BIG BAD BOSSES

It’s Not Me, It’s You: 5 Ways To Avoid Another Horrible Boss

John Rensten / Getty Images

This post is in partnership with Inc., which offers useful advice, resources, and insights to entrepreneurs and business owners. The article below was originally published at Inc.com.

There’s nothing worse than a bad boss, and nearly everyone ends up with one or two during their careers. However, if you are repeatedly working for miscreant managers, you should stop blaming your bosses and examine your boss selection methodology. I wouldn’t have thought it at the time, but when I think back to my bad bosses, I have to admit that in each case there were clear warning signs that I chose to either discount or ignore entirely.

Try these five tips to keep you from the clutches of a bad boss.

1. Try before you buy.

If possible, perform ad hoc projects for your prospective employer part time during the weekends and evenings. I did this twice in my career and it allowed me to assess the people, the culture and the veracity of the company’s value proposition before I joined full time. Although this tactic is not practical for everyone, it is a highly effective way to minimize career mistakes.

2. Check the boss’s references.

Your potential boss will check your references. You should do the same. Although it is clearly inappropriate to ask your new boss for a list of referrals, you can probably cobble together your own list on LinkedIn.

Speak with people who worked with or for your potential boss. Even if the reference did not work directly with your future manager, they may still have valuable insights that would be impossible for you to uncover during the interview process.

(MORE: 5 Ways to Improve Meeting Productivity)

Have coffee or lunch with one or more staffers at the new company. Ostensibly, your purpose is to learn general information about the company, its culture, etc. However, use this opportunity to discover as much about your potential boss as possible, without appearing creepy of course.

3. Do some digging.

Ask your potential boss about former employees who were not compatible with her work style. Assess the manner in which your would-be manager describes the process by which she fired these employees. If she is sympathetic and takes ownership of the employees’ failures, then she will likely be empathetic with you as well. If she becomes defensive or demeans the terminated employees, you should expect a similarly negative reaction should she find fault with your performance.

This conversation might also make it easier for you to identify and speak with some of the terminated employees. Although you have to apply the grain-of-salt rule–these may be bitter ex-employees–their feedback will no doubt help your overall decision process.

4. Look for patterns.

Institutional investors use pattern matching to minimize their mistakes. You should do the same, looking for patterns in your history. Consider your past incompetent supervisors. How did these horrible bosses mask their personality flaws during the recruitment process? Were there signs that should have alerted you to trouble ahead?

5. Make your own job.

The only way to ensure you will never encounter another bad boss is to call upon your inner entrepreneur and make a job, rather than take one. You won’t have a formal boss at your start-up, but you’ll be accountable to investors, partners, customers, and your employees. After dealing with all of those pressures, you may wish that your biggest problem was a difficult boss.

(MORE: More Turbulence for American Airlines)

The silver lining

Although bad bosses suck, you can learn a great deal from them. In fact, my managerial skills were greatly enhanced by one particularly horrible boss: He reinforced what not to do when attempting to motivate and manage people.

Ultimately, as described more fully in Advice For Emerging Entrepreneurs (And Anyone Else With A Boss), if you have a problem with your boss, you’re the one with the problem, not the boss. You can either attempt to resolve the issues or move on. Assuming he will accommodate you is an unrealistic, losing strategy.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you. If you find yourself in the clutches of yet another dreadful boss, force yourself to honestly answer the following simple question: “Why did I agree to work for this cretin when I could be working for an awesome boss?”

Read more: http://www.inc.com/john-greathouse/its-not-me-its-you-5-ways-to-avoid-another-horrible-boss.html?nav=river#ixzz2JCuI0M7W

Record China sales for Apple’s iPhone 5

(Financial Times) — Apple sold over 2m units of its new iPhone 5 in its first weekend on sale in China, a record for the company’s smartphone in potentially its biggest market.

The news could provide a much-needed boost for shares in Apple when the market opens in New York on Monday. The stock has fallen more than 25 per cent in the past three months partly because of concerns that growth in iPhone and iPad sales will not be sustained.

The iPhone 5 went on sale on Friday in China, online and at Apple’s retail store, with the carriers China Unicom and China Telecom also selling the handset.

“Customer response to iPhone 5 in China has been incredible, setting a new record with the best first weekend sales ever in China,” said Tim Cook, Apple CEO, in a statement.

Apple did not release comparable three-day sales figures for the iPhone 4S, the 5’s predecessor, which went on sale in January. The iPhone 4 went on sale in China in September 2010, before its online store opened that October and China Telecom began supporting the iPhone in the first quarter of this year.

China Mobile, the largest carrier in China with nearly 700m subscribers and a 65 per cent market share, does not support the iPhone, but analysts expect Apple to strike a deal with the carrier by late 2013.

Analysts at UBS had said that some of their Chinese sources did not expect the iPhone 5 to do as well as the 4S. There was no queue outside Apple’s Shanghai store when it opened on Friday.

But China Unicom reported more than 300,000 online reservations for the phone earlier this month, with the city of Beijing along with Guangdong and Shandong provinces leading demand, ahead of Shanghai.

Apple shipped around 3.3m iPhones into China in the third quarter, according to Gartner, a technology research company, down from 5.7m in the first quarter.

Analysts at Stifel Nicolaus expect Apple to ship 49m iPhones globally this quarter. Apple says the iPhone 5, launched on September 21, will be available in more than 100 countries by the end of December — its fastest ever rollout.

Lake Minnewanka by Night

The colours in the background remind me of the apple homepage, whening starting a computer. Besides that it beautiful and some what magical. Mother nature at its greatest.

iPhone 5 Strike

Foxconn workers strike over iPhone 5 demands, labor group says

http://money.cnn.com/2012/10/05/technology/mobile/foxconn-iphone-5-strike/index.html

By Julianne Pepitone @CNNMoney October 7, 2012: 10:08 AM ET

Apple CEO Tim Cook visited Foxconn’s Zhengzhou factory in March, months before Friday’s report of a massive strike at the plant’s iPhone 5 production lines.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — Thousands of factory workers at Foxconn went on strike Friday to protest their working conditions on the iPhone 5’s production lines, according to a report from an independent workers’ rights organization.

Workers at Foxconn’s plant in Zhengzhou, China, were furious after management enacted “overly strict demands” for production of Apple’s(AAPL, Fortune 500) new iPhone 5, according to a report late Friday from China Labor Watch (CLW), a New York-based advocacy group that works closely with sources in China.

The work stoppage lasted several hours on Friday and “paralyzed the production lines,” the group said.

The majority of its participants were from the quality control line for the iPhone 5. Workers and inspectors clashed in fights that sometimes turned physical, CLW said, with some hospitalized as a result.

China’s state-run news agency Xinhua also reported on the disturbance. More than 100 quality inspectors refused to go to work Friday “after one of the inspectors was allegedly assaulted by the workers, who have been dissatisfied with the new inspection standards,” Xinhua said, citing an unnamed regional government spokesman in Zhengzhou.

The work stoppage lasted roughly one hour, according to Xinhua’s source, who said that the plant has now resumed production. Workers on the scene reported a much longer outage to CLW, saying the shutdown extended from mid-day Friday into the next day.

Foxconn released an official statement on Saturday denying both reports, but acknowledging “disputes” earlier in the week.

“Any reports that there has been an employee strike are inaccurate,” Foxconn said. “There has been no workplace stoppage in that facility or any other Foxconn facility and production has continued on schedule.”

The Zhengzhou plant had clashes on Oct.1 and 2 between “a small group of production line workers” and quality control personnel, according to Foxconn.

“These were isolated incidents and were immediately addressed and measures taken, including providing additional staff for the lines in question,” Foxconn said. “This is consistent with our efforts to work with our employees to continuously enhance any aspects of our production that can improve the workplace and manufacturing practices.”

Foxconn’s Zhenghou complex employs around 190,000 people, according to CNET, which recently visited the area. Apple CEO Tim Cook made an appearance at the plant in March.

Both Xinhua and CLW cited tension over iPhone 5 quality standards as the event’s catalyst.

Workers were given new, impossibly strict standards, demanding precision down to increments as small as two-hundredths of a millimeter, according to CLW.

“Employees could not even turn out iPhones that met the standard,” CLW’s report said, because of “design defects” in the iPhone 5.

Apple ordered stricter inspections in the wake of customer complaints over “aesthetic flaws” in the iPhone 5, the Zhengzhou government spokesman told Xinhua.

Apple did not respond to messages from CNNMoney seeking comment.

Bessie Chang, a CLW program assistant, said it was the organization’s Chinese-based staff that first heard rumors of the strike. CLW director Li Qiang spoke to his sources at Foxconn to verify the report.

Tensions at the Zhenghou plant were already running high because workers were not allowed to take vacation time during China’s recent Golden Week holiday, according to CLW. That holiday typically involves three days of paid time off.

Employees who worked through the holiday did so voluntarily, Foxconn said, and were paid overtime of three times their normal hourly rate, in accordance with Chinese labor laws.

Foxconn has been in the spotlight amid growing public concern about labor conditions in the overseas factories that many U.S. gadget makers rely on to produce their devices. Apple is just one of many companies that outsources its manufacturing, but as the industry’s most popular and profitable company, it’s under the most intense scrutiny.

A spate of suicides at Foxconn factories in 2010 garnered media coverage of allegedly harsh working conditions, including unsafe facilities and illegal amounts of overtime.

In January 2012, Apple joined the independent labor-rights organization Fair Labor Association (FLA), which promptly began inspections of the working conditions at Foxconn’s many factories.

FLA released an assessment in March that documented dozens of major labor-rights violations, including excessive overtime, unpaid wages and salaries that aren’t enough to cover basic living expenses. The FLA’s report said Foxconn agreed to work with the group on improvements, including enacting “full legal compliance” with Chinese work-hour laws by July 2013.

Last month, a large-scale incident involving 2,000 workers forced the temporary closure of Foxconn’s Taiyuan factory. One worker at the scenetermed the situation a riot, and it led to the hospitalization of about 40 people. 

Toxic Foods

How to limit exposure to toxins in foods

Website: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/10/01/how-to-limit-exposure-to-toxins-in-foods/

Back in January of this year, I wrote about fungicide in orange juice and arsenic in apple juice, and wondered what food-poison combo would be next. Well, we have our answer! This week, a new study by Consumer Reports revealed that arsenic is present in a wide range of rice products, from cereal to baby food, and of course, in regular old rice itself.

And because one news story about the toxic nature of our food supply just isn’t enough, recent tests carried out by the Mercury Policy Project of Montpelier found that canned tuna fish used in school lunches contained levels of mercury that sometimes surpassed the federal limit. Why the federal limit isn’t zero is another matter for concern, since the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) itself admits that too much mercury exposure can cause kids to develop severe learning disabilities and other negative health effects. Based on the Mercury Policy Project’s findings, canned tuna is currently the number one fish product consumed in the U.S., making tuna the top mercury exposure risk in the American diet.

But mercury and arsenic are present in more than just our food supply.  Arsenic pervades our water, soil, and air because it occurs naturally in the Earth’s crust, and also because of chemicals used in farming and other industries.

The EPA limits the amount of arsenic in this country’s drinking water to 10 parts per billion, but there is no federal limit on the amount of arsenic food can contain, even though experts have long known that plants take up arsenic as they grow. Arsenic’s negative effects on human health are well-established: according to the National Resources Defense Council, a 1999 study by the National Academy of Sciences linked arsenic exposure to bladder, lung and skin cancer. The study also found that arsenic harms the central and peripheral nervous systems; heart and blood vessels; and may cause birth defects and reproductive problems.

In the wake of the Consumer Reports study, three members of Congress from Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York proposed legislation requiring the Food and Drug Administration to set a maximum level of arsenic in rice and rice products and entitled it, The RICE Act (Reducing food-based Inorganic and organic Compounds Exposures).

Unfortunately, this measure and others like it – that “limit” rather than “ban” toxins like arsenic and mercury – don’t go far enough to guard against public health crises.

Even Dr. Philip Landrigan, a pediatrician, epidemiologist and director of Children’s Environmental Health Center at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, recommended that for the next few months or years, parents “…avoid any rice that comes from Texas, Louisiana or Missouri, and when it doubt go with barley or oatmeal.”

So, how can you avoid exposing your family to mercury and arsenic? For mercury, eat seafood in moderation– it all contains various levels of toxins. While it goes without saying that schools should not serve students mercury-laced foods of any kind, in the meantime, pack your children’s lunches full of nutrient-packed organic fruits and vegetables.  Mercury is also found in dental fillings, light bulbs, thermometers, batteries, certain paints, coal emissions, and a number of common medications.

Though arsenic is almost impossible to avoid because of its deep-rooted presence – natural or otherwise – in our soil, you can try to limit your family’s exposure to this pollutant. Limit products containing brown rice syrup, rice milk, and other rice-based ingredients. Serve your family healthy, less toxic alternatives like organic millet or quinoa, which are packed with protein. Lay off fruit juices made with apples and grapes, which contain high levels of arsenic, according to a Consumer Reports study released earlier this year.  Drink bottled water instead of tap wate. Additives used in poultry feed commonly contain arsenic, which doubles down on its toxicity when the chicken droppings are used as fertilizer and absorbed into the soil.  Unfortunately, baby foods made with rice are another major source of arsenic. Prepare fresh, organic fruits and vegetables for your little one, rather than risk exposing your baby’s tiny body and brain to this known carcinogen.

As ever, know where your food comes from: Even organic rice doesn’t mean arsenic-free, since pesticide runoff from conventional farming practices can persist in soil for decades. But organic rice is still your best choice, since organic food growers guard against exposure to other chemicals routinely found in conventional foods, and use safer, healthier growing methods overall.  The more we buy organic produce and make those farming practices the rule rather than the exception – the healthier we’ll be, the better we’ll feel.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/10/01/how-to-limit-exposure-to-toxins-in-foods/#ixzz287eC2vrL

iPhone 5

iPhone 5 pre-order shipping dates pushed back, likely due to demand

The rush to be the first kid on the block with the latest iPhone is on.

The symbol of the Apple Business

At midnight on Thursday, the new iPhone 5 became available for pre-order online through the Apple, Verizon, Sprint and AT&T sites. On Friday, major online outlets had already moved their estimated shipping dates back, indicating a large volume of orders or limited supply of iPhones ready to ship next Friday,  21.

In the U.S., Apple says new iPhones pre-ordered online now will ship in two to three weeks. AT&T is estimating that all versions of the iPhone 5 — black and white; 16GB, 38GB and 64GB — will start shipping in 14 to 21 business days, which is the first week of October. Verizon is listing its delivery date as Friday, September 28.

As of this writing, Sprint was the only outlet still posting the September 21 shipping date, and that was only for the two larger models. The 16GB iPhone 5’s shipping date is listed as “up to two weeks.”

Hands on with the new iPhone 5

 

iPhone 5: Thinner, faster…better?http://cnn.com/video/#/video/tech/2012/09/15/armstrong-iphone5-review.cnn

Apple ripe for parody with iPhone 5http://cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2012/09/10/simon-spoofing-apple.cnn

New iPhone 5 is evolutionary for Apple

http://cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2012/09/12/qmb-victor-basta-iphone-evolution.cnn

Apple unveils the new iPhone 5

http://cnn.com/video/#/video/tech/2012/09/12/apple-iphone-5-entire-announcement.cnn

The shipping times began shifting back just an hour after the phones first became available, according to the MacRumors blog.

Apple and other outlets are not yet sharing numbers for how many units have been pre-ordered. A Verizon spokesperson told CNN only that “Dates are based on order volumes so customers have a realistic expectation as to when they will get their new iPhone 5.”

An Apple spokesperson told AllThingsD that the companywas “blown away” by the response.

Eager iPhone fans who simply must get an iPhone on day-one might have better luck with one of the stores offering in-store pre-orders. Best Buy isn’t taking orders for the iPhone 5 online before its Sept 21 launch, but customers can go into a Best Buy location to pre-pay for the device and return to pick it up on launch day. The advanced difficulty level — standing up, getting dressed, leaving the house, commuting to a Best Buy — might mean less competition for pre-order units. A Best Buy in San Francisco had between 40 and 50 people walk in and pre-order the iPhone 5 on Friday.

Walmart is offering in-store pre-orders for the first time,Bloomberg reported, but it appears the retail giant is only selling the 16GB iPhone 5, not the larger capacity versions.

There’s also the often overlooked Radio Shack. Radio Shack locations are taking pre-orders in person, but the locations usually only get a small number of units on the first day.

Target typically carries the iPhone, but at this time the site makes no mention of the iPhone 5. The iPhone 4S is still listed as available.

A final option is to wait in line on September 21 to buy a unit. iPhone launch days tend to draw lines of enthusiastic Apple fans to Apple stores around the country, many camping out overnight. Some entrepreneurial types offer their line-standing services on Craigslist, making as much as a few hundred dollars holding the spot for someone else.

Bank of England Governor

London (CNN) –

Can you successfully lead, influence and manage?

Do you inspire confidence and credibility?

Are you a person of undisputed integrity and standing?

If so, there’s a job just for you: Governor of the Bank of England.

All you have to do now is apply and survive the daunting interview.

The current governor Mervyn King won’t be throwing his hat in the ring. He retires in June next year after two five-year terms in office.

Many doubt King would pass the test this time around given his recent hiccups and the almost super-human criteria.

Britain’s economy slumps

Here’s my interpretation of some of the requirements for the role:

Formally advertised for the first time, the role calls for “an advanced understanding of financial markets and good economic knowledge.” In other words: A PhD would be ideal but you don’t have to be a world-class macroeconomist.

“Experience at working in, or with, a central bank is also required.” Read: Senior bankers or former bankers may be considered but if you’re from Barclays or HSBC – just forget it.

The death of Bob Diamond’s dream for Barclays

“Demonstrate strong leadership, management and policy skills.” This means: Prepare to take on a bigger role. You need to be a financial superhuman.

Because as of next year, the new governor of the Bank of England will be given sweeping powers over financial stability. The role will include overseeing the bank’s rate-setting monetary policy as well as banking reform.

“Be a strong communicator, have good interpersonal skills.” A top tip: Do not lack character or the media will pounce on you. If you speak in riddles, even better.

“Be a person of undisputed integrity and standing.” Well, that pretty much rules out everyone. Remember the Libor and money-laundering scandals?

So where does that leave us in terms of candidates?

There have been plenty of suggestions as to who might fill the post.

But looking closely at the criteria, many of the favorites have at least some flaws in their resumes.

Lord Turner, head of the Financial Services Authority, is one of the front-runners. He has questioned the social values of the banks – no doubt the public will like this. I don’t think the Conservative party will warm to his appointment though.

Lord Green is a well known face in the House of Commons but he is the former head of HSBC, which was accused of money laundering.

Lord O’Donnell is considered by many a talented economist but as a former cabinet secretary he may be too far removed from the workings of the City.

Paul Tucker may be the favorite internal candidate but his CV now looks a little smudged. Despite his thirty years with the Bank of England and his detailed knowledge of the economy, markets and regulation, he was recently grilled during parliament’s inquiry into the Libor scandal.

Jim O’Neill of Goldman Sachs could be the dark horse of the race. Perhaps he has what it takes? However, he may be a tricky choice given the public’s hostility towards investment bankers.

The person to beat may be a cross between Batman and the Incredible Hulk.

Not sure he or she is available, though.

Applications need to be in by the 8th of October. So get cracking.

Post selection, the new governor will appear before the Treasury Select Committee for some light grilling. No doubt, the first of many major tests.

Link: http://business.blogs.cnn.com/2012/09/15/needed-batman-or-incredible-hulk-to-save-our-banks/?hpt=ibu_c2

My First Blog Ever

This blog will discuss the business and economics of the world, and maybe more. This blog will be updated weekly and help the world understand the world of business and economics. Please enjoy the blog.