Peter Drucker, arguably the most knowledgeable management expert on earth, made the following statement: "The single greatest challenge facing managers in the developed countries of the world is to raise the productivity of knowledge and service workers. This challenge, which will dominate the management agenda for several decades, will ultimately determine the competitive performance of companies.

Recently I needed some work done by a colleague of mine. I had done a lot of pro bono or free work for him and now I needed him to do some work for me. When the job was completed he presented me with a full retail bill. The work he did was what he had promised -- but nothing more. He had returned my favors by making me pay full price. After paying I began to wonder -- was I missing something here?

About a week later another colleague asked me to do some pro bono work.

It was one of those 'stellar' or rather 'solar' California afternoons. The sky was a deep, dark blue -- a storm having cleared out the skies the day before. We walked through rows of Brussels sprout plants that were beginning to lean with the weight of the sprouts. Surfers were scurrying down to the beach. The waves, ten and twelve footers, were breaking several hundred yards out and rolling in just right.

One of the odd things about our species is that we can reflect on ourselves in ways other animals cannot. As our knowledge of ourselves evolves we find ourselves literally as spectators of our own development. Not only is it fun to watch ourselves but this very act is one of the most interesting aspects of being alive and there is no better show!

One of the interesting new developments in our understanding of the brain and mind is what we can call associative or relationship thinking and learning.

Despite the fact that cyberspace seems filled, the world still craves fresh, interesting and unique content. To be successful both online and offline publishers must provide a steady stream of zippy content to catch and retain today's demanding readers and viewers.

Viewers want content that is relevant, interesting, informative, entertaining and makes them feel something.

The Employee Manual is another one of those 'groan' topics that everyone gives a sigh and throws up their hands on. Just the mention elicits a painful response. But it's not all that painful.

There are a number of templated softwares available on the Internet for building an employee manual. Pick one and look at the contents.

The first thing you notice is how the Employee Manual is a funny bird and not your normal company document.

You know who you are. You've turned over your locus of self control for the collective good. You've given up your mind and soul for others. You have adopted the standards and norms that are acceptable to many people some of the time. You have in fact, dumbed down.

Why do you feel like you've entered the twilight zone of arrested development and whatever potential you once had left with your divorce settlement?

OK.

Go ahead. You might as well find out. It's not hard. Just Google, Yahoo or otherwise search for your company name in quotes and see what your footprint or search engine results bring up. It's easy, it's quick and it won't lie or give you false readings. Your footprint is your footprint...

Odds are you have a decent website. Graphically, it is well balanced and maybe even designed by a webmaster or some such skilled webperson.

One of the true laments from management today is that employees cannot express themselves with the written word. Owners and stockholders have the same complaints about management. Today in the age of the paperless office the importance of the written word is increasing especially as direct live voice contact becomes more and more problematic.

If you want to communicate, you have to write.

If you see fewer auto repair shops in your area then you are witnessing a trend that is spreading throughout the auto repair industry. The small independent auto repair shop is getting squeezed by both the dealers and the 'backyarders' creating shrinking margins and putting many auto repair independents out of business.

The global problem is the auto repair and service market has been shrinking in the last ten or fifteen years.

If you hang around search engine marketers long enough you will hear them whisper about Google, Yahoo or MSN's algorithms. Algorithms are a fancy way of saying "criteria". A search engine's algorithms are the criteria with which it picks, rates and displays search engine results.

Those that work daily on the Internet can tell when Google changes its algorithms.