WHOLEdifference

More than how you played the Game ~ Rice on Life!

2010-01-25T22:59:00.000-05:00

Having voted and inspired friends to do the same in the recent Chase Community Giving "you decide what matters" campaign on Facebook, I am "facing" a reality that I had "not" considered and that is just how "serious" the "game" of charity fundraising gets when the stakes are high!

Just how high?
$5,000,000?
$1,000,000?
$100,000?

Not!

And "not" so easy for me to find the words to express it! I wanted to get it right, to understand the context around the "it's not whether you win or lose but how you played the game" quote, to see if it really fit what I was "facing". And so I "googled" and "googled" my way back to 1908 (checking, of course, to see if it was a Blue Moon year - another not!) and introduced myself to Mr. Grantland Rice, Sportswriter of more than 22,000 columns and over 67 million words including one poem "Alumnus Football" that every Shining Star I know and all the ones I don't will find Wisdom in! Truly modern in its relevance to today's Game no matter "how far away the goal posts are that called us to the play" Bill Jones is on my team ~ from now on!

"For when the One Great Scorer comes to mark against your name, He writes - not that you won or lost - but how you played the Game." ~Grantland Rice "Alumnus Football" 1908

Alumnus Football

Bill Jones had been the shining star upon his college team.
His tackling was ferocious and his bucking was a dream.
When husky William took the ball beneath his brawny arm
They had two extra men to ring the ambulance alarm.

Bill hit the line and ran the ends like some mad bull amuck.
The other team would shiver when they saw him start to buck.
And when some rival tackler tried to block his dashing pace,
On waking up, he'd ask, "Who drove that truck across my face?"

Bill had the speed-Bill had the weight-Bill never bucked in vain;
From goal to goal he whizzed along while fragments, strewed the plain,
And there had been a standing bet, which no one tried to call,
That he could make his distance through a ten-foot granite wall.

When he wound up his college course each student's heart was sore.
They wept to think bull-throated Bill would sock the line no more.
Not so with William - in his dreams he saw the Field of Fame,
Where he would buck to glory in the swirl of Life's big game.

Sweet are the dreams of college life, before our faith is nicked-
The world is but a cherry tree that's waiting to be picked;
The world is but an open road-until we find, one day,
How far away the goal posts are that called us to the play.

So, with the sheepskin tucked beneath his arm in football style,
Bill put on steam and dashed into the thickest of the pile;
With eyes ablaze he sprinted where the laureled highway led-
When Bill woke up his scalp hung loose and knots adorned his head.

He tried to run the ends of life, but with rib-crushing toss
A rent collector tackled him and threw him for a loss.
And when he switched his course again and dashed into the line
The massive Guard named Failure did a toddle on his spine.

Bill tried to punt out of the rut, but ere he turned the trick
Right Tackle Competition scuttled through and blocked the kick.
And when he tackled at Success in one long, vicious prod
The Fullback Disappointment steered his features in sod.

Bill was no quitter, so he tried a buck in higher gear,
But Left Guard Envy broke it up and stood him on his ear.
Whereat he aimed a forward pass, but in two vicious bounds
Big Center Greed slipped through a hole and rammed him out of bounds.

But one day, when across the Field of Fame the goal seemed dim,
The wise old coach, Experience, came up and spoke to him.
"Oh Boy," he said, "the main point now before you win your bout
Is keep on bucking Failure till you've worn the piker out!"

"And, kid, cut out this fancy stuff - go in there, low and hard;
Just keep your eye upon the ball and plug on, yard by yard,
And more than all, when you are thrown or tumbled with a crack,
Don't sit there whining-hustle up and keep on coming back;

"Keep coming back with all you've got, without an alibi,
If Competition trips you up or lands upon your eye,
Until at last above the din you hear this sentence spilled:
'We might as well let this bird through before we all get killed.'

"You'll find the road is long and rough, with soft spots far apart,
Where only those can make the grade who have the Uphill Heart.
And when they stop you with a thud or halt you with a crack,
Let Courage call the signals as you keep on coming back.

"Keep coming back, and though the world may romp across your spine,
Let every game's end find you still upon the battling line;
For when the One Great Scorer comes to mark against your name,
He writes - not that you won or lost - but how you played the Game."

~ Grantland Rice 1908

Have "Blue Moon" will Lasso!

2010-01-11T15:05:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but I have been drawn in to the aura of this "one in a blue moon" New Year like no other! I read beyond the "blue" in the NYTimes and landed on "nineteen years" and declared, "This is IT!" And before I knew "it" and like any good merchant, I was reaching for my calculator to do the math to see just what IT was all about in MY wonderful life!

IT started for me in the first of my two Blue Moon New Years, 1971 which for any twelve year old is definitely IT when you get to be a TEENAGER! No doubt about IT, I turned thirteen in a Blue Moon New Year!

In my second, 1990, IT wasn't so obvious. I'd already passed the big "3-0" and was officially "thirty-something" which was only "it" to my mother who'd been praying for grandchildren since 1971 and she was destined to keep "it" up for a few more moons! I, on the other hand, was destined for my third Rose Achievement Award as a special occasion merchant at Lord & Taylor but truth be told I think I was taking "it" for granted. And then, IT hit me!

After a retail career rooted in stores as a sales associate in Pet's at F.W.Woolworth's in the Berkshire Mall to managing Men's Furnishings at Sak's Fifth Avenue, Bala Cynwyd (I still remember it as Store 31) to buying Robes, Loungewear, Juniors & Special Size Sleepwear and Moderate Updated Sportswear at John Wanamaker's and Woodward & Lothrop to Juniors, Petite Dresses, Bridge Special Occasion and Evening Separates at Lord & Taylor, I did IT! I tied a bow around my apparel merchandising career and paved the way to make the leap to merchandising PEOPLE in a Blue Moon New Year!

So, here I am in this, my third, Blue Moon New Year when until now I was already celebrating IT ~ "50" years on the Planet Earth but "it" isn't IT! Once you're a teenager, IT is more than "just" another milestone! So what is IT for me in this brand new year?

IT is possibility - the possibility to make IT real in this Blue Moon New Year and IT only takes ONE! ONE ~ in a Blue Moon! Here's to dancing by the light of IT in this brand new year!

Wishing you a WHOLE year filled with promise, prosperity, peace of mind and body, one in a Blue Moon possibilities made real and plenty of moments that find you in laughter that makes your cheeks hurt - IT's a "Wonderful Life" ~ and IT is possible in this Blue Moon New Year! Hot dog! lj!

More or less?

2009-09-15T20:13:00.000-04:00

Can it be that I've had "blogger's" block? That "less" to read makes what I chose to write "more" powerful?

I say, "Less!"

From back-to-school to back-to-work, the UP side to DOWN sizing for me was the opportunity to make LESS words mean MORE for some truly terrific talent in career transition this Fall!

To sit across the table, on the couch, on the phone, in the conference room, at the airport, in the hotel lounge, on the train and "lean" in to every two and (yes, Ken) three page resume until it was one that didn't say it all - but it said is ALL right wasn't easy. LESS was definitely MORE work but it was - and is - the FIRST step in a back-to-work strategy that's guaranteed to open MORE doors!

No kidding!?! As far as I'm concerned, it ain't over till it's ONE single page! After all, how many business cards to you present to introduce yourself?

Three?

Two?

One thing's for sure...

LESS is MORE!

THE SPEECH before THE SPEECH!

2009-09-13T00:13:00.000-04:00

I assumed that everyone - particularly parents - who had an opinion, pro or con, about President Obama's Back-to-School speech had actually read - or seen it.

NOT!

In fact, the number of parents (at least one of my own), friends and colleagues that I discovered who hadn't impressed me. As I navigated the landscape of my emotions from anticipation, the night before, to outrage over my son's public school's decision NOT to air the broadcast, to inspiration in reading and then hearing Barack's message sparked in me the realization that it's never too late to make a WHOLEdifference.

What I didn't consider was that I, who had both read the speech AND seen the broadcast, missed something I might never have found were it not for the controversy over it all. In my quest to find a copy of the video to share I went to http://www.whitehouse.gov/mediaresources/
where I discovered the speech BEFORE the speech by Tim Spicer, Student Council President of Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. I remembered when I saw the broadcast that President Obama say "How about Tim Spicer?" but I didn't get the reference until I heard HIS speech which preceded and introduced his President. WOW! I can't wait for a certain 7th grader to watch this!

You see, Barack's words reached my son in a way we've all - cynical grandparents alike - taken note of. No kidding. But for him to see and hear a student standing in the very "student council" shoes he aspires to wear - now - that's going to make "the future" out of this truly historic moment in U.S. History!

For those of you who ONLY saw the SPEECH and NOT! See the SPEECH before THE SPEECH!

Share it NOW! With your kids - with your parents!

Be a part of "US" in making history with our kids!

It's never too late to make a WHOLEdifference!

Back-To-School...Sopho"mom" Year!

2009-09-07T23:41:00.000-04:00

Throughout my time on the Planet Parent which now numbers some 5500 days in this my sopho"mom" high school year, I've found that admitting the reality, in this case, to my daughter that I am "only" as old a "mom" as the number of candles on her birthday cake is something she "gets" and that makes a WHOLEdifference in navigating the landscape to next in her life - and mine - with her!

Make no mistake! I'm not one of those "best friend" kind of moms by any means though we do share secrets and closets from time-to-time, in fact, I've been referred to (and never all that fondly) as the "Just Say No" Mom more often than not. In describing my daughter, now 15, as a "delight" to a "newbie" of not one, but two still little girls of recent, I think it's the way that I've justified the "no" inside and out that's worth sharing.

As a merchant, business woman, entrepreneur at heart whose ability to leverage both creative and analytical lobes to bottom line advantage, I looked at the bottom line of parenting with the same approach. When faced with my first "No" to a request that "everybody else's Mom said yes too, Mom" I did what every good little merchant does - I got the math!

I whipped out my calculator, multiplied the number of days I'd actually been a parent in the face of this "big" decision, gulped at the "weenie" number of days I had under my belt (I was only a 10-year old parent at the time) realized my daughter only had the same "weenie" number under hers and (having made the leap to HR) I knew COMMUNICATION is key! And - there has to be a book!

In as much as I didn't think I'd found one "on topic" (or on my own for that matter) at the time, if hindsight is as 20/20 as whoever they are say it is (and some of them had to be parents) I realize that it was now! Thanks to a woman who has become a lifelong friend and mentor, I read Anthony E. Wolf's "Get Out of My Life, but First Could You Drive Me and Cheryl to the Mall?: A Parent's Guide to the New Teen" - and - it was teen communication "it" long before my daughter was even a pre-teen!

The message, to me, was simple - terrible twos, terrible tweens, terrible teens - it's all the same! Kids just want - they need - like oxygen - without a shadow of a doubt - to know - no matter what the WHAT is - "I will love you, from the top of your head to the tips of your toes and everywhere in between"!

It was through that lens that I saw (again, more often than not) a "toddler" in the face of a teenager and heard a tantrum in the face of a tirade, I found laughter in the face of a frown and turned a cold shoulder in to a warm embrace. I talked instead of telling and listened instead of lashing. And, now, as I describe my daughter as a "delight" instead of a "devil" I am truly thankful for the communication channel we have between us - it's made - it's making a WHOLEdifference!

"Sorry, Sweet Pea, but M'mee is only a high school sopho-mom, and at this age, I'm just not comfortable with...I am, however, comfortable talking with a high school sophomore daughter whom I love from the top of her head to the tips of her toes and everywhere in between...can we talk? What do you - really - feel comfortable with?"

My daughter, now "just" fifteen, is a high school sophomore at Interlochen Arts Academy in Interlochen, Michigan where she is a Theatre Major, honors student...and delight! Since I said "Yes" she takes the bus with "Cheryl" to the Grand Traverse Mall! I am looking for the book about where you take boys on the pre-teen communication highway!

TAD? TND? NOT!

2009-08-30T10:50:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure which acronym will win at "The Bee" but whether it's TAD or TND as my kids suggest there is NFW (Mom! Language!) that texting and driving will EVER be the same thanks to writer-director-FATHER Peter Watkins whose "Yes it is violent, but the reality of a fatal road accident is much more gruesome, is much more violent," video!

The car was full of RICH "text" CONVERSATION the likes of which we've not known since road trips B.E. before EARBUDS! As we made our way "over the river and through the woods" there was no question that THEY got a message in the back seat. The one I got in the front seat was LAC (loud and clear)!

Loud and clear - how about "lucky and committed"? Lucky and committed to driving in a WHOLEdifferent way! As I think of the many (many, and maybe even another many) times I've peeked - OK - full blown read - a text...a whole email...my horoscope - well maybe not my horoscope - well, maybe just once, or twice!?! "en drive" I see myself, again, through the eyes of not one, but two, beautiful children more lucky and committed than ever to a joyful ride! My "Out of Office Assistant" in going "On the Road"!

Behind the Wheel AutoReply:
tnd not! otr! wtb @ SAFE ARRIVAL or LEGIT PITSTOP ;-x lj!

"If you are old enough to drive, if you are old enough to want to drive, you are old enough to be aware of the real and serious risks one places yourself in every time you get behind the wheel." ~ Peter Watkins

"Take care of my stuff" ~ 1tl

Facebook, meet Workbook! ! !

2009-08-20T19:32:00.000-04:00

As a high school freshman, my daughter got a brandy new Macbook for back-to-school and her ONE wish - please, Mommy, please - was to be on Facebook! Not a problem, I was an official high school "froshmom" and I knew JUST the answer to get me out of that sticky wicket, "Sure, Sweet Pea, as long as I am your FIRST friend!" No sooner did I say "friend" and we were - friends - that fast - complete with a <3 to prove it!

Now, as the parent of a rising sophomore and an official high school "sophmom" I am heading back-to-school with 151 more friends than my FIRST beloved daughter (who is still – by the way – my friend despite editorial comment on HER Facebook spanning photos, language, and HER friends photos and language!?!). MY friends include LOTS of my daughter's, many yoga buddies and fellow meditators, "kids" I went to grammar school with (yes, that 5th grade picture with ZERO fashionista present is really me), cousins I used to only see at weddings and funerals and - friends - yes, friends from my WORK - that's right - WORKfriends on my Facebook! Is this were I take the role of Charlie Brown’s Mother and type Arghhhhhhhhh!!!

At first, I resisted - I just "ignored" the invitations from anyone work-related - but they kept coming, from people at every level. From Campus to C-suite they are all people who've invested their time with me to share their story - people I've shared my story with - people whose lives I've interrupted with a call (OK - and a call, and a call) or who took the time to return a call (OK - and a call, and a call) whom I truly regard as "A" talent on the Planet Workbook!

Workbook. Workbook. Wait - this is Facebook - not Workbook?!? I thought “Linked In” was for WORK and Facebook was for LIFE - did I miss something in the Work/Life Rulebook?!? Did you?!? Are we still friends?!?

Well - if I did, I'm sure I'm among the BEST of friends and according to the survey it the “stickiest” of wickets we’ll ever know! The kind of situation you REALLY only want to be in with FRIENDS!

With thanks to a "friend" who is NOT on my Facebook (the invitation will launch the moment I post this BLog) who shared the Survey: More Employers Use facebook to Vet New Hires Than LinkedIn with me. BFFL <3 LYLAS

Facebook may be the stickiest social network here in the U.S.—but LinkedIn is thought to be the default network for a “professional” profile and job history. So why are more employers using Facebook to do background checks on potential new hires than LinkedIn?

Almost 30 percent of hiring managers said they were using Facebook to research new hires, according to new survey data from CareerBuilder—edging out the 26 percent that said they were using LinkedIn.

That doesn’t surprise eMarketer Senior Analyst Debra Aho Williamson, who said that while LinkedIn was very good at being an “online resume,” it was also increasingly important for employers to see how a potential new hire would act outside of work. “Facebook is where people spend their personal time, and until the network finds a better way for people to segment what info outsiders can see, it’s all fair game for employers,” Williamson said.

That lends more credence to Facebook members’ requests for less complex, more transparent privacy controls—but also points to a potentially untapped revenue stream: if employers are using the network to check up on candidates, maybe they’d want to pay to post job listings on Facebook as well.

The CareerBuilder survey also shows how quickly social network searches have become an integral part of the recruitment process: overall, nearly half (45 percent) of survey respondents said they were checking new hires’ social media profiles, up from just 22 percent last year. (Which is likely why the company launched its own career-centric social net, BrightFuse.com, per SAI). CareerBuilder polled over 2,600 hiring managers in June for the data.

RESOURCE or ROADBLOCK? ! ?

2009-08-18T10:08:00.000-04:00

HEY! What king of HUMAN are you - ANYway?!?

“She’s the H & R”, announced the CEO to his team. They smiled. I laughed to myself thinking, “Excuse me, Mr. CEO, it’s “HR” as in “Human Resource” not “H & R” it’s an “adjective” as in "HR" guy, gal or as I have come to be - HR PARTNER!”

And then, it hit me – right in the middle of broccoli, cauliflower & green beans and across the table from “A” talent who was sharing more stories about HR “roadblocks” on his career journey than HR “resources” - that if impressions are reality (as they say in HR) the reality that “box filler” might be a better handle than “human resource” was impressive!?!

But wait! Aren’t we in the middle of an economic crisis with SO many fewer “boxes” to fill!?! Yes! And, doesn't less boxes = more time to fill them? No! The reality that while there ARE less boxes, that there are many, many more “humans” to be human resource to is clear.

What is also clear is the reality that in our quest for the “best” for every “box” the “humans” are feeling it – and sharing it – and making an impression - one that will not only outlive any economic crisis but also impact the reputational equity of employment brand - really.

Maybe it IS H & R?!?

Human. Ampersand. Resource.

What kind of HUMAN are you ~ EVERYway?

hu⋅man /ˈhyumən
–adjective
1. of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or having the nature of PEOPLE
2. consisting of PEOPLE
3. of or pertaining to the social aspect of PEOPLE
4. sympathetic; humane: a warmly HUMAN understanding.

re⋅source /ˈrisɔrs
–noun 1. a SOURCE of supply, SUPPORT, or AID, esp. one that can be READILY DRAWN UPON WHEN NEEDED.

am⋅per⋅sand /ˈæmpərˌsænd
–noun a character or symbol (& or ) for and: HUMAN & RESOURCE

CAUTION ! ! ! W E T P A I N T ! ! !

2009-08-15T10:05:00.000-04:00

Take heed! You have been warned! It's time to head to the art supply store whether you are in Newport, Rhode Island or Newport Beach, California or somewhere in between! Today isn't JUST any ordinary day ~ today is WET PAINT 2009, a truly spectacular day of art-making followed by a silent and live auction to support Newport Art Museum's educational programs, exhibitions, and public events that might just inspire you to trade your wii control for a wee paintbush and give it a swipe!

Imagine a day without tv and texting when the communication line between you and your heart's every means of expression isn't some high speed cable but rather the fiber in the strands of your imagination captured on canvas if only for the time it takes to make that first brush stroke.

When was the last time you were the artist you are?

What will the "kids" think?

What will the "kid" in you think?

In the spirit of "wet paint", it's time to rise, shine and PAINT "en plein air"!

P.s. I "thank" you!

2009-07-23T23:29:00.000-04:00

"There are lots of things we can do to be nice, sometimes they're hard to remember..." so the song goes. From Baby to "Barney" Boomers and every talent in between, it pays to remember your interview manners and really does make a WHOLE difference!

Whether you pen a note by hand in Crane's finest, author a formal "typed" letter, craft an email, text or "ping" an SMS the choice - and responsibility - is yours. Not simply good manners - it's good business. And - in this age of techno-communication - SPEED COUNTS!

As someone who just caught a "thank you" in the palm of my hand from "A" young talent who just left my office and may not even be out and on the street as I type, I can tell you that he's got my attention - and yours!

"If you want nice things to happen..."

http://pbskids.org/barney/children/music/pleasethanksw.html

What difference do “I” make!?!

2009-07-03T01:46:00.001-04:00

Go ahead.
Say it.
Out loud.
With the same attitude you sassed your Mama with when she told you to sit up straight, clean your room, wear a slip or put the toilet seat down…for the hundredth time!

No, no, not “What difference does “it” make?”

What DIFFERENCE do “I” make?

Well, when it comes to the Planet Work the answer is the difference between YES and NO or STAY and GO!

Between CHEMISTRY (Will you “work for” for me?) and CULTURE (I’m here to service your photocopier…) lies CONTRIBUTION – what “I” add to the brand, the bit “I” do, what “I” have a hand in, how “I” strengthen the business, how instrumental “I” am to team - and it goes both ways! What do “I” get from the brand, the tools “I” add to my box, the results “I” achieve, how “I” strengthen and supplement my expertise!

Whether you are in a career relationship or looking for one, the contribution factor – the difference “I” make – the difference “I” gain - makes “A” difference! It’s the difference between taking a “job” and making “A” career move. It’s the difference between doing a “job” and enjoying “A” career. “I” know – and so do you!

Now go on and make your Mama proud! Sit up straight, clean your room, wear a slip and for heaven’s sake put the toilet seat down!

Hi! I'm here to service your photocopier...

2009-06-22T19:22:00.000-04:00

And while I’m at it…I’ll check your culture out!

Right this way…our “culture” is over here next to the photocopier! No, we don’t have it password protected. No, it’s not under lock and key, in fact, it’s right here out in the open. Yeah, sometimes it gets jammed but for the most part it does what we need, in fact, this one’s totally hi-tech compared to other places I’ve worked. It’s not just a photocopier…it’s our “culture”! It’s the way we work – at work – and if I am going to work for you you better consider it because I am "A" talent and "culture is important to me”!

Got you thinking? Me too, thanks to “A” talent doing his homework in anticipation of in-person interviews next week. Lucky for me, I’m mapped to the network “photocopier” and took the opportunity to make it my default printer for the day with enough trips to and fro to want to share it!

I saw a candidate who was early get stuck outside the “glass doors” when the receptionist was away from her desk. I watched a member of the team with lap top in hand catch his wave and walk him in. I saw the Fresh Direct guys find their way to the pantry in awe of the recent office rennovation. I saw the receptionist take an informal lunch survey and watched the smile phenomena in action. I even saw the CEO give it a go! All the while, I considered the culture factor in attracting and retaining "A" talent through the lens of a proverbial photocopier service person.

In the spirit of "Did you know?" http://wholedifference.blogspot.com/2009/06/did-you-know.html

Did you know? In 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions? In these "exponential" times, however, the only one that really matters is YOURS! And, it makes a WHOLEdifference to "A" talent you want - and want to keep!

“If I walked in to your offices to service the photocopier, what would my sense of the workplace be?”

Thanks, Bob, for asking!

Membership has its privilege!

2009-06-12T13:23:00.000-04:00

Ode to the power of branding! Is there anyone reading this that didn't think "American Express"? Not?!? And so it was the same for me when I heard my son's take on that famous tagline standing by the mailbox with him after opening one of those "To the Parents of..." envelopes.

So whether you are a parent or not we've all worn smaller shoes to get where we are today. I continue to be impressed and reminded of the power of branding but to know it through the experience that I have with my children is explosive! Blizzard's on me (after Niall's discount)! We're heading to Dairy Queen! Membership has its privilege!

http://blizzardfanclub.com/join/

MODERN MATH

Mom!
I
did
it!

1 A+ = 2
2 B+ = 1
2 B+ = 1
2 + 1 + 1 = 4

I can fly four hours on Grandmama’s computer!
I get one of those little cards!
And, 10% percent off at cool places!
Like Dairy Queen!

Honor Roll has its privilege!
Are you proud of me?

I don’t want to wear a bike helmet!
OK OK
Bye!

I
love
you
Mom!

Did you know?

2009-06-11T08:48:00.000-04:00

That the "Top 10" in-demand jobs in 2010 did not exist in 2004? That we are currently preparing students for jobs that don't exist - using technologies that haven't been invented - in order to solve problems we don't know are problems yet? That the US Department of labor estimates today's learners will have 10-14 jobs by the age of 38? That "1 in 4" workers has been with their current employer for less than a year? That "1 in 2" has been there for less than five years? That (on the high heels of “Will you “work for me?”) "1 out of 8" couples married in the US last year met online?

Well you do now!

So, what does it mean?

Well, before you rev up your computer to get online to look for a job or a candidate put on your "wedding" shoes and consider that "7 out of 8" couples married in the US last year did NOT meet online! And what about "couples" who took the career plunge? Well, it's no surprise that "1 out of 5" either found a job listing or posted their resume online to be found by "employer right"! Which means that "4 out of 5" did NOT!

That said, we really ARE living in exponential times and if MySpace really were a country it would be the 5th largest in the world (between Indonesia and Brazil) and making sure you have a Passport to the Planet Work with a Social Networking VISA seems like the ONLY way to travel!

Ready for take-off? Strap on your seatbelt! Turn up the volume! Get in the KNOW! Be that ONE in a million who makes a WHOLEdifference on the Planet Life - at work, home and play!

With thanks to a high school chum who shared this video!

Will you "work for" me?

2009-06-05T11:04:00.000-04:00

Not likely with the NY Times headline "345,000 U.S. Jobs Lost in May; Unemployment Rate Jumps to 9.4%" Friday morning! And if you are it is likely that you are in a good relationship that, like any relationship, requires "work" to work! With unemployment at its highest point in a quarter-century, and economists saying "the job losses were likely to pile up through the rest of the year" whether you are "happily working" or looking for "employer right" it's all about relationships!

That said, did you ever really imagine that you would find a successful long-term relationship with someone you only read about online? It is reported that 1 in 8 people tied the knot in 2008 after meeting online but it's only been a year and what does that say about 7 in 8 people - NOT! Online, that is! And in this day and age with all "people your mother warned you about" in the world, could you really see yourself sending your entire academic and career life history including your name, home address, email and mobile contact info with references across the internet to a stranger?

Would you agree to chat on the phone with yet another stranger to get pre-qualified for real consideration with your intended beyond the best friend of your "crush" in the 7th grade? And given the opportunity to meet the man or woman of your dreams for the first, and in most cases only, time for an hour (in you're lucky) before he or she "pops" the question, do you really believe that your "yes" is to happily ever after anything that you really know will happen?

All kidding aside, it's as easy to find a "job" as it is to go on a "blind date". Pursuing a career, like finding your soul-mate requires "work" to work! And when you consider how much waking time you spend at "work" with your significant employer it's a wonder that we refer to workplace attrition as turnover instead of calling it like it is - divorce! Imagine what would happen if everyone - on both sides of the "family" - put the relationship first?

Whether you are "happily" employed or "looking" for employer right, consider the "chemistry" with your "boss" as the single most important predictor in your success. And in as much as so many of us are on the "looking" side of the glass, we have the unique opportunity to begin a career instead of just finding a job if we "C" just the meaning in the "chemistry" from the very start. And, if you're not "c"onvinced - at work - or home - ask Webster!

chem⋅is⋅try /ˈkɛməstri/
Pronunciation [kem-uh-stree]
–noun, plural -tries.
1. the science that deals with the composition and properties of substances and various elementary forms of matter. Compare element (def. 2).
2. chemical properties, reactions, phenomena, etc.: the chemistry of carbon.
3. the interaction of one personality with another: The chemistry between him (or her) and his (or her) boss was all wrong.
4. sympathetic understanding; rapport: the astonishing chemistry between the actors.
5. any or all of the elements that make up something: the chemistry of love.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/06/business/economy/06jobs.html?_r=1&hp