TWSM#6

A worldwide observatory on work style changes

Work Style

08 6 authors for “sacrifice” Sebastien Gay, Sanjit Dhami, Hal Levin, Don Bates, Cary Cooper, Daniel David 16 Lessons from tribes by Miriam Ross 19 Leadership ability, in military-style by Allan Hall 28 Everybody is going green by Palle Ellemann Kundsen 38 The architecture of productivity by Fabian Uzaraga 42 Lions on the Move by Alex Duval Smith 69 The Eagle is back by Angela Boskovitch 90 North Africa burns by Thrasy Petropoulos

Colophon

The Work Cities Guide

Ekaterinburg Russia.

Summary

# 6 issue, April 2011

International publisher

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Editor in Chief Giorgio Tedeschi

Editor Paola Bettinelli

Foreign Editors Pina Draskovich, Fabian Uzaraga

Section Editors

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Cover illustration Hiroko Takashino, Tokjo Japan

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08

Sacrifices

08 Sacrifice in Economy

Too much information kills information

The over-information that can damper our life.

Self-control for well-being How multiple selves affect our public policy.

10 Sacrifice in Ecology Do you “need” to eat that steak tonight?

What we could give up for the environment or our own health.

12 Sacrifice in Entertainment Mirror, mirror on the wall

What our intellect could give up and still be healthy.

14 Sacrifice in Emotions Saying ‘no’ to keep happy and healthy at work

The six golden rules for a happier and healthier worklife.

Your thoughts are your perception

The prescription for rational thinking that makes you feel better.

16 Games at work

Lessons from tribes

How western societies can take example from tribal societies.

18

Retaining talents

Fostering employee engagement

The strategies to cultivate employees and retain them in crisis period.

19 Military schools

Leadership ability, in military-style

The tools and strategies developed in military schools, create the corporate leader of the future.

22

Corporate Social Responsibility

Altruism or self-interest

The new way of creative capitalism.

24 Identity goal

Identity in the workplace

The importance of people in an economic enterprise.

Periodical magazine registered at the Milan’s Court

25

Whistleblowing Whistleblower protection

The importance of shielding employees. 28

Respect the planet

Everybody is going green

The sustainability issues are becoming an integrated part of business, what companies are doing to be more enviromentaly friendly. 30

Unusual Jobs

Get hurt, feel good Longing for scratches, burns and injuries: it is not a joke, but a serious yet exciting profession 32

Nature rebellion

Taking the luck out of safety

A scientific knowledge of environmental behaviour and conditions is the easiest and most urgent way to ensure a safe work environment. 34

Stop the stress

Laugh to decrease your stress How the benefit of a laugh can be helpful in the workplace. 36

Scooting through the city

Commuters on scooters

Scooters are the future means of transport; they help people shift in an ecologic way.

38

Sustainability

The architecture of productivity

The reconfiguration of the workspace architecture is a wellspring of a new business creativity. 41

Math it’s no opinion

Math versus faith

Scientific calculation to prove religious disaffection. 42

Africa, working hard Lions on the move

A portrait of African countries to understand how people work in this continent. 44

Brand communication reinvented

Images of reality and new images

Scardillo’s revision of advertising techniques allow brands to trade with society. And find new social balances. 46

When out of office matters

Employees “out of office” The weight of employee’s life outside work. 50

To be cool 50 Design Ideas Young Design Awards & Brit Insurance Design of the Year

82 Milan

The event on work identity 2011 5 workshops oriented to discover the identity of work, they will take place in Milan during the design week 86

Imagining the city of the future Cities we’re looking for New urban design to turn cities into ‘heuristic spaces’. 90

News from Africa

North Africa burns

51 Fashion in the world

The business side of style Portraits of Peter Conrad, Jennifer Prosek, Philippe Remond. 67 Our Choices

A trip through the North Africa to investigate the actually hard situations of Mediterranean countries. 93

Ekaterinburg

The new face of Russia

The Work Cities Guide now travels

Editorial

By MIRKO NESURINI

The wall of fear has fallen down in North Africa and the Middle East. People are taking to the streets in order to free buildings from the occupancy of powerful dictators, who, for decades, have been keeping the development of freedom under pressure.

These are the revolution of social networks, of those who are used to confrontation and are tired of politics’ lies. It’s the backstage of a media narration that, for decades, has been describing the condition of people infatuated with extremist religions and unable to react to the dictate of the Koran (and other assorted formulas) and are also grateful to the leaders who became international personalities thanks to the money made from petrol.

The gloomy picture I’ve just described it’s the result of a fourhanded painting.

On one side local exploiters, on the other, the international community that needed (and needs) that petrol.

European populations, American populations and those from Asian countries think that work in the Middle East and in the Maghreb region is limited to camels pasture, resorts sand raking and to little more than that. Instead reality is different. We have a lot to learn from these countries, even in terms of work styles, as we will tell you on this issue and in future ones! This number describes work in North Africa, with an article by Thrasy Petropoulos that conducted a research for us; and in two other articles: the first, a combined piece, in which we asked 6 columnists to tell us what we could give up, since the key to our future is giving up some privileges to make room to those who are not as well. The Tryptique is closed by an article on suffocated religions, that have no chance of revitalization, as three American mathematicians from Northwestern University (Illinois) will tell us.

The Work Style magazine #6 comes out in conjunction with the launch of Work Style talking, a thinking model on the identity of work, in Milan (Italy), from April 12 to April 16.

Follow us, in the next issue we will explore the concept of “trust” with interviews collected during the Annual Great Place to Work conference in Denver (March 2011).

Mirko Nesurini Chairman

mirko@theworkstylemagazine.com

Note: Authors’ names are given in full in the first article, while an abbreviation is used thereafter. The remaining pieces are by members of the Editorial Board.

Athens

Thrasy Petropoulos Editor of the Athens News.

Atlanta

Judy Agnew Senior Vice president of safety solutions at Aubrey Daniels International.

Bangalore

Hassan Raghu Founder secretary stunt academy India.

Beijing

James Darlington Head of asia Antal International.

Berlin

Allan Hall Professional journalist.

Cape Town

Alex Duval Smith Currently the Africa correspondent of the British newspaper, The Observer.

Alan James Russell Managing director Antal South Africa.

Chicago

Sebastien Gay Private consultant and teacher at the economics department at the University of Chicago.

Cluj-Napoca

Daniel David Ph.D. “Aaron T. Beck” Professor of clinical cognitive sciences and head of the department of clinical psychology and psychotherapy at the Babe-Bolyai University.

Contributors

Contributors around the world for The Work Style Magazine.

Decatur

Goni Montes Scientific illustrator, editorial and advertiser

Copenhagen

Palle Ellemann Owner and HR-Business strategy advisor at Palle Ellemann Consulting.

Florence

Irene Colzi Blogger and fashion stylist.

Frankfurt

Angela Boskovitch Professional journalist. She has served as YG contributing editor since early 2010.

Max Price Country managing director Antal Germany.

Hong Kong

Fabian Uzaraga Englishlanguage teacher and copywrite.

Leicester

Sanjit Dhami Reader in economics at the University of Leicester in England.

Livorno

Pierluigi Rosati Chief of the Naval Academy of Livorno.

London

Paul Davis Illustrator who works in Creative Review, Time Out, Graphics International and many other.

Hanna Melin Freelence illustrator and artist.

Nigel Phillips Freelance editor and journalist, and writes for business magazines, sports publications and websites.

Miriam Ross Campaigner at Survival International.

Los Angeles

Susan Carpenter Senior features correspondent at Los Angeles Times.

Madrid

Leticia Herrán Managing director Antal Spain.

Malm

Jacob Sebastian Founder of STUNT360 and the European Stunt School.

Marseille

Edwige Lamy Professional photographer.

Main Beach

Colin Handley Principal Stunt Academy.

Milan

Nantes

Emmanuel Maindron Consultant freelance in marketing and communication.

New York City

Rachel Esterday Fine art photographer.

Dongyun Lee Professional illustrator. His work has been exhibited in New York, L.A, London, and Seoul.

Jennifer Loftus Presidentelect of the Human Resource Association of New York.

Senem oezdogan Graphic designer and illustrator.

Amy Phillips IT professional at IT Pixie and indipendent consultane for web development.

Metthew Seminara Attorney practicing in the areas of corporate, real estate and labor and employment law.

oslo

Rotterdam

Eelco Van Den Berg

Illustrator, painter, graffiti writer and dj.

San Anselmo

John Hersey Contemporary digital editorial illustrator.

Santa Cruz

Hal Levin Research architect with building ecology research group.

Saugus

Sophia Crawford Professional stunt woman.

Singapore

Kannan Chandran Founder of E-Quill media.

Taipei City

Yishin Wu One of the worldwide best illustator in Taiwan.

Tokyo

Hiroko Takashino Professional illustrator.

Finola

Doyle Communications at CzA Cino zucchi Architects.

Federico Strada Partner La Scala, legal office.

Nils Holby Houge Managing director Enomatic Norge.

Paris

Sandrine Martin Comics designer

Rio de Janeiro

Keith Jones Country managing director Antal Brazil.

At Work Style we care about the environment, so we print our magazine on 100% recycled paper

Alfie Goodrich

Photographer, writer and photography-teacher.

Washington

Don Bates Educator and senior public affairs consultant.

Warsaw

Artur Skiba Managing director Antal Poland.

Thinking out of the box Sacrifice in Economy

Too much information kills information Self-control for well being

Sometimes information tends to work counterintuitively: people use Facebook to stay in touch with their friends and sometimes promote their businesses, but a side effect of having a clear presence of information on the internet is the open door for employers to check on a potential applicant’s personal life.

Similar problems arise for consumers. Information in itself is not the problem, but the accumulation of opinion and information is. If you are excited about watching a movie at a movie theater and then check the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and notice that the reviews are poor, you would have a biased opinion of the movie and might not enjoy it as much.

Even in the case of green products, too much information results in a worse picture without necessarily helping confidence on the product. Most green labels are only green through their label, and make people feel good, but are not actually checked by the Federal Trade Commissions. The FTC provides guidelines for green products, but products are not necessarily checked for them.

Sebastien Gay

Sebastien Gay is on the faculty at the Department of Economics at the University of Chicago. He has extensive consulting experience, having worked on internal and litigationrelated projects including wage dispute resolution, diversification and performance, business strategy, and company valuation.

As everything in an economics agent, information needs to be rational and optimal. With the advent of the internet and fast communication we reached a point of over-information that dampers our everyday life. As an investor would not be able to invest if all of the information about a stock would be known (in this case either no one would buy it or everyone would buy it so no variation), we end up second-guessing ourselves for consumption when a potential risk still exists, even if we think it does not. Giving up some information would be a positive step toward a healthier and more positive life.

Humans routinely avoid harmful objects and actions. But in many cases, they are unable to do so or procrastinate too much. New year resolutions on diets, addictions and lifestyle are often short lived. Pernicious habits are hard to kick. Why do we observe such self-control problems? The “rational” view, based on the Nobel Prize winning work of Gary Becker postulates that addiction arises when the present discounted value of the benefits from addiction exceed the costs.

Sanjit Dhami

Sanjit Dhami is currently a Reader in Economics at the University of Leicester in England. His main research interest is in “behavioral economics’. He is currently completing a book on behavioral economics with his colleague Ali al-Nowaihi that is seven years in the making.

How aware are we of our future self-control problems? A prominent theory in psychology views humans as being a succession of multiple selves, one self for each time period. For instance, the night-self might set an alarm for the morning but the morning-self presses the snooze button. This can happen repeatedly, suggesting an underestimation of future self-control problems.

Individuals who anticipate selfcontrol problems might prefer to buy an annual health club membership, while others, without such problems, prefer to pay-per-visit. They also invest in illiquid assets such as housing so that future selves do not splurge on consumption.

We use our current moods excessively when we make predictions of the future (projection-bias). Experiments show that we often order more food than we can possibly eat and the amount of food purchased at the grocers often depends on how hungry we are. Public policy recognizes the relation between self-control and our well being. Cooling-off periods, labeling of food on containers, and public health warnings on sale of addictive substances are all examples. An understanding of how our mind works can reinforce the effect of such public policy.

Thinking out of the box Sacrifice in Ecology

Do you “need” to eat that steak tonight?

We are bombarded daily by messages about what we ought to want, need or buy. It seems strange to ask “What can we give up?” The question implies the existence of a need to give up something, or many things. But why?

Personal, social, and professional stress and threats to our environment concern us all. To what extent are these stresses connected? From an ecological perspective, everything is connected to everything else; you can’t change just one thing. “When a butterfly flaps its wings in China, it affects the weather in New York.”

There are many claims of the ‘best thing’ we could give up for the environment or our own health. They are easier to identify than implement.

• We know we shouldn’t waste so much energy in our buildings: we could easily save more than half the energy our buildings use today.

• We could drive more fuel efficient cars and drive them less: in most cases we could reduce by half or more the fuel we consume - also reducing the air pollutants cars emit: one half of urban air pollution and one third of human greenhouse gases (GHG). The fraction is growing as more people around the world acquire cars.

• Many of us could have smaller families or adopt children rather than having more of our own.

• We could fly less. Most modern executives’ GHG emissions associated with air travel dominate our total “carbon footprint,” often dwarfing all our other emissions combined.

But far less attention has been paid to the one thing most of us could give up while directly improving our own health, promoting our longevity and improving air quality while reducing our contribution to climate change. It doesn’t involve changing our jobs, cars, families or air travel habits.

We can give up eating meat. Did you react strongly to that statement? Most people do.

• Reactions are strong and emotional: Dedicated carni-

vores and other opponents see it as an infringement of personal freedom, market freedom, and even as unfounded from an evolutionary or health perspective.

• Advocates see it as essential for environmental, health and ethical reasons.

In 2006, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization reported that meat production accounted for 18% of total GHG emissions: 9% of global human CO2 emissions, 65% of nitrous oxide emissions, 37% of methane emissions, and 64% of ammonia emissions. A more recent study by World Bank staffers estimated livestock production’s contribution to total human-activity-related GHG production at greater than 51%1

Hal Levin

Hal Levin is a Research Architect with Building Ecology Research Group, Santa Cruz, California. Mr. Levin has conducted research and provided consultation in the areas of building’s impacts on occupant health and comfort as well as on the larger environment.

Just doing one thing, giving up meat, creates multiple, powerful personal and environmental connections - it starts a chain reaction beginning with our own concept of our relationship to the Earth. It improves our individual health. It contributes to the health of undernourished populations around the world by freeing the protein from corn, soy, and other crops grown for livestock feed to reach 10 to 20 times more people than when it is consumed as meat fed to livestock. It reduces the enormous water consumption and land degradation attributable to livestock, and it makes land available to sustain biodiversity.

Abundant health evidence exists to convince us to reduce or give up meat consumption. Meat consumption is a major contributor to premature death due to heart disease and breast and colorectal cancer - leading causes of premature death. Those eating just one more 4-ounce hamburger a day compared to those in the lowest 20% of meat consumers had increased total mortality by 31% in men and 36% in women respectively. The risk is even higher compared with vegetarians.

Thinking out of the box Sacrifices in Entertainment

Mirror, mirror on the wall

Well-being takes many forms – physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, social. All contribute to health. If one is out of sort, the others are affected. Suffer significant loss – job, friendship, loved one – and one or more will be shaken if not irreparably damaged. Thankfully, most of us regain our balance quickly, but for some of us the pain can last for months, years, a lifetime, often leading to depression or worse. So the question of what we can eliminate and still be healthy becomes more a matter of how much we can and want to tolerate.

Change of the kind we are addressing means transformation, modest or extraordinary, but transformation nonetheless. For this change to work, we have to make it stick. Thus, whatever we want to eliminate, we should want it gone forever. Otherwise, why bother? Now, let’s make it more personal. What can you eliminate from your way of being and still be healthy?

Like anything worthwhile, you have to begin where it can count the most. One place is in front of a body-length mirror. Stand before the glass and look deep and long, not only at the surface image, but at the “aura” – the feelings your eyes, hair, ears, mouth, shoulders, arms, hands, nose, skin and other aspects of your appearance convey or imply. And be real.

This is the body you were endowed with at birth and that has evolved from a convergence of personal intervention and “outside” assistance from family, friends, teachers, religion, culture, community, medicine, books, lovers, luck. Whether you believe in supernatural powers or natural selection, you are the “essence” of all that learning and you will be for as long as you live.

Look, in particular, at what makes you special, even if you don’t like everything you see. Analyze the total package. Front side. Back side. Flex your muscles. Smile. Grimace. And speak. Hear your voice, accent, tone – what you sound like to the world. But stick to the facts. Don’t exaggerate. You are what you are and no one else. As a Nepalese taxi driver once told me: “Everything is as it should be.” I said: “That’s discouraging.” He continued: “That doesn’t mean it can’t be

otherwise but for this moment, it is what it is and nothing else.”

As you look, consider what else makes you special – your knowledge, intelligence, ideas, beliefs, prejudices, skills, abilities, desires, needs – the list goes on. And probe the implications. If necessary, use a notebook for help, lipstick on the glass. For change to occur, you have to invest time and attention. We’re talking about your life, not a walk in the park. Look, as well, at the contrasts you represent – strongfragile, powerful-weak, exciting-boring, essential-inconsequential, amazing-trivial, loving-unloving. Your goal: to gain a better understanding of your importance as a human being.

Don Bates

Don Bates is an educator and senior public affairs consultant. Before entering management communications, he was a reporter in suburban Boston, and for more than a decade owned his own public relations firm which he sold in the mid-1990’s. Besides consulting, he conducts writing and media relations workshops. He is also an instructor in the George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management and at New York University. He is senior advisor with SGP Consultants and does freelance writing for international organizations.

Now comes the hard part. What can you eliminate from all you understand and still be healthy? If you’re like most people, you’ll think of the obvious: but I can assure you that the following steps will you help you to make the right decisions if you want.

Mirror, mirror on the wall. Once you’ve parsed your person, pick one thing or a few things you want to eliminate.

Decide strategically. Work for permanency, not temporal pleasure. Set a time limit. By when will you do what you intend?

Enlist support. Find a “sponsor,” someone who will encourage you to succeed from start to finish.

Evaluate progress. Maybe check in with the mirror once in a while. Even better if you ask friends.

But maybe you’ll decide to do nothing – that you like the way you are or that there is no hope for change – but you’ll be a lot healthier if you engage the process.

Either way, you’ll not only please yourself; you’ll also please those around you who care the most about your well-being. Bon voyage!

Thinking out of the box Sacrifices in Emotions

Saying ‘no’ to keep happy and healthy at work Your thoughts are your perception

Common sense psychology teaches us that life events can influence our feelings and behaviors. From a scientific point of view this is a false understanding of how human mind works. Indeed, according to rationalemotive and cognitive-behavior theory, our emotions and behaviors are not generated by life events, but by our interpretations of life events. We are not angry because our boss criticized us; we are angry because we interpret boss’ criticisms in a specific way.

Your emotions and behaviors are not generated by life events, but by your thinking. Feeling good and happy depends on your thinking; therefore say no to irrational thinking and say yes to rational thinking in order to feel, get, and stay good and healthy.

Cary Cooper

Cary is Professor of Organizational Psychology and Health. He is the author/editor of over 120 books (on occupational stress, women at work and industrial and organizational psychology), has written over 400 scholarly articles for academic journals, and is a frequent contributor to national newspapers, TV and radio.

How do we free up time at work to give us some space, thinking time, and better balance? First, you need to know what you are doing most of the time—so keep a diary for a week or two, recording all your activities during each hour of each day. Second, identify in this diary the priority meetings/activities and the ones that are not so important and have proved a waste of your valuable time. Third, make sure in the future that you don’t arrange meetings or activities that have proved not to be productive and are low on your priority list. Fourth, ensure that you begin to say “no” to things that are not a priority for you or your job, even though they may be flattering, or you don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings by saying ‘no’. Unless you make tough decisions with your time, it will take its toll on your health and wellbeing. Gradually people around you will know which issues they can ask for your time, and which ones to avoid. Fifth, try to avoid people who take up too much of your emotional time, people who are persistently negative, where their glass is always half empty. As Mark Twain once wrote “keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can somehow become great”. And finally, it is also about the time you allocate to various activities in your working life. Meetings tend to go on too long and are not managed well, so ensure that you think through how much time you should allocate to your various priorities and stick to that timetable. By saying “no” more often, by managing your time better and by being with those people that are positive and stimulate you, you will have the space to reflect, to recuperate and to invest in the important relationships in your life.

Daniel David

Daniel is Aaron T. Beck Professor of Clinical Cognitive Sciences and Head of the Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy at the Babe-Bolyai University, ClujNapoca, Romania. He is also an adjunct professor at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.

To help you implement the message of this article, I prescribe you a psychological pill:

1. Choose those life events that fit your desires and values and think about them rationally; in this way you will experience positive functional feelings;

2. If you are forced to face life events that do not fit you desires and values, think about them rationally; in this way you will experience negative functional feelings (e.g., annoyance rather than anger) that will help you deal efficiently with these adversities;

3. Remember that the core of psychological suffering is related to the three basic musts: I must do well, You must treat me well, Life must be fair; give them up and assume (4);

4. Assume unconditional acceptance and intense preferences to attain your goals, which are the core of rationality and of a happy life.

The lessons we can learn from this type of work organizations

In the Dongria Kondh tribe if it is raining, preventing them from working, they do not get stressed or worried about it. Instead, they will sit around having a good time until the rain stops. Also, it is well known that hunter-gatherer peoples tend to have a lot of leisure time, as they only need to spend a limited amount of time obtaining what

they need for survival. There is no point, for example, in catching more fish than the community can eat, as it will just go rotten. So, we can learn some lessons about what to prioritize in life. Tribal people tend to spend a lot more time with their families and communities than an office worker in the West might. And they are often found to be very happy and healthy - despite not having much or any cash or consumer goods.

However, this only works if their rights to their land and to make their

Illustration by Goni Montes, Decatur, USA

Editorial Games at Work

By MIRIAM ROSS

WESTERN SoCIETIES HAVE A LoT To LEARN FRoM THE TRIBAL SoCIETIES in term of work organization. Sometimes a few rules and simplicity allow to reach amazing results.

Lessons from tribes

THE oRGANIzATIoN INSIDE THE TRIBES

In general, there is much less subdivision of work roles within tribal societies than in Western societies. Whole communities will often work together on a task that need completing, for example a harvest.

However, men’s and women’s roles do often differ. Among the nomadic Penan in Sarawak, in the Malaysian part of Borneo, men hunt animals and gather fruit, while women collect the ‘rattan’ plants used to make shelter, baskets, etc. They work together to process sago, the staple in their diet.

In many hunter-gatherer tribes, any meat that is hunted is shared out among the whole community. Yanomami hunters cannot eat their own meat - they must give it all away, and eat only what is hunted by others. This reciprocal responsibility leads to strong community bonds.

Among the Dongria Kondh tribe in India, women tend crops close to the village, while men work in orchards further away. Both young men and women take the cattle up into the hills to graze.

Among the Dongria Kondh, medical people and priests or priestesses are specialists. Musicians are too - they

will do the work everyone else does, but also get invited to neighboring villages to play.

THE LEADERS DEFINITIoN

Many hunter-gather societies, such as the Kalahari Bushmen, have no defined leaders. Social organization is in small bands of people, living and working collaboratively together. If there is a disagreement, the band may split in two, or some members may leave to join another band. In other tribal societies, leadership may be hereditary, or it may be earned through respect. A notable difference between tribal societies and Western societies is that elders are often very influential within their communities, being respected and consulted due to their long years of experience.

THE TRAINING AND THE INSTRUMENTS USED To A PARTICULAR RoLE

Tribal children start learning the skills they will need for their survival and that of their tribe from a very early age. Young children accompany adults as they go about their work, and the games children play often reflect hunting, gathering, fishing etc. For example, in the Amazon, survival colleagues often see young kids

playing with small bows and arrows that they have made for themselves, which mimic the bows and arrows made by the adults in their community. Survival researchers also often note that young tribal children are not kept away from dangerous instruments like machetes, or from fire, in the same way that toddlers in the west often are. Learning to be careful around dangerous instruments, and in the environment in which they live, is part of the training process. In some cases, there are initiation rites for young people, which involve competency in key skills, or endurance tests, such as keeping your hand in a glove full of biting ants, as among the Satere-Mawe in Brazil.

In some tribal communities, tribal children nowadays spend term-time away from their families and communities in order to go to mainstream school. This can mean that the skills they need for survival in their communities are not passed on. In contrast to this, the Yanomami in northern Brazil run their own schools, in their own communities, for both children and adults, where classes are scheduled around the work needs of the community.

own decisions about their lives are respected. Many of the Penan tribe, mentioned above, have seen their rainforests destroyed by logging companies. This makes survival much more difficult, since rivers are polluted, there are less animals to hunt, and sago and rattan plants are much more difficult to find. This brings us on to another lesson. Tribal peoples generally only take from their environments what they need, because they know that if they destroy their own resources they, or their

children, will suffer in the future. It’s easy to see the implications on a planetary scale of western societies’ failure to follow this philosophy. No doubt, from the organization of these tribes that we call “primitive”, we can draw valuable suggestions for the organization of our work, especially with regard to work balance and the benefits of cooperation and reciprocity. At this point, it’s possible that these “primitive” societies are more advanced than our complicated and hyper technology societies.

Engagement Retaining Talents

By JENNIFER C. LOFTUS

THE TECHNIqUES for cultivating employees engagement and retain them in times of impossible choices.

Fostering employee engagement

Employee engagement is one of the most talked about human resources topics. Literature tells us that employers should strive to foster a culture of engagement culture. According to research conducted by firms including Right Management, Hewitt, and the Hay Group, strong employee engagement leads to organizational growth, goal achievement, and positive return on investment (ROI). For many employers, however, the notion of employee engagement is elusive. What exactly is employee engagement? Practically speaking, how can I as an employer foster an engagement culture?

THE RECESSIoN AND THE DECLINE oF THE EMPLoYEES ENGAGEMENT

During the recent global recession, employee engagement declined overall. Throughout the course of the recession, engagement levels faltered, as many employees considered themselves lucky to have a job rather than be one of the long-term unemployed. The challenging times, however, did not completely dampen all employees’ engagement levels. Engaged employees helped their employers to weather the economic storm and emerge successful.

WHAT TECHNIqUES DID THE EMPLoYERS USE To ENSURE SUCCESS IN UNPRECEDENTED FINANCIAL TIMES?

There is no secret recipe for cultivating employee engagement. Employers with engaged employees, however, utilize one or several of the following techniques to gain competitive advantage.

Senior leadership is a key driver of employee engagement. In organizations with high engagement levels, leaders value employees and recognize employees’ contributions towards organizational success. These leaders also effectively communicate to employees the organization’s strategy and shortand long-term goals. Leaders of engaged employees demand an ethical workplace, and model the behaviors expected of all by living that reality. Employees perceive engaging leaders as individuals who have the necessary skills, abilities, and competencies to ensure organizational success through effective planning and action. The essential tools that tie these senior

leadership attributes together are communication and trust. Repeated, bi-directional communications foster mutual trust among leaders and employees, which over time leads to engagement.

Several tactical implementation tools can support the communication and trust building processes. Performance management systems that focus employees on short- and long-term goals reinforce communication and organizational direction, and ensure everyone works towards the same end results. Coupling the performance management process with short- and long-term incentive programs further reinforces the messages, and provides a mechanism for tangibly recognizing and rewarding employee contributions.

A team-based culture further supports an engagement mindset. High performing organizations expect employees to work together in an environment of mutual respect. When engagement is present, a sense of connectedness and community exists. These organizations break down silos and fiefdoms to align everyone towards the same strategies and goals. Creating an organization with high engagement levels takes time and effort. Active communication, role modeling, and team building, supported by an organization’s performance management and incentive systems, enable senior leaders to instill in employees the elements necessary for engagement. Although some may not perceive the time and effort involved in developing this type of culture to be worthwhile, positive ROI and organizational rewards await those who take the initiative.

By ALLAN HALL

IN CoLD AND HoT WAR TIMES MILITARY INTELLIGENCE IS MoRE AND MoRE

IMPoRTANT But recently the tools and strategies developed in military schools have been used to train future corporate leaders and hone management skills.

Leadership ability, in military-style

LEARNING

FRoM THE MILITARY

Sandhurtst, West Point, Saint-Cyr, the Gagarin Air Force Academy - these are just some of the hundreds of finishing schools around the world for army officers.

Men and women go there to learn the arts of discipline, tactics and, in essence, how to inflict violence effectively and brutally in a way that causes their side as few losses as possible.

But while they exist primarily to churn out the leadership of world armies, business leaders around the globe also prize them as breeding schools for future winners in the corporate cosmos once the days of soldiering are over.

Take Sandhurst, for example, the premiere officer training school for the British Army that has opened its doors to educate the warrior sons of Allied nations down the years. Sandhurst enjoys a cachet alongside that of Oxford and Cambridge, the two premier civilian institutes of higher education in Britain; to say you have studied there sends a signal to future employers that you have come through a prized system of learning.

A TRUE SToRY

Richard King-Evans, the founder of France-based RKE Associates - a

global security and investigation consultancy - is a man who values his time spent at Sandhurst and in the British Army.

Indeed, so impressed is he by the education he received there that most of his organization is staffed by former military officers.

Mr. King-Evans left the British Army as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1993 after a career spanning 21 years. In his time in the army he directed privatization of military prisons and he was Chief of Military Police for the Support Area of British Army of the Rhine in Germany.

In this latter role he directed use of £60M assets and 650 military police officers and other service men and women controlling security, anti-terrorist, close protection and crime prevention operations.

In the late 1980s he was the Chief Instructor at the Military Police Training School, Chichester where he directed 53 courses of 14 types training 1,600 personnel each year. Amongst his publications are “Crisis Management - Could You Cope?” published in 1995 and “It’ll Never Happen to Us…” published in 1998.

Coaching Military Schools

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01 Ufficiali Marina Militare (Livorno)

02 WestPoint Acceptance Day © U.S. Army photo/West Point Public Affairs

03 Richard King Evans when he entered the military academy

A conversation with the Admiral Rosati chief of the Military Academy of Livorno where enters about 120 per year

Do you think military education can compete with the civil one in terms of acquired competences and values?

The Naval Academy teaches its cadets differently according to the professional branches they belong to and educate them equally so that they all learn and can consequently share the ethical principles and code of

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the masters of the sea. The two processes of “teaching” and “educating” proceed in parallel, so as to provide cadets with a well-balanced professional growth.

The skills acquired by a cadet after finishing his courses at the Academy are, in my opinion, better than the ones of any other person who “simply” graduated and faces professional life. We must consider, in fact, that during their courses our cadets often have the opportunity to get in touch with their future job activities: every year they embark on different naval Units of the Italian Navy so as to practice and experience what they learn in the Academy. Moreover, if compared to

“Because the army officer was more dynamic, more analytical, not risk averse but able to learn quickly and to adapt, able to empower subordinates and then monitor but not control, able to recognize weakness in himself and others, able to nurture one and to exploit the other. “Sandhurst was the key, its motto ‘Serve to Lead’ and at Sandhurst one learned these critical lessons: analysis; decision; mission; success; and NO surrender – withdraw perhaps but never surrender. As a young 22-ish year

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old, the Sandhurst graduate is immediately responsible for 30+ men and/ or women’s lives, for their welfare, the welfare of their families an even their children. It’s true that others are also involved but it is the officer commanding a platoon or a company or a battalion whose decisions affect the entire life (and death) of their subordinates.“

Mr. King Evans spent six months at Sandhurst in 1976 studying military history, politics, tactics and military

technology. The only qualification he received was the Queens Commission - the right to serve as an officer of Her Majesty.

He went on; “I hated it at first. It was hard grueling work, and for the first six weeks at Sandhurst, you are not allowed out. Did it make a man of me? Absolutely. Was I different afterwards? Absolutely.

I went into the Army as a civvie; I came out as a trained leader.

“Would I recommend it? You bet I would and my son is following his

Motto West Point Duty-Honor-Country Saint-Cyr Training for victory Sandhurst Serve to lead Livorno Country and Honor

Distinguished alumni Saint-Cyr

• Carlos Guerrero War Minister of Ecuador (1926)

• Haj Ali Razmara former Prime Minister of Iran

• Iosif Butoi former Military Chief of the Romanian Military Academy

Distinguished alumni West Point, members of the US 111th Congress:

Senator Jack Reed

Congressman Geoff Davis

Congressman Brett Guthrie

Congressman Patrick Murphy

Congressman Tom Rooney

Congressman John Shimkus

04 Recognition for missions in Afghanistan Sandhurst, ©UK MOD Crown Copyright 2011

05 Soldiers on a submarine © UK MOD Crown Copyright 2011

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Coaching Military Schools

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the “civilian” world, the process to instill the values that we consider essential for our organization and for pursuing the aims of the Armed Force starts from the very beginning of the training and continues throughout the whole period in the Academy. Through this, we grant our cadet a reliable growth to make them aware of their role, giving them the possibility to be employed immediately after graduating and to cover positions with an adequate level of responsibility: in other words, we may define a graduated cadet as a “turnkey” manager. Which are the perspectives of graduates from the Naval Academy apart from or after the military career?

The perspectives are “all the ones you may want” and any kind of job in which personnel with successful credentials is needed: this is possible because our cadets go through a highly-selective cycle of professional education and instruction. We must highlight that one of the main goal of our Institute is to develop a high sense of responsibility and to mold the capacity to take well-balanced decisions, even when difficult situations occur, based on analysis and intuition: both science and art.

Why should business leaders prize graduates from Military or Naval academies?

The cadets who study in the Academy generally own, besides their specific skills, features of adaptability, commitment, decision-making and management capability built up with constant attention. Could you imagine any kind of company which would not esteem such an employee?

Is there a correspondence in terms of programs and credits between your Academy programs and the “civilian” academic ones?

There is a total correspondence: our courses are held based on a convention with national universities. At the end of each training course, cadets obtain a degree issued by the university itself.

This means, for example, that the civilian student who graduates in Telecommunication Engineering Science at Pisa’s University will have attended lectures with the same programs and credits of the Navy Officer of the Combat System Engineer Corp who ended his training period at the Academy. It would not be a surprise to discover that both of the mentioned students attended some of the lectures together.

dad. Already a major commanding a company with a tour of Iraq and Afghanistan behind him and a further tour of Afghanistan to come. Business leader prize graduates of places like Sandhurst; I should know, because I am one of them now.“

Entry to Sandhurst is now preferred after university - probably 75% are graduates when they enter there now - and the lecturers are among the finest in their fields anywhere. It doesn‘t cost anything for an officer cadet but foreigners opting for short term

courses can find themselves paying up to 10,000 pounds a term.

In France the top academy is SaintCyr. French students who enter as cadets are about 21 years old. The three-year term of study at Saint-Cyr has been modified in recent years to reflect the system of credit used in “civilian” academic programs.

EURoPEAN CREDIT TRANSFER SYSTEM

All ESM cadets graduate with a master of arts or a master of science and are commissioned officers. Again, it

is free for servicemen. And again, French business leaders, in a survey published five years ago, said they were “more inclined“ to take on its graduates than those from civilian universities.

West Point, the major officer school in the US, has long had strong links with the business community and industry titans are often welcomed to lecture there. Again, it is free for those who are signed-up to serve their country.

Cadets/year

Distinguished alumni Sandhurst

Dodi Al-Fayed Egyptian multi-millionaire and film producer

Vitoon Visutipol, CEO of The Thai-Setakij Insurance

Paul Brown, CEO of the Commercial Radio Companies Association

Greg Leniston, Sales Director of Ice Broadband

Distinguished alumni Livorno

Agostino Straulino One of the greatest world yacht man of the XX century

Giovanni Falcone, Italian prosecuting magistrate who tried most of his life to break the Mafia’s stranglehold on Sicily.

06 — 07 © UK MOD Crown Copyright 2011

Communication Corporate Social Responsibility

CSR SHoULD NoT BE CoNFUSED WITH PHILANTRoPHY and needs to be part of a good business model. Different speakers argue on the meaning and role of Corporate Social Responsibility.

Altruism or self-interest

CREATIVE CAPITALISM

At World Economic Forum in Davos, in 2008, Bill Gates gave a speech in which he said many of the world’s biggest problems cannot be fixed by philanthropy, but require free-market capitalism; “creative capitalism” to be solved. He described this as “an approach where governments, businesses and nonprofits work together to stretch the reach of market forces so that more people can make a profit, or gain recognition, doing work that eases the world’s inequities.” Gates sees business and its resources, as the world’s most powerful force for change; it is not philosophy or politics, but simply today’s reality. Globalization evolves separate profitmaking entities into powerful webs of influence, without boundaries.

SoCIAL CHANGES

Global, 24-hour media, means leaders and companies are operating increasingly in glasshouses and citizens (consumers) demand new standards of conduct and businesses that pursue something more than pure profit.

Companies like Shell and DeutscheBank need to meet the needs of a broader set of stakeholders than just shareholders. An often given example of this, is the RED company. RED, founded by Bono and Bobby Shriver, integrates the power of big business and new consumer desires, to facilitate social change, with its Global Fund to fight diseases in Africa. RED is not a genuine example of CSR, as it was set up with different objectives from traditional companies.

SoCIAL CoNTRACTS

Davos 2011, held a session on the social contract, looking at the responsibilities of governments and corporations towards the broader community.

Stuart Wallis, CEO of the New Economics Foundation, started by saying he believed that in advanced countries, the social contract has broken down with people worried for their jobs, for their pensions, seeing a lack of fairness, as those responsible for the economic meltdown remain unscathed by it. This has led to a loss of trust in politicians and in business. In some cases, he believes, the CSR agenda can actually make things worse, as people proclaim one thing and do another.

Abhisit Vejjajiva, the prime minister of Thailand, said that emerging economies were still in the process of drawing up the social contract. He said: “We want to do it in such a way where we aspire to have our people attain the same kinds of standards as in advanced countries, but avoiding the mistakes that have gone before.” Vejjajiva said that the market is good at creating wealth, but poor at distribution, so this remains the government’s duty and they are obliged to provide their citizens with a social safety net and a good welfare system. “What we want to see is the creation of an environment and incentive system whereby the private sector takes into account the social dimensions of growth and incorporate it into their own objectives. I think corporate responsibility is not enough; the corporate sector needs to look to social enterprises and opportunities that answer social goals in this new contract.”

The next speaker was Ronald Wil-

A garbage picker races to avoid the smoke and flames from fires set by other pickers who want to reduce the stench of rotting garbage.

01 Thavara at work in the dump, © Jon Warren/ Photo4Change.org

02 Phou Kayrith, © Jon Warren/Photo4Change.org

03 Children ride on a front loader, © Jon Warren/ Photo4Change.org

Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains wrote Jean-Jacques Rousseau, in his 1762 treatise, The Social Contract. Rousseau said that in order to prosper and remove himself from the state of nature, man must enter into a social contract with others and place himself under the general will. For him it was a reciprocal contract between government and its people.

By NIGEL PHILLIPS

liams, chairman of Aetna. He believes a corporation’s first responsibility is to operate as an organization with values and integrity. He says a company “should focus on the engagement and well-being of its employees and work to earn the trust of the critical constituencies that are essential for its wellbeing and survival and its participation in society.” He says a corporation has a responsibility to innovate, win customers and make a profit, in order to create wealth in the society in which it exists.

CSR and profit are not mutually exclusive; both are required, Williams tells the story of a woman who ran a successful hospital, led by a not-forprofit religious order. When he asked her how she reconciled the tough decisions they made with their substantial annual surplus, she pointed out that without profit, there would be no mission; CSR needs to be part of a good business model.

Peter Giblin says: “Like motherhood and apple pie, CSR is something no one can stand against, but it can simply be a new label given to existing initiatives. Many companies, for good PR purposes, have done charitable works, but now they have a new title.”

CoRPoRATE SoCIAL RESPoNSIBILITY:

WITHoUT STANDARDS

There are no globally accepted standards of CSR, although 2010’s ISO 26000 principles were a first attempt at defining it, covering accountability, transparency, ethical behavior, respect for stakeholder interests, rule of law, international norms of behavior and human rights. The Wall Street Journal’s, Alan Murray, says there are

two basic aspects of CSR that are not up for debate; a company must make money, or the rest of CSR won’t follow and you must obey the laws of the countries in which you operate.

MoDEL 1%

Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce.com, said that his 1% model, of allocating 1% of profits to the community annually, 1% of equity to its charitable foundation and 1% of employees to work in community service, helped the company culture and resulted in more effective recruitment of quality employees.

LET’S Go ALL IN THE SAME DIRECTIoN Giblin says CSR can have an effect on a company’s performance: “a pension fund investor may see two similar companies and if one is perceived to

have a better reputation in CSR, they will buy their shares.” “That said; CSR can cause internal strife. No one can say an investment in a local school is a bad idea, but at a board meeting, the financial director will ask who is paying and the marketing director certainly won’t want it to come out of his budget.”

Giblin says: “If, as a company you want to donate to cancer research, your money is a drop in the ocean; setting up a tiger sanctuary in your name may get you more bang for your bucks”

CSR may be the hot new business acronym, but companies have always realized they need to spend a bit of money on good PR, whatever department it comes from, and there are also always those tax breaks.

Data transfer Identity Goal

By ROSARIO IMPERIALI

THE EMPLoYER IS THE “CoMMANDER IN CHIEF”, the person who organizes tools for production of goods or for supply of services by means of his own financial assets. He pilots his own concern by leveraging the available gears: the workforce amongst all.

Identity in the workplace

People are an essential requirement for an economic enterprise. Employer and employees are both fundamental to any concern, each of them with its own identity. An economic entity always needs somebody who governs it and somebody else who sustains a paid effort aimed at producing benefits for itself.

WoRKER AND PERSoNA

The work activity is acquired by the employer through an agreement with other people in exchange for money. The barter between work force and remuneration is the legal justification for the creation of specific rights in favor of the entrepreneur. First of all, the right of a correct fulfillment of the job: a proper performance by his own workers. Nothing is different –one would say – than what happens

in the market place when a person or an entity pay for a service rendered by a third party. At the workplace, however, the employee delivers his working activity as part of the employer’s organization and this makes the difference. Workers spend a great part of the day at the work site under the directives of their employers. This means that the profile of the “employee-worker” - during work time - blends with that of the “employeepersona” pertaining to any individual at large. And exactly this coexistence of the two facets of the “employeeworker” and the “employee-persona” that makes the issue of identity at the workplace equally essential and complex. In summary, the question is to ascertain whether individuals have a right to their personal identity with in their dimension as “workers”. Or, rather, it is to establish whether the above mentioned barter of work in exchange of remuneration has somehow compressed the employees’ right to their identity.

THE IDENTITY oF WoRKER

But how can we define the term “identity” and why is this question relevant to the success of a business? Identity is the consciousness of one’s own self, because consciousness – as philosopher Locke wrote – is the feature which characterizes a given person at one time. And “personal identity” is the condition under which a person is said to be identical to himself or herself through time. By recognizing that each worker has a right to his own identity, a reasonable expectation for employees to be the same person both outside and at the workplace would be acknowledged. The assertion of the employee’s right of being the same person (personal identity) does not jeopardize, however, the equally fundamental rights of employers to direct workers’ activity and, finally, to receive a proper performance. These rights, in fact, being substantially of an economic nature, might impinge on the “employeeworker” profile of the individual, while the other aspect of the “employee-persona” should not suffer any interference. In other words, a developed workplace does not constrain the personality of their workers; thus leaving a significant amount of freedom in how they construe their cognitions, motivations, and behaviors in various situations. By enjoying this freedom – even when framed around principles and policies determined by the employer on how to behave at the workplace – workers feel they are fulfilling themselves by doing the best they are capable of doing. They are able to realize their own’s full potential. This is why in the policy statement of the National Career Development Association – a US entity whose aim is to promote career development throughout the life span we read that “work is a major way for individuals to recognize and understand both who they are and why they exist in terms of making contributions to society that bring personal meaning and satisfaction to them.”

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Illustration by David Johnson, Windham Center, USA

Legal Whistleblowing

By MATTHEW SEMINARA

THE WoRKPLACE

With the creation of a working space which allows the evolution of human personality, surrounded by an innate right to respect and to dignity, employers not only satisfy a moral requirement in achieving and maintaining a state of “wellbeing” at the workplace but also optimize their business opportunities. The fundamental impulse which is at the base of the economic system, in fact, is personal ability, both for the employer and for employees. The strengths of the individuals and the human personality are fundamental pushers of economic life. Because human talents, which is a patrimony of the individual - develop only when human personality has the opportunity to play his role in the social and economic arena.

BRAND IDENTITY

The identity of the “employee-persona” will ultimately contribute to the formation of the business identity, both at the brand (brand identity) and at the corporate level (corporate identity) forming a sort of virtuous circle. Corporate identity as already mentioned in relation to workers – represents a distinct business culture: the corporate personality, reflected into the image of that business carried out in the market place. Only then will consumers start having a common perception that certain products and services are connected because they reflect a common business culture or business style; in other words, people start recognizing a correlation between business outputs and a specific “corporate-persona”. And the “corporate-persona” – on the other hand –allows its own employees to denote their sense of belonging. Enhancing identity at the workplace is a twofold process: creating a corporate identity by assuring an environment fertile for the expression of workers’ personal identity.

A WHISTLEBLoWER IS AN EMPLoYEE, former employee, or member of an organization who informs the public or someone in authority about alleged dishonest or illegal activities occurring in government, a public or private organization, or a company.

Whistleblower protection

VERY oFTEN, PEoPLE IN THE PAST WERE RELUCTANT To CoME FoRWARD BECAUSE IF THEY DID THEIR CAREERS WERE INSTANTLY oVER!

They were fired, demoted, or treated poorly for reporting misconduct to the people that had the real power to take action. Much has changed in the way of legal protection, although making the decision to “blow the whistle” still remains an extremely difficult, challenging, and stressful endeavor. Two of the most recent statutes in the US designed to encourage whistleblowing and to provide robust protection from retaliation in the financial service industry are the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010.

NEW RULES AFTER THE SCANDALS

also used illegal accounting methods to hide its financial health. Everything in Sarbanes-Oxley is a reaction to a perceived abuse of the securities laws are intended, in addition to regulating the securities markets, to instill and restore investor confidence. Clearly, something was seriously wrong with the system and Sarbanes-Oxley was meant to address it! And without it capitalism, would have come to a grinding halt. Imagine the horrors of honest, hardworking employees who had their entire retirement savings wiped out simply through fraud and greed!

oBAMA IS IN THE FIRST LINE Most recently, in response to the late2000s US recession and a number financial crimes and scams, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act was passed by the US Congress and signed by President Obama on July 21, 2010. The program allows whistleblowers who provide information that leads to a successful SEC enforcement to receive between ten and thirty percent of the monetary sanctions that exceed $1 million. The new whistleblower protections promise a minimum reward of $100,000 with no cap on total payouts. Rewards are possible for tips on nearly all kinds of investment fraud, not just insider trading information. Insider trading liability requires trading on the basis of material non-public information yet these same corporate insiders are frequently if not always in the sole possession of such information.

Ultimately, is this not a substantial reason for economy to regain its focus on people, in its own interest?

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The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 established “whistleblower protection for employees of publicly traded companies,” which was designed to shield employees from retaliation when they provide information that they reasonably believe to be a violation of federal securities law, the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission or “any federal law relating to fraud against shareholders.” Sarbanes-Oxley was the US Congress’s response to the Enron and WorldCom scandals by way of a series of amendments to existing securities laws that were designed to restore investor confidence. In November 2001, Enron admitted that it had overstated its earnings over the previous four years by nearly $600 million. In June 2002, WorldCom, formerly known as MCI, the second largest telecommunications company, revealed it

The Wall Street Journal continues to report that in response to the DoddFrank Act, SEC claims have been trickling in since after the law was passed,

The term whistleblower is derived from the phrase to blow the whistle, which refers to a policeman or referee indicating an activity is illegal or a foul (The way my beloved New York Knicks play defense today, you would think all NBA referees were trying to tell us Knicks fans something!).

and the SEC is forecasting that it will receive 30,000 tips a year. The SEC further believes that only about half of the tips will likely lead to formal claims. Some believe the volume of tips may overwhelm the SEC while simultaneously delaying payment to whistleblowers. For example, the Internal Revenue Service has a similar program for whistleblowers but payouts to whistleblowers can only be made after the accused has exhausted all legal appeals and actually paid the IRS. In addition, some companies have expressed concern that the rewards being offered will

discourage whistleblowers from taking their concerns to employers first because of the compensation component. Like Sarbanes-Oxley, only time will tell whether the Dodd-Frank Act was successful in eliminating fraudulent financial activity!

In short, whistleblower protection is crucial to a civilized society. Any individual wanting to “do the right thing” (I couldn’t resist another Knicks reference to our biggest fan, Spike Lee) and report possible misconduct must not fear retaliation that prevents them from acting. Expecting entities and human re-

source departments to respect whistleblowers will simply never be enough! The laws must be strictly enforced and claims expeditiously processed at the federal and state level against any entity that retaliates against a whistleblower. And the disciplinary measures for engaging in prohibited retaliation must be draconian. Otherwise, it’s only a matter of time before the next financial mess is upon us and we’re analyzing the Dodd-Frank Act as just the latest failed attempt to clean up corporate wrongdoing.

Focus

by Federico Strada In association with Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP

Whistleblowing in Europe

Whistleblowing is a tool aimed at preventing crimes in the workplace, thanks to the immediate anonymous reporting, either by phone or by email, by the employees of the company. It reminds one of those signs that can be found in small US communities (“Neighborhood watch”), where organized citizens keep their eyes open and are ready to contact authorities, should they suspect criminal activities.

Europe appears not to be as one when it comes to whistleblowing. In fact, it’s easy to appreciate how the Channel divides Continental Europe from the UK, where whistleblowing is common practice and widespread in almost every company, from the smallest to the biggest ones, and has been always considered, since its introduction, as an effective tool. Conversely, other major European jurisdictions (Germany, France, Italy…) seem to have not accepted such systems, and – as a result – local courts very often rule against them, causing issues to multinational companies.

Illustration by Senem oezdogan, New

Performance Respect the Planet

By PALLE ELLEMANN KNUDSEN

Everybody is going green

GREEN IS THE NEW BLACK

If you don’t know how to “dress up” your company image, you can always become environmentally friendly and score a few cheap points. When you look at corporate websites today you will see a lot more photos with “green” references and the information on companies’ environmental activities have been pushed forward to the homepage.

For most companies the environmental activities are considered a CSR-investment, where the main return on the investment is the potential positive impact on the reputation. These companies typically support a couple of environmental organizations with donations, buy carbon offsets or perhaps launch an internal campaign to raise the awareness of saving energy and reduce waste.

NEW APPRoACH

A company like SAS Institute has taken a totally different approach. It has established the SAS Executive Sustainability Council to work with all sustainability issues including the environmental management. The council is represented by a number of executives including the company’s two owners, Jim Goodnight and John Sall. Sustainability and the environmental management are considered an integrated part of the business. The council has taken a holistic view on what SAS can do for the environment and how the environment can improve the business. According to SAS, the commitment to environment is not just goodwill, it also makes good business sense. Investments in environmentally responsible practices

and technologies deliver returns for SAS in three significant ways:

• Reducing costs through intelligently managed resource consumption.

• Growing new markets through inventive, eco-friendly business practices.

• Responsibly meeting the expectations of customers, government and the public.

SAS has implemented a huge variety of environmentally friendly practices and initiatives that have impacted and involved employees, customers, the local community, and business partners. The company has even established a solar farm at the headquarter premises that can produce a total annual of 3.7 million kilowatt-hours. Instead of having machines cutting the grass SAS has sheep eating the grass around the solar panels. Other initiatives focus on reducing the use of energy and water. Campaigns are constantly organized to raise the awareness of what people

can do to protect the environment at SAS as well as in their private life. The campaigns also encourage people to always look for opportunities to improve the environmental management.

INVoLVING PEoPLE

Involving employees, thinking creatively, and taking a holistic view are also keywords for environmental management at Telefónica in Colombia. The two Telefónica companies in Colombia, Telecom and Movistar, have together trained 430 employees to be internal environmental inspectors that review all Telefónica locations in Colombia and make suggestions for how to reduce energy consumption and unnecessary waste. The environmental inspector program has been followed up by campaigns and an environmental week, where Telefónica employees throughout the country have carried out environmental projects in collaboration with local organizations.

CAR SHARING

The Italian Banca Intesa Sanpaolo decided to analyze the mobility patterns of its 24,000 employees. It turned out that the employees travelled 113 million kilometers per year in car, train or airplane (work and personal). The bank launched a campaign to encourage people to use the train instead of flying and use more video conference tools for meetings. Additionally, the company has organized a bike- and car-sharing program and even organized a bus service to connect key public transport hubs with the branches of the bank. In the past

THE ENVIRoNMENT HAS EMERGED oN THE GLoBAL BUSINESS AGENDA and while the recession certainly has taken the headlines for a while the green issue is still hot, because consumers continue to find it important.

The Philosophy

Manhattan is the richest, most professional, most congested, and without a doubt, most fascinating island in the world.

To attempt to plant, sustain, and harvest two acres of wheat here, wasting valuable real estate, obstructing the machinery by going against the system, was an effrontery that made it the powerful paradox I had sought for the calling to account.

Wheatfield was a symbol, a universal concept. It represented food, energy, commerce, world

The Act

trade, economics. It referred to mismanagement, waste, world hunger, and ecological concerns. The idea of a wheatfield is quite simple: introduce a leisurely wheatfield into an island of achievement-craze, culture, and decadence. Confront a highly efficient, rich complex where time is money and money rules. Pit the congestion of the city against open fields and unspoiled farmlands. The peaceful and content against the achiever. Culture versus grass roots.

Early in the morning on the first of May 1982 we began to plant a two-acre wheatfield in lower Manhattan, two blocks from Wall Street and the World Trade Center, facing the Statue of Liberty.The planting consisted of digging 285 furrows by hand, clearing off rocks and garbage, then placing the seed by hand and covering the furrows with soil. We maintained the field for four months, set up an irrigation system, weeded, cleared out wheat smut. We harvested the crop on August 16 on a hot, muggy Sunday. The air was stifling and the city stood still. © 1982 Agnes Denes

year, the bank has managed to reduce the CO2 emission of transport by nine and a half percent. The environmental perspective is just one of many ways the Telefónica employees can become involved in sustainability activities. The company has also designed a process where groups of employees can be challenged with a real problem in the local community – e.g. an environmental issue – and they are given a certain deadline to come up with a solution. For all these activities the employees are encouraged to either get a full diploma in Social Responsibility and Corporate Voluntary Work (an education developed in collaboration with a Colombian university) or take a range of individual courses

on themes like innovation, teamwork and communication. In this way the sustainability activities also become personal development that will benefit the employees in situations where they are performing their normal job.

The way the sustainability activities at both SAS and Telefónica are designed has a variety of positive effects on corporate culture and the employee performance:

• The involvement of employees in the projects raises employee motivation and builds team spirit across the organization.

• People are trained in thinking holistically and out-of-the-box and gain experiences collaborating with external partners, such as environmental

organizations and the local community.

• When the sustainability issues become an integrated part of business, employees (and customers) can connect on a deeper level with the company – it is more than just a job!

It is not a coincidence that SAS Institute, Telefónica Telecom and Movistar are all recognized best workplaces in the US and Colombia and, by the way, very successful businesses. The positive spill-over effects from taking a holistic and integrated approach to sustainability and business are making a difference in today’s competitive marketplace.

01— 02 Photo © by Agnes Denes

People Unusual Jobs

By PAOLA BETTINELLI

A VERY THRILLING PRoFESSIoN for those who can’t do without adventure and a bit of spice in life. But stunt performing is much more than tumbling on mud or kicking people around. It is a seriously difficult career mostly driven by passion.

Get hurt, feel good

JUST A DAREDEVIL?

They are called stunt men, stunt persons, stunt actors or artists but a very general definition of a stunt perfomer has been summarized by Hassan Raghu from the India Academy: “someone who is involved in the performance of stunts for film and TV productions in front of the camera and also in front of the audience during stage performance for theatre, stage,drama productions often as a career and making a living from the earnings from it.” Furthermore, depending on the country and the school, you can find a lot of different specializations according to their proficiency, expertise and seniority–Stunt Actor, Safety Consultant, Safety Supervisor, Stunt masters and coordinators to name a few.

Since stunt performers work with calculated risks and different backgrounds – such as acrobatics, martial arts, elite atlethes and many more – the emphasis is firstly put on the physical characteristics. Consequently each of them should be very athletic with at least a basic knowledge of martial arts and of health and safety procedures: as the professional stuntwoman Sophia Crawford points out “we learn how to treat minor injuries at home efficiently.” Still, Jacob Sebastian Malm – founder of STUNT360 and The European Stunt School – stresses that “Efficient and explosive strength is a vital part of being a stunt performer.”

But that is half of the story: along with technical

skills stunt performers are supposed to develop excellent interpersonal and communication skills, an high level of concentration and planning abilities after reading the script for performing stunts. It is essential to acquire or improve patience and tolerance, willingness and determination and the ability to stay calm since most of the scenes are shot under much pressure.

In other words, “stunt performers need to be mentally balanced, safety conscious, teamwork orientated and have common sense”, as Colin Handley –principal of the Australian Stunt Academy – briefly sums up.

But first and foremost Heather Arthur – professional stuntwoman – claims that “to be great you have to have the inner desire, you have to have heart”

STUNT SCHooLS AND ACADEMIES

The motion picture and television industry is not suffering much from the world crisis and still is thriving, by expanding in other countries – let us think about India’s well-known and long-established Bollywood –and by widening the number of action features, where stunt professionals are mostly required. The number of schools and courses are increasing more and more, each of them providing some basics and then specializing in different expertise. The India Academy offers seven courses of variable duration – shifting from the basic course for lead actors that is six weeks long to the Stunt Artistic Course for beginners and the Traditional Martial Arts course for rural youth, both lasting one year. The Australian Stunt Academy offers three choices: a one-day introductory Stunt Workshop for those wanting to

experience some of the most commonly required stunt skills. This could include: tumbling, falls, fights, rapelling, swordplay, wirewor k, motorcycling and a short filmed action scene.

There is then a 3 week full time course, which is the most popular course held three times a year, and it attracts people from all over the world who are serious about becoming professional stunt performers.

Hollywood Advanced Stunt Course instead is a 2 week course held in Los Angeles in May every year and taughtby many of Hollywood’s most respected stunt coordinators and specialists. There are specialized sessions in fire, air rams, decellerators, advanced swordwork, advanced wirework, horse stunts and much more.

The European Stunt School offers an intense 6-day course involving basic stunts, but also advanced stunts like high falls, burns, wirework, handgun handling and pyrotechnics.

Despite the differences all the professionals who have been working in the field for a long time agreed that it takes a long and hard training period to become a master.

The fees vary largely according to the duration, the type and the location of the course: a 3-week fulltime in stunt academy costs about $4656 (around 3,270 Euro) whereas the European Stunt School 6-day course has a tuition of 690 Euro (deposit: 300 Euro) includ-

ed in the price is: all lessons (breaks/ time-outs will be held when needed) and all equipment necessary for the lessons.

CAREER PRoSPECTS

If you really think that this profession may be your cup of tea you should bear in mind that you have to work in the industry for at least 5-10 years before being established as a professional stunt performer. The opportunities are to be found in two main areas: a) Live shows such as Movie World, Universal Studios and theatrical groups and b) Film and TV such as television series, telemovies, feature films, documentaries and TV special features.

As for the earnings, Colin Handley explains to us that a stunt performer can earn around $200 to $300 per day for live shows, and in film and TV from $500 to $2,000 per day. Then you can be paid adjustments based on the skill and danger of the stunts performed. Due to the vast diversity of stunt work, this can range from $50 to $10,000. Going back to Europe one day of shooting a fight or fall is worth approximately 400 Euro pay.

Unfortunately, Hassan Raghu reminds us, “stunt performers have to depend on the no of productions in their respective states if a particular film needs stunt situation at all” and, as Heather Arthur recalls, “there is no such thing as a steady pay check in this business”. Work is indeed unsteady and competition fierce but a good suggestion from Sophia Crawford is to give a try where “the hub of the activity is. Currently it’s Vancouver, Australia, Los Angeles, Louisiana and New York.”

STUNT’S LIFE

Being a profession where passion and love play a great role, the satisfaction usually meets the expectations: both Sophia Crawford and Heather Arthur tell us that they enjoy travelling so much and seeing the world, and the work itself is very exciting as “you never do the same thing twice” Sophia Crawford says. On the other hand they underline the uncertainty of when and where your next work will take place

and the internal politics that often goes on behind closed doors and “can get really nasty sometimes” states Heather Arthur.

As far as the safety is concerned, everyone stunt performer is clearly aware that injuries are par for the course and freak accidents can happen to professionals too. Although there is a high chance of physical injury “precaution has been taken to make it as safe as possible” says Jacob Sebastian Malm, adding that “if something goes wrong, the performers and safety crew know how to act within the situation.” And just to make it clear for those who do not know closely how the action takes place “each stunt is carefully choreographed and rehearsed over and over until it’s ready and safe to be filmed” Sophia Crawford specifies.

Undoubtedly enough, it is not the kind of job for the faint of heart but if you are prone to adventure and roaming life, eager to try your athletic skills and test your determination and force of will, you may find yourself hanging from a cable hundreds of feet in the air, getting hit by cars or ratcheted into walls sooner than you expected. And suddenly realize that you do like it.

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Illustrations by Yihsin Wu, Taipei City, Taiwan

Recognition Nature Rebellion

By JUDY AGNEW

Taking the luck out of safety

WHY ARE CATASTRoPHIC ACCIDENTS

oN THE RISE?

The Deepwater Horizon offshore oil rig operated for seven consecutive years without a single lost time incident or major environmental event. By that measure they were safe. We now know that for those seven years they were, at least to some extent, “safe by accident.” By all reports, many unsafe conditions and behaviors existed at all levels of the organization that had, through sheer luck, not resulted in an accident. On April 20, 2010, the luck ran out. This pattern is not unique to the Deepwater Horizon case. Based on decades of research and work with many of the world’s leading corporations, we’ve concluded that many companies are safe by accident because they focus too heavily on incident rate and don’t take a scientific approach to managing safe and atrisk behavior. Sophisticated companies that use only the latest scientific information and technologies (from chemistry and physics to engineering and biology) use so-called common sense, myth, and downright faulty information to manage the behavior of their employees.

There is a better way. An in-depth knowledge of the science of behavior can enable leaders and safety professionals to build systems and management practices that create a lasting corporate-wide commitment to safety—from the boardroom to supervisors to the front lines. Organizations that fail to take a scientific approach to safety’s human behavior element are gambling with their futures and are ultimately only safe by accident. This is not intended to be an indict-

ment of leaders, because the role of leaders in safety has been poorly defined. Vague phrases such as “making safety a priority” or “creating a safety culture” have little meaning. What should a leader do today and tomorrow to ensure a safe work environment?

After interacting with thousands of supervisors, managers, and executives, we have rarely met a leader who didn’t care about safety. Lack of caring and concern about safety is not the problem. Leaders are adept

at talking the talk: “Safety is the first priority,” “Nothing is more important than safety!” Nevertheless, when we ask leaders about the activities they do each day regarding safety, we often hear general phrases like “I make sure the employees know how important safety is” or “I emphasize safety all the time.” When they do get more specific, we hear things like, “I remind them to wear their PPE” or “I talk about safety each day” or “I start every meeting with safety.”

CATASTRoPHIC ACCIDENTS APPEAR To BE oN THE RISE. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the Upper Big Branch mining disaster in West Virginia, have not only caused injury and death; they have wreaked economic havoc on the communities in which they occurred, and incalculable environmental impact in the case of the gulf disaster.

Pictures by Michel Varisco is a native New Orleans artist working in photography, assemblage and sitespecific installation, exploring change, loss and regeneration. Varisco expresses the intensely personal connection she has for her work, “Living in the environment I shoot, I feel a deep-rooted connection to this land and its creatures. I feel an urgency to get this work out to the public to describe what’s being lost. Through this project I hope to inspire the audience to feel invested in the fate of this area and empowered to act in whatever ways they can, since the wetlands otherwise has little or no voice.”

01 Burn off, Lafayette,The Acadiana Center for the Arts, exhibition Shifting by Michel Varisco.

02 Edge of marshes, Lafayette,The Acadiana Center for the Arts, exhibition Shifting by Michel Varisco.

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1

Don’t base safety incentives on incident rates

Having zero incidents is the ultimate goal of safety, but this flawed system unintentionally rewards luck, can encourage employees to not report incidents to avoid losing the incentive, and may result in reinforcing unsafe and unethical behavior. Instead, motivational systems should be based on preventative measures. By setting up a system that reinforces safe behaviors directly linked to desired results, you will get more people engaging in preventative behaviors, which will naturally reduce your incident rate.

2 Mistakes should not be punished

Employees often fail to report safety concerns because they fear reprisal. Punishing at-risk behavior creates a culture of coverups where employees play the blame game. Incidents, near misses and at-risk behaviors all provide valuable opportunities to learn how to make the workplace safer. Discipline, reprimands and other forms of punishment stifle reporting and make achieving a culture of safety impossible. Instead, consider performing behavioral investigations and practice forward-thinking accountability.

TWo qUESTIoNS CoME To MIND

Are these the right behaviors for leaders to engage in, and is it enough?

Many leaders we work with have a nagging feeling the answer to both questions is no.

Nevertheless, they aren’t sure what more to do.

When employees believe that the company is not taking care of hazards they are much less willing to participate fully in safety programs. Many hazard processes inadvertently discourage reporting by being time consuming and by failing to provide timely feedback on the status of reported hazards. Often simple adjustments can make these systems more effective.

4 Understand the limited value of checklists

Checklists can be an important tool for developing safe behavior and producing longlasting change. But don’t assume that just implementing a checklist will permanently change behavior. Checklists alone only result in temporary change. Checklists must be associated with positive consequences to ensure they are used consistently and lead to desired improvements.

5

Safety signage should serve a purpose

Inspirational signs (“Think Safety”) don’t change behavior. Without the clutter of signs that have no meaningful information, employees may be less likely to ignore important signage. In order to maximize effectiveness, use only compliance signs that direct specific behavior (“Hearing protection required in this area”) and informational signs when appropriate and relevant.

• How do you become an exemplary safety leader?

• What can a leader do to help create a culture that truly embraces safety?

To help companies create a “culture of safety,” here are five science-based rules to get started.

Taking the luck out of safety requires leaders to let go of outdated, low-impact strategies and replace them with evidence-based practices that create a safer workplace.

Key-factor: Ensurehazardyour identification and remediation process effectiveis

By EMMANUEL MAINDRON

Laugh to decrease your stress

According to science laughter could decrease stress hormone. Since 2002, Corinne Cosseron is working with the laugh. This ex-journalist, laugh-lover, has created L’école Internationale du rire® (International School of Laughter) and helps to bring laughter inside the companies.

According to her books, “In 1939, French people said that they were laughing 19 minutes per day, in 2000 they only laughed 1 minute per day”. This statistic is impressive. Our grandparents where laughing more than us! L’école Internationale du rire® works with lots of companies. They generally build a different program for each company, “everything is customized because every company is different” says Corinne Cosseron. She also specifies that the companies are calling the school. “We don’t call them to offer our services”.

The process is easy. When a company gets in contact with them one question

is primordial: “what is the aim of the intervention?” Corinne doesn’t want to help the company to announce a bad news thanks to the laugh (i.e.: mass lay-offs).

THE SCHooL IS DEALING WITH TWo SPECIALTIES

Handling stress and teambuilding. In this way they don’t give theoretical lessons about how to laugh or how you can force yourself to laugh. No. They give advices thanks to exercises: games, relaxation, meditation, sing… “People said, at the end of the day, that it was like a full week of holidays. Laughing together permits to create links between people. Laughter is an accelerator of connections between people and it’s repair the stress”, adds Corinne. One of the biggest problem identified by the school is that the companies are using it as a one shot. Laughter therapy is like other training, if you want to succeed in you have to do a follow up.

LAUGHING AS A VITAL REFLEx

So, why is laughing in a company so important? “Laughing is really important in every situation not just at work, because it’s a vital reflex and it helps to decrease your stress, boosts your creativity and makes you more efficient” Corinne gives us an advice: “do some break and laugh. Authorize yourself to laugh because you will work better after that !”

THE GoLDEN LAUGHTER AWARD

The school has also created the Rire d’or (Golden laughter award). This award is offered once a year and highlights someone who helped people to understand the benefits of laughter and positive feelings. In 2011, the award will be given to Marc Jolivet, a French actor, for his organization, Rire pour la planète (Laugh for the Planet) who send humorists in the French schools to increase children awareness of ecology!

1 The Young Businessmann

A young businessman had just started his own firm. He rented a beautiful office and had it furnished with antiques. Sitting there, he saw a man come into the outer office. Wishing to appear the hot shot, the businessman picked up the phone and started to pretend he had a big deal working. He threw huge figures around and made giant commitments. Finally he hung up and asked the visitor, “Can I help you?”

The man said, “Yeah, I’ve come to activate your phone lines.”

2 Stopping by the office one day

Resolving to surprise her husband, an executive’s wife stopped by his office. She found him with his secretary sitting on his lap. Without hesitating, he dictated, “...and in conclusion, gentlemen, shortage or no shortage, I cannot continue to operate this office with just one chair.”

3 Eager to impress the boss

A young executive was leaving the office late one evening when he found the CEO standing in front of a shredder with a piece of paper in his hand.

“Listen,” said the CEO, “this is a very sensitive and important document here, and my secretary has gone for the night. Can you make this thing work?”

IS IT APPRoPRIATE To LAUGH AT WoRK? Apparently yes, because it could decrease your stress, make you more efficient and do some fitness exercises by using 19 muscles!

Corinne Cosseron’s advises:

1 Eliminate your stress in 30 seconds!

Stand, foot spread, arms hold out. Start by clenching your fists and contracting your entire body, grimacing…and then breathe out saying “OUF”. In the same time relax your muscles.

Performance Stop the Stress

2 Relax yourself 20 times a day

Close your eyes, breathe deeply and think about a place where you are really happy. Feel the happiness that it inspires you. It looks like a fantastic fragrance. Feel the smile that appears on your face!

THE BEST JoKE

In order to help you to laugh more today, here is the best joke! The British Association for the Advancement of Science has done an online survey over the course of one year (in 2002) in 70 countries. They were asking people to vote for the best jokes within 40,000 jokes. Could be interesting to see in the future how laughter is used in the companies to help to decrease the stress. Maybe some of them will create a joke competition, or a laugh minute. The subject allows us to be creative and numerous ideas can be finding.

The stress, in our society, in the workplace and in the everyday life is permanent, so having a weapon to combat that is great. Just try it to measure the effectiveness of the weapon! We will do a follow up!

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“Certainly,” said the young executive. He turned the machine on, inserted the paper, and pressed the start button. “Excellent, excellent!” said the CEO as his paper disappeared inside the machine. “I just need one copy.”

4 The HR e-mail

e-mail one Attention: Human Resources

Joe Smith, my assistant programmer, can always be found hard at work in his cubicle. Joe works independently, without wasting company time talking to colleagues. Joe never thinks twice about assisting fellow employees, and he always finishes given assignments on time. Often Joe takes extended measures to complete his work, sometimes skipping coffee breaks. Joe is an individual who has absolutely no

vanity in spite of his high accomplishments and profound knowledge in his field. I firmly believe that Joe can be classed as a high-calibre employee, the type which cannot be dispensed with. Consequently, I duly recommend that Joe be promoted to executive management, and a proposal will be executed as soon as possible. Regards, Project Leader

e-mail two Attention: Human Resources Joe Smith was reading over my shoulder while I wrote the report sent to you earlier today. Kindly read only the odd numbered lines [1, 3, 5, etc.] for my true assessment of his ability. Regards,Project Leader

Illustration by Dongyun Lee, Brooklyn, USA

Moving Scooting through the City

By SUSAN CARPENTER

SCooTERS ARE EVERYDAY MoRE AND MoRE PoPULAR. East to use, they allow fast transfers and eliminate parking stress, and last but not least they have less effects on the planet.

Commuters on scooters

Prized for their low cost, high efficiency and general ease of use, scooters have long been popular with commuters, especially in urban environments. Today, there are more manufacturers making them and more models to choose from than ever.

Ranging in size from 50 to 650 cc and offering fuel economy that often tops 100 miles per gallon, scooters are marked by automatic transmissions that don’t require riders to shift gears and a step-through, rather than swinga-leg-over, design that can be ridden in professional attire, negating the need for a stealthy Superman change of clothes in the lavatory. While the first scooters were invented almost 100 years ago in the U.S., today’s are manufactured almost entirely in Asia, with Japanese models dominating the U.S. and European markets and lesser-known Chinese brands popular in parts of the world where

Letters from brands

emissions and quality controls are lax. Globally smaller scooters in the 50 to 100 cc range are the bestsellers because they cost the least and get the best fuel economy, but larger, more motorcycle-like scoots are becoming popular in Europe and the U.S., where riders are demanding performance as well as convenience and efficiency. We take a look at some of the most popular scooters on the market.

Honda SH300i: Honda’s European bestseller benefits from the Japanese manufacturer’s motorbike division. Powered with the same liquid-cooled 279 cc engine as its CRF dirt bikes, the SH300i is capable of traveling up to 100 miles per hour and gets about 65 miles per gallon. Its largish 16-inch wheels -- equipped with disc brakes in the rear, as well as the front – and a telescoping front fork also make this machine handle more like a motorbike than a scooter. It’s able to plow

over rough roads without transmitting the bumps through its saddle and into the spines of whomever’s straddling it. Anti-lock brakes and a wide-coverage windscreen are both available as options on this scooter which is, unfortunately, also priced like a motorbike at $8,990.

Yamaha Zuma 50, also known as the Yamaha Bw: Popular in the U.S. for its sporty styling, the Zuma is the rare scooter to still use an air-cooled, twostroke engine, which makes this Japanese 49 cc machine a bit dated but also punchier off the line than one would expect for such a small machine. With a top speed of about 30 miles per hour and 10-inch wheels, the Zuma 50 is best in low-speed or low-traffic environments. The Zuma’s greatest assets, however, are its bargain-basement pricing and fuel economy. The price is $2,390. Ridden sensibly, it can squeeze as many as 123 miles from a gallon.

1Immacolata Moretta From Suzuki: “Last year in Italy there were 212.000 scooters and only 93.000 motorbikes. As you can see, there is an overwhelming dominance of the scooter, used mainly inside the city for the purpose of commuting. For Suzuki, the Italian market for scooters is the most important of Europe because here the use of two wheels is much higher than in other countries. Suzuki offers several models with cc. from 125 to 650, but there are two main families: the Bullman in 125, 200, 400 and 650 and the high-wheel model in 125 and 150 cc, which is characterized by a large and thin foot wheel. This type of scooter is especially widespread in some cities such as Rome, Naples, Catania and Palermo.”

4Raffaella Pasquino from Yamaha Motor Europe: “In the maxi scooter range the highlights are TMAX (the ultimate sports maxi scooter for people seeking the top quality product with an adrenalin edge), XMAX250/125 (sporty commuter model with wide underseat storage for easy handling of daily tasks) and XCITY125/250 (high wheel commuter, ideal

Emissione gCo2

Bicicletta 0 gCO2/km 0

Tram 22 gCO2/km 22

Treno 45 gCO2/km 12

Autobus 75 gCO2/km 30

Ciclomotore 90 gCO2/km 15

Aereo 150 gCO2/km 60

Automobile 237 gCO2/km 87

KYMCO PEOPLE 150: The most popular model in the Taiwanese manufacturer’s lineup, the People packs a lot of punch for its $2,799 price point. Powered with a 152 cc, air-cooled single, it has excellent off-the-line acceleration. It can reach a top speed of 70 miles per hour and gets about 75 miles to the gallon. While its 16-inch wheels are large for a scooter with an engine of its size and provide excellent stability, the under-seat storage compartment is minimal.

Suzuki Burgman 400: One of the larger scooters on the market, the 400 cc Burgman is an extremely versatile machine that can easily scoot to and from work -- or across entire continents. Ideal for longer commutes, it is both comfortable and performance oriented, with a windscreen to prevent buffeting at high speeds, an adjustable rider backrest, a liquid-cooled engine and anti-lock brakes. Everything about this

Dalla tabella è facile capire che se invece di muoverci in automobile andiamo a piedi, per ogni km percorso in meno dall’automobile si risparmiano 237 grammi di CO2, che in un anno di lavoro, ipotizzando 230 giorni lavorativi, arrivano ad essere 55 kg di CO2 al km. Se al posto dell’automobile si prende l’autobus, si risparmiano 162 grammi di CO2 a km, che in un anno di lavoro arrivano ad essere 40 kg di CO2 al km.

scooter is larger than most. It weighs 489 pounds. Its gas tank is a whopping 3.6 gallons. Its price is $7,499. And it has four storage compartments, including a large (and lighted) underseat area that can hold two full-face helmets. Vespa GTS250: Vespa isn’t only Italian design at its finest. It is the standard setter for scooter style, with an oftenimitated classic body shape formed from a single sheet of stainless steel, rather than a tubular frame covered with plastic.The GTS250 was the first Vespa to be electronically fuel injected and to employ a continuously variable transmission, which improve fuel economy and handling. The GTS250 gets about 60 miles per gallon and has a top speed of about 75 miles per hour. Its tall seat and high price for its size ($5,999), however, make this scoot even more rarified than its highstatus name.

for the cobblestone roads as it allows the rider to travel in comfort). Yamaha recently introduced the EC-03, the first all-electric urban commuter. The compact size of this new scooter makes it ideal for people who never rode a two wheeler before. Yamaha also offers a 4stroke variation on some 50cc models. 4 stroke engines consume less petrol and reduce c02 emissions.”

4Tony from Meiduo Motor (China): “We trying to make the emission better. In this moment the our most eco-friendly model is 50 cc, also selling best.”

4Frederic Bart from Peugeot

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Scooters: “people use a scooter as a second car to save money and time and look for a vehicle with a storage capacity for one or two helmets, protective against bad weather, easy to drive (no shift) and easy to repair”, and “As far as Peugeot is concerned, we usually sell 90 % of our products in Europe where Italy is the main market and France the first one for scooters under 50cc. We also sell low cost vehicles in Africa and since 2010 we opened our first flagship store in China, the most important market in the world where we intend to get soon 145 point of sales, Peugeot is the oldest two-wheels manufacturer in the world since 1898. An incomparable experience that allows our brand to propose 22 models from 50 to 500cc + an electric scooters to fit the needs of our customers all over Europe and everywhere.”Moreover “we have been the pioneer of the electric mobility since 1996 and we will launch in a few week the new generation electric scooter with the objective being to confirm our leadership in the green mobility market. Our eco-friendly model will coming soon, during the spring 2011. We expect to take 40% of the European electric market.”

01 Meiduo

02 Yamaha xp500

03 Suzuki Burgman 200 Executive 04 Peugeot e-viva AN

Workplace Sustainability

By FABIAN UzARAGA

IN AN EARLIER ERA, THE oFFICE WAS THE TAYLoRIST-INSPIRED supervisory center that sought productivity improvements from other parts of the business. Nowadays both the workspace architecture and workplace culture of the office are being reconfigured to be wellsprings of new business creativity.

The architecture of productivity

During the early 20th Century whitecollar work was accorded high social status in an industrial economy numerically dominated by (male) blue-collar workers. By the first half of that century, the office had became the professionalized scientific-management center from which a firm’s subordinate functions of product manufacturing, distribution, sales or customer services were subject to productivity improvements.

By the 21st Century, primary resource, agricultural and manufacturing employment in North America, Europe and parts of East Asia were largely mechanized, automated and/

or offshored. Now that ‘services’ have become dominant sources of employment, the “command and control” culture of the (head) office is, in its turn, being scrutinized for productivity dividends. “Human creativity is [now] the ultimate economic resource,” declares Richard Florida, American urban studies theorist and author of “Cities and the Creative Class.”

Output-raising efforts have always been part of new office mechanical and digital telecommunication technology adaptations. Staffing administrators have long incorporated psychology-informed testing for the

recruitment or promotion of staff. HR professionals continue to devise varying combination of remuneration increments, bonuses and contractual incentives that may also include more convivial workplaces.

The widespread adoption of openplan offices were, moreover, as much a means of economically accommodating expanding numbers of whitecollar workers, as was the requirement of fostering staff interaction and collaboration. Going beyond merely productivity improvement, Edward de Bono noted that, “creative thinking is not a talent, it is a skill that can be learnt. It empowers people by adding strength to their natural abilities which improves teamwork, productivity and where appropriate profits.”

With firms depending more and more on the need to continuously inno-

one Shelley Street

01 — 02 — 03 — 04 Macquarie bank. ©2009 Clive Wilkinson Architects. All rights reserved. Any reproduction or publishing is prohibited.

Photo: Shannon McGrath.

It is the Macquarie Group’s newest Sydney harbor-side development with 10 levels of office space atop one floor of retail. Planned with two rectangular floor-plates separated by an 8.5metre-wide void, its two low-rise slab blocks and resulting atrium are enveloped in dark glass.

vate, create and successfully commercialize new services, architects and designers are now being asked to re-shape the traditional line-management modus operandi of offices. In 2004, the Mountain View California campus headquarters of Google was designed as a strategically connected series of “hot zones” - such as cafeterias or club-houses - where workers could circulate and interact, while also having access to “cold zones” for focused work.

Googleplex’s architect, Clive Wilkinson was more recently sought out to design workspace flows for the new Sydney offices of the Australian Macquarie investment banking group. The interior of One Shelly Street was initially envisioned with a large gantry spanning the top of a 10-story main atrium able to lift and position

Environmental and Workplace Sustainability

With a distinctive white diagrid exoskeleton, the building sets new benchmarks for environmental sustainability, workplace functionality and seeks to achieve world’s best practice certification.

moveable meeting pods, much like a shipping container port. While less mobile than originally conceived, 26 variously-sized glass-enclosed cubes with brightly colored décor and furnishings still protrude from different floors into the building’s spacious light-filled atrium. The true innovation is, however, the re-composition of One Shelly Street’s workplace culture from top-down command and control to that of Activity Based Working (ABW) developed by Dutch workplace consultants Veldhoen + Co. In the ABW environment 3,300 employees are provided with not only storage lockers as their sole office anchor points. They are also entrusted to actively utilize a variety of optimized workspaces, ranging from the individualized and focused to the social and the collab-

orative, to deliver workplace results. In order to foster community, Wilkinson fashioned a “vertical Greek village of the future” with each floor divided into five “neighbourhoods” themed with one of seven “archetypes of human behavior”. These include the playroom, the treehouse, the garden, the dining room, the coffee house, the library and the square. “If you created an environment for people where there is natural light, natural space, theatre, and elements that really ignite the imagination, this is sure to have a positive effect on them purely as a human beings,” says Anthony Henry, Division Director, of Macquarie’s Business Services.

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one Shelley Street Building at King Street Wharf, Sydney

Studies Math it’s no Opinion

Religions are suffocating and their chance of revitalization is as low as it has ever been before.

Math versus faith

A new study is in sight, that shows how people, at least in some countries, seem to rely on religions and display evidence that there’s a growth of religious non-affiliation.

THE NEW STUDY

The study was conducted by Daniel Abrams, Richard Wiener and Haley Yaple, three academics from Northwestern University in Illinois. The study, as explained by Abrams, started when Wiener noticed this phenomenon grow in the United States of America, often considered a religious country.

It all started back in 2003 when Professor Abrams had conducted a study that, through mathematics formulas, proved the inevitable extinction of some languages. When Richard Wiener presented him with the results of the surveys on religion in the US he thought he could apply the same calculi to this research.

As the researchers put it “Much like animals competing for a limited supply of food or water, social groups can be thought of as self-perpetuating entities that compete for members.”

Two key factors may give one group an advantage over another in the battle for members, and they are:

• a social group with many members is more attractive to potential newcomers.

• a social group with a higher perceived social status or utility is more likely to attract new members.

The idea is that the two statements above can be applied to mathematics rules, so the actual outcomes could be three:

• group X attracts everyone

• group Y attracts everyone

• the two groups coexist at constant percentages

This same model was applied to the competition between religious and irreligious sections of modern societies. The groups are made of those claiming no religious affiliations and those claiming of belonging to a religion. In certain societies it is coherent to treat those religious as one big group considering many countries are religiously homogenous. The results of the study were gathered by verifying historical census data that in some cases, went back hundred years, and showed a rapid decrease in religious affiliations in countries like the Czech Republic where 60% of the population stated to be religiously unaffiliated. In other words, the more the unaffiliated groups grow, the more people will be attracted to them, and this could slowly lead to the gradual disappearance of religions.

WEB PoWER

Web 2.0 is the signifier, the information carrier, information that is free and that can be enjoyed by the masses in such a quick way that the results can be scary at times. Internet is wonderful it can open millions of eyes on the reality of things. This is why populations, even of the most religious types, are rebelling and taking to the streets to display their complete disapproval on the obduracy and oppression that lie in some religious beliefs and, consequently, in some behaviors of leaders that use that same religion as a weapon, as an excuse to make it work the way they want.

Fact is that people are now tired, tired of being fed with what is given to them, and not the other way around.

THE PoINT

Professor Abrams reveals “our goal was to test the idea that a simple mathematical model could accurately account for human behavior on a large scale, at least in the context of religious affiliation. We based our model on ideas from sociology, quantifying results from research on social conformity. We were actually surprised by how well the model predictions matched historical census data”.

Professor Abrams also reveals “Ireland’s population is currently 4% unaffiliated, and we project that it will grow to about 39% unaffiliated by 2050” and progresses “New Zealand’s population is currently 33% unaffiliated, and we project about 90% will be unaffiliated by 2050” and confesses “we expect that our model will begin to break down when the unaffiliated percentage grows larger than about 90%”.

He finally adds “Switzerland is currently about 12% unaffiliated and we project 66% by midcentury (in fact, BaselStadt Canton is already halfway there with 35% reporting themselves unaffiliated as of the most recent census”.

01 Martin Kippenberger, Zuerst die Füße (1990), “Collezione Tirala”. The work was exhibited at Museum of Bolzano, during the opening exhibition “Sguardo Periferico e corpo collettivo” (2008).

MANY CoUNTRIES ARE DEVELoPING a new trend showing a dramatic decrease of religious affiliation amongst citizens.

Workplace Africa, Working hard

DESPITE THE INCREASING GDP, AFRICA is still a huge continent with huge problems to face. Part-time work, unregulated work environment, widespread illiteracy are still undermining the potential growth of the country.

Lions on the move

After five bumpy hours off the tarmac, our 4x4 arrived at the tiny Port of Monenzo where an occasional ferry runs across the Kwilu river to the town of Djuma. It was late afternoon in Bandundu Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where years of centralized disdain have left the country virtually without infrastructure. Susanna Kifera and her son ran aboard the ferry. With them, they had a beautiful brown goat on a rope and its bleating two kids in a bicycle basket. ‘’We have waited all day to cross the river. The ferry only runs when a vehicle comes and its driver pays the ferry-master. We are taking the goats to the doctor,’’ said Mrs Kifera. Thinking she meant the vet, I enquired what was wrong with the goats. ‘’Nothing,’’ she snapped indignantly, ‘’they are fine animals. So why take them to the doctor ? ‘’My husband is sick and the hospital on my side of the river wants 80,000 Francs (63€) to treat him. I am hoping the Djuma doctor will take the goats.’’

Later, the doctor, Alain Mugoto Byamungu explained that he would travel to see her husband. The value of the goats would cover his transport costs. ‘’My hospital is run by Jesuits and funded by Spain so we do not turn anyone away but patients are asked to contribute what they can.’’ In common with all Congolese doctors, Byamungu, 29 years old, has not been paid a salary by the state since he qualified. In the DRC, the story is the same for all health workers, for police officers, some soldiers, magistrates in the lower courts and many civil servants. They effectively privatize their services. You can call it corruption or plain survival. The DRC has one of the harshest work

environments in Africa. But even in other countries of the continent, the work environment is largely unregulated. It is fair to estimate that 80% of the African continent’s workforce is in temporary employment. Cowboy entrepreneurs, especially in the retail and mining sectors, make the most of the situation. International corporations, with an eye to the social responsibility pages of their annual reports, often try to do better.

In Uganda, Nile Breweries, owned by the world’s biggest brewing company, SAB Miller, has begun making beer from sorghum. The Eagle Lager project creates work for thousands of small-scale farmers and allows the company to reduce its imports of barley from Eastern Europe. But the process involves high levels of commitment because local farmers are often illiterate and cannot produce the volume required by Nile Breweries due to a lack of machinery and chemicals.

In West Africa, the past five years have given the agricultural sector cause for hope, as the European Union has begun – for its own motives of cost-saving – to scale down agriculture subsidies. For the first time since Ghana’s independence in 1957, the cost of buying a chick, feeding it to adulthood and slaughtering it competes favorably with the price of buying a dumped frozen chicken from Europe. What now needs to happen is for African governments to shift their attention towards elevating millions of people from subsistence farming into large-scale food production. But climate change is an obstacle as is the United States’ continued heavy subsidy regime towards its cotton and corn farmers.

Nevertheless, the African worker has

High rates of poverty in Africa mean that some families send their children into the workplace, even though primary school is compulsory in all countries.

Cocoa plantations in Côte d’Ivoire and Tanzanite mines in Tanzania are among the places where lithe, nimble-fingered youngsters have been found toiling, often in deplorable conditions.

In West Africa there are reports of parents sending children they cannot feed to Koranic boarding schools where they are exploited.

Unicef is among the international organizations attempting to address the trend, notably in Benin, in West Africa, where employers are asked to release their child staff several mornings a week for schooling.

Exhibition – Africa: See You See Me. Organizers: New York University La Pietra Policy Dialogues, NYU Africana Studies e fsm gallery. Africa: See you See me is an exhibition that uses photographic practices in Africa to draw attention to the ways in which Africans represent themselves, and the growing influence of these selfrepresentations in shaping general contemporary modes of photographing Africa. Africa: See You, See Me! portrays the history of African photography and its influence on non-African imaginings of Africa and the African diaspora in all their diversity. Together, the 35 photographs are texts of African subjectivities, archives of history and societies in the making, and methods for understanding how images contribute to emancipation.

01 © zak Ové, Attilah, From the Transfiguras Series, 2006 Trinidad

01 © George Osodi, Gold Mine obuasi, 2009 Ghana

02 © Andrew Dosunmu, Portraits Series

plenty to look forward to. A recent McKinsey report, Lions on the Move, fleshes out much of the potential for the continent. According to McKinsey, African GDP rose by 4.9% between 2000 and 2008. Africa’s combined consumer spending reached $860 billion in 2008 and, by that year, 316 million people had bought mobile sim cards. Africa contains 60% of the world’s total arable, uncultivated land.

The figures prove that not only are Africans working – albeit in conditions that are often harsh and with little hope of a pension at the end – but that it is time to shed a range of stereotypes.

Most people think African economies are chiefly dependent on minerals. In reality, natural resources account for only 24% of Africa’s total GDP. The service industry – including wholesale and retail businesses – accounts for about 36% the total. A lot of people think Africa is riven by conflict. In fact, wars are in decline and governments are actively working together, under the banner of the African Union and regional customs groupings, to cash in on the peace dividend. And the world is not standing by foreign direct investment, driven by India and China’s emergence, has burgeoned from $ 9bn in 2000 to $ 62bn in 2008.

For the time being, Africa remains a continent of temporary workers scraping by on an average of Dollars per day. Typical jobs are temporary - selling telephone top-up cards at traffic lights, giving out medication from a bicycle, or Coca-Cola from refillable glass bottles. Out of a total population estimated at 600 million, only about 20% of the workforce has fixed employment in the private sector or in the civil service. In the absence of functioning trade unions and banks willing to take chances with small and medium enterprises, the workforce will remain largely part-time.

Africa needs to fulfill its agricultural potential and it needs a manufacturing industry. It needs to become more

like South Africa with its democracy, its growing health service, as well as its architects, fashion designers, intellectuals, merchant bankers and entrepreneurs. The land of opportunity that is South Africa today has come with a heavy price. The country is what it is due to 40 years of isolationism under racist white minority rule that created a self-sufficient economy.

But even South Africa has its problems. The wealthiest 10% of its population share 51% of the riches. The poorest 50% are left with 10% between them. In 2006, half of black South African households earned less than 1,670 Rands (175€) per month. Only 9% of black South African households had a monthly income of 7,500 Rands (785€) or more. One hears a lot about the Chinese juggernaut in Africa but a number of European entrepreneurs are moving into South Africa with beneficial effects, including breaking the traditional paternalistic relationship with staff, in favor of a work culture demanding individ-

By ALEX DUVAL SMITH

ual commitment. One such is Swede Jonas Sandström who runs two guesthouses and a travel company in Cape Town. ‘’The weather is great and that can blind you at first,’’ he says. ‘’This is a tough place to work. The staff comes from a very poor education system. I run geography classes so my employees can talk about their own country to the guests. I want all my staff to do all the jobs – from vacuum cleaning to receiving the guests – so we have a duty rotation system but that is completely new to them.’’ Sandström is grateful for the experience he has earned, but insists that working in Africa requires hours of patient commitment. ‘’It is gratifying to feel your input is helping people to progress but coming as I did from Europe I was not ready for the experience of running a hotel that would be staffed by people who had never in their lives stayed in a hotel or eaten out at a restaurant. It’s hard to get your mind around that situation until you have lived it.’’

SCARDILLo BETS WITH THE BRAND The Scaridillo’s challenge is to desecrate the advertising campaigns of some big brands, and instead of gathering critical, he picks up the proposed purchase by the brand “manipulated. “ There is still a “sense of humor. “

Images of reality and new images

AT THE BEGINNING oF THE 1900

At the beginning of the last century, futurists used topicality in relation to new technologies to communicate through visual art. Their work subjects were aircrafts, bicycles and heavy industry gears including the famous and beautiful Baldessari’s locomotive. From 1910 until the eve of World War II, the long futurist wave had practically influenced every master of the twentieth century. The machine, the movement and speed were the basic coordinates of Futurism.

In 1926, Fortunato Depero designed the Campari Soda bottle, a sort of inverted cup, which has become a symbol of Italian design, that remains tha same until today.

1950-1960: RoTELLA

From 1950 to 60, advertising was an element of signification progress and a signal of a certain strengthening of commercial brands.

In Italy Mimmo Rotella, documented the stratification of advertising works with the technique of décollage. Rotella identified the advertising’s growing pressure with thousands of advertising messages that blend into one creative subject. The artist pastes pieces of street posters on his canvas and exhibits this work for the first time in Rome in 1955 with the title “Torn Manifesto”.

1960: ANDY WARHoL

In 1962, Andy Warhol worked on another legendary bottle: that of Coca Cola. Coca Cola bottles in 1916 were probably inspired by the anatomical curves of an actress of that period. The master of pop-art introduces us to the final revision of advertising

icons. Warhol’s art moves only according to the guidelines of the images produced by American mass culture. His art was inspired by cinema, comics, advertising, with no aesthetic choice, but as a pure moment of registration of the most famous and symbolic images. In these works there is no polemic intention against mass society: they only intend to expose the visual world in which the image society moves. The obsessive repetition of the image of the Coca Cola bottle showed how that object has now become a representation of society.

1970-1980: ART oF GRAFFITI

The Art of Graffiti is a type of deliberate action on both private and public property. Drawing graffiti is an illegal vandalism act if done without the consent of the property owner. In the early 70s two young New Yorkers, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring worked in the street and in the subway. Their work was immediately critically acclaimed and attracted the attention of influential art dealers. Basquiat and Haring used advertising empty spaces in the subway to communicate. People, fascinated by this new form of street art that - within the intent of the artists - must have breaks between advertising moments, physically taking down these paintings and bringing them home. Their creative idea has been one of the few inventative ways to move freely through all levels of society and to attract the enthusiasm of all types of people who were usually distant from art.

During the 80s Sante Scardillo settled in New York City, leaving Milan, where he grew up. Scardillo called himself a “living room roller”. He

Images are artwork by Sante Scardillo based on real advertisement campaigns.

By PINA DRASKOVICH

found raw material for his work in the New York Times and re-edited it in the heat of his apartment on the Lower East Side. Rem Koolhaas, in “Delirious New York” the Retroactive Manifesto for Manhattan defines this area of the city as the “Rosetta stone” of modern civilization. To understand our time is necessary to live in this city where the world meets.

For Scardillo, the New York Times was the iconographic dictionary of our society, so “what matters most” finds space in this newspaper.

ToDAY: SANTE SCARDILLo

The icons are better understood if they are printed on paper. On television, the image moves fast. An image achieves its effect when stopped. This is the idea of the artist. Scardillo allows himself some digression from the New York Times, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and InStyle he acquired advertisements that he then diverted, recasting them.

The advertising image is to Scardillo a stabbing weapon: thought of as a tool for propagation and the sale of the trademark by its manufacturer, it also offers a mirror image of society. Scardillo’s interest is focused on the critical reading, or irreverence of advertising. The beautiful picture of Chanel, dedicated to the N° 5 perfume, becomes an occasion to remember how people in concentration camps were just “a number”, like the one tattooed on the arm of an unaware and beautiful former swimmer Estella Warren, who in that occasion modeled for the campaign. Or an ad for Prada in which the protagonist, lying on the bed of a river, perhaps next to a waterfall, gives rise to the

slogan “Social Climbing Gear.” For Eternity, a perfume by Calvin Klein, Scardillo added to the advertising slogan the statement “Do not worry, this will not last that long”.

Scardillo’s eye is useful to business. It ‘s a critical eye. Brings out two points that deeply scan a brand’s personality: 1) advertising conveys the feeling of a company in a specific given moment, a photograph that has an end and then is given to society in order to be reprocessed, 2) advertising is a starting point for taking buildings to new stories.

Scardillo in his art uses commercial brands. He expected complaints. He instead received purchase orders for his work from companies involved. A disappointment? Perhaps only a sign of the time. Today, brands are interested in trading with society. As stated by Paul Watzlawick redundancy, both in syntax and semantics, is a system of behavioral patterns of repetition that leads to achieving balance. Balance, over time forms a sense of historical memory of the interaction that does not vanish at any subsequent amendment. The system of human interaction will not start from scratch every time, but it also preserves the gains acquired when it looks for other balances.

For the brand, Scardillo’s creative exercises and those of all of his great predecessors, are an opportunity of redundancy of the message at its audience. A variation on the theme that constitutes an interest towards brands. Some companies have understood and agreed to invest in the art of reworking themselves.

01 Clinique, 02 Calvin Klein, 03 Emanuel Ungaro

Recently, Sante Scardillo’s artistic research is turning up on subjects in which consumers goods are reinterpreted. The picture is of a bottle of Coca Cola from 1.5 Oz.

Joining the company When out of Office Matters

By MARTHA TINTIN

WHAT Do EMPLoYEES Do WHEN THEY’RE NoT IN THE oFFICE it’s something that often may seem irrelevant to their ability to do a job, but this could not be more untrue. Who they are outside of the office inevitably has an influence on what they do when they’re on the job.

Employees “out of office”

The companies should never forget that a candidate is also a human being with a specific personality and with different interests and hobbies. Eventually how much does a candidate’s life outside work weigh in the hiring process?

The life outside work certainly plays a role when assessing a possible candidate.

Keith Jones, Country Managing director of Antal International Brazil, confesses “In our business it is imperative that we provide our customers with a choice of talented individuals that fit the given criteria for specific roles,” both employers and recruiters benefit from analyzing life of candidates outside of the office, because if you know them better, you are better able to determine their real strengths and talents in terms of potential suitability for hiring.

Life outside work does play a factor when assessing a possible candidate, as Artur Skiba, Managing Director of Antal International Poland puts it “having been in recruitment for more than 10 years now I can admit this is the basic requirement” and continues “what surrounds a possible candidate when they’re not in the office corresponds to how they find themselves in the office.”

“The outside life of a candidate definitely does have an influence on the business” suggests Alan Russell, Managing Director of Antal South Africa he then adds “family life has an effect on a candidate’s day-to-day work as well as a sport or any other outside interest which could have a negative impact on the candidate’s productiveness at work,” an exam-

ple it could be someone that is going through a divorce or any other family related trauma, a situation like those could cost a company time and money due to the fact that the person is much more distracted.

There are also those who think that personal life however important, it is not necessarily a key factor “depends on the company,” Leticia Herran, Managing Director of Antal Spain says, and progresses “some companies may want someone that has a 24/7 connection, so it is important that the candidate has a ‘personal life’ as well as be ‘on’ in a permanent basis while doing or having spare time.”

According to Max Price, Managing Director of Antal Germany it plays a factor, but firstly it’s all about the ability for someone to do the job and he then says ”if a potential candidate is borderline, or a risk, then external factors would play a larger part in decision making. Someone who is more stable is more likely to be happy and a positive influence in the work place.”

James Darlington Managing Director of Antal China considers it a factor, but not the most important one. Clearly what surrounds a candidate outside work enables a company to tell their personality, their morality and their work style, but still not if

a person is qualified for the job, he says “as headhunters, first of all, we’ll take all professional aspects into consideration. Such as education background, working experience, career achievements, language skills, because those are the basic capacities to make you finish your job” after having analyzed these factors, it is imperative that motivation is analyzed. Professional aspects, however crucial, are not enough to establish the complete suitability of a candidate for a specific job; infact others should be taken into consideration. These may vary a lot depending on companies needs. In other words the idea of a ‘good employee’ has different meanings depending on the organization.

Keith Jones and Alan Russell mention criminal records and psychological profiles.

Mr. Jones explains “it is now common practice for organizations to use tailor made psychometric tests that specifically assess a potential candidate and their suitability for working within an organizations culture and environment.” It is also true that investigating a candidate, depending on local human rights law, it can prove to be a difficult task, because as Mr. Jones says “questions relating to race, gender, religion, marital status, age, disabilities, ethnic background, country of origin, sexual

Antal International is a global executive search consulting firm, was founded in the early 1990’s to service a gap in the market and the trend of globalisation Antal’s International Network has assisted numerous clients in over 75 countries. The new millennium has seen Antal’s services become the solution in demand by clients from SME level to Fortune 500 corporations who seek a knowledgeable and professional business partner with scale and global reach.

preferences or age could be deemed illegal.”

Max Price considers family life and location other important “outside the office” factors explaining that if someone is relocating specifically for the role, hence leaving the family in a different location, it can prove to be a stressful and disruptive influence on the performance. He also adds that commuting can prove to be cause of a less than brilliant performance, especially if a candidate is young and not very motivated, anything over 45 minutes of commuting could be a problem.

Mr. Darlington refers to non-professional aspects as the “Fit-in” problem, which includes motivation, family background and relationships in and out of the office. According to him motivation can be defined as the reason for leaving and joining a company, motivation shows a candidate’s needs and is closely related to relationships and family background.

He explains “the family background shows your growing environment and current family requirement; it will influence how much pressure you can bear, your working style and personality” and then progresses “Relationships are a general reaction and reference of all the before features.”

Since we have clearly identified the importance that lies in the personal life of an individual, which is inevitably projected to their professional performance, it becomes crucial to investigate what kind of tools are implemented to analyze the suitability of a candidate in the hiring process.

Leticia Herran trusts personal interviews as well as references checks,

asking those that the candidate has reported to in the past. Specific tests are also used, but only for some positions.

Mr. Darlington gives a very deep insight when he explains, “we will use a professional designed Reference Checking Form, which will be answered by his/her line manager and other colleagues via phone or email.”

He then adds that other assessment test tools are used such as DISC (Dominance, Influence, Steadiness & Compliance).

A recruiter experience is another great tool to use as Mr. Darlington suggests. “There is a standard question list for candidates, of course you can develop on the basis of your personal experience, but it’s a core, we can evaluate most of the non-professional features by answers” and then finishes “how deep you can get depends on your HR experience and skills.”

Companies that do not run full and complete tests and analisis when assessing candidates can incur in multiple risks.

Mr. Darlington of Antal International China believes that risks can take two directions. First being company information security and the second being public reputation. He states that if a person is not precise or his family and friends are not trustworthy, companies have to be careful with what business “secrets” are shared. On another level reputation is fundamental for business. The risk is that an “off” behavior of an employee could result in being recognized as the style of a company, so if a company hires a person with a bad reputation that instance could then

be projected to the company itself. According to Mr. Price the risk is mainly financial, “the cost of a bad hire is phenomenal,” he exclaims.“It can cause wasted salary budget, legal issues, but also a huge business cost in terms of loss of a key client or clients.” He also refers to risks related to the company’s image, so it is important to analyse how an employee could represent the organization.

A few concrete examples are surely essential to better understand how dramatically significant a good or bad analisis prior to hiring is for business.

Alan Russell tells a situation he experienced “I worked with an ex-military man who suffered from Post Traumatic Stress, which was never disclosed to the company.” “One day he snapped at work, damaging property and slightly injuring fellow employees.” He then adds, “this was a personal issue which was left undiagnosed as he never dealt with it, and which ultimately cost him his job, all of which could have been avoided with the correct checks and help.”

Mr. Darlington gives his example talking about a candidate at General Manager level of American MNC. He says “all of his professional backgrounds and soft skills are qualified for the position, but when I talk with his friends and understrapper, I felt he has a code of brotherhood – once he got a new better job, he always brings all his understrappers to share his success.” “This is bad for any company, so I did not recommend him to any new position.”

Arthur Skiba Managing Director of Antal Poland

James Darlington Managing Director of Antal China

Keith Jones Country Managing director, Antal Brazil

Leticia Herran Managing Director of Antal Spain

Max Price Managing Director of Antal Germany

Alan Russel Managing Director of Antal South Africa

Strip cartoon written and illustrated by Sandrine Martin, Paris, FR

Movers and shakers THE CHARACTERS IN THE STRIP CARTooN have been placed in their new position by Antal International, a global executive search firm.

To be cool Design Ideas

Young Design Awards

Young Design Awards is a competition that involves young designers and architects under 35 that make furniture in stainless steel. The contest breaks down the barriers imposed on emerging professionals, believes in young people and their skills and encourages them to daring things. No cost to participate, no bureaucratic process, only talent, creativity and passion. Young Design Awards is created by MTN Company and sponsored by Lamberti&De Rosa.

[W youngdesignawards.it]

Design of the Year

Brit Insurance Designs of the Year is the Design Museum’s annual exploration of innovative and forward-looking new work in design of all kinds from around the world. The exhibition presents around 100 projects, which are a selected from those nominated by a group of internationally respected design experts, curators, critics, practitioners and enthusiasts. The nominated designs fall into seven categories - architecture, fashion, furniture, graphics, interactive, product and transport. They can be designed by a practice, team or individual. An international jury selects a winner for each category and one overall winner is awarded Brit Insurance Design of the Year.

[W designmuseum.org]

[Brit Insurance Furniture Award]

Branca, Industrial Facility Designers Sam Hecht, Kim Colin and Ippei Matsumoto, Italy. The Branca chair, designed by Industrial Facility and manufactured by Italian brothers Mattiazzi, was intended to look familiar to the eye. Mimicking the natural growth patterns of twigs and branches, the Branca backrest and armrests seem to grow seamlessly from just one piece of wood. Carved robotically with work overseen by expert craftsmen at the Mattiazzi factory in Italy, the Branca chair complies to all modern expectations, light enough to carry, easy enough to stack and transport. [W industrialfacility.co.uk ]

[Brit Insurance Product Award] Plumen 001 Designers Hulger & Samuel Wilkinson Plumen 001 is the world’s first designer lightbulb. Designed by Samuel Wilkinson and Hulger, the lightbulb is formed of two interwoven glass tubes that curve organically creating a new silhouette from every angle. Using 80% less energy and lasting approximately eight times longer than a typical incandescent bulb, Plumen aims to be sold as a economical design object, challenging the established archetype of an economical bulb.

[W plumen.com]

Young Design Award

Infinity

Designers Giovanni Meo-Maria Damiano-Giuseppe Vaccaro

The form, obtained by carving Waterjet is the generating element of a metallic flexible fabric able to adapt to complex shapes for different applications. It becomes a room divider, capable of separating without dividing, a bioclimatic element for exterior facades and roofs, able to be integrated with components for the production of renewable energy.

To be cool Fashion in the world The Business side of style

Tokyo, New York City, Marseille

our stylist Irene’s Closet is a 23-year-old girl from Florence (Italy). She has a degree in business administration and she has a great passion named “fashion”. So she decided to start a fashion blog, to show the world her passion for fashion. Irene’s Closet blog (http://ireneccloset.blogspot.com) was born in 2009 and has now become a huge satisfaction and part of her job. As a matter of fact she works as Italian representative for the most important fashion community in Europe and as freelancer Irene chose the clothes and accessories related to the To Be Cool manager in this issue.

Photo credits • Alfie Jason Shaun Goodrich (Tokyo / Jp) • Rachel Esterday (New York City / Us) • Edwige Lamy (Marseille / Fr)

Tokyo Japan Peter Conrad

New York City Us Jennifer Prosek

Marseille France Philippe Remond

Peter Conrad (1969) is a Swiss banker who has always worked abroad: Milan, Hong Kong, Monaco and Tokyo. He’s been married but now he is single. He is very keen on exploring what’s new in architecture, arts, food science and local events: he looks at things with the wide-open eyes of a boy full of awe who dips his finger in a pot of Nutella.

Peter arrived in Tokyo on February 3, 2011 and on March 11th the earthquake devastated the island, changing its destiny forever.

“In such emergency Japan offers to the world the best view of its values and beliefs” tells us Peter.

3-stage earthquake by

Peter Conrad

First stage

It was a quiet afternoon. I was at the office at 3 pm, when suddenly the horizon seemed to jump, going up and down for about a minute. Japanese people

are precise even when they have to describe an earthquake’s dynamics: if the oscillation is horizontal – no big deal. When it is vertical, then it is a problem. This one was vertical.

For a week the atmosphere has been electric. At the beginning I was not too worried. I soon learned that the best way to calm down is to watch my Japanese colleagues who know exactly what to do. Usually,

when earth shakes, they are happy. This time they were not laughing.

Unlike previous earthquakes , the intensity was rising dramatically. The buildings in the front were oscillating. It was a dreadful vision.

First Stage bis A break. After ten minutes, another tremor. Everyone

understood that the situation was serious. All connections depended on the Internet. The phone lines were cut off. Out the window, we could see a fire that broke out in the distance.

The first announcements spread throughout the building: jammed lifts, “all stay inside, put on the helmets and take the survival kit” (water, gloves, masks and a few other things).

Second Stage

At around 5.30pm we went out down the stairs. All organized, no nervous break downs. I had a date out that soon turned into a surreal walk. Millions of people were orderly going back home. At a western glance it was an amazing demonstration of how the society defends itself thanks to synchrony. Think of what would have happened in an individualistic society. In Tokyo I

heard silence and discipline. After three hours I was at home.

Second Stage flashback

As I was going home I spotted some details of normal life. Shops were open, people were sitting in bars and restaurants. For some students it was their graduation day. In such occasions girls wear bright and colorful

kimonos. I saw the same colors of Hero, the film of Zhang Yimou, where colors have a double meaning. On the one hand they identify the narrative times; on the other they represent the emotional waves that go along with the narration.

Third Stage

On Sunday it was clear that the situation in the nuclear power plant was serious. European embassies feebly invited foreign citizens to leave the country. Germans set off in crowds, followed by the French. I was mulling spending a few days in Hong Kong until the emergency faded. Leaving would have shown a not-so-good example, and strangely I found myself in the emotional

enigma of wanting to share all might happen with my japanese colleagues and friends.

Thinking over the third Stage Loneliness is part of expatriates’ lives, especially for singles. Freedom and independence can become an illness, and if you chase them, you have to accept the flip

side. We live in a temporary reality, hovering between our culture and the one in which we live. Staying here in these days has been a personal choice to remind myself that I belong to two worlds – my world and the world I will live in from now on.

Advice from Irene Colzi for ‘Peter’s Style’. For a manager who works in a bank as Peter does, elegance and classic features are essential for the look. You do not need a pin striped but take a look: dark-washed structured jeans are perfect also at work when combined with shirts, jackets, and dark accessories with extra luxury details.

01 Salvatore Ferragamo belt (240 €) 02 D.A. Daniele Alessandrini tie (84€) 03 Murphy&Nye (115€) 04 Gas jeans (99€) 05 Pirelli Pzero watch (790 €) 06 Fabi shoes (310 €)

Jennifer Prosek. Some of Jennifer favorite mantras include, “You cannot dwell, you must solve.” She is relentlessly optimistic and facts show that. Jennifer is the founder and CEO of CJP Communications, an international public relations and financial communications consultancy with offices in New York, Connecticut and London. She joined the firm’s precursor, Jacobs Associates after college, became a partner at 25 and ultimately became the sole owner, growing the firm from a tiny Connecticut-based PR agency to an international firm with 60 employees.

Jennifer Grew up in Easton, CT, attended Miami University of Ohio and Columbia Business School where she received her MBA. She is a frequent lecturer at leading business schools, including Columbia, and entrepreneurial and business groups. Recent speaking engagements include the Yale Chief Executive Leadership Institute, Forté Foundation, The Royal Bank of Scotland Marketing Summit and British-American Business, Inc. Her company was named an Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing company, has been recognized as one of the “Top Places to Work in PR” by PR News, and was named “Small Agency of the Year” by The Holmes Report. Prosek was a finalist for the 2010 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award.

The birth of her daughter in 2007 made her understand that a business woman can also have a private live if supported by a team of talented employees, as she has.

Prosek built the firm using a management strategy she developed called an “Army of Entrepreneurs.”

The “Army” model is the subject of her first book, Army of EntrepreneursTM: Create an Engaged and Empowered Workforce for Exceptional Business Growth”, which was published in February 2011. She is also on the board of directors of the New York City Partnership for the Homeless.

■

Jennifer Prosek Army of Entrepreneurs

Create an Engaged and Empowered Workforce for Exceptional Business Growth

Amacom, pp. 224, $23.95

The book offers a timely and tested action plan. Step-by-step, Prosek shows how to recruit, train, motivate, and deploy staff members at all levels to be entrepreneurial in their existing positions.

Every step features anecdotes and case studies illustrating how the AOE model works in real-world business situations, plus research and insight from experts in the business community.

Advice from Irene Colzi for ‘Jennifer’s Style’. Soft colors mixed with touches of bright colors and leather: that is how I imagine the spring / summer for a career woman who does not give up fashion and glamour. Jennifer’s Light colors will create a pleasant effect with the soft palette enriched by accessories with a pop color. The quirk? A pair of perforated gloves: women’s super cool accessory for next season.

Philippe Remond. Winner of France’s half marathon and marathon for several times, he reached the 11th place at the World Championships Marathon in 1997. Philippe Remond is also an expert movie lover, particularly when it comes to the films of the 50s and the filmography of Guy Ritchie (“Snatch”, “Lock, stock and two smoking barrels” etc.). For the past 20 years, he has been ambassador of the brand Nike. Each year is a new adventure to Philippe. He works with Nike on different campaigns with actions around the “running” theme: developing a product to be marketed, representing the company at events and coaching athletes. Philippe believes that every event is an adventure, because the brand is continuously evolving, allowing him to travel around the world.

But Philippe is also a highly recognized sports coach. He works with companies in order to provide skills about the axis “Sports & Business” and share the similarities between a champion and a project leader. The many commitments have obliged him to find the right balance between the daily life of a top athlete and the daily life of a family man. “The high-level sport is so uncompromising that an athlete must find some beaches for recovering with the family”, he states. Although it has been difficult to achieve this balance, Philippe, today, can watch his daughters Charlotte and Leah (20 and 16 years old) grow up and have a life with his girlfriend Julie. He likes to say that for him it has never been a sacrifice as he has been able to live his passion and has had his family as the main ally in his choices.

Advice from Irene Colzi for ‘Philippe’s Style’. For a sportsman as Philippe, clothes should be practical and have high quality. Hyper-resistant jackets, fashionable but suitable for any weather conditions, combined with a pashmina softly knotted around his neck and a denim shirt. A very roomy bag with clear lines, a pair of headphones and a touch-screen watch complete the sporty look of a man with an urban edge.

To Be Cool Our Choices

Movie Book object Airline Hotel Dinner Gift* Vacation Wine

Waste Land, Oscar nominated documentary about a Brazilian artists work in the slums of Rio 01

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

Enomatic, a wine conservation system None

The Address, Dubai Noma, Copenhagen

Vintage pearls

Blade Runner (1982) Great futuristic themes featuring a cast on the cusp of fame

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts Rutilated quartz–nature

Singapore Airlines 03 Capella, Singapore 02

Le Bistro du Paradou, Provence, France

The first painting of a beach home which triggered our love for art

A Single Man 05

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. It’s fun and funny, it’s geeky and quirky

Let the Great World Spin, Colum McCann iPhone Singapore Airlines The Standard, NYC

The Winding Stair Dublin, Ireland

City bike, to add to his collection

Canoa Quebrada, Brazil. Surfing, relaxing and watching the sun set over dinner with your feet in the sea

Grattamacco (2004) Red wine from Bolgheri, Italy 06

Antarctica for soul-searching serenity I’d rather have a cup of Bru chicory coffee from India.

Carloforte, Sardinia. Snorkelling, eating, reading, recharging 04 Lacrima di Morro

The zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks07 Vintage jewelry United Airlines Super 8 motel chain

Blue Olive Portland, Oregon

Pilot gear A long weekend hiking in Moab, UT in the Spring or Fall

Frankie’s Royalty Riesling 2005 by Edgefield Winery

* for one’s spouse or significant “other”

Nils Holby Houge — Managing Director Enomatic Norge Oslo, (Norway), Kannan Chandran — Founder of E-Quill Media, Kannan is the first Singaporean in the field of journalism and communications to be bestowed the Order of Bernardo O’Higgins by the Government of Chile, (Singapore), Finola Doyle — Communications at CzA Cino zucchi Architetti in Milan (Italy), Amy Phillips — Amy is an IT professional at IT Pixie, an independent consultant for web development, New York (USA).

Nils Holby Houge Kannan Chandran Finola Doyle Amy Phillips

By ANGELA BOSKOVITCH

GERMANY MANAGED To LEAVE THE CRISIS BEHIND AND A PoSITIVE FUTURE SEEMS To AWAIT AHEAD thanks to a community of hard workers and the presence of several excellent companies.

The Eagle is back

Germany is recovering from its worst post-war recession and the mood is positive after experiencing a GDP real growth rate of 3.6% in 2010, compared with the US (2.8%), EU27 (1.8%) and Japan (3.95%). The business mood is also upbeat. January saw the lowest unemployment rate since reunification and the Ifo Business Climate Index for industry and trade improved for the consecutive 9th time in February. The recovery is due to increased exports, rising corporate investments, falling unemployment and the stimulus.

THE WINNING SECToRS

The World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index 2010/2011 saw Germany move two spots to fifth place ahead of Japan (6th), the UK (12th) and France (15th). Germany’s innovation capacity was ranked first and its infrastructure 2nd behind Hong Kong. Germany’s largest sectors remain the

automotive, electrical, engineering and chemical industries. In contrast with other industrialized nations, Germany’s manufacturing exports remain strong due to high-value production by its Mittelstand, SMEs which provide 3/4 of all jobs. Germany’s R&D capacity is spurring innovation and gaining international competitive advantage in the areas of health, climate and resource protection, energy, mobility and security, and in key technologies like ICT, nano- and biotechnology, photovoltaics, energy-efficient mobility and medical engineering.

REGIoNAL DIVERSITY

The industrial heartland with the most innovative firms is now in southern Germany. “In former times it was the Ruhr Area with heavy industry; now it’s the manufacturing industry in the South around Munich and Stuttgart,” says spatial economist Heiner Röhl,

Cologne Institute for Economic Research. Berlin remains a kind of anomaly, although the German Institute for Economic Research found Berlin’s annual economic growth from 2005 to 2009 improved by 1.7% due primarily to the health and education sectors. The financial center of Frankfurt has Germany’s highest GDP; the city hosts major companies and trade fairs, and its airport the most travelers in Germany. Logistics also defines the citystate of Hamburg, Europe’s 2nd largest port, with growing commercial ties to Asia.

WoRKFoRCE FoR INNoVATIoN

Over 43 million people make up the German labor force, the EU’s largest. The dual education system provides workers with either vocational training or a university education. Twenty six percent of higher education graduates in Germany from 2006-08 came

Country Guide Germany

By PAOLA BETTINELLI

from engineering or the natural sciences, ahead of the EU (22%) and US (15.4%). Eigtheen percent of EU scientists live and work in Germany. Despite women comprising more than half of university graduates, however, limited day-long schooling and childcare make combining work and family life difficult. In her weekly video address ahead of International Women’s Day, Chancellor Angela Merkel said, “A lot will have to be done in the next few years.” Falling birthrates mean a skilled labor shortage must be filled by young skilled workers from abroad.

WoRK-LIFE BALANCE

According to a 2010 Company Survey on Work-Life Balance by the Cologne Institute for Economic Research, four out of five German companies are concerned with reconciling work and family life. Companies like Deutsche Post/DHL are introducing new schemes for child care, work schedules, wages and payment. At Siemens, a Family-Aware Personnel Policy provides on-site child care, flexible working times and conditions, and the ability of employees to take up to a year off to care for elderly family.

Carpus+Partner

Carpus+Partner AG is an internationally active consulting and planning organization with more than 200 employees in four locations in Germany. As consultants, experts, and generalists for complex building projects with a focus on site and production development they solve all issues that emerge from the first idea to the value added of the building. Specialists in the fields of process optimization and laboratory and medical engineering complete the business spectrum of the company.

THANKS

To

THE GLoBALIzATIoN

, talent mobility has developed an increasingly important role in terms of development and company growth. This fact has increase also the importance of the international recruiting.

Beyond the line

TALENT INTERNATIoNAL MoBILITY

Today many companies often face the problem that talents and the necessary know-how is not available in the country where the company is located.

To solve this lack of “work force”, excellent companies have been trying to be as much attractive to involve new and excellent talents in their staff.

Liam Connelly - HR Director Timberland said that “as part of creating an innovative workforce with truly global perspectives from which they can impact the business, the movement of talent across national and regional markets is a core component to Timberland’s people strategy in impacting growth across the enterprise.”

Medtronic is another international company that has developed a specific “Talent Management System

ConSol Consulting& Solutions Software

ConSol* Consulting & Solutions Software GmbH is a well established and growth oriented high-end IT consultant and software development company that provides expert consulting and uses latest generation software technologies. Its extensive IT experience, as well as the outstanding qualifications and commitment of their staff ensure that all of the solutions they develop for their customers in the IT service management, Web technology and CRM domain will be right on target, no matter how complex a project may be.

SimCorp

with Individual Development Plans for all employees, to support crossbusiness, cross-functional as well as cross-country development,” said Joaquin Molina – Medtronic HR Director Germany.

An important key to better understanding and then determinating the importance of talent mobility is the kind of business we are talking about; as Anja-Karina Deimel, HR Manager, J&M Management Consulting AG explains to us, sometimes “young professionals as well as experienced consultants are happy to work abroad on projects…. This helps them understand different work cultures, broadens their horizon and potentially improves their performance in projects for German clients.”

Sitha Stübe, Head of Human Resources of SolarWorld AG, underlines the fact that “Qualified employees who

SimCorp develops and globally markets the investment management system, SimCorp Dimension. Their product helps clients perform the many tasks needed to stay ahead in today’s international financial markets. The SimCorp product, SimCorp Dimension, meets the market’s need for an advanced investment management system, which can exploit new technology and handle complex transactions on a global scale. Since the clients, driven by the need for continual efficiency gains, increasingly demand integrated and flexible solutions, SimCorp’s product is positioned to exploit the growing market potential.

J&M Management Consulting

J&M Management Consulting AG combines management and IT consulting along companies’ entire value chains. J&M currently employs approximately 250 people. With their headquarters in Mannheim, the company now operates in the most important industrial regions of the world. The continued professional development of its employees plays a key role. For this reason, J&M has been listed among “Germany’s Best Employers 2011” for the fifth time in a row.

know different cultures because of their international mobility generate knowledge of great value.”

HoW To BE ATTRACTIVE

Excellent companies are always looking for excellent profiles. The practices they use to be attractive and to select new profiles are different. As Joaquin Molina told us, “the Talent Acquisition projects is one of the HR key priorities we are working on…. in Medtronic we focus on Candidate Experience, Selection Process, and Employer Branding.” Günter Carpus, AD of Carpus+Partner, explained to us that “they are present in public… on trade and HR fairs, through publications, in the media or as guest lecturers at universities.” The same strategy is used also by J&M: “we go where we expect to find new talent, such as recruiting events at universities and business schools, but we also

Medtronic

Medtronic is a world leader in medical technology providing lifelong solutions for people with chronic diseases. They offer products, therapies and services that enhance or extend the lives of millions of people. Medtronic therapies are used to treat conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, neurological disorders, spine disorders and vascular illnesses.

Founded in 1949 in Minneapolis, USA, by Earl E. Bakken, Medtronic does business in more than 120 countries. World headquarters is in Minneapolis, regional headquarters include Switzerland and Japan. Medtronic employs more than 38,000 people worldwide.

operate a Facebook page dedicated to applicants and employees,” added Anja-Karina Deimel Another common strategy is to propose internship that allows the new employees to get in contact with the company. Andrea Stellwag, CFO of ConSol, said “our motto is share knowledge [...] another important element of company culture is the profit sharing model… the employees effectively share as coentrepreneurs in the company’s success.” In many ways the chance of an international experience plays an important role as Rita Jeziorowski, HR manager of Simcorp Central Europe, informed us: “we actively address the possibility to work abroad for the com-

pany, if the candidate wishes so at the same point in the future.”

LoCAL oR INTERNATIoNAL?

The motifs that usually drive one’s decision to stay in their native country to work or to move abroad are different and tightly linked to personal and private feelings. “Cultural identification, social security and quality of life, education, and training are motivations to stay” asserted Liam Connelly. Sometimes “people do not want to take risks and prefer staying in the comfort zone” stated Andrea Stellwag, in nearly every case, there are family reasons that make people stay in their country. However, as

01 Joaquin Molina, Human Resources Director Germany, Medtronic

Sitha Stübe, Head of Human Resources, SolarWorld AG

Rita Jeziorowski, Human Resources Manager, SimCorp Central Europe

Liam Connelly, Human Resources Director, Timberland

Günter Carpus, AD, Carpus+Partner

Ulrich Spie , Senior Vice President Human Resources/Diversity E.ON

Anja-Karina Deimel, HR Manager J&M Management Consulting AG

Andrea Stellwag, CFO ConSol Consulting & Solutions Software GmbH

Timberland

Timberland is a global leader in the design of premium footwear, clothing and accessories for individuals who thirst for the outdoors. Timberland is sold in leading department stores and Timberland retail stores throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America, South Africa and the Middle East. Timberland is dedicated to making quality products, by “doing well and doing good,” through forging powerful partnerships among employees and consumers to transform the communities in which they live and work.

E.oN Group

The company’s objective is to make energy cleaner & better wherever they operate. Going forward, they want to be even more global and are implementing a new strategy to transform their company into a global provider of specialized energy solutions. Their core businesses are renewable generation, conventional generation, energy trading and global gas.

SolarWorld

The SolarWorld AG Group is a worldwide leader in offering brandname, high quality, crystalline solarpower technology. Its strength is its fully integrated solar production. From silicon as the raw material through wafers, cells and modules all the way to turn-key solar systems of all sizes, the group combines all stages of the solar value chain.

Alexandr Fischer, photographer How long have you been working as a photographer and why did you decide to take up this profession? I start doing photography when I was 13 years old, it was a hobby. In the German gymnasium I attended I had art in my course and I had the chance to work with photography, then I started to work in this sector, in 1988. In the beginning for some years I have taken up fashion photography and then I worked for architects but I soon realized that it was not my thing. Then I began to work on corporate photography but I really can’t say that I chose it, it’s not a question of personal decision – it just happened. I noticed that the photographs I was taking in corporate style had the best quality, so I finally drove my portfolio to this direction. What is your specialization and the main concern of your art? Above all what is more important for me is to capture the moment, without much of thinking. I like to call my specialization as “photo-documentation” and what I try to do is to be as much natural as I can. I do not use artificial light, I prefer working with available light; unlike many other photographers I do not restyle the photos nor do I use particular light equipment. Moreover I never use flash. And this enables me to work very quick. What do you highlight in your corporate

Sitha Stübe claimed, “there are some employees who see no need to collect international experience.”

In fact, it is a more comfortable way of living. Sometimes moving abroad could be a difficult choice, yet it’s also a great opportunity as Mr. Connelly pointed out: “it is clear that the experience of working outside of a person’s home culture does have an impact of a number of behavioral competency dimensions such as adaptability, listening skills and self reflection…. the experience of working in a foreign environment can be of great developmental benefit for top talent and future leaders if managed the right way.”

THE “RULE” oF A RIGHT INTEGRATIoN

For expatriates it is really important to be fully integrated in a new country. Prof. Dr. Ulrich Spie, Senior Vice President Human Resources/Diversity, reveals that in E.ON “we have a great amount of arrangements for integrations, also to enhance our own internationality… relocation management, support for integrating kids in school, language courses for the employee and his/her family [...] we want to be attractive and support them as much as we can.”

Introducing the German list

by Frank Hauser

In 2010/2011, the Great Place to Work® employee survey took place for the 9th year in Germany. Overall, 319 companies participated in the survey and of these 290 companies wanted to enter the Best Companies contest. The Top 100 companies were published and awarded on February 23rd 2011 in Berlin. One of the important findings in this year’s Great Place to Work® survey is the strong increase of about 35% companies compared to last year. It becomes obvious that across industries more

Mostly, when people come from another country, the priority is the family administration as well as language knowledge, Ms. Jeziorowski, remarked the importance to “develop infrastructure of nurseries and kindergartens.” As Mr. Connelly stated, in Timberland “the integration of the spouse and children are an important factor for a successful integration of the expatriate…we always try to consider especially the needs of the whole family.”

In J&M to help the foreign employees, they use the English language for all their internal communication.

EMPLoYER BRANDING

Feeling themselves an integral part of a company is something very important to increase a personal sense of belonging.

As Mr. Carpus briefly explained, “thanks to flat hierarchies, cooperative leadership and trust based fleqxtime every employee becomes part of his/her company”. If everyone contributes to the ideas and strategies of corporate development, it’s easier to develop a natural sense of belonging. Excellent companies know that their success is closely connected with qualified and motivated employees.

Ms. Stellwag reported that for this reason, ConSol “has developed an unconventional profit-sharing and appreciation of value.”

Also internal communication is important to involve employees and keep them informed about current initiatives, challenges and strengths. In Medtronic, for example “we have an internal employee newspaper, internal blog, newsletter and video conference,” said Mr. Molina. In Simcorp as well, they are aware that corporate goals are cascaded down to the individual; “we try to maintain an excellent company culture with values that all employees cling to,” concluded Ms. Jeziorowski. •

01 MTU Aero engines, Mittellandkanal Northern Germany

02 MTU Aero engines, Maintenance Center

Duisburg

03 MTU Aero engines, Abu Dhabi, UAE

04 Daimler Smithy Stuttgart

05 Daimler Foundry Stuttgart

06 Daimler Smithy Stuttgart

© Alexander Fischer

and more companies do not only recognize the importance of an employee-oriented workplace culture and related to this their attractiveness as employers but are willing to really engage in the process of developing and maintaining this culture. 45 percent of the 290 company participated in the contest for the first time. Germany’s Top 100 companies outperform those not awarded in the contest in the areas of competence of managers and interest and recognition for the employees. The biggest differences can be found the experience of team spirit, support for work-life-balance and occupational health.

[W greatplacetowork.de]

FRANK HAUSER

Great Place to Work® Institute

Deutschland

Sülzburgstraße 104 – 106 D-50937 Köln

T +49 (0)221 / 93335 - 0

T +49 (0)221 / 93335 - 100

To know the list of the 100 Best Companies to Work for Germany 2011 visit:

photographs? I try to take people at work as if they are in their natural environment. When I find a particular perspective or an interesting expression that strikes me, I just press the button. Thanks to your job you constantly get in touch with German work environment. What can you say about it? I think German companies are really sophisticated and straightforward. They are oriented to the development of skills and people working there are extremely down-to earth.

By TIzIANA CERUTI

Where business meets lifestyle

From the mayor Mr. Dirk Elbers is the slogan of the metropolis on the Rhine. Düsseldorf is a cosmopolitan city: a pleasant place to live and, at the same time, a bustling commercial and industrial center. It is this combination of business and quality of life which sets Düsseldorf apart. The city is a mixture of Altbier and champagne, of down-toearth old town and elegant Königsal lee, of large global concerns and small niche firms. These are as much a part of the city’s charm as the proverbial cheer fulness of its residents. Not least for these reasons is Düsseldorf a popular location with company heads and also with the more than 3.5 million tourists who now visit our beautiful city every year. Artistic and cultural events can hold their own with any metropolis, yet there is no sense of being lost in an ur ban jungle. Düsseldorf has the stature of a big city, but with a quieter, more intimate atmo sphere. I wish you an enjoyable stay, full of pleasant surprises, in this green and flourishing economic center”

DIRK ELBERS, Düsseldorf

City advice

MICHAEL W. DRIESCH, Managing Director of GCS Event Services & Catering, publisher of the INDEX art magazine, photographer and film director (“Die Eylandt Recherche”) the metropolis, Düsseldorf is a truly intimate city. But this is precisely what gives it its incredible charm: the diversity of a big city is found here condensed into a small area. Right next to the Königsallee with its exclusive luxury goods shops is the arty

centers in Germany. There are 18 Internet service providers located in the capital

AN ‘INTIMATE METRoPoLIS’, a beautiful hub of international exchange with high living standard. Düsseldorf beautifully intermingle a big city lifestyle with a more refined and cosy atmosphere.ss

Mayor

for everyone in both March and April. By the end of March, the temperatures

stone’s throw away. Just like the Media Harbor, which not only is captivating, due to its imaginative architecture, but is also a gastronomic Eldorado.

ANDREA BERzEN, working for Production Paradise (agent for Düsseldorf & Zürich), Globotour Travel&Production Service and Annic (Representing for car photographer Stephan Romer) Modestadt Düsseldorf (Fashion town Düsseldorf) was the title of a song from the famous Düsseldorf Band DIE TOTEN HOSEN and it’s still standing for what the town is like fashion. It is also Known for art including widely known artists like Andreas Gursky, Imi Knoebel or Joseph Beuys. The metropolis on the Rhine is one of the most important cultural and economic centers of Germany, especially with their over 50 international trade fairs per year. And with its many bars in the Old town and in the Harbor-Area Düsseldorf earned the title of “longest bar in the world”. “CORRECT”, like KRAFTWERK said.

MATHIAS E. KoCH Turkish bath www. hamamsahara.de Düsseldorf is a modern city in Germany with many cultural events and the design/fashion center of Germany. The cost of living is above average but the transportation facilities and people living enjoy a very good living standard. In the matter of Architecture you need to see the “Medienhafen” and the buildings of Gehry. If you come to Düsseldorf you need to go to the “Altstadt” which is the oldest part of Düsseldorf. The Altstadt has many pubs/bars and small dancehalls and is crowded with people partying 24/7. Its quite easy to never sleep in Düsseldorf because of all the events going on.

GERHARD BENNECK Head Hunter at Contacts and Management GmbH Düsseldorf is a wonderful city to live in. It is

school attendance is mandatory for a minimum of nine years (or in some Länder ten years), beginning at age six. A student who starts vocational training as an apprentice must attend a part-time vocational school until the age of eighteen.

CoST oF LIVING

Consumer Good RESTAURANTS AVG Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant 8.01 Euro, Meal for 2, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course 35.41 Euro, Combo Meal at McDonalds or Similar 6.16 Euro, Domestic Beer (0.5 liter draught) 2.62 Euro, Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle) 2.90 Euro, Coke/Pepsi (0.33 liter bottle) 1.69 Euro, Water (0.33 liter bottle) 1.77 Euro MARKETS AVG , Milk (regular), 1 liter 0.76 Euro, Loaf of Fresh Bread 2.03 Euro, Eggs (12) 2.13 Euro, Fresh Cheese (1kg) 7.67 Euro, Chicken Breasts (Boneless, Skinless), (1kg) 7.45 Euro, Water (1.5 liter bottle) 1.10 Euro, Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) 4.17 Euro, Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) 0.86 Euro, Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle) 1.10 Euro, Pack of Cigarettes (Marlboro) 4.80 Euro. TRANSPoRTATIoN AVG One-way Ticket (local transport) 2.25 Euro, Monthly Pass 56.49 Euro, Taxi (5km within center) 11.14 Euro. Employment law. If you wish to live and work in Germany you should apply for a residence permit. Everybody staying in Germany for more than 3 months must officially obtain it, including EU citizens. After completing your residence registration, you need to apply for your residence permit at the local immigration office (Ausländeramt). Once you have your residence permit, you can apply for a work permit at your local labor office (Arbeitsamt). EU citizens do not need a work permit to work.

HoUSING

Cost for renting / buying. RENT PER MoNTH AVG Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre 481.14 Euro. Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre 381.03 Euro. Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre 1,011.71 Euro. Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre 786.31 Euro. BUY APARTMENT PRICE AVG Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment in City Centre 2,653.85 Euro. Price per Square Meter Outside of Centre 1,800.77 Euro Small towns close to the city. RATINGEN, about 12 km northeast of Düsseldorf. After relatively small war damage, Ratingen in the 1960s and the 1970s experienced years the growth and development; nowadays several important international enterprises (particularly from the IT industry) as Vodafone, Sun Microsystems, Hewlett-Packard, SAP, CEMEX, Tiptel and Esprit maintain branches and/or main centers in the city. MEERBUSCH, is located just outside Düsseldorf near Düsseldorf International Airport and Messe Düsseldorf. Meerbusch is the municipality with the second most income millionaires in North Rhine-Westphalia. NEUSS is located on the west bank of the Rhine opposite Düsseldorf, and owes its success to its location at the crossing of historic and modern trade routes.

SoCIETY

Düsseldorf ranks among the nation’s best in terms of quality of life (ranking first in Germany, sixth worldwide, according to a study conducted by Mercer Human Resource Consulting in 2010) and tourist friendliness (second place in the 2010 study on “Most tourist-friendly city in Germany”). Security. Düsseldorf is generally as safe as other European cities of similar size. However the surroundings of the central railway station can be a bit intimidating especially

a healthy mixture of traditional buildings and modern offices. It is a very international city. As a matter of fact it is the largest agglomeration of Japanese citizens outside of Japan. But not only Japanese companies feel at home in Düsseldorf, also Chinese, American, British and companies of all other nationalities. Therefore, when you go off to have lunch or dinner you have a huge choice of ethnic foods to choose from and in all likelihood your table-neighbors will be form all different nationalities. This gives the city a wonderful flair.

FELIx RIESEBERG IT Consultant The beautiful and exciting city of Düsseldorf has two hearts beating in its chest. On the one hand, visitors will experience a modern and elegant city, where the creative media industry is a strong motor for luxury, fine restaurants and more than 100 galleries and museums. A more independent creative culture is currently growing in the district of Flingern, where upand-coming artists and creatives allow a glimpse into tomorrow’s trends. On the other hand, located at a bend of the famous river Rhine, Düsseldorf’s Altstadt is also home to a cheerful culture of getting together and celebrating.

JILL KEEHNER, Information & Knowledge Manager, Ogilvy & Mather Advertising Düsseldorf During lunch breaks it is great to get out and walk along the river or pop over for a hair appointment at my hairdresser for a bit of TLC. When I’m famished, I head over for lunch at Prickynoo (prickynoo-duesseldorf.de), a reasonably priced Thai restaurant which has a fantastic menu and chef.

CHRISTA KoNzoK, Marketing Düsseldorf Tourist Office Everything in Düsseldorf is in walking distance. That means from the world famous Königsallee through the Old Town to the Rhine embankment, it takes you only a few minutes walking. And if you are tired: public transport works great! From Düsseldorf International you reach the

ethnic metropolis: patterns and polizie, Sako Musterd,W. J. M. Ostendorf,Matthijs Breebaart)

LEISURE

Sports activities. Sports are widely developed in Düsseldorf. Düsseldorf ‘s football team Fortuna Düsseldorf, the German Champions of 1933, German Cup Winners of 1979, 1980 and European Cup Winners’ Cup finalists of 1979 competes in the second German league. Their new stadium, the Esprit arena, opened in January 2005 and has a capacity of 54,500. Düsseldorf is one of nine 1974 FIFA World Cup cities and the Rochusclub Düsseldorf has hosted the tennis world team cup since 1978. Other sports in Düsseldorf are ice hockey (the DEG Metro Stars, former DEG - Düsseldorfer Eislauf-Gemeinschaft, which play in the new ISS-Dome) and American football. The Düsseldorf Panther are the most successful team in Germany with six national champion trophies and the Eurobowl 1995. In addition the Junior-Program is the most successful youthfootball program in Germany with thirteen national championship titles. Rhine Fire Düsseldorf was an established team of the NFL Europe and won the World Bowl two times in 1998 and 2000. Düsseldorf has a successful rugby union team (Düsseldorf Dragons), who plays in the regional NRW league and consistently finish with a top 3 positions. Table tennis is also played (Borussia Düsseldorf - the most successful team in Germany with Timo Boll), as are handball (HSG Düsseldorf), basketball (Düsseldorf Giants), baseball (Düsseldorf Senators) and dancing (Rot-Weiß Düsseldorf). The average price for a monthly fee in a Düsseldorf fitness club is 41.37 Euro. http://wikitravel.org/en/Düsseldorf

Restaurants ToP END RESTAURANTS IM SCHIFFCHEN is a top restaurant with two Michelin stars. The restaurant is run by Jean-Claude Bourgueil, who hails from the Loire Valley. A specialty here is the Breton lobster, steamed in chamomile blossoms. The atmosphere is dignified and elegant, but not stiff. Parking, non-smoking area, and dinner only. SCHORN Restaurant serving regional cuisine. This is an exclusive alternative for those who like to eat typical hearty Rhineland food, but not in a Brauhaus (brewhouse): FranzJoseph Schorn serves new German cuisine. Absolutely unusual is the wine list of 450 predominantly German wines. HoT SPoTS NIPPON-KAN Japanese restaurant. Oldest Japanese restaurant not only in Düsseldorf, but also in all of Europe; held in high esteem by Düsseldorf’s Japanese community. Tatami room, sushi and tempura bar. The best way to experience the great diversity of Japanese cuisine is to select a menu. Non-smoking area. WEINHAUS TANTE ANNA Restaurant with international cuisine. Entering this restaurant in the old part of town will transport you back into the 19th century. The interior design featuring antiques from the city palace is just as excellent as the good plain style of cooking. There are three menus to choose from and the wine cellar is as brilliant as expected for a traditional wine house. Garden or terrace, non-smoking area, and dinner only. Pets are allowed.

another great venue for live music in Düsseldorf and regularly hosts rock bands. your very own live catwalk on the •

By MARGHERITA SPANGARO

WoRK STYLE TALKING IS AN EVENT DIVIDED IN FIVE TALKS, oriented to discover the identity of work. They are developed on the basis of five dimensions: Identity, Emotions, Architecture, Environment and Organization.

The event on work identity 2011

WHERE Work Style talking will be held in Milan from April 12 to April 15 (4-6 pm) and on April 16 (11 am - 13 pm), and followed by an aperitif. A presentation of the initiative can be found on our website at workstyletalking.com

WHo PARTICIPATES IN WoRK STYLE TALKING

Every talk will be attended by about 20 participants.

Any person that has worked during their life, in any position within a company, is the right person to participate in our talks. We are not looking for experts, but working experiences and stories.

• Human resources directors

• Creative people in architecture, design and entertainment

• Athletes

• Journalists

• Employees and consultants

• Experts

• Professors, researchers and academics interested in work styles

• Leaders

• Businessmen and entrepreneurs

ACTIVITIES DURING THE TALKS CASE STUDIES AND BEST PRACTICES

We ask every participant for a creative contribution to the conversation that is going to develop through moderators’ guidance and if possible show case studies and best practices in work style management.

MAIN SUPPoRTER

Amsa is the company that manages environmental services in the city of Milan.

TALKING PERSPECTIVE

Work Style talking is a journey, a challenge for the imagination and for the concept of work identity: working processes change, transforming our ideas of work, folding and subjugating them to the dynamics of people and social relations variations. What we certainly know is that we will have the opportunity to reconsider our jobs from a different and original point of view, and we will be inspired to imagine and build our future on a broader, stronger and more colorful basis.

• Identity. The individual/person is the core concept of the dialectic between brand identity and personal identity.

• Emotions. Inner and collective emotions.

• Architecture. Volumes, spatial interactions, ways of interaction and places.

• Environment. The Man and the Planet: the Intimate and Corporate Dimensions of doing business.

• Organization. The man who works has to confront targets.

THE INTERNATIoNAL TALK TEAMS

(Follows in order: Moderator, Illustrator, Filmmaker, Storyteller, Photographer).

• Identity. Rosario Imperiali01 (Naples) Rosario wrote several data protection manuals and is a member of the European Privacy Association. Karen Sason & Gokce Turkel02 (Istanbul), Esam al Dabagh03 (London), Thrasy Petropoulos04 (Athens), Marko Turk05 (Ljubliana).

• Emotions. Sandra Sassaroli06 (Milan) Sandra is a member of the Italian Society of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. Eelco Van Den Berg07 (Rotterdam), Simona Tortolano08 (Firenze), Nigel Phillips09 (London), Boukje Kleinhout10 (Copenhagen).

• Architecture. Cino Zucchi11 (Milan). Cino is Professor of Architectural and Urban Design. Senem Oezdogan12 (New York), Fabrizio Fuochi13 (Florence), Fabian Uzaraga14 (Hong Kong), Paolo Mazzo15 (Milan).

• Environment. Fabrice Leclerc16 (Lausanne) He is the founder and CEO of Wildkeepers, the world community dedicated to the transition doing “the right thing” for business. Hanna Melin17 (London), Ana Paula Avetti18 (Milan), Angela Boskovitch19 (Frankfurt), Paolo Bassanini20 (Milan).

• Organization. Leonardo la Pietra21 (Milan) Leonardo is the Chief Medical Officer of the European Institute of Oncology, a care and research cancer center. Goñi Montes22 (Decatur), Daniel Grigore Simion23 (Bucharest), Luca Brunoni24 (Neuchâtel), Yalcin Sertkaya25 (Gebze).

The group coordinators are: Paolo Galuzzi (moderators), Martha Tintin (illustrators), Marco Della Fonte (filmmakers), Filippo De Bortoli (storytellers) and Roberto Benzi (photographers).

LoCATIoNS

The Talks will take place in 5 locations around Milan.

• Identity. 12.4.2011, (4-6 pm), Open Care, Via GB. Piranesi 10

• Emotion.

13.4.2011, (4-6 pm), Herman Miller showroom, C.so G.Garibaldi 70

• Architecture.

14.4.2011, (4-6 pm), CZA Studio, Via Revere 8

• Environment.

15.4.2011, (4-6 pm), Cargo Hi-Tech, P.zza XXV Aprile 12

• Organization.

16.4.2011, (11-13 am), Europen Institute of Oncology, Via G. Ripamonti 435

JoIN US AT THE oPEN TALK APRIL 13,2011, 4-6 PM

The Emotion Talk is open to the audience, that, however not directly involved, will be able to follow the Talk through a special “voiced window” of the Herman Miller showroom in Corso Garibaldi, and will also meet participants and collaborators after the event.

• MM2 (green line), Moscova Station.

SUPPoRTERS

Amsa Ecological services, Herman Miller Furniture, Poltrona Frau Furniture, Wilkhanh Furniture, Vasa Vasa Sicilian ice cream, Guido Gobino Italian fine chocolate, Yek Technologies, M-Cube Technologies, CiCrespi Wayfinding systems, Fida Candies, Alpiq InTec Energy efficiency, Altamarea Film Commercial and film production, Fibreform® (by Billerud) Innovative paper solutions, Matasci Wines, Volpi Wines, Cormano Wines, Raggio Verde Green productions

T-SHIRTS

The t-shirt graphics are made by the illustrators of the Work Style magazine. They are a limited edition and will not be reprinted. Work Style is a magazine modeled on illustrated

books in which iconographic elements, in the form of illustrations and art photography, and text coexist. The Work Style t-shirts will be launched during the event WorkStyle talking. The t-shirts were produced by Raggio Verde in compliance with the following environmentally sustainable criteria and business ethics:

• Production is 100% Free Child Labor

• Fiber Type is 100% Organic Cotton from Italian plants with no use of pesticides

• Inks are 100% Water based

Buy a T-shirt online at [W workstyleshop.com] or in the following Points of sale in Milan from April 12 to 16, 2011:

• Design Library, Via Savona

• High-Tech, P.zza XXV Aprile

• Tony & Guy, P.zza S. Babila

• Bookshop La Triennale di Milano Viale E. Alemagna 6

UPDATING INFoRMATIoN oN [W workstyletalking.com]

Event Milan

Rejuvenated business is a nice article by Elena Sassi published on page 12 of The Work Style magazine 2nd issue. The illustration Generation Y is by Danijela Lucilla

]

The

4th issue of

]

This is our issue #2 cover, illustrated by Yihsin Wu. The illustration World is inspired by an interview with Parag Khanna regarding the new powers of the world Alessandro Merlino, HR Director Bristol Myers Squibb [W bms.it]

Frontani, Assistant of the HR Director Merck-Serono [W merckserono.it

The illustrations About are created by Alessandro Baronciani who, since the first issue of the Work Style magazine, has portrayed our magazine’s authors. To date, he has drawn over three hundred images. On this t-shirt you can find a fine selection of his work for us. Gilberto Dondè, AD of the Great Place to Work Institute, Italy [W greatplacetowork.it]

illustration Wellbeing is by Danijela Dobric and was published on the

The Work Style magazine to support the article Feeling Better, Working Harder, built around interviews with specialists in the field of health and fitness in the workplace. Cristian Marinelli, Director of Human Resources, Leroy Merlin [W leroymerlin.it

We have involved 8 top managers and directors from the Best Workplaces 2011 in Italy, as models for our T-shirts. In fact, they are the best representatives of company values, emotions, identity and philosophy. On the T-shirts there are different illustrations taken from the Work Style magazine archive of images. Pictures on the T-shirts represent issues related

to experiences on the workplace; thus, any of us can identify with them and give a personal interpretation to the T-shirt. This is why to

The illustration Copyright by Senem oezdogan, accompanies the article Understanding US copyright law by

published on page 27 of issue #5 of The Work Style Magazine.

]

The

is

.

Brand identity & Personal identity is an illustration by David Johnson, who from the first issue of the Work Style magazine draws for the articles dedicated to data protection written by Rosario Imperiali. The image can be found on issue #6 of The Work Style magazine. Giuseppe Ferrotta, Administration Manager zeta Service [W www.zetaservice.com]

illustration Public & Private

by Paul Davis. It accompanies an article by Pascal Couchepin entitled Autonomy or Independence in which the ex-Chief of the Swiss State crosses a critical analysis on certainties in politics

The article is published on page 9 of issue #4 of The Work Style magazine. Patrizia Fogheri, HR Director Novo Nordisk Farmaceutici [W novonordisk.it]

Yihsin Wu is the illustrator who follows our Unusual Job section. The illustration Circus accompanies an article by Francis Mocellin (a circus expert) that was published on page 30 of issue #3 of The Work Style magazine. Beniamino Bedusa, HR Director ConTe [W conte.it]

Matthew Seminara,

Elena Panzera, HR Director SAS Institute [W sas.com

take part and share this project with us, to improve our workplace all together.

A Glance on the City City of the future

IF WE LooK AT THE MERE DATA, THERE IS No DoUBT: the share of the world’s population living in cities has surpassed 50 percent, and at this path by 2025 we will see another 1.2 billion people moving in to the urban perimeter – 95 percent of whom will be living in developing countries.

Cities we’re looking for

What kind of cities we will live in over the next years..?

Is our destiny intimately and deeply connected to living in the cities, as we officially enter a new phase of “evolution” – human beings as ‘urban species’..?

And what this will mean in terms of working conditions and perspectives..?

WHAT CITY WE WANT FoR THE FUTURE

The great debate that’s exciting media and opinionmakers moves between the growth limits of existing cities and the design from scratch of new “smart cities” to be the most high-tech urban environments in the world.

Saskia Sassen, sociologist noted for her analyses of globalization and international human migration, focuses on the need to “push the urbanizing of technology further and in different directions” mixing the best of architecture, science and technology to transform the city in an “heuristic space.”

So the question is no longer about the amount of money needed to be invested in the most advanced technologies that can be used in “intelligent cities” like the Songdo International District - scheduled to open by 2015 near Incheon (South Korea).

And is not even a matter of creating the best conditions to make cities laboratory for smart urban technologies that can handle the major systems and

From country to cities.

public services a city requires.

Retrofitting old cities or building smart ones from scratch have exactly the same challenge to cope with: managing complexity.

NEW TECHNoLoGIES AND IDEAS

Whether is a system to connect ships anchored in port to the electricity grid, allowing them to turn off the diesel generators as it’s happening with the Amsterdam Innovation Motor, or the real estate that Singapore dedicated to the new Fusionopolis and Biopolis developments, to have a World-Class research hub in respectively Science and Engineering and bio-medical technology, we’re talking about a similar model of mixing public and private resources.

THE SLUMS ARE THE PAST - ENERGY EFFICIENCY - oF ACTUALS CITIES

The same model is called to mind in most of the world, especially in the “global south”, where high-density favelas have grown faster, building new slums when the existing ones are full, widening the borders of the city with an informal economy that very often can produce a big percentage of the “gross metropolitan product.”

As Stewart Brand pointed out, this is the case for example of Mumbai, “a city of 17 million people, half is slum but it accounts for one-sixth of India’s domestic product.” And in this manag-

Parag Khanna, leading geo-strategist, world traveller and author of How to run the World: Charting a Course to the Next Renaissance, suggests a well defined scenario, rich of chances and opportunities: the 21st century will not be dominated by America or China, Brazil or India, but by ‘The City’ In a world that increasingly appears ungovernable, cities — not states — are the islands of governance on which the future world order will be built. Already, the world’s most important cities generate their own wealth

and shape national politics as much as the reverse. In terms of economic might, consider that just 40 city-regions are responsible for over twothirds of the total world economy and most of its innovation. To fuel further growth, an estimated 53 trillion dollars will be invested in urban infrastructure in the coming two decades. Moreover Khanna describes the times we are entering like a “new Middle Ages” season: “A thousand years ago, in the wake of the Crusades, European city-states emerged as the key engines of an important wave of commercial expansion, launching

03

By FILIPPO DE BORTOLI

ing complexity city squatters can provide the kind of solution the “global north” is desperately looking for in the search of ‘sustainability’.

“In town – reminds Brand – the squatters are the most efficient users of energy and materials. They recycle everything themselves, and provide extensive recycling services for the city at large. Dharavi, the biggest slum in Mumbai, has four thousand recycling units and thirty thousand ragpickers. All the great cities in the world once began as shantytowns.

The difference now is scale and pace. London, Paris, Berlin, New York, and Tokyo continue to grow, but the new great cities—Lagos, São Paulo, Mexico City, Jakarta, Delhi, Shanghai, Karachi, Manila, Tehran, and many more—are growing three times faster and nine times bigger.”

CoNNECTIoNS PLANS

The experience of Alfredo Brillembourg (director of Urban Think Tank) shows that there are ways “to connect these informal community with the formal cities, allowing one to feed into the other.”

Introducing a new approach to design and to urban policy, with the Sustainable Living Urban Model Brillembourg and his partner Hubert Klumpner transformed big pieces of Caracas, through an overhead cable-car extension of the

explorations that nurtured the development of the Silk Road, which ran East to West across the continent. The important hubs then were primarily in Italy, while today they are northern European ports like Hamburg and Rotterdam that aim to capitalize on industrial prowess and the renewed importance of shipping to rebuild the postmodern equivalents of the Hanseatic League. And while wealthy families such as the Medicis sponsored overseas expeditions and the urban values of the Renaissance, today it is technological powerhouses like Cisco, Siemens and ABB whose innovations are propelling their client cities’

city’s metro system that serves the San Agustin favela.

Besides what is under everybody’s noses with the expansion of the “greater Tokyo” to a regional with about 100 million people thanks to the high speed connection of Shinkansen trains, Greg Lindsay and John Kasarda demonstrate the potential of modern infrastructures with “Aerotropolis”, their study of airports as a generative hubs of economic activity that allows cities to be ever more efficient as permanent and vital knots of the global economy.

TECHNoLoGY FoR CoMMUNICATIoN But mobility is a declination of ‘mobile’ and that means more and more a whole package of networking system is made possible through digital connections and the massive use of ICT technology in virtual spaces.

In fact mobility now more than ever regarded as the merging of physical space and digital domains, developing new kind of experiences thanks to the speed and capacity of exchanging data.

These include the ones presented by Vodafone at the Mobile World Congress held in Barcelona on February 2011: “M2M communications – declares Vodafone advertising - is the networking of intelligent communications-enabled remote assets, that allows key information to be exchanged

infrastructure into the future”. Whether they are global hubs, mega-cities or gateway cities, all of them – explains Khanna – “share a growing sense of agency in their dealings with the wider world”. But the big deal is happening in the gateway cities (like Cape Town, Dubai, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Tripoli, Baku, Almaty, Kuala Lumpur), that are competing most fiercely to brand themselves as emerging hubs, where experimentation in lifestyles and new sectors is actively cultivated, and which are networking among themselves to form new axes of exchange in finance, tourism, and other areas.

01 — 02 — 03 Laiden A, Helene Binet, photos from the project “Encounters with cities, 1984-2010”.

A Glance on the City The

city of the

future

automatically without human intervention, and that covers a broad range of technologies and applications which connect the physical world to backend IT infrastructure.

Cityness, urbanity, urban identity and culture more and more are linked to the use of digital technology, mobile and locative media.

But what really happens when physical and digital spaces merges?

To answer this kind of question the Mobile City research initiative started a series of events and an international network containing a range of themes that connects from architecture and design to media and work perspectives for a whole kind of professionals.

Beginning a global analysis in Rotterdam in 2008, the Mobile City in Shanghai 2010 Expo has focused on

“designing the Hybrid City”: dwelling (about the sense of “making oneself at home”) and the use of public sphere and spaces seem to be the two “spin” of a number of processes we have only started to consider, either from a theoretical point of view or from a pragmatic approach to workplaces, public services, private housing.

4 RULES FoR MANAGING THE GRoW

“Managing the opportunities and challenges of cities is both vital and urgent as global urbanization rushes on a dramatic scale,” states the McKinsey Global Institute, talking about the real limits of city growth.

Considering four main principles of effective city management (sufficient funding for running costs and new infrastructures, modern accountable

governance, 1 to 40 years planning horizon and dedicated policies in critical areas), the MGI opens up a new outstanding scenario: “it is the ‘middleweight’ cities that will deliver the lion’s share of global growth. MGI suggest that around 575 middleweight cities (rapidly growing cities with population below 10 million) will generate roughly half of global growth.”

04 The photo was taken near the Quadisha valley at the lovely town of Bsharre, Lebanon at about 1500 mt. By Yalcin Sertkaya.

05 New York - Julie Saul Gallery NYC, exhibition Light cities by David Stephenson

06 Rialto East Melbourn – Julie Saul Gallery NYC, exhibition Light cities by David Stephenson.

07—08—09 Toggenburg area, Switzerland; the medieval castle is in Cardiff; and Rosenburg castle in Copenhagen respectively. By Yalcin Sertkaya.

North Africa burns

EGYPT, THE REVoLUTIoNARY FoRERUNNER

Liza Laziza moved to Cairo in 1990 to “live her dream.” An Iranian by birth and a fluent Arabic speaker, she saw Egypt as a spiritual home, a place where she could hone her skills in that most Middle Eastern of arts, the belly dance. Eleven years on, she maintains that the cultural and artistic decline in oriental dancing in Egypt mirrors the decline in living standards and general hardship that led to the popular revolt forcing Hosni Mubarak from power. “Oriental dancing is popular across the Middle East, but it was once revered in Egypt. And it no longer is. It’s about feeling, expression, femininity, power … all in a dignified way,” she explains. “But in more than ten years in Cairo, I have come across corruption and suspicion. I’ve been questioned by the National Security. These are things that will take a lot of changing. Nile TV, they call it. Denial TV is what I call it. Yes, it’s a free country - but actually it isn’t. Ever since 9/11 and the invasion of Iraqi there has been a clear social and economic decline.” The future of Egypt undoubtedly belongs to the youth that gathered night after night in Tahir Square; the many who kept blogging when the Mubarak regime tried to control the internet; and those who used social networks to organize demonstrations and send videos for airing on foreign news broadcasts. Thirty years Mubarak had been in power, standing unopposed in five national elections. However, bravery will only get a country so far – just as the Tunisians had discovered weeks before and the Libyans were soon to learn. The many who chanted for Mubarak’s resignation will now need jobs if they are to prosper. There

is skepticism over how open the elections will be once the interim military rule ends. And pro-democracy activists were quick to gripe that the constitutional reforms brought in with the March 20 referendum have not gone far enough. “What I found myself watching from my balcony was the demand for basic universal rights,” says Laziza. “The right to be heard, to elect, to not need to play games. People have had enough. It’s a rich country economically and culturally. It’s got the Nile, the Suez Canal, oil and gas. But I’ve tried to get other people, friends, to talk to you.

One said: ‘No, the situation is too delicate, I won’t be able to say anything.’ Another, who works for an international hotel, said: ‘Look, today I’m going to find out if I even have a job because they’re striking against foreigners getting their jobs’.”

By THRASY PETROPOULOS

01 — 02 A campaign warning sign. In 2011, the dictators will be crumpled. Reporters Without Borders denounces the “Predators of Press Freedom” by releasing its 2010 annual list of the worst violators and launching its latest highprofile campaign ad. The campaign was designed by Saatchi & Saatchi and the artists Stephen J. Shanabrook and Veronika Georgieva.

LIBIA, A oMNIPRESENT GoVERNMENT

Across Egypt’s western border things are, of course, immeasurably worse. As the West has intensified its response to Muammar Gaddafi’s attempt to put down the uprising in his country, so international business within Libya has all but dried up. Stavros Platakis, a Greek who has lived in Tunisia for five years and has travelled regularly to Libya as regional general manager of Danishowned insulin producer and supplier Novo Nordisk, is well placed to comment on both countries. All dealings with Libya, he says, have been put on hold. But he stresses that, even before the trouble began, it was an utterly different country to Tunisia. “Libya is a country under repression, with extremely high levels of corruption,” he says. “You feel the government is omnipresent in everything you try to do. Ev-

A FRAUGHT SITUATIoN DoMINATES THE NoRTH AFRICA and the Middle East, threatened by wars and economic decline. With some exceptions.

eryone you talk to will refer to a decision by the leader, the leader being Gaddafi and his regime. And you cannot deal directly with the government, you need to be represented by an agent. The fact that we have had to change agents three times in five years shows you just how much we, as a company with very high ethical standards, have struggled.”

THE ATTRACTIoN, oF CoURSE, IS THAT IT IS LARGELY A VIRGIN MARKET

“The overall market in Libya is worth 10 million euros, while in Tunisia it’s 15 million euros,” Platakis says. The difference is that in Libya it’s been growing 20 percent a year for the past few years whereas Tunisia is a fairly mature market. It has a healthcare structure and a professional capacity level that are quite advanced, and not just compared to Libya but also to other countries in the region – Egypt, Morocco and Algeria.

TUNISIA, UNExPECTED REVoLUTIoN

He describes Tunis a pleasant home for five years, largely free of corruption at the level of business carried out by his company. The revolution, he says, came unexpectedly. “I don’t think anyone expected things to advance so dramatically,” he says. “You could hear gunshots and see fires across the city but because of the curfew and the lack of information coming out of the statecontrolled media, it was difficult to get information. This lasted three days until the establishment of a transitional government and things became calm quite quickly again.” For all that, the systems established by a leader (Zine

al-Abedine Ben Ali) whose party won three successive “99.9 percent” election victories, will take time to unwind. “It has come out how much the real economy was controlled by the old regime,” Platakis says. “His extended family controls 35 percent of the country’s GDP. Just transferring ownerships of the companies – in banking, tourism, electronics – will be very time consuming.” The previous regime, he said, effectively set up a police state, which had the benefit of making Tunis a safe city to move about in at night. “That has changed a bit but, definitely, people feel positive,” he explains. “They’ll now have to learn how democratic societies work, which is not easy, particularly with monthly salaries that amount to 150 euros for a policeman and 800 euros for a university professor. And the big question, of course, is how a transitional government will be able to effectively manage the country’s budgets in the short and medium term.” The other question is how much Tunisians, Egyptians and other populations across North Africa and the Middle East will learn from the mistakes of the past. And how they will learn from each other.

SYRIA IS A CASE IN PoINT

Until anti-government demonstrations turned violent and forced the resignation of the government on March 29, it was a country characterized of late by its relative stability and growing prosperity. Symbolically, a nation once defined by its wars with Israel and a heavy hand against political opponents had managed to build a reputation as an up-and-coming tourist destination, even benefiting from cancellations in Egypt and Tunisia. But consider the words of tour operator Sharif al-Ferm, interviewed just before the first of the demonstrations which have resulted in more than 60 deaths.“I’ve been involved in tourism in Syria since 1983 –and, specifically, as the owner of Dawn Creative Tours since 1993 – and you wouldn’t believe the difference between then and now,” he said. “Cultural tourism is now our mainstay – from America, France, Britain, Germany... There have been some cancellations, but hotels in April and May are overbooked. There has been a strong push to renovate Old Damascus and Old Aleppo. We have a young, dynamic president and we have confidence in his reforms. This sounds like propaganda but, honestly, it is not.” The president he is referring to is Bashar al-Assad, a former eye doctor who was propelled into Syrian

politics when his brother (and apparent successor to their president father) was killed in a car crash. A reformist, he found many of his attempts to restructure local politics and society during his first seven-year term blocked by the old guard. But his second term (he, too, stood unopposed) has, indeed, proved more successful. “Just three months ago,” al-Ferm recalls, “I took a French tour operator to dinner and the president came in to the restaurant with his wife - no body guards, nothing.” That these quotes are perhaps now redundant serves merely to underscore that reform built on sand is bound ultimately to collapse, and the speed with which popular revolts in the region have spread. Of course, the warning signs were there all along. Most Syrian media is state-owned and criticism of the president and his family has long been banned.

TURKEY,

A SUCCESSFUL MoDEL

Undoubtedly a better example to follow lies further south. Turkey is geopolitically positioned between East and West (even Istanbul is split into socalled Asian and European sides) and, for the most part, is a nation been built on fiercely protected secular values. It has also enjoyed successive years of economic growth, recently surpassing eight percent at a time when its neighbor - and long-time adversary - Greece is still very much in the throes of recession and IMF supervision. “Everyone here is talking about Turkey being a successful model for the Middle East and North Africa,” comments an employee of a pharmaceutical company in Istanbul, who requested his identity remain concealed so that he could talk freely. “The economy is probably the fastest growing in Europe. You can see the prosperity. There has definitely been a change. Beautiful shopping centers are springing up and expensive cars are appearing, even though they are no faster than other cars in the Istanbul traffic. Healthcare has also improved.” He offers a warning, however: “People are wary of the [Erdogan] government’s plans because they seem more Middle Eastern than European. There is a feared Islamization. Yes, it is a democratically elected government but the majority of the AKP party supporters live in the less-developed Anatolian [central] part of the country and not the coastal areas. Most of my colleagues are against the government. But at least different parties are represented in parliament. There is a kind of democracy here.”

Work Cities Ekaterinburg

By GIULIA DE FLORIO

The new face of Russia

Despite being a fairly new city by Russian standards, there is plenty of interest to be found in Ekaterinburg. Founded in 1723 by Vasily Tatischev and Georg Wilhelm de Gennin and named after Saint Catherine, the namesake of Tsar Peter the Great’s wife Empress Catherine I (Ekaterina) it achieved town status in 1796.

Geographically, Ekaterinburg is situated on the border of Europe and Asia, 1,667 km (1,036 miles) east of Moscow, on the eastern side of the Ural mountains on the Iset river. It is surrounded by partially-wooded plains, mainly cultivated for agricultural purposes, and small lakes. The city features a humid continental climate under the Koppen climate classification.

ECoNoMY Ekaterinburg today is a quickly developing city. The wealth coming from the resource-rich region is plainly visible in the large-scale construction around the city and the flashy new establishments that are opening.

The main areas of the region’s industry are machinery, metal processing, and ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy. Recently, many business centers like Ekaterinburg-City have been planned or have already opened: one of the tallest buildings in Ekaterinburg – Antey-3 – is now a completed skyscraper. It is the tallest structure in Russia outside of Moscow. Ural Airlines has its head office in Ekaterinburg.

ARCHITECTURE

One of the city’s greatest features is its varied architecture, with numerous examples of different styles dotting the city. For tourists there is an abundance of museums, churches, interesting buildings and, perhaps most famously,

the site of the execution of the last Tsar. In the late 18th and the early 19th centuries the classicism influenced Ekaterinburg landscapes. In the beginning of the 20th century there were about 50 churches, and of these, only 6 still remain today. Later in the 20th century the constructivism dominated, although quite a few number of palaces and buildings in this style still remains.

cards, shops for photo development and pharmacies. The pedestrian area extends along Vainera Ulitsa from Prospekt Lenina to Malysheva Ulitsa and spreads over into Bankovsky Pereulok and Teatralny Pereulok.

SAFETY

There are no special safety concerns in Ekaterinburg. Nonetheless Russian cities are believed to be quite troublesome so it’s better to exercise the usual amount of caution: stick to the main streets at night, or at least don’t walk the back streets alone; don’t carry large amounts of money and kee

CULTURE

In Ekaterinburg everything centuries and their reflections are tightly interwoven; modern buildings intermingle with old quarters. Literary Quarter is the street of the 18th century that preserved the spirit of the old city due to old-fashioned street lamps, cast-iron fences, paths. There is also the unique museum of famous Ural writers. Ural is famous for gems and jewelry arts: State Stone-Cutting and Jeweler’s Art History Museum prove it. More than 600 historical and cultural monuments mirror the cultural heritage this city preserves and develops today as never before.

SKYSCRAPERS AND oLD CHURCHES, industrial areas and beautiful parks – Ekaterinburg still maintains the flavour of the past but it is rushing towards a rich and promising future. Russia is rapidly changing and Ekaterinburg carefully witnesses this new bursting stage.

Book selection Exciting New Releases

Interviews

• Jay Elliot and William L. Simon (The Steve Jobs Way) Mr. Elliot is the CEO and Founder of Nuvel, Inc. (www.nuvelinc.com), a software company based in Campbell, CA. Previously, he was the founder and chairman of Migo Software, Inc., a mobility software company, and inventor of its flagship product, Migo. He served as the Senior Vice President of Apple Computer, responsible for all corporate operations, including HR, Facilities, Real Estate, IT, Education, and Pacific Rim Sales, plus corporate business planning, reporting directly to Steve Jobs, chairman of the board.

• Ed Fuller (You Can’t Lead With Your Feet on the Desk) Edwin D. “Ed” Fuller is president and managing director of international lodging for Marriott International, Inc. Based at the company’s headquarters in Bethesda, Md., he has been in charge of international lodging since 1990. Under his leadership, the business has grown from 16 properties outside the United States and Canada to 350 hotels in 70 countries with another 175 hotels under construction.

• Srinivasan Pillay (Your Brain and Business) Dr. Srini Pillay is the CEO of NeuroBusiness Group: An executive coaching company focused on enhancing social intelligence in companies. All coaches who are members are trained in using applied brain science as part of their coaching methodologies. He is currently an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

• Susan Scott (Fierce Leadership) Best-selling author and visionary leadership development architect, Susan Scott, has enabled top executives worldwide to engage in vibrant dialogue with one another, with their employees and with their customers for two decades. A recognized thought leader in the global business community, Susan and her company, Fierce, Inc., are committed to large-scale and individual transformation through the principles set forth in Susan’s books and her company’s corporate training programs.

Books

• Army of Entrepreneurs Jennifer Prosek

• A Woman’s Guide to Successful Negotiating Lee E. Miller and Jessica Miller

• Being the Boss Linda A. Hill and Kent Lineback

• Building Team Power Thomas A. Kayser

• China’s Emerging outsourcing Capabilities Mary Lacity, Leslie Willcocks and Yingqin zheng

• Fully Charged Heike Bruch and Bernd Vogel

• Hard Goals Mark Murphy

• Managers, Can You Hear Me Now? Denny F. Strigl and Frank Swiatek

• Managing Your Manager Gonzague Dufour

• one Simple Idea Stephen Key

• The Elements of Power Terry R. Bacon

The Most Dangerous Business Book You’ll Ever Read Gregory Hartley and Maryann Karinch

• The optimization Edge Stephen Sashihara

• Slow Down, Sell Faster! Kevin Davis

• Wikibrands Sean Moffitt and Mike Dover

• Workarounds That Work Russell Bishop

pp. 95, 96, 97 and 98: Illustrations by Hanna Melin, London, UK

The Steve Jobs Way

twsm What type of relationship has Mr. Jobs developed during the years with his board of directors and with Apple’s stakeholders?

je I think in the early days it was a difficult one because the board of directors of Apple didn’t really understand how he was operating and his vision for the future of the company so at the beginning he didn’t have a good relationship with the board. However he had a great relationship with stakeholders, and now has the right kind of board that supported his decisions so now the relationship with the board is very very good This relationship changed during the years, when people understood who Mr Jobs was and what he could do for the company.

twsm Shifting to a more personal note, since you have had the opportunity to work with him side by side for a long time, how did Mr. Jobs react on a human level when he fell from grace and how did he manage to raise up again?

je Steve has an incredible energy and passion for what he does so I think it was this kind of passion that allowed him to pick himself up and keep going, I think he has a sort of spirit this is probably that is very important I personally have the same kind of spirit. I am the kind of person who if you knocked out, you pick yourself and keep moving.

I think that Steve has also a tremendous confidence in his vision for the future and that is really important. When you have been motivated by great opportunities to your vision.

twsm What are the key elements of Jobs’ management style?

je First of all, one of the strongest elements is his vision for the future, he creates a sort of a plan that you know what direction he takes. Secondly he is very practical and focused. He is also organizationally orientated. He believes that being organized at work is critical to have good results. He organized the whole company so that he was always aware of the priorities and of the goals he was achieving.

Kevin Davis

Slow Down, Sell Faster!

Understand Your Customer’s Buying Process and Maximize Your Sales

Amacom, pp. 272, $18.95

As Davis makes clear, his buyerfocused approach will turn selling into a competitive advantage for any business and the sales pro into a valuable business asset.

Role by role, each chapter provides proven techniques, practical tips, and actual business examples to help salespeople get inside the customer’s head during each step of the buying cycle.

Heike Bruch and Bernd Vogel Fully Charged

How Great Leaders Boost Their Organization’s Energy and Ignite High Performance

Harvard Business Press pp 288, £21.99

Authors helps leaders shift their companies into a state of high, positive energy in which everyone is emotionally engaged, mentally alert, and working productively toward critical goals.

Through examples of companies outline the necessary steps for leaders to manage their organizational energy more efficiently.

Lineback Being the Boss

Linda A. Hill and

The 3 Imperatives for Becoming a Great Leader

Harvard Business Press, pp 304, $25.95

Thomas A. Kayser Building Team Power

How to Unleash the Collaborative Genius of Teams for Increased Engagement, Productivity, and Results

McGraw-Hill, pp 304, £17.99

Hill and Lineback show what effective managers do to make progress and offer an approach they call the effective manager’s 3 imperatives: manage yourself; manage your network; manage your team. By the end, you will clearly understand your strengths, where you need to make progress, and how to move forward. •

After 30 years at Xerox and in the course of his consulting work, Tom Kayser discovered a major shift in how people work. The old school of rigid “command-and-control” management no longer gets results. To stay productive and competitive in today’s world, the key word is “collaboration.” Building Team Power is filled with clear examples and powerful exercises to help you put theory into practice.

Jay Elliot, William L. Simon The Steve Jobs Way

iLeadership for a New Generation [W jayelliot.net]

Kent

Book Twsm Selection

You Can’t Lead

twsm What are the most common clash points between cultures in a management environment?

ef For the most part, people simply don’t listen. This results in a lot of miscommunication which can eventually evolve into a conflict. Other contributing factors include not showing the other person appropriate respect and not taking the time to get to know the individual before getting down to business.

twsm How important is it to keep an individual strategy that can vary as the situation changes?

ef It all starts by laying the appropriate groundwork. This means being consistent in your early communications and being inclusive of others and their opinions in order to gain their understanding and buy-in. As the situation or conditions evolve, evaluate and measure results of your strategy and adjust as necessary.

twsm Tell us briefly one of the anecdotes that you think best sums up your ideas

ef For nearly 20 years, we had a solid business relationship with “Mohammed” until the day in 2009 when he glared at me and hissed: “Your company will be dead to me when you retire. I learned that even after years spent developing trust and confidence, a relationship can be damaged in one disagreeable moment. Our falling-out with Mohammed had its start in a financial dispute between him and his partners and our neutral stance on the matter. In subsequent visits, I took pains to assure Mohammed of our respect and admiration. He remained frustrated by his predicament and he eventually told me that the real issue was our refusal to unquestionably take his side in his quarrel with his partners. The depth of our relationship was the only thing that kept our partnership from breaking apart. Eventually, the dispute was resolved, but our need to maintain the relationship remained.

twsm In your long experience, have you ever met a total communication failure and should a manager react to this kind of a situation?

ef My personality is such that I always work to find a way around a difficult situation and, if one solution doesn’t work, I keep seeking another. It doesn’t mean that I always succeed; it means I keep on trying until I do succeed.

Terry R. Bacon

The Elements of Power Lessons on Leadership and Influence

Amacom, pp. 320 pages with black & white photos throughout, $27.95 Bacon sheds light on eleven different sources of power that contribute to a powerful person’s impact on a company, a movement, history, or individual lives. Filled with insights into strengthening each power source and avoiding power drains, he presents an energizing model for organizational leaders at all levels who want to increase their voltage.

Mark Murphy Hard Goals

The Secret to Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be McGrawHill, pp 224, $ 39.95 Hard Goals can help us get there by offering the hard science and practical techniques to conquer procrastination and unlock your brain’s potential for realizing your goals.

Denny F.

Strigl and Frank Swiatek Managers, Can You Hear Me Know?

Hard-Hitting Lessons on How to Get Real Results

McGraw-Hill, pp 224, £19.99

In order to stop struggling and start delivering, you need to close the gap between what you know and what you do. The book includes additional suggestions for bringing the best of your energy and passion into your work, helpful anecdotes from Strigl’s career, simple self-assessment questions, and even a look at how your business day as a successful manager should play out.

Gonzague Dufour Managing Your Manager

How to Get Ahead with Any Type of Boss

McGraw-Hill, pp 256, £11.99

Too often, we find ourselves working for people who are tough to work for, difficult to “decode,” or brilliant but inaccessible. Managing Your Manager is the answer to dealing with a problematic supervisor. Placing manager “types” into real-world categories it provides everything you need to make your work life more satisfying and productive.

Managing Your Manager empowers you with the knowledge, skills, and savvy for dealing with any type of boss and excelling in your job.

Ed Fuller

You Can’t Lead With Your Feet on the Desk Building Relationships, Breaking Down Barriers, and Delivering Profits [W Edwinfuller.com ]

Stephen Key one Simple Idea

Turn Your Dreams into a Licensing Goldmine While Letting Others Do the Work

McGraw-Hill, pp 256, £17.99

The secret to making your ideas profitable, Key says, is to put your talent and your time where the market is.

Key has successfully licensed more than 20 of his simple ideas which have generated billions of Dollars in revenue. Key says: ‘All you need to create the life of your dreams are the 10 simple steps for bringing ideas to market – and one simple idea. Then another simple idea. And another simple idea . . . You get the idea.’

Stephen Sashihara

The optimization Edge Reinventing Decision Making to Maximize All Your Company’s Assets

McGraw-Hill, pp 288, £26.99

Optimization is your best option for dealing head-on with marketplace volatility and resource scarcity. In this guide You’ll learn what Optimization is, what best practices you can immediately put to use, how to use Optimization to speed up and improve decision making, and how to integrate Optimization into your organization’s culture.

Your Brain and Business

twsm Which are the first steps to take in order to integrate organizational psychology in the business arena?

sp The first steps to take to integrate organizational psychology into the business environment would be the following:

Education. Educate CEOs and HR about how organizational psychology could be integrated into their staff and leadership development programs to increase staff productivity, profitability and satisfaction.

Information. Either a primary stakeholder or HR could then hold a one-or two-day workshop to educate employees about how organizational psychology could enhance their personal and professional lives.

Integration.Companies could then decide on whether to have an internal or external coach work with an identified sample of people to explore the effectiveness of the methods being applied through executive coaching. In this process, benchmarks could be identified and follow-up could include measuring company priorities.

Srinivasan Pillay

Your Brain and Business The Neuroscience of Great Leaders

Book Twsm Selection

Wikibrands

Reinventing Your Company in a Customer-Driven Marketplace

McGraw-Hill, pp 336, £18.99

In Wikibrands Sean Moffitt and Mike Dover build on a breakthrough, multimillion-dollar marketing research program initiated by technology guru Don Tapscott, to deliver a state-of-the-art appraisal of the latest developments in customer engagement. Using findings from this study and hundreds of other examples, Moffitt and Dover explain how brands like Ford, zappos, Starbucks, P&G, and other businesses large and small stopped marketing at consumers, and embraced peer-to-peer technologies to engage customers via social influence, word-of-mouth, and user-generated content and to create an experience through the creation and aggregation of customer-driven ratings, reviews, and online groups.

twsm Define a “business brain” – which are its strong points and its weaknesses?

sp A “business brain” is one that is able to maximize its capacity in the workplace to combine personal with professional satisfaction and productivity. Such a brain has the ability to integrate soft variables such as positive thinking, trust and social intelligence with harder variables such as adaptation to change, productivity, and profitability. That is, a strong business brain is one that is able to advance the individual and company agenda at the workplace.

twsm How can the brain science and the business world find a common language and which are the connections they can share?

sp Businesses have people and people have brains. By understanding how the brain works, people can better understand how to do things differently at work. Brain science can help to reframe what organizational psychology cannot adequately frame. Also, brain science can debunk myths and it can provide “targets” to increase innovation and manage change.

Sean Moffitt and Mike Dover

Fierce Leadership

twsm Can you briefly define which are the real best practices of a company?

ss The practice that should be at the top of the list is radical transparency. Being radical transparent means that you really do come out and do not hide yourself in any conversation. We really have to tell the truth, secrecy is dead.

twsm What is squid eye technique?

ss The term comes from Hawaiian and originally means when a diver is diving under the water to catch squid with his speargun or whatever he is using and you have to know what you are looking for because squids are very good at hiding. So squid eye is the ability to spot the find or the “tells” as I call them in the book to see if there is a squid there hiding.

twsm So is there a particular way to train yourself and develop squid eye ability?

ss One of the reasons why on the cover of the book there is a dog holding out a paw trying to stop some sheep is that everybody thinks for sheep just following a lamb. Without ever questioning what they are supposed to be doing, they just get herded from place to place and the sheep guard is saying: Stop! You are going in the wrong direction, you do not want to go there, there is a better way to go and if you look at all of this, the companies individuals, a series of products and services a company has, spent a lot of time and money and energy developing that scale. You have to say “what are we gonna do if we don’t simply repeat the cycle of making criticism and not committing our decisions very well.

twsm Which are the main aims of a fierce leader?

ss If you want to become a great leader you must have the capacity to connect with your colleagues and your customer at a deep level This is far from a naive feel-good notion, it’s really good business because today we are making different choices about how we live our lives, who we spend our time with, how we spend our money. And everywhere people are hungry to connect and this has an immediate and powerful impact on how we design business strategy and how we market our product or services and whether our businesses succeed or fail. We talk about human connectivity and radical transparency, so no more treatchallenging squeamishness, because when you practice those two things you will have increase market share and deep pleasure in the work, you indeed become a better and happier human being.

Lee E. Miller and Jessica Miller

A Woman’s Guide to Successful Negotiating

McGraw-Hill, pp 288, £12.99

Discover the three keys to negotiating success for women. Understand the 10 most common mistakes that women make and how to avoid them. Learn from women how to get what you deserve in every aspect of your life, whether it is earning more money, buying your next car, or just getting your husband to help around the house.

Russell Bishop Workarounds That Work

Gregory Hartley and Maryann Karinch

The Most Dangerous Business Book You’ll Ever Read

Wiley, pp. 206, £16.99

In this book Gregory and Maryann take the tools of military intelligence, such as heightened observation skills, deliberate interpersonal interactions, and a Special Forceslike bias for action and relate their potential value to the business world today.

How to Conquer Anything That Stands in Your Way at Work

McGraw-Hill, pp 256 , £17.99

Russell Bishop shows how to boost your productivity with a complete strategy for outmaneuvering anything that stands in your way. Bishop helps you ask the right questions, identify how to make progress and overcome resistance to any roadblock that stands in your way. He shows that nothing is insurmountable if you can think of just one step you can take that requires no one’s permission other than your own.

Mary Lacity, Leslie Willcocks and Yingqin zheng China’s

Emerging outsourcing Capabilities

The Services Challenge

Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 304, £ 69.00

While China is known for its huge manufacturing base, in recent years the government has given high priority to science and technology services.

This book provides an in-depth, contemporary view on where China is heading, how it is going to get there, and how companies and countries can engage with China’s emerging outsourcing capabilities.

Scott Fierce Leadership

A Bold Alternative to the Worst “Best” Practices of Business Todays [W Fierceinc.com]

Susan