I am sure that all experienced managers have had at some point in their career one of these guys in their teams – smart, capable people, top of the list, better than anybody else today and then bored, tired, annoyed by any task they get, sometimes dragging everybody else down the next day. Sounds familiar?

Well, managers, did you think that you may be doing something wrong? Did you take the time to think about what may be happening? Here are the potential causes that you need to investigate deeper:

1. Employee is bored – the average time that an employee should stay on the same position with exactly the same tasks is maximum 2 years, sometimes less depending on each individual. After that, the natural tendency, especially if we are dealing with young and ambitious professionals is to get bored and start seeking for new responsibilities and challenges. Managers need to make sure that the employees seek inside the company and not elsewhere and that their newly acquired skills are not wasted. What should you do as a manager? Prevent this by constantly discussing with the employee and by constantly trying to involve him in some new projects and challenges.

2. Employee no longer trusts his manager – if this happens, then gaining trust back is very difficult to do. What may cause this? The manager doesn’t know how to deal with poor performance – he doesn’t know how to offer different rewards depending on performance (sometimes the manager … Continue Reading ...

Psychiatric medications are just like any other medications: they must always be adjusted correctly to work correctly. The patient’s size and weight no longer matters. Today, medication adjustments are all about this little known Mind Bio-marker: the Therapeutic Window We used to think that weight and body size were the two most important variables to understand proper dosing. Today those somatic parameters are old news. What does matter a great deal in 2008: metabolic rate, how the meds are burned, and if they are burned correctly.

It sounds complicated at first, but in the end, it’s really easy, and the benefits are clearly measurable. We are now taking medication understanding from using only somatic surface appearance as predictors, to the molecular and cellular level: metabolism, metabolic rate, is the key predictor to unlock that challenging door, and to correctly adjust stimulant meds to treat ADD/ADHD challenges. If medications are correctly adjusted the patient lives right inside that Therapeutic Window: They don’t go out the top, nor do they bump on the bottom. They float right inside that important window as follows: Simply stated: The Top is too much, the Bottom is too little.

Overview: After recognizing these fundamental Window Lessons the patient becomes an essential partner in the complicated process of medication dosage adjustment. Without this essential information, medication adjustment becomes a roll of the dice, reactions occur frequently because “How do you feel?” is but a small, often macro, inaccurate measure of subtle micro processes of each person’s … Continue Reading ...

If you are involved in the entertainment business then you’ve probably heard a few tall tales. The following is a list of some of the top myths about the music business.

1. People in the music business will help you out of the kindness of their hearts.

Facts:

The music business is called the music business for a reason. It is a business that just so happens to sell music. Businesses are in business to make money. They are not in business to make ART, however they will sell it. You may find a handful of good Samaritans willing to help for free but generally speaking if helping does not benefit the other party, they won’t help.

“People (not counting loved ones) will help you if they think your art will make them money. They will not help you if they think your art will not make them money.” -David Naggar, Esq. from  The Music Business Explained In Plain English-

2. Since the economic decline people aren’t buying music anymore

Facts:

People are buying music, but they aren’t buying it in the same way they used to. Sales of CDs may be down but the sale of single tracks is up! If you are still an unbeliever just check iTunes sales records. Reportedly, Apple has sold 10 billion and counting!

3. Music superstars have and are making tons of money.

This is one of the biggest myths in the entertainment business. When you see a Sean Kingston or Lady Gaga … Continue Reading ...

10. Felix Hernandez (Seattle Mariners)-

While Felix Hernandez has only made 4 starts in the Major Leagues this year, he has done enough in those 4 starts to have him recognized as one of the top rookies in the major leagues. He currently has an ERA of 1.24, and has been dominating opponents with the ease of a savvy veteran. Felix Hernandez is only 19 years old, and is probably the best prospect pitcher to come along since Mark Prior. While it’s still very early in Felix’s career, he looks to have a very bright future as a dominant #1 starter ahead of him.

9. Joey Gathright (Tampa Bay Devil Rays)-

Joey Gathright is one of the fastest players in Major League Baseball. Since he only has 100 at-bats to his name, he cannot be ranked higher, but he has shown the promise to be an excellent starting center fielder in the major leagues. He is hitting .286, and he already has stolen 10 bases. Expect Gathright to challenge for the stolen base title for the next several years.

8. Robinson Cano (New York Yankees)-

Robinson Cano has done an excellent job filling in at 2nd base for the Yankees this year. He has hit .277, but he also played very well defensively at 2nd base. Playing for the New York Yankees is also a tough proposition for any player, let alone a rookie. With the Yankees struggling to get into the playoffs the team has been under more scrutiny … Continue Reading ...

If you can speak English, you will probably be able to communicate with someone in just about any major country you could visit. While not everyone speaks this language, English is truly a dominant language spoken by millions across the globe. Experts state that around a third of the world’s population speaks English as their native language, and many more study it as a second language. What caused English to spread beyond the bounds of the British Isles and become such an important player in global communication? The answer begins with a look at the language’s original speakers, the English.

English Dominance in the 19th Century

In the 19th century the British Empire was truly a global empire. As some said at the time, “the sun never sets on the British Empire.” Great Britain held colonies on every continent, and the trade language in those areas was English. By the end of the 19th century, the British Empire’s reach was global, and the language was also becoming global. This influence continued into the 1900s, and by 1922 the British Empire had an influence over around 458 million people, close to a quarter of the world population of the time, which meant that knowing English was important.

The Rise of America as a Global Power

Even though it is a relatively young country in light of world history, the United States has become a global superpower, specifically after World War II. America has a hand in politics, economics, and culture around … Continue Reading ...

“Hello, Mr. Cactus.”

“Is it all right if I call you Mr. Cactus? I’ve never spoken to a cactus before, and I wouldn’t want to be im-po-lite. Did I say it properly? Granny taught me that word. She says it means ‘rude’. Why can’t I say ‘rude’ then? She says I’m a very rude little boy.”

“Granny is always angry with me. I want to be a good little boy, I really do, even if I’m not that little anymore, but I never make it. Granny says that I’m a bad little boy and that she has to punish me.”

“Hello again, Mr. Cactus. I can’t speak much now. It hurts.”

“Hello, Mr. Cactus. I’m better now, so I can speak again. I don’t know what to say, though.”

“I wish I was with Mom and Dad. Granny says they’re in a better place now. I wish I was in a better place. Granny says I’m a bad, bad little boy for wishing that. It’s disrespectful to God, she says. I should be very very grateful to God for sparing me and not sending me to Hell, because that’s where all the bad little boys go. This way, at least I have the chance to become good and not go to Hell, if I pray all the time and do as Granny says. I pray to God Granny wouldn’t hurt me so much, but she still does it. Do you think it’s a bad thing to pray for?”

“Granny says … Continue Reading ...