Slot machines have been with us for a while, now – since 1891, when Sittman and Pitt invented the first gambling machine as a novelty attraction for the bar scene in New York. It was a ‘drop-card machine’ that mechanically provided poker hands for the patrons that inserted the initial nickel to begin playing. It…
What to do in these tension-laden times of the coronavirus pandemic? You could gamble with your life by indulging in various people-centric pursuits, or you could gamble on line – avoiding contagion, smoke-filled rooms, body odour, and pointless conversation … The thrill will still be there, the danger not so much … Now that we’ve…
Here's how to find the right mix to drive traffic to your website
Most companies are still not using social media effectively to increase traffic to the websites. What companies fail to realize is that their new customers are on social media channels that they’re not on. Also, those customers are not captivated by traditional marketing. The best marketing efforts rely on connecting with their community via social…
Experts say that the average person actually remembers a fraction of what is said to them
Speaking is easy; listening is difficult. Experts say that that the average person actually remembers a fraction of what is said to them. In the course of a lifetime, so much time is spent mastering nuts and bolts career skills but little time is spent polishing essential interpersonal skills. Listening is one of them. For…
The worst thing an organisation can do is to reward pathological behaviour
One of my bosses, Janet, was clever, hardworking and had an amazing eye for detail. She had high standards: if you e-mailed with a question at 10 p.m., she replied by 10.05. She worked hard, delivered on time, hated mistakes and expected the same from her team. She was driving us mad. We had been…
Rather than asking if you are a happy, ask whether you are good
It was 2,400 years ago that Aristotle identified happiness as the goal all people seek – the end of all “why” questions. But is happiness really the point of human life? I ask this question because when we look at history (or even the news today), it is apparent that there are a lot of…
Stay the course and hold on to your vision, no matter what anyone says about you
War is a powerful metaphor for work. So says Kay Hammer, author of Workplace Warrior, Insights and advice for winning on the corporate battlefield. The real enemies aren't only bad bosses and inefficient management, it's also yourself. The toughest battles we fight are often with ourselves. Hammer should know. She fought all the way to…
And why it is important
For some people there is a fine line between confidence and narcissism. But even with it being a balancing trick, everyone needs to have some confidence. There are a million things that feeling good about yourself can do from you, from personal life to business life. For some people, building confidence comes naturally; for others…
As you count down the days and dream of faraway lands, here are five ways your passport could derail your vacation and what to do about it
Travelling abroad this summer? As you count down the days and dream of faraway lands, you may be overlooking easily-preventable problems – including with your passport – that, unfortunately, many people aren’t aware of. Here are five ways your passport could derail your vacation and what to do about it: Your passport can be rejected…
Avoid these seven deadly sins and you’ll be sure to improve the quality of your hires while at the same time providing a return on your investment
We’ve all been there: you have to fill a position, and it needed to be done yesterday. Any warm body will do, right? Wrong. Poor hiring decisions mean decreased profits, lost sales, productivity and costumers, increased costs and a decrease in employee morale – costly mistakes for any employer. The average cost of a bad…