The Contented Cow Blog

Building Workplaces That Work

Archive for March, 2009

Last Rites For GM?

Monday, March 30th, 2009 Posted in Think About It..., by Bill | No Comments »

This morning, President Obama did what GM’s board should have done years ago by effectively administering last rites to the ailing automaker, at least in its current incarnation. The move brought ... Read more..

Going the Extra Mile – FedEx Style

Sunday, March 29th, 2009 Posted in Extra Milers, Management, by Bill | 1 Comment »

As many are aware, FedEx, the world’s largest cargo airline, and my business alma mater, lost two dedicated pilots and an MD-11 aircraft last week in the first fatal crash ... Read more..

Don’t Forsake Leader Development

Thursday, March 26th, 2009 Posted in Leadership, Think About It..., by Richard | No Comments »

In a blog post earlier this week, Bill quoted Ronald Reagan, who said, "“I do not believe in a fate that will fall on us no matter what we do. ... Read more..

Renewing Our Faith and Our Hope

Tuesday, March 24th, 2009 Posted in Think About It..., by Bill | 3 Comments »

Sometimes when putting together a new presentation, I visit the archives of great speeches done by others in search of useful perspective and maybe a quote or two. Such is ... Read more..

Doing Layoffs Right

Monday, March 23rd, 2009 Posted in Management, by Bill | No Comments »

We have long maintained that one of the most telling measures of whether an organization is an employer of choice, and thus deserving of a fully engaged workforce, is not ... Read more..

Bonuses? Did You Say Bonuses?

Saturday, March 21st, 2009 Posted in Think About It..., by Bill | No Comments »

Something unusual happened this week... A major American company announced that it had paid out nearly a billion dollars ($933.6 million to be more precise) in bonuses to its employees, ... Read more..

The President, Leno, and Special Olympics

Friday, March 20th, 2009 Posted in Think About It..., by Bill | No Comments »

Last evening, President Obama made a highly publicized appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Ostensibly, the purpose of his appearance on the show, the first ever for a ... Read more..

EFCA and March Madness

Thursday, March 19th, 2009 Posted in Think About It..., by Bill | 1 Comment »

Before it was even re-introduced in the U.S. Congress last week, the Employee Free Choice Act (Card Check) legislation produced howls from many in the business community over the fact ... Read more..

Getting back in the habit

Wednesday, March 18th, 2009 Posted in Leadership, by Richard | No Comments »

[caption id="attachment_300" align="alignleft" width="144" caption="Touchstone Pictures"][/caption] I had an email today from someone who was in an audience I spoke for this past weekend. It was the kind of email that ... Read more..

Pay & Bonuses… Be Careful What You Incentivize People to Do

Monday, March 16th, 2009 Posted in Motivation, by Bill | No Comments »

Chapter 22 of our latest book, Contented Cows MOOve Faster deals with the subject of motivation and rewards. A central tenet of the chapter is that organizations (and individuals) need ... Read more..