SHEPA BLOG

Networking Bible 101

2009-12-24T05:07:00.000-08:00

Google Alerts are a wonderful thing, it keeps you informed of who is talking about you (maybe not good for Tiger) and where you have made a difference. This was a recent Google Alert from a company, Certes, who put a big focus on networking. http://www.certespros.com/ Here's what they say about WORK THE POND! The Shepa Learning Company's positive "networking 101 bible, we highly recommend this quick and clever read for those of you who plan to only purchase one networking how-to guide in your lifetime. As the authors themselves assert, this is not a book about getting leads, referrals, and contacts but about incorporating a service oriented philosophy into building better relationships for long-term success." http://www.nextworking.com/tips_and_links.cfm

Posted by Gayle Hallgren-Rezac

Global survey reveals happiness gaps between men and women - FP Posted

2009-12-24T04:35:00.000-08:00

Why smiling can make you happier.

Posted: December 23, 2009, 5:56 AM by Ray Williams

By Ray B. Williams

Do you smile because you're happy, or does smiling make you happy?

In psychology, there is a theory called the "facial feedback hypothesis" which states, according to researchers D.A. Bernstein and his colleagues, that involuntary facial movements provide sufficient peripheral information to drive emotional experiences. Psychologists S. F. Davis and J.J. Palladindo explain that feedback from facial expression affects emotional expression and behavior. In simple terms, if you smile, you can actually improve your emotional mood.

R.B. Zajonc and his colleagues, reporting their research findings in the Psychological Review, found compelling evidence that smiling causes people to feel happy, regardless of how they felt at first. The researchers report that smiling leads to physiological changes in the brain that cool the blood, which in turn makes people feel happy. Researchers at the University of Munich studied subjects that had received botox treatments to their face. They found those subjects who had received botox treatments, when asked to either make an unhappy, neutral or relaxed face, reported more facial pain than subjects without botox treatments. These findings parallel the brain science research on mirror neurons, which show how mimicking the emotions, such as empathy toward another person can cause you to feel empathy. Studies by Robert Sutton at Stanford University have also shown that a smiling happy disposition by managers has a beneficial impact on employees and their work performance.

The research seems to give a partial answer to the chicken and egg question: do you smile because you're happy, or does smiling make you happy or happier? The research seems to point to increasing evidence of the mind-body connection. Michael Lewis, one of the authors of a research study on the subject at the University of Cardiff, concluded that our emotions are not just restricted to our brains, and there are parts of our bodies, such as our face, which has a large number of muscles, that help and reinforce the feelings we're having.

So the next time you want to feel happier, smile. Your brain and your face know what they're doing.

Ray B. Williams is Co-Founder of Success IQ University and Ray Williams Associates, companies located in Vancouver and Phoenix, providing leadership training, personal growth and executive coaching services. www.successiqu.com.

Read more: http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fpposted/archive/2009/12/23/why-smiling-can-make-you-happier.aspx#ixzz0aboo7XAJ

The Financial Post is now on Facebook. Join our fan community today.

--
Darcy Rezac
www.boardoftrade.com
604 641-1255

DISPATCHES BY VANCOUVER BOARD OF TRADE IN COPENHAGEN: Appleton Reports...

2009-12-13T20:44:00.000-08:00

Blame Canada By Barry Appleton, VBT Washington DC Representive at UN Climate Summit

Copenhagen – December 11, 2009 - Canada continues to be the object of intense reflection at the global Climate Change talks in Copenhagen. A day does not go by without a protest about the environmental effects of Canadian extraction of petroleum from the Oil Sands. Today about 60 Canadian First Nations members paraded through the talks chanting to aboriginal drums while carrying placards demanding an end to oil sands extraction.

These demonstrations have built on an ongoing problem caused by Canada’s failure to implement the Kyoto Protocol, despite its signature on the treaty. While most G8 countries failed to meet their Kyoto Protocol objectives, Canada alone is the only G8 country to have signed Kyoto but then entirely failed to carry out any of its provisions.

The reputation of Canadians in these talks has taken a serious beating. Across the conference, there has been widespread disdain for the Canadian position. Concerns about the Canadian failure to meet its obligations has been expressed by NGO bloggers and senior conference leaders alike. It is clear that Canada’s previously reputation for building international institutions has been stained.

Canadians have often been able to feel good abroad based on their international reputation. The Copenhagen talks mark the first time that Canadians have not been able to rely on that reputation. Indeed, in light of the Obama Administrations adoption of more climate-change friendly policies, the Canadians are now seen as the villains at the Copenhagen talks. One conference leader source stated that he simply could not understand how Canada could rehabilitate itself without a major and well-publicized volte face by Canadian Prime Minister Harper at the Copenhagen Climate Change talks next week.

______________________________________

Barry Appleton

Managing Partner

Appleton & Associates International Lawyers

Toronto ~ Washington DC and
Special Representative and Foreign Correspondent
The Vancouver Board of Trade, Washington DC
Toronto Ph: 416.966.8800 Fax: 416.966.8801
77 Bloor Street West, 18th Floor,
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1M2
On the Web: www.appletonlaw.com
Email: bappleton@appletonlaw.com

_______________________________________

FLASH! VBT's Appleton Reports Seismic News from Copenhagen Dec 13...Disruptions Continue

2009-12-12T23:02:00.000-08:00

Small islands Shake UP Copenhagen UN Summit

by Barry Appleton

Copenhagen – December 13-09 -- A seismic event has happened in the COP15 Climate Change talks – and it is based on actions by small island nations such as Tuvalu, Palau and Grenada. Tuvalu, a small south Pacific island nation, made an aggressive proposal at the Copenhagen Talks towards high levels of climate change protection. Speaking on behalf of the 20 member Alliance of Small Island Nations, Tuvalu laid out an ambitious vision for a binding climate deal. It introduced a proposal to cut carbon emissions by 85% by mid-century and imposing an aggressive 350 ppm (parts per million) limit the reduce what could be considered as acceptable carbon dioxide emission levels. The goal of the proposal is to reduce the 2 degree Celsius target climate temperature increase recommended in 2007 by the UN Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change.

The costs for islands like Tuvalu are very real. It is a small island nation that has very real concerns for its very survival. Islands like Tuvalu have suffered a staggering loss of fisheries and the health of its coral reefs are at peril caused directly by climate change. Other islands like the Maldives threatened to be submerged if global sea levels rise.

The position of the small island nations at the Copenhagen talks demonstrates an evolution in negotiations. It marks the first split in the power of the developing states. Styled as the G77, the developing states have wielded tremendous negotiating clout at international climate conferences on account of their impressive membership – comprising nearly one half of the 193 countries at the Conference. This time the G77 have been joined by China – resulting in an even more powerful economic and political force.

Yet the Small Island Nations proposal has resulted in a split in the G77. This is the first time that there has been a public split in this voting bloc – but perhaps the split was inevitable. The interests of the largest members of the G77, China and India, have differed from most of the other less industrialized members of the group. Industrialized developing countries have been concerned about the costs of actually obtaining emission cuts in their own countries –something that was not required of them under the lenient terms of the Kyoto Protocol. China is now the world’s largest emitter of carbon. When it is added to the G77, the split between the two largest developing states and the others becomes pronounced and clear. The interests of “CHININDIA” are very different from the majority of the G77.

The climate change protestors and the island nation of Tuvalu want a mandatory and meaningful climate treaty. China, India and the developed states do not. So goes Tuvalu, so goes these talks.

The Tuvalu proposal is also interesting as it has relied on a technical element of the existing Kyoto Protocol to amend it instead of creating a new treaty from the Copenhagen Conference. The amendment proposal requires that a vote be held at the Cop15 talks – something in itself that is very rare at such international conferences.

Tuvalu has identified previously unseen seismic faults lurking beneath the G77 coalition. The Tuvalu proposal is much more significant than any number of protests or placards. So the quakes caused by tiny Tuvalu may well result in a virtual tsunami at these talks. Through its actions, it is threatening to cause a highly divisive vote at the climate talks that may cause China to reconsider its new-found embrace of emission reductions.

Stay tuned on this developing story.

______________________________________

Barry Appleton

Managing Partner

Appleton & Associates International Lawyers

Toronto ~ Washington DC
And, Vancouver Board of Trade Special Represenative, Wahington DC
Toronto Ph: 416.966.8800 Fax: 416.966.8801
77 Bloor Street West, 18th Floor,
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1M2
On the Web: www.appletonlaw.com
Email: bappleton@appletonlaw.com

COPENHAGEN 12 DEC: VBT's Appleton reports on World Economic Forum Young Global Leaders Meeting.

2009-12-12T22:06:00.000-08:00

UN Climate Change Summit Prognosis Poor

by Barry Appleton

Copenhagen, December 12, 2009. The World Economic Forum's Young Global Leader's held a private think tank like meeting with officials and advisors to discuss prospects for the negotiations. About twenty young global leaders convened at the talks to find ways to better understand climate change in the context of the current talks. An eclectic mix of attendees at the event included an acclaimed industrial designer, an alternative energy expert, an acclaimed National Geographic Society photographer, an international law expert, a carbon-neutral rose grower from Ecuador, an indigenous peoples leader from Indonesia and the Crown Prince of Denmark. Three Canadians attended.

Former United Nations Under-Secretary General Maurice Strong offered some frank views. He believes that the state of the talks cannot result in a truly successful and meaningful deal. Mr. Strong, a Canadian who chaired the ground-breaking 1992 UN's Earth Summit Climate Change Conference, the only workable deal can be a legally-binding mandatory one. And for him, it is clear that the political will is simply not present to get such a deal at this time. Advisors to the governments of the United States and India told the Young Global Leaders in their off-the-record sessions that a political deal is the best deal that can be achieved during the Copenhagen talks.Jose Maria Figures, a former Costa Rican President who was elected on an environmental platform, believed that having some political deal would be better than no deal at all. Mr. Figures, a Former CEO of the World Economic Forum, suggested that steps towards a non-mandatory climate change agreement (a political deal) could result in environmental benefits that could result in a mandatory deal being reached in future. He advised the Young Global Leaders to find ways to assist governments attending the talks to find political support towards the tough domestic political decisions necessary to make any binding deal work. Strong stressed the need for a way to make the best out failure at these talks through an interim agreement to get negotiators towards a fuller agreement later. But there are costs to this approach. In his view, business leaders will likely withhold the types of meaningful climate change investments necessary to address global warming without a binding and mandatory agreement.The Climate Changes talks will continue for one more week. President Barrack Obama will participate Thursday and is expected to try to salvage a deal.
__________________________________________________________
Barry Appleton, Managing Partner
Appleton & Associates, International Lawyers

Washington DC and Toronto, &

The Vancouver Board of Trade Representative, Washington DC

www.appletonlaw.com
email: bappleton@appletonlaw.com

McKINSEY'S BREAKTHROUGH CENTRED LEADERSHIP MODEL: SEMINAR AT VANCOUVER BOARD OF TRADE, 3 FEB 09 on How Remarkable Women Lead, with Author

2009-12-10T11:27:00.000-08:00

HOW REMARKABLE WOMEN LEAD, Vancouver Board of Trade 3 Feb 09 seminar by co-suthor Susie Cranston

Presented by The Woman's Leadership Circle of The Vancouver Board of Trade and The Rix Center for Corporate Citizenship and Engaged Leadership

GET WEEKLY INSIGHT FROM ONE OF CANADA'S LEADING SPEAKERS

2009-12-06T13:48:00.000-08:00

Peter Legge is an insightful guy, dynamic speaker, tireless community supporter and successful businessman and publisher. Get inspired by signing up for his newsletter Weekly Insight by Peter Legge.

SOCIAL MEDIA AND PRODUCTIVITY

2009-11-30T23:03:00.000-08:00

November 29, 2009, Published in Psychology Today

Social Media: Does It Help or Hinder Productivity?

Does social media help or hinder productivity?

By Ray B. Williams

Does the use of social media in the workplace benefit organizations and educational institutions and help productivity or hamper productivity? That's a question many leaders and educators are debating in organizations, even while students and employees immerse themselves in social media for both personal and business purposes.

" How much work can 'hyper-socializing' employees really accomplish if they are holding multiple conversations with others via text-messaging or obsessively checking social networking sites?" That's a question that John Agno in his Leadership Blog, recently asked.

His reply was, "They can accomplish a great deal in today's 24/7 virtual environment. The Gen Xs and Ys have a gift for multitasking (because they have integrated technology into their lives) and now have the ability to remain connected to each other and thus serve themselves and their employers well."

Valentines from the ones who’ve hurt us: a matter of pain or hope?

Virtual Social Climbing

Using Social Networking for Recruitment and Training

Social Networking

Twitter: A Desultory Behavior

Jeffrey Zaslow in the Wall Street Journal, November 5, 2009, says, "Because so many people in their teens and early 20s are in this constant whir of socializing—accessible to each other every minute of the day via cell phone, instant messaging and social-networking Web sites—there are a host of new questions that need to be addressed in schools, in the workplace and at home. Chief among them: How much work can 'hyper-socializing' students or employees really accomplish if they are holding multiple conversations with friends via text-messaging, or are obsessively checking Facebook?"

Let's take look at the arguments against the presence of social media in the workplace and our educational institutions. Critics contend that these hyper-socializers are serial time-wasters, that the bonds between them are shallow, and that their face-to-face interpersonal skills are poor. Many employers and schools have taken the step to ban social media for personal use, citing either some research showing it negatively affects productivity, or relying on the older managers' personal perspectives and preferences.

This much is known: Young workers spend more time than older workers socializing via their devices or entertaining themselves online. In a 2008 survey for Salary.com, 53% of those under age 24 said this was their primary "time wasting" activity while at work, compared to just 34% for those between ages 41 and 65.

In July, 2009, Nucleus Research published a study, “Facebook: Measuring the Cost to Business of Social Notworking. Nucleus interviewed 237 “randomly selected office workers” about their Facebook use. Among the findings: 75% had a Facebook account; 61% accessed their site during working hours for an average of 15 minutes per day; and 87% accessed their site for personal reasons. Nucleus concluded that companies who allowed employees to access their Facebook site during work hours could expect to see total office productivity decline by an average of only 1.5%.

A study this year by psychology students at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Ga., found that the more time young people spend on Facebook, the more likely they are to have lower grades and weaker study habits. Heavy Facebook users show signs of being more gregarious, but they are also more likely to be anxious, hostile or depressed. Almost a quarter of today's teens check Facebook more than 10 times a day, according to a 2009 survey by Common Sense Media, a nonprofit group that monitors media's impact on families.

Part of the argument against social media in the workplace and learning place is the paradigm of what should go on in those places. We have separated social interaction from "work" interaction, seeing them as not only different but in conflict. Our society has viewed work and play as being separate and distinct. Think back. When today's older workers were in their 20s, they might have taken a break on the job to call friends and make after-work plans. In those earlier eras, companies discouraged non-business-related calls, and someone who made personal calls all day risked being fired. It was impossible to envision the constant back-and-forth texting that defines interactions among young people today.

Now for the argument for social media in the work and learning places. Zaslow argues that this generation has a gift for multitasking, and because they've integrated technology into their lives, their ability to remain connected to each other will serve them and their employers well. While their older colleagues waste time holding meetings or engaging in long phone conversations, young people have an ability to sum things up in one-sentence text messages, And given their vast network of online acquaintances, they discover people who can become true friends or valued business colleagues—people they wouldn't have been able to find in the pre-Internet era.

A new study just published by Australian scientists found that taking time to visit websites of personal interest, including news sites and YouTube, provided workers a mental break that ultimately increased their ability to concentrate and was correlated with a 9% increase in total productivity.The study was performed by researchers at Australia's University of Melbourne and coined the phrase "workplace Internet leisure browsing," or WILB. The activity helps keep the mind fresh and helps put you in a better place when you come back to working on topic, the scientists said. "People who do surf the Internet for fun at work - within a reasonable limit of less than 20% of their total time in the office - are more productive by about 9% than those who don't," said Dr Brent Coker, from the Melbourne Department of Management and Marketing.

Patricia Khul, a University of Washington professor and co-author of a recent study on social learning argues that social media can stimulate positive brain activity and learning. The study of Japanese students taking English lessons involved the creation of a computerized social program. The researchers found the students interacted with the language tools the same way they might in a social media environment, and their learning was accelerated.

Finally, numerous brain science studies have shown that social interaction and the stimulation of emotions as at the core of effective learning, decision-making and long-term memory.

What about business use of social media? Business.com released additional results of its milestone study of social media usage across American business, this time with a focus on B2B (business to business). This research should put an end to the argument over the relevance of social media in the industrial sector. In fact, it appears that by percentage, B2B is ahead of B2C (business to customer) in some key categories. This report is full of details by industry, job type, and social media platform. It’s significant because of the scope of the study and the statistical rigor applied to the results. The study showed a statistically significant difference in social media activity with B2B’s dominating in 11 out of 14 social media categories. So obviously, organizations are seeing the value of social media, and are attempting to leverage that advantage for business purposes. If social media is beneficial to business, why would they try to restrict its use for employees?

In many ways the issue of social media is one of determining who establishes both the value and need for products and services--the business supplier, which has been the norm till now, or the consumer/client, which has become the new paradigm?

THE VANCOUVER BOARD OF TRADE MOURNS PASSING OF DR DON RIX, CM, OBC

2009-11-06T17:35:00.000-08:00

Dr Don Rix, CM, OBC, passed away this morning, following a long illness. He served as Chairman of The Vancouver Board of Trade from 08-09 (June). He was a wonderful leader, tireless volunteer and outstanding citizen of Vancouver and Canada. Don will be missed.
Darcy

See: Gillian Shaw at the Vancouver Sun and www.boardoftrade.com

2010 Olympic Torch Relay

2009-10-31T21:46:00.000-07:00

October 31, 2009. Had an amazing experience today, got to carry the Olympic torch as part of the most amazing relay (see graphic of the route above.) This is Logistics Extraordinaire. I went to Vancouver Island and my portion of the relay, on ths beautiful autumn day, was through the charming town of Duncan. It was all a bit surreal. Since it was Halloween our white outfits kind of fit in with the street scene--little ghosts, globlins, witches, frogs walking up and down the street trick or treating with all the merchants. We were the fire-carrying snowmen and women...

The torch is pretty sleek, and it has some weight. What was amazing was how excited people were to hold the torch, and have their picture taken with it. It was very touching to see the excitement, so one can only imagine what will happen when the games start.
-Darcy

CONNECTORSHIP: Death by Internet? Can Facebooking, Twittering, and other 'social networking' activities be bad for your health??

2009-10-12T23:37:00.000-07:00

World Economic Forum , Davos, Switzerland,

Mecca of uber-networking

Darcy and I have been fortunate to have attended the World Economic Forum in the remote Swiss Alpine village of Davos a number of times. It is an annual think tank of business, academic, NGO and political leaders from around the world with the mission "to improve the state of the world."

The Internet and cell phone access were late to arrive in Davos, and before it did delegates would gather in the hallways and coffee bars in that remote Alpine conference center between sessions and engage in face-to-face conversation with everybody around. Not so much anymore. While still the Mecca for great conversations and in-person contact, today, delegates are as likely on their cell phones and blackberries as chatting up a new acquaintance. 'Social networking' has in fact become less social. It is the same at gatherings around the world. Turns out, this may be bad for our health.

Rather than expanding our network with new contacts, increasingly we seem intent on reinforcing our existing contacts with more frequent phone calls, emails and texting with people we already know. And it may well be deadly.

No kidding! Rik Myslewski of the UK's The Register reports on research that says, "There is mounting evidence that Facebooking, Twittering, and other 'social networking' activities can kill you."

This is according to a study in the Biologist, the journal of the British Institute of Biology by Aric Sigman. It details how face-to-face contacts with friends and family are being replaced by face-to-screen isolation." Lack of real-world social interaction or in-person networking--can increase susceptibility to cancer, dementia, heart disease, lupus and even the common cold according to the study. In less than two decades, the number of hours per day in face-to-face contact has halved, matched by a similar increase in the use of electronic devices. The number of people saying there is no one with whom they can discuss important matters nearly tripled. Check out this BBC article and interview with Sigman.

We are surprised these findings have not been more widely discussed. They square with myriad earlier studies that show the value of connecting in-person with others. Daniel Goleman in his famous book, Social Intelligence, cites research that shows people are wired to connect face-to-face, and that it impacts health positively. Hence the value of support groups for patients after major illnesses or operations to speed recovery.

Harvard Professor, Robert Putnam, cities research in Bowling Alone (page 331) that shows if someone is a member of no group, but joins one then their chances of dying the following year are reduced by fifty percent, same as if they quit smoking!

The message here is the Internet, face-book, twitter and social networking are great extensions of your in-person network, but a not a substitute for it. Like TV, it can be addictive and if it keeps you from having friends and family to dinner, or from social gatherings, it is likely bad for your health and longevity. So join something, like The Board of Trade or Y and go to functions in person. Connect, for real, and for good. Beware of "Death by Internet"

-Gayle

CONNECTORSHIP: GAYLE & JUDY SHARE STAGE WITH DR OZ AT GM PLACE 6 MARCH: THEIR TAKEAWAY FROM A FAB EVENT?

2009-09-10T11:03:00.000-07:00

Life's 100% Guarantee. Last week we spoke at The Power Within on a program with Dr. Oz, who appears frequently on the Oprah show. His message was about health and the obesity crisis, ours was about connecting in lean times. Social interaction is important to both. There are amazing connections out there, but increasingly we operate in our little bubbles. We twitter and text (see article from the UK Journal Biologist) rather than talking to the person next to us; we get in the elevator at work safely wrapped in our iPod bubble. But what if the best business relationship we will ever have is that person--the one we have been riding the elevator with for years and yet never started a conversation? That's Life's 100% Guarantee. Do nothing and you have a 100% Guarantee, nothing will happen. Interestingly, that was Dr. Oz's message too. Do nothing, nothing will change. In these days, we can't afford not to.

--Gayle & Judy

Got a great networking tip? Share it with us at: info@workthepond.com.

We are giving away a copy of the audio version of Work The Pond! for the best one!

Forward to a Friend: http://tiny.cc/shepatip

WE ARE WIRED TO CONNECT

2009-08-09T06:46:00.000-07:00

If someone says “you are messing with my mind,” they’ve actually got it right. Daniel Goleman in Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships discusses how the latest generation fMRIs have allowed scientists to see what happens in the brain when it comes to our social interactions. It’s these very recent findings in the emerging field of social neuroscience that proves “we are wired to connect.”

A neural duet
The most exciting work now being done is on how two brains interact. Previously scientists and doctors studied brains, one at a time. This exciting new research has found “a hitherto undreamed-of neural duet between brains as people interact.” While the research is compelling, it gets really interesting because of what we as social beings can do with this information. Imagine any social situation and knowing that you affect how others interact with you—good or bad. If you understand social intelligence you can change the outcome in a more positive way.

Emotional viruses
Emotions are contagious. This is thanks to mirror neurons, a newly discovered class of brain cells, which Goleman says, “act like neural WiFi. These neurons specialize in tuning into the person we are with and creating in our brain a replica of the other’s emotions, actions and intentions.”

Have you ever had a conversation that simply stalls, or worse yet, one where ‘the wall’ drops down? Things go from warm and friendly to downright chilly and that loud hissing sound you hear is your positive energy deflating as you react to their reaction. Your body stiffens, your smile tightens and you catch their negative virus. If you feel someone shutting down do not mirror that behaviour. Instead, stay relaxed, continue to smile and stay confident. Now they are catching your positive virus! The person who just tried to shut you down—tried to get you to catch their emotional virus—may walk away from that exchange wondering why they feel so good about you and the experience. Learning the skills of social intelligence, making that brain-to-brain bridge, is “the difference between mere social ease and full rapport.”

Rejection hurts
The research into social neuroscience also answers another question: it’s not just me; rejection is painful. We have all met someone who telegraphs this message, “Thanks, but I’m looking for someone more important to talk to than you.” It’s an experience that sticks with us. It’s one of the reasons most people have anxiety about networking and talking to people more senior than themselves, or have bad memories from meeting ‘toads.’ Goleman says, “Our brains registers social rejections in the very area that activates when we are hurt physically; the anterior cingulated cortex.” It’s heartening to know that the pain of rejection has a neural basis.

Social intelligence is a powerful tool to help us with all our social interactions in work and life. It is so powerful it should be required in every high school and university and for any of us who want to take our skills as a connector to the next level. We have more control of social outcomes than we think.

You can find out more about Daniel Goleman at www.danielgoleman.info.

SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE & SOCIAL MIMICRY

2009-08-08T07:06:00.000-07:00

Social intelligence is an essential part of being a Positive Networker--someone who builds long lasting relationships but has the ability to connect immediately to another person. The previous blog post explains how we are wired to connect. But there's another interesting piece to building rapport.

Benedict Cary in a NY Times article You Remind Me of Me says, "Most people are also strongly sensitive to rapport, to charm, to the social music in the person making the pitch. In recent years, researchers have begun to decode the unspoken, subtle elements that come into play when people click.

They have found that immediate social bonding between strangers is highly dependent on mimicry, a synchronized and usually unconscious give and take of words and gestures that creates a current of good will between two people."

This picture of Darcy Rezac (r) and Peter C. Newman (l) engaged in a conversation at Davos during the World Economic Forum illustrates that kind of connecting. They are leaning into conversation with each other and using the same gestures. Social intelligence is about brain to brain linkages, but as important is body language.

SUPER TEXTS ARE YOU READY TO TACKLE THEM?

2009-07-22T17:48:00.000-07:00

These are some of the books that Steven B. Sample, author of The Contrarian's Guide to Leadership, identifies as the most valuable books on leadership and human nature for modern leaders. He chooses four of the greatest leaders from the Bible (King James version): Moses (Exodus), David (1 & 2 Samuel), Jesus (Matthew) and Paul (Acts). Also on Steven Sample's list of books that share the timeless truths about human nature are Plato's Republic, Shakespeare's Hamlet and Othello, Sophocles' Antigone and Dante's Divine Comedy (John Ciardi translation).

There are more for you to discover and The Contrarian's Guide to Leadership offers up other super texts, everything from the Bhagavad Gita to The Prince by Machiavelli. Actually The Prince is required reading if you are lucky enough to get in the Warren Bennis/Steve Sample class on leadership. Who wouldn't want to be there?

The photo is from Steven B. Sample website

EXCELLENT BOOK: CONTRARIAN LEADERSHIP by Steven B. Sample

2009-07-18T10:36:00.000-07:00

A good friend and UVic Business dean, Ali Dastmalchian, told me about this book by Steven B. Sample on leadership, The Contrarian's Guide to Leadership (Jossey-Bass). He highly recommended it as one of the best in the crowded field of books on leadership. Good call Ali!

Steven Sample is an engineer, inventor and the tenth president of the University of Southern California--now one of the top US universities--and he knows of what he speaks. He teaches a course with Warren Bennis every year for a very lucky group of students. Most of us aren't going to be sitting in that classroom but The Contrarian's Guide to Leadership is the next best thing.

There are a number of books out in the market on the concept of "accountability partners" but Sample's description of how to engage a leader's inner circle of advisors is brilliant. He says that he prefers line officers as his inner-circle of advisors (his wife is the exception). These people are at the coalface and know what the heat feels like when a decision is made and must be implemented. Like Machiavelli, Sample suggests you avoid flatterers and recognize that your inner-circle advisors have their own person agendas. This is not a bad thing, it just must be factored into the mix when making decisions. Here's my question: who are your inner-circle advisors?

Darcy Rezac

Edmonton's New Strategy for Dealing with Crime

2009-07-13T15:28:00.000-07:00

Edmonton has decided to take a new approach to dealing with crime, focusing on root causes and youth. The approach has promise. See Edmonton Journal Story.

RE: The Truth About Stories...from Merlin the Magician

2009-06-27T11:10:00.000-07:00

I received this wonderful email from one of our members after a Board of Trade presentation Gayle and Judy did earlier this year. It is good stuff...Darcy

Hello Darcy!
I enjoyed the presentation last night on networking and storytelling. The following remarks from Thomas King 's Massey Lecture Series in 2003-2004 "The Truth About Stories" may be of help to those in your future audiences trying to tell their own story. For 5 wonderful hours Mr. King discussed storytelling and stories. He remarked about the ephemeral nature of our stories. Archived material is just as tenuous as Oral traditions. There is no permanence. The remarks Mr King made that are relevant to your talk are in the following thoughts.

Everything we do is an act of storytelling. We are constantly telling stories. A few examples: We plead with traffic or parking officers, judges in court; our bosses about tardiness; our children about their whereabouts or actions, etc,. It is all an active act of storytelling. Mr. King summed up his lecture as follows:
   "The Truth about stories is;
   that stories are all that we have,
   because stories are all that we are."
   Thomas King

Hope you find that useful. As a performing artist and entertainer, I certainly do find that useful. The CBC store may have a copy of these lectures which were broadcast on the "IDEAS" program in 2004.

Kindest Regards,
Merlin
"The Most Trusted Name in Magic!"
http://merlincosmos.thruhere.net/
604-637-6367

The Story of Roseto: Beyond the Individual

2009-06-26T23:10:00.000-07:00

By Kara Turcotte, LOT Student, Vancouver Board of Trade

“…the values of the world we inhabit and the people we surround ourselves with have a profound effect on who we are.” -Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers

The story of Roseto, Pennsylvania, told by Malcolm Gladwell in his best-seller Outliers, demonstrates how civic engagement leads to healthier, more fulfilled lives. Immigrants from Roseto, Italy settled in the foothills of Eastern Pennsylvania during the late 19^th century. With twenty-two different civic organizations in a town of less than two thousand, Rosetans kept up their tradition of maintaining a strong, protective social structure.

Rosetans under fifty-five very rarely died from a heart attack or showed any signs of heart disease, and men over sixty-five had a heart disease death rate half of that of the rest of the United States. With diet and exercise habits no different than surrounding immigrant towns, researchers found no explanation other than “Roseto itself” with its resilient culture that looked beyond the individual.

Involvement in the community and a strong social network greatly improves the health and happiness of individuals. A balance of “self-interest and caring for others,” as emphasised by Sue Paish, Incoming Chair, Vancouver Board of Trade, at the Community and Corporate Citizenship Event on April 7^th, leads to a more engaged and actively involved community. The principles behind the Rix Center for Corporate Citizenship & Engaged Leadership are to foster these skills in business leaders, and to surround the community with dedicated and thoughtful members of society.

Long-run success in life and business is enhanced by engaging in the community, as well as looking after ourselves and our families. It’s what neurobiologist Matt Ridley calls, “self-interest for the common good.”

Edmonton's plan to reduce crime Posted by Daniel in Editorial

2009-06-13T15:37:00.000-07:00

A crime prevention report from Edmonton argues investing in after school programs may get taxpayers a bigger bang for their buck than simply hiring more police

While some cities cut funding to the arts and pour millions into the ballooning budgets of their police departments, one Canadian Mayor seems to be taking a radically different approach. As we previously wrote, Edmonton's mayor has just released a provocative report which is looking to fight crime in a non-traditional way. That is, he's not simply going to give his police department another blank cheque and ask them to go get the bad guys.

Last week, a 55 page report by the Edmonton Task Force on Community Safety was released to the public. Overall, the report focuses on getting at the root causes of crime before it happens. The $400K report commissioned by Mayor Stephen Mandel is proposing a number of initiatives to help further reduce Edmonton's crime rate. It should be noted that due mainly to demographics (the bad guys are getting older), the crime rates in most major urban centres in Canada has been in free-fall over the last decade. Despite this, urban taxpayers across Canada have been pouring hundreds of millions into city coffers in order to hire more police.

Let me first say that I think Mayor Mandel should be commended for engaging in this dialogue and for challenging the status quo when it comes to crime fighting. Not many mayors are prepared to say the solution to further reducing crime might not simply lie in providing his police department with more full time staff. There are a lot of mayors across Canada that could learn a thing or two from Mandel.

See complete article: http://tiny.cc/Edcrime

Who Rates a Business Card at Helijet?...ask Danny Sitnam!

2009-05-04T22:24:00.000-07:00

WHO GETS A BUSINESS CARD? page 45 Work the Pond! By Darcy Rezac, with Judy Thomson and Gayle Hallgren (Prentice Hall)

"For most organizations, everyone should have business cards. It's "so last millennium" to provide business cards only for selected employees. Give everyone in your organizations a business card, then train them how to use them effectively.

When I asked Danny Sitnam, president of Helijet International Inc. (the largest scheduled helicopter carrier in the world), who in his organization got business cards, he said, "Everybody--I want everyone to network." Danny gets it; he has high network shepa."

(A Helijet Sikorsky flying guests out of Queen Charlotte Lodge, north of Queen Charlotte Island)

LEADERSHIP: TEDTalk: Barry Schwartz on our loss of virtue..."Ideas Worth Spreading"

2009-05-03T23:31:00.000-07:00

Barry Schwartz's talk at TED2009 was considered by many to be the highlight of the world famous annual conference. Gayle and I met the founder of TED, Saul Wurman in Davos in 1998. TED is an amazing conference on Technology, Entertainment and Design. Here is what Wikipedia says:

"TED was founded by Richard Saul Wurman and Harry Marks in 1984, and has been held annually since 1990. Wurman left after the 2002 conference; the event is now hosted by Chris Anderson and owned by his non-profit organization The Sapling Foundation, devoted to 'leveraging the power of ideas to change the world.'

In 2006, attendance cost $4,400 and was by invitation only. The membership model was shifted in January of 2007 to an annual membership fee of $6,000, which includes attendance of the conference, club mailings, networking tools and conference DVDs."

Enjoy this great talk by Barry! Let me know what you think.

-Darcy

Connecting For Good...in the Summertime.

2009-04-27T21:19:00.000-07:00

Here are ten positive networking tips from Gayle, Judy and I to help you connect in the Summertime:

1. In the next 30 days reconnect with 10 “weak links”, those people who have dropped off your radar screen, folks you knew in high school or university. Can’t ﬁnd them? Do a Google search or try LinkedIn.

2. In the next 30 days make a point of learning the names of all the people you come into contact with regularly--if you don’t already do so. Examples: dry cleaner, parking lot attendant, barista, grocery store clerk. Can you also learn something about them?

3. Take this challenge and connect with one “famous” person. Perhaps an author you admire or business leader? Send them an email. Make it short, not your life story. Tell us what happened: gayle@workthepond.com

More....Gayle, Judy & Darcy

CONNECTORSHIP: Harvard Business Review, Jan 09. Networking: Start doing it at work

2009-04-21T10:25:00.000-07:00

By Gayle Hallgren

We have a great story about the late Ted Rogers of Rogers Communication. A few years ago Ted was at the headquarters of Rogers in Toronto and he got into the elevator. A group of employees were in the elevator with him and Ted Rogers said, "Who is going to the happy floor?" They all smiled, but no one answered! When I asked my friend, who was in that elevator, why no one said anything, she said, 'it felt uncomfortable, like brown-nosing.' Many people are afraid to engage others at work, particularly those senior to them. Read William Byham's article Start Networking Right Away (Even If You Hate It) in the Jan 09 Harvard Business Review to see why engaging the connectors, your peers and those senior to you is essential to career success. One of the real secrets Byham shares is this: "Most people will be more receptive than you think. No one turns down a call from someone who starts the conversation with "I'm new in my job, and I'm trying to get to know people who....". Why do it? Well, if we don't, we may die....see the article from the UK Biologist above.

You comments please...

--Gayle

PS Darcy reports below in comments that, Dr Ken Prkachin in doing research for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, found blood pressure generally rises when people are asked to meet strangers: It is so common, we have given it a name, Networking Nervosus. And yes, Martha, there is a cure!

Sonja Bata doesn't believe in ghost towns...

2009-04-04T20:28:00.000-07:00

Canadian Navy Honorary Captains (N) Sonja Bata, OC, MSM, CD and Darcy Rezac, CD

Sonja Bata is a personal friend of ours and as I said in Work the Pond! she is one of my heroes. I know her from our Canadian Navy connection, (where we were both honorary captains and she continues on in that role today). Gayle and I also saw her regulary at the World Economic Forum in Davos with her husband Tom, founder of the Bata Shoe Company in Ontario. We have always been amazed by her energy and commitment to giving back (eg The Bata Shoe Museum and a host of other worthy causes). Sonja is truly amazing. At a fabulous 82 she has taken on a new challenge. To rebuild a a ghost town, reported in the 25 June 09 edition of the Globe and Mail.

As Chief Executive of the Rix Center for Corporate Citizenship and Engaged Leadership at The Vancouver Board of Trade, I am particularly interested in Sonja's latest project. She is looking to restore an abandoned Bata factory in the town of Batawa--a company town. Her goal is to create new revitalized center for the area with a gutsy plan. In my travels I have driven through many old "ghost towns", where the factories have disappeared, where industry has packed up and moved away. Abandoning the place (and the people) where you made your business successes or where you tapped into the resources only to move away is not the model for corporate citizenship and engaged leadership, but it happens all the time. Sonja Bata remembers the roots of the Bata success in Canada after she and Tom moved their company from Czechoslavkia as a result of the the Second World War and she felt that responsibility to the community of Batawa. Bravo Zulu Sonja.

--Darcy & Gayle

POLICY: Rezac and Park tell Ottawa MP's, "Its been open season on victims in Canada too long."

2009-03-25T22:31:00.000-07:00

Rezac and Park testifying, House of Commons Justice Committee

Rezac briefs Justice Minister Jim Nicolson in Ottawa on Vancouver crime issues. Subsequent sentences drop for chronic offenders!

Darcy Rezac, Managing Director and Dave Park appeared before the House of Commons Justice Committee and met with Justice Minister Jim Nicolson and others in Ottawa to press crime issues.

A KEY ISSUE: The serious situation with judges' sentencing in Vancouver: Chronic offenders sentences actually go down for subsequent offenses! Vancouver Police Department 2008

Rezac and Park also met with government BC Caucus, opposition Members of Parliament, the Senate, the Chief Statistician of Canada and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce about measures needed to reduce the high incidence of crime in Canada.

The delegation focused on the need to deal more appropriately with chronic offenders, who account for much of the unacceptably high incidence of violent crime in Canada. "Violent crime is not new to Canada,” said Darcy Rezac, “but the Tsunami of violent crime and gang warfare in BC underscores the long-standing inability of the justice system to prevent and deal with serious crime. We need our parliamentarians to put politics aside and address the threat to the public with the urgency it deserves.” 2.7 million Canadians were victims of violent crime in the last Statistics Canada victims survey in 2004. The City of Vancouver alone has 379 known “super chronic” criminals on the loose--one with 190 convictions who is not in jail. Sentences for these chronic offenders actually decrease with the number of convictions. The average sentence for a first conviction is 101 days. For the 35th crime, the sentence drops to 25 days. “It makes no sense. It would be difficult to find another country in the world that releases more chronic criminals back into society again and again to create more and more victims.” said Rezac. “It has been open season on victims in Canada for too long”, said Rezac. See complete release at The Vancouver Board of Trade Media calls: Darcy Rezac, 604 641-1255, or Terry Hadley, 604 641-1271

POLICY: Statistics Canada Ready to Improve Reporting Following Long-Standing Request by The Vancouver Board of Trade

2009-03-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

Vancouver Board of Trade's Rezac & Park testifying before House of Commons Justice Committee in Ottawa on urgent need for: Crime reduction measures and improvements gathering statistics. 25 Mar 09

OTTAWA/24 March 2009: STATISTICS CANANDA TELLS THE VANCOUVER BOARD OF TRADE THE AGENCY IS READY TO IMPROVE GATHERING CRIME VICTIM STATISTICS. Statistics Canada is prepared to undertake more frequent criminal victimization surveys, subject to funding, says Chief Statistician of Canada, Dr Munir A. Sheikh. Sheikh told Vancouver Board of Trade managing director Darcy Rezac and economist emeritus, Dave Park, that his agency has heard from the user community that the current Criminal Victimization Survey provides very useful information but would better serve users if it were more frequent. The Board’s position is that it is only conducted every five years, and should be done every year or biennially as is done in other OECD countries. The agency agreed the current survey does not provide detailed coverage of major metropolitan areas separately and could be expanded in scope, resources permitting.

"The victims’ survey, as used elsewhere in the world, is a much better measure of actual crime than the traditional annual reports of crimes reported to police," said Rezac. "Only 34 per cent of crime – around one third - is reported to police, so using this to define 'crime rates' as the agency has done for years is inaccurate." The agency acknowledged the limitations of police-reported information and is committed to continuing to clearly communicate this to Canadians, Rezac and Park were told.

"This is good news," said Park, who worked on the 2006 Kids ‘n’ Crime Report during his term at The Board. "The 2009 victims’ survey is underway right now, so we will finally have current data soon. The challenge now is for us and other users to press Treasury Board and the Justice Department to fund the estimated $4 million per year required to improve the reporting and conduct the survey annually."

"It was an excellent meeting," said Rezac. "We were impressed at how committed and positive Dr Sheikh and his staff were to the need for change." Subsequent to the meeting with StatsCan, Treasury Board President, Vic Towes, interviewed by Globe and Mail reporter, Bill Currie, (See: 'Towes supports new crime measure," 25 Mar 09) on The Vancouver Board of Trade's call for broader and more frequent vicimization surveys by StatsCan, said "It's a good idea."

The Vancouver Board of Trade has expressed the view for a number of years that better measures of crime are required for the justice system to adequately respond to the needs and expectations of the public. Victims of violent crime numbered 2.7 million Canadians in the last Statistics Canada victims’ survey in 2004, and 650,000 were injured. One Canadian in four reported being a victim of crime.

The Vancouver Board of Trade is in Ottawa all this week speaking to the federal government’s Justice Committee, the Justice Minister, the government BC Caucus, opposition members of parliament, the Senate, and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce about measures needed to reduce the high incidence of crime in Canada. Meetings were held last week in Vancouver with the BC Caucus of the official opposition.

The Board's meeting with StatsCan was covered in the Globe and Mail Online 25 March 09. Also see the Board of Trade editorial, 21 July 08, published in the Vancouver Sun and National Post, that gave rise to this meeting with StatsCan.

Rezac and Park's Crime Mission, Ottawa visit 23-25 March

2009-03-24T12:01:00.000-07:00

Schedule of Ottawa Crime Mission 23-25 March 09

Dave Park with Senator Larry Campbell

POLICY: FINANCIAL TIMES, Bernard Simon: VANCOUVER CONFRONTS CRIME DEMONS...

2009-03-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

Bernard Simon, FINANCIAL TIMES of London, on 23 March 09 reports on Vancouver's violent crime scene: Vancouver confronts its demons. "Mr Rezac puts much of the blame on what he sees as Canada’s 40 year-old bias in favour of rehabilitating criminals rather than protecting the public." Click headline to see FT article
March 25, 2009 7:57 AM

Angus Reid Strategies sees Crime Soar as Issue

2009-03-24T01:19:00.000-07:00

What is the most important issue facing British Columbia?

British Columbia Metro Vancouver

Economy 36% 34%
Crime / Public Safety 19% 25%
Drug Traffic / Drug Use 5% 4%
Health Care 8%
Environment 5%
Education 2%
Source: Angus Reid Strategies poll 20/22 March 2009

POLICY: Financial Times Newsflash! "Dumb idea" for executives to focus so heavily on quarterly profits, says early disciple of original concept.

2009-03-18T23:31:00.000-07:00

JACK WELCH'S NEW PERSPECTIV: " Shareholder value emphasis misplaced'... The Financial Times (13 March 09) reported that Jack Welch, long associated with the "shareholder is king" ethos-also known as the "shareholder value movement"--now says it was all a big mistake. This corporate philosophy was quickly adopted in boardrooms across America in the '80s and spread like a corporate virus around the world, following a famous and well reported speech Welch delivered at the Pierre Hotel in NY in 1981. Some attribute the financial chaos circling the globe today to business and Wall Street putting profit before people-customers, employees and communities. Selling subprime mortgages to unqualified customers who had no hope of repaying them, in the name of 'shareholder value,' caused this ill-founded house of cards to collapse, and with a crash. Now, almost 30 years later, Jack says it was all a big mistake. Welch said at a recent conference on the future of capitalism that it was "a dumb idea" for executives to focus so heavily on quarterly profits and share price gains. The former General Electric chief told the Financial Times the emphasis executives and investors had put on shareholder value after his speech - was misplaced. Looking at my RRSPs daily, along with millions of others, can't help but thinking, "We're not alright, Jack!"

CONNECTORSHIP: Pecha Kucha--a new concept of learning, from Japan

2009-03-02T20:31:00.000-08:00

Pecha Kucha--a new concept of learning, from Japan. Short presentations, interactive. The first-ever association Pecha Kucha session ("What's Your Learning Story?") was at the American Society of Association Executives 2008 Annual Meeting in Washington DC last August. There have been many, many, Pecha Kucha Nights since. Gayle, Judy and Darcy use a variation of the technique for the Women's Leadership Circle All Acces Events, and the Company of Young Professionals (CYP) events. Pecha Kucha was invented by two Toyko architects and means "chattering" in Japanese. Its beauty is its simplicity and its utility as a learning too. Interest stays high. Model features 20 slides, 20 seconds each. 20/20 learning...you heard it here first.Any one use the technique? --Darcy

POLICY: REZAC ON RADIO WITH CHIEF JUDGE

2009-03-01T06:17:00.000-08:00

Rezac asks Chief Judge Hugh Stansfield about lenient sentences in Vancouver & B.C.
Appearing on the Bill Good Show yesterday, Darcy Rezac challenged Chief Judge Hugh Stansfield to explain "why sentences for chronic offenders in Vancouver go from 101 days for the first offence and DROP to 25 days for the 40th offence." And, "why do serious chronic offenders get sentences so much more lenient than the rest of Canada?"

Also, for more info please google 'crime' on this site.

LEADERSHIP: Peter Senge Speaks at Vancouver Board of Trade 26 Feb by Terry Hadley

2009-02-28T22:09:00.001-08:00

Senge used a diagram of "Paul's wedding cake" to illustrate his point at a half-day workshop session sponsored by BC Hydro and in cooperation with the Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education. He showed how any country's economy, often considered a leader's number-one concern, is dependant on that state's sociology and ecology. It cannot exist without the other two. Simply looking at the economy does not answer the fundamental questions: What's the purpose? What's the aim? What's important to us as a society? Speaking on his new book, The Necessary Revolution, Senge said the economy is "the science of effective or efficient allocation of resources,"and has nothing to say about what is really important to us, or our survival.
Link to complete article

CONNECTORSHIP: Gayle Hallgren & Judy Thomson's CYP Shepa Circle: The Art of Conversation at Segal Graduate School a sold-out success...

2009-02-27T06:33:00.000-08:00

Gayle Hallgren-Rezac and Judy Thomson led a Shepa Circle with 50 engaged and enthusiastic leaders of the Vancouver Board of Trade's Company of Young Professionals program at the Segal Graduate School of Business, Simon Fraser University, on 18 February 2009. The highly animated workshop discussed two of the biggest challenges of networking. Conversation and follow-up. See complete article at boardoftrade.com.

FLASH! GAYLE AND JUDY PRESENT WITH DR MEHMET OZ AT POWER WITHIN 6 MARCH, GM PLACE.

Genesis of Thinkers Anonymous Circles (TAC): "Hi, My Name is Jim..."

2009-02-27T05:09:00.000-08:00

(An email from my dear friend Jim.)

Hi my name is Jim, and I am a recovering thinker.

It started out innocently enough: I began thinking at parties now and then to loosen up. Inevitably though, one thought led to another and soon I was more than just a social thinker. I began to think alone, "...to relax..." I told myself, but I knew it wasn't true.

Thinking became more and more important, and finally I was thinking all the time. I even thought on the job. I knew thinking and employment didn't mix, but I couldn't stop. I began avoiding friends at lunchtime so I could read Plato and Aristotle.I returned to the office dizzied and confused, asking, "What exactly are we doing here?"

Things weren't great at home either. One evening I turned off the TV and asked my wife about the meaning of life--she spent the night at her mother's.

I soon had a reputation as a heavy thinker. One day the boss called me in and said, "Jim, I like you, and it hurts me to say this, but your thinking is a real problem. It is beginning to interfere with your work If you don't stop thinking on the job, I'll have to let you go." This gave me a lot to think about.

I went home early after my conversation with the boss. "Honey," I confessed, "I've been thinking..."

"I know you've been thinking," she said, "and I want a divorce."

"But Honey, surely it's not that serious." "It is serious," she said, lower lip quivering. "You think as much as college professors, and college professors don't make any money, so if you keep on thinking we won't have any money!"

"That's faulty syllogism," I said impatiently, and she began to cry. I'd had enough.

"I'm going to the library," I snarled and stomped out the door. I headed to the library in the mood for Nietzsche, roared into the parking lot, and ran up to the big glass doors...they didn't open. The library was closed. To this day I believe the Higher Power was looking out for me that night. As I sank to the ground clawing at the unfeeling glass, whimpering for Zarathustra, a poster caught my eye. The words "Friend, is heavy thinking ruining your life?" stood out in large letters. You may recognize the line: it comes from the "Thinkers Anonymous" poster.

Today, I am a recovering thinker. I never miss a TA meeting. At each meeting we watch a non-educational video--last week it was "Flintstones." Then we share experiences about how we avoided thinking since the last meeting. I still have my job and things are a lot better at home. Life just got easier, somehow, once I stopped thinking.

Soon, I'll be able to vote Liberal again.

POLICY: There Will Be Blood says Niall Furgeson, author Ascent of Money, to Globe & Mail. Canada will get it worse than the US...

2009-02-25T23:28:00.001-08:00

HEATHER SCOFFIELD
Globe and Mail Update
February 23, 2009 at 6:45 PM EST
Harvard author and financial crisis guru Niall Ferguson has landed with a thud in Ottawa, spreading messages that could make even the most confident policy makers squirm.
The global crisis is far from over, has only just begun, and Canada is no exception, Mr. Ferguson said in an interview before delivering a presentation to public-policy think tank, Canada 2020.
Policy makers and forecasters who see a recovery next year are probably lying to boost public confidence, he said. And the crisis will eventually provoke political conflict, albeit not on the scale of a world war, but violent all the same.
“There will be blood.”
The Buy America penchant pushed by the U.S. Congress in passing the recent stimulus bill was only the tip of the iceberg.
Abu Dhabi buying Nova Chemicals at bargain-basement prices on Monday is a sign of things to come, with financial power quickly being transferred over to the world's creditors – namely sovereign wealth funds – and away from the world's debtors.

See Niall Furgeson's UTube piece on his outstanding best seller, The Ascent of Money-REZAC RECOMMENDS TO CYP's.

Newsweek says Canada's Banks Rock...

2009-02-14T23:31:00.000-08:00

...unlike Northern Rock Bank in the UK, which went under and is now owned by government and run by civil servants...strange world indeed. But, how about Canada, how safe are our banks? Our pal from The Board of Trade's Small Business Council, Victor Wong, publisher of Make It Business BC, sent along this very interesting piece from Newsweek Magazine. How about this nugget from the article, "TD Bank was 15th largest in North America one year ago. Now it is the fifth-largest. It hasn't grown in size; the others have all shrunk." What do you think? Are Canada's Banks safe? How well have we been served so far in the crises? Read Newsweek article on Canada.

Thanks, Victor. --Darcy

Facebook or Face-to-Face? What works for you ?

2009-02-14T01:53:00.000-08:00

Face-to-Face Networks vs Facebook 'Friends'. Wired Magazine's Clive Thomson explores the difference between face-to-face personal networks and social networking such as Facebook and Linked In. Your thoughts on what Clive has to say. What has your experience been? What percentage of your networking time is social networking (online) versus meeting with people in person?

Happy positive networking.

Darcy Rezac

Rezac Recommends: Original 'Long Tail' article by Chris Anderson in Wired Magazine

2009-02-13T23:07:00.001-08:00

Hi folks,

Here is the original 'Long Tail' article in Wired Magazine by Chris Anderson, which inspired his best selling book, The Long Tail. Both of which are recommended reading for CYPs. But if you don't have time for the book, the article will give you all you really need to know. It is a new way of looking at the great marketing opportunities made available by the internet...all you need to succeed these days is a 'global sliver.' I would be interested in your comments and long-tail success examples that you can share....and, I almost forgot. Chris Anderson owns the TED conference. If you haven't heard of it, look it up. Amazing content in Technology, Entertainment & Design, and much of it available online. Happy reading and viewing. --Darcy

SHEPA CIRCLES GATHER PEOPLE IN CONVERSATION TO LEARN AND SHARE EXPERIENCES, KNOWLEDGE & WISDOM

2008-03-10T13:05:00.000-07:00

Darcy, Gayle and Judy provide content for the Company of Young Professionals (CYP) and The Vancouver Board of Trade (VBT) on positive networking, corporate & community engagement and engaged leadership.

Darcy is Chief Engagement Officer of VBT and The Rix Center for Corporate Citizenship & Engaged Leadership. Gayle and Judy are corporate trainers and principals of The Shepa Learning.

darcy.rezac@boardoftrade.com

gayle@workthepond.com

judy@ workthepond.com