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Ron Paul is a breath of fresh air to the republican party.  His republican ideals are on par with those of the founding fathers, that the constitution should be a document of the people limiting the amount of control the government can have, not the other way around.  His ideals have garnered quite a loyal following.  So much in fact that ‘Paulites’ as they are called have funded a recount of the New Hampshire primary.

Supporters of Republican presidential hopeful Ron Paul are helping to bankroll the re-count of votes in New Hampshire’s Jan. 8 Republican presidential primary.

GOP candidate Albert Howard of Ann Arbor, Michigan, requested the re-count, which began Wednesday and was continuing. Howard got 44 of the more 200,000 votes cast.

Because Howard wasn’t close to the leaders, he had to pay the nearly $60,000 cost of the hand re-count. Howard said a group of Paul supporters called the “grannywarriors” is paying for the re-count.

 To read more about this story, click here.

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In tennis, a seemingly individual sport, the majority of players have a coach (or coaches) behind the scenes that help them with their training and conditioning, etc.  These coaches act as a motivational catalyst that can drive the athlete along the path to success.  Many of these athlete’s, while naturally skilled, would be lost without a professional coach.  There is one player, however, who is the epitome of success, and he has continued to be even without a bevy of coaches.  That man is Roger Federer who is currently playing towards winning his 13th Grand Slam event at the Australian Open.  He exudes a kind of confidence and drive that has been unseen in the game.

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In an expected leadership switch Meg Whitman, current CEO of eBay will be stepping down at the end of March. This move was expected as Whitman and voiced at her inauguration that she didn’t think a CEO should stay for more than 10 years at one company. It was the fact that eBay expects disappointing guidance in 2008 that made the stock fall 5 percent in after-hours trading.

EBay announced Wednesday that, as expected, CEO Meg Whitman will be stepping down on March 31st.

The company also reported fourth-quarter results that exceeded Wall Street’s estimates but eBay issued disappointing guidance for the first quarter and all of 2008. The stock fell 5 percent after-hours on the news.

Whitman’s decision to step down was expected. This March will mark her ten-year anniversary at eBay, and she has said that a CEO should not stay in his or her post longer than ten years.

Click here to read more about this article.

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Managing people in general is a difficult task in and of itself.  But there are certain managerial tasks that are even harder.  One of these tasks is attempting to manage and organize a major sporting event, such as the Australian Open.  There are many different companies involved and a manager needs to keep track of them all and when and where to deal with each vendor.  Also, there are all the internal groups of people that need managing such as the recruiters, advertisers, maintenance crew, etc.

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Amusing story about a congresswoman trying to find out who to blame for the credit crunch.  Shows that if you are trying to mount an attack you better know who you’re dealing with.

A congresswoman at a House of Representatives Budget Committee hearing was seeking to pin down which Wall Street firms were responsible for the securitisation of sub-prime mortgages.

She began: “Seeing as how you were the former CEO of Goldman Sachs …”

A bemused Bernanke interrupted: “No, no, no, you’re confusing me with the Treasury Secretary [Hank Paulson, the former Goldman Sachs bigwig] …”

To read more on this story, click here.

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In recent days Hilary has cast aside policy issues and chosen to focus on her experience and leadership styles and Obama’s lack thereof – at least according to her. If Obama and Hilary were stocks i’d put my money in Obama, using an online stock service, because i feel this tactic will come back to bite Hilary.

In a Democratic presidential campaign turning largely on personal qualities rather than policy differences, Hillary Clinton has now seized on an off-hand comment Barack Obama made suggesting his management style is not detail-oriented to press an advantage she has in voter perceptions of her preparation for the presidency.

To read more about this story, click here.

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It is often said that leaders are born, but new studies show that this age old mantra may in fact be debunked.

Now, research at the London School of Economics may show that leaders are very rarely born. Instead, they are the ones who are willing to make the decision to lead in situations when it is most expected of them. This confirms an earlier theory by leadership thinker Bernard Bass that leadership is primarily a function of the situation, and that anyone could be a leader in the right conditions.

Leaders are rarely born because they often do not carry any legacy, nor are they necessarily from great families. People who have initiated and propagated great changes are seldom there because of a birthright. They emerged as and remained great leaders through their own merit; beginning with a decision to take on leadership and a determination to lead a cause that they believed in.

To read more on this story, click here.

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Kadoink, a web telephony service for social media that enables enhanced group communication and mass distribution of SMS, live and recorded voice messaging and audio file streams over the voice channel, has closed $7 million in financing with Sutter Hill Ventures.

Arthur Trueger and his venture capital company, BerkeleyVC, usually invest in later stage funding and help build a solid foundation from which the new management of a start up can grow and succeed.  To read more about this story, click here.

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People in management need to make sure that their demeanor is professional at all times.  This may result in a lack of “friends” in a manager’s subordinates, but it is necessary to maintain a neutral work environment, without playing favorites.

Here is a story chronicling a situation when a manager left her professionalism by the wayside and gossiped with her subordinates about one of their peers.  It left the gossiped about peer feeling very uncomfortable and hurt.

When a start up company receives funding from a venture capital firm, like Arthur Trueger‘s BerkeleyVC, they also get the management expertise of seasoned professionals, who can help maintain a positive work environment.  To read more about venture capital news visit Arthur Trueger‘s blog.

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Venture capital firms, like Arthur Trueger and BerkeleyVC, aren’t always looking to invest in start up companies; sometimes they invest in the take over of established companies.  This is the case with Jana attempting to take over  Cnet’s board with the help of a VC company.

Hedge fund Jana Partners LLC of San Francisco and New York said Monday it plans to collaborate with other investors to take over the board of San Francisco-based Cnet in the hope of making the company more profitable.

Sandell Asset Management Corp., the venture capital firm Spark Capital and Paul Gardi of Alex Interactive Media are working with Jana in the takeover attempt. Jana holds 8 percent of Cnet’s stock and claims another 8 percent of “nonvoting economic interest.” Sandell claims 5 percent of “nonvoting economic interest” in Cnet.

To read more about this story, click here.

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With iPods seemingly everywhere these days, it was only a matter of time before they invaded the work place.  Some people claim that listening to their favorite band helps them focus on the task at hand.  Yet a manager has to ask – Do iPods and similar gadgets really increase productivity.  Some experts are mixed on the notion.

The most wonderful and irritating thing about iPods in the office, says author Barbara Pachter, is their ability to cut workers off from the real world. “The ‘pro’ part of it is that their music doesn’t really bother other people, and it may help some people focus.” she said. “The downside is that people get so caught up in what they are listening to that they don’t hear others talking to them.”

It comes down to what type of job the person is undertaking.  For some more monotonous jobs or jobs where the employee is not working directly with other people listening to music can be a definite benefit.  But in hazardous jobs where people need to be alert of, say, a forklift iPods can be a dangerous item.  To read more about the debate of iPods at work, click here.

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I came across another good website that gives a lot of great resources on how to better your management skills in a wide array of situations: Management For The Rest Of Us.  The advice the site can provide is applicable to virtually any type of work environment whether an individually home based business or medium sized company with a few hundred employees.    This versatile website contains all types of tools and articles to help anyone become a better manager of their work.

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People are bombarded with stress signals everyday; whether it is from that annoying boss at work or a crying baby in the apartment above you while you are trying to relax, stress will find you.  It can, however, be managed just like your time and people can be managed.  I came across an interesting website that seems to be a great resource for stress management.  It offers information, both brief and in depth, about individual stress, stress from clients or stress from the workplace.  It gives suggestions on how to build defenses to stress, as well as ways to ‘think’ stress away.

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Whether you like it or not office politics exist in virtually every form of business today.  You can fight it and most likely hinder any career advancement or you can play it with the best of them.  Here are some tips to help  you succeed.

1.   Identify the power holders -  These are the people that other people look up to – find them and know why people look up to them.

2.   Tailor your work style -  How is success measured in your company, and what types of approaches and behaviors are most rewarded? The better your working style fits the organization, the more influential you will be.

3.   Be an expert – Develop an indispensable set of knowledge and skills—things that are not available elsewhere—and you gain expert power.

4.    Recognize others – Be generous with recognition and rewards, as well as opportunities for involvement.

5.    Use your influence wisely – You do have influence—and, yes, power—even if you don’t realize it. Whether that influence is formal or informal, use your power to give to—not take away from—the people around you.

To read the rest of these great office politics tips, visit ManageSmarter.

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It’s that time of year again where everybody in the work place is waiting to get their Christmas bonus.  Some companies reward their employees better than others.  For example, some companies may give out generic ornaments to everyone while another company delivers football tickets to one of the many college bowl games or the mother of them all – the Super Bowl.  Some companies also give some gift baskets; these again can range from pathetic to amazing.

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Many companies today base performance on hours logged, as opposed to results produced. While the two are not necassarily mutually exclusive, one does tend to be separate from the other. Here are some great tips from Laura Stack at ManageSmarter.

1. Workaholics don’t get ahead. There will always be work that needs to be done. There will always be more to get done than there is time to do it. That’s why the classic workaholic will never get ahead: As they work to accomplish more and more, their task list will continue to grow. At the same time, as they become tired, stressed, and overextended, the quality of their work will suffer.

2. Get noticed in eight hours. Unfortunately, workaholics exist for a reason. They tend to be well-respected for their efforts and praised for their dedication to their jobs. But that doesn’t mean that you need to smash the 50-hour barrier every week in order to command the recognition and respect that you deserve.

3. The early bird gets…a raw deal. Let’s say you work from eight until four while your boss works from ten until six. Which one of you is going to get noticed? Your ten to six boss can work the same amount of hours but still look like she’s putting in extra hours at the end of the day.

4. Handle your correspondence first thing in the morning. Your e-mail time-stamp might be the only way someone realizes that you don’t just cut out in the late afternoon because you feel like it.Those that leave the office at six or seven at night will also be sure to notice that you have gotten back to them with an answer to their question before they’ve even managed to sit down at their desk the following day.

5. Get out the door on time. Make a commitment, even if it is only to yourself. Maybe you have to pick up the kids. Maybe you just have a standing early-evening date with the gym. Whatever it is, a regularly scheduled post-work obligation can do wonders for getting you out of the office at a reasonable hour.

For more tips, click here.

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Here are 10 tips to help you better manage your time while multi-tasking.

1.    Don’t leave email sitting in your in box.  Organize email in file folders. If the message needs more thought, move it to your to-do list. If it’s for reference, print it out. If it’s a meeting, move it to your calendar.

2.   Admit multitasking is bad.

5.   Keep web site addresses organized.
To read more about these steps and to discover the remaining five steps, click here.

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A state television broadcast in Cuba read comments written by the 81 year-old dictator, which were mainly devoted to the summit on global warming in Bali.  However, he also said that it is his duty to not hold on to position or block the path of younger people, but to share the experiences and ideas from his life.  He also said that he does not want stay in power, hinting that he may retire from the government.

Read more about Castro’s possible retirment, here.

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There are differences between being a manager and a leader, and never does one title guarantee to be synonomous with the other.  Having the title of manager does not necassarily mean you are a leader, nor does being a leader require the title of manager.  A leader can motivate people without having to rely on their given title of authority.  Below are some tips on how to become a better leader.

1.   Build credibility through accomplishment -  Bold initiatives are most likely to work if you’ve established a winning track record.

2.    Identify risks and implement mitigation strategies – Consider and analyze any possible risks, and have a strategy on how to tackle each one should it arise

3.    Speak your customer’s language – Make it easier on your customers to embrace your plan by framing it in terms with which they are comfortable.

4.    Fight for your vision – If you’ve got a great business case for your bold initiative, don’t back down.

To read the next four bold leadership tips, click here.

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Valley Leadership announced their Man and Woman of the Year for 2007.  Dan Coleman, a hopital executive at John C. Lincoln Health Network, and Carol Peck, CEO and president of Rodel Charitable Foundation of Arizona, were the honored recipients of VL’s prestigious, annual award.

Coleman has guided John C. Lincoln through tremendous growth during the past 20 years. Under Coleman’s leadership, John C. Lincoln Hospital merged with Phoenix General Hospital in 1997, creating the John C. Lincoln Health Network.

The network’s community-service programs, including a food bank, have also been strengthened by the creation of endowments to support them. Coleman plans to retire as John C. Lincoln Health Network’s CEO in 2009.

Peck is working to make Arizona’s education system one of the best in the country by 2020. Her conviction that all children can succeed and a spirit of innovative entrepreneurship have been the hallmarks of her 30-year education career.

As the former Alhambra district superintendent for 16 years, Peck created several programs that significantly raised student achievement in a large urban district.

To read more about VL, Coleman, and Peck, click here.

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David West, the new chief executive of Hershey, on Tuesday launched his drive to improve the performance of the largest US chocolate maker with a reshuffle of its top management team.

The moves included naming JP Bibrey, formerly head of international commercial operations, to take over responsibility for its sluggish North American business.

Read more here. 

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At an office party speaking to the right person can give management news about who you are.  A holiday office party can present an opportunity for you to talk to the ‘movers and shakers’ to whom you may not usually have the chance to talk.  However, an office party, if not engaged properly, can result in career disaster.  Here are 12 tips that can help you make the most of a holiday office party from Career Wisdom—101 Proven Strategies to Ensure Workplace Success, written by John M. McKee.

1.   Determine the objective. In advance of an event, expert “schmoozers” think through what the best possible outcome would be relative to career growth.

2.   Debrief your guest. As important as it is for you to know who the “important people” are at an event, the same holds true for your guest.

3.   Early bird special. Arrive at the event early.

4.   Presence pays…literally. Generally speaking, great schmoozers are interesting and entertaining to those around them, and exude self-confidence.

5.   Maintain your visibility. The location where you are situated should be highly visible.

6.   Maximize first impressions. How you introduce yourself to people, especially superiors, is important.

For the other 6 tips to furthering your career through office parties click here. 

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Bid management software is a virtual necessity in order for businesses to operate an efficient operation.  Choosing the right company from which to purchase this software, however, can be a little tricky.  Below are some tips to help you find the bid management software that is best for your company.

1.   Don’t even think about building it yourself.

2.   Assess your expertise and what you really need.

3.   Understand implementation and de-implementation effort and impact.

4.   Always do a trial first.

5.   Set benchmarks for initial and ongoing success.

Get more information and read the next 5 tips here.

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Here are 12 nuggets of management information that can easily be applied to improve you management skills now.

1.   Fix the problem, not the blame – It is far more productive, and less expensive, to figure out what to do to fix a problem that has come up than it is to waste time trying to decide who’s fault it was.

2.   Tell people what you want, not how to do it – You will find people more responsive and less defensive if you can give them guidance not instructions.

3.   Lead by example – Be a leader: it’s tougher than being a manager, but it’s worth it.

4.   Delegate the easy stuff – The things you do well are the things to delegate. Hold on to those that are challenging and difficult. That is how you will grow.

5.   Learn from the mistakes of others – You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.

See the other 7 leadership tips here.

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