3 Criteria For Selecting a Quantitative Market Research Company

You know you need market research. You go to Google (or your favorite search engine) and you enter the phrase "market research company" and you are presented with hundreds of choices competing for your attention and to help you with your project. But how to decide which is the right consultant for you?

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Suppliers often specialize in the types of projects they conduct. Before you narrow down to a list of suppliers to contact, it is prudent to determine if the suppliers you are selecting from have an industry specialty and then to get a sense of the types of customers they serve. Select those that fit your firm's demographic and your potential needs.

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Now, you contact the firms and begin the vetting process.

Here are three criteria to use to evaluate quantitative market research suppliers:

First, what is their research philosophy? How do they approach projects? Are they focused on actionable, practical results?
What you are really seeking with this line of inquiry is the supplier's willingness to understand your needs and assist you in reaching your goals.

Of course, the first requirement with any supplier is their adherence to market research standards, to ensure that the study is representative of the population(s) you are looking to assess, to collect the data in a professional manner, and to keep you apprised of any issues.
Understanding how they approach projects is your first clue to their level of competence in these areas.

Second, are they trying to sell you a solution in search of a problem or do they really attempt to listen to you needs (and limitations, particularly in the budget area) and offer a solution to your problems?

This is absolutely a deal-breaker. In my experience as a market research buyer, if I get a sense that a potential supplier is flogging one single tool or solution as a solution to all problems in market research, the supplier is off my list. This happens with surprising regularity. The "solution" they propose is often proprietary (see criteria three below in the next post) and usually carries a high price tag.

I expect a supplier to listen carefully to my needs and the project specifications and act and bid accordingly. I am especially concerned that they demonstrate a clear understanding of the project objectives.

Third, are they offering a black-box solution? Is their solution something I (and colleagues) can understand or do you have to go on faith that they know what they are doing? Can what they are offering be validated and replicated?

Here is another criterion that if failed will send me running. Some hot-shot statistical guru has invented some proprietary analytic process that answers more questions, solves more problems, and is more accurate than any test, process, or model known to statisticians or even God. And they will deploy it just for you. But, wait a minute, they cannot tell you how it works, they cannot give you enough information so you can understand it, and, of course, no one else has it so it cannot be validated or replicated. But, boy, does this snake oil get results!

The fact of the matter is that there is no black box solution, just as the Wizard of Oz ultimately proved to be a humble man from Kansas.

Don't buy it. You are much better off with tried-and-true research methods and analytic techniques and tests. Hey, they might not be sexy, but they are proven to work and have been endlessly validated and replicated.

3 Criteria For Selecting a Quantitative Market Research Company
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Makita Saw

50 Great Ways to Motivate and Not Break the Bank

Quick, Easy, and Even Fun! 1. Smile, say "Hi! How are you doing today?"
2. Regularly invite someone to join you for coffee.
3. Send them flowers, chocolate, a bunch of balloons.
4. Provide a group lunch---pizza, six-foot sub, barbecue.
5. Write someone a thank-you note and put a copy in his/her file.
6. Hand out coupons for an extra 30 minutes for lunch.
7. Make a donation to their favorite charity in their name.
8. Give out tickets to a movie/play/cultural/sporting event.
9. Celebrate achievements with bulletin boards, videos, E-mail.
10. Catch and recognize someone doing something right, not wrong.
11. Write a letter of appreciation to their family.
12. Bake a batch of cookies for someone or for the team.
13. Give limited time off, with pay, when things are slow.
14. Bring a camera to work, get candid shots and post on a humor board.
15. Go to the movies. During lunch or breaks, run a funny movie or TV show.
16. Ask about their interests, family, or weekend activities.
17. Send a company T-shirt or hat to the employee's child(ren).
18. Walk around with free lunch coupons. Hand out on the spot.
19. Recognize special accomplishments publicly in meetings or celebrations.
20. Hand out life savers, M&M's, tootsie roll pops, or other appreciation snacks.
21. Get candid shots of people doing good work. Post photos on bulletin boards.
22. Take out an advertisement in a local paper and include their names and pictures.
23. Allow flexible work time so they can participate in outside work-related activities.
24. Have special days. Hold an "ugly tie" or "ugly sweater" day. Award joke prizes for the winners.
25. Give them a surprise for their work area---a desk organizer, a picture or poster, a new mouse pad. Communication and Involvement 26. Listen 80% of the time and talk 20%.
27. Actively make a point to speak to all staff each day.
28. Ask them, "What am I doing that gets in your way?"
29. Ask them, "What can I do to help you with your job?"
30. Give information to staff after management meetings.
31. Let them attend a meeting in your place.
32. Sponsor membership in a professional group.
33. Give a subscription to a work-related periodical.
34. Let them "sit-in" with an upper level person for part of a day.
35. Rotate jobs so people can gain new skills and get cross-trained.
36. Arrange for the boss to acknowledge good work.
37. Go to your staff's work area. Meet them on their turf.
38. Promote individual / team training with time and budget.
39. Provide quarterly updates on relevant business and customer issues.
40. Allow them to exchange positions with someone else in the company for a half-day.
41. Ask staff what rumors they have heard, and address them.
42. Represent reality as it is---people don't like being fooled or surprised.
43. Involve them in a special project that allows for company exposure and visibility.
44. Ask for their opinions and listen. Many times they have a better "take" of the situation.
45. Get into the "trenches" with your staff. Learn about their jobs-- the good's and the bad's.
46. Ask staff, "What's not working, why is it not working and what can be done to fix it?"
47. Ask staff, "What is making our clients/customers the most and/or the least satisfied."
48. Have a suggestion system - rewards for ideas that actually reduced costs or improved processes.
49. Make them feel part of the team. Help them to move from "It's not my job," to "Let's do it."
50. Finally, provide more appreciative feedback - good stuff coming more often than the bad stuff. Pick and choose the ones that "fit" your people, your company and your budget. Remember what is one person's carrot is another's "yucky" orange vegtable.

Wizard Of Oz Lunch Box

Wizard Of Oz Lunch Box

50 Great Ways to Motivate and Not Break the Bank
Wizard Of Oz Lunch Box

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Top 5 Ways to Get Ripped Quickly

Losing weight and building muscle are never easy. But these five tips will help you get ripped quickly. Lose the belly fat, get muscle definition and have more energy. Here's how:

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1. Eat Clean

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What does eating clean mean? It means avoiding processed foods whenever possible. This not only means getting rid of potato chips and cookies, it means taking an active part in your food preparation. Instead of making your meal from a box (think Hamburger Helper), cook healthy meals from scratch. You'll want to focus on lean proteins (chicken, fish, lowfat dairy, lean beef), fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes. Here's an example of a "clean" day of eating.

Breakfast -- egg white vegetable omelet with a whole grain English Muffin

Snack -- apple with 2 tbsp. peanut butter

Lunch -- tossed salad with tuna fish on top, balsamic vinegar used as dressing

Snack -- 1 oz almonds with a peach

Dinner -- sushi with a small salad

2. Lift Heavy Weights

To challenge muscles, you should lift a weight that you find difficult to complete 10-15 reps. Shoot for 3 sets (a set is the number of times you before one group of sets).

You can also try pyramid sets to really make your muscles group quickly. A pyramid set involves doing 3 sets of increasing weight. For example, a pyramid set of bicep curls would look like this:

Set 1 -- 15 reps with 15lbs

Set 2 -- 10 reps with 20lbs

Set 3 -- 8 reps with 25lbs

3. Do Interval Cardio

Many people think that you have to do hours of cardio each week to drop fat. Even to get ripped quickly, you don't need to invest that much time in cardio. Shoot for 20 minutes 4-6 times a week. The key is interval training, which means you vary the intensity of your workout. Here's an example using running:

5 minute warm-up -- level 3-4

2 minute -- level 6

2 minute -- level 8

Repeat 5 times

5 minute cool-down -- level 3-4

4. Drink Lots of Water

Water helps flush out fat and keeps you hydrated during your workouts.  Best of all, water has no calories. If you want to add a little flavor, add a splash of juice, squeeze a lemon or add some Crystal Light mix (also no calories).

5. Supplement Your Efforts

Supplements are a whole other article unto themselves. I'll keep it simple. Take a multi-vitamin. There you have it.

Top 5 Ways to Get Ripped Quickly
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Push & Pull Baby Toys Weight Loss Nutrition 8 1 4 Saw Blade

Having a Wicked Time

INTRODUCTION:

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Staring a very rotten witch from a very well known story, the Broadway musical "Wicked" debuted on October 30, 2003, in America. The musical pre-debut was May 28, 2003 in San Francisco's Curran Theatre. Based on a book by Winnie Holzman, the live performance was directed by Joe Mantello and centres around the life of "Elphaba", The Wicked Witch of the West before she had her run in with Dorothy and her friends. Having already had its seventh year anniversary, the musical is now the 17th longest-running performance in Broadway's performing history. The show has completed a successful 3,030 shows since its debut and is currently the number one box selling event in England as of January the second of this year.

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ELPHABA AND HER SISTER:

This musical gives an account of these two witch sisters and the difficulties they had to face throughout their lives. It is because of their diverse personalities that Elphaba and Glinda find it hard to keep their relationship as sisters and as friends afloat. For the most part they struggle with same issues most sisters do such as fighting over the same boyfriend. Each of these women also have their own opinions about the new Governor of the town of OZ who is the Wizard of course. His election as the Oz's new higher power has Elphaba in stitches and essentially this is what causes her to fall from grace.

HERE COMES THE CAST:

With Universal Studios in the driver's seat for this production, the company spared no expense to add such cast members as Idina Menzel (Elphaba), Kristin Chenoweth (Glinda), Joel Grey as the Wizard and a musical score by Wayne Cilento was also added to the mix. The American actors' English counterparts for the original cast line up included; Hellen Dallimore as Glinda. While the part of Glinda was still carried out by Idina Menzel and Nigel Planer played the Wizard while some of the other characters involved in this story were portrayed by such talents as Miriam Margoyles (Madame Morrible - Eng. and Carole Shelley - US), Katie Rowley Jones (Nassarose), James Gillan as Boq and Martin Ball as Doctor Dillamond.

MUSICAL TIDBITS:

Wicked, The Musical kept most of its original cast after its first official presentation with the exception of maybe two or three minor readjustments on America's part. However, this did not appear to affect the shows overall positive status as after the first real show it pulled in a million dollars for every week it ran. The first North American assembly for the program began in Toronto, Ontario and has been all around the world since then thrilling each audience it encounters. The first production of Wicked, London in the West End was staged at the Apollo Victoria in September of 2003 and is still currently receiving rave review for the story.

Having a Wicked Time
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Packing a Waste Free Lunch

Looking for easy ways to pack a waste free lunch for your kid? The good news is that it's never been easier to pack an eco-friendly, healthy school lunch your kids will love.

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Why pack a waste free lunch?

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Packing a waste free lunchbox lightens your carbon footprint on the planet. While many parents are used to the "convenience" of single-use plastic baggies and containers, all that convenience adds up to a lot of garbage - 90 pounds of it per year, per kid! That garbage then ends up in our oceans and landfills and contributes to more global warming gases, which threaten our children's future.

How to pack a waste free lunch?

1) Choose a lunch box that makes it easy to pack a well balanced school lunch. All children have their own likes and dislikes when it comes to their lunches. One child likes variety and surprises, while another likes the familiarity of that same PB&J sandwich every day. But neither child likes it when their sandwich touches their fruit and gets everything soggy. Choose a lunch container that will allow you to pack variety of foods that stay in their own compartments and don't "touch each other."

2) Choose a stainless steel lunch box. Storing food in stainless steel is a better alternative to plastic, and has been used by other cultures for generations. Questions still exist about the safety of storing food in plastic. Several research studies have found that dangerous chemicals in plastic can leach into food and beverages. PVC and Polystyrene have been known to be dangerous for years, and recently there has been a lot of attention on the dangers of #7 Polycarbonate plastics. This plastic is widely used in clear, rigid sports bottles and some baby bottles, and contains Bisphenol A, a known hormone disruptor that has recently been linked to a wide variety of health disorders, including heart disease, diabetes, obesity, some types of cancer and childhood hyperactivity disorders. With so many proven risks already documented, it's hard not to imagine what supposed "safe" plastic is going to be next! There are so many eco friendly alternatives to plastic baggies, why not skip the potential problems with plastic and pack your food in a non plastic metal lunch box instead?

3) Choose a reusable, insulated lunch bag made out of recycled materials. Gone are the days of needing a brown paper bag to pack your lunch in. Choose a reusable lunch bag, and be sure to confirm that it is lead free and PVC free. You can wash it regularly to keep it clean, and your child can use it for their entire school year.

4) Choose reusable water bottles, preferably stainless steel ones. With so many different stainless steel bottles to choose from, you are sure to find one that will suit your child's needs. There are small bottles for little kids, brightly colored bottles, and bottles with cool designs. Choose stainless steel ones that are BPA free.

5) Choose cloth napkins, and preferably ones that will appeal to kids. Cloth napkins are easy to clean in the washing machine and reuse all year long.

6) Choose reusable cutlery. If your child needs a fork or spoon with their lunch, you can include a reusable stainless steel fork and spoon, as opposed to throw away plastic ones. If your child tends to forget their utensils at school, stock up on some cheap stainless cutlery at the local thrift store - that way you won't risk losing your favorite cutlery.

7) Choose to buy foods in bulk. Using reusable food containers allows you to buy food in bulk, which is cheaper and less wasteful than single use containers. For example, a 1 oz prepackaged bag of cheesy crackers costs 87 cents, but 1 oz of those exact same crackers taken from a 12 oz box costs 43 cents - half as much!

8) Choose organic foods. Organic foods are good for your child's health and for the health of the planet. Some families may feel that they are not able to spend the money to buy everything organic. Here is the Environmental Working Group's list for the top 13 foods that are the MOST important to buy organic, because the conventional versions contain the most pesticide residues. They are (in order) Peaches, Apples, Sweet Bell Peppers, Celery, Nectarines, Strawberries, Cherries, Lettuce, Grapes - Imported, Pears, Spinach, Potatoes and Carrots.

Packing a Waste Free Lunch
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Wizard of Oz Turns 70 - Collecting Oz Movie Posters & Celebrity Autographs

If there ever was a time when Oz lovers were vilified for their passion it may be this week as Oz and the world celebrates 70 years of timeless wonder. For those of us who grew up watching this magical event once a year...

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I have always been a wizard of Oz fan, it is probably my favorite movie of all time. Yet, maybe I never really understood the genuine mystic, magic behind this 1939 masterpiece until two years ago when my daughter was just a year old. I'll never forget as the Lion (the lovable Bert Lahr) burst from the woods with a cowardly persona disguised by a false intimidation. Little Anna's eyes were as wide as they could get, fixated on this furry, unfamiliar character. She was mesmerized as I was over 40 years ago at my first Oz viewing. This movie really took you inside, like an out of body experience onto the "yellow brick road".

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This week to celebrate this historical event was one-shot theatrical runs of Oz in high definition in nearly 400 cities. And, This Wizard, hits stores on Sept. 29 in a newly remastered Hi-Def DVDs and Blu-ray.

As a collector of original vintage movie memorabilia the Wizard of Oz was my earliest collecting passions. And, 25 years later it may be the most popular of all my categories on my vintage treasures web site. From autographed photos of Oz cast members to original movie posters, these are examples of Oz treasures collectors can't get enough of. To give you an example of the demand for original vintage Oz memorabilia. Last week an authentically autographed photo in character of the "Good Witch Glinda" sold for over ,000.

For Oz and autograph collectors an autographed photo in Oz character of Glinda is highly scarce as only ONE other has ever surfaced on the market prior to last week's auction. Other scarce Oz signed photos are Frank Morgan as the Wizard (sold for over ,000), Judy Garland as "Dorothy" (sell for over ,000) and the Bert Lahr as the "Lion" (sells for over ,000). The original movie posters can sell in excess of ,000. However, since an original Wizard of OZ one sheet movie poster has never surfaced in the marketplace, a value of over 0,000 would be no surprise. Hence, if you are a collector of Oz memorabilia, you have good taste, not to mention wise investment intuition.

Other events this week include A 71/2-story hot-air balloon that began touring the country since taking off May 13 from Kansas City, Kan., stops Thursday at New York's Tavern on the Green. The gala features Judy Garland's daughter Lorna Luft, surviving Munchkins and Ashanti, who plays Dorothy in New York City Center's production of The Wiz. All this and a yellow brick carpet, too.

Also to celebrate Oz turning 70 this week Ashanti will light the Empire State Building - Emerald City-green, of course. All of this to commemorate what many believe to be the greatest movie ever produced. Just think, 70 years later, with all the technology and Hollywood talent, nothing has since come close.

Wizard of Oz Turns 70 - Collecting Oz Movie Posters & Celebrity Autographs
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The Wizard of Oz - Will the 2011 Remake Have Box Office Success?

The 1939 production - The Wizard of Oz - can truly be considered one of the most popular movies of all time. In its 70+ years of existence it has been watched by millions, if not even billions of people all over the world being broadcast almost continuously on TV stations and in cinemas. Few, if any, of the initial producers and actors would have dreamed that the movie will be successful to this tremendous degree.

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At the time of its release it won 2 Academy Awards but in the years to come the movie kept getting praises form movie lovers and from movie critics alike. It has even been named as the movie with the greatest sound tack in history by The Observer.

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With all the success to look up to, a new movie based on Baum's original publication The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is planned for 2011. Although it is not considered to be a remake of the 1939 production, it will inevitably have many similarities with it and the public will most likely compare the two productions.

This being said, it is an obvious conclusion that the new release will have the bar set up very high and along with it the public's expectations will also be at the same level. It remains to be seen if it will have remarkable success at the box office.

One fact is for sure though: the future production will greatly benefit from the success of the previous one. Having millions of true fans already is a huge advantage for any new movie. Thus, even if it will turn out to be a mediocre film, the production houses profits will be huge.

Until the new release, old fans can watch the 1939 production a few times over or they can tend to their collections of items related to the movie.

The Wizard of Oz - Will the 2011 Remake Have Box Office Success?
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Joy and Laughter in the Workplace: Lessons From the Land of OZ

Turbulent Twisters

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You've read about it in the headlines and experienced it first hand... rapid change and constant stress. We're talking about mergers, acquisitions, downsizing, lean and mean, working harder not better, work and personal life completely out of whack! These all too familiar realities reflect the turbulent nature of corporate life. Against this backdrop, motivation, satisfaction and fulfillment can seem like remote, faint recollections of how things were supposed to be and how they used to be.

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When turbulence sweeps through your life whether it is wind storms at work or hurricanes on the home front, fear and uncertainty dominate. Joy is probably the last emotion you feel capable of expressing.

But, it's important to laugh for "laughter is the best medicine". By re-discovering the joy that often eludes us we can:

- re-charge our batteries

- relieve stress

- renew hope and optimism

- release the energy to generate creative solutions to the challenges that confront us

The Magic of Myth and Metaphor

As a member of the senior management team, you play a critical role in fostering a climate of renewal and hope in your organization. One rarely used strategy that you have at our disposal is the magic of myth and metaphor.

For example, The Wizard of Oz is a powerful story filled with important lessons for modern corporations.

At the beginning of the story, Dorothy struggles with her own turbulent twisters, literally and emotionally. As she visits each character in the story, she learns, grows and develops the resources to cope with her turmoil.

What lessons can YOU learn from The Wizard of Oz?
Lessons From the Wizard of Oz

Ideas From the Scarecrow

In many companies, expressing your feelings is a taboo. When employees are pressured into a repressing their emotions, it is difficult for them to find the energy to generate new ideas and solutions. Movement, music and authentic emotional expression stimulate our senses and makes it possible for us to take full advantage of the power that lies within the brain.

We tend to take our brain power for granted but, from the first time we meet the Scarecrow, it is evident that he views the brain as a marvelous gift from our creator.

The brain contains an array of tools and resources to help us resolve problems and develop new strategies for addressing customer and employee concerns. At one end of the spectrum is our right brain, the storehouse of our creative faculties. At the other, is our logical left brain.

With the right brain, you can paint vivid pictures of your vision for the company. You can also harness the creative energy of employees to generate ideas about how to improve translate that vision into reality. For example, by incorporating relaxation exercises and guided imagery into strategy and project planning sessions, you can begin to take advantage of the creative sparks generated through the right brain.

With the powers of analysis available through the left brain, you can use a logical, linear and step-by -step approach to formulate a concrete and detailed implementation strategy.

You can increase the effectiveness of the executive forums we described earlier by involving some of your customers and suppliers. After your presentation and question period, small facilitated groups can provide an opportunity for employees, customers and suppliers to express their concerns openly and generate possible solutions. Brain storming tools such as storyboards, mind maps and collages unleash the power of both sides of the brain.

During these sessions, you can recruit volunteers to serve on small cross-functional, multi-level teams to which you assign the mandate of addressing some of the most pressing issues that employees and customers have identified.

To function effectively, the brain needs constant stimulation. Looking for a low cost way to provide stimulation and release brain power? Encourage employees to place colourful objects such as stress balls, cube or metallic puzzles, play dough and slinkies on their desks. Allow them to "fiddle" with these objects during meetings or periods of reflection. If you start the ball rolling and lead by example, you'll help eliminate some perceived taboos and send a clear signal about what is permissible.

Lessons from The Tin Man

The Tin Man learned that emotions help us deal effectively with change and uncertainty. They impel us to take action to reduce our pain or increase our level of satisfaction.

In many corporations, there is a taboo against expressing emotions. Employees are encouraged to walk around like the proverbial clown, laughing on the outside and concealing the pain within. "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain" seems to be the company slogan. In fact, departing from the party line or expressing concerns about management decisions is definitely a career limiting move.

It's time to put the "heart" back into corporate life. There is no need to fear the expression of genuine emotion. Even negative emotions are not a threat if we view them as signals that employees need opportunities to re-energize and renew their emotional states. If we recognize the need for change early, we can make adjustments before the onset of crises.

Like the Tin Man, we can cultivate a healthier and more relaxed environment through music and movement. Music is like a magical elixir that restores spirits that are dejected and discouraged. It stimulates the brain and refreshes the body. You can use music before meetings, at break time, during training programmes, and as a part of brainstorming and project management sessions. Some companies even allow employees to bring small radios or CD players into their work areas. Others offer opportunities for movement by providing fitness and recreational activities on company premises. IBM, for example, has teamed up with the Governor General's Horse Guards to make a riding club for their employees on weekends and evenings. Team leaders in many Japanese companies lead their employees in gentle streching exercises or Tai Chi once a day. If you can't do it, maybe one of your team members can do it. When I was at Bell Mobility, I used to invite David Roth, a marketing professional who was also a fitness instructor, to arrive at my sessions around 2:30, announce "I hear there are people falling asleep in here and lead the group in a work out. You can also harness the skills and creativity of your people to incorporate music and movement into your corporate culture.

Bringing music and movement into your corporation doesn't have to be a big ticket item. It can be as simple as:

- playing relaxing music at the beginning of a meeting and doing some gentle stretches

- taking shorter but more frequent breaks during meetings so that people can stretch their legs (5 minutes once an hour)
playing upbeat vacation videos during breaks

- a two minute workout during notoriously low energy periods such as 11:00 A.M., after lunch or 3:00 p.m.

For our final lesson from the Tin Man, contrast the image of a bright and shimmering rainbow with the drab and dismal surroundings in which some employees work. Research has shown that colour and lighting levels have an impact on our moods. Your facilities group needs to take this into account when designing office space and establishing corporate standards for work locations. Companies like Xerox have used this information to create a colourful, upbeat and positive working environment for their employees.

You can get the same results, without spending a dime to paint offices, purchase new furniture or upgrade fixtures. How? All you have to do is encourage employees to add a personal touch to their work areas with colourful posters and photos. Personal objects that remind them of the things they enjoy can help them boost their spirits during periods of turbulence and change.

Of Witches and Wizards

Joy and laughter can never thrive in the midst of negative interactions. As Dorothy discovered, some of the people around us can sap our energy due to their negativity, harsh criticism and well meaning but discouraging advice. Others can disappoint us time and time again by failing to honour their commitments. To maintain your creative edge, it is important to reduce the frequency and intensity of these relationships that empower drain you. As a member of the senior management team, it is important to remember that, when volatile and aggressive individuals are placed in leadership roles, they can cost your company in terms of poor morale and stress-related short term disability costs.

Equally destructive are the insecure "know it all" wizards who can kill the creativity and innovation organizations need to thrive and remain competitive. By refusing to be open to the feelings and ideas of employees and customers, some of the best ideas are never harnessed.

Spending time with negative individuals can cause employees to feel disempowered, vulnerable, even ill. This can make it difficult for them to cope with change and stress. When your organization is facing turbulent times, you can't afford to subject employees to critical managers who demoralize, discourage and demotivate them. As senior executives, we need to use tools like behavioural interviewing to ensure that we place people in leadership positions who can create a positive climate . A focus on the technical or financial aspects of leadership is not enough to ensure that the right people are "minding the store".

In their ground-breaking research, Bill Catlette and Richard Hadden, authors of Contented Cows Give Better Milk: The Plain Truth About Employee Relations and the Bottom Line, established a connection between the quality of employee relations and organizational success.

They identified the following "best practices" in employee relations:

- Get people committed

- Show them you care

- Enable them for the performance of a lifetime

It may not be rocket science but it works.

For Dorothy a Home

In contrast to the "witches" and "wizards" who erode organizational effectiveness, there are other relationships that encourage and inspire employees. Some individuals have a knack for saying the right thing and helping us find humour and hope no matter how bleak the circumstances. They add a sparkle to everyone's day and serve as excellent role models of how to smile in the face of adversity.

When emotional reserves are low, it is important to increase the frequency of your interaction with positive individuals. Spending time with supportive and positive friends relatives and colleagues is therapeutic. It can help you recover from the toxic effect that some of the pessimistic individuals with whom you have to associate during the course of your business day.

Like Dorothy, we often overlook the most supportive individuals around us. Why? They are usually too involved in doing their work and making a difference to engage in the political gamesmanship that has become a part of moving up the corporate ladder.

Through employee recognition programmes, we need to be proactive, search for these individuals and turn them into corporate heroes and heroines.

We need to give these individuals a higher profile within the organization. With their support, you and your employees can find the courage to take the risks that can make your vision of corporate life a reality.

Conquering Fear Through Risk-Taking: The Legacy of the Cowardly Lion

As the Cowardly Lion discovered, our fear of the unknown can be the greatest obstacle to our effectiveness. Even though we realize that our corporations need renewal and our employees are badly in need of refreshment, we cling to the security of the traditional.

Five years into a new millenium and we still find it difficult to shed the outmoded paradigms and management practices that we inherited from the previous millennium. What will other executives think of you if you introduce some radical new ways of doing business? Will your Board of Directors support you if you step out, take some risks and experiment with a few of the ideas presented in this article? It's risky but you'll soon discover that "the only thing to fear is fear is fear itself". Your employees will thank you for creating a more relaxed and humane work environment. Every risk you take will help you transform your company and equip employees to face the challenges that lie ahead. It will also bring you one step closer to re-discovering joy and laughter in your workplace.

© 2005 Executive Oasis International - All Rights Reserved

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Joy and Laughter in the Workplace: Lessons From the Land of OZ
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Easy, Nutritious and Slimming Lunch Smoothie

When you are left alone at home all day, do you eat smart for lunch, or do you grab the easiest food that you see? Here is an easy meal to fix - a slimming lunch Smoothie you can have ready in less than 5 minutes - easy, slimming, satisfying, delicious,and needing little clean-up.

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Blend in blender:

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6 oz. carrot juice (fresh, bottled from grocery store, or home juiced)

1/2 cup fresh spinach leaves, or 2 Swiss Chard leaves

1 stalk celery, cut in peices

1/2 small, raw apple, cut in pieces

2 1-oz scoops of micro-filtered whey powder

1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

Side dish: 2 sesame seed crackers spread with 1 tsp. peanut, almond, or cashew butter

Dessert: 2 slices of candied ginger, served with hot herb tea.

This meal will not stimulate an insulin rush which is usually followed by hunger, followed by snacking on and off throughout the PM. Because it provides for your body a good complete protein, some carbohydrate, and a small amount of fat to keep you from getting hungry, you will have no temptation to snack. The raw vegetables and fruit provide needed vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients. It is easy, nutritious, satisfying, and delicious.

Lunch at home for many women can be the least nutritious meal of the day - like 2 slices of bread with a piece of ham or cheese between (or both), a Coke, and a piece of pie or cake. Or, it may be just pie or cake with a Coke. This is the kind of meal that stimulates and insulin rush. In an hour or two you will be hungry again and you will start snacking throughout the afternoon, and you won't be getting slimmer! And fatigue will set in quickly.

For more information about whey powder please go to my Resource Box.

Easy, Nutritious and Slimming Lunch Smoothie
Wizard Of Oz Lunch Box

The Yellow-Brick Road of Teamwork - Lessons From the Wizard of Oz

Nothing evokes more nostalgia than a family tradition. My fiance's family, for example, had a tradition of making cherry cheesecake on her dad's birthday. They also had an interesting tradition of putting their holiday cards right into the Christmas tree, sort of like ornaments. In my house one of our big traditions was to make predictions on New Year's Eve of what was going to happen in the upcoming year, not only in the nation and the world but also in the family. (I recall always predicting that this would be the year my dad would get his book published and my brother, Brian, would finally get a girlfriend.) On birthdays in my house, it was traditional to get your choice of either an egg breakfast with sausage or bacon, or a lunch out at our favorite dim sum restaurant. Ah, sweet caloric memories.

Wizard Of Oz Lunch Box

Most family traditions seem to be annual in nature (birthdays, holidays, etc.), fixed to the calendar, but one of my all-time favorite traditions was relatively random in nature: the ritual watching of "The Wizard of Oz" on TV. Back in the day (before DVDs, Netflix and TiVo), you relied on the networks for your small-screen entertainment When one of the big three (was it NBC?) deemed it time to show "The Wizard of Oz", the Blum family would cancel all other plans, gather around the boob tube and spend the next 4 hours watching Judy Garland, Bert Lahr, Ray Bolger and all those munchkins tripping down the Yellow Brick Road. Could all those repeat viewings of the The Wizard of Oz be responsible for my current career as a trainer and teambuilder? It's certainly possible, because the 1939 classic is, quite simply, the best teambuilding parable in movie history!

Wizard Of Oz Lunch Box

Think about it. Here you have your typical low-level "manager", Dorothy Gale, under the thumb of the benevolent but controlling Auntie Em. Upon request, she's transferred (in something of a whirlwind) from her comfortable-yet-boring position in the monochrome Kansas Department to the new and colorful Oz Department. It's an extravagant place, this Oz, with a very different culture from her original division. People talk differently here; they have a different dress code. Adjusting to her new surroundings will take some time and effort, and to top it all off, Dorothy is accidentally responsible for the removal of her predecessor, a certain Wicked Witch of the East. Dorothy's new colleagues seem mostly happy about the changing of the guard, but Dorothy discovers she's made a few powerful enemies as well. It doesn't take her long to decide that this over-the-rainbow place is not for her. But transferring back to Kansas isn't that easy. It seems that all applications for transfer need to be approved by Corporate, way down the road at Emerald City. So off Dorothy goes to take her request to the big boss, a certain Mr. Wizard - accompanied as always by her loyal assistant, Toto.

As Dorothy soon discovers, it's a long and twisty road to the executive offices, fraught with yellow tape at every turn. She's going to need some allies: a few like-minded colleagues who have their own requests to take up with management. So Dorothy puts together her team, a group of wildly diverse individuals with complementary talents and abilities. There's Scarecrow, a flexible, instinctive fellow - not much of a thinker, but with the stuff of greatness in him - someone you definitely want on your side. And there's Tin Man, a bit stiff at first but full of heart when you loosen him up. And finally there's Lion, full of bluster on the outside, but deep down a real pussycat, with hidden depths of courage. Together, the team will overcome incredible odds, fighting through a forest of prickly phone-trees and bureaucratic obstacles until finally they reach the Emerald City Industrial Complex, the offices of the Wizard himself.

Like many CEOs, the Wizard hides behind a veil of wealth and power, never really showing his true face. His mouthpiece, a frightening visage full of sound and fury, insists the team must accomplish an impossible project before their requests will be approved. Dorothy and her colleagues will need to sweep away the competition and get the account of their industry's most challenging client - Wicked West Unlimited. The task is perilous; the resources minimal. But with guts and grit and the valiant efforts of Dorothy's assistant, the team accomplishes its mission, on time and under budget.

But still, the Wizard is recalcitrant. It seems he's far less powerful than he claimed, holed up in his ivory tower, clinging to his position with smoke and mirrors. In the end, the team realizes that placing all their hopes in management was a mistake. Rather, getting their needs met was only going to be accomplished through their own efforts and resolve. Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion all leave to found the start-up of Brain, Heart & Courage, depending only on their own innate abilities. And Dorothy, well, she pulls a few strings, draws on her own social capital, and manifests a transfer back to her old department. But with all the experience she's gained from the journey, things are different in Kansas. Now Dorothy's the boss - and Auntie Em had better watch her back.

At least that's how I remember it, back at the Blum household. There's no place like home.

Oz lessons for team leaders:

1. Put together as diverse a team as possible.

2. Encourage greatness in colleagues.

3. Keep moving, even when you'd rather stop and smell the poppies

4. Trust your teams' special abilities; even your most entry-level employee may be able to turn a witch into a puddle of water if given the opportunity

5. Be careful of burning bridges (or dropping houses); you can make powerful enemies.

6. Consider the resources at your disposal; you may just be able to work around management.

The Yellow-Brick Road of Teamwork - Lessons From the Wizard of Oz
Wizard Of Oz Lunch Box

Films - The Wizard Of Oz

Why on Earth would anybody review The Wizard Of Oz? The film is probably one of the most popular movies of all time, it's so well known that most people can give you the dialogue word for word and it's been either remade or parodied as much, if not more than any other movie ever made. So what could possibly be left to say about this classic?

Wizard Of Oz Lunch Box

Actually, quite a lot.

Wizard Of Oz Lunch Box

For starters, very few people know that when the movie was first released, it was not a commercial success. The movie only made about million dollars. Even in 1939, this was not a lot of money by any stretch of the imagination. So to say Oz was an instant hit would be the farthest thing from the truth.

Then there is the strange popularity that this film brought to only one of its stars. Even though all of the featured actors and actresses in the movie, which included Judy Garland, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, Ray Bolger, Margaret Hamilton, Frank Morgan, Billie Burke, Charley Grapewin and Clara Blandick, had successful careers even before Oz, only Judy Garland became known mostly for this movie and this movie alone. That was the great impression that she made. It was like she had never done anything before or since, in spite of the fact that she was only a young child at the time. He adult years almost faded into obscurity.

The movie, which was adapted from the book of the same name, was actually made into movies many times before the 1939 version which became the most famous. There was The Wizard Of Oz from 1908, The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz from 1910, three more titles in 1914, another Wizard Of Oz in 1921 and yet another one in 1925 which stared Oliver Hardy of the comic team Laurel and Hardy, in the role of the Tin Woodsman. None of these other movies are even seen anymore. And there were many more, too many to list here. None were as good as the 1939 version or shown as much.

The Wizard Of Oz was not without its problems. There was the near fatal burning of Margaret Hamilton, who played the wicked witch of the West. Fortunately she was still able to complete the movie. Another problem was that they couldn't seem to keep a director for the filming of this movie. A total of four directors were used, including Victor Flemming who was literally stolen by David Selznick to direct "Gone With The Wind". Then of course there was the recasting of the Tin Man. Buddy Ebsen was originally cast in the part but had to quit because he was allergic to the Tin Man costume. He was replaced by Jack Haley. Ray Bolger who was originally cast as the Tin Man, changed his mind and decided instead that he wanted to play the cowardly lion.

These problems were only the tip of the iceberg in a production that almost never got off the ground and yet the 1939 version of The Wizard Of Oz turned out to be the most beloved movie of all time. Who would have ever thought it possible?

Films - The Wizard Of Oz
Wizard Of Oz Lunch Box

Creativity: Getting Out of the Box

Leadership, especially in times of change, depends increasingly on the ability of managers, professionals and even front line workers to think and do things differently. In other words, to get out of the box!

Wizard Of Oz Lunch Box

So, how do we get out of the box especially when most people are comfortable staying with the tried and true rather than exploring and championing new ideas? Here are tips to jolt your mind and start thinking more creatively.

Wizard Of Oz Lunch Box

Stretch your brain.

When a group meets to come up with new ideas, it is helpful to begin with a fun activity that starts the participants thinking in new directions and generating innovative ideas.

Example: Challenge your group to redesign panty hose for male consumers. Yes, you read it correctly. Distribute samples of conventional panty hose and ask such question as, "Who is our target market....How should the new product be packaged? What shall we call it?"

Transform your perspective.

A good way to come up with solutions to problems is to look at them from a perspective that you never considered before.

Example: Bank executives were asked to think of outrageous ways to make their customers very angry. One suggested closing down credit lines without informing customers---causing checks to bounce without any warning. (How would you like that to happen to you?) What they realized is that one of the bank's greatest assets is the perception of total reliability by the customer. They then focused on ways to ensure that reliability.

Dump your garbage.

Hanging on to old complaints or grievances prevents you from dealing with today's significant issues. Therefore everyone has to move on and 'get with the program.'

Example: Encourage workers to symbolically dispose of such obstacles by distributing index cards and asking them to write down all their complaints. The cards are torn up and are placed into a large garbage bag which is then thrown out. After this exercise, the workers may find it easier to forget about their old agendas and move forward. I have also seen this done even more dramatically. The torn pieces are put into a large ash tray or wastebasket and lit with a match. Everyone watches as all the complaints go up in smoke and are burned completely.

Ask the right questions.

Many poor decisions can be traced to asking the wrong questions and to inappropriate, incomplete or poorly framed questions. Good questions should be open enough for creative solutions but narrow enough to focus on solving a specific problem.

Example: A consumer products company was testing an idea for a household cleaner specially formulated for washing walls. Focus groups of consumers were asked to compare the new product's cleaning ability to that of general purpose cleaners. All participants agreed that the new product cleaned better. Armed with this information, the company put the new product into production, advertised extensively and waited for the orders to come pouring in. They waited and waited and waited. The product failed.

While the company was asking consumers how well the product cleaned, they did not ask the most important question: How often do you wash your walls? By the time they learned that most people do not spend time washing walls, they had spent millions of dollars.

Lesson: Before making important decisions, spend time thinking about the questions that you need to ask. Good questions lead to good decisions.

Creativity: Getting Out of the Box
Wizard Of Oz Lunch Box

Life Is Like A Box Of Chocolates - Salon Du Chocolat

There are many philosophies on life, none quite so humble and effortless as the famous "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get." spoken by Tom Hanks in the 1994 movie Forrest Gump, written by Winston Groom and Eric Roth. The belief that "life is like a box of chocolates" was more literally interpreted, also in 1994, with the introduction of Salon du Chocolat. Translated from French to mean "Salon of Chocolate," Salon du Chocolat is a five-day long, annual, international chocolate themed trade show. Previously held in Paris, New York, Tokyo, Moscow, and Beijing, this year's festival was hosted in Shanghai, China. There are many aspects of the show for tourists and visitors to enjoy. This year's edition featured more than 400 participants including: exhibitors, cocoa producers, international chocolatiers and master chiefs and of course, the chocolate dress parade.

Wizard Of Oz Lunch Box

The Experience

Wizard Of Oz Lunch Box

There's something kind of wonderful about chocolate that brings sugary treats and the creative arts together. The Salon du Chocolat has more sweets than you can even imagine under one roof. Long tables gridded with bit-sized gourmet chocolate creations draw a large crowd. Each chocolate individually decorated and eagerly waiting to be placed inside chocolate gift boxes. Innovation is the motive for every exhibit: a chocolate sculpture of a woman kneeling upon a pile of cocoa beans, chocolate bars in every flavor imaginable and a seemingly never-ending rainbow of macaroons. An array of chocolate-theme recipe books were available and fresh produce to accompany the diverse flavors of chocolate variety. No choco-holic was leaving without a bundle of unique, contemporary chocolate gift boxes. Nearing the end of October, the Salon du Chocolat is definitely the place to be.

Chocolate Fashion Show

Arguably the most breath-taking element to the event is the chocolate fashion show. Some edible items from the show included: a larger-than-life hoop skirt dress made out of chocolate, a model strutting down the cat walk inside a human-sized chocolate bird cage and in the New York show, a New Years themed outfit was shown off, chocolate top hat and all. Martin Howard, a chocolate themed fashion pro recalls, "Last year, for the 70th anniversary of 'The Wizard of Oz,' I made a big Wicked Witch hat out of chocolate and Dorothy's ruby slippers out of white chocolate. We also used white chocolate to make a yellow brick road background and to reconstruct Emerald City. Another year I made a Bat-girl dress and giant wings out of chocolate for a model. Then I made chocolate guns for other models posing as villains. That was a true performance piece."

Chocolate lover or not, anyone would enjoy this very unique, feel-good festival Allowing the world to find a common bond in chocolate is just delightful. And while the interpretation of "life is like a box of chocolates" takes a more literal stance at the Salon du Chocolat, it feels more like falling into a great, big chocolate gift box and never wanting to come out.

Life Is Like A Box Of Chocolates - Salon Du Chocolat
Wizard Of Oz Lunch Box

Dorothy Wizard Of Oz Costume

If you are attending a fancy dress party and you want to create an instantly recognisable character from childhood, a Dorothy Wizard of Oz costume is a fantastic choice.

Wizard Of Oz Lunch Box

Coming from L. Frank Baum's novel, Dorothy, the little girl from Kansas is, the main character in a story called The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. With the help of her friends she is trying to get back home by reaching the Wizard of Oz. The yellow brick paved road that they follow to the Land of Oz and her red shoes have become widely known motifs of the novel.

Wizard Of Oz Lunch Box

The Dorothy Wizard of Oz costume can be faithful to the story or more modern. Either way it looks good and original. The classical look of Dorothy has been established by first movie created after the book. This costume is available today and consists of a gingham blue dress, a white shirt with puffed sleeves and matching hair bows. A wig with her haircut can be purchased as well, since her 2 tails are a significant part of her look. This outfit is very appropriate for children at school parties.

But as it was said earlier, modern variations of these Wizard of Oz Costumes are on the market too. First there is the Sexy Dorothy Costume which consists of a short gingham dress with sparkly sequins. It includes a small white shirt too, with no shoulder collar. The hair bows are red in this outfit. A pair of white thigh high stockings with a blue gingham bow should fit perfectly with this costume. A similar costume comes from the Leg Avenue. It is a simple short dress with the puffed bottom.

Another sexy Dorothy Wizard of Oz costume consists of a blue gingham short dress, with the corset-like, front laced top. It has a puffed sleeves shirt and a small attached apron too. The above mentioned pair of stockings goes very well with this outfit too. Another costume plays the same cards, but the laces from the corset as well as the apron are bigger, and the lower part of the dress is puffier. The shoulders are covered here.

Dorothy's red shoes could not have been forgotten. But instead of buying new ones, you can have a red cover for your own pair of shoes. It is more convenient this way. The covers have shiny red sequins and a big red bow on each of them.

Dorothy Wizard Of Oz Costume
Wizard Of Oz Lunch Box

Personalized Lunch Bags - Character Attention Grabber

From Spider Man, Ninja Turtles, Thunder Cats, Transformers and many other cartoons we saw as a kid, these were the characters we were so fascinated with and they become our heroes who colored our overly active and imaginative world. We would act like them, talk, walk and fight like them and our Halloween costumes were designed in our favorite heroes and heroines. Not only do you see Halloween costumes in the likes of Lionel from Thunder Cats or Peter Parker's alter ego Spiderman, these character images were printed, designed, embossed and embroidered from every item that a child uses from water bottles to personalized lunch bags, notebooks and pencils, stationary and school backpacks.

Wizard Of Oz Lunch Box

These iconic characters have found their way into children's clothing, accessories, footwear, towels, lunch box, and sales from these cartoon inspired kids wear are gaining a positive feedback from the market. This type of marketing is called 'Character inspired merchandising' which is currently one of the hottest trends in the world of marketing and merchandising, promising big bucks for retailers and manufacturers.

Wizard Of Oz Lunch Box

With the steady rise of Hannah Montana to TV superstardom, the face of this iconic character that leads a double life is plastered on practically every known kids wear from personalized lunch bags to personalized backpacks, to Halloween costumes and even blouses and shirts. The kids wear market is currently undergoing a major boost as it witnessed more independent buyers in the form of children shoppers and not mommies and daddies shopping for their kids.

The common rule when it comes to character inspired merchandising is that the more popular the cartoon character, the more purchase it gets. From High School Musical, Hannah Montana to the Wizards of Waverly Place, Powerpuff Girls and Barbie, the timeless Cinderella and Totally Spies, these cartoon characters rake in the sales among girls and for boys, its Spiderman and Hulk, Ghost Rider, Transformers and Fantastic Four. Cartoons such as Barney, SpongeBob Square Pants, Teletubbies and Dora the Explorer as well as Stitch are more appealing to toddlers. Of course, these cartoons popularity sole depends on their international popularity and their national popularity.

Lunch bags and water tumblers have become a must personalized item when it comes to combining iconic cartoon characters with kids wear. Kids are the primary target audience that uses lunch bags and lunch boxes. To be part of the crowd and to use what their friends are using, kids also jump into the bandwagon of using the latest trends in shoes, bags, and personalized lunch boxes, stationary and even accessories.

Brands such as Walt Disney, GAP for Kids, JC Penney and Tea Collection, these companies have established the kids wear brand and are focused on not only shoes and clothing items but backpacks, personalized lunch bags, school stationary and costumes. Kids are excited to see their own favorite character and love wearing them on their clothes and apparel. Personalized character merchandising will never fade where kids or concerned as new and new cartoons take over the threshold of toon world.

Personalized Lunch Bags - Character Attention Grabber
Wizard Of Oz Lunch Box