Facing the Giants (DVD) $6.43 IN THEATERS SEPTEMBER 29, 2006A high school football coach (played by actor/director Alex Kendrick) uses some unorthodox methods to motivate his team in FACING THE GIANTS. A devoted Christian, the coach turns to God for inspiration, with amazing...

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What golf course is featured on the Challenge: Golf II motivational posters?

The Motivational poster says: We will either find a way or make one. The picture is of a hole with a lot of sand traps.

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How To Take Care Of A Kitten

Raising a kitten correctly ensures that it will grow up to be a strong, healthy, and active cat, who will bring years of joy and affection into your life. The following steps will show you how to take care of a kitten.

By 10-12 weeks kittens should be fully weaned and ready to leave their mother. Remember that this is a very stressful time for your pet. Transport your kitten to its new home using a cat carrier lined with a blanket or towel. If the kitten is especially frightened, try confining it to a single room for the first few days, allowing to get accustomed to its new surroundings and gain in confidence. Introduce your kitten slowly to other family members and pets.

If possible, find out which brand of food the breeder has been feeding the kitten - a sudden change in diet can result in an upset stomach. Changing the variety of food should be done gradually, with a small amount of the new food mixed in with the old. Always use high-quality kitten food. Give your kitten access to both wet and dry food - both types have nutritional benefits. As well as food, a kitten needs constant access to fresh, clean water. Do not give your cat cow's milk. If you wish to give milk, then use one formulated specially for cats.

Kittens can be trained to use a litterbox from as early as 4 weeks. Cats enjoy privacy when using their litterbox, so locate it somewhere quiet, away from high-traffic areas. There are numerous variety of litter types available. If possible, match the kind of litter used by the breeder. This will help the kitten settle in and avoid any unnecessary accidents.

A cat bed is not essential but most kittens will like having a place that they feel is their own. Like all young animals, kittens will sleep for a lot of the time. A great variety of styles of bed are available but it is recommended that the bed be fully washable so that you can keep it clean.

Grooming your kitten with a brush or comb can begin as soon as you bring it home. Regular handling like this will help your kitten get used to human contact.

Visiting the veterinarian is an important part of how to take care of a kitten. An initial exam can be carried out as early as 8 weeks. The veterinarian should vaccinate your kitten against Feline respiratory disease and Feline Infectious Enteritis. A kitten should never be allowed outside until it has received these vaccinations. Prior to reaching sexual maturity, your kitten should be neutered. Beyond this, yearly check-ups are recommended to keep your cat healthy.

Play with your kitten every day. Their are a myriad of toys available, but you'll soon find out which types your kitten enjoys best. House cats are social animals and daily exercise will help your kitten stay fit and happy.

About the Author

Proper care of a new kitten is very crucial for a future healthy cat. This article will teach you how to take care of a kitten, how to introduce a new kitten into a home with older cat and other newborn kitten care information. Go to: http://www.takecareofakitten.com

Learn How To Feed Your Cat

You need to make sure that you read the label on the food that you are getting for your cat. Although it may seem strange because you can is a pet, their nutrition is still just as important as yours is which is why you should read the ingredients so that you are aware of what is in the food you are giving your cat. You also need to pay attention to what formula of cat food that you are purchasing. They have food for adult cats, kittens, aging cats, cats on diets, and everything in between. You don't want to be feeding your kitten adult food and vice versa.

After picking up the right food for your cat, there is matter of where to feed your cat, when to feed your cat, and how much to feed them. If you have never owned a cat before this can be quite a tricky process to figure out all on your own. First and foremost, you need to find a place that is ideal for your cat to eat at.

Think about it from your cat's perspective, you really wouldn't want to eat while adults and kids are running all around you and being loud. This is why you need to find a place that is quiet and accessible for your cat to have their food and water bowl. Once you decide on a particular place, don't keep changing it around because cats don't always deal well with that type of change.

Keep in mind that your cat might make a bit of a mess when they are drinking and eating so it may not be wise to put the food and water in an area that is going to be ruined by the mess. You also need to make sure that you are keeping the bowls clean and changing the water out on a regular basis in order to avoid your cat getting sick.

As far as when you should feed your cat, it is good to get your cat into the habit of eating at a particular time each day. Just as humans eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at certain times, so should your cat. Of course this might not be quite so easy if you are away from the hose during the day, but there is a solution. If the cat is eating dry cat food you can simply put the entire days ration into the food bowl and your cat can eat from it throughout the day.

If you aren't sure you want to put it all in, you can choose to be half of it in the bowl. It's really up to you and your schedule as to what a regular and convenient feeding schedule will be, but it is wise to get a regular pattern started. Listed below will give you some ideas as to how to coordinate your feeding schedule.

• At 4-6 weeks
o 1/2 to 1 oz
? 3 to 4 times per day
• 7 weeks to 6 months
o 1 to 3 oz
? 3 to 4 times per day
• 7 months to 1 year
o 3 oz
? 2 times per day or you can leave 6 oz in their bowl all day

You can also look on the package of cat food that you buy for what they suggest you feed your cat.

Just as there are certain things that you need to keep in mind when feeding your cat, there are also certain thing that you shouldn't do when feeding your cat.

• You shouldn't give your cat bones; this is a good rule for any pet whether they are a cat or a dog. Chicken bones, pork bones, and fish bones are a big no because they can cause quite a bit of damage to your cats tummy and throat that could lead to a trip to the veterinarian or worse.

• Again a good tip for any animal, don't give your cat leftovers from the table. Although you think that you are doing them a favor by giving them a treat, you could be making a bigger problem when your cat begins to avoid their cat food.

• Cats can't eat two foods in particular, the first being chocolate and the second being onions. Both of these foods are considered a toxic food to your cat.

• Despite what you may have seen on television or in the movies, cats do not need to drink milk. What more, if you give milk to your cat you might find yourself cleaning up after an icky mess since it can cause diarrhea.

• The last tip is not to feed your cat any other animal's food. They need the nutrients that are in their cat food and dog food won't quite give them what they need.

About the Author

Read about african cheetah and cheetah skin at the About Animals website.

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Promotional Leather Padfolios, the Newest Corporation Promotional Gift

Many corporations use seminars to promote customer base or to educate employees about new product or procedures. This is a great way to keep everyone in touch with what is going on within the corporation, however it is a great opportunity for a corporation to promote or thank clientele or employees as well.

Upon entering into a corporation meeting, seminar, or promotional event, what if the corporation had available for the attendees' promotional leather padfolios for each of them. From the minute a potential client, seasoned client, or employee sits down for the event, your corporation will already be a positive buzz in the air as everyone discuses what a great and impressive promotional gift they have received.

Throughout the event, they will have instant access to jot down valuable notes from the presentation in their promotional leather padfolio and in addition, not only is this a great way of saying thank you for attending the event but also the attendee leaves with a great promotional item that will make a lasting positive impression of the corporation.

The internet has a huge variety of promotional leather padfolios for any level of event a corporation could be involved in, from seminars, to promotion of a new product, to trade shows. They make a great way of saying thank you for personal interest shown as well as continued support from existing clients, new clients, and even employees.

Promotional leather padfolios come in a variety of styles and price ranges, however, even the lowest price range of promotional leather padfolios are high quality and leave a lasting positive impression in the receivers' mind.

Promotional leather padfolios are an affordable way to say thank you and keep your corporation name fresh in a clients mind. With the numerous styles of imprinting available promotional leather padfolios can be customized for the specific event.

With trade shows and seminars, a corporation may want to go with a standard promotional leather padfolio with their corporation logo debossed on the front. To thank a profitable client, a corporation may choose to get more personal and not only have the corporation logo debossed on the promotional leather padfolio but also the client's name, or even text expressing their appreciation for years of business. The personalized touch will keep the client coming back year after year. The personal touch expresses you not only value their business but the person as well.

For whatever level of promotion or expression of gratitude you are trying to achieve, a promotional leather padfolio can do that for your corporation with grace and dignity, putting your corporation a step ahead of the rest. Make sure you leave a lasting great impression at your next seminar, meeting, promotion, or trade show event with the gift of a promotional leather padfolio. Take that step and make that impact you want.

Article Source: RSI-RLP5 Promotional Leather Padfolios, the Newest Corporation Promotional Gift
About the Author

Mary writes articles for helping shoppers find corporate executive gifts, providing shopping tips and how to benefit from personalized promotional gifts. Her work is sponsored by Promotional-Gifts.biz Promotional Leather Padfolios

The Value Of Corporate Gifts

Most of us have received something imprinted with a corporate logo.  Corporate gifts can consist of anything that can be imprinted, embossed, screened or embroidered with a corporate logo.  In some cases, flowers, liquor, or food items can also be considered.  Items can range from inexpensive key rings or pocketknives, to Italian leather briefcases and Movado clocks.   It can be something of little value or very expensive merchandise.  It always has some sort of logo or message imprinted on it or on the packaging.

A gift of obvious value will always leave a good impression.  Brand name merchandise is well received because people recognize it's worth. They know the merchandise by the reputation of the product.  Clever items will also leave a lasting impression.  No one can resist an item that makes them laugh or smile.  Something useful, especially if it pertains to their occupation or profession is always welcome.  Fine merchandise that is well made is another way to make a long lasting impression.

Obviously, an item imprinted with a corporate logo is a great way to introduce a new product.  It can be tied in with national advertising.  Logos can be printed in any shape or color, and this serves to reinforce the product name. The product can be in the shape or color of the new item you are introducing, and can contain advertising copy.   The merchandise can be sent to potential clients, or given away with the purchase of another product.  It's also a great way to say "thank you" at a launch party or dinner.  Not only can the gift be imprinted with advertising information, but also the packaging.  The gift box can be screened with information, and the gift bag can also be printed with a logo or product information.  When this is done tastefully, it leaves a lasting impression and is very well received.

Imprinted corporate gifts are a good way to reward employees or clients.  Besides the logo imprinted on the gift, the occasion can be engraved.  Many companies give out 5, 10, 15, and 20-year gifts to employees.  It's a wonderful way to acknowledge that the person is appreciated.  It also calls attention to the entire staff that the employee has been rewarded.  

Corporate gifts are a great way to celebrate the holidays or say "Happy New Year" to clients and potential clients or customers.  Everyone likes to know that they are appreciated.  A gift that will remain in their possession is a constant reminder and will keep your name, your product name, and your sentiments in front of them.

Many items can be individually personalized as well as printed with a logo or a corporate expression.  Often, the item is printed with a motivational message that the company has been using in their advertising.  However, most people cannot resist their own initials or name.  It shows a lot of thought and effort went in to a gift when it's monogrammed with the recipient's own imprint.  People cannot help but be impressed when it is made especially for them.  Initials or name does not take away from the advertising message you are giving.  It just shows that you took the extra time and effort to make the product especially for them.  A gift packaged beautifully is irresistible and elegant wrapping is sure to please.

About the Author

Information on getting rid of possums can be found at the Knowledge Galaxy site.

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Leading by Example: Eight Lessons for Leaders Striving to Pull Their Companies Out of the Red

Leading by Example: Eight Lessons for Leaders Striving to Pull Their Companies Out of the Red

Though the forecast for the economy is starting to improve, the plight of recession-weary businesses is still difficult. If you’re struggling to find a way to motivate your employees when offering money isn’t an option, here's some advice for you: Focus on becoming a great leader. There are few things your employees will appreciate more. 

By Charles Garcia 

After months of economic tough times, a glimmer of light is starting to appear at the end of the proverbial tunnel. Rather than being harbingers of doom, economic news stories are now starting to look ever so slightly brighter. This improved economic forecast will likely have many company leaders looking for ways to motivate their employees to keep up the hard work necessary for navigating their companies into calmer waters. Unfortunately, despite the recent economic uptick, most company leaders still can’t offer what they view as their greatest motivational bargaining chip with their employees—the almighty dollar.

Fear not. Money isn’t the only way to rally your troops and boost morale during this crucial time. In fact, positive, strong leadership can often garner far greater results than offering money or other perks ever could.

Too often businesses assume that offering more money is the only way to motivate employees. The reality is that employees value having strong leaders, who motivate them to do their best, just as much if not more. And there’s no greater defense against a tough economy than a workforce motivated to do their absolute best.

As an alum of the White House Fellowship program, one of the most prestigious leadership programs in the country, I know the value of quality leadership.

There’s never been a more appropriate time for the rest of us to look to great leaders for inspiration. The lessons that can be learned from the White House Fellows mentors are universal and absolutely invaluable to any business leader smart enough to heed them.

Remember, all the money in the world won’t keep a hardworking but unhappy employee with your company. But follow the leadership principles that help you better motivate and encourage that employee and she will be just as invested in making your company a success as you are.

Using insightful, firsthand accounts from past program participants, my new book, Leadership Lessons of the White House Fellows: Learn How to Inspire Others, Achieve Greatness, and Find Success in Any Organization (McGraw-Hill, 2009, ISBN: 978-0-07-159848-4, $24.95), explores the leadership lessons that former White House Fellows said they took away from their year working under some of the best of the best in Washington, D.C.

Leadership Lessons of the White House Fellows includes twenty timeless tenets of successful leadership, each illustrated by multiple inspiring anecdotes. Here are eight lessons from some of the nation’s greatest leaders:

LEADERSHIP LESSON #1: Energize your people. Your employees have just helped you pull your company through one of the nation’s worst economic periods. They’ve been constantly bombarded with bad news in their own lives and in their work lives. It’s time they had a source of positive energy. Who better for them to turn to for that kind of encouragement than you, their leader? Instead of being the type of leader who sucks the energy away from others, resolve to be the kind of leader who strives to bring passion and positive energy to the workplace every day.

THE STORY BEHIND THE LESSON: John Patrick Gallagher

U.S. Major John Patrick Gallagher (WHF 07-08) learned about leadership from General David Petraeus. General Petraeus was a colonel in the 82nd Airborne Division at the same time Gallagher was assigned to the division as a second lieutenant. One day Petraeus called his brigade together and asked them who could tell him the number one leadership priority of the brigade. The answers ranged from integrity to professional and tactical competence to marksmanship until finally someone hit the nail on the head. The answer? Physical fitness.

“We all thought he was kidding, and we couldn’t for the life of us figure out how that could be the number one priority in the brigade,” recalled Gallagher. “But we learned later that he was right. Self-discipline and being able to perform under pressure and exist outside our comfort zone would be the key that unlocked our success.”

Petraeus began leading his troops through seventy-five minutes of intense exercise every morning. And with every pull-up, push-up, and sprint, the brigade became more alert, had more physical and mental energy, and more individual and team pride.

“All those other things we wanted to do well got better, whether it was marksmanship or vehicle maintenance or soldiers going on leave and not getting arrested for DUI,” Gallagher said. “All these other indicators went up when Petraeus created this climate of self-discipline. He boiled down his leadership approach to this: Am I giving my subordinates energy or am I taking it away? Put another way, am I leading in a way that causes my subordinates to be more enthusiastic and creative about doing their jobs—to believe more deeply in what they are doing and why they are doing it—or am I leading in such a way that it is stifling growth and enthusiasm? If the latter is true, the job may still get done by the sheer force of your legitimacy or presence, but it doesn’t get done as well and it doesn’t last after you’re gone. Petraeus knows how to lead in such a way that it gives his subordinates energy. That’s an incredibly powerful leadership tool.”

Since leaving his Fellowship, Gallagher has been using that tool daily in his role as Director for the War of Ideas and Strategic Communications at the National Security Council’s Office of Iraq and Afghanistan Affairs. 

LEADERSHIP LESSON #2: There’s more to life than work. Great leaders have deep reserves of physical, spiritual, and emotional energy, and that energy is usually fueled by a strong and supportive relationship with the people they love, regular exercise, a healthy lifestyle, and setting aside time for reflection. 

Sure, you want your employees to stay focused on moving your company forward, and you might feel like it’s important to keep everyone’s noses (including your own!) to the grindstone right now, but it’s also summer time. There are barbecues and baseball games to attend, warm days to be spent at the park or by the pool, and much-earned vacation time waiting to be used! Encourage your employees to spend time with their families, whether it results from taking an afternoon off or going on a week-long vacation. Doing so will help them power up for the difficult work to come. And remember to give yourself the same respect! 

THE STORY BEHIND THE LESSON: Doris Kearns Goodwin

At 6:00 a.m. on a cold January morning in 1973, presidential historian, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, and NBC news analyst Doris Kearns Goodwin (WHF 67-68) received a call from former President Lyndon B. Johnson, with whom she had become a trusted confidante while working on his memoirs.

“He told me to get married, have children, and spend time with them,” Goodwin said. “He talked about how he should have spent more time with his family, because that’s a different and more worthy kind of posterity than the public one that he had been seeking throughout his entire political career. That would be our last conversation, because he died of a heart attack two days later—but what a wonderful thing to leave me with.”

Goodwin heeded Johnson’s words. For example, she turned down the chance to be considered for the position of head of the Peace Corps during the Carter administration because she knew it would require her to travel often and be away from her young children. Over the years she’s concluded that those who live the richest lives manage to achieve a healthy balance of work, love, and play.

“To commit yourself to just one of those spheres without the others is to leave open an older age filled with sadness, because once the work is gone, you have nothing left—no hobbies, no sports,” Goodwin said. “Your family may love you, but they are not in the center of your life as they might have been had you paid attention to them all the way through. And I always argue that the ability to relax and replenish your energy is absolutely essential.”

LEADERSHIP LESSON #3: Put your people first. No organization is better than the people who run it. The fact is that you are in the people business—the business of hiring, training, and managing people to deliver the product or service you provide. If the people are the engine of your success, to be a great leader you need to attend to your people with a laserlike focus.

THE STORY BEHIND THE LESSON: Mitchell Reiss

Mitchell Reiss (WHF 88-89) has seen firsthand that a leader’s focus on his or her people is an incredibly powerful tool. He learned that valuable lesson during his White House Fellowship from his principal, the National Security Advisor and former Secretary of State and former White House Fellow Colin Powell.

“Two weeks after I started my Fellowship, there was a picnic over the weekend for the National Security Council staff and their families,” Reiss recalled. “We got there promptly, but General Powell was already there helping set up, helping cook the burgers and hot dogs, and personally greeting every single person, not just on the staff but their families. He came over to me and knew not only my name but introduced himself to my wife, Elisabeth, and thanked her for allowing me to work the hours that I worked at the NSC. He told her she should feel that she is part of the NSC family as well.

“That very brief but very personal interaction with Powell had an extraordinary impact on her. After he left, she turned to me and said, ‘You better do a good job for that man. If you need to stay late at work, I will never complain.’ That’s the sort of transformative impact that leadership can have, and I was able to see it up close and personal with Colin Powell. This lesson was invaluable when I later worked at the State Department, where I tried to replicate this sense of teamwork and compassion.”

LEADERSHIP LESSON #4: Act with integrity. In a time when news reports are filled with the stories of private and public leaders who’ve acted inappropriately and have gone against the best interests of their employees or constituents, showing your employees that you value integrity can help motivate them and create a sense of pride for your organization.

Remember, the actions of great leaders are consistent with their words. Saying the right thing doesn’t mean much. Doing the right thing means everything when you want people to follow you passionately. By acting with honor and integrity, you build trust with your followers.

THE STORY BEHIND THE LESSON: Dennis Blair

During his Fellowship, Dennis Blair (WHF 75-76)—current Director of National Intelligence, former Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, retired four-star navy admiral, and former Rhodes Scholar—was one of a group of special assistants to Housing and Urban Development Secretary Carla Hills. He witnessed how Secretary Hills fought to maintain an honest, aboveboard environment despite ample opportunities for duplicity.

“The Department of Housing and Urban Development has been rocked by one scandal after another over the years,” Blair explained. “It moves a lot of money around and sends it down to the local level, where things can get pretty raw…There’s just a lot of potential for corruption, but one of the leadership lessons I took away from that assignment was from the tone that Carla Hills set. She was fiercely, unflinchingly determined to do the right thing and never batted an eye about it. Whenever misconduct came to light, she dealt with it quickly and effectively, firing people if necessary and then moving on.”

During Blair’s year in Washington, President Ford was up for reelection. The president and his cabinet, including Hills, were under intense pressure to run a winning campaign. Although everyone’s job was at stake, Blair saw no one abuse his or her power or resort to cheap tactics to influence the election.

“Carla Hills never came in and said, ‘We’re in trouble in Ohio. I want to push some Section 8 money toward Ohio, and I want a big publicity drive so we can turn out a lot of votes there.’” Blair said. “There was none of that. They played by the rules and fought fair and always tried to do the right thing.”

During his own career, Blair had several opportunities to “shade his principles” for his own benefit, but chose not to. On at least one occasion, doing the right thing cost him dearly. Although he couldn’t provide details, he did reveal that because of his leadership role he had a shot at becoming vice chairman or even chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. To be considered for one of those jobs, he would have had to modify his philosophy and change his leadership style to please a new administration. He chose to stick with the methods and values he had developed throughout his career.

“It wasn’t that difficult a decision,” he said. “Certainly I would have relished the chance to make more of a difference in that higher position, but I was not willing to change my philosophy or my style. I had too much confidence in my approach to change it even though I knew that meant I wasn’t going to move up further in the organization.”

LEADERSHIP LESSON #5: Be a great communicator. If your employees aren’t heeding your advice or company protocols, the problem likely lies with you, not them. Are you using the methods of communication they prefer? Are your messages clear and easy to understand? Leadership is about influencing others, and this cannot be achieved without the ability to communicate. If you’re struggling with communicating to your employees, first work on your ability to influence individuals by choosing words that are impactful to carry your message. Then you need to figure out how to communicate to a larger audience.

Remember to be open and honest with your employees. Communicate to them how the economy is affecting the company and where you would like to take it in the future. And always keep in mind that your actions truly speak louder than your words.

THE STORY BEHIND THE LESSON: Marsha “Marty” Evans

After learning the value of quality communication from her Fellowship principal, U.S. Treasury Secretary William “Bill” Miller, Marsha “Marty” Evans (WHF 79-80) carried on the tradition in her work with the Navy.

In 1986, former Fellow and Naval Academy Superintendent Chuck Larson (WHF 68-69) tapped Evans to be one of six battalion officers at the Naval Academy—the first female battalion officer in Navy history—placing her in charge of the training and well-being of hundreds of midshipmen. The academy was meant to be a place of discipline and decorum, but occasionally a lower classman would slip up by wearing nonregulation clothing. When Evans saw a third classman in a Budweiser t-shirt one day, she assumed there had been a breakdown in communication.

“I remember the lecture so well,” Evans recalled. “I said, ‘You know, my own basic leadership belief is that people generally want to do the right thing, and if they’re not doing the right thing it’s because they haven’t been trained properly. They haven’t somehow had the benefit of the teaching and the leadership of their seniors. So, I can only come to the conclusion that this youngster is wearing this t-shirt because he has suffered from faulty communication by his midshipman chain of command.’ Each person in the third classman’s chain of command was held accountable and punished.”

Evans’s commonsense approach to encouraging better communication in her organization helped her create a more cohesive team and also garnered the Navy’s attention. She was promoted steadily throughout her thirty-year career and retired as a two-star rear admiral, one of only a few women to attain the rank. Since leaving the military, Evans has used her outstanding communication skills in her roles as director of the Girl Scouts of the USA and president and CEO of the American Red Cross.

LEADERSHIP LESSON #6: Be a great listener. The most effective leaders are the ones who take the time to listen not just to their team members’ words but to the priceless hidden meaning beneath them. Remember that during good times and bad, sometimes your employees just need someone to talk to. Communicate to them that you are always waiting with open ears.

THE STORY BEHIND THE LESSON: Cesar Aristeiguieta

Cesar Aristeiguieta (WHF 02-03) was assigned to work with Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson during his Fellowship. It wasn’t long before the young White House Fellow noticed an important leadership trait in his principal that he hoped to nurture in himself: Secretary Thompson was an outstanding listener.

One example of this came during a meeting with food industry executives who were brought in by Secretary Thompson to discuss their role in the rise in childhood obesity. The executives essentially told Thompson that the government should stay out of their business.

After listening to them for almost an hour, Aristeiguieta recalls that Thompson responded with the following: “‘I’ve heard you. I understand your concerns. Now I need you to tell me how you, as an industry, can help address this public health issue.’ Then he just sat back and listened again. Pretty soon they were talking about how they could step up and participate without being forced into it—how they could begin putting more healthy food choices on their menus and those kinds of things—and by the end of the meeting the tone had changed dramatically. They weren’t attacking the secretary anymore. They were actually pleased, and they felt that they were part of the dialogue, and in fact, they probably went further than the secretary really expected them to go at that point.

“From that meeting I learned the value of listening. I’ve tried to incorporate that into my own leadership style in my work as director of emergency medical services and disaster preparedness for Emergent Medical Associates and also in my role as an assistant professor in emergency medicine at the University of California-Davis.”

LEADERSHIP LESSON #7: Be a problem solver. Several years ago I returned from a business trip to find that my assistant had hung a gigantic fifteen-foot-long wooden sign above his office door. The sign reads, “Don’t Bring Me Problems. Bring Me Solutions.”

I suggest that you post a similar sign and then set about the task of guiding each person on your team toward the goal of becoming a top-notch problem solver during this crucial period. Sure, it takes time and effort to teach problem-solving strategies to your people, but when you experience the payoff, you’ll know it was an investment worth making.

THE STORY BEHIND THE LESSON: Julia Vadala Taft

In 1975, President Gerald Ford chose former White House Fellow Julia Vadala Taft (WHF 70-71) to direct the resettlement of refugees from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos after the collapse of Saigon. The resettlement program brought 131,000 refugees to the U.S. in six months. There was no template and no time plan. The work just had to get done, and Taft directed it all with humor, grace, and a backbone of steel.

During her career as a public servant, Taft helped reshape the Refugee Act of 1980, and helped organize relief for the people of war-torn and disaster-ridden countries throughout the world, including 25 million flood victims left homeless in Bangladesh, displaced people in Burundi, victims of a poison gas incident in Cameroon, the people of the Sahel and Ethiopia who were suffering from a widespread famine after a locust plague, and 800,000 refugees driven from Kosovo.

When she died from colon cancer in 2008, former White House Fellow and longtime friend Colin Powell was quoted in the New York Times obituary section as saying that Julia Taft “was an image of American openness and generosity. Her professional life was committed to people trying to get by on a dollar a day, those who are hungry, without clean water, without medicine, without homes.”

Taft’s obituary in the Washington Post on March 19 stated, “It was her ability to bring order to chaos—plus her willingness to get on a plane, helicopter, jeep, or riverboat to go almost anywhere that enabled her to make a difference. Whether in the White House, a refugee camp, or meeting with government and [nongovernmental organization] officials, she knew how to get people moving.”

LEADERSHIP LESSON #8: Lead through experience and competence, not through title or position. For more than four decades, by pairing young people with established leaders, the White House Fellows program has given hundreds of young Americans the tools, experiences, and mentors necessary for them to become confident, well-prepared problem solvers and leaders.

And if you want to survive the tough economy, that’s exactly the kind of leadership motif you’ll adopt for your organization. Mentor your employees, encourage them, make partners out of them, and your organization is sure to benefit.

THE STORY BEHIND THE LESSON: Arthur “Gene” Dewey

The ability to help propelled Arthur “Gene” Dewey (WHF 68-69) from his post as assistant to a high-ranking military officer into a White House Fellowship at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Dewey’s principal at USAID, Bill Gaud, put him right to work. He sent Dewey to Nigeria where USAID was spending a great deal of money supporting those caught up in the Nigerian-Biafran war, and Gaud wanted to make sure all of the supplies were getting through.

Dewey found that the Nigerian Air Force was shooting down relief planes during the night airlifts, and so he hatched a plan to get food in by using a combination of sealift and riverboats. He presented the idea to Clyde Ferguson, President Nixon’s special representative for Nigeria-Biafra at the State Department. Ferguson asked him to come work for him for a couple of weeks on what was dubbed the Cross River Scheme.

With no previous experience coordinating large-scale relief efforts, Dewey set about the task of making the project safer and more efficient. As the efforts to bring relief to the people of Biafra—just over 3 million people fell under the plan—continued, Dewey became more involved in the diplomacy required to set up a formal, enduring procedure for getting food and other supplies to the Biafrans. Unfortunately, the Biafran leader, Governor Ojukwu, refused to accept the plan even though it was clearly designed to benefit his people. Ferguson and Dewey were heartbroken.

Then Dewey had a fateful meeting with an initially very negative Catholic bishop on the island. The bishop complained that the U.S. was not doing enough to help the Biafrans. Dewey informed him that Ojukwu was the one holding up the agreement while his people suffered. He then explained the Cross River plan to the bishop, whose attitude gradually softened. The conversation closed with the bishop promising that when Ojukwu came to confession later that week, he would have a talk with him and get him to change his mind.

Dewey was skeptical. But just a couple of days later, after he had arrived back in New York, he received a call telling him that General Ojukwu would accept the proposal.

Dewey says that the greatest leadership lesson he learned from his White House Fellowship was the necessity of being prepared and becoming an expert. His title as a White House Fellow meant virtually nothing as he designed and tried to execute the Cross River plan in Nigeria. What counted were his expertise and his attitude.

Just because the economy has been slow and businesses have experienced set-backs, does not mean the fundamentals of leadership need to change. The leadership qualities espoused by mentors in the White House Fellows program translate perfectly to the workplaces and the government offices of 2009 America. Decide today to start motivating your employees by being the best leader you can be and you’ll all go far, despite the bad economy.

# # #

About the Author:

Charles P. Garcia is a former White House Fellow, graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Columbia Law School graduate, and best-selling author. In 2006, he sold his investment banking firm, which grew from three people to sixty offices in seven countries; Inc. magazine identified it as one of the top ten fastest-growing privately held companies in the United States. Garcia was named entrepreneur of the year by three national organizations. He is on the board of Fortune 500 companies and serves as the chairman of the Board of Visitors of the U.S. Air Force Academy.

For more information about him, please visit www.charlespgarcia.com.

About the Book:

Leadership Lessons of the White House Fellows: Learn How to Inspire Others, Achieve Greatness, and Find Success in Any Organization (McGraw-Hill, 2009, ISBN: 978-0-07-159848-4, $24.95) is available at bookstores nationwide and all major online booksellers.

About the Author

Charles P. Garcia is a former White House Fellow, graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Columbia Law School graduate, and best-selling author. In 2006, he sold his investment banking firm, which grew from three people to sixty offices in seven countries; Inc. magazine identified it as one of the top ten fastest-growing privately held companies in the United States. Garcia was named entrepreneur of the year by three national organizations. He is on the board of Fortune 500 companies and serves as the chairman of the Board of Visitors of the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Appreciating Vintage Posters

Understanding the history of posters will make you appreciate more the value of your vintage poster collection. Having knowledge on its history will also help you determine a poster's worth. A poster is any printed material that may be graphic, textual or both. Its purpose is to convey different kinds of messages. This is one of the reasons that posters are made to be very attractive and attention- grabbing.

Different Uses of a Poster

. Advertising Tool.
Posters
are used to advertise different events, like concerts, stage plays and films. They are also used to advertise and launch various products.

. Political groups also use posters to communicate political propaganda and protests.

. Posters are also used for artwork reproductions. Famous works of various artists are reproduced and sold in the market.

Types of Posters

. Political Posters

Political posters are very famous, especially during the first and second world wars. Most of these posters are calling f or awareness and participation of citizens. Examples of some slogans used in political posters are "Uncle Sam wants you" and "Loose Lips Sink Ships".

Political propaganda and motivation are easily communicated through the use of posters. These posters are distributed and displayed on the streets. Political posters had been very effective in raising people's awareness. Examples of political posters that became famous through time are those of the great patriotic war and Rosie the Riveter posters

. Advertising, Events, Film and Affirmation Posters

The most commonly colleted posters are those of movies and concerts. The value of these posters can increase even more as time passes. Posters of dead artists are also given higher value. The limited number of comic book posters also has a high value because copies of this type of posters are very limited. Just like vintage comic books, a vintage comic book poster can cost you a fortune.

Affirmation vintage posters became popular collectibles not really because of how much they cost but because of the messages they convey. Messages like "Hope", "Leadership" and "Love" are some of the most common concepts of affirmation posters.

Cheesecake Posters

As the popularity of posters increases, another type started to circulate the market in the 1920s. These posters usually show beautiful women and commonly have an erratic theme.

A Brief History

Posters have been around for a very long time. The invention of different printing techniques and mechanisms gave birth to the modern posters around 1870. Lithography paved the way to bulk productions of posters.

According to John Barnicoat, with the popularity of posters, they eventually became a vital art form. Almost every artist wants to create a poster. Concepts such as Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Symbolism, Bauhaus and Hippie are commonly used and integrated in posters.

It is said that the Father of advertisement placards is Jules Cheret. He, together with Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, created numerous poster arts in the 1890s, when the art of poster making started to spread in Europe.

If you want to start a vintage poster collection, it's always a good idea to choose the type of poster you want to collect and build your collection from there. Be careful in choosing posters to add in your collection as there are a lot of fake vintage posters circulating in the market.
About the Author

Appreciating
Vintage Posters
by Olga Rahmaninof. the writer is the owner of several vintage posters websites

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Promotional Diaries and Calendars- Valuable Merchandise Used for Long Term Marketing

Creating brand awareness among the customers is important to prosper in business as the customers should be aware of the brand name then only they can easily accept the product. Today for effective marketing, many innovative technique and promotional merchandise are used to create awareness in the mind of the people. These promotional merchandises will boost the necessary exposure for the products and also increased the chance of being accepted by the public. Promotional merchandise can be seen anywhere from shopping malls to sporting events to parties to school and to recreational places. There are numerous promotional merchandises like promotional diaries and calendars, which can be imprinted and embossed with company's name and logo to be distributed among the potential clients and customers. Promotional merchandise proves to be beneficial in the long term marketing techniques.

Promotional merchandise industry runs on global scale and has grown into a major industry over the period of time. With promotions taking front seat in the growth of the business, stuff like promotional merchandise began to be commonly used for advertisement and promotion. Moreover the costing for this type of promotion is also not too much that enables many mediocre companies to indulge in this form of marketing. Promotional merchandise like promotional diaries and calendars act as a silent salesman and project the positive image of the company in the long run. These products increase your loyal customers by helping customers to remember the company's name and logo for a long time. Ideal selection of promotional merchandises after doing extensive research is sure to provide companies with long term benefits. One should decide ideal promotional merchandise primarily according to his budget and his target customers.

Promotional merchandise is not only used for brand promotion but various companies also used it as an employee incentive. Attractive and innovatively designed promotional diaries and calendars act as a source of encouragement and motivation for the employees. Moreover possessing companies imprinted diaries and calendars also provide sense of pride for the employees and it also proves that the company has rewarded the employee for their commitment and effort towards the company. This further motivates the employees to put in their best in work and continue their loyal support to the company for its growth and betterment. These items prove to be best merchandise that can be used for promotion at reasonable price creating much larger impact. It is not that expensive merchandise will create a much better impact but it is the technique of presenting and the quality of the product is important to have fond memories in the mind of employees and customers.

About the Author

Redbows promotional gifts store provides a wide range of Promotional Diaries, business gifts and Promotional Calendars with other stationery items from the Redbows promotional stationery collection.

Calendar Men: How to Publish a Calendar Featuring Hot College Guys at your University

INSPIRATION AND PERSPIRATION!
Ever thought of putting together a pinup calendar featuring hot guys enrolled at your college or university?

Most people who think of creating a "Men of (Your) University" calendar assume that all they need to do is locate only 12 hunky college males and have them photographed. These tasks must be accomplished. But there's much more to publishing a calendar and many more than 12 college guys must be recruited.

Besides recruiting, selecting, and training your student male models, there is production of the actual calendar, which includes photography, arranging graphic design and commercial printing. After the calendars are delivered, news media publicity must be arranged. Promotional events must be held. And, of course, your pinup calendar must be marketed!

But, first, the best-looking campus guys at your university or college must be recruited. After a decade of publishing, recruiting of college men, the Campus Men Calendar operation has learned a great deal and refined its approach. So, here are the facts:

GUYS WANT TO DO IT!
There is a high demand to appear in pinup calendars of college men. Publishers should be able to choose from many college guys. Therefore, do not cater to, or try to convince any one college student to appear. Either they want to appear in your calendar or they do not! Students who need special handling often drag their feet and cause delays. Delays cost in potential sales. Therefore, students who expect you to cater to them, cost you sales.

BEWARE OF GIRLFRIENDS!
Beware of any college guy who involves his girlfriend into your operation. Why? Because girlfriends do not truly want their boyfriends to "model." Yes, they want their boyfriend to be "good looking" and for his looks to be "model quality," but they really do not want them going on photo shoots, meeting female models and certainly do not want the competition that is generated from having their boyfriend's body being advertised to other females by appearing in a calendar.

When it comes time to choose the best calendar photograph, girlfriends can spell T-R-O-U-B-L-E. A revealing photograph may be threatening to a girlfriend. When it comes to their bodies, guys want to "show it off." Girlfriends want their men under wraps.

If you hold a promotional event after the calendar is released, any controlling girlfriend will either want to attend the event or will encourage your model not to attend. Remember, you cannot replace a model once the calendar is printed. You will only be able to select from the batch of 12 who appear in the calendar. That means if five guys are unreliable, you only have seven to choose from. How many of those seven will be working at their job during your event? If you convince a bar owner to hold an event, but only have one model show up, you might be in big trouble and possibly owe the bar owner for their advertising costs. If no models show up at a retail store that carries your calendar, you just might loose that store as an outlet!

In summary, chose independent-minded males.

SEX STILL SELLS?
The theme of the calendar drives which students should be recruited and selected. At Campus Men, we chose a theme that was developed after years of trial and error. Our theme was to present young, all-American college guys in sensual poses.

Your photos should answer the question of: I wonder what that incredible-looking guy I saw on campus would look like in bed? If a publisher wants to sell calendars, it is foolish to feature college men wearing sweaters. Publish photographs of guys wearing suits, fully clothed or face shots only - and you will not be returning to the market with a calendar the second year. If you want to sell calendars, appeal to the sexual motivations of the viewer, whether through a cute smile, great face or body or skimpy clothing. Attempt to give the viewer a fantasy of what it is like to be intimate with the college student.

You do not have to depict models fully nude with penis showing. Snug-fitting boxer briefs (or less) are just as exciting. Many guys will readily show their bare buttocks. By choosing students who are exhibitionists versus guys who are conservative, you give yourself valuable creative freedom when it comes time to photograph these college male models. Choose a male student who obsesses about which poses he will not pose for, versus choosing a young guy who is grateful for the opportunity you are offering, and you will undoubtedly find the production process more difficult.

Remember, there are thousands of students enrolled at your university. Why choose the ones who do not care about your profitability? You will find that buyers will remark on the one or two provocative photos that appear in your finished calendar. "Skin" photos draw more e-mails and sell more copies.

Campus Men learned this by accident. Gus Dakis posed for what our male model photographer calls a "miracle photograph" because the photo shoot was hastily put together due to bad weather. Gus and our photographer sped off to the photo shoot location and set up equipment as the rain still dripped from gutters around the pool house.

Yet, once set up, there was still no sun, which was needed for the photograph. Gus stood in exact position under the showerhead and our photographer stood by with his camera, continuously measuring light readings. Just as they decided to wrap it up and go home without taking any photos, the sun fell below the clouds, engulfing the pool area in a beautiful, brilliant deep gold color. A half roll of film was snapped off before the sun fell beyond the horizon.

Surprisingly, Gus' photograph, which was created in two and one-half minutes, became the most popular image in Campus Men that year and was responsible for many sales. Why? Because the photo depicted Gus in a pair of wet, white shorts that inadvertently became translucent because of the hectic pace of that day's photo shot.

GO FOR A CAMPUS FEEL
Design photographs with a collegiate or athletic feel to them, rather than "beach" themed photos. If people want to buy a beach theme calendar, they will buy the "Chippendales" calendar. Even the Chippendales calendar has changed to more "bedroom themes." Remember, buyers want YOUR calendar because it offers college guys. While college guys are seen on beaches only during Spring Break, one will usually find college guys on the school's quad, in a fraternity house, or playing sports. So, photograph your college men where buyers expect to see college guys. Plan imagery that brings college life to mind or portrays the college student as a sexy athlete.

Remember, the successful theme of a calendars should be: "Here's what that athletic guy you passed on the quad looks like in bed."

RECRUIT EXTENSIVELY
Far more than 12 students must be recruited. Calendar production processes call for locating as many attractive males on your campus as possible. It is not usual to evaluate at least 125 college guys and as many as 500 during the entire process. If you want to organize a calendar, your goal should be to meet hundreds of hot college guys.

A large number must be secured because the most important issue - other than quality of photographs - is timing of delivery. Delivering early in the sales season is very important. Calendars must be produced for delivery on June 1 of each year. This allows a seven-month selling season and allows featured college guys to talk up and sell calendars during the summer (when they have ample time to sell because they are not enrolled in classes; are usually home among family and friends). It also allows sales through national magazines, and allows the producers to reach incoming freshmen college guys visiting the campus during orientation sessions, held during June through August. This means the calendar also will be on store shelves in time for students who arrive back for the beginning of fall quarter and are seeking to decorate dorm or sorority room walls.

Winter term is a poor time to recruit college guys because completing any activity takes more time due to cold weather. We cannot easily see what college guys look like because they cover themselves with clothing when outdoors. College guys generally stay indoors, become sedentary, gain weight, and do not have tans.

If only 12 college guys are recruited, the operation can be delayed if even one student drops out or is dismissed.

Recruit a large number of college guys because appearing in a calendar is not for everyone. We found that we had to screen all guys to select only those who are willing to pose nude or nearly nude. Why? Because college-oriented calendars are not the thing for timid or conservative young men. We have published many pinup calendars with varying degrees of provocativeness. Tame pinup calendars are nice. But, few buyers actually part with $15 to buy a boring male calendar. More risqué calendars have always been more popular in sales.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Here's what to look for in a college-guy model for a pinup calendar:
• Outgoing, can sell calendars. Guys who like to talk to everyone and anyone
• Muscular or defined body
• Confident guys. Young men with self-esteem problems make problems for you.
• Comfortable posing nude, uninhibited, the kind of guy who would skinny-dip for fun or go streaking at the drop of a hat

Advertising did not bring in the "right" type of college guys. Many young men who are perfect for your calendar would never think of submitting their names to you. They must be invited. That is where student recruiters are valuable.

Advertise for a team of students whose sole duty is to stop college guys on an informal basis. Advertising to locate recruiters can include classified ads, as well as fliers to sororities, career placement offices and dorms. Aim for at least three "hard core" recruiters, a Greek system recruiter and a minority representative. Recruiters need not be female. Guys can recruit and sometimes find it easier to approach other guys in gyms, classes and on the quad. Girls sometimes thinks asking a guy to pose is like asking him for a date.

NUMBERS GAME
About 60 percent of the college guys recruiters find will be acceptable. Of those students, 75 percent will accept an offer to appear. Therefore, to secure 22 acceptable college men, recruiters should locate 50 guys per calendar.

Compensation to recruiters is a finder's fee paid for each "found" student who appears in the published calendar. Fees are payable only if the recruited student appears in the calendar. Do not pay a finder's fee if you do not select the college student to appear, if the college student declines your offer to appear, drops out before publication, or is dismissed for any reason.

After a college guy applies to appear in a calendar (through a website), collect a bio or tape an interview with the individual. That's how selection of new "male models" begins!

About the Author

Vicky Phipps is part of Campus Men, a calendar & male modeling resource company has been making good looking college guys famous since 1990. Campus Men recruits males age 18-26 as male fitness models, fashion models & underwear models. One its best calendars is the University Hunks Calendar.

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Shopping and Designing Travel Coffee Mugs

Mugs have always been a very popular choice for practical gifts as well as souvenirs so it is not surprising that travel coffee mugs has become pretty abundant especially in souvenir shops and gift shops all over the world. Aside from its utilitarian purpose, such kinds of coffee mugs are also a very nice thing to collect especially if you are a big travel buff.

While it will definitely take you quite some time to be able to visit all the different places that you are dreaming about, you can already start shopping for cute coffee mugs that you can add to your collection. Gift shops, home ware stores and antique shops usually carry a lot of interesting coffee mugs that you might find interesting enough to add to your collection. For more rare finds, antique shops and flea markets are certainly the way to go. If you’re lucky, you may even be able to score some nice cute things for cheap at the flea market. However, when you’re out shopping though, do make sure that you set your priorities straight so that you don’t stray and end up picking up all sorts of things and trinkets that you do not really need nor would really match anything in your home. Another thing that you should be careful with when you’re out shopping for home wares like mugs in flea markets is the actual state of the items. Do not settle for chipped or broken wares as these will just end up as junk in your house.

However, if you are not able to find something good in the stores then you can also check out online shops. There are loads of online sellers that carry travel coffee mugs and other interesting travel curios. Just like with normal shops, prices at online stores do vary so don’t get discouraged when you stumble upon something that you like but might be a tad too pricey for your budget. You can also try checking out online auction sites in case there are some interesting finds that are worth buying.

And if you still don’t find something that you really like then why not try designing your very own travel coffee mugs? You can always get one of those plain coffee mugs that can be painted on. While you can get those plain coffee mugs, there are also available kits that are perfect for those who are not really sure about how to get started on this kind of project. These kits usually come with the plain mugs, stencils, paints, and brushes needed to complete the whole this whole DIY project. Another thing that you can try is have your favorite travel photos printed on the coffee mugs that you are designing. This gives it a more personal touch especially if you are planning to give these away as gifts to your friends and loved ones. Aside from your favorite travel photos you can also try looking for nice pictures of your dream travel destinations, and maybe those will be able to actually inspire you to get started on planning for your next trip.

About the Author

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Perk Up Your Morning With Novelty Coffee Mugs

If you're one of those people who need a cup of coffee to get up in the morning, sipping it from a novelty coffee mug can add that extra perk that helps make a good day into a great one. Admittedly, when you come down to it, a mug is just a mug, but drinking your coffee from one with a funny message or image raises a smile that just might add some joy to an otherwise difficult morning. Giving a novelty coffee mug to a fellow java addict as a gift for a birthday or other special occasion is also a great and very affordable way to share some happiness.

Novelty coffee mugs come in a variety of styles. There are ones that simply feature a cute, humorous or inspirational message or picture, i.e. ones with messages such as World's Greatest Dad or featuring a picture of Barack Obama with John F. Kennedy in the background. Then there are the ones in which there is something distinctive about the mug itself, such as the handle being in the shape of a hammer or a paintbrush or the body being a replica of the head of a popular cartoon character. And finally, there are image-changing mugs in which a picture appears or disappears when hot liquid is poured into the mug, for example an iceberg that seems to be submerged in water as you pour coffee into the mug. You can buy novelty mugs ready-made or have them customized with an image or inscription of your choice.

Novelty coffee mugs also make terrific promotional giveaways. Handing out coffee mugs with your company logo on them ensures that potential clients will always have you in mind, particularly since these mugs are used every day. And when you buy them in bulk, novelty mugs can be very cheap even if you throw in the cost of customizing them.

Whether you're buying novelty coffee mugs as a gift, a giveaway or simply for your own use, there are a number of tips you need to keep in mind to make sure you get the best quality mugs. One is to carefully select the design of the mug you are buying so that it will suit the preferences of the people you are giving them to. Second is to pick mugs that are made of the best-quality material to ensure that they are durable and you won't be embarrassed when the mug cracks after only a few uses. Finally, make sure to comparison shop among the many novelty coffee mug makers on the Internet to be certain that you are getting the best deal.

About the Author

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The American Character

When an American travels overseas he becomes an ambassador of our country, whether he is aware of it or not. This became apparent to me when I started visiting foreign clients. Just about everyone I have met overseas wants to know about American interests, the mood of the country, and our politics. In general, there is contempt for our government and genuine concern for the spirit and well-being of the American people. However, it strikes me the character of the country overall is undergoing a transformation. Years ago, if you were to ask people abroad to describe our country, you might hear something like, "The land of opportunity" or "The land of the free and home of the brave"; that we possess a pioneering spirit and "can do" mentality; that we are the land of plenty, the world's breadbasket, an economic engine, the chief exporter, a melting pot, and leaders of the free world. All of these descriptors are generally regarded as complimentary, something we are all rather proud of and yet the cause of envy and scorn to our detractors.

Consider some of our more inspirational icons for a moment. Do the presidential figures carved on Mt. Rushmore truly depict the current sense of our national strength, wisdom and vision? Does the Statue of Liberty embody our current policies of immigration and hope? Do we still enjoy the same freedoms and independence as represented by the Liberty Bell? Are we still as united as the American Flag is supposed to represent? Not by a long shot. Our character has quietly changed over the years.

Character is typically defined by such things as pride, integrity, honor, spirit and resolve. It is shaped by socioeconomic conditions, leadership, and management. Unfortunately, the 21st century is off to a bad start, plus we have elected lawyers to lead us and allowed the media to guide us, and when it comes to management, is anyone truly happy with the state of our government? It is no small wonder the character of the country has changed.

I think we all know deep-down we are an imperfect society and have our own unique set of problems. Regrettably, people, both internally and externally, no longer see America in the same light as before. Now we are characterized as greedy and self-centered. We are also recognized as the world's policeman, a burden we assumed following World War II, a position previously held by other civilizations, such as ancient Rome and Great Britain. In addition, America is regarded as the land of civil rights and political correctness. Unfortunately, we are perceived as the land of facade as opposed to substance. For example, we are now better known for the glamour and glitz of Hollywood as opposed to being captains of industry. Our credibility has been decimated by such things as the near collapse of our banking and auto industries, an eroding infrastructure, and our transportation systems which seem archaic when compared to their counterparts elsewhere in the world.

More disturbing, America is now seen as a battleground for class warfare between the have's and have-not's, thereby being forced to make an ideological choice between socialism and capitalism. Consequently, the government suffers from polarization and gridlock due to political wrangling, and the demeanor of the citizens, in turn, grows impatient.

Finally, America is perceived as a Godless and immoral country being strangled by too many rights and laws. Do we really need to legislate everything? When we have to put labels on packs of hot dogs to warn people they might cause choking, maybe we have gone too far. I, for one, am tired of the dumbing down of America.

Perhaps the best adjective to describe America today is "enigma" -

* On the one hand, when havoc strikes in a foreign land, the first country they call on for help is America. Yet, the USA seems to have trouble accommodating the needs of its own citizens. It seems rather odd America can rebuild roads and bridges in Iraq and Haiti faster than within its own borders.

* When hostilities arise between countries, America is summoned to quell the problem either through diplomacy or military intervention. Regardless of the outcome though, we are criticized by the world community for either doing too little or too much. Our enemies understand with perfect clarity that we are restrained by our rights and laws and plays the game accordingly. Consequently, America has to always fight with one hand tied behind its back.

* Regardless of our politics, America is still the place people want to come to, not run away from. Interestingly, we allow people to abuse the system even if they enter the country illegally.

I am always encouraged when I listen to some of our younger people, particularly those in uniform who have been abroad, and understand how great America once was and could be again, but they are also aware of its frailties. They adamantly do not want to see it fail during their watch, yet are at a loss as to how to prevent it.

Years ago, Laurence M. Gould, the President Emeritus of Carleton College said in a commencement address, "I do not believe the greatest threat to our future is from bombs or guided missiles. I don't think our civilization will die that way. I think it will die when we no longer care. Arnold Toynbee has pointed out that 19 of 21 civilizations have died from within and not from without. There were no bands playing and flags waving when these civilizations decayed. It happened slowly, in the quiet and the dark when no one was aware."

America gives the impression of being as confused as a punch-drunk fighter staggering around the ring, bobbing and ducking at shadows, swinging at things that do not exist, tired and confused. It hardly looks like the fresh boxer who entered the ring over 200 years ago. It's either time for some smelling salts and attitude readjustment, or face the consequences.

I, for one, would like to believe we can do better.

Keep the Faith!

About the Author

Tim Bryce is a writer and management consultant located in Palm Harbor, Florida. http://www.phmainstreet.com/timbryce.htm

He can be contacted at: timb001@phmainstreet.com

Copyright © 2010 Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Idaho Not For The Faint of Heart

Reading into some of Idaho's history, you'll discover people like Polly Bemis a Chinese woman who was sold into slavery as a child, moved to San Francisco, and eventually bought her freedom from an Idaho bartender. She established a boarding house and was one of the first pioneers to settle Idaho. You'll also read about Sacagawea, the famous American Indian who guided Captains Lewis and Clark as the traveled west. Then there's Gutzon Borglum, the famous sculptor who the Mount Rushmore Memorial in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Idaho is not for the faint of heart. Instead the beautiful state seems designed for people who love the outdoors, like adventure, and crave natural beauty. The small towns of Idaho have produced numerous famous people, those who excel in politics, athletics, and entertainment. And it's in these small towns that people are finding beautiful real estate to settle as their new homes.

About midway between Boise and Pocatello is a little town called Sun Valley where Ernest Hemingway spent his last years. Living in Sun Valley is not inexpensive. There are only three houses now available listed below $200,000. Two of these have less than 600 square feet and the one larger house is pink with green trim.

Homes priced over $200,000 are lovely and all have a rugged mountain feel. Wood-lined walls, beamed ceilings, and panoramic views highlight the real estate of Sun Valley.

A couple of famous people hail from Rupert, Idaho. CNN news anchor Lou Dobbs and Bill Fagerbakke, the voice of Patrick on SpongeBob Square Pants and former actor on the television series Coach, attended Minico High School in the town of just under 6,000. Most properties are listed below $100,000, but they do extend up to the mid $300's. Rupert is an agricultural farming community that borders the Minidoka Wildlife Refuge, comprised of wetlands and an arid climate.

Finally famous Olympian and alpine skier Picabo Street was born in Triumph, Idaho. With a population of just 50 people, real estate is very challenging to find. Instead, buyers would have to search for homes and land in nearby Hailey, Idaho.

Nestled next to Sun Valley, homes in Hailey are also expensive, but affordable homes can also be found easily. The joy of living in this area - whether you're in it for a $500 p/month mortgage payment or a $5,000 p/month lien - is that no matter what direction you drive, you'll find gorgeous views of the Sawtooth Mountains.

Real estate in Idaho is truly the most beautiful in the nation, for slim or fat pocketbooks, or for nature lovers and adventurers everywhere.

About the Author

My name is Frank Anton and I help run the popular real estate and mortgage rates section of Rates.Banks.com

Idaho Mortgage Rates
Compare mortgage rates for Idaho to stay on top of the average home value, market value changes, mortgage rates and more in Idaho at Banks.com.

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International Development Sector: Back Office Administration Lessons Learned

Why Back Office Administration?

In the international development sector, back office administration and social networks are fundamental to how practices are improved. The work of the administrator expert for the purpose of providing back office activities for development projects include such a diverse range of administrative tasks and routine services. These services carried out in support of a professional activity such as monitoring and organizing a national survey, providing overall administrative guidance and support to multi-donor programs for good governance and economic growth programs have played a central role in consultants’ work in various regions of the world. Such work has involved efforts to reach out to the relevant local partners, government officials, urban professionals, businessmen and women, and rural community heads.

Back office administration has played a particularly prominent role in managing international development projects. This reflects the enduring expertise of administrator experts in many international programs. Back office administration has been strategic to the work of international development projects. And the administrator expert engagement has been fundamental to efforts to manage development projects. Because of the growing importance of back office administration for international development projects strategy, its potential contribution to future phases of managing development projects, it is vitally important for administrator experts at all levels to understand what management and the decision sciences suggest, and what consultants who have worked in such capacity have learned, about how to engage and leverage local partners in projects and institutional networks.

 Administration 101 for Consultants: Lessons Learned

 Back office administration is a form of organizational management activity based on common claimed effort to improve projects implementation practices. (2) It is not necessarily technical, as projects terms of reference (ToRs) may specify technical aspects of projects. (3) Back office administration rather has the benefits of the administrator expert being involved in scientific and/or statistical research without actually having to do it. It gives the administrator expert the administrative and management jobs that the scientists or statisticians see as tedious and time-consuming. For the administrator expert, these jobs represent tasks with a definite beginning, middle, and end. Thus back office administration is a part of most development projects where tasks dedicated to running the implementation of the project itself take place (4).

There is no such thing as a "typical" technical and/or statistical development project. Technical projects may embody diverse project rules, structures, types of political authority, and terms of reference (ToRs) which may be influenced by social and institutional conditions and government policies. (5) Thus, for instance, the ‘microfinance sector capacity building in Sierra Leone’ survey project (2007/08) in the category of the ACP Business Climate Facility (BizClim), a joint initiative financed under the 9th European Development Fund (EDF), tended, at least traditionally, to be purely statistical but the interpersonal definitions of the project underscores the relevance of the administrator expert.  There are major organizational issues involved in all donor funded project that require the engagement of an administrator expert who deals with these issues in a timely and efficient manner. (6) The administrator expert’s inputs in the ACP-EU BizClim project include the overall organization and monitoring of the field survey which makes the expert more influential than the other experts in the project. The administrator expert is looked upon as the project coordinator who enables the right conditions under which all the experts of the project are able to work. (7)

Administrative Values, Processes, and Organization

Administrative values remain deeply ingrained in back office administration of international development projects and have had a profound influence on development projects’ social mores and political culture. (This observation holds for much of all development projects as well.)

These values include the high premium put on originating and leading organizational issues that provide high performance culture that emphasizes empowerment, quality, productivity and standards, and goal attainment. These values also foster ingroup solidarity, which finds expression in loyalty to the technical expert team, (8) coupled with a powerful desire to ensure proper inclusion of the project output (in the case of the BizClim project, the survey) into the strategic development plan for the overall program; ensuring proper operational coordination with the contractor’s terms of reference; which finds expression in having the necessary skills, personal qualities and levels of motivation to competently meet the objectives of providing back office support and working with institutions or corporations locally. (9)

Administrative processes include traditional forms of services tailored to effectively support the technical experts, to mitigate problems when possible and to preserve a dynamic and productive environment. (10) These processes are conducted in accordance with basic administrative principles, providing colleagues (who are the technical experts) with the resources (i.e. human resources, physical facilities, as well as computing infrastructure and systems) they require to carry out their project research or service mission. (11) Further, working in cooperation with the local partners is extremely important and other tasks of significance include research and review of existing materials, and recommendations for operational structure that produces. (12) The precise extent to which these basic administrative processes are applied determine how successful in meeting the mandate of the contractor by such service requirements by which the expert must:

· clearly understand the needs of all the stakeholders of the project; (13)

· develop a team approach based on strong collaboration and mutual support and trust between the expert team and the local stakeholders in the project; (14)

· motivate and continue to inspire a competent and skilled auxiliary local staff in the project; (15)

· ensure that roles and responsibilities for program objectives and resource management are clearly defined and well understood by all concerned. (16)

Organizationally, each international development project implemented in any region consists of nested beneficiary groups. In the case of the BizClim microfinance project in Sierra Leone (2007/08), the direct beneficiary of the activity is NaCSA’s microfinance program as well as the partner organizations (MITAF, BoSL and SLAMFI). There are also the indirect beneficiaries which include the six existing MFIs and the four community banks actively involved with MITAF as well as the sector as a whole. (17) The terms used to describe these stakeholder groups and the meanings ascribed to them may differ by project, however, basic administrative processes apply in every case. This simplifies efforts by the administrator expert who must be skilled to understand stakeholder relationships, dynamics, and politics in the implementation of projects. (18)

The enormity of tasks in a project and the political issues to be dealt with has caused development donors to fall back on inputs of the administrator expert for support in confronting the challenges of coordinating the implementation of projects. As a result, strategic administrative processes have assumed greater salience in back office administration in recent years. It is not a mistake to emphasize the significance of the role of the administrator expert in a project or to regard the administrator expert as the central organizing principle of any development project implemented.  Large parts of back office administrative processes are to ensure the specific objectives of a project are consistently pursued, in the case of a survey project, for instance, the survey tools are developed and tested; the field research is undertaken; data is reviewed before processing, and statistical analysis is undertaken and final report drafted. (19)

A detailed, up-to-date picture of the back office administrative system in international development projects is hard to see—at least in the open literature. Much of what is known about back office administration is based on profiles provided by project donors, and information gaps frequently have to be filled by what the administrator expert must do to ensure the successful implementation of a donor funded project. While there are a number of useful compendiums on the traditional responsibilities of administrative officers in organizations, these are largely catalogs of job description that are in much need of updating to meet the high expectation needs of international development projects. (20) Finally, there has been no systematic effort to assess the impact of the role of the administrator expert in project implementation and the state of relations between the administrator expert and all the stakeholder groups in a project. This article will hopefully constitute a modest first step in this direction. (21)

The Cultural Logic of Back Office Administration and Project Implementation

How do administrative values express themselves in the conduct of the administrator expert? Administrator experts are intensely jealous of the integrity of work outcomes—to the extent that integrity of work outcomes has been described as the "consulting center of gravity." The culture of integrity of work outcomes and the implicit threat of forfeiting fees if project outcomes are compromised may be a vestige of the back office administrator’s oath of expert engagement—a commitment of ensuring individual and group survival when there are terms of reference to be strictly adhered to. As a result, social relations among stakeholders in a project are characterized by a high degree of concern over integrity of work outcomes, status, and timeframes. (22) A well-known Steven R. Covey proverb expresses this tendency: "Seek first to understand, then to be understood”.  Some see the extraordinary politeness and generosity of consultants that characterize their social relations towards stakeholders in a project as a means of curbing this propensity for anxiety and apprehension for the integrity of project outcomes. (23)

What accounts for this tendency? One explanation is that it is a consequence of what defines a consultant. A consultant’s career is built on maintaining the scrupulous ethics and honesty that are the hallmark of any successful consultant—and to pay even more attention to the perception of ethical behavior. (24) Another explanation is that it is a characteristic feature of being a consultant to be efficient and be conscious of project timeframes. The administrator consultant must have the right experience. Knowledge of industry procedures, project requirements, likely project costs, and likely project timeframes, are all examples of where inadequate organizational experience can result in cost and time blowouts. The administrator expert must keep in touch with the latest developments in projects administration to provide the right advice to project stakeholders. (25)

In back office administration, the expert team of consultants, direct and indirect project beneficiaries, and government affiliations define the administrator expert’s identity and status in a project. Consequently, all personal interactions in a project potentially have a collective dimension. Experts assembled for a project is not a personal choice, but a team affair, with implications for the status and standing of the entire expert team. (26) Conflicts between individual experts in a team always have the potential to become conflicts between groups that undermine the success of the entire project. (27)

Relationships are central to project life. In an environment marked by suspicion and potential conflict between the expert team and the local stakeholders, building and maintaining relationships is a way to reduce the circle of potential adversaries or enemies. (28)

Back office administration is systemic, it has to do with the organizational issues of the project, and the activities undertaken provide the basis for sustained systemic action. Interpersonal interaction is the fundamental unit of getting tasks done in a project. On every occasion, the administrator expert considers organization-wide cooperation as key to the successful execution of tasks; it is generally in response to a specific task, such as collating economic data that should be included in a report. (29)

Back office administration has an inter-organizational dimension as well. A project is often identified with the government of a country, its civil service structure, and the civil society. Thus, an administrator expert is obliged to deal with all of these structures at a professional level.  (30) For the administrator expert, the administrative domain of all international development projects thus usually consists of dealing with a number of relevant stakeholders exclusively specified by the terms of reference of the project.  Among the team experts, there is strong pressure not to alienate these stakeholders in a project. Because the group of experts (consultants) is usually involved in more than one institution’s culture, and in each case they are seen as outsiders at the beginning, experts need to be able to win the confidence of strangers who may be initially threatened by the presence of consultants. The administrator expert must be that person of personable character capable of projecting the expert team’s image to the other stakeholders. A big dose of humor is said to make wonders, especially when directed at one’s self. (31)

Some back office administration activities take the form of effectively making use of all sorts of networks. Civil service and civil society networks are sometimes reinforced by less professional social interactions or more personal relationships, and may be mobilized in the pursuit of shared interests. Administrator experts are particularly adept at mobilizing social networks and forging more personal alliances, which account in part for the success of international development sector projects. (32)

The Spider in the Web

Overall, donor agencies have dealt with administrator experts as projects power brokers to help administer or implement a project, and they have often attempted to co-opt the work of the administrator expert as part of a strategy of "get things done". Other participating consultants in a project have likewise depended a great deal on the work of administrator experts to achieve quality project outcomes. It is therefore important to understand the sources—and limits—of administrator expert authority and organizational influence. (33)

Administrator expert authority. The administrator expert traditionally performs a number of functions related to the inner life of the project and its relations with the other stakeholders and the authorities. The role of the administrator expert for international development sector projects involves more like traditional administrative functions, and the administrator expert fulfill a number of important functions. The administrator expert’s job has been to be the spider in the web—collecting information from partners, everything from administrative data to their technical contributions, their expertise, and their expectations of the project, while making sure they meet the project’s deadlines. (34)

A very interesting task is to thoroughly understand all the specific terms of reference of a project and get all partners to understand them and agree to them as well. (35) In some cases the work seems to consist of calling other people’s bluff—not the participating consultants but the local stakeholders in the project. Almost without exception, often times the local stakeholders view with suspicion the work of the consultants, and the challenge is to what extent one has to be flexible on most things, and when to stand ground on the things that matter—like getting things done according to the terms of reference and maintaining one’s integrity. (36) One has to be willing to draw the attention of the contracting authority in such instances in order to defend one’s position in both of those cases without jeopardizing the project. (37)

The administrator expert must have an in-depth knowledge of how donor funding works, and should be skilled in developing good personal contacts with people in government and in civil society. (38) The very big plus side for the administrator expert is being right in the center of decision-making in the project implemented and the role of the administrator expert becomes more important when he or she is able to create the conditions for making the most out of people working in the project and their talents. (39) The administrator expert is more in control of his or her own work, to see output that is in some sort of relation to the time and effort put in, to work on projects that have a beginning an end. The administrator expert is responsible for the day-to-day running of the project. The work of the administrator expert is literally research project management. (40) The administrator expert has to be well organized to make sure deadlines are met and all partners are involved; diplomatic enough to deal with people of different backgrounds; and, perhaps most important of all, unflappable. (41)

Elements of traditional organizational management still apply in all international development sector projects. Management and organizational issues abound in delivering development sector projects. For example, if survey administration is the “line” activity within the project, the ultimate responsibility for delivery lies within the purview of the administrator expert. (42) And the more actors and organizational units that are required to deliver international development sector programs, the more complex that delivery may be. The need for coordination and cooperation in such complex systems is critical to success. (43)

Administrative influence. Administrative influence is reckoned in terms of the tasks completed. Details matter. Every task for the successful completion of projects matters. (44) Integrity also matters. The integrity of work outcomes is critical in international development projects. (45)

Today, as mentioned above, back office administration is generally the highest level at which sustained social action occurs; administrator experts are considered effective units of action. And the influence of an administrator expert is generally measured in terms of his or her work ethics, the ability to secure the interests of the project. (46)

The Donor Sector Today

The rules of donors and their influence and their specific terms of reference vary but have a common goal—effective delivery of project objectives. (47) There are a good number of well known donor agencies working for the good of humanity. Some of these donor agencies consultants should know about include:

· The ACP Business Climate Facility (BizClim), an ACP-EU joint initiative, is demand-driven and the requests for assistance introduced are implemented through contracts using the framework contracts of the commission (beneficiary) or through tenders. To this respect, the Contracting Authority is the European Commission but the daily management of each contract is ensured by BizClim. (48).

· USAID, the independent federal agency of the United States Government, often times cooperates with multilateral and regional institutions such as the African Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Bank of International Settlements, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), IFAD, IMF, IOM, OECD, and the UNDP, to implement projects in various parts of the world. (49).

· The Department for International Development (DFID) is the part of the UK Government that manages Britain's aid to poor countries and works to get rid of extreme poverty and often works with consultants in many respects.  It has two headquarters (in London and East Kilbride, near Glasgow) and 64 offices overseas. It also has over 2500 staff, almost half of whom work abroad (DFID). (50)

· The Australian Government, through AusAID, competitively contracts aid work to Australian and international companies. These companies use their expertise to deliver aid projects and often train local people to continue the projects long after the end of the contracts.  AusAID contributes to global and regional poverty reduction programs set up by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank and works with (AusAid). (51)

· The OECD brings together the governments of countries committed to democracy and the market economy from around the world to support sustainable economic growth, boost employment, raise living standards, maintain financial stability, assist other countries' economic development, contribute to growth in world trade. The OECD also uses a lot of help from independent consultants and shares expertise and exchanges views with more than 100 other countries and economies, from Brazil, China, and Russia  to the least developed countries in Africa (OECD). (52)

· UNDP is working through its specialized agencies like IFAD, UNICEF, UNCTAD, and with a wide range of partners to help create coalitions for change to support the goals at global, regional and national levels, to benchmark progress towards them, and to help countries to build the institutional capacity, policies and programs needed to achieve the MDGs (UNDP). (53)

· The African Development Bank (AfDB), Africa’s premier development finance institution, dedicated to combating poverty and improving living conditions across the continent through loans, equity investments and technical assistance, also offers great opportunities for independent consultants. AfDB-financed contract procurements are carried out in accordance with the requirements stipulated in the Rules of Procedure for Procurement of Goods and Works and the Rules of Procedures for the Use of Consultants (AfDB). (54)

· The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) also uses consultants’ help to promote sustainable development through loans, guarantees, risk management products, and analytical and advisory services. Established in 1944 as the original institution of the World Bank Group, IBRD is structured like a cooperative that is owned and operated for the benefit of its 185 member countries. (55)

· The Asian Development Bank (ADB) often partners with governments and the private sector to help reduce poverty and improve the quality of life of member countries based on its Strategy 2020, a long-term strategic framework adopted in 2008, grounded on three complementary strategic agendas: inclusive growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. (56)

These donor agencies have their specific rules and terms of reference. (71) Within the field of EU-supported Research and Technological Development (RTD) projects, partners normally sign a consortium agreement to organise the work and to specify certain rights and obligations to carry out the Project. Separate and independent consulting firms are subcontracted by the EC or the consortium for projects in various parts of the world. (57) And experts who are engaged by the successful firms the consortium has subcontracted are strongly encouraged to always co-ordinate their activities with the activities of other EC funded projects or projects funded by other donors in the region of implementation. The work of the administrator is to establish such contacts. (58) And considering the fact that experts do have different experiences in project implementation, there are also certain issues experts must know about:

· Using proper documents, forms and terminology as required by EC Delegation and there are basic documents all consultants should use when communicating with their partners—the firms contracted by the EC or the consortium.

· The ToR as a basic and binding document must be strictly adhered to. If the expert thinks the requested deliverables or outputs are out of touch of reality, the expert must communicate his or reservations in the Inception Report or with the Delegation in a written form.

· Experts should be patient with the EC Delegations and Beneficiaries, if an expert does not agree with work processes or procedures as specified by the EC operations manual and terms of reference, the expert has the responsibility to try to convince the EC or the consortium by justifying other ways value can be added to deliverables or outputs.

· Experts must, however, understand the reality that the EC does not accept other rules and forms except theirs.

· Even when consultants are subcontracted by firms contracted by the EC or the consortium, consultants are expected to respect EC rules which prevail for all projects. (59)

Lessons Learned

Hands on experience with back office administration in international development sector projects concludes that the administrator expert performs a strategic role in helping the project accomplish its objectives by bringing a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of work processes, control, and management processes. (60) The administrator expert creates a capacity which safeguards and reinforces project’s reputation as a reliable steward of donor resources.  (61)

Other required functional competencies of administrative expert include the expert having excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to set out a coherent argument in presentations and group interactions. The expert should be adept in the use of information and communications technology. (62)

Donor organizations prefer experts that operate within their organizational competency frameworks. They expect experts to lead and manage change with integrity, trustworthiness and confidence, keeping the contractor’s vision and values at the forefront of actions.  The experts must maintain a strong, independent mental attitude and highest integrity and ability to inspire and nurture an organizational culture of ethos and fairness.  (63)

As an expert, it is professional to keep accurate and systematic accounts, files and records. The records must clearly identify, among other things, the basis upon which invoices have been calculated. The expert must be proficient in preparing and submitting regular reports on the project activities to the project team leader emphasizing among others their impact on the different areas of intervention. The expert should also seek to set benchmarks and targets for achieving both program and activity based goals inclusive of indicators for measuring the extent of achievement and to highlight these in all reporting. (64)

Experts must not attempt or commit any fraud, deception, financial or procedural wrongdoing in relation to the performance of their obligations under the Contract, and shall immediately notify the contractor of any circumstances giving rise to a suspicion that such wrongful activity may occur or has occurred. (65)

The expert should not engage in any personal, business or professional activity which conflicts or could conflict with any of their obligations in relation to the Contract.  (66)

The expert must be familiar with the provisions of race relations, sex discrimination and disability discrimination and the expert should not unlawfully discriminate within the meaning and scope of these provisions. (67)

All donor agencies respect the environment; they therefore expect all consultants to help protect the environment in relation to the performance of the services and should comply with all applicable international environmental laws, regulations, and donor practices. (68)

The condition of maintaining professional indemnity insurance is important for most donor agencies. Professional indemnity insurance provides financial indemnity to a professional man or firm against a legal liability to compensate a third party who has sustained injury, loss or damage through breach of duty. (69)

Again, experts must know about project equipment use and keeps inventory of equipment, its condition and location and make such inventory available to the project contractor. (70)

Expert must know that no expenditure may be incurred in excess of the financial limit and budget items of the project without the prior written authority of the donor contractor. (71)

For most donor contractors, fees payable are deemed to cover cost of salary, overseas inducements, leave allowances, bonuses, profit, taxes, insurances, superannuation, non-working days and expenses of whatsoever nature that may be incurred except those otherwise specifically provided for in the Contract. (72)

Donor specific forms and invoices often in the form of letterhead, the contract reference number and bear an original signature are used to recover payments from donors. (73) For, DFID, for example invoices are numbered sequentially, dated and marked—“For the attention of the Administration Officer”—stating the period the services are provided using “from” and “to” dates. The final invoice presented in connection with this Contract should be endorsed “Final Invoice”. Experts must know that any invoices not presented in accordance with donor specific format may cause unreasonable delay in payment. (74) For currency information, the London Financial Times “Guide to World Currencies” does provide the information needed on exchange rates. (75)

Experts must also familiarize themselves with procedures for negotiating claims or disputes arising out of or in connection to Contracts. The Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution in London (CEDR) can be very helpful.  CEDR is an independent non-profit organization with a public mission and supported by multinational business, law firms and public sector organizations. (76)

Overall, the administrator expert prioritizes work schedules. Relieves the technical experts of administrative detail, coordinates work flow, update and chase delegated tasks to ensure progress to deadlines, maintain terms of reference manual to ensure consistent performance of routines. (77) To maintain proper communication mechanisms, the expert composes daily reports, research relevant data the technical consultants can use to support final drafting of the project report. (78) For any meetings, the expert emphasizes on agenda meetings. The expert arranges meeting facilities, acts as recording secretary, and prepares action minutes. The expert performs to earn stakeholders’ confidence. Even arranges local transportation. Seeks greater role in projects within administrative and other areas of competence. At the advanced levels, back office administration is about methods for handling work; it requires a constant audit of the way a project does things, and willingness to rock the boat for meeting deadlines in getting work done. (79) Here are some typical tasks:

• Study and understand international development sector procedures
• Recommend action to improve standard operating procedures.
• Take part in any administrative meetings to assure secretarial follow-through. (80)

In other areas, the expert finds himself with networking with the various stakeholders in the project that are playing a significant role in the life of the project. There is a saying in OD consulting that says “it is futile to put personality ahead of character, to try to improve relationships with others before improving ourselves”. Interpersonal coordination of projects objectives is the cadence of back office administration. To navigate the chaos of dealing with organizational issues in a project, the administrator expert tries to draw on the pillars of being an effective manager, pillars built on work integrity, respect, and reciprocity. The expert relies on the intimacy of an expert team and the other key stakeholders in the project. (81)

Emphasis on Interpersonal Relations

Some analysts and practitioners have argued that interpersonal relations are key to the success of projects. While consultants are often viewed with suspicion by the local operators they meet, it is the responsibility of the administrator expert to allay those suspicions.  Clearly, the administrator expert has realistic expectations regarding the influence of project stakeholders. The experts are generally well connected and plugged into various stakeholder networks (essential if they are to ensure project tasks are adequately completed) they have generally proven useful as sources of information and advice and as vectors of influence among their teams and the local stakeholders. (82) Experts can assist too in the preparation of technical projects instruments and the training and motivation of enumerators and/or other project participants. (83)

Despite such acknowledgements of the importance of social networks and the fact that interpersonal activities in back office administration consume between 50 to 70 percent of the administrator’s time, it is remarkable how little attention has been devoted to this subject in the consulting professional literature. Hopefully, this article on back office administration will spur greater interest in what is probably the most important work process in international development sector. (84)

The following engagement lessons learned—with particular emphasis on the special challenges of the administrator expert engagement—are drawn from a review of the administrative literature, journalistic dispatches, individual and group interviews with other consultants who have served in various parts of the world, and the author's own experiences. (85)

Institutional and cultural sensitivity, "hearts and minds," and shared interests. Because of the complexity of the operational environment in international development consulting projects, particularly when local participants in the project view with suspicion the involvement of “highly paid” external consultants, organizational challenges are inevitable. (86) Winning "hearts and minds" is what the administrator expert does which is necessary for project success. What is important is for administrator expert to nurture that spirit of shared interest in working together with local consultants to achieve common goals. (87)

Building relationships. In projects, as is with, in all organizations, persons are more trusted than institutions. Personal relationships are the basis of effective professional partnerships, and a sine qua non for effective organizational activities. These relationships, however, can only be established and maintained by engaging the project stakeholders. (88)

Relationships take time to build and need constant tending. "Face time" with project stakeholders is critical, even if nothing tangible comes of some meetings, since time together is an investment in a relationship whose benefits may not be immediately evident. In addition, such meetings might discourage slack in project. (89)

Credibility is priceless; once destroyed, it is very hard to reestablish. Accordingly, it is vital to make good on promises and to avoid making commitments that cannot be kept. Broken promises undermine efforts to establish rapport and build the relationships that are essential to success. (90) For these reasons, administrator experts should, to the extent possible, avoid practices that disrupt relationships with the local partners, such as showing off and pretending to be more knowledgeable than anyone else in the project.  (91)

Management Implications of Donor Rules of Engagement

While a detailed discussion of how each donor rules of engagement with external consultants are enforced in projects is beyond the scope of this article, it is important to recognize the management value of such organizational knowledge.

Another feature of donor rules that may be managerially significant concerns the relationship between patterns of work ethics and social relations among project participants. Work cultures vary in parts of the world. This is a widespread phenomenon in the developing world. (92) Research of work cultures in developing countries and in Africa has shown that most work cultures in the developing world have a laid back easy going work habit. The expert has to be patient but firm in promoting the right habits that should be nurtured. The point is proper work habits deepen democratic values and reinforce the benefits of responsible management of projects. (93)

Engagement as a management activity. Engagement planning at the lower tactical echelons—which are the echelons that interact most intensively with the civilian population (for example, the enumerators as in the case of a national survey)—is often ad hoc, highly informal, and done "on the fly" by the administrator expert with little if any formal staff input. Engagement, however, is too important to be done in such a manner, and should be approached like any other essential management activity. (94)

There should be a formal engagement planning process, with input from all relevant staff elements, to identify engagement targets, assess their motivations and interests, determine engagement goals, schedule meetings, and set agendas. Administrator experts should hold after-action reviews to evaluate the outcomes of meetings and plan for and prepare follow-on activities. (95)

Engagement planning would probably benefit from jotting down any activity undertaken in a day in a diary which helps the organization and oversee of activities. (96)

Understanding excellence in consulting. Consulting is a knowledge-based occupation; therefore, it is responsible for administrator experts to continue to acquire new skills and knowledge on how to meet the changing requirements of assignments or for career development purposes. The expert must continue to invest in relevant training to obtain and maintain the mix of skills and knowledge needed to achieve the highest level of performance in accomplishing projects objectives. Adequate investment in training to maintain and improve knowledge capital is a key strategic action by any energetic administrator expert. (97)

Being the expert is what empowers the consultant. Local stakeholders in a project have sometimes had unrealistic expectations concerning the expertise of consultants. Being a learning individual is a must. (98)

Avoiding the pitfalls of institutional politics. Working with stakeholders in a project poses special challenges. Local stakeholders are intensely status conscious and competitive, and rivalry and intrigue often characterize institutional politics. Thus, expert engagement often requires a careful balancing act among local coordinators, supervisors and other population groups in the project, to avoid creating or aggravating rivalries or conflicts. (99)

A specific pitfall associated with institutional politics is errors of ignorance. It is easy to err due to a lack of knowledge of work cultures in institutions. It is therefore essential to become intimately familiar with the history and politics of the institutions and the relationships that govern such institutions in order to avoid any missteps. (100)

The challenge is to strike a balance among participating stakeholders in a project. Expert engagement should be part of a broader effort to engage multiple sectors of stakeholders in a project in order to promote a spirit of comingling to work toward common goals. (101)

Conclusions

Interpersonal engagement is probably the most important administrator expert line of operation in back office administration in the international development sector. If experts achieve any degree of success in project implementation, it is in large part because they succeeded in engaging the stakeholders and leveraging stakeholder networks.

Interpersonal engagement, however, poses unique challenges deriving from the special demands of interacting with stakeholder communities whose norms, values, and forms of social organization diverge, in many ways, from those of donor agencies.

Finally, while interpersonal engagement lessons learned in back office administration by administrator experts in an international development project may apply anywhere; this should not be assumed to be the case. Every project is unique in its scope, its internal dynamics and politics, and its relations with the donors. Independent expert consulting is the driving force for participation. Research needs and organization emerge from all consultancy work to produce added value to international development sector projects. Back office administration is research project management suitable especially for those who don’t have that passionate interest in a specific area of science. With back office administration one has the benefits of being involved in scientific research without actually having to do it. The job market for administrator experts in international development projects looks very good. The UK Research Office in Brussels, ‘Development Executive Group’, ‘Microfinance Gateway’, ‘devnetjobs’,  ‘Association of International Consultants’,  Devjobs, ‘Eldis’, ‘Expat List’, ‘Idealist’, MSI Worldwide, ‘Peace Corps’, and ‘Relief Web’ advertise vacancies in just about every week they update their websites. These are time-limited appointments, but so are many research posts and almost all jobs in the international development sector. For an expert to stay employed between short-term consultancies, the expert should continue to make intense effort to email résumés to as many international development consulting firms as possible. With an ongoing, intense marketing effort there are good chances that an energetic expert stays employed.

About the Author

Kenday S. Kamara is a native of Sierra Leone, where he attended Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, 1982-1986. Kenday is an international development consultant in administration, policy development and capacity building. Kenday has consulted for VVMZ (a consulting firm based in Slovakia) as Administrator Expert for the 2007/2008 ACP-EU BizClim Microfinance Demand Survey (a project implemented for the National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA). Kenday is also consultant for Global Integrity – (an independent, nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., tracking governance and corruption trends around the world) and Konesens Research, Inc. – (a US-based global research and development consulting firm). Kenday is a Ph.D. scholar-practitioner in applied management and decision sciences at Walden University, specializing in leadership and organizational change. Kenday can be reached at kenday.kamara@waldenu.edu or via Skype at: medcallconsultants

Decorate Your Office for Halloween

Halloween is almost upon us and what better way to boost morale in the office than by transforming your workspace to suit the occasion? A ghoulish desk is as fun to create as it is to behold and you can get yourself and your colleagues in the spirit of things for minimal expenditure in terms of both time and money...all it takes is some creativity (and a fun-loving boss!).

If you're looking for a quick-fix solution then your best bet is head on over to a cheap novelty retailer or supermarket. All manner of ghostly figurines, faux spider webs and novelty witchcraft paraphernalia are available for pounds if not pence. Although it may well take a large amount of Halloween themed bric-a-brac to transform the space into a bona fide 'House of Horrors', you only require a few trinkets and accessories to add an eerie edge to an office. Consider draping artificial spider's webs from your computer monitor (preferably topped off with a rubber spider), stringing Jack O' Lantern shaped lights around your desk or simply propping a suitably scary mask up on your desk to show that you're in the spirit.

Those with a little more flair can transform their workspace with nothing more than everyday items, office supplies and some inspiration. Orange and black streamers from the ceiling will certainly attract attention, as will carefully positioned scary images printed out from the numerous Halloween themed websites. If you're looking to take it a little further than Paper Mache is an underrated skill which can result in incredible looking skulls, monsters, witches hats and pumpkins! This classic modelling technique is also a brilliant way to make use of those surplus newspapers and printouts.

To top the whole thing off there's nothing better than getting everyone to dress up for Halloween itself (or the nearest Friday). There's nothing more memorable than seeing the Managing Director of the company turn up to the office in full Elvis regalia! The whole event takes on a whole new element if you also use the day to raise funds for a local charity- maybe by running a raffle or having all staff make a small contribution in return for being permitted to turn up for work dressed as their favourite horror film character. Although you might not get as much work done as on a normal day, the impact on morale and team building can have a lasting effect.

If all of this sounds a little too time consuming then you can always cut out 2 small triangles of white paper and be a vampire for the day...it looks surprisingly realistic!

About the Author

Written by Jamie Rock Lyons of DG
Office Supplies Stafford
and
Offices Supplies Stoke

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verizon plan for droid?

1. Ok i am on a plan with 2 other ppl. Can i ETF my plan and theres will still be active. then, can i join back on. Also, how much would this co$t less the phone cost and ETF(things like activation and other misc. fees.)
2. droid or droid incredible
3. should i get 2 phone batteries
4. or 1 third party one(do they increase battery life)
5. thanks for ur time

If you cancel your line and pay the ETF, you lose your phone number forever so I would not recommend doing this. The Incredible is better. I would recommend having 2 regular batteries instead of 1 extended battery from a third party. There are lots of stories about third party batteries failing or not holding as much as they say they do. Plus, a regular battery will be cheaper than an extended one, and put together, you'll have more juice than an extended one.

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The Artist's Passion, Creating Portraits of People and Pets

On the mantel, pets can live forever thanks to a very talented artist. For every person who has a pet be it a pony, dog, cat or even white rat, he will think that it is the loveliest and smartest pet in the world, and she agrees to such. Most of these proud owners coax and coo their adorable pets before they can stay in front of the camera and allow the artist to immortalize on the mantel their likeness. But when finally the film comes back, a precious ear of Scottie droops while Sam's mouth curls into a yawn. Willy was obscured by shadows and blue boy had a foot cut off. The pet was supposed to be immortalized in a photographic piece but then it turned out to be a huge flop.

By way of a photograph showcasing the cutest traits or personality of the pet, she can remedy this problem and create a great animal portrait. It has become a common practice to work from a photograph and many illustrators agree to this. Although the photos pet lovers bring to an artist are sometimes fuzzy, off centered and feature poor lighting, an experienced artist has the skill to correct the faults. She said, animals are fun to paint but the challenge is in people.

The goal is the catch the subject's spirit. If one can stand back and say of a portrait she has done, the subject looks happy, lonely, or whatever. The picture makes her quite satisfied. Often, pictures taken of people would normally be the same with some pet snapshots, where very little of the person's personality or character shines out while composition and lighting leave a lot to be desired. Often, the picture quality would not permit it to be blown up and hung up on a wall after being framed. That's where the portrait painter comes in. Portraits that are personable, warm and intimate come out from her own close up photos, even small ones.

She changes color and tone to make things more effective and she is able to do this thanks to her creativity. She retains the facts before her but she can artfully create subtle enhancements. When it comes to a customer's portrait, she works in the medium they want her to work with. In a portrait of the local sheriff, for example, she used a combination of pen and ink and watercolor. She does the majority of her portraits with this method.

With a closer look, you will see how tiny little dots make up the shading of the portrait. In the sheriff portrait, there are about 100,000 dots, she shares. She demonstrated the rapidograph pen she used for the effect. This is essential for detail as she explained she can move the pen in any direction when line drawing and it won't spatter like the old ink drawing pens. Ease of manipulation and utmost smoothness is present in this.

Every artist develops his or her own style or he is not an artist. It is not difficult to recognize the lady's style as definite realism. It has steadily developed from her school days, when her favorite subjects were horses, to her present preoccupation with portraits. She has been able to derive so much insights during times that she participates in art shows and exhibits.

Through a private collection, a college library or a Legion hall display, people began to be curious about her. And such is the story of her painting's fame throughout the Midwest. Commercial artwork and nudes on velvet were exciting but she was never got any satisfaction the way painting people and pets had given her.

About the Author

To get a closer look on canvas oil painting hand painted visit this site.As a person looking for photo to painting you should visit that site.

Instructions: Learn How to Draw Motion

Your own capability to sketch things as well as - a lot more important - living beings in motion is a significant aspect for the purpose of drawing vibrant and natural drawings.

The roots for painting persons in motion is the line of action. This is an imagined center line from the figure and maps out the overall path of motion for this body. Choosing it proper is likely to make the figure much more authentic. If the persona is standing up it is a straight line from top down, but when the persona is moving forward it's often a curve, occasionally an s-shape. Ensure that it stays simple, when the line of action gets into too many directions it will not merely seem unrealistic yet may possibly also be extremely confusing for your viewer as itll be tricky to find out what exactly is truly happening in the drawing.

Another important element once painting people in motion is that you must sketch the personas a little out of balance. The center of gravity of a human can be found somewhere within the lower abdominal area. When somebody is standing up, without moving, a single foot is positioned on both sides of it keeping him from falling. When this same person begins to go the center of gravity equally moves, drawing an unbalanced position. The faster the motion, the further the center of gravity moves.

A great resource for learning this is considering the images employed for cartoons like in Walt disney cartoons. They've already really mastered the skill of bringing life to personas utilizing these particular couple of elements; the line of action and the center of gravity.

Some more ideas:

- First you need some fundamental skills in painting the human figure as well as its shapes and sizes.

- Obtain a art mannequin, it helps to get the posing and movements proper.

- When painting motions you need a quick and trained eye simply because you have to catch the position within a motion instantly.

- Applying a movie or a series of still photos may be helpful resources to capture and learn the movement with no need of relying on skills and a speedy eye.

When it comes to painting pets in motion you need to stick to basically the same guidelines you do when painting people in motion. Some critical points to modify are: the line of motion normally goes thru the whole animal from head to tail. It is advisable to incorporate the tail within the same line that'll provide an even a lot more convincing movement of the animal. The center of gravity is usually of much less interest to pets than it is with humans. This is due to four legs normally stop the animal from getting unbalanced.

Chasing animals could be extremely difficult. If you examine running horses in ancient pictures they often appear extremely unnatural. Frequently the horse seems to be floating in some odd fashion. This all improved when the art of photography had been invented and painters actually could discover what was going on. The running movement is complicated but the the majority of authentic poses are often one of the extremes; either when the legs are extended fully or when the legs are together below the body. Take a look at a number of photos your self or take a glance just how other painters get it done.

When it comes to pets it is advisable to maintain it uncomplicated. Leonardo da Vinci stated "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication".

About the Author

Pick up more tutorials to understand draw movement and motion! Visit our site and secure a gratis e-book to learn how to draw