I’m a business cycle person. I think that in order to be a great partner of people within a business you also have to be a good partner of and with the business. So for all the blogs, articles, and talk of those in my field always stating that we need to understand the “business” - here you go, a lesson from William Ackman on Everything You Need to Know About Finance and Investing. Enjoy your lemonade ;o)

“You should really watch this” of the day.

Regardless of your political, social or economic beliefs; it’s probably somethings that will make you think! Take an hour out of the 24 hours and watch this.

“Inside Job’ provides a comprehensive analysis of the global financial crisis of 2008, which at a cost over $20 trillion, caused millions of people to lose their jobs and homes in the worst recession since the Great Depression, and nearly resulted in a global financial collapse. Through exhaustive research and extensive interviews with key financial insiders, politicians, journalists, and academics, the film traces the rise of a rogue industry which has corrupted politics, regulation, and academia. It was made on location in the United States, Iceland, England, France, Singapore, and China.”

Inside Job, Narrated by Matt Damon (Full Length HD) from jwrock on Vimeo.

On May 18th, 2012; I was once again on @DriveThruHR, the only weekly Blog Talk Radio show on HR. My pleasure of course and it was a great discussion on employee engagement, with a particular focus on Culture. Feel free to listen in and enjoy.

A few items addressed:

• The lost productivity of actively disengaged employees costs the US economy is $370 Billion annually (Gallup)
• Can culture be manufactured?
• Should we hide or shine our company culture?
• Culture = Vision. There is no separation or masking what you truly are!
• Mike Tyson, Major League Baseball and Yoda!

If you’re having trouble listening Click Here

If you want to see some more interesting info and stats on Culture and Engagement Click Here

Have any of you often found a number of pennies in your pocket and nothing to do or spend it on. I have as well. While a penny had a lot of use back in the 1960′s and previous, they do not have a as strong of a benefical monitary value today.

As I wrote in my Thanksgiving rant on Black Friday, Hourly Wage and the Decline of Thanksgiving, I am all for inreasing the margin between opportunity costs and huge waste on our time and productivity in life and work.

Now I know you may have seen this already. Dan Pink beat me to the punch when he posted his thoughts in December of 2011. But I dare to bring you it again, an interesting argument for removing the penny from our daily lives. Except not me… I could use all the pennies you can spare!