Retirement? There's Still a Lot of Fight Left in Wanderlei Silva
Posted: June 18, 2012 at 5:18 pm
It was just a few years ago that Wanderlei Silva was on top of the world.
The Brazilian was wreaking havoc in Japan on an incredible 20-fight win streak while fighting under the Pride banner, and sitting as the best light heavyweight in the sport.
As times change and careers progress, Silva eventually moved back over to the UFC, the promotion he had fought for early in his MMA career, but didn't find the same type of success.
Call it age, call it competition catching up with him, but through six fights under his new UFC deal Silva was sitting with a 2-4 record and questions of retirement started to swirl.
UFC president Dana White seemed to encourage the idea because of Silva's long journey in the world of MMA, and some violent encounters with past opponents that either left him or the other guy laying in the center of the Octagon, unconscious.
It just wasn't in Wanderlei Silva to walk away, however; so he dusted himself off, picked himself up, got back in the gym and earned another shot in the UFC, and it paid off.
Silva put on a Fight of the Night performance with a victory over former Strikeforce middleweight champion Cung Le, and earned a spot coaching the first ever Ultimate Fighter in his native country of Brazil.
While he coached the entire season against Vitor Belfort, an injury forced Belfort out of the fight, so Silva will instead face Rich Franklin on June 23 in Brazil as the headline fight at UFC 147. One win doesn't erase the past, but Silva knows that one loss will absolutely bring up the questions again.
Is it time to retire? Is it time to walk away?
I have a lot of pressure in all the fights. Right now, all the fights I need to prove I can still fight. All the time I need to prove, and I'm going to prove it again that I'm still a really good fighter and can put on a really good show, Silva told MMAWeekly Radio.
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Retirement? There's Still a Lot of Fight Left in Wanderlei Silva
CIBC Poll: Debt Drags Retirement Savings Down
Posted: at 5:18 pm
Holding debt isn't stopping Canadians from contributing to their retirement - but it does impact how much they can save
TORONTO, June 18, 2012 /CNW/ - Canadians holding debt are actively contributing to their retirement savings - but the more debt products they hold, the less they are able to put away for the future each month, according to a new CIBC (CM.TO) (CM) poll conducted by Harris/Decima.
Key Poll Findings:
"These poll results clearly illustrate the connection between good debt management and your ability to save for your long term financial goals," said Christina Kramer, Executive Vice President, Retail Distribution and Channel Strategy, CIBC. "Planning for a successful retirement involves more than just having a regular savings plan. It also requires a strategy to pay down debt, reduce interest costs, and redirect those funds towards long term savings."
Past CIBC research has shown the likelihood of holding debt peaks at age 45, and then declines. As Canadians pay down their debt they have an opportunity to direct more of those funds towards retirement. Ms. Kramer notes there is an opportunity for Canadians to look at their finances holistically to accelerate this curve.
"A positive finding from this poll is that Canadians appear to be very aware of the importance of putting away money for the long term, however balancing that against the immediate need to repay debt can be a challenge," added Ms. Kramer. "The message is not that holding any debt will negatively affect your future, it's that debt repayment needs to be managed appropriately to open up opportunities to accelerate retirement savings for the future."
Advice on Managing Debt:
For Canadians focused on paying down debt, Ms. Kramer offered debt management tips to take charge of their finances and reduce debt as part of their long term financial plan.
"There is a clear benefit to sitting down with an advisor and working through your plans on both the savings and debt management side of your finances to help you achieve what matters to you in the long term," added Ms. Kramer.
To learn more tips and try various debt repayment tools and calculators, visit the CIBC Advice Centre.
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CIBC Poll: Debt Drags Retirement Savings Down
Crossing personal-work line can blow up in your face
Posted: at 5:17 pm
According to papers filed with the New York State Division of Human Rights, employee Deborah Stevens worked for the billion-dollar Atlantic Automotive Group (AAG) dealership. When she learned her supervisor, Brucia, needed a kidney transplant, she volunteered hers.
Although her kidney didn't prove a match, they worked out an arrangement under which Stevens donated her kidney and this elevated Brucia on the recipient list and she received a timely transplant.
After the surgery, Brucia said "thanks more than I can ever say." However, the prior positive work relationship disintegrated. According to Stevens, the boss who formerly praised her and to whom she'd given a life-saving gift "started treating me horribly, viciously, inhumanely."
On a day when supervisor Brucia was home recuperating and Stevens left work because she felt ill, Stevens said Brucia called her asking "Why aren't you at work? ...You can't come and go as you please." In later encounters, Stevens said Brucia added "don't expect to be treated special because of what you did for me."
When Stevens told Brucia about her continuing medical issues, Brucia allegedly responded "I don't care; sounds like a personal problem." Stevens said when she cried, Brucia sent her out of the office.
Stevens contacted the company's human resources department officer, Jeff Peck. Jeff convened a meeting between Brucia and Stevens. At this meeting, Brucia critiqued Stevens' work performance. Stevens alleged Peck told Stevens the situation was "too personal." Later, Stevens said she heard that although she was a great employee, the company stood behind her manager.
Gradually supervisor Brucia removed Stevens' responsibilities, ultimately demoting her by banishment to a dealership informally called "Siberia" 50 miles from her home. This added 100 miles of commute time to an already pressured working mom and gave her a new boss who said "here come the fake tears" when Stevens cried.
Stevens sought psychiatric and legal advice. Shortly after Stevens' attorney sent a letter to AAG concerning Stevens' mental stress, the company offered Stevens a return to her former work location but then fired her. Stevens plans to sue AAG for millions for disability-related discrimination and retaliation.
This situation, which appears wrong on so many levels, inspires the desire to hang Brucia and the company that didn't adequately accommodate a medically-challenged employee who'd given so much to a supervisor. Further, it illuminates traps both employees and employers may fall into.
Like other victims, Stevens further demonizes an already unlikable supervisor. Stevens alleges Brucia only hired her to gain access to her kidney and "groomed" her as a "back up" donor. She bases this on a conversation she had with Brucia between her two stints at AAG, when Brucia told her she needed a transplant, had a possible donor and Stevens told her if something happened she'd be willing to donate her kidney.
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Crossing personal-work line can blow up in your face
Left Brain DGA Partners with Personal Computer Giant Lenovo to Deliver Best-in-Class Demand Generation Programs
Posted: at 5:17 pm
REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Left Brain DGA, a Silicon Valley-basedDemand Generation Agency, today announced the one year anniversary of its partnership with personal computer giant Lenovo, an ongoing collaboration that has produced a series of successful demand generation programs.
We needed multi-disciplinary expertise to take our demand generation programs to the next level, said Steve Barnard, senior demand generation manager at Lenovo. After several months of searching for the right partner to develop and drive a comprehensive demand generation strategy, we recognized that most agencies are good at content, production or integration, but we needed all of these pieces under one roof. Left Brain delivers the whole package.
Lenovos need to deliver repeatable, predictable marketing-qualified leads (MQLs) across multiple markets and product lines with complex sales cycles required, among other things, a marketing automation tool. But after selecting Eloqua as the marketing automation tool of choice, Lenovo quickly realized the need to augment their demand generation strategy for optimal results. This included:
Lenovos requirements typify the complexity in buyer-centric B2B marketing today, said April Brown, vice president of demand generation strategy at Left Brain DGA. Success in B2B marketing requires a deep understanding of the behaviors and content consumption preferences of the modern buyer-centric landscape. Its essential to provide proven processes and technologies to support relevant lead nurturing and revenue generation.
Lenovos choice of Left Brain DGA to develop and partner to execute its demand generation programs strongly validates the unique processes we apply from our Left Brain Model, said Malcolm Friedberg, CEO of Left Brain DGA. Todays B2B sales environment is intolerant of cookie cutter marketing approaches and relies more on multi-disciplinary strategies that begin and end with knowing prospect and customer preferences in punishing detail. At the end of the day, were measured by our ability to help customers move the revenue needle in the right direction and the results of our Lenovo engagement point to a significant win-win for both organizations.
About Left Brain DGA
Left Brain DGA is a leading demand generation agency, serving some of the largest and best-known enterprise brands. The agency helps marketing organizations develop and grow successful demand generation programs. Its approach leverages a proprietary demand generation process model The Left Brain Model powered by marketing automation technology. The agency delivers a full set of services that span strategy, content, technology, analytics and optimization for demand generation programs.
Left Brain DGA is based in the heart of the Silicon Valley.
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Left Brain DGA Partners with Personal Computer Giant Lenovo to Deliver Best-in-Class Demand Generation Programs
Transformation success
Posted: at 5:17 pm
More than 60 per cent of transformations fail, but why should this be a concern for CIOs? The fact is major technology projects are often transformation projects. These projects significantly change the way organisations conduct their business and how work gets done. Unfortunately, the reality is that the success rate of transformations is less than 40 per cent. When these projects fail, the CIOs are often blamed for the failure. So why do so many transformations fail?
There are many common barriers to success. Many organisations have learned to overcome these barriers and improve their success rates, so here are the top 10 barriers to transformation success and strategies organisations have used to overcome them:
Change is not easy. Change threatens our role, routines, work-practices, relationships and sense of control. We react by resisting the change. Many organisations increase the resistance by not having a clear and compelling vision for the change. When the vision is unclear, people are likely to be sceptical about the change in direction.
If people dont understand why a transformation is necessary, they will not join you on the bus. Leaders of successful transformations tell a compelling story that describes why change is necessary, what the future will look like and what the journey will involve. A good vision of the future has to be realistic and attainable. This vision has to be supported by clearly defined one to two year stretch goals and must outline the steps intended to achieve these goals.
One of the single biggest reasons transformations fail is because they do not have a visible and active sponsor. When the top leadership team is not seen to be actively championing the transformation, the rest of the organisation assumes (correctly) that this is just another initiative. As a result, the urgency for the need to change diminishes. Sponsorship is more than just attending the kick-off and occasionally sending memos or emails about the transformation.
When there is a track record of poorly implemented endeavours, people tend to not expect much when new changes are announced. Visible and strong sponsorship promotes a feeling that things are different this time. A strong sponsor will visibly support you, execute change and support you when roadblocks hamper the process. He or she needs to continually offer insight and guidance to keep things moving, and will offer ideas to resolve issues and broker solutions when needed.
In transformations, while there is agreement about the vision, each leader needs to act independently to achieve the vision. Leaders need to know the value of interdependence. When interdependence is not recognised between key players or groups, change in one area will often cause resistance in another.
Interdependence requires all parts of the organisation to act collectively to achieve common goals. Each leader must support the success of others. Leaders must accept that sometimes decisions that are good for the whole can be bad for their unit.
Lack of effective leadership also manifests as lack of middle-management support. When mid-level managers are not enrolled in the change process and lack a sense of involvement and ownership, they resist collective action.
The magnitude of the transformation challenge can be overwhelming for many organisations, resulting in ill-defined plans, priorities and structures.
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Transformation success
How Your Locus Of Control Impacts Business Success
Posted: at 5:17 pm
This article is written by a member of our expert contributor community.
Does your business success or failure depend on what you do? Or what the world does to you?
Your answer will depend on what your own personal "locus of control" happens to be. Locus of control is a psychological term first coined by Julian B. Rotter in 1954 and it refers to how much individuals believe they can control events that affect them. Psychologists believe it's an essential element of all of our personalities.
Your locus (a Latin word meaning "place" or "location") can be either internal or external. If you have an internal locus of control, you think you're in charge of your life. If you succeed, you take the credit and if you fail, you blame yourself. If you define yourself with an external locus of control, however, you believe other people, your environment or a higher power controls what happens - you're helpless. That means it's easy to point the finger at everyone but yourself.
Obviously, most of us don't operate with a locus that's completely internal or external. But generally, we're more on the scale towards one or the other - and each have their own characteristics.
If you have a primarily external locus of control, you're more likely to:
* Believe luck, chance and/or fate decides what happens to you.
* Be negative and give up more easily when setbacks.
* Not reach out to create new relationships or try to repair old ones.
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How Your Locus Of Control Impacts Business Success
Brent Green: LOHAS Forum: Where Generations Convene to Create a Healthier Future
Posted: at 5:16 pm
LOHAS is an acronym for Lifestyles of Health & Sustainability, a values-driven consumer cohort identified in the late 1990s. Consumers described as LOHAS are passionate about sustainability, health and wellness, personal development, resource conservation, corporate responsibility, social justice, and natural and organic products. They annually purchase $350 billion in goods and services worldwide.
Early adopters by nature, LOHAS consumers shop for energy-efficient electronics, green household products, natural personal products, organic foods, hybrid automobiles, green building products, socially responsible investments, and alternative health care services.
According to the Natural Marketing Institute (NMI), a Pennsylvania-based company that annually conducts original research examining this segment, LOHAS consumers comprise 18 percent of the U.S. population. The boomer generation over-represents this segment: 21 percent of Boomers are also LOHAS consumers.
Steve French, executive vice president and managing partner of NMI, emphasizes a significant correlation between LOHAS and post-50 consumers:
LOHAS leaders, natural products entrepreneurs and corporate executives gather every June in Boulder, Colo., for an intense three-day Forum. This intimate conference blends presentations from personal development educators, academicians exploring the edges of sustainable technologies, corporate pioneers who have embraced LOHAS values, and inspirational entertainers.
Representing widely diverse industries and age groups, attendees nevertheless share a passion for creating a healthier, more sustainable future. For example, one post-50 speaker at the 2012 Forum is busy teaching new conceptions of corporate leadership, insights he achieved through much personal distress and soul-searching.
In 1987, at age 26, Chip Conley started Joie de Vivre (JDV), a hospitality company based in San Francisco. He began by transforming a squalid 1950's Tenderloin District dive into Phoenix Hotel, a celebrated rock 'n' roll destination catering to celebrities such as David Bowie, Linda Ronstadt and Nirvana.
JDV then expanded into a collection of more than 35 award-winning hotels, restaurants and spas, with more than 3,000 employees -- with each property conveying a unique persona often influenced thematically by a popular magazine.
Author of several best-selling business books, his most recent The New York Times best-seller is titled Emotional Equations: Simple Truths for Creating Happiness + Success.
Bounding onto a general session stage, he announced: "What I've learned in 25 years of being a CEO, from a startup to growing into a big company, is that we as leaders are the emotional thermostats of the groups that we lead."
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Brent Green: LOHAS Forum: Where Generations Convene to Create a Healthier Future
Learn English Online (LEO) – Video
Posted: at 5:16 pm
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Learn English Online (LEO) - Video
A Better Way To Learn Online – Video
Posted: at 5:15 pm
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A Better Way To Learn Online - Video
Your Online Classroom – Video
Posted: at 5:15 pm
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Your Online Classroom - Video