With the financial crisis a thing of the past, the authorities in Singapore are looking at ways of letting in a fresh wave of immigrants. This year 100,000 foreign workers should be needed to cope with the powerful surge in the city-state's economy, with 18% growth for the first half of the year.The full article is worh a read - see it HERE
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Growth = Immigration
Here's an interesting snippet from the Guardian.co.uk - especially in light of the current debate about immigration into the United States:
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Corralling the 'Horses' to Staff the Global Organization of 21st Century
Just saw the following note on the Employee Relocation Council's Newsroom:
"Staffing international organizations with enough skilled employees has become increasingly difficult, largely due to the complexity of competing in the global marketplace.
Daniel Hanyzewski, Nike Inc.'s global staffing director, says Nike could grow its business significantly more if it could effectively staff global management positions. Human resource managers must strike a balance between managers who have experience in emerging markets, but are not prohibitively expensive, as well as find employees willing to relocate their families to the emerging markets for 20 to 25 years.Global organizations must develop a global plan to address the shortage of skilled resources, and ensure they are competitive in emerging markets, such as Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Poland, Turkey, South Africa, China, India, and South Korea. These markets will represent 7/8 of the global population in the next 30 years, and 93 percent of the world's population growth will be in emerging markets over the next 20 years.
The key to the success of global managers hinges on them being used in an effective manner.Agilent Technologies uses Recruitsoft systems to assess the multi-cultural awareness and interorganizational abilities of candidates for global positions. Multi-cultural recruitment options and the variety of global assignments available means some employees may be more culturally adaptable than in the past, and are willing and able to help themselves and each other if given an opportunity. Technology has created many solutions to communication and work problems in global assignments, and the problems associated with expatriates can be minimized."
"Staffing international organizations with enough skilled employees has become increasingly difficult, largely due to the complexity of competing in the global marketplace.
Daniel Hanyzewski, Nike Inc.'s global staffing director, says Nike could grow its business significantly more if it could effectively staff global management positions. Human resource managers must strike a balance between managers who have experience in emerging markets, but are not prohibitively expensive, as well as find employees willing to relocate their families to the emerging markets for 20 to 25 years.Global organizations must develop a global plan to address the shortage of skilled resources, and ensure they are competitive in emerging markets, such as Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Poland, Turkey, South Africa, China, India, and South Korea. These markets will represent 7/8 of the global population in the next 30 years, and 93 percent of the world's population growth will be in emerging markets over the next 20 years.
The key to the success of global managers hinges on them being used in an effective manner.Agilent Technologies uses Recruitsoft systems to assess the multi-cultural awareness and interorganizational abilities of candidates for global positions. Multi-cultural recruitment options and the variety of global assignments available means some employees may be more culturally adaptable than in the past, and are willing and able to help themselves and each other if given an opportunity. Technology has created many solutions to communication and work problems in global assignments, and the problems associated with expatriates can be minimized."
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Left and Right Brain: Creativity and Logical thinking
One of the things I have learned during my career is the need to develop synergy between both hemispheres of the brain. In order to be truly effective, we need to use the logical and analytical left side of our brain without neglecting the creative and intuitive right side of the brain.
Most analytical, logical, and rational thought takes place in the left hemisphere, where the tasks for well reasoned arguments take place. That may be the reason most people prefer to hold their phones against their right ear. The right ear connects directly to the left side of the brain - the side that processes language and analytical thought.
In today’s work environment, I find the right side of the brain is not used nearly enough. The right hemisphere is where our brains focus on the big picture. It is where we are creative and intuitive. In order to gain a competitive edge, especially in the realm of international business, we need to be able to draw on the resources of our whole brain – creativity and intuition to find the possible solutions and alternatives to a problem and logical and analytical reasoning to implement the solution.
In the world of organizations and business, the logical thinkers who tend to concentrate on data and details often dominate. In my consulting work, I find many teams where not one team-member is right-brain dominant. In part the reason for this is that the detail oriented logical thinkers find it hard to recruit personalities different to their own. The result of such self-selection is quite predictable – the team gets lost in data, details and processes, struggling to see the big picture.
During my career (see my memoir "Driving Straight on Crooked Lines"), I think I was able to develop synergy between both halves of my brain. My boss, for many years, was a logical thinker who focused on detail. He didn’t spend a lot of energy on feelings – but he always seemed to manage to stay in touch with his intuitive side. He trained us to see the big picture, to seek creative solutions and then focus on process and implementation. Like so many corporate and organizational types, I tended to be a data-focused logical thinker and the organization I was with became quite left-brain dominant. The how of getting things done tended to be more important than the why. As a result, we tended to focus on a rational approach to life and spirituality with a decided bias towards action. On the positive side, that is one of the reasons we got so much support from powerful business people – we knew how to get things done and we spoke the action oriented language of business.
Our bias toward action was tempered with an intense dedication to prayer – although our prayer life too tended to be structured and regimented. That approach probably worked best for our dominant personality type. A solid prayer life does help one keep in touch with the creative and intuitive side of the brain. I have since learned that optimism is probably the most important emotional asset in business. There’s nothing like a good prayer life to cultivate optimism.
As part of our prayer life, I would have to include the enormously healing, holistic effect of Gregorian chant. The French doctor Alfred Tomatis pioneered research on the neurophysiologic effects of chant on the minds and bodies of its singers and listeners. According to his theory, there are two kinds of sound: "discharge" sounds (those that tire, fatigue and drain the listener) and "charge" sounds (those that give energy and health). According to Dr. Tomatis, Gregorian chant may be the most potent "charge" sound to promote strength and vitality. Unlike other types of music, the rhythm of the chant is based on the breathing of the participants rather than on a mathematically calculated beat. Just try listening to a small amount of it each day, or better still, chanting some of the traditional melodies, and you will quickly notice how calming it is as you get in touch with your intuitive and creative side.
I am thankful that most of us analytical types got to spend a balanced amount of time on creativity-enhancing exercises. A solid physical exercise regime helped us manage stress; we all spent a lot of time on writing, metaphysics and brainstorming. We listened to well selected classical music and had ample time for silent meditation. I think the positive result of all of the above, for me, is that I learned to be in touch with both hemispheres of my brain. As I wrote at the beginning, this is not a skill I come across often in the corporate, technically oriented world I live in. Did I learn anything usefulfor the oft-maligned creative types? Yes. My creatively inclined confreres got in touch with their logical left-brain processes by playing dominoes and chess, studying scholastic philosophy, developing plans and budgets and adhering to the strict schedules that marked our life in community.
Most analytical, logical, and rational thought takes place in the left hemisphere, where the tasks for well reasoned arguments take place. That may be the reason most people prefer to hold their phones against their right ear. The right ear connects directly to the left side of the brain - the side that processes language and analytical thought.
In today’s work environment, I find the right side of the brain is not used nearly enough. The right hemisphere is where our brains focus on the big picture. It is where we are creative and intuitive. In order to gain a competitive edge, especially in the realm of international business, we need to be able to draw on the resources of our whole brain – creativity and intuition to find the possible solutions and alternatives to a problem and logical and analytical reasoning to implement the solution.
In the world of organizations and business, the logical thinkers who tend to concentrate on data and details often dominate. In my consulting work, I find many teams where not one team-member is right-brain dominant. In part the reason for this is that the detail oriented logical thinkers find it hard to recruit personalities different to their own. The result of such self-selection is quite predictable – the team gets lost in data, details and processes, struggling to see the big picture.
During my career (see my memoir "Driving Straight on Crooked Lines"), I think I was able to develop synergy between both halves of my brain. My boss, for many years, was a logical thinker who focused on detail. He didn’t spend a lot of energy on feelings – but he always seemed to manage to stay in touch with his intuitive side. He trained us to see the big picture, to seek creative solutions and then focus on process and implementation. Like so many corporate and organizational types, I tended to be a data-focused logical thinker and the organization I was with became quite left-brain dominant. The how of getting things done tended to be more important than the why. As a result, we tended to focus on a rational approach to life and spirituality with a decided bias towards action. On the positive side, that is one of the reasons we got so much support from powerful business people – we knew how to get things done and we spoke the action oriented language of business.
Our bias toward action was tempered with an intense dedication to prayer – although our prayer life too tended to be structured and regimented. That approach probably worked best for our dominant personality type. A solid prayer life does help one keep in touch with the creative and intuitive side of the brain. I have since learned that optimism is probably the most important emotional asset in business. There’s nothing like a good prayer life to cultivate optimism.
As part of our prayer life, I would have to include the enormously healing, holistic effect of Gregorian chant. The French doctor Alfred Tomatis pioneered research on the neurophysiologic effects of chant on the minds and bodies of its singers and listeners. According to his theory, there are two kinds of sound: "discharge" sounds (those that tire, fatigue and drain the listener) and "charge" sounds (those that give energy and health). According to Dr. Tomatis, Gregorian chant may be the most potent "charge" sound to promote strength and vitality. Unlike other types of music, the rhythm of the chant is based on the breathing of the participants rather than on a mathematically calculated beat. Just try listening to a small amount of it each day, or better still, chanting some of the traditional melodies, and you will quickly notice how calming it is as you get in touch with your intuitive and creative side.
I am thankful that most of us analytical types got to spend a balanced amount of time on creativity-enhancing exercises. A solid physical exercise regime helped us manage stress; we all spent a lot of time on writing, metaphysics and brainstorming. We listened to well selected classical music and had ample time for silent meditation. I think the positive result of all of the above, for me, is that I learned to be in touch with both hemispheres of my brain. As I wrote at the beginning, this is not a skill I come across often in the corporate, technically oriented world I live in. Did I learn anything usefulfor the oft-maligned creative types? Yes. My creatively inclined confreres got in touch with their logical left-brain processes by playing dominoes and chess, studying scholastic philosophy, developing plans and budgets and adhering to the strict schedules that marked our life in community.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Damian Thompson reveals unexpected turmoil, confusion and poor organization behind the scenes in the preparations for Pope Benedict XVI’s keenly awaited visit to Britain. He claims the trip has been hijacked by a Blairite cadre.
Benedict XVI’s visit to Britain was always intended to be on a smaller scale than that of John Paul II in 1982. But the diplomatic, political and logistical problems associated with it are far greater. For various diplomatic reasons, the last Pope came to Britain on a private visit: Benedict XVI is doing so as a head of state. Accordingly, the British government will pay for aspects of his visit that are not specifically Catholic. A draft itinerary of his visit, seen by The Spectator, includes an audience with the Queen at Holyrood House, Edinburgh, and an 8.15 p.m. state banquet in his honour hosted by the Prime Minister at Lancaster House — which, bizarrely, the Pope is not expected to attend, presumably because, at 83, he might find it exhausting.
The Papal visit also coincides with much public indignation at the Church’s role in protecting paedophile priests. The authors Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens would like to see the Pope arrested for his role in covering up the abuse. There has also been resentment over the £7 million of taxpayers’ money that will pay for the visit — but at least that sum has not increased since the non-Catholic parts of the Pope’s itinerary were confirmed earlier this year. It is the part of the visit run by the Church which is running into danger. The question facing the archbishops is how on earth the church got its own sums badly wrong.Read the full article here
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Turning Adversity to Advantage
I do a fair amount of public speaking so I am always thinking of themes that are discussed in my book and which relate to leadership and business. Dealing with adversity is one such theme.
When I wrote my memoir, “Driving Straight on Crooked Lines: How an Irishman found his heart and nearly lost his mind” I decided to share my own personal journey and the special circumstances that helped shape who I am today. One of the themes relates to learning to turn adversity into an advantage. I had to learn from my mistakes, getting in touch with my heart and my emotions, and follow the principle that it’s "better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.”
Managers and leaders have to face difficult situations all the time. I learned that it is essential to be able to rely on a series of well articulated principles when faced with adversity. These are principles that I was able to think about and develop which served me in good stead in times of adversity. I think the process is akin to learning to drive an automobile on quiet roads before venturing out into traffic. Learn to drive straight first, then you can adapt to crooked roads.
When you are faced with an adverse situation, you need to know what principles to fall back on. To do this, you need to be able to articulate them and incorporate them into your life and leadership style. Being in touch with your principles will do wonders for your self-confidence which, in turn will make you a much more inspiring and effective leader. Humility and resilience are two qualities you need to cultivate. Knowing your values and principles will help you.
Here are some principles, in no particular order, which I believe in. Readers can think about them and see which ones they share, so that when the time comes they can help you turn adversity to your advantage.
To read about these principles in PDF format click HERE.
When I wrote my memoir, “Driving Straight on Crooked Lines: How an Irishman found his heart and nearly lost his mind” I decided to share my own personal journey and the special circumstances that helped shape who I am today. One of the themes relates to learning to turn adversity into an advantage. I had to learn from my mistakes, getting in touch with my heart and my emotions, and follow the principle that it’s "better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.”
Managers and leaders have to face difficult situations all the time. I learned that it is essential to be able to rely on a series of well articulated principles when faced with adversity. These are principles that I was able to think about and develop which served me in good stead in times of adversity. I think the process is akin to learning to drive an automobile on quiet roads before venturing out into traffic. Learn to drive straight first, then you can adapt to crooked roads.
When you are faced with an adverse situation, you need to know what principles to fall back on. To do this, you need to be able to articulate them and incorporate them into your life and leadership style. Being in touch with your principles will do wonders for your self-confidence which, in turn will make you a much more inspiring and effective leader. Humility and resilience are two qualities you need to cultivate. Knowing your values and principles will help you.
Here are some principles, in no particular order, which I believe in. Readers can think about them and see which ones they share, so that when the time comes they can help you turn adversity to your advantage.
To read about these principles in PDF format click HERE.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Employees rate work-life balance over bonus
Flexible working is the most valued benefit for employees, ahead of material perks such as bonuses, according to a new PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) survey.
Managing Tomorrow’s People explores the work aspirations and expectations of 1,167 professionals across the UK. Flexible working arrangements were rated the most important benefit by 47% of those surveyed, above performance related bonuses, which came second (19%).
Flexible working was given fairly equal priority by men and women, with 41% and 54% respectively ranking this benefit the most valuable. Moreover a better work-life balance was seen as more achievable in the long term by 42% respondents than vastly increased responsibility and salary (39%).
Managing Tomorrow’s People explores the work aspirations and expectations of 1,167 professionals across the UK. Flexible working arrangements were rated the most important benefit by 47% of those surveyed, above performance related bonuses, which came second (19%).
Flexible working was given fairly equal priority by men and women, with 41% and 54% respectively ranking this benefit the most valuable. Moreover a better work-life balance was seen as more achievable in the long term by 42% respondents than vastly increased responsibility and salary (39%).
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
New Memoir About Life in the Controversial Legion of Christ by a Former Member Reveals Insights into the Double Life of Founder Father Marcial Maciel
Press Release
TRUMBULL, Conn., May 26 /PRNewswire/ -- As Vatican-watchers await the appointment of a papal delegate to oversee the Legion of Christ, a new memoir by a former member claims that few Legionaries were aware of the double life led by their founder, the late Father Marcial Maciel.
Driving Straight on Crooked Lines: How an Irishman Found his heart and Nearly Lost his Mind, http://www.drivingstraight.com (ISBN 978-0-9845227-0-5, Trade paperback, 352 pp, 5 1/2 x 8 1/2) provides author Jack Keogh's insights into the inner workings of the Legion of Christ and the intimate thoughts of a former priest who collaborated with the controversial Maciel, the founder of the Mexican congregation.
Keogh, the first Irish-born Legionary to set foot in Mexico, tells how he ultimately came to believe that God does indeed drive straight on the crooked lines of our lives after first nearly losing his mind.
Spanning locations across the globe, Keogh's "gripping story offers realistic insight, told with a subjective, non-judgmental outlook," says Australian writer and editor Cerian Griffiths. "Keogh's sincere narrative, in which he faces many challenges, inspires an attitude of hope for the future. His story is told with candor, a sparkle in the eye, plenty of blarney, and Irish good humor."
Investigative reporter, author and film director Jason Berry, whose recent report on the Legion of Christ's Father Marcial Maciel was published in the National Catholic Reporter says, "I was pulled along by the story of a young Irishman drawn into the world of the Legionaries of Christ, unable to see the raw truth of Father Maciel, coming to the painful realization of Maciel's psychological tyranny as time passed, and having the fortune to leave early enough to make a new life. This is a sad yet, in the final measure, uplifting memoir."
Keogh is Managing Director of Keogh & Associates Consulting, LLC of Trumbull, CT, which advises multinational corporations on leadership and cross-cultural communications. A resident of Fairfield County, CT, Keogh studied in Spain and Italy and is fluent in their languages. Many thousands of people around the globe have attended his presentations.
For more information about Driving Straight on Crooked Lines or to schedule an interview, please contact Jack Keogh at (203) 268-3126 or visit http://www.drivingstraight.com. The book is available on http://www.amazon.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com.
Book Cover: http://www.ereleases.com/pic/DrivingStraightonCrookedLines.jpg
CONTACT: Jack Keogh Iveagh Lodge Press Trumbull, CT (203) 268-3126 info@iveaghlodgepress.com
This press release was issued through eReleases(R). For more information, visit eReleases Press Release Distribution at http://www.ereleases.com.
SOURCE Jack Keogh
TRUMBULL, Conn., May 26 /PRNewswire/ -- As Vatican-watchers await the appointment of a papal delegate to oversee the Legion of Christ, a new memoir by a former member claims that few Legionaries were aware of the double life led by their founder, the late Father Marcial Maciel.
Driving Straight on Crooked Lines: How an Irishman Found his heart and Nearly Lost his Mind, http://www.drivingstraight.com (ISBN 978-0-9845227-0-5, Trade paperback, 352 pp, 5 1/2 x 8 1/2) provides author Jack Keogh's insights into the inner workings of the Legion of Christ and the intimate thoughts of a former priest who collaborated with the controversial Maciel, the founder of the Mexican congregation.
Keogh, the first Irish-born Legionary to set foot in Mexico, tells how he ultimately came to believe that God does indeed drive straight on the crooked lines of our lives after first nearly losing his mind.
Spanning locations across the globe, Keogh's "gripping story offers realistic insight, told with a subjective, non-judgmental outlook," says Australian writer and editor Cerian Griffiths. "Keogh's sincere narrative, in which he faces many challenges, inspires an attitude of hope for the future. His story is told with candor, a sparkle in the eye, plenty of blarney, and Irish good humor."
Investigative reporter, author and film director Jason Berry, whose recent report on the Legion of Christ's Father Marcial Maciel was published in the National Catholic Reporter says, "I was pulled along by the story of a young Irishman drawn into the world of the Legionaries of Christ, unable to see the raw truth of Father Maciel, coming to the painful realization of Maciel's psychological tyranny as time passed, and having the fortune to leave early enough to make a new life. This is a sad yet, in the final measure, uplifting memoir."
Keogh is Managing Director of Keogh & Associates Consulting, LLC of Trumbull, CT, which advises multinational corporations on leadership and cross-cultural communications. A resident of Fairfield County, CT, Keogh studied in Spain and Italy and is fluent in their languages. Many thousands of people around the globe have attended his presentations.
For more information about Driving Straight on Crooked Lines or to schedule an interview, please contact Jack Keogh at (203) 268-3126 or visit http://www.drivingstraight.com. The book is available on http://www.amazon.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com.
Book Cover: http://www.ereleases.com/pic/DrivingStraightonCrookedLines.jpg
CONTACT: Jack Keogh Iveagh Lodge Press Trumbull, CT (203) 268-3126 info@iveaghlodgepress.com
This press release was issued through eReleases(R). For more information, visit eReleases Press Release Distribution at http://www.ereleases.com.
SOURCE Jack Keogh
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