Oakland, California, USA, 2022-Mar-05 — /EPR MANAGEMENT LAW/ — Cole & Van Note, a leading consumer rights law firm, announces today its investigation of Sedgwick Claims Management Services, Inc on behalf of its consumers/clients, arising out the company’s recent data breach. According to the company, the private information of a massive number of people may have been stolen in the hacking of its information network. It is currently unknown how many people have had their information used for criminal purposes.
If you received a notice of this alarming data breach and/or have transacted in any way with Sedgwick Claims Management Services, Inc, your information may already be in the hands of cybercriminals, making your urgent attention to this situation very important.
Cole & Van Note is ready to discuss your options and can be contacted at (510) 891-9800, by email at sec@colevannote.com or through its website by clicking below:
Cole & Van Note has been successfully handling consumer and employee rights matters since 1992. The firm has recovered compensation for millions of individuals and stands ready to help you get paid for your losses.
Attorney Advertisement. Our previous results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome.
Full Name: Scott Cole
Organization Name: Cole & Van Note
Phone: (510) 891-9800
Email Address: sec@colevannote.com Facebook Page LinkedIn Page
Palo Alto, California, USA, 2020-Aug-17 — /EPR MANAGEMENT NEWS/ — Louis Lehot, the founder of L2 Counsel, P.C., talks about his seven habits to being a better leader, especially when everyone is remote and distributed.
We sat down with Louis Lehot, the founder of L2 Counsel, P.C., and talked to him about his seven habits to being a better leader, especially when everyone is remote and distributed.
Louis Lehot
Louis Lehot is a corporate, securities, and M & A lawyer. His clients are public or private companies, financial sponsors, venture capitalists, investors, investment banks, in forming, financing, governing, buying, and selling companies.
According to Louis Lehot, here are some of the leadership qualities that good leaders strive towards:
Have Vision:Â Good leaders have a vision and purpose. They share their vision with their followers. A great leader explains why they are moving the team in one direction or another, shares their strategy and includes others in their action plan to achieve the desired goal.
Be understanding of evolving circumstances:Â Great leaders have empathy. Unfortunately, many leadership positions follow a dictatorial style failing to make a closer connection with their base. Understanding issues others in your circle have is the first step to become an effective leader.
Be ready to adapt to change:Â Covid-19 has thrown us for a loop, but as they say, when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Great leaders follow this rule. They are resilient, have a positive attitude, and rally their followers. Great leaders also focus on solutions, not problems.
Strong EQ:Â Good leaders understand people, connect with people emotionally, and understand the problems of others. Emotionally intelligent leaders have a higher degree of social awareness, more effective communication styles, and are good at resolving conflicts. Leaders who have EQ not only handle conflict in a better way, but also play an essential role in conflict resolution.
Inspire Others:Â Probably the most challenging job for a leader is to persuade others to see things as they do. They also know you inspire others by setting a good example. When the going gets tough, people look to see how leaders react to the situation. As a leader, thinking positive and a positive approach should be visible, inspiring others through your actions.
Decision-Making Capabilities: Many leaders have a futuristic vision; great leaders can make the correct decision at the right time. Decisions in any situation will have a profound impact on others’ lives, which is why a leader should think long and earnestly before acting. Once the decision is made and executed, stand by it.
Accountability:Â When it comes to responsibility, make sure that you are accountable for what you are doing. Good leaders are self-aware, realize their mistakes, and work diligently to improve. Holding themselves responsible for their actions goes a long way in creating a sense of responsibility among your staff. It will serve as an example so that they go about the business more seriously.
Louis Lehot is the founder of L2 Counsel. Louis is a corporate, securities, and M & A lawyer. He helps his clients, whether they be public or private companies, financial sponsors, venture capitalists, investors, or investment banks, in forming, financing, governing, buying, and selling companies. He is formerly the co-managing partner of DLA Piper’s Silicon Valley office and co-chair of its leading venture capital and emerging growth company team.
L2 Counsel P.C. is an elite boutique law firm based in Silicon Valley designed to serve entrepreneurs, innovative companies, and investors with sound legal strategies and solutions.
DUBLIN, 3-Oct-2019 — /EPR MANAGEMENT NEWS/ — Following the achievement of €10M of consolidated income and 30th-anniversary last year, Finalyse has announced the opening of a new entity in Dublin as part of the group’s EMEA expansion strategy. Being a European-wide leading consultancy, Finalyse specialises in risk advisory, solutions implementation, regulatory compliance and independent valuation.
Finalyse has been demonstrating a steady growth over the past 10 years, providing its services in new markets and diversifying the service offering. Establishment of Finalyse Dublin took place in response to the increasing demand for cross-border services from the domestic and international firms in Ireland.
As described by Finalyse partner Silvio Santarossa, “Under the tight surveillance from the regulators Ireland is recovering with growing confidence from the financial crisis. Yet still, in the coming years, significant challenges will persist in reforms of regulatory and solvency frameworks, adjustments in financial institutions’ strategic asset allocation as well as improvement of risk management systems. With three decades of experience in supporting clients when it comes to incorporating changes and innovations in risk management, valuation and compliance across Europe, Finalyse is well equipped for tailoring services to local demandsâ€.
Houston, USA, May-26-2017 — /EuropaWire/ — Business innovator, Gary Douglas warns, “You cannot afford to ignore the demand for benevolent business.â€
International speaker and vocal advocate of Benevolent Capitalism, Mr. Douglas is concerned that many individuals and businesses are stuck in an outdated idea of capitalism, and are failing to adapt their practices to better meet the new consumer mindset:
• 96% of consumers believe it is important for companies to have good social and environmental policies. (Digital Reason)
• 33% of all consumers actively seek out and purchase goods because of responsible corporate practices. (Unilever)
• According to the Unilever CCO, “This research confirms that sustainability isn’t a nice-to-have for businesses. In fact, it has become an imperative.â€
Mr. Douglas is teaming up with some of the world’s leading Benevolent Capitalism experts to bring the concept to business leaders and other individuals around the world, through a series of public and live-streamed seminars.
“Capitalism has been relegated to ‘where’s my share of the pie?’ and ‘how I can get what I need when I need it’. This is a very destructive way of manipulating capitalismâ€, Douglas explains. “Consumers have noticed, and are becoming more particular in their spending choices, as a result.â€
“I hear a lot of people say ‘Can capitalism really be benevolent?’ but this is because of the limited points of view business has been operating from recentlyâ€, Douglas says. “When capitalism was first created back in the 1700’s, it was supposed to serve the masses; to create more for all of us. In fact, capitalism is really about how to create more money and more possibility in our life.â€
“When we return to that viewpoint of more possibility and choice, it becomes a different narrativeâ€, he adds. “Now is the time for all of us to recognize the power of capitalism and how it can be a catalyst for positive change and different possibilities.â€
Benevolent Capitalism 4 Day Class
Hosted by Gary Douglas, Steven and Chutisa Bowman, Dr Dain Heer
30 June – 3 July, 2017 Hotel Ca’ Sagredo Venice, Italy or via global livestream
San Diego, CA, 2017-Apr-18 — /EPR MANAGEMENT NEWS/ — Every company has a crisis from time to time. If the company is small or medium in size, one crisis can take it off the map. Here are some directives that will get you through your next one; share it with your senior staff and don’t read it ‘after’ the event occurred, this should be in memory lest you compete with United for news space.
1. TRY TO RESOLVE IT WITH SOMETHING THAT COMES EASILY TO YOU, THAT YOUR CUSTOMER VALUES. Whatever business you are in, you get your goods or services wholesale (free flights, even on a standby basis). Try to resolve the problem by offering something that has a high perceived value but is not so dear to you that it creates a large loss. The customer is ‘not’ always right, but the customer can write something about you on Yelp and, as it hurts you more to respond, they will ‘seem’ right to the public, who will only read one side of it all.
2. AVOID CALLING THE POLICE (of any kind) FOR A NON-CRIMINAL INCIDENT. Once you try to make the police force your own, and they step in with people who are trained to control others, you will have alienated your client past the point of no return. Worse yet, if the person flails and touches a police officer, he or she now gets a criminal record thanks to you and believe me, you will pay dearly for that. As stupid goes, this is the most stupid move a company can use against a client when the company is not at threat. A disagreement is never resolved when one party is fully armed and the other is afraid of arrest.
3. SHOW THEM WHO THE MANAGEMENT REALLY IS, AND DEMONSTRATE COMPASSION FOR THE SITUATION. If your story makes it to social media, the first response from the CEO should be an instant public apology. The public needs to think of him or her as a nice, warm, empathetic individual who just had the bad luck of hiring someone who had no common sense. Mistakes happen. The public forgives you. If, on the other hand the CEO makes a bad impression or supports his or her staff, regardless of their poor choices, then people will fear the company and avoid it all costs. Do you understand?
4. DO NOT ANGER A CUSTOMER AND THEN ACCUSE HIM OR HER WITH BEING BELIGIRENT. This is a common tactic used by the police to arrest persons. Lawyers use it at trial all the time. You say something inflammatory, the person reacts, and you try to show the jury how unreasonable they are. This is dangerous behavior. Unless you have the powers of arrest, you shouldn’t do something to further anger your customer. If you have an angry customer, you should do everything you can to get them to a reasonable and calm state. The easiest way to do so: Offer something up front, then dine or have drinks with him or her in a casual manner and work out the rest. Using this system you may create the most loyal customer (who refers you business) when you are finished. People understand errors occur: it’s how you handle them.
5. IF YOU CAN’T SAY ANYTHING EMPATHETIC KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT. A client/customer may upset you. They are in a heated state due to what happened. Don’t get offended. Many of them don’t even mean what they say in the heat of the moment. If you can avoid internalizing the person’s comments, try to mentally experience the situation from their point of view. The easiest way to do it is not to think of them, but to think of one of your parents, your spouse, or your best friend having gone through this and how you would respond. Now do this with your client.
6. BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR WORDS AND POSITIONING OF YOUR FIRM.
It’s easy to say and do what you want when you have a golden parachute. However, a corporation’s reputation is largely based on the philosophies of the CEO when it comes to customer service. Remember the corporation took care of you and your family when you were looking for a career or opportunity. Now, it needs ‘you’. Do everything with all the integrity the company deserves, even if you have to bite your lip in doing so.
7. MAKE CONTACT WITH THE AGGRIEVED PARTY ASAP. Call the person, arrange a personal contact and work things out. Do not let it get to the media or to a lawyer’s office. Let the person hear from you and know that you care. The difference it will make is phenomenal. It does not matter that you are on vacation when it takes place or even sleeping. You are better off losing a night’s sleep than months of sleep in the future while your and you company’s reputation are in the balance. Don’t just contact the party, make this up to them. For example, in the United Airlines’ case, I would have put Dr Dao on a private jet asap, with a limousine waiting at the other end. The scenario would have turned out very differently.
8. WORK IT OUT BEFORE IT BECOMES A LAWSUIT.
If a situation is so out of control that a lawyer has been hired or litigation is threatened, resolve it immediately through opposing counsel. Negotiate and work out a settlement or understanding of some sort. Keep the settlement confidential if you have to, or be generous and go public with it; especially if you are in the wrong. The worst thing that can happen in this case is what happened with United Airlines: the lawyer was enjoying free national airtime to say what he wanted.
If a lawyer has been hired, you did not follow the rules above very well. Once the legal game is in play, in will only serve to infuriate the customer more and the legal game is all about sides. At this point, hope the party has a reasonable lawyer as you can no longer directly communicate with the person. Litigation is one of the worst diseases a company can catch, avoid it at all costs.
We hope your next crisis is averted rapidly and wish you the best!
________________________________
Steven Riznyk is the CEO and senior litigator of San Diego Biz Law, a crisis-negotiator, and business strategist who is hired to analyze and resolve complex and crisis issues worldwide. He can be reached at 619-793-4827.
SanDiegoBizLaw.com
Contact: Amanda Berkshire
San Diego: (619) 793-4827
Email: ab@Worldwide-Press.com
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND and COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA and MADRID, SPAIN, 2016-Dec-21 — /EPR Network/ — Luigi Wewege’s latest book, The Digital Banking Revolution, shares his inside perspective on how financial technology companies are rapidly transforming the traditional retail banking industry through disruptive innovation.
In The Digital Banking Revolution, Wewege provides a look at how over the past decade financial service innovations have contributed to a completely new way in which customers are able to bank, threatening the status quo of traditional retail banks, and redefining a banking model which has been in place for generations.
Luigi’s book presents the ways these new technological advancements have facilitated the rapid emergence of digital banking firms and FinTech companies, leading to established banks being forced to swiftly increase their pace of digital adoption to stay relevant, and stop mass client attrition to these agile financial start-ups.
“These threats come at an inopportune time for banks due to mature markets currently experiencing stagnant growth. This coupled with decreasing profit margins due to the competitive pricing of new entrants, and financial customer loyalty becoming ever increasingly more tenuous,†said Wewege.
Supported by numerous illustrations, the book spans a diverse range of topics from big data analytics and mobile payments to the evolving behaviors of financial consumers. The Digital Banking Revolution concludes with Luigi providing his predictions in the book’s final chapter, which is titled The Future of Banking. In this chapter, he outlines how he believes financial services are likely to evolve, and be conducted going forward.
The book is currently available for purchase online at Amazon.com in Kindle and paperback versions, as well as being offered via a number of other major online booksellers. To learn more about the author – Luigi Wewege and his new book, The Digital Banking Revolution, please visit: www.digitalbankingrevolution.com.
ABOUT LUIGI WEWEGE Luigi is the President and CEO of Vivier Group, a multinational financial group of companies, providing its services worldwide through representation in jurisdictions across Africa, Asia, Oceania, Europe and South America. Outside of Vivier he serves as the Non-executive Chairman of Nikau Global an international trade and development firm, as Partner/Director of Palmetto Global Ventures a bespoke financial management consultancy firm, and is an invited member of Boston, Massachusetts based non-profit the Young Entrepreneur Council. For more information, about Luigi please visit: http://www.luigiwewege.com or alternatively reach him via Twitter @luigiwewege.
Media contact:
Brandon Hopkins
Email: info@digitalbankingrevolution.com
Phone: 803-404-4851
Web: www.digitalbankingrevolution.com
After years of trimming jobs in the wake of the Great Recession, contractors and subcontractors say the pendulum has swung the other way, and now they are looking to hire skilled workers who are no longer available in the job market.
“I said this two years ago, if we have a full-speed recovery in the construction industry, we will not have the available workers to fill the jobs,” said Henry Goudreau, CEO & Founder of HG & Associates, Inc., and http://www.contractorcoaching.com. “The only way to correct this is by a grassroots effort by contractors in offering training, or convincing high school candidates to take construction training courses. It is in our best interest to start working on this now rather than later.”
To make up the shortfall, builders are training workers themselves, recruiting from outside the area and working with local technical schools on a slate of new training programs expected to begin in the fall.
Goudreau offers a report for contractors on how to increase sales and drive more money to their bottom-line. It is free for contractors by going to http://tinyurl.com/me78v37.
Henry Goudreau is known as the most sought-after business-building coach, speaker, and author for contractors. He is famous for turning around the problem plagued construction business, building profits, freeing up the owner’s time, and streamlining processes that build success, brand, and loyalty.
He offers business-building advice to contractors at his web site, and works with owners mastering and implementing his proven business model. This virtual road map for contractors helps them to build powerful niches and a true understanding of what it takes to be profitable.
Anyone who watches the job market closely knows that the construction sector has been weak in this recovery, and is just starting to show an increase in numbers of employment. Unfortunately, there is another problem rearing its ugly head.
“Contractors have suffered deeply and carried the brunt of this recession of the last six years. In February, employment in construction changed little, just adding less than 15,000 jobs,” said business-building coach to contractors, Henry Goudreau. “However, this is merely the tip of the iceberg. There are two immense hurdles to overcome for contractors, other than finding and employing skilled craftsman,” says Goudreau. “The second killer is financing,” he warns.
While the Federal Reserve and U.S. Treasury rescued major banks amid the 2008 financial crisis to avert major financial chaos, the bailout didn’t help the small lenders. “Their disappearance, along with the lack of lending by the major banks, has left the contractor hanging out to dry.” explained Goudreau.
“There a two huge voids that contractors must find a way to fill,” said Goudreau. “Filling a demand for skilled craftsmen, and finding start-up funding. Both are going to hit the contractor on the side of the head, especially, if the economy picks up speed and momentum, and together, they will stifle any chance for the industry to get back on the right track out of this recession. With that said, contractors have to get their financial house in order so they can fund their work, and find skilled craftsmen. I can help them get a better handle on their business and build their financial ability, but I believe the labor level will have to be addressed at the local school or vocational tech level since so many have left the industry for greener pastures or retirement.”
Henry Goudreau is known as the most sought-after business-building coach, speaker, and author for contractors. He is famous for turning around problem plagued construction businesses, building profits, freeing up the owner’s time, and streamlining processes that build success, brand, and loyalty.
He offers tons of advice to contractors at his web site, and works with owners mastering and implementing his proven business model. This virtual road map for contractors helps them to build powerful niches and a true understanding of what it takes to be profitable.
It’s been called a “global epidemic†by the United Nations’ International Labor Organization.
And it’s a source of miscommunication, employee conflicts, absenteeism, complacency, turnover, low morale, declining productivity and other workplace problems every day at organizations worldwide.
Employee stress is a growing threat to employers, and it’s a threat that is squarely in the sights of About Me International, a provider of workforce evaluation, employee engagement and leadership services.
Joe Kiedinger, president and CEO of About Me International, is leading the Green Bay-based company in its drive to guide organizations in overcoming the negative effects of employee stress.
To assist clients with managing this challenge, About Me International has created the About Me Card. This practical tool is designed to reveal each employee’s inner drive and preferred communication practices—two elements that according to Kiedinger are essential to their fulfillment and effectiveness at work.
Kiedinger says employers can use this tool to minimize if not eliminate misunderstandings and mistreatment, which often are a source of employee stress and can quickly lead to negative emotion and negative energy.
“The danger for employers is that negative energy, if left unchecked and allowed to spread, can have a debilitating impact on an organization’s creativity, innovation and productivity and ultimately impact its bottom line,†Kiedinger says. “Employees can use information from the About Me Card to effectively manage workplace interactions and relationships by literally changing negative emotion to positive energy,â€
Kiedinger says that two of the main challenges for employers are to determine whether they wish to invest in solving employee stress and, if they do, how to go about it.
“In recent years, wellness programs have emerged as a way to help employees better manage their health,†Kiedinger says. “However, when it comes to the effectiveness of wellness programs in identifying, managing and overcoming employee stress as well as negative emotion and energy, there is no conclusive data that shows that these programs have a significant, positive and lasting impact on this workplace challenge.â€
Richard DuBois, director of business development at About Me International, says the company is experiencing a strong response to the About Me Card.
“We are consistently hearing from employers of all kinds that they have seen enough of the destructiveness of negative emotion and want to address it,†DuBois says. “This tool gives them a practical solution that is generating proven results with organizations including small businesses and mid-size to large corporations, as well as non-profits including schools and health care facilities.â€
About Me International has created a white paper, “Wellness and the workforce—are we missing the boat when it comes to managing employee stress?†which provides insights to employers on overcoming negative emotion and energy resulting from unresolved employee stress. The white paper can be downloaded at www.aboutmecard.com/whitepaper
About Me International provides assistance and training to employers with determining their employees’ inner drive and preferred communication practices to support employee engagement and leadership effectiveness. More information is available atwww.aboutmecard.com
Hendren Group is a financial management and investment company dealing with investment methods and strategies. Based in Tokyo boasting a large base of private clients and a well skilled team of advisors, they conduct research and then subsequently develop short and long-term systematic approaches to achieving optimum returns on investments for themselves, their associates and for their current client base.
Japanese carmakers, Nissan, are set to introduce a range of cheaper cars under the umbrella of their Datsun brand, exploiting a gap in India’s expanding automobile market. The first car to be put on sale is a reasonably priced hatchback, retailing at $6’700, and later models are expected to be sold for as little as $4000, making it a financially viable option for many Indian car buyers.
Nissan is not the first global automaker to realize the potential for profit through producing a low cost car aimed at the Indian market, with chief engineers at Toyota Motor Corp. putting forward designs for exactly this purpose, but such proposals have so far been rejected for fear of a low cost car tarnishing the company’s name. Nissan have overcome this potential problem by producing this range of cars under the Datsun brand name, thus distancing themselves from the less luxurious vehicles.
Set to coincide with the introduction of this new line of cars, Nissan also has other plans to expand its presence in India by increasing the number of dealers from the current 100 outlets up to 300 outlines by 2017. By that time, Nissan expects to be generating between 35 and 50 percent of their in country revenue through their Datsun line. A senior analyst at Hendren Group predicts that a conservative estimate would then give Nissan a 10% market share of the Indian passenger vehicle market which, in 2013, bought more than 2.7 million vehicles.
“At the moment there is a gap in the Indian automobile market which is not being properly filled with good quality, cost effective cars, Nissan have found a way to exploit this growing need and are in the position to fill this demand, soon we will see the other big manufacturers following suit in a bid to catch up,†said David Holmes Senior Vice President of Mergers and Acquisitions at the Hendren Group.
Nissan’s plans for the Datsun do not begin and end with India, but will gradually be introduced worldwide, starting with Indonesia and Russia and then later in Africa, South East Asia, Middle East and Latin America. This push into emerging markets is a vital part of the company’s mid-term plan, Nissan Power 88, named to emphasize its aim to achieve a global market share of 8% and increase its corporate operating profit to a sustainable 8%.
The Hendren Groups Senior Vice President David Holmes concluded saying, “As the market and demand for cheaper well made vehicles expands within the emerging market place so do the opportunities for investors wishing to take advantage, we are moving our investors into positions within this sector so they can avail of this very lucrative opportunity, Nissan’s goal of achieving an 8% global market share is certainly achievable, thanks largely to the speed in which the company have managed to respond to the growing need for low cost vehicles.â€
Hendren Group is set to continue to advise clients to acquire shares within the Asian markets adding to successful diversified portfolios.
Manchester based Citation has appointed Chris Morris to be its new Chief Executive Officer.
The appointment follows the recent purchase of Citation by ECI Partners. Chris Morris will join
Citation on 18th March from LateRooms.com where he is currently Managing Director.
Chris Morris joined LateRooms.com as Finance Director in 2005 and was then quickly promoted to the role of Managing Director. Chris was integral to LateRooms.com becoming a successful part of TUI Travel PLC. He subsequently led the expansion of the LateRooms.com brand and has been responsible for the expansion of the B2C Division through the acquisition of sister brands AsiaRooms.com and MalaPronta.com (in Brazil).
Citation chairman, Andrew Vaughan, commented “The board are delighted that we have been able to secure Chris Morris as CEO. Chris has done an incredible job at building the LateRooms.com brand over the years and is a well respected professional. The board are looking forward to working with Chris and his contribution to Citation’s future.”
Speaking about his appointment Chris said “It is an exciting time to be joining Citation as CEO. I am confident we can take Citation to the next level for both client acquisition and customer service. Citation has remained resilient during tough market conditions and is perfectly positioned for future growth. I can’t wait to get started!”
Chris will join the board alongside Julie Moran (Finance Director), Richard Chapman (ECI Partners) and Andy Vaughan (Chairman), working with the current Senior Management Team.
In a move that capitalizes on technology’s ability to provide written works through mobile devices and financially supports community philanthropies, The Optimization Trap has been recently released exclusively in digital format. Written by inventory management expert Phillip Slater, the book is now available on Kindle, Kobo, Nook, iPad, Sony, and other e-readers. Mr. Slater’s previous books were published in hard copy by Industrial Press, New York, the world’s oldest industrial education publisher.
Mr. Slater will donate 100% of the proceeds from this e-Book to the Initiate Action Community Fund, a sub fund of The Australian Communities Foundation (ACF), that Phillip and Mercedes Slater established in 2011 to support educational initiatives and causes. The Australian Community Foundation (previously Melbourne Community Foundation) aims to generate and distribute philanthropic resources to address emerging social issues and to meet the needs of its communities.
“Digitally publishing The Optimization Trap achieves many goals for me: the digital format not only provides readers with more accessibility, but it costs less to purchase. Using a digital format also allows us to channel 100% of the proceeds into our Initiate Action Community Fund which supports various educational causes through ACF,†said Mr. Slater.
Following years of helping companies improve their profit and reduce working capital, Mr. Slater wrote The Optimization Trap to help managers understand why optimization programs often fail to achieve their intended results. The book exposes the pitfalls of optimization programs while offering viable solutions. Based on Mr. Slater’s years of experience in inventory management, he identifies optimization traps and illustrates how to remedy these and achieve peak performance in operations.
“Improving operational outcomes typically involves optimization. It is what managers do. However, sometimes when seeking to optimize, people take actions that, without realizing it, limit both their options and their results. This is what I call the Optimization Trap,†stated Mr. Slater. “How do you make sure that you don’t get caught in the optimization trap and, if you do, how do you get free? This book identifies the key principles to both identify and be free of the ‘trap’.â€
Similar to best selling management books such as The Goal, Who Moved My Cheese, and Fish!, The Optimization Trap uses an easy to read narrative style. By using inventory management as the example, Mr. Slater is able to address familiar, realistic everyday scenarios faced by managers and discuss how to apply the principles for avoiding the Optimization Trap. This book speaks not just to inventory managers; its tips and principles are applicable to any situation where managers are seeking to achieve optimal performance in its operations.
For Kindle users, please access the ebook The Optimization Trap via Phillip Slater author’s page at Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/L9npFE
For PDF (PC or Mac), EPUB (iPad, Nook and most ebook readers) please visit:http://bit.ly/L9nusU
For more information about the Initiate Action Community Fund, go to:http://bit.ly/MhynZ1
For video of Mr. Slater summarizing a number of his books, including The Optimization Trap, please visit http://youtu.be/q762uyFFjWs
eMaint Enterprises, LLC, a world leader in on-demand maintenance management systems since 1986, announced recently that it has opened a new office in Estero, Florida. The Florida office is part of eMaint’s international expansion to help support its growing client base in the Southern United States and Latin America.
“This is a very exciting step for us at eMaint,†said Brian Samelson, CEO and President at eMaint. “With our global client base, the opening of our Florida office will help us better support many of our clients with operations overseas. We have clients in Florida and the Southeastern United States as well and are glad to be able to add jobs in that area. Sergio and his team set standards for excellence, and we look forward to growing this team.â€
eMaint’s flagship Computerized Maintenance Management Software product, X3Â CMMS, is deployed at hundreds of customer sites in 23 countries in 8 languages. Spanish-language product support is utilized by several of eMaint’s clients with bi-lingual software needs.
Sergio Plaut was promoted to Director of International Operations and will be heading up the Florida office and eMaint International. In this position, he will develop strategic markets and grow eMaint’s business across international markets while developing sales and services and providing support for customers across the region.
Prior to his promotion, Mr. Plaut, a Brazilian native with a degree in Engineering, was a consultant working for American companies who wished to do business in Brazil. During his time as a consultant for eMaint, Mr. Plaut, who is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, and English, translated the eMaint website into Portuguese, provided sales and support services to existing and potential clients in Brazil and participated twice in a National Maintenance Show promoted by the Brazilian Association of Maintenance.
Andre Morige has been hired as an International Support Specialist and will be working with Mr. Plaut in the Florida office assisting in all aspects of eMaint international. Mr. Morige is fluent in English, Portuguese, Spanish. The Brazilian native, who has lived in the U.S. for 16 years, is currently working towards two Bachelor’s degrees in Programming and in Security at Hodges University where he currently resides in Fort Myers, Florida.
Daniel Duran has joined eMaint as a Support Specialist. Mr. Duran who is fluent in both Spanish and English will be helping support the growing base of Spanish speaking customers in the U.S. and Latin America . He provides support to X3 software users as well as acting as a product knowledge resource for internal team members.
“Opening the Florida office is a huge step for this company and I am very happy to be part of it,†said Mr. Plaut. “Heading up the Florida office will give me a chance to cross into other markets and to give more extensive support to our clients in the southern states and Latin America.â€
About eMaint Enterprises, LLC
eMaint, the leader in on-demand CMMS solutions, has been providing predictive maintenance and preventative maintenance management software solutions since 1986 and was one of the first CMMS providers to develop a completely web-based “Software as a Service†(SaaS) model for more rapid implementation at a lower total cost of ownership.
This is in answer to the growing demand for younger, more dynamic managers to fill in the shoes of their older and graying counterparts who are just one step towards retirement. For the young and ambitious, this is the most opportune time to enroll on this program and hone their leadership skills in preparation for a more stable and for many, an exciting future as CEOs.
Statistics reveal that among the present crop of eager young hopefuls impatient to get to the top, it is the more aggressive, and hungrier crop and more driven, thus more likely to develop into good leaders in the race to the top. The training programs offered are available on line, so there is less demand for the trainees in terms of time and effort. The programs offer tips on how to improve individual skills, managerial abilities, personality development, confidence building, decision-making, employee management and the like. While the importance of training programs cannot be overemphasized nor undermined, inherent ability to deal with situations and quick thinking should not be over looked, nor the ability to sustain grace under pressure.
The programs are many and varied. For the young and eager learners, training to be good leaders is a new and exciting world of intensive discovery about individual capacities and strengths as well as weaknesses, as well as getting to know more about people, learning more about their behavior, attitudes, idiosyncrasies and what they want remain hidden from their peers.
These programs are keyed in on young people’s ability to adjust faster than the older colleagues, and fast learning skills. Due to a highly competitive corporate world, more programs are tube din on the unorthodox, and less traveled career paths to challenge the imagination of young minds, and induce their creative and productive juices deal with their competitors.
The training programs target the younger group who think they have what it takes, but are also open to their older peers who also believe that they have more than just being driven and eager, but are more experienced and thus, have an edge over the young trainees.
One of the biggest mistakes many organizations make is to cut back on management training and leadership development in a bad economy. These outfits cut the resources for these vital functions at the time when they are needed most.
A company needs trained managers and real leaders most when it is facing difficulties such as falling sales and dwindling resources. Yet many management teams chose not to devote money and resources to efforts to provide these individuals. In many cases, the resources and support for managers are cut even as their workload increases.
Management training programs combined with serious leadership development efforts can help an organization cope with the challenges posed by shrinking, low morale and falling sales. An example of how such efforts can help is generating new ideas.
There are many creative, intelligent and capable people working in every organization. Many of these people have the capability to manage and lead if they are given the tools. AÂ leadership development effort can identity those people while management training can increase their capabilities.
Such efforts save the organization money because it does not have to hire new managers from outside. It also gives the best and most capable workers an incentive to stay with the organization and commit to it its future.
Developing a pool of managers with leadership potential is also a good way to build a foundation for the economic rebound. The companies that do this will have the resources available to hit the ground running and start expanding when the economy starts growing again. History shows us that economic booms usually follow economic downturns.
There will be many new opportunities appearing in the years ahead, new technologies, new industries and new markets will appear. Organizations need leaders that can recognize these opportunities and managers who can take advantage of them. Those that devote resources to management training will reap these rewards.
Successful organizations do not react to change: they anticipate it and manage it. Change management does not mean controlling change, nobody can do that. Change management means being prepared for change so you can survive and succeed, in spite of it.
Designing a Successful Change Management Process
Designing and implementing a successful change management process is actually easier than you might think. All you have to do is sit down, list the changes you expect then start devising strategies for dealing with them.
The best way to do this is to get representatives of every department in organization together. Then have each of them list the changes he or she expects in the near future. Once that is done you can start devising a change management strategy to deal with the changes that are most likely.
The IT manager might note that the software you are using will soon be obsolete or that the computers will soon need to be replaced. The team could devise a strategy for purchasing and deploying the new software and equipment. It could devise a budget for purchasing it, a strategy for coping with the change over and for educating the team in the use of the new equipment and software.
Part of change management is listing all the problems a change might entail. For example bringing in new software will require you to successfully put all the data in the old system into the new. Is that possible and if so what will it take.
You can also anticipate disruptions to business and potential customer service problems. For example will the organization have to shut down while the changeover is in progress? Will that cut business and how can it be done without driving customers away. Will sales people be able to fill orders while the computers are unavailable?
Brainstorming to address these problems is the essence of change management. Once you have mastered that your organization can survive and thrive. For example you can create smart goals to convey the change management strategy to the team.
The cornerstone of every effective leadership development effort must be realistic and effective leadership training. No large organization can survive or succeed in today’s world without effective leadership training programs.
Simply hoping that leaders develop within your team or that you can hire really good candidates for leadership is not enough. To succeed you must learn how to develop leaders in house. Developing your own cadre of leaders will always be cheaper and more effective than hiring outsiders.
Some Indications of Effective Leadership Training Programs
1. Employee engagement: people want to participate in the program because they feel they will actually learn something from it.
2. Faith in the program: management feels confident when promoting graduates of the program.
3. Increased morale: people feel good after completing the program and when participating in it.
4. Involved: the leadership training program is in line with the company’s goals. For example it is training people in the skills needed for expansion.
5. Long term: employees participating in the program feel that they will be involved in it for years. They develop a long term commitment to the company by participating in the program.
6. Strategic: the program imparts the organization’s strategy to the employees so they understand it and know how to implement it.
If your leadership training program does not fit these descriptions it is probably a waste of time and money. A good place to begin a leadership development program is with a list of Smart Goals. Sit down create goals for the company then start thinking about the kind of leaders you will need to achieve them.
Once you’ve done that ask yourself: how can I transform the leaders I have today into the people who will achieve those goals? When you have answered that question you will know how to set up an effective leadership training program.
Management training has proved to be the most efficient and most effective tool in boosting productivity and increasing employee morale.
The biggest complaint that employees have about management today is that managers do not know what is going on. Too often workers complain that the manager really does not understand the company or what we do here. He or she knows nothing about the technology, the customers, the services we provide and everything else.
Management training programs can address this need by creating leaders and managers that understand the organization and what it does. Instead of hiring people just out of college and hoping they can learn the process; an organization can give its most knowledgeable and effective employees management training.
That way it can develop a cadre of leaders that really understand the industry. Many of the most effective organizations including UPS , Wal-Mart and the United States Marines Corps have intensive management training and leadership development programs. These organizations are successful because they spend time and effort on leadership development.
More importantly their leadership teams can rely upon their managers because the managers know the organization and its goals. They know that the manager on the floor can be trusted on to make the right decisions because she knows what is going on there.
Management training can increase employee morale because employees will be much more likely to listen to, respond to and pay attention somebody who rises from the ranks. No employee will ever respect or listen to a manager who does not know what he is talking about.
Yet, many organizations are full of such managers. In some situations, employees end up training the manager. That destroys the chain of command and makes both discipline and employee morale impossible.
Setting up a management training program as a part of a leadership development effort will pay off. In particular it will pay off in the form of managers that know the business and how to succeed in it.
Quite a few organizations make the mistake of eliminating or cutting back on leadership development efforts when the economy gets bad. Leadership training programs are often the first thing to be eliminated and the last thing to be restored when the budget cuts start.
Cutting back on leadership development efforts during a bad economy is a terrible mistake. Organizations and companies need visionary leadership in a bad economy. Yet they refuse to pay for the tools needed to develop such leadership.
The challenges are greater than ever but the leaders needed to guide companies and agencies through the economic challenges may not be there. To make matters worse there could be little or no money to use to lure effective leaders in from the outside.
That means organizations will need to make due with their existing employee bases. It makes sense to give those employees the training and tools they need to become effective leaders. It also makes sense to have a cadre of trained leaders that are willing to step up and take command when the going gets tough.
Leadership development and leadership training are not luxuries. No company or organization can survive without leaders and leadership. So it makes sense for an organization to increase its investment in leadership development during a bad economy.
Such efforts will show employees that they are valued, and give the most creative and successful workers a reason to stay even if salary increases are not available. Workers who know that their loyalty and hard work could be rewarded with a leadership position are more likely to stay. Workers who think that leadership roles are reserved for outsiders will start sending out resumes.
Leadership development is vital to the survival of any organization and cannot be ignored even in today’s poor economy. Those organizations that spend money and resources developing new leaders will thrive and succeed in the years ahead. Those that do not will perish.
Goudreau offers a report for contractors on how to increase sales and drive more money to their bottom-line. It is free for contractors by going to 
