Sherman A1
Sherman A1's Journal8 Surefire Ways to Demotivate Your Employees
Ever notice how a new employee’s enthusiasm eventually wears off? In 85% of companies, employees’ morale significantly drops off after their first six months on the job, according to a survey from Harvard Management Update.
For the most part, enthusiasm is determined by work environment, and it can be fostered or hindered by you—the boss. Employee motivation experts say the best way to keep employee enthusiasm moving forward is to “first, do no harm.” At a minimum, don’t do anything that demotivates your workers.
1.Public criticism. Pointing out a worker’s mistake in front of others rarely yields a good response. Though some managers think public reproach keeps everyone else from making the same mistake—it usually just makes everyone feel bad.
2. Failing to provide praise. If employees feel like their hard work goes unnoticed, they’ll start to wonder why they’re working so hard in the first place. Be sure to offer praise, both privately and publicly. Even small things, like a thank-you card or a “good job” email work. (See also: How to Thank Employees When You Can’t Afford a Bonus.)
and more at link
http://www.nfib.com/business-resources/business-resources-item?cmsid=55591&utm_source=Outbrain&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=2013q1&utm_content=BR
February 21, 1947
In New York City, Edwin Land demonstrates the first "instant camera", the Polaroid Land Camera, to a meeting of the Optical Society of America.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_Land
18 states in path of winter storm
CNN) -- When she was very young, Kayla Avery was used to playing in the snow. But the former Boston resident hadn't seen much of the white stuff since she moved to Arizona more than a decade ago.
She got a reminder Wednesday.
"We received a blizzard warning last night through the emergency broadcasting system. Most of us didn't believe it," she told CNN iReport. "Most of the news reports said it probably wouldn't snow in the valley, and two hours later it was snowing."
Avery, a 19-year-old student at the University of Arizona, said the snow was still falling Wednesday afternoon.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/20/us/weather/index.html
The Minimum Wage Would Be $21.72 An Hour If It Rose With Productivity Since 1968
Activists are mobilizing around President Obama’s call to raise the minimum wage to $9.00, and polling shows that Americans across the political spectrum agree with such a policy.
But here’s an interesting fact about what the minimum wage could be instead. The Center for Economic and Policy Research’s John Dewitt looked at what the minimum wage would be if it simply rose with productivity — that is, if workers were actually paid for the increasing amount of output — since 1968, and found that it would be almost 3 times what it is now:
Since 1968, however, productivity growth has far outpaced the minimum wage. If the minimum wage had continued to move with average productivity after1968, it would have reached $21.72 per hour in 2012 – a rate well above the average production worker wage. If minimum-wage workers received only half of the productivity gains over the period, the federal minimum would be $15.34.
http://boldprogressives.org/the-minimum-wage-would-be-21-72-per-hour-if-it-rose-with-productivity-since-1968/
Best Buy Says It Has Killed 'Showrooming' For Good
Best Buy is confident that its latest policy change will kill "showrooming" in its stores for good.
Starting on March 3, the retailer will price match all local retail competitors, along with 19 "major online competitors" in all product categories, whenever a customer asks for it, the company announced .
“There is no doubt that this new policy ends showrooming for Best Buy customers,” company spokesman Matt Furman told Bloomberg .
Showrooming, the practice of looking at items in a physical store then going online to make the actual purchase, has been a big worry for consumer electronics stores. Customers showroom electronics items more than any other category, according to data from comScore .
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/best-buy-declared-showrooming-dead-060349736.html
Interesting to see how this plays out and how much trouble the price match policy is for the consumer.
Sequestration Could Sideline USDA Food Safety Inspectors
WASHINGTON — The looming sequestration budget cuts include the possibility that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will furlough its food safety inspectors for two weeks, an action industry groups say would “effectively shutter meat, poultry and egg products plants.”
Unless Congress can agree on less severe across-the-board spending cuts by March 1, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said the agency would be forced to furlough Food Safety and Inspection Service inspectors for 15 days to meet its budget requirements.
Industry groups, including the National Chicken Council, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and American Meat Institute, have urged the USDA to reconsider the drastic action, noting the disastrous and far-reaching impact it would have on the meat and poultry industries. By law, federal establishments cannot sell meat, poultry or egg products without inspection.
“Closing businesses as contemplated by the Secretary would, according to USDA, cause production losses of $10 billion, cost company employees more than $400 million in lost wages, and impose untold losses on the more than one million livestock and poultry producers in this country,” AMI president and chief executive officer J. Patrick Boyle wrote in a letter to President Obama.
Read More: http://supermarketnews.com/meat/sequestration-could-sideline-usda-food-safety-inspectors#ixzz2LF0IvA1j
Whole Foods Trims Sales Outlook
It appears that Whole Foods is still doing very well, despite their CEO's recent comments and general economic headwinds.
AUSTIN, Texas — Whole Foods Market here on Wednesday said its comparable-store sales growth slowed in the first quarter, and it slightly reduced its sales outlook for the year.
Comps in the 16-week first quarter, which ended Jan. 20, rose 7.2% — much higher than most of the food retailing industry but below its range of 8.5% to 8.9% over the past year.
The company also said its comps for the year are expected to fall in the range of 6.6% to 8%, vs. previous projections of 6.5% to 8.5%. Sales for the year are now expected to rise 10% to 11%, vs previous projections of 10% to 12%.
Net income for the first quarter was $146 million, vs. $118 million a year ago, and sales were up 14%, to $3.86 billion.
Read More: http://supermarketnews.com/retail-amp-financial/whole-foods-trims-sales-outlook#ixzz2LEzdGcWF
Profile Information
Gender: MaleCurrent location: U.S.
Member since: Sat May 13, 2006, 07:37 AM
Number of posts: 38,958
