Let's Rename the Christian Coalition

Because it shows no vestiges of Christianity...strictly old testament

We cannot control what they call themselves but if we do this right we can control what other people call them.

Please send comments with suggested names, or vote for names appearing here.

The Eye-for-an-Eye Koalition (EEK)

The FIre and Brimstone Coalition (FIB)

The Front for Elimination of Tolerance, Compassion, and Humor (FETCH)

Group Resonpsible for Insighting Mediocrity (GRIM)

UNctuous Hypocrits

The Front for Aggressive Suppression of Compassion, Intelligence, Sensitivity and Tolerance (FASCIST)

Others' Thoughts on the Current "Leadership"

Nothing doth more hurt in a state than that cunning men pass for wise.

      --Francis Bacon, essayist, philosopher, and statesman (1561-1626)

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Toynbee Meets Dubbya at Wells Fargo:
Civilizations in decline are consistently characterised by a tendency towards standardization and uniformity.

-- Arnold Toynbee, historian (1889-1975)

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Gorky: Pleasure vs. Slavery

When work is a pleasure, life is a joy!  When work is a duty, life is slavery.

      -- Maxim Gorky, author (1868-1936)

Kovacevich's "Vision and Values" (!)

"If our team members have a great attitude, feel as if they own their business, are accountable for results, are given the tools and training to get the job done, are recognized and rewarded for their accomplishments, and have fun at work then chances are their customers will be happy and satisfied too."

     -- Richard Kovacevich, Vision and Values 2005


[Isn't this sad?]

Recommended: How to Negotiate Like a Child

[Contributed by Debbie:
"Look into the eyes of a child and you will find yourself face-to-face with one of the world’s greatest negotiators. Tongue in cheek yet eminently practical, this book explains how to implement child negotiation techniques to get what you want." Some sample chapters: " Pretend You Don’t Understand to Get the Other Side to Offer Something They Didn’t Plan on Conceding," "Give Yourself a Time-Out," "Solicit a Bribe," ...]

From TEC: Creativity vs. Tools

TEC (Technology Evaluation Center)
Software for Real People
Part Two: Competition and User Recommendations
-by David March

The root of creativity rests in the people, the management, and the culture of the organization. A better tool will not help an organization that is resistant to change and stifles creativity. It is important to remember that while management can solve a technical problem. Technology will never solve a management problem.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

From Kathy:

I was sent this book to read as part of the LDP program for an upcoming offsite.

I haven't read it all but it is a quick read so far (just got it on Friday and almost 1/2 done) and it is written in a "novel" type format (like a story) and therefore is entertaining too.

Found it interesting that the first stumbling block is "absence of trust" and without getting over it - there is no hope of moving forward. One way to tell this is if there are frequent and passionate debates or throwing out of ideas or passing around of ideas (think collaboration) - versus quiet meetings or ones where there are attacks (different than debates). Any good team I've been on has had this.

Also - my favorite quote (as a mother of a 7th grader):
"Kathryn did her best to conceal her distaste for sarcastic remarks, which she had developed teaching seventh graders"