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Michael Feuer
What have we learned today?
One of my favorite cable news shows is MSNBC's "Morning Joe," featuring co-anchors Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski. At the conclusion of each broadcast these anchors, along with all of the day's guests, stand up and answer the question, "What have we learned today?"
Everyone who chairs a business meeting should ask participants this same question at the conclusion of the session. One word of warning: be prepared for some surprising responses. Too many meetings are simply an exercise in futility with nothing of substance accomplished because nobody learned anything new. While the presenter thinks the information is relevant and revealing, the participants are left hanging in a fog. When you ask be, prepared for responses such as:
- The passive participant states: "I understand the purpose of the meeting was sort of, kind of about, oh, you know..."
- The politically astute replies: "Boss, this was the best meeting ever, I got it and I know what to do," as he or she thinks, "Oh my God, I have to find someone who can figure out what we're supposed to do."
- The secure realist mumbles a few unintelligible words, while rolling his or her eyes. Translation: another waste of valuable time.
The difference between success and failure frequently hinges on the clarity of the goals, and who has to do what by when.
I've never met anyone who gets up in the morning, gets out of bed and says to him or herself, "I can't wait to get to work so I can screw up." It just doesn't happen. Unfortunately, what does happen frequently is that employees don't understand the objective at hand or what direction should they take in achieving it.
Most company goals and objectives are first introduced in a meeting where reasonably intelligent people gather to combine their thoughts and craft a plan. If in the meeting the goals are not appropriately communicated then it's a very good bet that either what was discussed never gets off the ground or, if it does, the undertaking will crash and burn in short order.
There are a few basics that can make all of us better communicators, particularly when chairing meetings. Of course, everyone knows they need an agenda for the meeting, but few follow their own outline. Out of the blue someone will bring up a point and then suddenly the meeting turns into a free-for-all and ends as a pointless exercise in how not to do it. I have fantasized that most meetings should be conducted standing up. This would force participants to get to the point before their backs begin to ache, knees get wobbly and feet turn numb.
There's an old adage: "Chance favors those who prepare." After preparing an agenda for your meetings, are you spending enough time flushing out what you want to really convey and what action, reaction you want to evoke? For this to occur you just can't throw a topic against the wall and hope it sticks. People need to be guided down the path. Another major pitfall of most sessions is that executives try to stuff 10 pounds of topics into a 5-pound bag. Keep the agenda manageable, covering the most important topics first, and stay on track while watching the clock as if you're playing in a college basketball game and you must score "the points you need" before the final buzzer sounds.
Always appoint an active participant in the meeting, not an administrative assistant, as the scribe. Rotate the responsibility among those who attend reoccurring sessions. It's amazing how people will stay alert and think before they talk when they know their utterances may be indelibly recorded. Also, the notes from every meeting must be published for all attendees by the next morning.
Finally, assign accountability to the individuals with a due date for each task. After a completion date is assigned the person responsible can say if they can't make the deadline, "I need more time, I don't want to do it because it's a bad idea, I don't know how to do it, or I need more help." What they can't do is ignore the assignment and pretend it never happened.
At the conclusion of your next meeting, go around the table and ask, "What have you learned today?" If you don't ask, they won't tell and, more importantly, you'll never know.
Michael Feuer co-founded OfficeMax in 1988, starting with one store and $20,000 of his own money. During a 16-year span, Feuer, as CEO, grew the company to almost 1,000 stores worldwide with annual sales of approximately $5 billion before selling this retail giant for almost $1.5 billion in December 2003. In 2010, Feuer launched another retail concept, Max-Wellness, a first of its kind chain featuring more than 7,000 products for head-to-toe care. Feuer serves on a number of corporate and philanthropic boards and is a frequent speaker on business, marketing and building entrepreneurial enterprises. "The Benevolent Dictator," a book by Feuer that chronicles his step-by-step strategy to build business and create wealth, will be published by John Wiley & Sons in late spring 2011. Reach him with comments at firstname.lastname@example.com.
A straight line is not always the best route
As smart as most seasoned executives think they are, many have prematurely pulled the trigger because of the need for speed. The pressure is always there: Do it now, get it done, make it happen today. Most of the time, experienced managers can pull this off with minimal damage. But every once in a while when the stars and moon don't align as planned, a serious misstep can occur and be darn near lethal. In the rush to solve problems or take advantage of opportunities, executives take shortcuts as well they should, provided that they pause periodically for a sanity check to ensure they're not sacrificing quality for speed.
The reason we accelerate at breakneck speeds is probably because from day one we have been taught that the shortest distance between point A and point B is a straight line. Much of the blame emanates from ninth-grade geometry class. With a protractor and compass in hand, it probably makes sense to use this mathematical discipline to solve problems or accomplish objectives. However, this is not necessarily the smartest trajectory to employ in business.
Whether it's creating a new business methodology, developing a unique marketing strategy or building a business, many times a deliberate detour or zigzag can save time, money and angst. Anyone that's been in the game of business for even a short time learns quickly that there is seldom a cut-and-dried solution where one starts at the beginning and proceeds directly to the finish line. Most times creating something new is an iterative process that requires flexibility and occasionally a jagged line to produce what is promised.
Let's say that your plan is to create a new product by following a traditional process and timeline. You devise all of the steps necessary to assign the tasks, priorities, critical steps and a comprehensive action plan. When done, the good times are supposed to roll. Instead, the reality of the creation process usually has a variety of twists and turns with which you must deal. Following your script in order to get the new product to market, you follow time-proven prescribed steps. However, at midpoint someone discovers that the color, the size or the smell of the widget just won't fly.
Instead of panicking or pulling the pin on the project and its development, the leader decides to call a timeout, take a deep breath and launch a series of additional consumer focus group sessions to do a deep dive to determine what's wrong and what are the real hot buttons with the targeted consumers. Sure, this will cause a temporary delay and cost a few extra dollars, but at the end of the process, it will likely accelerate the positive results because the product will go to market hitting the bull's eye of what the customer really wants and needs. Alternatively, if the team simply forged ahead in order to bring the product to market on schedule, it might have been completed, but simply put, the product would have flopped like a bad Broadway play.
At that point, the new product might be killed not because it's the wrong product but because it's the wrong color or size or it smells funny. This results in numerous confessions of mea culpa, heads rolling and money wasted.
Certainly speed counts and getting it right the first time without delay is a very good thing, but in the real world, unfortunately, it just doesn't happen that way most times. Running full out with the gas pedal to the floor might make it seem like you're leaving the competition in the dust, but in actuality, you could be making flawed decisions that come back to haunt you.
Everyone knows somebody who perpetually leaves the stadium before the big game ends, jumps in the car and drives home like a maniac, only to get in the house, plop down on the couch and proclaim, "I'm home." Now what? Getting the job half done because you draw a straight line between two points is like going hell-bent for election but forgetting to take voter polls along the way. This usually results in defeat.
Michael Feuer co-founded OfficeMax in 1988. Starting with one store and $20,000 of his own money, Feuer, as CEO, grew the company to almost 1,000 stores worldwide with annual sales approximately $5 billion before selling this retail giant for almost $1.5 billion in December 2003. In 2010, Feuer launched another retail concept, Max-Wellness, a first of its kind wellness chain featuring more than 7,000 products for head-to-toe care. Feuer serves on a number of corporate and philanthropic boards and is a frequent speaker on business, marketing and building entrepreneurial enterprises. Reach him with comments at firstname.lastname@example.com.
People, people, people
W e've all heard the overused refrain that the three factors that matter most in the success of a business are location, location, location. However, at the top of my list, I would substitute people, people, people.
The problem is that, at some point, you have made or will make people mistakes. Either you selected the wrong person or you went awry in providing the employee direction and guidance. What must you do when you discover your misjudgment? It gets down to two choices. First, try to fix the problem, or secondly, when all else fails, eliminate the problem.
One of the most costly issues facing all organizations is turnover, but it can be even more costly to keep the wrong person in the wrong job. As much as you hope that, miraculously, the situation will improve, it seldom does. When all else fails, you'll have to correct your error because the Good Fairy won't.
Most smart companies today have numerous checkpoints to minimize bad hires. These include multiple interviews by various executives in the organization, psychological and work-style assessments to improve the odds, and a thorough vetting of the candidate's historical performance elsewhere, knowing that a tiger doesn't change its stripes.
Even after taking all of these precautions, sometimes the union between employer and employee just doesn't click. This results in having the wrong person in the wrong job or having the right person with the wrong attitude. When this occurs, the savior you thought would almost walk on water will start sinking faster than the Titanic did after hitting that humongous iceberg. The worst and most damaging action, or lack thereof, is to let inertia set in, while continuing to hope that there will be some form of divine intervention that will improve the performance of your fallen superstar.
The only logical course of action is to do a double-check and take a sobering look at yourself in the mirror to make sure the problem is not you. Ask yourself these simple questions: Am I giving the appropriate direction, setting realistic expectations and providing the necessary support? If you checked the "yes" box for all three of these, then it is time to solve your problem.
Start by having a heart-to-heart sit-down with the employee and ask him or her some tough questions. Among them: Do you have a clue that you are not getting the job done? Do you realize you are doing more damage than good, and what on Earth is the problem? This is no time to mince words because, just like the Titanic, the person is sinking more deeply by the minute.
If you get very lucky, the employee will have that aha moment and say, "I had no idea." Then there's still some slim hope that you can create a road map to get this underperformer back on the reservation. If you pursue this course, make sure that you set a specific timetable as to what has to be done by when and what measurement you will use to judge improvements. This type of open communication can work and the laggard might just do a 180 and get back in the game.
Most times, no matter how much both sides try, it just won't work. When you realize that you are no Mother Theresa, it is time to move to Plan B. Under this scenario, it gets down to damage control and plugging the gaping hole in your hull. This means bringing together other members of the team and figuring out who will do what until you find the next Mr. or Ms. Right. Don't be surprised to discover that once you air the problem with your associates, you'll learn that the underperformer's deficiencies were the company's worst kept secret. Typically, once you decide enough is enough, your team's reaction will be, "What took you so long?"
No leader likes to make people mistakes. However, when it happens and you can be guaranteed that at some point it will you cannot afford to prolong the problem. Never forget that the three keys to your success are: people, people, people who consistently get it right and deliver on their promises.
Michael Feuer co-founded OfficeMax in 1988. Starting with one store and $20,000 of his own money, Feuer, as CEO, grew the company to almost 1,000 stores worldwide with annual sales approximately $5 billion before selling this retail giant for almost $1.5 billion in December 2003. In 2010, Feuer launched another retail concept, Max-Wellness, a first of its kind wellness chain featuring more than 7,000 products for head-to-toe care. Feuer serves on a number of corporate and philanthropic boards and is a frequent speaker on business, marketing and building entrepreneurial enterprises. Reach him with comments at email@example.com.
In the heat of battle, learn to count to 10
No matter your job title, from file clerk to CEO, you have most likely at one time or another had the urge to take an action that would be immediately gratifying making you feel good for at least a minute anyway. However, deep down inside you knew that you had better count to 10 before acting with your gut instead of your head.
What can make a grown businessperson want to act spontaneously without thinking of the consequences? The list is likely endless. Example: A customer calls you and wants a better price for the fifth time in the same month. While listening to this utterly insulting request, a little voice in your head is saying, "Tell this numskull to take his or her business and put it somewhere a professional should never suggest."
How about this one? An employee walks into your office and makes a demand, which you think is inane and utterly overreaching be it a promotion, a raise or a threat to walk out the door unless a specific requirement is instantly met. Your first thought is to tell the employee to go buy a tall three-legged stool so that he or she does not get too tired standing in the long unemployment lines.
In a verbal confrontation, time is your best weapon. By continuing to listen without interrupting, you accomplish two things. First, just like a child throwing a temper tantrum, your confronter will quickly run out of steam if you don't jump in. Remember, it takes two to have an argument. Secondly, if you listen closely, you'll get a clearer idea of what the real issue is. Most people don't say what they really mean or can't articulate their position especially when they are slobbering as they rant. Therefore, you must be an effective interpreter. While maintaining your self-imposed vow of silence, contemplate if what is being asserted warrants a response or if doing so at that moment will just further inflame this unwelcome encounter. Once you figure that out, you can construct a more thoughtful rebuttal but on your timetable.
I bet many executives have fantasized about simply walking out on this type of intruder just for the pure enjoyment of doing so. Turning off the lights and slamming the door would be an appropriate exclamation point to the episode. Most leaders, however, have built-in "circuit breakers" that safeguard against seeking impetuous retribution.
Unpleasant e-mails present a different challenge. Here is an easy and fulfilling technique to handle a particularly nasty cyberspace message without doing permanent damage. As a bonus, this exercise can even prove to be therapeutic, as well. When an e-mail sets you off, instead of precipitously retaliating, try this. Step one: Click on the "forward" button. Step two: Craft your response the more vitriolic, the better. Say it from your heart without regret. There are 26 letters in the English alphabet so use them creatively by typing things you have only dreamed of writing. When your keyboard frenzy ends, this cathartic experience will provide a feeling of serenity, albeit too short-lived.
You're thinking does this technique make sense. Read on.
Because you hit "forward" instead of "reply," your e-mail isn't going anywhere because the "to" field is empty. Voilà, your get even but never sent e-mail didn't do any irreparable harm that spontaneous responses can inflict. Certainly save your draft e-mail for reconsideration or future self-indulgence. However, in the meantime, you'll gain time to think of a more rational "censored" reply. Sometimes after deliberation, much like in a one-sided verbal argument, you'll conclude that no response is the best response. The real message to the sender is you're not dignifying absurd comments with a return volley. Talk about revenge; this subtle form gets the job done in spades.
Instant communication is a part of today's business culture. However, learning to creatively stop and count to 10 may ensure that you're not the one who goes down for the 10 count. By putting a lid on your feelings, you can many times gain control of an incendiary situation. A short pause could give you the opportunity to find a solution that allows you to have your cake and eat it, too, without suffering any indigestion.
Michael Feuer co-founded OfficeMax in 1988. Starting with one store and $20,000 of his own money during a 16-year span, Feuer, as CEO, grew the company to almost 1,000 stores worldwide with annual sales of approximately $5 billion before selling it for almost $1.5 billion in December 2003 to Boise Cascade Corp. Feuer is CEO of Max-Ventures, a retail venture capital/consulting firm, and co-founder and co-CEO of Max-Wellness, a new health care product retail chain concept that is launching in 2009. Feuer serves on a number of corporate and philanthropic boards and is a frequent speaker on business, marketing and building entrepreneurial enterprises. Reach him with comments at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Forging unlikely alliances?
William Shakespeare, in addition to being a great playwright, was a very savvy, strategic thinker whose writing reflects insights and valuable business concepts.
In "The Tempest," his 1611 play about a shipwreck, Shakespeare's lead character who faces possible death proclaims that "misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows." As this suggests, one can forge an alliance with virtually anyone when the objective is clear and the bottom-line results benefit all involved.
Who says a partner always has to be on your side? What is necessary is that the alliance creates a win-win for each collaborator.
Another work provides further evidence of this proclamation. In "The Godfather," Michael Corleone gives an order to his consigliere to arrange a meeting with a rival mob boss moments after the rival attempted to kill Michael. The young godfather explains that he was taught by his father to "keep your friends close and your enemies closer." And we have all heard strategists, diplomats and politicians offer similar pearls of wisdom, including, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."
In the business world, you can employ these same concepts to achieve an objective, provided that, at the end of the day, you are still standing after the unexpected collaboration with your "strange bedfellow." However, a couple of caveats do apply: Be sure the bedfellow isn't packing heat, and avoid meeting in the back of a dimly lit restaurant near the bathroom where a weapon might be hidden that could do you harm.
Let's imagine a situation in which you can create an ad hoc, special-purpose confederacy. Assume you are trying to get a governing body to provide an exception or allow something that has never occurred before to take place.
Say you have big trucks that exceed the weight limit for using a road that could save you 30 minutes each trip to a construction site. Instead, your drivers have to take the long way around. You also have a big competitor who needs to use this same road for a different project but can't because of the same problem.
Working together, you could both go to the community and offer to pay for two very expensive, much needed traffic lights at either end of the road and to repair the road if the trucks damage it after the projects are completed. Voila! You would have a win for all involved, even though each party might not be enamored with either of the others.
By creating an unlikely alliance, you could gain critical mass and a common voice.
So how do you get the ball rolling? You could hire a bunch of attorneys to write a position paper on why what you want to do is for the greater good. The document could then be sent to the governing body or media to see what happens. With this strategy, you can be sure that your fees for getting to this point will be expensive, and there is a less than 50-50 chance that this effort will be successful.
While it may seem counterintuitive, you need to swallow hard and devise a plan to change the rules of competitive engagement, at least temporarily, by directly or indirectly approaching the rival head-on. If you aren't comfortable with picking up the phone and making your pitch to your foresworn enemy, there are numerous effective methods to broker a conversation and a "meet."
Third parties, such as mutual suppliers, your accountant or even a friend of a friend, can do the heavy lifting without you running the risk of personal embarrassment or rejection.
Do your homework and carefully outline a script for your vicar representative that succinctly explains what you want to do and, most importantly, why a coalition will work for all parties. You just might be surprised at the positive back-channel response you receive to your offer.
This scenario is played out daily in government, diplomacy and even in junior high school, with a seventh-grade boy having another classmate ask the cute girl for a date on his behalf. Don't get hung up on this self-serving collaboration, as it does not mean that you have to stop preaching to your employees why your competitor doesn't deserve this or that. A temporary "detente" does not signify the end of a war.
If you still can't suck it up and be comfortable with sleeping with the enemy, just tell yourself that it's nothing personal, it's just business. The truth is, if you're an innovative thinker, it really is just business smart business.
MICHAEL FEUER co-founded OfficeMax in 1988 with a friend and partner. Starting with one store during a 16-year span, Feuer, as CEO, grew the company to almost 1,000 stores worldwide, with annual sales approximating $5 billion before selling this retail giant for almost $1.5 billion in 2003 to Boise Cascade Corp. Feuer immediately launched another start-up, Max-Ventures, a retail/consumer products venture capital operating and consulting firm headquartered in suburban Cleveland, Ohio. Feuer serves on a number of corporate and philanthropic boards and is a frequent speaker on business, marketing and building entrepreneurial enterprises. Reach him with comments at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Do as I say, not as I do
Just count the number of well-known and formerly well-respected CEOs who have fallen on their swords after revelations that they were involved in the practice of backdating stock options.
The benefactors of their ignominious actions have been co-inhabitants of the executive wing. Misguided corporate titans have seduced the best and brightest to join their companies with the lure of a guaranteed fortune from "opportunistically" dated options. And in too many cases, they have been driven by egregious personal greed.
When the first few incidents of backdating options surfaced, some thought they were isolated cases, perhaps attributable to a CEO using a malfunctioning PDA that randomly transposed dates or dropped a digit or two. Initially, apologists for corporate America donned their rose-colored glasses and said, "No big deal, this too shall pass."
But it didn't pass. Instead, it became painfully obvious that the practitioners of this new calendar math seemed to multiply exponentially to epidemic proportions.
How could this be? Aren't CEOs supposed to be captains of our free enterprise system, who not only inspire and innovate but also lead by example, disseminating their advice to subordinates while holding themselves to an even higher standard?
It may have started with a few executives justifying that they were simply trying to find an economical way to hire or keep top performers. With the equivalent of getting a sneak peak at tomorrow's stock prices today, they picked an option grant date that guaranteed new riches to the recipients.
At first, a misguided CEO thinks, "I'm doing this for the good of the company. So what if it is a little on the gray side? What counts are the end results."
Dozens of similar scenarios have no doubt been played out in the run-amok executive's mind. However, none would pass my "Mother Rule." Forget Sarbanes-Oxley; if you wouldn't want your mother to know you did something, then it's gotta be wrong.
The crack-cocaine addiction in Corporate America doesn't always involve a white powder sometimes, it's just the stroke of a pen. How could reasonably intelligent executives get themselves into so much trouble? It has to do with their super-sized sense of self, incessantly fueled by the yes-men whose full-time jobs are to pave the way for the boss. The CEO starts to think he's omnipotent because he has the power to make things happen.
There are antidotes to stem these illusions and keep managers on the straight and narrow. The most effective is a simple reality check that keeps you grounded and curbs rash impulses to take the first bite of forbidden fruit. Don't isolate yourself and only hang out with people who are suck-ups.
You must regularly talk one-on-one with employees on the lowest rung. Get off your derriere, go to the cafeteria and break bread with the troops. These sessions will be an eye-opener. You'll quickly realize that your employee's problems are strikingly similar to your own. They just want to do their job right and take care of their families.
Most important, you'll learn that they hold you and your abilities at a very lofty level. Although it's a frequent favorite American pastime to criticize the boss, in truth, most employees think their bosses, particularly the CEO, are much better leaders than they really are.
Your reality check will kick in when you realize that bad actions trickle down and can have devastating effects on every employee. If you make a bonehead decision, or are ever tempted to cross the line between right and not-so-right, think twice about the consequences, not just for you but for your people.
It's your duty as the boss to ensure that your employees and investors are first in line before you. If you follow this path, you'll often wind up with a bigger payoff for yourself, be it economically or in personal gratification or the increased esteem of your associates.
The Wall Street saying describing the greedy is, "There are bears, bulls and pigs." For those with questionable motives, I would propose, "There are bears, bulls and crooks."
CEOs who backdate stock options and commit other acts of malfeasance prove that so few can do so much damage to affect the perception of so many who always try to do it right. The good news is that most executives follow their own words by doing themselves what they ask others to do, without ever taking a PDA out of their pocket.
MICHAEL FEUER is co-founder of OfficeMax, which he started in 1988 with one store and $20,000 of his own money, along with a then-partner and group of private investors. During 16 years as CEO, he grew the company to almost 1,000 stores with sales approximating $5 billion before selling it for almost $1.5 billion in 2003 to Boise Cascade Corp. In 2004, Feuer launched another start-up, Max-Ventures, a venture capital operating firm that focuses on buying control and/or making substantial investments in retail-oriented businesses and businesses that serve retail. Reach Feuer with comments at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Train your team to say 'yes' to customers
In order to close a sale, customers must hear the word "yes" before they make a purchase, agree to a service or sign a contract. Few people will do business with a company that makes it a practice of giving a dozen reasons why something cannot be done, instead of figuring out how to say "yes." The word "yes" is the launching pad for every transaction, but too many companies don't seem to get it.
A negative response to a request may at first blush seem appropriate, but a seller must learn how to turn a negative into a positive. There are some easy techniques to accomplish this seemingly elusive feat. As an example, a customer wants a delivery on a Tuesday, when your truck only travels to the customer's area on a Friday. Instead of summarily saying "no" because it does not fit your schedule, empower your people to find a solution. Teach them to be cautious with their choice of words and learn how to use softer and more conciliatory synonyms for "no." For this delivery request example, your representative could say, "Yes, your request is reasonable. We will work on making it happen. However, until we can permanently change our schedule, can we deliver on X day instead of Y day?"
I could never understand why a retail store would put up signs that proclaim what a store won't do for its customers instead of what it can and will do. "No food or drinks allowed." "No checks." "No who-knows-what." Sure, a retailer doesn't want anything spilled on the merchandise and certainly doesn't want to get stiffed with a bad check. However, instead of posting a "no-no" statement, the sign could easily be rewritten to make the negative a positive. A substitute to this same proclamation could be: "We have the lowest prices in town because we don't incur the added costs of processing checks, and we pass this savings on to you. For your convenience, we accept all credit cards." Of course, these illustrations are oversimplifications, but they will point you in the right direction.
Never forget your business needs the customer much more than the other way around. Management's job is to promote creativity and underscore the objective of accommodating your customers' needs with the ultimate goal of exceeding them. You'll never do it if you start with the word "no." The lifeblood of most every company is repeat business. The toughest initial hurdle is to get a customer to try your product or service. This initial trial is also typically the most expensive step in the sales process, but after that, it can lead to a long-term and profitable relationship.
There is nothing worse than telling a customer, "No, it is against company policy," or even worse, "We don't make exceptions, no way, no how."
Recently, I was in a fancy-schmancy restaurant when the waiter began his shtick by rattling off a list of requirements for the privilege of eating at this establishment: "Chef does not allow substitutions, won't prepare the entrée other than broiling and insists on cooking everything medium rare." I interrupted the waiter in midsentence exclaiming my confusion because I thought my guests and I were the customers and the restaurant took the orders instead of giving them. The waiter looked at me as if I were from another planet. He then continued with his spiel. What was the net result of this string of "no's"? First, I had a lingering bad taste in my mouth, and it wasn't from the food. Secondly, I reduced the tip from my usual 20 percent plus. Worse yet for the restaurant, I won't rush back for a return visit and most likely will repeat my tale of woe when this eatery comes up in conversation. You do the math of the cost per letter of the use of the word "no" and what this did to the restaurant's bottom line.
Nyet, nein, no or like words in any language can all have the same effect: lost sales and profits, not to mention a tarnished image. It doesn't get "no" worse than that. Your job as a leader is to find a way for your team to always get to "yes."
Michael Feuer co-founded OfficeMax in 1988. Starting with one store and $20,000 of his own money, Feuer, as CEO, grew the company to almost 1,000 stores worldwide with annual sales approximately $5 billion before selling this retail giant for almost $1.5 billion in December 2003. In 2010, Feuer launched another retail concept, Max-Wellness, a first of its kind wellness chain featuring more than 7,000 products for head-to-toe care. Feuer serves on a number of corporate and philanthropic boards and is a frequent speaker on business, marketing and building entrepreneurial enterprises. Reach him with comments at email@example.com.
Respect: You have to earn it before you get it
The late comedian Rodney Dangerfield's signature line, "I don't get no respect," always garnered a few good chuckles. As a leader, however, if you find yourself in this same predicament, it's no laughing matter.
Most executives usually try to do the right thing. They carry out their responsibilities, weighing the pros and cons of their actions and decisions.
Way too many executives think that their people will somehow recognize the angst they endure before gaveling an action into effect.
People cannot, however, understand why you do something simply through osmosis. This is where communication comes into play. How many times have you made an important decision and just filtered it down with what I call the "so be it" method? Sure, sometimes mandates are a part of being a leader and some are popular and others aren't.
Throughout my career, I've learned a number of lessons about respect. The most important one is that respect can be earned in many ways, and most times, it's simply a reflection of your attitude and actions, rather than what you actually say.
When I was a young CEO of my retail, publicly held, Fortune 500 company, I participated in what are known as Wall Street security analyst field trips, in which an underwriter organizes an excursion that takes portfolio investment professionals on the road with CEOs of similar businesses. One such trip was a bus tour of retail stores in Providence, R.I., visiting each respective CEO's store along the way. The tour included a 45-minute walkthrough, led by the CEO of the chain explaining why his or her operation was the best on the planet.
On this particular tour, everything was running late and my store was the last stop. As the bus arrived, my watch told me there was a huge time problem because participants had planes to catch.
As we entered the store, it was spotless. All of the employees were wearing their "Sunday best" and you could literally eat off of the floor. The leader of the tour whispered in my ear that I had 10 minutes to get the message out. As I rushed 20 portfolio managers through the store, talking faster than the pitchman on the classic FedEx commercial years ago, the dejected looks on the employees' faces were apparent. My tour ended almost faster than it began as I walked backward out of the store continuing my pitch.
As we boarded the bus to the airport, I felt lousy. I knew the employees most likely had suffered acute gastrointestinal distress while preparing their store for "show time." As the bus barreled down the freeway, I realized this was a defining moment for me. Using my cell phone I called the store manager and told him to get in his car, catch up to my bus and quickly get me back to the store. Instinctively I knew that I had to show this store's employees that I respected them and their work.
When I returned to the store, the employees gawked at me with eyes bigger than saucers. I then spent about two hours walking the store, aisle by aisle, with all of the employees in tow, asking for their input on everything they do. I missed my plane, had to stay overnight and ruined my schedule, but it was worth it.
Word of this encore visit spread through our 1,000 stores faster than Grant took Richmond. In no time, this infamous visit turned into a celebrated success and became a part of the company's history.
You, too, can pick your own time and place to recreate a "respect event" that will speak volumes about how you do business. This can be achieved by arriving at meetings on time and ending the meetings as scheduled. It can also be reflected by not piling on the work just because you decided you needed something on your timetable without consideration of what else is currently on someone else's plate.
Respect is contagious and can start a cascading trickle-down effect. Your direct reports will begin to increase their respect for subordinates and even you, if you're lucky. It's not only the right thing to do, it is the right way to build a business and create a positive culture.
If you feel you just "don't get no respect," you can improve your business persona by following this golden rule "To get respect, you first have to give it.
Michael Feuer co-founded OfficeMax in 1988. Starting with one store and $20,000 of his own money, Feuer, as CEO, grew the company to almost 1,000 stores worldwide with annual sales approximately $5 billion before selling this retail giant for almost $1.5 billion in December 2003. In 2010, Feuer launched another retail concept, Max-Wellness, a first of its kind wellness chain featuring more than 7,000 products for head-to-toe care. Mr. Feuer serves on a number of corporate and philanthropic boards and is a frequent speaker on business, marketing and building entrepreneurial enterprises. Reach him with comments at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Do you work to live or live to work?
Is your work the means to an end or the epicenter of your life? Most businesspeople, on a conscious or subconscious level, want superiors, peers and other constituents to believe they are one of those unselfish corporate types who do whatever it takes for the good of the company. Everything comes in second place: family, friends and one's very existence, including creature comforts such as adequate sleep and eating three square meals at a table, not a desk. If that is you, then you have checked the "live to work" box.
But wait a second, does this really make a modicum of sense?
When I interview management candidates, after I have determined the interviewee might be a fit, I always ask: "What comes first, your family or your job?"
Those who immediately respond "my job" move down multiple notches on my scale of suitability if, in fact, I believe this is their permanent sentiment.
For a chance to play in the big leagues, most wannabe executives will do whatever it takes to make the lineup. The smart ones, however, know that just like a good novel, a business career has a beginning, middle and, hopefully, an abundance of exciting last chapters.
When aspiring managers begin ascending the corporate ladder, many work as if the clock has no hands. Toiling away at their desks from early morning to the wee hours of the night is an investment in the future to gain experience, a means to accomplishing meaningful objectives and, yes, to a certain degree, an opportunity to obtain face time, sometimes even vying for the coveted corporate appearance trophy. Those who go for appearance alone, without the meat on the bones of accomplishment, are easily unmasked as having a "big hat but no cattle."
However, hitting the trifecta of experience, accomplishment and the ability to showcase a "get it done" work ethic makes for the complete package.
Once a manager reaches a certain midpoint in a career and has a few good people working for him, he moves from the role of solo doer to that of teacher and navigator who can successfully direct others along a process from point A to point B. Appearances are secondary at this point, as the key is what is in the package, not the wrapper.
During this stage, the middle manager should have that "aha" moment recognizing that business is not an all-or-nothing proposition and he can get a life. I admired any employee working for me who without equivocation would state he could not meet with me at a time that I requested because of another important commitment, which could be attending a kid's ballgame or a first school play. This communicated volumes to me about the manager's character and ability to balance priorities and make appropriate choices that fit the circumstances.
On other days, however, I would see this same manager looking like death warmed over the next morning because he just pulled an all-nighter to get the needed task done.
A real game-changer occurs when one reaches the ranks of senior executive with a team of players in the anteroom who are more than ready, willing and able to answer the bell. This gives the leader the opportunity to plan rather than just do, calling the signals instead of responding to them. Priorities change as the executive becomes a dreamer a visionary who can look beyond today to tomorrow, identifying the future challenges and opportunities, and positioning the organization to respond to them.
In many respects, this is both the best of times and the worst of times. The best is that the leader has others to do the heavy lifting. This provides the executive the time to make other contributions, not just to the company but to his family and community, as well. The worst-of-times component is that the buck stops at the leader's door. Important decisions have to be made daily, and that pressure can take a toll both mentally and physically. At this point in a career, the need to balance becomes something that is just not nice but necessary to endure the pressures at the top.
An all-time best fast-food jingle positively asserted, "Hold the pickle; hold the lettuce. Special orders don't upset us," with the payoff line of "Have it your way." The secret of having it your way in business is learning when and how to balance a career with a fulfilling personal life.
Michael Feuer co-founded OfficeMax in 1988. Starting with one store and $20,000 of his own money during a 16-year span, Feuer, as CEO, grew the company to almost 1,000 stores worldwide with annual sales of approximately $5 billion before selling it for almost $1.5 billion in December 2003 to Boise Cascade Corp. Feuer is CEO of Max-Ventures, a retail venture capital/consulting firm, and co-founder and co-CEO of Max-Wellness, a new health care product retail chain concept that is launching in 2009. Feuer serves on a number of corporate and philanthropic boards and is a frequent speaker on business, marketing and building entrepreneurial enterprises. Reach him with comments at email@example.com.
Penny-wise<BR>or pound-stupid?
The hits just keep on coming. It started last fall with the banking industry crisis and stock market meltdown that left most everybody shocked, awed and a whole lot poorer. These events triggered reactions, some knee-jerk, causing businesses to rethink and adjust their modus operandi to ensure that they could live to fight another day.
The government came to the rescue with the TARP bailout, followed by "Son of TARP," aka the stimulus package. These elixirs included everything from stemming mortgage foreclosures all the way to fostering pork-laden catalysts to spur new jobs.
Culminating a now infamous all-night February congressional drafting session, Congress passed this imperfect panacea, more than 1,000 pages of legislation, and our new commander in chief signed the plan, making it the law of the land. This marked yet another well-intentioned but questionable "Hail Mary" government set of solutions. From the get-go of this economic debacle, few organizations escaped unscathed. Sales and profits withered and liquidity evaporated as consumers worldwide went on a protracted spending hiatus.
In response, companies around the globe started paring costs and programs. Virtually every day businesses proclaimed that because of the bold steps they were taking, they would ultimately emerge stronger while crossing their fingers and thinking, "From our lips to God's ears."
The question now emerging is: Were these newly minted methodologies and cuts penny-wise or just pound-stupid?
With the probability of little immediate relief from the sagging results on the horizon, management must again examine the newly made promulgations to ensure the decisions actually accomplished a goal.
In good times, smart businesses and organizations share the gains. Now, it is appropriate for companies to have their employees, suppliers and even tangential partners share the pain. The trick is that whatever is done must serve a purpose that can sustain the test of time. The worst scenario is eliminating something only to reinstate it, often at a much higher cost, because it was quickly recognized that the medicine was worse than the cure.
Most companies' short list focuses on hunkering down and pruning excesses, be it people, processes or even unprofitable customers. Certainly, saving money in most cases makes sense, provided savings for the sake of savings don't cause even further damage. As an example, is it smart to stop face-to-face meetings with your best customers just to save the price of a no frills, coach-fare plane ticket? Remember, if you're not staying in front of customers, it's a good bet your competition will be your more-than-willing substitute.
Not spending money to improve or maintain mission-critical undertakings can translate into huge blunders that companies will live to regret in the months and years ahead.
Here are a few penny-wise steps that could produce tangible benefits. Instead of arbitrarily implementing an across-the-board RIF (reduction in force), consider creative alternatives that will better serve the greater good of your employees, customers and business. Rather than the traditional spare-no-department layoffs of X percent of people, ask employees to take a temporary pay reduction. Turning this negative into a quasi-positive tells employees that they will need to endure this pay hit for, say, only six months. Then add the twist that normal pay rates will resume in November and December to make the holiday season just a little more tenable.
Do the math and determine if this savings tactic gets to the same bottom line number as more disruptive firings, while allowing you to maintain your full existing work force for the better days ahead.
Also, be creative with your suppliers. One example is if you have equipment coming off a lease, instead of replacing it with the latest and greatest updated version, make a deal to keep the older devise for a longer period of time and negotiate a meaningfully lower monthly fee. This is a real win-win, as your vendor continues receiving revenue on something that is possibly already written off of its books while you can reduce your cost.
Focus on the end objectives and consider made-to-fit alternatives, rather than using off-the-shelf traditional methods. Don't be afraid to spend money to make money, and be weary of actions that risk saving yourself out of business.
Executives are paid to make the tough decisions and then sell them to key constituents, whether they are popular or not. Abdicating a thoughtful risk-reward assessment of significant economic counter-measures is not penny-wise and can prove to be painfully pound-stupid.
Michael Feuer co-founded OfficeMax in 1988. Starting with one store and $20,000 of his own money during a 16-year span, Feuer, as CEO, grew the company to almost 1,000 stores worldwide with annual sales of approximately $5 billion before selling it for almost $1.5 billion in December 2003 to Boise Cascade Corp. Feuer is CEO of Max-Ventures, a retail venture capital/consulting firm, and co-founder and co-CEO of Max-Wellness, a new health care product retail chain concept that is launching in 2009. Feuer serves on a number of corporate and philanthropic boards and is a frequent speaker on business, marketing and building entrepreneurial enterprises. Reach him with comments at email@example.com.


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OCCUPANCY rates are up. Room rates are up. Clearly, the seller's market continues, and meeting executives can't negotiate the same deals they used to. Instead, hotels are imposing early departure charges, tough cancellation provisions, and, in general, avoiding concessions. In this tight market, arbitration contract provisions warrant a second look.
Arbitration can be an effective way to avoid the sky-high cost of litigation and the stigma of being involved in a suit. Arbitration also can solve disputes quickly compared to the pace of traditional litigation.
The arbitration process, however, has some potential disadvantages. For example, not all forms of relief afforded by the courts are available with arbitration--in particular, "emergency relief." Only the courts are able to provide litigants with the immediate action of temporary restraining orders and injunctions. In addition, arbitrators are not bound by previous arbitration decisions. This lack of legal precedent creates considerable uncertainty.
Arbitration also does not impose rules of civil procedure or evidence, thus providing a less formal process than with litigation. While some may view that with favor, it also creates a degree of uncertainty and lack of organization for the arbitration process. Finally, with arbitration there is no right to appeal the case to a higher level.
Many observers believe that to the extent arbitration makes it easier and less expensive to uphold contract rights, it tends to favor the nonbreaching party. Thus, arbitration may not be in the best interest of the party attempting to get out of a contract.
Negotiate Everything One major mistake that parties make is to use arbitration as a substitute for contractual negotiation. With arbitration provisions in place, planners and hoteliers don't always feel the need to spell out the most contentious contract issues. If a dispute comes up, they reason, problems can always be addressed by the arbitration process. This is erroneous thinking. All contractual terms should be negotiated, especially the contentious ones.
For example, if the parties cannot or will not agree on a cancellation provision, arbitrators have no guidance when a dispute comes up. The arbitrators might conclude that since the contract was silent on cancellation, the parties must have intended that there be no cancellation right. This example also illustrates a potential problem for buyers in a seller's market. Arbitrators use only the terms of the contract for guidance. If those terms are favorable to the seller, arbitration makes it easy for the seller to win a dispute against the buyer.
Arbitration generally works best when the parties are on relatively even footing--not the case today between meeting executives and the hotel industry. And negotiating power--or lack thereof--can influence the terms of the arbitration provision itself.
For example, the contract should establish where the arbitration will take place and the state's laws that will apply in interpreting the contract, as well a s the type of arbitration (e.g., binding or not binding, single or multiple arbitrators) and the rules of arbitration (e.g., American Arbitration Association, Convention Liaison Council).
Idle Threats? Arbitration may be less expensive than the formal litigation process, but the threat of litigation can be a better incentive toward a resolution because it provides the less powerful party with a formidable bargaining chip toward settlement of a contractual dispute.
Besides litigation, meeting executives also should consider other alternative dispute resolution mechanisms before too quickly agreeing to arbitration. Mediation, for example, has become popular. It provides the parties with a means of resolution or, at least, the ability to narrow the focus of the dispute to issues on which the parties cannot agree. Unlike arbitration, mediation does not bind the parties to the recommendation of the mediator, and litigation may proceed if the process is unsuccessful.
Arbitration may be a useful tool for dispute resolution, but it is no panacea. For the buyer in a seller's market, it could prove to be a bitter pill.


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Combination of high fat, stabilized rice bran, Coolstance® coconut meal and flax, provides a uniquely efficient formulation that is lower in starch than grains or sweet feed. Helps horse maximize the nutrition naturally found in its hay or pasture.
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After a week layoff for final exams, the James Madison men's basketball team will wrap up a five-game home stand at the Convocation Center this Sunday afternoon with a 2 p.m. tipoff vs. UNCG.
JMU (3-6) will welcome a familiar face in UNCG (2-5) head coach Wes Miller, one of the youngest coaches in Division I. Miller competed for the Dukes as a freshman during the 2002-03 season before transferring to North Carolina and winning a national championship under Roy Williams. As the team's sixth man at JMU, Miller averaged 4.1 points per game and played in all 30 contests.
The Dukes will be looking for their third win in four games after recent triumphs over East Tennessee State (70-45) and Winthrop (71-61), which were followed by a narrow overtime loss to Richmond (83-82). The Spartans haven't played in two weeks but won their last match 84-54 over the Citadel on December 1.
Senior forward Rayshawn Goins remains JMU's most consistent scoring threat, averaging 13.2 points and seven rebounds per contest. But new threats are beginning to emerge for the Dukes as fifth-year head coach Matt Brady's team inches closer to Colonial Athletic Association play.
Senior guard Devon Moore poured in a game-high 19 points in last weekend's loss to Richmond and is averaging 11.8 points over JMU's last five games. Moore, who broke the 1,000-point career mark last week, sits at 25th all-time on the JMU scoring list with 1,016 points.
Freshman Andre Nation is a top-scoring contributor, averaging 11 points per game and leading the CAA in steals. His 2.6 swipes per game ranks 27th nationally, and he is on pace to shatter the JMU single season record of 63 and the JMU freshman record of 46.
Nation also touts a 1.5 assist-to-turnover ratio equal to his backcourt teammate Moore, and his 1.6 blocks per game ranks third in the CAA. He is one of only two guards to rank in the top ten for blocks in the CAA, several spots ahead of Georgia State freshman R.J. Hunter.
Also averaging 11 points per game is senior forward Andrey Semenov, who is averaging 13.7 points in his last three games since returning from an injury suffered in the season-opener at UCLA. Semenov scored a season-high 18 last week in the Dukes' loss to Richmond, and has steadily played more minutes in each game since his return.
For the Spartans, versatile junior Trevis Simpson is the featured trigger man. Simpson averages 19.3 points per game, which leads the Southern Conference. Derrell Armstrong is averaging 15 points per game while Kayel Locke gives UNCG three players in double figures with 11.4 per game. Only Simpson is a starter.
UNCG is one of the highest-scoring teams in Division I basketball, scoring just under 80 points per game, but JMU isn't without a noted scoring trend of its own. The Dukes have put up 74.3 points per game in their last three contests, a dramatic uptick after scoring just 55.8 points on average in their previous four.
JMU leads the series 4-0, including claiming three matchups in Harrisonburg. The teams have not met since a 77-64 Dukes' win in the 1999-2000 season opener.


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Home > Product Reviews > Air Purifier and Humidifier Filter Reviews - Kaz > Honeywell HRF-B1 Odor Reducing Pre-filter Product Reviews
Honeywell Premium Odor Reducing Air Purifier Pre-filter Product Reviews
Model Number: HRF-B1
Category: Air Purifiers
Dimensions: 4.88 x 1 x 10.69 in
Price: $9.99
Honeywell Premium Odor Reducing Air Purifier Pre-filter Details
Good Design
The filter is well designed by Honeywell and installs very easily in my air purifier.
Honeywell Pre-filter
I needed to trim the item, but it is working fine.
Wrong Filter
So, I thought i was careful, and somehow I received the wrong filter. I just forced it to fit, so as not to go through the pains of having to send it back and wait for a replacement. Wish it were easier to order items like this online. I have the same issue with vacuum cleaner filters :-(.
Honeywell charcoal filter
This filter is great and very effective for me! I am a smoker and have 5 cats; thus, 5 litter boxes! It does a terrific job eliminating these ordors!
the right stuff
got the right part I needed for the filter and it came quickly! TY
filters work
Good price and timely delivery on the pre-filter for my honeywell air purifier system. Thank you.
Cleans Effectively
I have two dogs and I have seasonal allergies. The pre-filter is fantastic because it cleans the air effectively and fast. It also eliminates bad odors. I rarely have an allergic reaction. I would definitely buy it again.
Excellent product, excellent service
When we moved from our house in Illinois to an apartment in Virginia we were shocked at the amount of dust that collected on the furniture. We dusted religiously every week, but my husband broke up laughing when he came one day and saw that I had drawn a tic-tac-toe on the coffee table, out of frustration! We bought a Honeywell purifier because it was on sale and got good reviews. It's one of the best buys we ever made. No more sneezing all night! We still dust once a week, but no more tic-tac-toes!
Over more than a year, we have replaced the B and C filters at least 3 times, when the red alert light came on, and the unit still works as well as ever. But the filters are expensive, so we shopped around and found them at Kaz, for the same price as Wal-Mart, plus free shipping. This is an excellent deal, and they continue to work perfectly.
Mr Sheppard
excellent replacement filter - works really wel - good service from KAZ
air filter
very good
Works as PromisedThis aspect of the Honeywell HHT-145 works as promised. It is also easy to remove and replace.
Honeywell Filter
Was happy to finally find vendor who sold this filter! Quick delivery - thank you!
Good pre-filter
This is a good pre-filter. Works as promised.


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I am in the Veterinary Technology program at Argosy. They have a varied supply of animals in the kennels, an outside area for hanging with any animal you want, informative Animal Care courses, and outside corresponding volunteer opportunities
Academic Experience:
The doctoral clinical psychology program is extremely rigorous but completely worth it. It's a huge workload, but that's what I expected and what I signed up for so I'm not complaining. Students are well prepared for examinations and internships by going through this program.
Academic Experience:
The professors are helpful, professional, knowledgeable, and want students to succeed. The academic rigor suits the needs of the program and students. The class registration process always has problems. The problems are usually resolved by contacting professors or the administration directly but it would be a lot easier if the online process worked in the first place.
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My major is becoming a Veterinary Technician at Argosy University. The classes I am taking to complete my major are everything I thought they would and more. I am getting tons of hands-on experience with real animals rather than just learning everything out of a textbook. The workload is not extreme and I think it is very reasonable.
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I absolutely love attending Argosy University. I have never had a problem with scheduling classes. They have a wonderful tutor center where I can get extra help on every module of the classes I am taking. I have had an amazing experience with my professors. I previously went to a community college and found that the professors hardly even cared about my education. At Argosy, the professors are concerned with my grade and want to do anything it takes to make me succeed. In one circumstance, I was struggling with a certain module and my professor sat me down and suggested I went to see the tutor for a few hours because she really wanted to make sure I understood the subject before our midterm test. I thought that she really went the extra mile and wanted to set me up for success. I think the curriculum is set perfectly so that students learn everything in a productive order. The workload is never too much for myself to handle, and besides school, I have two jobs. I love the SCNAVTA program because it really lets students become more involved in the community and you can meet some really great people! Overall, I have had a wonderful time attending Argosy!
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Wright Library's computer system will undergo an upgrade Thursday, December 13. This will cause a temporary interruption of some services.
- The online catalog will be unavailable for the duration of the upgrade.
- Patrons will not have access to their accounts during this time.
- In order to check items out, you will need to have your library card number.
- Items that you return during this time will not be checked in until after the upgrade is complete.
We will work to complete the upgrade as quickly as possible and to limit any inconvenience which it causes. Thank you for your patience.


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Farmhouse Molinuzzo is an old stone farmhouse dating back from 1600, restored and divided into spacious apartments... 추가 정보 »
San Martino Casa Landi is located in Castellina in Chianti, in the heart of Chianti Classico Gallo Nero region.... 추가 정보 »
Casale Fontibucci has been featured, with numerous illustrations and an extensive description, in the book 'The 70's... 추가 정보 »
'Casa con Bella Vista' is a farmhouse and it's situated at about 20 Km from Florence on the Chianti hills at 315 mt.... 추가 정보 »
B&B Le Querciole is located on the top of a hill surrounded by olive groves and vineyards. It has a large garden and... 추가 정보 »
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The 'Tana de Lepri' Villa holiday homes are in a tranquil position. Surrounded by gardens with a large swimming pool... 추가 정보 »


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Crystal Cluster Necklace
Material List
- Crystal Channels, 16 Pcs.
- 6mm Crystal Bicones, 29 Pcs.
- 3mm Silver Rounds, 13 Pcs.
- Silver Head Pins, 13 Pcs.
- Silver Eye Pins, 16 Pcs.
- Open Jump Rings, 4mm, 38 Pcs. (channels may come with jump rings attached)
- Open Jump Ring, 6mm, 1 Pc.
- Silver Adjustable Chain, 2-inch
- Silver Lobster Clasp, 1 Pc.
- Silver Oval Linked Chain, 12-inch (clasp comes on chain)
- Needle Nose Pliers
- Round Nose Pliers
- Wire Cutters
- Ruler
Project Instructions
Step: 1
Begin by creating the beaded links that will become the sides of the necklace. Make sure each channel crystal has a 4mm jump ring on each side of it. These will be used to make connections later. 16 channels will need to be prepared. Thread a 6mm bicone onto an eye pin and finish with a top loop.
Step: 2
Create a top loop by trimming the pin approximately ¼-inch beyond the top bead. Using your round nose pliers, bend the wire to form a right angle at the top of the crystal bead. Use the end of your pliers to grasp the end of the wire and going against the bend you just made, curve the wire using a twist of your wrist to roll the wire over a single prong (think of the twisting motion you use with a screwdriver). Let the round cone of the pliers create the round loop. You may have to release the wire and continue the rolling motion a little further down the wire to complete the circle. Don't worry if the circle doesn't look perfect, the shape can be finessed a little using your pliers to make minor corrections. Note: A wrapped loop can also be used in this instance to make the final chain stronger. Instead of trimming the wire and completing the loop, the piece will need to first be linked to the next component (a channel jump ring in this case). Form a loop with the round nose plier, hook the pin through the jump ring, and then wrap the excess wire around until you meet the top of the crystal bead (probably 2 to 3 loops will form). Any excess wire is then trimmed and pliers can be used to press the sharp end inward to the coil so it doesn't snag clothing or skin.
Step: 3
16 crystal bicone links will be needed to form the chain.
Step: 4
Carefully open and close rings to connect an alternating pattern of crystal bicone links and channels until you have 2 chain sides, each with 8 bicones and 8 channels linked together. Rings and loops should be opened and closed by moving the open end to the side, a twisting motion (think how a paper clip slides open - the shape is not distorted). If you open going against the curve of the circle it is difficult to get the circle to meet properly again to make a secure connection and the wire is more likely to break.
Step: 5
Use a 4mm jump ring to form the center link between the 2 side chains. Use another 4mm jump ring to attach the lobster claw clasp to one side ending and also attach the 2 inch adjustable chain to the other side ending.
Step: 6
To make the bicone crystal drops, thread a 6mm bicone and a 3mm silver bead onto a head pin and finish with a simple top loop. Make 13 of these drops. Carefully open and close the top loop to place one drop at the end of the adjustable chain in the back.
Step: 7
Link 3-4mm jump rings together to form a small "Y" chain from the center 4mm jump ring.
Step: 8
Use a 6mm jump ring to connect the large crystal drop to the last 4mm jump ring.
Step: 9
Connect 2 bicone drops on each side of the 4mm rings going down to the large crystal drop. (4 bicones total on 3-4mm rings; none on the top 4mm ring or the bottom 6mm ring.)
Step: 10
Cut 2-6 inch pieces of silver oval chain. Carefully open rings to attach them on each side of the center 4mm jump ring and after the 5th crystal bicone link on each side.


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- Story Direction: Brad Case, Cullen Houghtaling, Earl Klein, Lew Marshall, George Singer, Paul Sommer, Warren Tufts.
- Animation Director: Charles A. Nichols.
- Production Design: Iwao Takamoto.
- Production Supervision: Victor O. Schipek.
- Character Design: Jerry Eisenberg.
- Layout: Roman Arambula, Jim Fletcher, Bob Givens, Jan Green, Gary Hoffman, Homer Jonas, Takashi Masunaga, Joel Seibel, Terry Slade, Grace Stanzell.
- Backgrounds: Walt Peregoy, Fernando Arce, Daniela Bielecka, Bill Butler, Cathy Clark, Philip DeGuard, Bob Gentle, Curt Perkins, Don Watson.
- Musical Director: Ted Nichols.
- Technical Supervisor: Frank Paiker.
- Ink and Paint Supervisor: Roberta Greutert.
- Titles: Iraj Paran.
- Xerography: Robert "Tiger" West.
- Sound Direction: Richard Olson, Bill Getty.
- Editorial Supervision: Larry Cowan.
- Music Editor: Pat Foley.
- Effects Editors: Earl Bennett, Wayne Hughes.
- Sound Reader: Peter Aries, Jr.
- Negative Consultant: William E. DeBoer.
- Post Production: Joed Eaton.
- Camera: Charles Flekal, Marshall Valdez, Roy Wade, Norm Stainback.
Copyright 1971 Hanna-Barbera Productions Inc.
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5 eco-friendly beauty products you can't live without
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When a man's willing and eager the god's join in.
This quote is about power
Search on Google Books to find citations of this quotation.
Aeschylus (525 BC456 BC; Greek: ) was a playwright of ancient Greece. Aeschylus was the earliest of the three greatest Greek tragedians, the others being Sophocles and Euripides.
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Few people realise the vast offering that makes up the Whitsundays. 74 magnificent islands strung like gemstones in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef. Add to this the stunning coastal gateway that is Airlie Beach, and you can almost get a picture of what awaits you. Almost.
Perhaps you should let reality add to the fantasy. Yes, the waters are a blue that defies description. Yes, you can cruise your way from island to island as captain of your own adventure. Or have a skipper follow a course of your charting.
With every style of accommodation, every form of holiday indulgence and every pursuit of fun and relaxation, the Whitsundays is waiting.
Yes, every island has a name. But they are there for you to discover.
Latest Whitsunday Island Hotels and Resorts Holiday Packages
Any package price advertised is correct at time of publishing of this page. During some periods, air and hotel pricing may not be available and surcharges may apply. Prices and event tickets are subject to availability and are not guaranteed until the booking is completed and confirmed. Prices are quoted in AUD and are based on economy, direct route, including taxes, levies and other government charges which may vary and are subject to change but exclude baggage. Seasonal surcharges may apply. Hotel rates quoted are based on double occupancy, per room per night, unless otherwise noted. Prices are based on lead-in room, additional room types available. Charges for extra persons and/or children may apply and will be charged directly by the hotel. Change to dates, fare class and hotel rooms will affect flight fares, hotel rates and price generally. Packaging is for the convenience of Virgin Australia Holidays' guests and Virgin Australia Holidays endeavours to provide suitable flight schedules and hotels to suit the event selected however, flight schedules, event time and location and hotel check in time and location are ultimately the responsibility of the guest upon booking and guests should ensure flight schedules and hotel check in time and location are suitable for the event time and event location selected. Attendance at events, tours and hotels may be subject to additional terms and conditions.


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In an age of high-tech diversions, toy makers are reviving retro favorites like the Big Wheel trike. "Times change," says Adrienne Appell, an industry analyst, "but the essence of play stays the same." Members save on toys at various retailers at AAA.com/discounts [2].
This article was first published in November 2012. Some facts may have aged gracelessly. Please call ahead to verify information.
[1] http://www.viamagazine.com/2012/novemberdecember-0
[2] http://www.aaa.com/discounts


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I thought I would never see the day when Nikon would need to look at Samsung for pointers on how to design a proper camera.
|Previous news story Next news story
Hands-on images from the Nikon 1 launch, including mock-up lenses
Live report from the New York launch of the Nikon 1 system. Dpreview.com attended the unveiling of Nikon's new mirrorless camera system, which included the launch of the J1 and V1 cameras. We had a chance to handle the cameras and their associated accessories. Here are our images from the event, including mock-ups of possible future lenses.
Images from the Nikon 1 system launch
big deal.
So far so good. Just what I want. Has a lot of the latest tech and a size weight vs IQ ratio that makes sense. Lens size nicely in proportion with body size. True size and weight advantages.
The real serious camera folks won't buy one. Adventurous folks will because the phone cam has revealed to them how great it is to travel light.
The tripod guys will never buy one but they never get far enough from the SUV to take a unique photo. The snarky ones will always need to display their beige Canon lenses, while the great fun is being had outside the envelope.
Maybe I will get a red one.
Hope it succeeds but who knows. Besides we don't want the back country to get too crowded
There are already smaller interchangeable lens cameras with much bigger imaging chip in the market. and they are even less expensive!
about those beige Canon lenses. did you know that 55% of the sport photographers dont even know sh1t about photography.. Big lowlight lens, speed, push the button... 8 to 10 fps... deliver the images and finished.. however.. thats the canon story !! this new keyword of nikon is nice, but prefer to see this system in high end pro material and not in toys
What's wrong with Nikon?
Nikon CEO should be sacked immediately!
Indeed, it is looks like Nikon R&D worked in vacuum and do not notice other mirrorless cameras. Shame on Nikon
Nothing really appeals to me in this lineup I'll stick with the D-3000
Im not sure which one to choose...lime green or puke yellow or buy them all so i can match them with my outfits
A Sigma SD1 and this rubish will really impress you mates down the pub
There is no one thing to catch my eye or to make me exited about this line up at all. There is nothing unique or great to long for.
Shame Nikon.
you're right ... an old way to get consumer's money ... yawning ... viewer with 144.000 pixels from 1998 ?
Dude, thats the eyepiece, not the screen
1.4M dots is not 144.000... you forgot a 0!
Agree with you 101%
A nikon "semi pro" without manual controsl? No M/S/A modes?
Hum... for me, just a good looking, decent quality, point and shoot model to show to your friends. Not my second camera for some situations.
For me the design looks like Nikon was in a hurry and they released a prototype/development phase camera. This (body) design simply cannot be a finished one..
Same for me. Also the naming, "Nikon 1", that sounds like a prototype code name.
It is really ugly camera.
Disagree. Design is excellent.
These cameras scream CONSUMER. Pathetic user interface, no control wheels for aperture and shutter speed? No P/A/S/M -wheel? Bye bye manual controls. Design is quite box-like, which I personally find ugly. Even the typography engraved on the lenses looks cheap and dated.
I was hoping that they would get the video features right with these, because the sensor size is awfully close to super 16mm… Unfortunately no.
Full manual controls during video, if they even exist, are probably buried deep into menus. No 24 & 25 fps? No 50 & 60 progressive fps?
Those ridiculously fast sub-VGA resolution high speed videos are silly little gimmicks. And wrong aspect ratio too.
How about a moderate 120 frames per second with 720p resolution? Expeed 3 processor could handle that with a reasonable bitrate?
Nikon - The One to Fail.
"Pathetic user interface, no control wheels for aperture and shutter speed? No P/A/S/M -wheel? Bye bye manual controls"
There's clearly the now standard control wheel round the 4-way control, and all manual shooting modes will most certainly be available (a camera with an AFL/AEL button but no manual modes? Don't think so some how. Don't forget not even the NEX7 has a PSAM wheel) but, you know, don't let that get in the way of your little rant there.
We are all consumers. Ease of use is a good thing. This is now the phone cam generation. They want to take it with them everywhere they go but get better photos. Very daring effort tho.
These concept lenses all look like NEX lenses!
Wow these are very interesting... really shows the potential of the new format.
What potential is that then?????????
The potential for unlimited suckage.
The potential to take a good picture no matter where you go.
no photos from the J1's back?
I mean v1
Try refreshing the page, we just swapped one in.
What about the build quality Scott?
2nd I wonder if these lenses VRIII tech.
I wonder whether they have any VR capability at all (in body or on lens)?
What is the function of the projector? To project images onto a wall or screen?
Is anyone really going to blow a bunch of cash on accessories for a camera with a 1" sensor? I'll be very interested to hear what the iq is before I leave my m4/3 cameras.
I always wondered the same thing, but I get people coming in to my store carrying the accessory booklet that came with the camera asking for all kinds of crazy stuff.
I'm not sure this system is going to strongly appeal to people already invested in a mirrorless system. Maybe if the autofocus is truly a dramatic upgrade, especially on a shot-to-shot basis?
Exactly what I was thinking, so the sensor is smaller than u4/3 but the lenses are bigger/heavier and/or slower?
Nikon 10mm F2.8 = 74g
Panasonic 14mm F2.5 = 55g
I was waiting to see what they offered as an alternative to u4/3, but this doesn't really tempt me back to Nikon... We will have to see what they release in the future and how they perform I guess.. I am starting to think u4/3 really is the sweat spot for mirrorless systems..
Ahhhhhh, I wan't that little baby flash!!
What a cute little one.
I can't imagine any advantage over the rest mirror-less systems, except for the brand...
The advantage? Smaller lenses
The lens is bigger than Olympus m4/3 format due to its in-lens stabilization. They should put the image stabilization on the body.
So just how DO you set the aperture, shutter, ISO etc with this thing? I know it can't be *that* dumbed down
@RestyF , where did you find there is stabilization on lenses? I cannot see any identifier in the lens name. Nor it has been mentioned about a in-body system.
I was putting my hopes to get this camera as a back-up. Now when it's out and we can see it... Never going to happen. What a disapointment.
The others use lenses that are disproportionately large for the body
I can only say that IF (and it's a huge IF) these cameras focus faster and more accurately than the Sony's or Pannys and Olympus, AND they render as little or less noise above ISO800 than the others and have no glaring foibles with these new lenses being up to Nikkor standards they COULD have a hit on their hands. Do I think they will do all the above in a superb fashion? Nope but I sure want to be pleasantly surprised. :-)
advantages, smaller bodies and potentially smaller lenses, yes. possibly IQ as well (over compacts) if the technology on sensors is outstanding can also match some how to 4/3, APSC, possibly but not very easily.
Other advantage is gadgetry and cool colors, guys don't forget there are loads of small guys dont wanna hang out with huge FF bodies, they are enjoying Pentax Q, I saw many of them on Jessops yesterday, they will like this camera system for sure.
Can only conclude the rest after seeing the Sensor IQ and lenses performances, but for sure I can only list cons at this moment and very very few pros for myself at-least!
Looks cute.
Looks like they hired R&D guys from Casio. I have seen similar features on Elixim models for some time. I was hoping for something better than a GF1 and on a par with X100. Somethings I like but mostly feel have been missed. Nikon 1: The camera for the FaceBook generation!
I think Nikons approach is geniunely interesting, however for a smaller sensor size, the lenses are quite large!
I was expecting something that could compete with Sony NEX models on image quality, but now I can see that that's not going to happen. Now it's up to Canon to bring us something that can do that–together with advanced manual controls.
What a disapointment!
Looks like it has focus button independent of shutter release - good.
Thom says PASM resides in the menus - fine, I don't switch a lot while shooting.
I'll be very interested to find out if the EVH on the V1 is decent - is 1.2M dots competitive with other EVHs?
Very curious about the shutter delay - my LX5 is too slow. I want something under 100ms.
A lot of negative, mocking replies. It's not what I would have chosen exactly, but I'm not sure it is as bad as these posts would imply. I'm still curious to find out more...
Oooh, ooh! I've found something positive!
With an almost 3x crop factor, if that be a 1:1 lens, then the macros are going to provide insane close ups!
I have this dream of using ultra large apertures (say f/0.7) to film my productions in natural light. I know this can't be done on a full frame camera because the depth of field would be too shallow for movies. So I figure I need a smaller sensor to get the large apertures at smaller apreture diameters...
I was hoping that this is exactly what the Nikon's mirror-less system would provide. After all, isn't it vastly cheaper to make large aperture lenses for small sensors?
Well, apparently not, because instead of that they give me a low resolution 1" sensor compact with slow lenses, and do so at the price of a 550D with a really nice set of f/2.0 lenses.
Looks like a pretty bad deal to me.
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Great summary of the growth in mobile video.


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SOURCE Temkin Group
Temkin Well-Being Index Shows Improvement Between 2012 and 2014, Especially In Financial Security
WABAN, Mass., Feb. 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Temkin Group released its Temkin Well-Being Index (TWI), which measures the well-being of U.S. adult consumers. The TWI is based on surveys of 10,000 U.S. consumers that were completed in January of 2012, 2013, and 2014. The TWI of 64.0% in 2014 represented a 2.5-point increase over 2013 and a 4.0-point increase from 2012.
The TWI is an index that averages the percentage of consumers who agree with the following statements:
"U.S. consumers are in a better position in 2014 than they were in the previous two years and the data shows that well-being is trending in the right direction," states Bruce Temkin, Managing Partner of Temkin Group.
Here are some details from the TWI:
This TWI data can be accessed from the blog, Customer Experience Matters, at ExperienceMatters.wordpress.com.
For more information about Temkin Group, visit www.TemkinGroup.com.
About Temkin Group: Temkin Group is widely recognized as a leading customer experience research and consulting firm. Many of the world's largest brands rely on its insights and advice to steer their transformational journeys. Temkin Group combines customer experience thought leadership with a deep understanding of the dynamics of organizations to help accelerate results. Rather than layering on cosmetic changes, Temkin Group helps companies embed practices within their culture by building four critical competencies: Purposeful Leadership, Employee Engagement, Compelling Brand Values, and Customer Connectedness. The firm's ongoing research identifies leading and emerging best practices across a wide range of activities for engaging the hearts and minds of customers, employees, and partners. For more information, contact Bruce Temkin at 617-916-2075 or send an email.
About Bruce Temkin: Bruce Temkin is widely recognized as a customer experience thought leader and is Customer Experience Transformist and Managing Partner of Temkin Group. He is also the author of a very popular blog, Customer Experience Matters® (ExperienceMatters.wordpress.com). Prior to forming Temkin Group, he was a VP at Forrester Research for 12 years. Bruce is a highly demanded speaker who consistently receives high marks for his content-rich, entertaining keynote addresses. He is also the co-founder and Chair of the Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA.org), a global non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of customer experience management.
Customer experience matters is a registered trademark of Temkin Group.
Read more news from Temkin Group.
©2012 PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved.


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Life after Sandy: an RVC hotel room
(Page 2 of 3)
Mike, who has construction experience, has been doing much of the work himself, but Gerry said he has to rely on contractors to get his house back to normal. "We're at the mercy of contractors and subcontractors and all of that," he said. "We have to really be on top of it and hope that what they're telling you is the right thing."
Gerry, who stayed with friends in Malverne for two weeks before moving into the hotel in the second week of November, said that having a place to stay, with electricity and heat, helped bring him out of a "fog" after of the storm.
The length of their hotel stay has worn down their enthusiasm. Gerry said that although he never expected to grow tired of going out for dinner, he wishes he could cook his own meals. The families have also had enough of laundromats, but the hotel only has a single pair of machines, and the dryer has been out of order.
But Gerry, Mike and the rest of the families staying at the Best Western may not be able to stay there much longer, and many do not know where they would go instead. FEMA has extended the Temporary Sheltering Assistance Program three times since it began on Nov. 3, the most recent a two-week extension on Jan. 11. Each time it is extended, Mike said, FEMA does not tell the refugees until the day before the deadline, leading to a great deal of anxiety and worry.
"This experience is the worst thing that anybody can have done to them in a lifetime," Mike said. "This has taken years off our lives. The stress is, on a scale of one to 100, this is 110."
There are few other options available to these families. Mike said that most of his family lived in Island Park, and was displaced, just as he was. Going to stay with his family upstate is not an option because he needs to remain near the house.
Gerry said that his situation is similar, and added that renting is not a realistic alternative for most Sandy-displaced homeowners, who have neither the funds nor the furniture. He added that there are not enough apartments for everyone in the market, and that he had heard about bidding wars and exorbitant rates.
KeywordsSandy, Rockville Centre,
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ADA News
HVO launches oral health effort in Kenya; seeks volunteers
Washington—Health Volunteers Overseas seeks volunteers for its new oral surgery education program in Kikuyu, Kenya.
Partnering with the School of Dental Sciences at the University of Nairobi and the PCEA Kikuyu Mission Hospital, HVO volunteers will provide clinical and didactic training to 11 oral and maxillofacial surgery undergraduate students currently enrolled in the four-year master of science program at the School of Dental Sciences. Volunteers will also provide training to two community dental officers and the graduate oral and maxillofacial registrars, who will rotate through PCEA Kikuyu Mission Hospital.
Volunteers must be fully trained, board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeons who hold a current license to practice. Assignments are for a minimum of two weeks.
The primary goal of HVO's new program is to increase the number of oral and maxillofacial surgeons available to Kenya's increasing population, and to improve the quality and availability of oral health care.
With a population of 39 million people, Kenya has only 22 oral and maxillofacial surgeons. This ratio of one oral maxillofacial surgeon to 1.77 million patients results in over-burdened surgeons and inadequate service availability.
The American Dental Association and the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons sponsor HVO's Oral Health Initiative Programs.
Health Volunteers Overseas is a private, nonprofit organization founded in 1986 to improve global health through the education of local health care providers. The organization has designed and implemented clinical and didactic education programs in child health, primary care, trauma and rehabilitation, essential surgical care, oral health, blood disorders and cancer, infectious disease, nursing education and wound management in more than 25 resource-poor countries. HVO volunteers train, mentor and provide critical professional support to health care providers who care for the neediest populations in the most difficult of circumstances. For more information, visit hvousa.org. For additional international volunteer opportunities visit the ADA International Volunteer Webpage, internationalvolunteer.ada.org, or call the ADA Division of Global Affairs, Ext. 2726.