View our other history lessons.
No jerks allowed.Do you have an unreasonable boss? I certainly don’t! (Thanks for reading, John.) Are tough, aggressive bosses going by the wayside in an era when companies like Netflix have a “no-jerk rule”? Or does it still take sharp elbows and a demanding nature to push employees? There are so many ways to effectively manage employees without resorting to intimidation and anger, which I think makes that approach obsolete. Does that sound soft? There’s a difference between being stern and a bully.
Is the Hard-Nosed Boss Obsolete? – Wall Street Journal
I’m not a fan of commencement addresses. I detest the usual Pollyanna messaging and “you are the country’s future” appeal. Continue reading
This is the third tip in on ongoing series on becoming an effective communicator – read the others.
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ttention spans get shorter and shorter. We receive news reports from 140-character tweets and 30-second YouTube videos. Anything longer has become so hard to get through! If you want your message to be heard and understood, you have to make it brief and get to the point.
One way to do this: avoid circumlocution. I realize I just used a big fancy word, so let me clarify: Circumlocution is using a lot of words when a few will do. It’s when you plan a route from Los Angeles to San Francisco by way of Atlanta, Georgia. It’s when you take a long, winding scenic route to get where you need to be – when a quick, straight road could have been used in a fraction of the time. Uncle Si from Duck Dynasty is a circumlocution expert; he’s famous for never getting to the point:
Good days ahead for Leggett & Platt?This article shares the state of manufacturing in America right now, and there’s reason to be optimistic. After a decades-long decrease in jobs, 600,000 have been added over the past four years. Part of the reason is increased wages in China and other emerging countries, leading many companies to bring jobs back to the U.S. Here are a couple interesting numbers: the average annual pay and benefits for U.S. manufacturing workers in 2012 was $77,505, whereas the number for all U.S. workers is $62,063; and 80% of manufacturing jobs require at least an associate’s degree or 12 months of training. Incidental note: one of my favorite words, “sanguine,” is used late in the article.
Why U.S. Manufacturing Is Poised for a Comeback (Maybe) – Wall Street Journal
This isn’t the first article about “reverse mentoring” that I’ve linked to, and that’s because I think it’s an important subject. I understand how reluctant an “older” employee would be Continue reading
Look inside Leggett & Platt and you’ll find employees who are committed to protecting and preserving the environment. On May 16, our Corporate Office kicked off participation in the Eco Initiative, joining over 50 other Leggett & Platt branches who have registered for or implemented the program.
The Eco Initiative provides a system to improve environmental performance in our operations which adds to our track record of environmental stewardship. To date, some of our efforts include energy savings through high-efficiency fluorescent bulbs and condensing units, as well as paper, plastic, aluminum, and cardboard recycling. In 2013, on average, the Corporate Office recycled approximately 30,000 lbs. of paper, 600 lbs. of plastic, and 7,000 lbs. of cardboard each month!
For more information, contact Theresa Block, Director of Environmental Affairs.
It’s the last Friday of the month, so it’s time for more great advice from our crack team of ace advice-givers. We’ve covered the ins-and-outs of looking busy, the importance of appearing confident, and now it’s time to tackle tech. Technology changes fast. And if you want to prevail over your competition, you’ll need to stay ahead of the curve. These tips should help you out. 
Sometimes thinking is a bad idea.It turns out that “Just Do It” is more than a marketing slogan. Read this piece to hear about how “unthinking” is “the ability to apply years of learning at the crucial moment by removing your thinking self from the equation.” Everyone is familiar with the concept of overthinking things, whether it’s golf or writing a simple email or maybe even creating something in your kitchen. I heard a lot about “muscle memory” as a baseball player. If you practice something enough, you won’t have to think about the step-by-step process when it matters most. Evidently, there’s a lot to that.
NON COGITO, ERGO SUM – The Economist
The internet has been creating words – have you noticed? Continue reading
Shela here again, filling in for Paul and talking about girl power. I’ve been lucky enough not to have faced any gender discrimination in my relatively short time in the work force. But I know it’s out there and it’s still a problem for many women, especially those trying to climb the corporate ladder. Unfortunately, changing minds takes time. It’s a real bummer, but there are things women can do to help effect change.
This article reviews a book that instructs women on dealing with double standards at work – What Works for Women at Work by Joan C. Williams and Rachel Dempsey. This book is big…365 pages of advice for staying on par with men in the workplace. It’s a little sad, to me, that women need SO MANY pointers just to get noticed at work. But I digress. Continue reading