Ann Oliveri

Feeling Foolish?

How do you distinguish between genuine April Fool's Day hoaxes and what passes for news these days?  It's best to have a reliable benchmark. Take a look at Museum of Hoaxes.  It's tough to beat the classic BBC Spaghetti Harvest story in 1957.  It's still #1.

What's your personal test?  Fools you? Fools most?  Funniest story?  Makes you snort?  The Washingtonian Magazine offered up helpful tips in 2009 if your Inner Fool needs inspiration. Be sure to check out the eponymous AprilFools.com.

I have a request. Tomorrow, please try to be more skeptical than usual when you tune in/check out news stories.  Come to think of it, that's not a bad policy every day.

Do Your Opinions Count?

At work, do your opinions count? In the last year have you had opportunities to learn and grow? Does your supervisor seem to care about you as a person?

Those are three of the 12 questions distilled by the Gallup Organization to measure the level of employee engagement.

Turns out that the level of employee engagement drives performance. In world-class organizations the ratio of engaged to disengaged employees is 10:1.  In the average organization, it's less than 2:1.

What's Your Engagement Ratio?

Hmmmm. As an association member, do your opinions count? In the last year have you had the opportunity to learn and grow?  Does someone at the association seem to care about you as a person?

You must be present to win.