as strength, endurance, risk-taking, physical aggression, fear, courage, and other traits that affect both combat motivation and combat performance -- but also the effect of psychological sex differences on the functioning of groups. As you know, individuals do not fight wars; groups do, and the sex composition of groups has a substantial impact on how the group functions.

As you have yourself noted, trust is the “coin of the realm” in combat groups. It appears that men are not “designed” to easily trust women in dangerous situations. I’m sure that you and the other At-Large members have had the experience of knowing leaders whom you would be willing to follow through the gates of Hell and others whom you would be reluctant to follow across the street. Some people trigger trust in their comrades, and others –

Women in Combat

no matter what kind of training they have had – simply cannot do so. I suggest in my book that women generally do not trigger that kind of trust in men, no matter how much men like and respect women. This is not a criticism of either women or men; it is simply the way our psyches work. As the continued opposition to women in and near combat suggests, this is not a problem that can be solved simply through “leadership” and “training,” which are usually invoked as the solution to problems with sexual integration.

My book also chronicles a number of other impediments to sexual integration, many of which are well known, such as problems of pregnancy, double standards, political correctness, and so forth.

Best regards,

Kingsley

Thank you (foot)notes:

Read more on Kingsley Browne's work at Hiring Super Stars vs Tolerating Turkeys

Thanks to John Howland at USNA At Large.

More on Professor Kingsley Brown at the jump.

Continue Reading »

Posted at 9:48 PM | Permalink
Comments (4)

<

Monkey Business ManagementHold the date -- Friday, November 9th, 2007.

[Caution: Sales Pitch Follows...]

The William Oncken Corporation will be conducting The Managing Management Time ™ One-Day Seminar, in Arlington, Virginia.

Bill Oncken will explore the question, Can Managers Control Events?

Are you running out of time…while your staff runs out of work?

How can the leader get more discretionary management time?

If your management skills need to be sharpened -- join us for the day.

WHO Managers who need to get in control of events or to better influence results


WHY Improve managerial effectiveness


WHAT Managing Management Time™.


WHEN Friday, November 9, 2007, 8am to 5pm


WHERE 901 N. Glebe Rd, Suite 900, Arlington, VA 22203


FEE $595. Please make check payable to “The William Oncken Corporation”

The seminar is often called "The Monkey Management Class"

Thank you (foot)notes:

For more propaganda, please see Managment Training of DC, LLC.

“Life in the business world’s fast lane, for me, would be inconceivable without knowing and applying the business philosophy expressed in Monkey Business,” Richard Viguerie

"Most recommendations you get about handling management are either useless or counter-productive. But in Monkey Business you get the best advice in the universe today," Paul Weyrich

Morton Blackwell, President of The Leadership Institute, writes about Monkey Business and the seminar,

There are three types of laws.

Man-made laws, the result of human legislation, vary from place to place and time to time. Some are wise. Some are foolish. Some are destructive. Some are unworkable and can't ever be enforced. Some only apply to specific categories of people...

We can build and fly an airplane, but we'd get into big trouble if we ignored or forgot the physical laws about how gravity affects all objects.

Similarly, there's a wealth of hard-won, trial-and-error knowledge about the world of human endeavor. Some actions produce better results than others. Those who would lead others in any activity, from politics to business, should seek out and study the best sources of wisdom about what makes someone a successful leader...

Think deeply about the principles presented. Everything you hope to achieve in your current job and all future jobs may depend on your understanding and application of this wisdom.

Posted at 10:40 PM | Permalink
Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

The seminar on 16 October at the Free Congress Foundation in Washington, DC is now full.

More seminars are planned. If you are in New York on October 18th, please come and visit Your (insufferable) Business Blogger. I will be speaking at the iNetwork2Networth event.

Speakers at the iNetwork2Networth event at jump.

Continue Reading »

Posted at 1:03 PM | Permalink
Comments (0)

Inc. Magazine is a sponsor If you will be in New York City on October 18th, let's visit. Your Business Blogger will be a panelist for the iNetwork2Networth event organized by the iConcept Media Group.

Current sponsors include: Inc. Magazine, The New York Observer, and the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce.

See here for details.

Thank you (foot)notes:

I will have the honor of addressing a number of issues, including,

The Untold Secrets of Strategic Marketing Networking Your Way to Millions Building Business Credit and Credibility Building a Firm Business Foundation

My favorite lede is, of course,

Can the Manager Control Events?

To learn the answer, mark your calendar and plan to join us in New York City on October 18th.

Posted at 3:19 PM | Permalink
Comments (0)

The biggest complaint of the blogosphere is that the writing has no accountability, no third party oversight.

Except the carnivals. And the best business carnival in the business is The Carnival of the Capitalists.

Submissions, as the Alert Reader will know, are self-selected by the author, and edited and vetted by the carnival host. Not every article submission is accepted.

My friend Anita Campbell leads this week's carnival with about the best collection of podcasts todate. This is an essential resource for anyone considering podcasting or who might want to be a guest on radio and podcasts -- and who needs a list of the better podcasts. Anita Campbell presents 100 Small Business Audio Podcasts posted at Small Business Trends Radio | Small Business Information. Anita demonstrates here what is best about the blogosphere. (Full Disclosure: Your Business Blogger has written for Anita Campbell.)

Wayne Hurlbert tells us in Management techniques: Delegating responsibility,

As a company grows, the number of responsibilities grow right along with it. Not only do the number of departments expand, but their size and scope increases as well. Taken together, managing all departments and staff within the organization becomes too much for any one person. No one possesses the time or skills required for each and every job in the business. Delegation of responsibility is essential. It is here that problems can arise that can hurt the company's performance.

Douglas Galbi at purple motes has a thoughtful piece television serves couch potatoes

Don't rush the lawyers if you have been wronged. Read this counter-intuitive, yet practical article by Carmen Van Kerckhove at Race in the Workplace with What to Do If You're Experiencing Racial Discrimination At Work,

Think twice before reporting racial discrimination to your company's human resources department. Why? Because it's not always the most effective strategy.

Read on for a step-by-step guide on what to do if you believe your supervisor is discriminating against you because of your race...

See Jason Koeppe’s Strategic Internet Marketing Blog and A Step By Step Guide For Choosing the Right Keywords - StrategicSiteMarketing.com,

Effective keyword research is underrated. Really. And not just in its benefit and importance as it relates to SEO and online search marketing. Thoroughly understanding what keyword phrases your target audience is using to find you (your product or services) is literally invaluable. This knowledge is one of the best weapons you have in your business building arsenal and this weapon can be used both online and off. We’ll come back to that thought a bit later. For now, let’s dive right into how to effectively choose the best keywords for search marketing...

Nickel does the numbers in How to Make Money in the Stock Market (Revisited). The numbers are compelling. No charge.

Here are some youthful capitalists who are starting really early with their business plans: 5 Of The Youngest Entrepreneurs On Their Path To Success And Riches on thedigeratilife by the Silicon Valley Blogger.

Steven Silvers who can manage image better most anyone has Vick story prompts greyhound racing industry to defend itself earlier than usual. posted at Scatterbox by Steven Silvers,

The American Greyhound Track Operators Association rushes to spin some distance between the controversies surrounding its own industry and the nation’s new interest in illegal dog fighting.

David Kam presents The Importance of Logo posted at MarketingDeviant.com.

Gustav S submits 10 Reasons why only 4% of the population achieve their goals posted at success-is-in-you.com.

Ian Welsh has a Biblical reference Reaping What You Sow: Hedge Fund and Housing Bubble Edition posted at The Agonist,

What's happening to the housing and financial markets right now is the entirely foreseeable consequence of past deliberate policy decisions by the Fed and the Bush administration. The reason a bail-out is finally occurring is because the people who matter are getting hurt.

Kurt Brouwer has Subprime and Stocks? What Happened? posted at Fundmastery Blog,

Financial markets around the globe have been weak and jittery in recent weeks. The following discussion is meant to give you some background on the subprime lending mess and how it spread throughout the financial markets.

Dax Desai writes What does the potential Fed rate cut mean? posted at Dax Desai, where he explains the effect of the potential Fed interest rate cut on investments.

Pawel Brodzinski presents 15 Ways to Be a Good Boss posted at Software Project Management,

Want to be a leader who will be followed by the team? Want to have employees working willingly on your success? Want to be a good boss?

Some website owners assume that Google keyword search rankings directly affect sales. So a #1 position will be better than a #2 or #3 position. What counts is the bottom-line result and many other factors come into play in determining that.

Politicians are trying too hard to pressure the Federal Reserve. If they aren't stopped now, we'll have a much harder time stopping them in a few years when they try to use an inflation tax to balance the budget.

Peter has Decide For the Success of Your Home Based Business posted at Make Money Online.

Read the Millionaire Mommy Next Door with How to Treat Affluenza: Spend Less and Live a Happier Life posted at Millionaire Mommy Next Door,

The number of "very happy" people peaked in 1957, and has remained fairly stable or declined ever since. Even though we consume twice as much as we did in the 1950s, people were just as happy when they had less. 86% of Americans who voluntarily cut back their consumption feel happier as a result.

wilson ng presents The Challenge of Providing Choice posted at Reflections of a BizDrivenLife,

Some people want a variety of choice, while some people want quality pre-selected information. Whether you are selling products or ideas, how many alternatives do you provide? Here is a short article on how the number of offerings affect decision-making.

Chief Family Officer presents Great Debate over at AFM: To Sell or Not To Sell? posted at Chief Family Officer.

FMF submits What I'd Do with a High-Paying, Unrewarding Job posted at Free Money Finance and read how he's handled bad job situations

Alvaro Fernandez outlines The Ten Habits of Highly Effective Brains posted at Brain Fitness Blog with some tips to keep our brains sharp.

Good news for health insurance costs: Insureblog's Henry Stern reports that prices are moderating, and explains why.

Leon Gettler has original reporting with an Interview with AXS-One chairman and CEO Bill Lyons posted at Sox First,

An interview with AXS-One chairman and CEO Bill Lyons on why companies struggle with their electronic documents and how email is the new legal Chernobyl.

Nina presents Gay Affluence: fact, fiction, or somewhere in between? posted at Queercents,

Gay affluence is a myth and perhaps the most misunderstood fact about gays and lesbians. We are not wealthier. Or are we?

Rob May writes What Dasani Bottled Water Taught Me About Better Blogging posted at Businesspundit, A case study of Dasani provides insight into why blogging requires more than just quality posts.

Matthew Paulson presents Long Term Care Insurance: When It Makes Sense, When It Doesn’t. posted at FinanceIsPersonal.com.

Where are interest rates headed? James Hamilton of Econbrowser concludes that the Fed has abandoned its 5.25% target for the fed funds rate, and, when it goes back to targeting, will pick a lower value, in Whee!

Charles H. Green presents It's a Dog Eat Dog World, Isn't It? posted at Trust Matters,

In an emerging business world that throws everyone together in constantly permutating ways, that old competitive nature we prized decades ago is becoming a bit of a millstone.

Babak presents Bond Market Screaming For Rate Cut - Fed Listening? posted at Trader's Narrative.

Marlon J. Broussard presents The True value of Money in Our Age | MoneyBlog posted at MoneyBlog,

The point is not to just point out the fact that a dollar is only worth 4 cents (about the exact cost of printing, regardless of the denomination), but to shed light on some things you need to be mindful of...

How would you like to live in crushing, abject poverty? Does the idea of living and sleeping on the streets of a major American city sound appealing to you? Would you like to grow old and penniless, spending your final days on this Earth barely getting by on the meager checks sent to you by some large government bureaucracy? Well, my friend, do I have the program for you.

The customer, in fact, is not always right, but good customer service is treating her as though she is. Making the customer feel appreciated, even when they are not pleased, is the goal.

Next week's carnival will be celebrated on September 3, 2007 at the Geek Practitioners Blog.

Posted at 4:53 PM | Permalink
Comments (5)

No Free Lunch
Milton Friedman,
Robert A. Heinlein "There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch," perhaps first said by science fiction writer Heinlein and made popular by Nobel Laureate Friedman. Often shortened to TANSTAAFL.

And you won't find one here either.

But.

Your Business Blogger has a number of 60-second commercials running in the DC market pitching a luncheon and the Managing Management Time(tm) seminars.

If you are in the greater Washington, DC area, here's a free lunch. Almost.

Trade me your time and talent.

Listen to my commercial and leave me a comment on what you think about the marketing/sales pitch. You get a FREE lunch on the 23rd in DC or the 24th in Baltimore, save 25 bucks.

I get feedback.

Click here for the audio. And if you catch it on the air please let me know how it sounds.

Grade me on verbiage, volume, background music, cadence, sales hook.

The commercial is running for a week.

The ad is running tomorrow 17 August Friday at 12:30 pm (during Rush Limbaugh)
4:49 pm, and
6:49pm

Let me know what you think. And get lunch.

The seminar is for the benefit of the Susan B. Anthony List.

Thank you (foot)notes:

No Free Lunch--and No Free Health Care, Either

TANSTAAFL is the name of a snack bar in the Pierce dormitory of the University of Chicago. The name references the fact that the use of the term was popularized by Milton Friedman, the Nobel Prize–winning former University of Chicago professor.

Restrictions apply. Supply is limited. A $25 donation will be made to the Susan B. Anthony List for each commenter. And the FREE lunch.

Posted at 8:52 PM | Permalink
Comments (41)

Jesse Brown My friend and mentor Jesse Brown died on 15 August 2002.

I'm not sure I thanked him enough while he lived.

So I acknowledge him every August since he passed.

He died of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. But, for the Hand of Divine Providence, he should have died decades earlier in Vietnam.

He survived and devoted his life to service to others and mentoring goofs like Your Business Blogger. And also accomplished much more in the federal government.

The combat wounded Marine was able to do two things few bureaucrats have been able to do:

Close a government facility, and

Say No to President Clinton.

Jesse Brown managed something many government watchdogs felt impossible: He worked with veterans' lobbies and closed out-dated or non-performing Veterans' Administration medical facilities. These days when a government building or base needs to be closed, a special commission is set up to spread the guilt and minimize finger pointing.

Jesse Brown closed government buildings. Unbelievable. And he was a Democrat.

But an even bigger achievement was his ability to refuse Bill Clinton. Over lunch he told me the story of how he tactfully, adroitly rebuffed the chief of staff and the president's "requests" to cut the VA budget. Jesse Brown did not succumb to Clinton's charms and other lies challenges.

As Jesse Brown tells the story, the chief of staff, Leon Panetta, I believe, instructed Jesse to offer a cut in his budget and take the political heat, sparing the president. Brown declined.

Panetta puts Clinton on the phone to work his charm...

[Your Business Blogger once worked with a beautiful young woman from Arkansas -- a rock-ribbed conservative -- who met Bill Clinton. "It was the strangest thing," she said. "He ignored the whole rest of the room, looked deep into my eyes and asked for my vote."

Your Business Blogger didn't move. It wasn't too hard to see where this was going. "What did you say?" I asked.

She said, "I told him 'yes.' It was like he hypnotized me. I said yes..."

She wouldn't be the last.]

...Panetta knowing that no one could resist Bill Clinton; no one could say 'no.'

So Bill and Jesse have an extended conversation and Clinton oozes all all-round the topic -- but never makes a direct statement; never a directive. Bill was simply smarmy and Jesse was un-seduced.

"Great talking with you Jesse," said Clinton.

"Great talking with you Mr. President," said Brown. And White House Signal signed off.

Jesse Brown was only 58 when he died.

He was wounded by enemy sniper fire in Vietnam leaving his right arm and hand partially paralyzed. This never slowed him down. People who knew Jesse always extended a left hand for a hand shake in greeting. His right wasn't serviceable.

I once asked him when he was at the pinnacle of his career what drove him to work so hard. Money, I thought; status, celebrity? No. "I just want to help my friends," he said.

His passion for service helped him become the Veteran's Affairs Secretary for Bill Clinton.

And yet he helped me, a nobody who worked for a Republican, a Republican governor.

Jesse is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, not far from my dad. Two warriors to whom I owe so much.

Semper Fidelis.

Three Duties of a Mentor

In Memoriam: Jesse Brown

Job Interview: 3 Questions for Your Prospective Boss

Continue Reading »

Posted at 7:42 AM | Permalink
Comments (2)

Newt has a plan to find each illegal immigrant. It just might work.

Notice: This is not a presidential endorsement of Gingrich by the Yoest's or the Family Research Council.

Full Disclosure: Charmaine has been published by The American Enterprise Institute, What Do Parents Want?

Posted at 8:12 PM | Permalink
Comments (0)

Monkey Business Management Jack Linkletter said, “…‘Managing Management Time – Who’s Got the Monkey?’ was profound, entertaining, and practical – lots of insights that can readily be incorporated into your life…I strongly recommend…”

Caution: Invitation (and sales pitch) follows for management training.

Join your friends for lunch and get an overview on the Managing Management Time seminars.

In 1974 Harvard Business Review published Management Time: Who's Got the Monkey, by Bill Oncken, Jr.. HBR introduces this management philosophy,

For managers to function effectively, they need to have as much discretionary time as possible. But where can they find it? They can't take it away from activities mandated by their supervisors, nor can they really borrow it from time allocated to helping peers. The only viable solution is reducing the time spent handling subordinates' problems.

“Life in the business world’s fast lane, for me, would be inconceivable without knowing and applying the business philosophy expressed in Monkey Business.” -- Richard Viguerie

"Most recommendations you get about handling management are either useless or counter-productive. But in Monkey Business you get the best advice in the universe today."-- Paul Weyrich

Morton Blackwell, President of The Leadership Institute, writes about Monkey Business,

Monkey Business
by William Oncken III

There are three types of laws.

Man-made laws, the result of human legislation, vary from place to place and time to time. Some are wise. Some are foolish. Some are destructive. Some are unworkable and can't ever be enforced. Some only apply to specific categories of people...

We can build and fly an airplane, but we'd get into big trouble if we ignored or forgot the physical laws about how gravity affects all objects.

Similarly, there's a wealth of hard-won, trial-and-error knowledge about the world of human endeavor. Some actions produce better results than others. Those who would lead others in any activity, from politics to business, should seek out and study the best sources of wisdom about what makes someone a successful leader...

Think deeply about the principles presented. Everything you hope to achieve in your current job and all future jobs may depend on your understanding and application of this wisdom.

Pick a location and date,

23 August in Arlington, Virginia for the Susan B. Anthony List

24 August in Baltimore for The Harbour League

or

16 October in Washington, DC at the Free Congress Foundation with Connie Marshner, of Raphael Consulting Services.

"Managing Management Time is not just about time management; it's a complete course in management."
-- Ken Blanchard

Thank you (foot)notes:

For more information and propaganda on management training visit Management Training of DC, LLC.

Bill Oncken is on target! Monkey Business is serious management. Public sector, private sector -- Monkey Business will get you the discretionary management time you need. Monkey Business stands the test of time...your time! John Wesley Yoest, Jr. [fomer] Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Resources, The Commonwealth of Virginia

Full Disclosure: Your Business Blogger penned a book blurb for Bill Oncken in 2000.

Posted at 10:53 AM | Permalink
Comments (0)

George Patton gives a
motivational speech Alert Readers Stan Honour and Sidney Bostian send this YouTube link to what General George Patton might have to say on our global war on terror, if Patton were alive today.

Eye witnesses to Patton's original speech tell us that the talk is consistent with his introductory remarks to his new troops in World War ll.

The speech was powerful in real life.

And so powerful in the script that the director Franklin J. Schaffner had to take unusual steps not to offend lead actor George C. Scott, who was actually a bit squeamish about the violence and language of war-fighting.

The speech scene appears first in the movie. But Schaffner shot the scene at the end of the movie's production. Schaffner felt that if the speech was completed first, in sequence, that the volatile George C. Scott would not finish.

Finishing and sitting through the nearly three hour film was a concern about movie-goers too. When Your Business Blogger viewed the movie in a theater in 1970, there was an intermission to break up the 170 minute film.

And it was memorable...This is what made the movie so good,

Men, all this stuff you've heard about America not wanting to fight, wanting to stay out of the war, is a lot of horse dung. Americans traditionally love to fight.

All real Americans love the sting of battle. When you were kids, you all admired the champion marble shooter, the fastest runner, big league ball players, the toughest boxers. Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser. Americans play to win all the time. I wouldn't give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed. That's why Americans have never lost, and will never lose a war... because the very thought of losing is hateful to Americans.

Patton was refering to Real Americans, of course.

Not liberal Democrats, who, as is well known, do not hate anything.

Thank you (foot)notes:

My favorite quote from Patton on teamwork, The bilious bastards who came up with that stuff about individuality know as much about battle as they do about fornicating. Which is why the liberal Army of One marketing campaign was nonsense.

My favorite quote from Patton on management training, In about fifteen minutes, we're going to start turning these boys into fanatics - razors. They'll lose their fear of the Germans. I only hope to God they never lose their fear of me. Not a problem for the manager as sociopath.

Of course K-Lo has it at the Corner: Patton on the War on Terror [Crude Language Warning] [Kathryn Jean Lopez]

And Blogs for Fred Thompson.

Continue Reading »

Posted at 6:34 AM | Permalink
Comments (1)

My good friend Bob Miller has a compelling article on women in combat that deserves a wide audience.

Female sniper,
United States Air Force In September of last year, the Naval Institute Proceedings commemorated thirty years of sex-integration at the U.S. Naval Academy with a Commentary by Sharon Disher, USNA ’80, entitled “Women CAN Fight.” As a member of the first sex-integrated Naval Academy class, Disher wrote in conspicuous contradiction of former Marine combat hero, and now Senator, James Webb’s (USNA ‘ 68] then-troublesome 1979 Washingtonian Magazine essay: “Women Can’t Fight.”

Well of course women CAN fight. In Iraq, US military women have fought and still do fight bravely and selflessly. These armed daughters, sisters, wives and mothers can also become wounded, maimed, captured, abused and killed. In fact one hears military women, in particular, declaring their willingness to "die for my country," words far less often heard from men.

And women can kill; there's no doubt about it.

But please, put aside for a moment the tendency to rationalize, trivialize, scoff or scorn a cautionary perspective in order to reflect with candor on what this unarguably historic innovation of the "woman as warrior" may signify about a phenomenal cultural trajectory.

The stakes are high.

Read his entire article at the jump.

Robert H. Miller, CAPT, USN ret
Hope For America
PO Box 1007
Willow Grove, PA 19090
hfa@aol.com

Continue Reading »

Posted at 10:09 AM | Permalink
Comments (14)

Your Business Blogger will be conducting a Management Training seminar on 16 October 2007 in Washington, DC. It will be an introduction based on the Managing Management Time(TM) series, also known as Monkey Management.

Connie Marshner will be making a presentation on Funding Raising.

Visit Management Training of DC, LLC for details.

“…‘Managing Management Time – Who’s Got the Monkey?’ was profound, entertaining, and practical – lots of insights that can readily be incorporated into your life…I strongly recommend…”
Jack Linkletter

Posted at 3:01 PM | Permalink
Comments (0)

Roy Blunt
Credit: The DudeYour Business Blogger was wondering what the Republicans were going to do about the war, the wall, Osama, Obama. So I wandered over to The Heritage Foundation this afternoon for a free lunch. And happened upon The House Minority Whip, Roy Blunt, an R from fly-over country.

If any one could, well, show me, it'd be someone from Missouri.

The Dude tagged along. He's likes a free meal as much as his dad.

The Dude live blogged. Sarah Little from Blunt's press office ablely worked the crowd. See The Dude's report at Panzer Commander.

After Blunt's talk, I feel a bit better about the state of the Union. Not that the GOP may or may not get good things done, but at least they might stop bad things from happening.

Which might be good enough -- it is around our house. Which is like a carnival.

But for well organized carnivals, here are some suggestions,

See Blog Carnival of Observations on Life July 8, 2007, By Anja Merret. While there visit Reciprocity - What we do in Life always comes back to us March 17th, 2007 by Callum.

But sometimes good does not come back measure for measure. I've found the ratio to be about 10-to-1. See What is the best tactic to get a referral? More Biblical than Karma-tic.

Visit The Carnival of Family Life. See Physical Education.

Stop by Carnival of Life, Happiness & Meaning #8, hosted by Life Insurance Lowdown, Life insurance news, reviews and tips. Don't let the title scare you (as it did me). No agent will call. No emails from Nigeria. And see What Makes a Relationship Great? Much more articulate than The Complete Married Man's Guide To Spousal Responses.

For a good post on Office Politics. Read Management vs. Politics by HotStrategies.

It is not until we look at later definitions... that we see a political content. He maps management as ‘SAMP’, Science, Art, Magic and Politics. In this definition we are seeing politics as part of management activity in which he acknowledges that in order to be a successful manager an individual has to know how to “play the game” in order to achieve his objectives.

For more on Office Politics, with a nifty video see Management Training, Tip #1 at the last Office Politics link.

And please visit Carnival of Family Life - June 25 2007 for about the nicest compliment Your Business Blogger got all week.

Thank you (foot)notes:

See Roy Blunt's speech at the jump. From his website,

As Whip, Congressman Blunt is the second highest Republican in the House of Representatives. He selects and leads a team of Deputy and Assistant Whips, which columnist Robert Novak has described as "the most efficient party whip operation in congressional history."

Continue Reading »

Posted at 6:03 PM | Permalink
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The only time a manager should shout or bark out an order demanding instant obedience is if the building is on fire: an emergency.

Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell had a few minutes to make a decision and decided to take a vote. It wasn't an emergency, just yet.

Get the whole story
Marcus Luttrell:
Lone Survivor

"It was the stupidest, most southern-fried, lamebrained decision I ever made in my life," Luttrell writes. "I must have been out of my mind. I had actually cast a vote which I knew could sign our death warrant. I'd turned into a (expletive) liberal, a half-assed, no-logic nitwit, all heart, no brain, and the judgment of a jack rabbit."

Marcus Luttrell tells his story in Lone Survivor and is reported in A war hero from Huntsville rues a decision made in Afghanistan, By FRITZ LANHAM in the Houston Chronicle,

In June 2005, on a barren mountain high in the Taliban-infested Hindu Kush, Luttrell and three fellow Navy SEALs came together to talk.
Their mission -- to locate and possibly take out an important Taliban leader hiding in the Afghan village below -- had just been compromised.

Three goatherds, one a boy of about 14, had blundered onto their position.

Military discipline is the prompt obediance to orders or the initiation of appropiate action in the absence of orders. In the absence of clear rules of engagement, Marcus Luttrell was on his own. Which is what military officers and civilian managers expect -- to make decisions on minimal information.

As they saw it, they had two options: kill the Afghans, or let them go and hope for the best. They let them go.

It's a decision Luttrell bitterly regrets.

Marcus Luttrell made the decision balancing a possible murder charge -- which would have been demanded by the main stream media -- with the American lives for which he was responsible.

Within hours, more than 100 Taliban fighters descended on the SEAL team. In the terrible gun battle that followed, Murphy, Axelson and Dietz died. A few miles away, a Taliban grenade brought down a rescue helicopter on its way to help the trapped men, killing all 16 aboard. It was the worst day in the 40-year history of the Navy SEALs.

Marcus Luttrell made the wrong decision. He was thinking like a liberal instead of a military officer.

He reports that Axelson favored killing the goatherds. Dietz was neutral. Murphy and Luttrell voted to let them go.

In war every death of a military service member is a public event. Liberal influence has made difficult decisions nearly impossible to get right. Liberals have put our military in a no-win situation.

Losing is what liberals seem to want.

Danny Dietz
SEAL statue creates controversy in Littleton
Sculpture of fallen warrior
to include weapon in hands
City officials said Friday a statue
honoring slain Navy SEAL Danny Dietz
will be erected July 4 despite opposition
from a Littleton group claiming it
glorified violence because he is
depicted holding an automatic rifle.
Above, Dietz poses for a photo
while serving in Afghanistan in 2005.And now these same apparently-self-loathing-liberals do not want a memorial of Navy Seal Dietz with his automatic weapon.

Too violent.

Happy 4th of July.

Thank you (foot)notes:

More on Dietz at the jump.

John Howland writes,

just in case there is anyone ... who wonder[s] what it takes to be a core combat leader -- the first requisite is that you had better be totally prepared to kill -- if that makes you uncomfortable, then you are in the wrong place

See Deadly Double Standards in The Wall Street Journal, where DAVID G. BOLGIANO writes,

Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt is a U.S. Marine who served in combat in Haditha, Iraq, and whose actions on the battlefield have made him the focus of an investigation. He is charged with committing three counts of unpremeditated murder on Nov. 19, 2005.

See Marcus Luttrell is "The One" - Sole Surviving Navy SEAL of the Battle of Asadabad at Black Five.

Continue Reading »

Posted at 9:00 AM | Permalink
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The William Oncken Corporation

3522 Gus Thomasson, Suite 112
Mesquite, Texas 75150-6243

Phone: 972-613-2084

Fax: 972-613-3182

Website: www.onckencorp.com

CONSULTANTS TO MANAGEMENT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Jack Yoest

Management Training of DC, LLC,

Arlington, Virginia

202.215.2434

Jack@Yoest.org

THE WILLIAM ONCKEN CORPORATION ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH

MANAGEMENT TRAINING OF DC, LLC

Dallas, Texas, July 4, 2007 – The William Oncken Corporation (WOC) is pleased to announce it has signed on Management Training of DC, LLC, (MTDC) to launch an initiative to broaden the world-wide reach of WOC’s leadership training products.

Monkey Business
ManagementSince 1961, The William Oncken Corporation, a management consulting company, has trained more than one million managers and leaders. Our flagship seminar, Managing Management Time™, was specifically designed for those individuals in an organization who are valued as much, if not more, for their judgment and influence than for their time and personal effort. WOC is best known through the article, Management Time: Who’s Got the Monkey?, which appeared in the Nov-Dec 1974 issue of the Harvard Business Review. That article has been one of the two most-requested reprints in the history of the Review and has been declared an HBR Classic.

Accenture reports that 30 percent of organizations are “mismanaged.” Which means that judgment and influence skills are being allowed to atrophy. And this results despite billions of dollars being spent annually on training and “employee learning and development.”

In a move to address this need and opportunity, Jack Yoest, President of MTDC, states, “We are honored to have become a licensed agent for WOC. This affiliation will allow us to bring the Managing Management Time™ series to more global leaders. It is exciting because MMT is the proven gold standard in creating an environment where managers can most effectively lead their organizations. We recognize that the imperative today for leaders at all levels of the organization is to be in control of events!”

Jack draws on his background in business, government and the military with expertise in sales and marketing, and senior management development. He has managed entrepreneurial start-up ventures, including medical device companies, high technology, software manufacturers, and business consulting companies.

For additional information on Management Training of DC, LLC call or email Jack Yoest or visit www.Yoest.com

Thank you (foot)notes:

And be sure to visit the new business blog at Management Training of DC.

Posted at 9:23 PM | Permalink
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When a person of note is covered by the media in Your Nation's Capital, three questions are asked by the victim:

1) Is there a picture?

2) Is it above the fold?

3) Is the story running on the weekend?

Lurita Alexis Doan If the newspaper publishes a picture of the person above the fold, then the media outlet is creating the "legs" that the story will take. The media outlet is helping to make the story, the story. And bleeding will follow. Because...

If it bleeds, it leads.

Lurita Alexis Doan, the top executive of the General Services Administration came to DC to make a difference after making a buck. In her old position running a for-profit technology company, she was most familiar with selling to the government and creating wealth and generating jobs.

She knows how to create wealth with efficient and effective management. But there was one skill set her new job in Government required that few for-profit businesses cover in management training:

Multiple points of accountability.

It was not enough for Doan to lead the billion dollar agency, manage her staff, boss and peers, and customers. She also had to manage the press, the public perception, and now, as we have all read, she must deal with the initiative-killing-congress in the person of Henry Waxman.

Representative Waxman is accusing Lurita Doan of a laundry list of offenses, but the most interesting is violating the Hatch Act.

Alert Reader Tom Commented,

Please accurately present facts, in particular the provisions of the Hatch Act. You clearly omit the prohibitions relevant to Ms. Doan's violation: that no employee may engage in political activity while on duty or in a government office. The Hatch Act prohibits far more than the 3 actions you list...

Lurita Doan's Hatch Act "violation" is no worse than driving down Constitution Avenue with a Bush bumper sticker.

Your Business Blogger knows a bit about the line that separates public service as a govenment appointee receiving a government paycheck, and electioneering.

Lurita Doan has been coloring well within the lines of The Hatch Act. At least much better than Your Business Blogger.

Because, unlike Lurita Doan, I inadvertently fudged the line. At least according to the Richmond Times Dispatch.

A number of years ago I sent out an invitation to friends to attend a fund raiser, from my spacious government office. Your Business Blogger,

Used a government computer

Fund raised for a particular candidate

In an election

I goofed. As RTD's Tyler Whitley quickly wrote. But it was not above the fold, there was no picture, and the article was mid-week, but, thankfully, small. I was a dummy and got off light.

Doan is innocent and being condemned under The Hatch Act.

The Hatch Act of 1939 is arcane; difficult to understand and frightfully easy to misinterpret. Think IRS regulations.

But, there was no attempt on her part of using the agency or anything else to compel employees to do any partisan activities.

She made a statement that 6 people apparently heard and 30 people did not.

It was not her meeting, it was set up by her White House liaison and she was not aware of its contents beforehand. She readily admits she should have asked more questions. Of course, these are political appointees and they are allowed leeway in meetings at government buildings. She should have understood the nature the meeting before attending or making any statements. She has since taken steps to make sure all meetings are vetted through counsel and through her ethics staff.

No, Doan is not in violation. This is simply a witch hunt on the part of Democrats to get to the White House. And Democrats imply that only the GOP is being political. Lurita Doan has been caught in the middle of participating in this meeting and possibly making the statement on helping candidates -- remember: Doan does business, not politics. But, she certainly has not advocated or pushed the GSA employees to do anything in an election.

An election that is still a year and half away.

The issue is more than any confusion over The Hatch Act. The Democrat attack machine sees Lurita Alexis Doan as a two-fer:

1) A George Bush appointee, and

2) A business person.

The liberal media and liberal Democrats don't care for either.

Dan Gainor
Director Business and Media Institute I had lunch the other day with Dan Gainor, pictured at left, below the fold, who is the The Boone Pickens Free Market Fellow and Director of the Business and Media Institute -- a part of Brent Bozell's Media Research Center. I ask him about the liberal bias -- the media bias against businessmen. "Nearly every businessman is shown by Hollywood to be a crook, or worse," says Gainor. Portraited as monsters. Or hypocrites, like, say, a church-going thief. As he writes in Bad Company: For the American Businessman, Primetime is Crimetime,

One enduring American cultural image is the man in the gray flannel suit. A businessman, with briefcase in tow and tie crisply knotted, who left the family for an honest day's work and eventually returned home worn and weary. But TV long ago abandoned that icon and replaced it with the stereotype of corporate evil.

And Democrats believing this script -- and all that flickers for truth in Hollywood -- hate Bush, hate capitalism, hate businessmen.

Lurita Alexis Doan knows how to make money in the Free Market and is on the Bush management team. Making Doan the (immediate) target.

Capitalism bested communism. But Capitalism and Business will have a bigger challenge with liberal Democrats like Henry Waxman in Congress.

Thank you (foot)notes:

See Christopher J. Dorobek's take at the jump.

See Lurita Alexis Doan: Good Management Meets Bad Politics

And How To Cut The Federal Budget at a Government Agency by Lurita Alexis Doan

Did Doan understand The Manager’s Mission? Bob Novak indicates that Doan clearly does not enjoy the support of her management molecule: Boss, Peers, Staff, Customers. See Hatch Act Hatchet Job.

Testimonial Two-Step has more on DC tactics.

Also see NewsBusters for exposing and combating liberal media bias.

Continue Reading »

Posted at 2:47 PM | Permalink
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A homecoming at a Navy pier
Norfolk, Virginia, undated Homecomings are exciting. And none more so as when a ship returns to port. To family.

But not all boats return.

The picture at left was taken by a shipboard Navy photographer capturing the emotion of waiting wives and children. Mom is seen at the lower right.

Every year around father's day, our household remembers how very lucky we are. To celebrate dads and sacrifice. And the boys who never became dads.

This piece was originally published by The Virginian Pilot and the Courier Post.

My father, then only a teen-ager from Jersey, left high school, went to war and was assigned to the submarine, USS Bonefish. Just before the final mission of the Bonefish, my father walked off the gangplank - transferred to another assignment. Another man took his place.

USS Bonefish,
Returning from her 4th patrol.
Sailors, rest your oars.

On its eighth mission, on June 18, 1945, the Bonefish was lost fighting the enemy in the Sea of Japan, with the loss of all 53 officers and men. It was the last U.S. submarine sunk in World War II. Dad eventually went back to high school and married my mother.

The other man is "on eternal patrol," as the veterans say.

A half-century later, after fighting in and surviving two wars, my father was buried in Arlington Cemetery. He had the chance to raise a family and devote 30 years to the armed services, and pin second lieutenant bars on my shoulders.

He didn't talk much about the Bonefish or the man who replaced him.

Still, I imagine in some Navy Valhalla my dad and this other sailor linked up together and asked the Creator, "Why?"

"Why him? Why me?"

John Sr. with John Jr.

War forces these questions on us, and they echo for generations. My father had me, and I now have a 4-year-old son, John, who carries his grandfather's name and his love of battle and discipline.

John III with
John Jr. (Jack) John, like all children, often asks, "Why?" Like all fathers, I struggle to answer. But there are questions mere human reason cannot fathom.

Why was my father not on that submarine that fateful day?

And the answer does not come. Only that John now lives. With a purpose and a destiny still unknown.

When my wife was pregnant with our first child, someone asked her, "What is your greatest fear?" She answered that it was losing her husband; she feared the possibility of facing the awesome responsibility of motherhood alone.

But now, several children later, as I reflect on that same question, my fear is not of losing her, or even one of our daughters. I fear losing my son. In my masculine pride, I believe I can protect my wife and girls, but in my heart lurks the dread possibility that I must one day send my son to war.

My boy loves my cavalry saber and my dad's medals. Wearing a military uniform and military service runs in our family. My son's bloodline is traced through the Civil War and the Revolutionary War to William Penn to Charlemagne of ninth century France. His great-grandfather helped build Virginia Military Institute.

I pray the time never comes, but if it does, I expect that he will fight for God and country like his fathers before him.

Buried at sea, there are no headstones. I cannot mark the grave of the man who took my father's place, so I mark the date. I pay silent homage in remembrance of June 18, 1945, when the sea smashed through the bulkheads and turned a warship into a coffin.

There have been many such coffins, and if history is any teacher there are many yet to come.

When I think of future wars, I pray that a doomed high-tech Bonefish will not carry my John. The fear of this nearly unendurable loss humbles me. That young man who walked on the Bonefish to take my father's place was another man's son. Another man's dreams lost at sea.

War turns civilization on its head. In peace, sons bury fathers. In war, fathers bury sons.

It is a weighty debt. A debt of honor due. I expect to instill in my son a sense of history, of purpose, of his mission. That his body is not entirely his own, that he has a high calling.

I hope that I can teach him the lessons of his forefathers, those men now called the Greatest Generation.

It is my prayer that instilling this sense of mission will drive out the distractions, temptations and destructions of his growing generation. That drugs will not cloud his ambition. That he will see the hand of divine providence moving in his life.

That he will know he has so much to be thankful for. Like his fathers before him.

I pray he will be grateful, like his grandfather. It is my charge to tell my son that another man took his grandfather's place. My son has the duty, and like me, the obligation to his family and to that other man, to live with a sense of purpose and awe.

To live with a sense of respect to the tomb of that other young submariner.

This June 18, I want to salute the man who died for me and the men who died for us all. I want my son to know his debt of honor. And, God willing, my son will bury me.

John Wesley Yoest, Jr., of Richmond, is [the former] assistant secretary for the Department of Health and Human Resources for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Thank you (foot)notes:

Since this was first published a few years ago, Your Business Blogger has been honored to hear from other veterans who served on the Bonefish and naval historians. There were actually 85 men lost aboard the Bonefish and another boat holds the distinction of last sub lost in the war.

Charmaine blogged on the Bonefish June years past.

James and Jack And, since this article was written, we've added John's brother James to the family -- here he is in the same sailor suit that dad sewed by hand while at sea decades and decades ago. Sons (and grandsons) of thunder.

See here for our visit to Arlington Cemetery.

Alert reader Greg Gray reminds us that,

"In peace, sons bury fathers. In war, fathers bury sons."

That comes from Herodotus 1:87. But it's still a wonderful point. Also relevant to today is Pericles' oration in Thucydides' Peloponnesian Wars.

Published: June 18, 1999
Section: LOCAL, page B11
Type of story: OPINION
Source: JOHN WESLEY YOEST
© 1999- Landmark Communications Inc.

Description of illustration(s):
Art by Margaret Scott

See Five Days in May: USS Scorpion Lost another boat that did not come home.

Be sure to visit Ron Newton with A Noble Generation Of Workers Matured The Hard Way.

Posted at 7:47 AM | Permalink
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New Navy Recruiting Poster (child) If a task is too easy, men won't do it.

A team will pull together and accomplish most any project if it is perceived as a "Peak Experience."

But most management training and large organizations may not be challenging enough to develop teams or develop leaders.

Naval writer Patrick O'Brien speaks to the challenge that men need. In the age of sail and tall masts, sailors climbing aloft would have to pass through -- or around -- the crow's nest.

The men would take the more difficult and dangerous route.

They would climb around the outside edge of the crow's nest. Grabbing the rigging hand-over-hand dangling 50 feet or more above deck.

Rather than take the safer and easier and more direct route through the lubber's hole in the crow's nest.

The lubber's hole was the easy way. For sissies.

Real men demand a challenge. Real men keep score. Real men duel. They do not sit through Anger Management classes.

Crow's Nest and Lubber's Hole Winning must never be seen as easy. Like winning the Super Bowl in the NFL, the winner is celebrated, the loser humiliated.

The losing team does not have to wear Baby Blue.

But perhaps they should.

Every program, every management training program should have a wash-out rate. And the organization should brag about it.

Avoid the lubber's hole. Make it difficult.

Lubber's Hole

Thank you (foot)notes:

Your Business Blogger has an interest in advancing the training of managers; see Management Training of DC. It is not easy.

Alert Reader's will remember O'Brien's Captain Aubrey did, in fact use the lubber's hole when climbing aloft. Captain Aubrey did not have to prove his physical prowess. (He was actually, well, a bit chubby.) He knew how and when to prove himself to his crew. The mature manager knows the difference.

Navy Recruiting poster citation at USNA-at-Large, hat tip to John Howland.

Well done sir, God loves a pedant, though I find them poor pitiful fellows more use on land than aboard a king's ship, they are the sort who would use the lubbers' hole in a mere topgallant breeze. :)

UPDATE: More from the USNA Alums at the jump.

Continue Reading »

Posted at 8:14 AM | Permalink
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Some time ago, Your Business Blogger was invited by FOX NEWS to discuss social programs in the military and the new Congress. Following are the back of the envelope notes for the show prep.

Damascus Nancy Pelosi
Courtesy: Rush Limbaugh Liberal Democrats have taken control of Congress in this terrible time of war. What does this mean for the armed services?

High on the law makers' agenda is the Global War on Terror. The debate raging over our involvement in Iraq has been high profile and headline-grabbing.

But there is another agenda; a hidden one that isn't making headlines. An agenda that is attempting to change the culture of our military.

High on the hidden agenda is to advance liberal ideologies by remaking the military. This re-engineering campaign is a three-pronged effort:

1) Reinstituting the draft
2) Entrenching women in combat and
3) Encourage homosexuals in the military.

The Draft

Democratic Congressman Charlie Rangel is pushing the draft, using involuntary conscription as a legislative tactic to end what he sees as an unpopular war by having even smart rich white kids get killed.

But what is driving the congressman’s hidden agenda is to provide manpower in the cultural war. A few years ago army veteran Rangel first introduced legislation to bring back the draft for both men and women; with no exception for conscientious objectors. Draftees would “volunteer” for some approved social public-works. Liberals want legions of indentured servants for government programs.

The purpose of the draft is to maintain military numerical strength in an extreme national emergency. Because the draft is designed for combat replacements, only men -- not women must currently register.

But many social engineers including Rangel would want women drafted to fight in combat.

Women in Combat

Men have to do 3 chin-ups to be in the
Marines. Women don't have to do any. Zero. None.The hidden agenda also includes advancing women in land combat. President Bush has clearly stated that women will not be placed in land combat and be subjected to Direct Ground Fire. But the left-leaning Flags of senior generals and admirals are not only placing women in harm’s way but also into combat. 77 women have died in our current war, where only 16 died in Vietnam, most of them were nurses.

Feminist have long preached that men and women are interchangeable and that being a male or female was simply a social construct. The new congress will want to advance these egalitarian goals in the mistake of pursuing the women’s vote as (former) senator George Allen did. (See Allen's support of women at VMI.)

But the military is not subject to the Equal Opportunity and Employment Commission. The battlefield is not regulated by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration.

Combat is violence against women.

Liberal Democrats in the coming months will force the armed services to evolve, to grow; to achieve higher consciousness. Liberals in Congress will demand EEO hires into OSHA compliant combat to remake a new and improved military.

The end result is a liberal Department of Defense which may or may not win any wars but will pass EEO muster.

After training by feminists in Anger Management.

Over the past few years, armed forces policy has been the domain of the generals and less of the civilians elected and appointed. The civilian leadership ceded control to the Pentagon Brass. Empty civilian Armani’s were replaced with Class A military Uniforms.

Not that there's necessarily anything wrong with that...

Except the military leadership was as liberal as the civilians they replaced. Forgetting the true job of the armed forces. The purpose of our military has a single goal: To defend our institutions. Our way of life. Freedom. Congress is charged with providing for the common defense.

Unfortunately Democrats in Congress will demand control to change the culture of the military.

Lifting the Homosexual Ban

As recently as 1993, Congress affirmed in law that homosexuality is incompatible with military service. But Clinton-era "Don't Ask; Don't Tell" regulations contradict the law and cause confusion. Democrats and homosexual activists will use the confusion to work to remove the regulation and change the law, in a single synchronized move.

The key difference in our current culture wars is in understanding unit cohesion. This is the unique bond that is needed for survival in combat necessary for victory. Unit cohesion is all but unknown and nearly unnecessary in the civilian world.

In 1982 the Department of Defense said that he presence of homosexuals, adversely affects the ability … to maintain discipline and morale; to foster mutual trust. And unlike the civilian workplace military men and women, …must live and work under close conditions affording minimal privacy…. Sexual attraction and tension destroys unit cohesion and may detract from mission accomplishment.

Few civilian shift managers expect employees not to date each other. Few first line supervisors expect staff to jump on stray hand grenades.

What should Congress do?

Liberal Democrats have a hidden agenda for changing the military culture. But what should our law makers do instead to improve military readiness?

Keep the volunteer army. As recent studies by The Heritage Foundation have shown, our current All-Volunteer Army is well motivated, well education and truly looks like America. If the Pentagon needs more young men for combat, President Bush can lead the recruiting drive by call to arms from his bully pulpit. We have heard no such exhortation from the President.

The Army can follow the president’s orders and keep women away from Direct Ground Combat. The president can order the Pentagon to stop the charade of assigning women to non-combat units, then attaching and “co-locating” women with combat units. At the very least, the military can hold women to the same physical training standards as men.

The Pentagon can repeal the Don't Army Don't Tell regulations. And keep the current laws against Gays-Lesbian-Bi-sexuals and Transgender genders from serving in the military. Even Hillary Rodham Clinton, then-Vice-President Al Gore and President Bill Clinton have admitted that Don’t Ask; Don’t Tell was a failure.

Homosexuals can honorably serve our country in many ways, including,

Peace Corps,
America Corps,

But not the
Marine Corps

We are a nation with citizen soldiers. We should not burden combat leaders with the needs of citizen cross-dressers. "Unfair" as it may be.

It is enough to ask the combat leader to fight and win battles with out being worried about the special needs of gender-identity politics.

By taking these actions we might have a prayer in the Global War on Terror. Because if we fail, any prayers we have will be toward Mecca.

Posted at 6:56 AM | Permalink
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Your Business Blogger Where should the small business owner invest a modest marketing budget?

Your Business Blogger had a conversation with Mary Crane, a reporter for Forbes.com and reviewed the management and marketing challenges of small business owners.

Her article will be out tomorrow, Wednesday, 16 May 2007 in the Entrepreneurs section of Forbes.com. Click thru and let me know what you think.

Forbes.com

Thank you (foot)notes:

Anita Campbell and Steve at Rucinski Small Business Trends and Small Business Trends Radio were the vectors for Forbes and Reasoned Audacity. Book mark SBT and SBTR. I have.

Posted at 9:24 AM | Permalink
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gapingvoid.com
by Hugh MacLeodDoes business need managers? Or first-line supervisors?

Or should organizations simply go Greek and give every citizen-employee a voice and a vetoing vote?

The corporation as pure democracy.

This was the theme of a Wall Street Journal article, Managing: Can a Company Be Run as a Democracy? By-line JACLYNE BADAL. She writes of a company, Ternary, and begins:

"Ternary runs itself as a democracy, and every decision must be unanimous. Any of Ternary's 13 other employees could have challenged [a] decision and force[d] it to be revisited.

Running a company democratically sounds like a recipe for anarchy, and it can prompt bureaucratic whiplash: Ternary, a company with annual revenues of around $2 million, adjusted salaries for employees up and down several times last year."

Goodness. Alert Reader Pat Patterson questioned the company structure:

I notice that the writer seems to use egalitarian companies and democratically run companies interchangeably. I remember that you have posted on the antithesis of these methods and hoped you might comment...concerning this report.

Plus I was dismayed to see that several of these companies were willing to experiment with democratic decision making with the caveat, "We can try it and see how it works." Seemingly without any awareness of how much damage that could do to the stockholders.

Patterson seems to have greater insight on human behavior and organizational development than the reporter, the CEO or Traci Fenton:

Advocates say such systems appeal to workers, particularly younger ones, searching for careers with meaning. "Everyone wants to be a somebody," says Traci Fenton, founder of WorldBlu Inc., a Washington organization that promotes workplace democracy.

And that is the challenge for managers and stockholders. Younger workers today, not really needing money or security, are moving up on Maslow's hierarchy of needs, challenging any corporate hierarchy on their way to becoming self-actualized beings. (Maslow once said that a man could only be self-actualized after living a full life past 50.)

But not these days. Structure is out. Boot-licking is out.

If there were no problems, or no change of any kind, or no exciting opportunities to compete for capital budget allocation, there would be no need for that overhead known as the Manager.

However, democratic-egalitarian management can work in some cases. If . . .

If there is no profit result needed, as in some non-profits (that exist to improve the human condition, as Peter Drucker says).

Or a church governing body where each deacon or ruling elder has a veto -- the ruling council understanding that a dissenter's motives are pure and he is accountable to a higher authority.

Democratic-egalitarian management can work in academia where really smart people debate (but where the politics are the most vicious) and Deans rotate much like a volleyball team. And there are seldom "emergencies" threatening people's lives or the life of the organization. Except when it doesn't. Note the lack of a prompt and proper response at Virginia Tech.

It might work in small software companies using a matrix management structure which diffuses lines of authority with multiple points of accountability. It works only because the code-slaves (used to) have stock options which would make them rich in short order. These are smart, well-motivated workers who are the owners of the enterprise. They are the bosses. However:

Harry Katz, dean of Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations, doubts a system like Ternary's could work on a large scale. In bigger companies, "there's an inevitable conflict of interest between managers and employees," Mr. Katz says. General Motors Corp.'s Saturn plant in Spring Hill, Tenn., for instance, experimented with giving employees a strong voice in management, but later moved back to a more-traditional structure, he says.

Reporter Badal doesn't explain why the experiment didn't work. But we can imagine.

We are all equal in the eyes of the Creator or under the blind eyes of Justice. But we are not equal to each other. Egalitarianism is for commies and the French. Not for profit. Sorry.

Your Business Blogger may not be able to fire an employee for incompetence these days, but I can fire for insubordination. Or I might be tasked with reducing headcount. To improve profits. The manager's vote counts: yours may not. Sorry.

Democratic-egalitarian management will not work for most organizations because, sooner or later, the building will catch on fire. Emergencies will not permit much discussion, or consensus, or a vote tally. Sometimes there isn't time.

And someone has to be in charge. The Captain of the ship.

And even if the building is not burning, too much 'consensus building' is exhausting for the manager and paralyzing to the organization.

Bill Clinton famously had enormous staff meetings with each participant partici-panting. The meetings ran long. Clinton ran late. Nothing got done.

Oh, well, maybe there is a place for Democratic management...

Thank you (foot)notes:

Are Managers Sociopaths?

How does the Army market and manage today's youth? What happened to the Army of One?

And what's up with all the tattoos? And why don't I see body piercings on the Starbucks employee?

Deon Binneman on Managing Reputation has 10 Tips for better Organizational Communication. And may soon know how to moderate trackbacks.

Tom McMahon has a good example of poor management.

The Wall Street Journal article is available by subscription.

Posted at 7:04 PM | Permalink
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Advertisement: A Sales Presentation. If you are looking for the Managing Management Time(tm) seminars, please vist Management Training of DC.


Are You Controlling Events, or
Are Events Controlling You?

This is a brief introduction to the Managing Management Time (tm) Leadership Equation,

It has been said that "no manager" is an island.

Where your performance is a combination of the competencies -- skills, traits and proficiencies -- you bring to the job and the Organizational Molecular Support that is provided by your Boss, Peers and Staff.

In the "real world" -- where most of us live most of the time! -- the "demand" for this support almost always exceeds the available "supply".

This means there is and will continue to be competition for those limited resources.

Amateurs believe they have an inherent right to the support they need.

Oncken professionals know that the support must be earned.

While the "luck element" is inescapably a factor in results, it must not be a component of the individual's performance evaluation.

Oncken's Third Law summarizes our strategy for dealing with the "luck element" in life, where,

Each individual must so marshal his competencies and molecular resources that he is able to:

Capitalize on good luck when it occurs (as an opportunist),
Reach his objectives as planned when luck is neutral, and

Exercise maximum damage control (as a troubleshooter) when bad luck occurs.

While the "luck element" is inescapably a factor in results, it must not be a component of the individual's performance evaluation.

Oncken's Fourth Law warns that:

If you want to build a culture characterized by creativity, effective execution and high morale, your people must only be evaluated (and thus rewarded or reprimanded) for what they can control or influence, and NOT for the 'luck element' in their jobs.

This requires that "Criteria" be established against which performance will be evaluated, irrespective of the results achieved. "Criteria", as used here, are NOT, themselves, shorter term goals and objectives.

If we had to reduce the mission statement or vision statement of any manager or leader to only two words, it would be to:

Control Events.

Simply stated, if we are not controlling events, then they will be controlling us.

To even have a shot at controlling events, it presupposes the ability to simultaneously do three (3!) things:

1) Anticipate critical future events which impact on the organization.

2) Be flexible enough to adapt to changing circumstances in the present.

3) Be able to learn from past experiences (both our own and those of others).

Your Business Blogger(r)
Management MythsSince its founding in 1960, the mission of The William Oncken Corporation has been to provide training that will best position each individual in their organizations to control events.

The action verbs -- anticipate, adapt and learn -- describe our continuing responsibilities wherever we are in our careers.

For more information, please contact:

The William Oncken Corporation
3522 Gus Thommasson Rd. Suite 112
Mesquite, TX 75150 USA
Phone: (972) 613-2084
Fax: (972) 613-3182

Or email Your Business Blogger

Advertisement Please comment on the pitch.

Managing Management Time (tm) is the intellectual property of The William Oncken Company and is protected and can be reproduced only with the permission of The William Oncken Company.

Cross Post at Management Training. Please email me for comments or questions.

Posted at 2:44 PM | Permalink
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Truth
Sculpture by
Gianlorenzo Bernini
1652 An ancient Jewish Proverb goes He that covers his sins shall not prosper. There seems to be a disturbing trend that hiring managers are facing: job candidates who lie.

Director Mitch, The Window Manager, one of the best business blogs in the business, had a reader in a job interview with a dilemma:

How should a job candidate handle embarrassing, possibly unethical questions from a hiring authority?

He gives three interesting options. "I see the hiring process as a battle with HR and will use any means, fair or unfair, to trip them up," says Mitch. That's because he views questions about why any employee who left a previous job as "unethical" to begin with. So Mitch asserts that an unethical question does not deserve an ethical answer.

Your Business Blogger is not so sure.

I once asked my favorite management guru, Bill Oncken, about the challenge of dealing with supervisors who cross ethical lines from right to wrong. His wise advice was to separate, or fire, or not hire, or run away from any hint of a lack of character.

Only deal with people with integrity, says Oncken; who is filthy rich and never married with no hungry kids who need shoes and private schools. (His hobby is skydiving -- out of boredom, I believe.)

But as the Window Manager outlines, sometimes you really, really need the job.

We've all been there. Sometimes we rationalize that ". . .the HR kumquat is a jerk who didn't ask a fair question, or a legal question, . . . and no one will ever find out if there's fudging on the job application. Evil deserves contempt. (Anti) Personnel departments don't actually add value to a company, anyway." Or so the thought goes.

When faced with an unethical boss or an unethical hiring manager, Bill Oncken, author of Managing Management Time, suggests leaving immediately. Even when the hit hurts your wallet.

"Sometimes," Oncken says, "You have to finance your integrity."

And this requires monetary as well as emotional maturity that not all of us possess.

I would not recommend lying as a response to any question, no matter how awful or illegal the interrogation. But Mitch does suggest humor or a superlative as a possible way out of troubling questions. As in "I took time off to train for my ascent of Everest." Or something like that.

Humor is a dodge that Your Business Blogger used to use. My heartfelt response to questions about my misspent youth is, I'm not responsible for anything that happened during the Nixon Administration.

If humor or deflection does not work -- that last sentence never worked for me -- brutal truth might be necessary.

Years ago, I was once fired by a company - twice - in the same month, both times by fax, the insulting medium of the day. I would always reveal this firing whenever asked. I would explain that it was the dangerous downside of working for thinly capitalized companies in trouble. And my explanation had the added benefit of being true.

I would always get the hard stuff out of the way soonest. I would put it all on the table. Just as sales pro's know: Whoever raises the objection, owns the objection. And get the "no's" out early.

On my hiring travels as interviewer and --ee, I've learned that there are two kinds of problems: big and small.

Many small problems perhaps can be side-stepped - without being untruthful, like my little incident deep in North Carolina. (Hint: Never throw drink bottles from a '57 Chevy at high speed.)

Early in my career, whenever that "Were you ever arrested?" silly question would come up, I would always write in NA. Drag racing on the interstate highway system was truly "Not Applicable" to the entry level sales job I was hunting. And if any explanation was required, I wanted to do it in person, rather than be eliminated by rote in HR. A face-to-face sales presentation has the highest close rate.

Fortunately, I don't have big problems, like a felony conviction, but the terminations come close. I have been fired more times than any single reader of this reputable blog. Goodness, I'll bet I've been fired more than ALL you readers combined, including Rush Limbaugh.

But there is hope for big problems on this side of eternity: Find a Friend. Any real position or client these days will be 1) A created position, 2) In high technology and 3) With someone you know.

Clients and projects and employment come these days through a network of friends and contacts. Who love you.

Like I do.

And that's no lie.

To thine own self be true,
and it must follow,
as the night the day,
thou canst not then be false to any man. Shakespeare.

So. When to lie? Let slip a little fib?

Never.

Don't bear false witness -- even about yourself.

Was this helpful? Do comment.
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Thank you (foot)notes:

It is not known if Rush Limbaugh actually reads this blog.

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Roger NadeauBeethoven once said, "Man has no nobler or more valuable possession than time..." Your Business Blogger was reminded of this yesterday. Major General Roger A. Nadeau gave a briefing on his portfolio to business leaders. I asked him his greatest challenge in running a large organization:

Managing time. The time to put resources to where my people need them -- or me...My office is BWI Airport.

Nadeau is the Commanding General, U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command. Nadeau runs, or today, flys to the sound of the guns. General Nadeau was an Armor Officer, before general's stars removed branch designations.

He manages by 'walking (or flying) around.' What was impressive was not his modeling the Army's new stylish combat fatigues, pictured above. It was his emphasis on generating discretionary management time to visit, to counsel, to lead, face-to-face. He manages to make time to do this. He commands and controls his own time.

Ludwig van Beethoven by
Joseph Karl Stieler (1820)Beethoven's quote continues, "...never put off till tomorrow what you can do today." The Army gets it right: Proper management of time can give anyone more of the music of this "valuable possession."

This is your most valuable asset: discretionary time.

Bookmark this site to learn more on getting these time skills.

Was this helpful? Email me.

Thank you (foot)notes:

Mudville Gazette has Open Post.

Common Sense Runs Wild has trackbacks.

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