Another milk poison scare for China

Chinese authorities have had another poison milk scare, two years after the country recalled liquid and powder milk samples that tested positive with melamine.

Authorities said they discovered excessive levels of a cancer-causing toxin in milk produced by one of the nation's leading dairy companies, Mengniu Dairy Group.

The government's quality watchdog found high levels of an aflatoxin, which is caused by mould, in the comoany's product.

But the milk company said the contaminated milk never reached the marketas its product was tested before being sold.

Milk was at the centre of China's biggest food safety scandal in 2008 when the industrial chemical melamine was found to have been illegally added to dairy products to give the appearance of higher protein content.

At least six babies died and another 300,000 people became ill after drinking milk tainted with melamine.

The company also created controversy in 2009, when China's quality supervision department questioned Mengniu products that contained an ingredient the company called Osteoblast Milk Protein (OMP).

Mengniu Dairy has stopped using OMP since the government inquiry.

Source:

ABC Radio Australia News

2nd International Conference & Expo on Halal Industry on 16 -17 Jan, 2012 in Lahore, Pakistan

The key goal of this International Conference is to highlight the importance of consuming Halal food, Halal exports, International halal market potential and to develop an awareness of halal concept among the masses.

More info:

http://www.halalrc.org/halalconferece2012/index.php

New Edition of ISO 19011

ISO 19011 provides guidance on auditing management systems, including the principles of auditing, managing an audit programme and conducting management system audits, as well as guidance on the evaluation of competence of individuals involved in the audit process, including the person managing the audit programme, auditors and audit teams

ISO has just announced on publication of the 2011 edition of ISO 19011. There are some changes to the new version 2011 compare with the previous version back in 2002.Hereby, i would like to that this opportunity to hightlight the main differences compared with the first edition in 2002 are as following:

(A) The scope has been broadened from the auditing of quality and environmental management systems to the auditing of any management systems;

(B) The relationship between ISO 19011 and ISO/IEC 17021 has been clarified;

(C) Remote audit methods and the concept of risk have been introduced;

(D) Confidentiality has been added as a new principle of auditing;

(E) Clauses 5, 6 and 7 have been reorganized;

(F) Additional information has been included in a new Annex B, resulting in the removal of help boxes;

(G) The competence determination and evaluation process has been strengthened;

(H) Illustrative examples of discipline-specific knowledge and skills have been included in a new Annex A;

More info:

http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_catalogue/catalogue_tc/catalogue_detail.htm?csnumber=50675

Baby formula probe widens beyond Enfamil

U.S. health regulators said on Friday they are looking at several types of baby formula that could be linked to the death of an infant, expanding an investigation beyond Mead Johnson’s market-leading Enfamil.

An official from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the baby, 10-day-old Avery Cornett of Lebanon, Missouri, had consumed a variety of baby formulas before his death but declined to give more details.

Initial results of the probe could be available at the end of next week at the earliest, though the full investigation could take up to a month. A top investment bank warned that Enfamil sales could be hurt even if health regulators find no link between it and the death.

Shares of Mead Johnson Nutrition Co, the largest U.S. formula maker, closed 5 percent lower on Friday, on top of a 10 percent drop on Thursday when news first emerged that Wal-Mart Stores Inc was pulling cans of Enfamil Newborn formula off its shelves following the death of the infant.

The baby had been fed the formula and tested positive for Cronobacter, a bacterium that has sometimes been linked to rare illnesses in newborns. Cronobacter has been found in milk-based powdered baby formula, and is also a relatively common environmental contaminant.

The CDC official said the infant also consumed other types of baby formula before his death, so the link to Enfamil was still unproven

Natural & Organic Products Europe 2012 Expo in London on 1-2 April 2012

Natural & Organic Products Europe is the UK's biggest trade show for both the natural and organic products industries. Over the last 13 years thousands of companies from around the world have set up their UK and European distribution and wholesale networks at the show. If you are looking to enter the UK's massive health food market, this is the leading trade event for you

More info:

http://www.naturalproducts.co.uk/

7 Things Highly Productive People Do by Ilya Pozin

You probably don’t want to admit it but you love distractions. In fact, just like monkeys, you get a shot of dopamine every time something pulls you in another direction. Why do you think you check your email so much?

Want to be more productive and get your focus back? There are no secret tricks here… do one thing at a time. Stop multitasking—it’s just another form of distraction.

Easier said than done, I know.

Recently I sat down with Tony Wong, a project management blackbelt whose client list includes Toyota, Honda, and Disney, to name a few. He’s an expert in keeping people on task, so I thought he’d be a good person to ask.

Here are his tips for staying productive:

1.Work backwards from goals to milestones to tasks. Writing “launch company website” at the top of your to-do list is a sure way to make sure you never get it done. Break down the work into smaller and smaller chunks until you have specific tasks that can be accomplished in a few hours or less: Sketch a wireframe, outline an introduction for the homepage video, etc. That’s how you set goals and actually succeed in crossing them off your list.

2.Stop multi-tasking. No, seriously—stop. Switching from task to task quickly does not work. In fact, changing tasks more than 10 times in a day makes you dumber than being stoned. When you’re stoned, your IQ drops by five points. When you multitask, it drops by an average of 10 points, 15 for men, five for women (yes, men are three times as bad at multitasking than women).

3.Be militant about eliminating distractions. Lock your door, put a sign up, turn off your phone, texts, email, and instant messaging. In fact, if you know you may sneak a peek at your email, set it to offline mode, or even turn off your Internet connection. Go to a quiet area and focus on completing one task.

4.Schedule your email. Pick two or three times during the day when you’re going to use your email. Checking your email constantly throughout the day creates a ton of noise and kills your productivity.

5.Use the phone. Email isn’t meant for conversations. Don’t reply more than twice to an email. Pick up the phone instead.

6.Work on your own agenda. Don’t let something else set your day. Most people go right to their emails and start freaking out. You will end up at inbox-zero, but accomplish nothing. After you wake up, drink water so you rehydrate, eat a good breakfast to replenish your glucose, then set prioritized goals for the rest of your day.

7.Work in 60 to 90 minute intervals. Your brain uses up more glucose than any other bodily activity. Typically you will have spent most of it after 60-90 minutes. (That’s why you feel so burned out after super long meetings.) So take a break: Get up, go for a walk, have a snack, do something completely different to recharge. And yes, that means you need an extra hour for breaks, not including lunch, so if you’re required to get eight hours of work done each day, plan to be there for 9.5-10 hours
Source:
http://www.inc.com/ilya-pozin/7-things-highly-productive-people-do.html

GMP+ seminar: “Developments in the GMP+ FSA scheme (including Feed Safety Database)” on 24 March 2011 in Hannover Germany

GMP+ International held its 3rd seminar within the framework of the Roadshow 2010 – 2011 in Hanover. With 110 participants, there was a great deal of interest in this seminar. In addition to developments in the GMP+ Feed Safety Assurance scheme and the Feed Safety Database, the recent dioxin scandal in Germany was also discussed.

More info:

http://www.gmpplus.org/en/Seminars/Hannover_24_March_2011.php

Fair Treatment of Retail Workers Leads to Higher Consumer Spending

Even a small improvement in retail employees' sense that their company treats them fairly yields significant benefits: The employees perform better, and customers spend more in stores. In a study of thousands of U.S. employees and customers, a team of researchers led by James G. Maxham III of the University of Virginia found that a one-point increase on a seven-point scale of perceived organizational justice on employees' part led to customers' spending $1.43 more per person per visit.

Source:

http://mktsci.journal.informs.org/content/27/2/147.full.pdf

Wal-Mart pulls formula after baby dies in Missouri

Wal-Mart has pulled a batch of powdered infant formula from more than 3,000 of its stores nationwide after a newborn Missouri boy who was fed the formula died from what preliminary tests indicate was a rare bacterial infection, the retailer said.

The government has not ordered a recall of the 12.5-ounce cans of Enfamil Newborn powder with the lot number ZP1K7G. Manufacturer Mead Johnson Nutrition said its records showed the lot tested negative for the bacterium before it was shipped.

Wal-Mart spokeswoman Dianna Gee said Wednesday that the company decided to pull the lot “out of an abundance of caution” while health officials investigate Sunday’s death of 10-day-old Avery Cornett. The product could go back on shelves depending on the outcome of the investigation, but customers who bought the cans have the option of returning them for a refund or exchange, Gee said.

Gena Terlizzi, spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, said Wednesday that samples of the formula given to Avery were sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for testing.

“At this point it has not been determined whether the illness is linked to the formula or an outside source,” Terlizzi said in a statement.

The CDC and FDA did not respond to calls from The Associated Press seeking comment early Thursday.



The Lebanon Daily Record reported ( http://bit.ly/vwyAs5) that Avery was taken to St. John’s Hospital-Lebanon late last week after appearing lethargic and displaying what his family said were signs of a stomach ache. He was later moved to St. John’s Hospital-Springfield, and preliminary tests showed that he had contracted a rare bacterial infection, Cronobacter sakazakii, the newspaper reported. He died Sunday after being removed from life support.

Avery had been fed Enfamil Newborn powder bought at a Walmart store in Lebanon. The store stopped selling the product after learning of his death.

Christopher Perille, a spokesman for Glenview, Ill.-based Mead Johnson Nutrition, said Enfamil Newborn powder is sold at a variety of retailers, but he didn’t have information about whether other companies received units from the lot now being investigated.

Perille said all of the company’s infant formula products are put through a battery of tests as they are produced, packaged and sealed.

“One of the things every batch of product is tested for is Cronobacter,” Perille said. “We went back and checked on the batch in question, and it had tested negative for Cronobacter.”

Public health investigators seeking the source of Avery’s infection will also look at environmental factors, such as the water used in preparing the powdered formula, and at anything else the baby might have ingested, Perille said.

The Missouri Department of Health advises parents to follow World Health Organization guidelines for safely preparing powdered infant formula, Terlizzi said.

“This includes washing your hands with soap and water, thoroughly sterilizing all feeding equipment in hot, soapy water and preparing enough formula for only one feeding at a time,” she said.

Where Are the Talent Shortages As We Start 2012? by Keith Cline

The year flew by mostly because it was a very, very busy one.Although the economy continues to face many challenges, the startup and tech industries are very much alive. The IPO window slightly opened up for companies like LinkedIn, Pandora, Groupon, Zynga, and Carbonite.We saw monster rounds of funding for companies like Facebook, Twitter, Dropbox. The appetite for seed and angel investing was extremely active. Tech incubators and accelerator programs kept popping up.

It was also a very busy year for hiring at startup companies, as you know, and it doesn't look like that will slow down in 2012. We've certainly seen opinions on both sides of the fence as to whether or not there is a tech bubble or 2012 will be another active year of investing. I'm an optimist and I believe the pace of investing will remain consistent. Yes, some companies will fail, of course, but others will scale and grow their teams at a steady clip.

Hiring the best of the best is an absolute must if you are going to build a successful company. You will need to be prepared to compete against big companies with deep pockets and other up-and-coming startups that also have blue chip investors and a game-changing idea.

So, what are the most competitive areas for talent these days? Here's a look:

Software Engineers and Web Developers

The demand for top-tier engineering talent sharply outweighs the supply in almost every market especially in San Francisco, New York, and Boston. This is a major, major pain point and problem that almost every company is facing, regardless of the technology "stack" their engineers are working on.

Creative and User Experience

After engineers, the biggest challenge for companies is finding high-quality creative design and user-experience talent. Since almost every company is trying to create a highly compelling user experience that keeps people engaged with their product, it is tough to find people who have this type of experience (especially with mobile devices including tablets) and a demonstrated track record of success.

Product Management

It is always helpful for an early-stage company to hire someone who has very relevant and specific experience in your industry. This is especially true for product management, since the person in this role will interface with customers and define the product strategy and use cases. However, be prepared, as it will be a challenge to find people with experience in these high-growth industries: consumer web, e-commerce, mobile, software as a service, and cloud computing.

Marketing

I'm not talking about old-school marketing communications. Companies are looking for expert online marketers who know how to create a buzz of inbound marketing or viral traffic through the web, social media, and content discovery. Writing a good press release just doesn't cut it anymore, as everyone is looking for the savvy online marketing professional who understands how the current state of the web operates and knows how to make it work to their benefit.

Analytics

Since data is becoming more and more accessible, smart companies are increasingly making decisions driven by metrics. Analytics is becoming a central hub across companies where everything (web, marketing, sales, operations) is being measured and each decision is supported by data. Thus, we are seeing a high level of demand for analytics and business intelligence professionals who almost act like internal consultants; they help determine what should be measured and then build out the capability for a company

Source: Inc

Bacteria love your homemade chili, too

The kitchen can be the most popular room during the holidays and eating one of the most beloved traditions. It’s a good time to remember that food-poisoning bacteria also love cooked foods that are high in protein, such as meats, chili, pasta, salad and custard.

If these foods sit at lukewarm temperatures for more than two to three hours, bacteria can start to grow.

What happens when you eat spoiled food? “You probably will not feel sick immediately,” said Carolyn Raab, Oregon State University Extension foods and nutrition specialist. “It takes time for the bacteria and their toxins to work in the intestines. Some bacteria can make you sick in just two hours. Others won’t strike for several days.”

Sometimes, symptoms such as nausea or diarrhea last just 24 hours. Others last for a week or more. Side effects of botulism, the most harmful type of food poisoning, can last for years. Some people may be sicker than others because their immune systems are weak. Pregnant women, infants and young children, older adults and people with cancer, AIDS and other diseases are more at risk.

It’s important to see a doctor if symptoms are severe or last a long time.



A common concern about food-borne illness is when you don’t know what food eaten during the previous 24 hours could have been a source of bacteria. “Rare or undercooked foods from animals — meats, poultry, eggs, seafood — can be a source of harmful bacteria. So is raw, unpasteurized milk. Adequate heating kills most bacteria and their toxins,” Raab said.

Another common cause of food-borne illness is cross-contamination, which spreads bacteria from raw meat, seafood and poultry to other foods that aren’t cooked before eating. This can happen when lettuce is put on a cutting board that was not cleaned after raw chicken is cut up.

Here are basic rules to keep food safe:

Keep it clean: Wash your hands with soap and water before handling food, especially after using the toilet or changing diapers. Wash counters, cutting boards and utensils with soap and water after handling raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs. After washing, wipe or spray with diluted bleach (one teaspoon in one quart of water). Don’t sneeze on food. Put bandages on hand cuts. Keep insects, rodents and pets away.

Cook it well: Cook meat, poultry, fish and eggs thoroughly. This is how they should look: Ground meat is brownish (cook to 160 degrees). Poultry meat is light or dark brown and its juice is clear (cook to 165 degrees). White fish looks milky and flakes easily with a fork. Egg whites are white and firm. Drink pasteurized milk and fruit juice that has been heat-treated to kill harmful bacteria.

Cool it soon: Keep hot foods HOT and cold foods COLD. Cool big pots of soups and stews by pouring them into shallow pans (two to three inches high). Refrigerate soon

Seafood revealed as biggest source of dangerous toxins

Seafood is the largest source of potentially harmful dioxin-based toxins in the diet of Hongkongers, according to a major food study conducted by the Centre for Food Safety.

The highest levels were found in mandarin fish, followed by oysters and pomfret.

However, the toxins are not consumed at dangerous levels based on Hongkongers’ normal eating habits, so the findings were no cause for alarm, said Dr Xiao Ying, a food safety officer at the centre.

“People should not stop eating fish, because fish contains many essential nutrients,” Xiao said yesterday. Dr Ho Yuk-yin, a consultant in community medicine at the centre, recommended consuming fish three times a week.

In the first major study of city residents’ diets, researchers tested 142 food samples over the past year, focusing on two powerful classes of toxins – dioxin and dioxin-like PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls). The samples were drawn from 71 types of food purchased from markets and prepared as they would be served on the table.

The results were compared to a survey that interviewed more than 5,000 people on their dietary habits.

To lessen the intake of dioxins, the centre advised Hongkongers to trim the fat from meat and opt for low-fat dairy products, since dioxins are fat-soluble and accumulate in the fatty tissues of meat and seafood. It recommended a balanced diet with a rich variety of fruit and vegetables.



The study found that the average Hongkonger’s monthly diet contained just 31 per cent of the maximum safe amount allowed for the two toxins. The top 5 per cent of residents consumed 85 per cent of the tolerable limit.

The safety standard for both toxins is 70 picograms of toxicity equivalents (pg TEQ) per kilogram of body weight per month, set in 2001 by the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Health Organisation.

The test results showed that mandarin fish, oysters and pomfret contained 1.056, 0.926 and 0.885 pg TEQ per gram respectively.

Dioxins occurred naturally and were by-products of combustion and industrial processes, Ho said. Animals that ingest contaminated plants will accumulate dioxins in their bodies. Some dioxins are carcinogens; long-term exposure may also affect the immune, nervous and reproductive systems.

The report by the centre’s First Hong Kong Total Diet Study (TDS) is the first in a series that will examine more than 130 contaminants and nutrients in Hongkongers’ food, issuing reports in phases until 2014.

The TDS approach is widely considered the most cost-effective way to estimate dietary exposure to a range of chemicals and nutrients. Unlike food surveillance programmes, it considers the impact of cooking rather than concentrations of substances in raw food

Board records statement in cheap cooking oil issue

Officers from the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) recorded a statement from Malaysian Association of Standards Users chief executive officer Ratna Devi Nadarajan in connection with tests which revealed that cheap cooking oil unfit for human consumption was being sold to the public.


MPOB officers went to the association’s office here yesterday and made copies of proof that samples had been sent for laboratory tests.

“They took down the list of companies involved and also proof of purchase of the samples,” she said, adding that MPOB also obtained the certificate of analysis of tests carried out by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).

The Star reported that 19 brands of cooking oil sold nationwide in 1kg packets were found to be unfit for consumption due to repeated exposure to high temperatures.

The association, which pursued the study of the commodity with UKM, believed that the re-packaged oil was meant to be recycled into biodiesel for use in diesel engines.

Ratna Devi stood firm in the association’s decision to send samples of cooking oil for the “polar compound testing”, saying it was a matter of food safety.

She said the association had no intention to attack the palm oil industry, adding that it wanted to see improvements to the regulations pertaining to the standards of cooking oil.

“We only hope the test would bring the serious matter to the attention of the authorities,” she said.

MPOB chairman Datuk Seri Shahrir Samad confirmed that the list of the 19 brands involved had been obtained from the association.

He gave assurance that MPOB was collecting the samples for its own tests.

“It’s not wrong for them to conduct their own tests. We are taking the situation se-riously,” he said

Source: Food Safety Net

14 Easy Ways to Get Insanely Motivated by Geoffrey James

It's getting toward the end of the year, so with the holidays in sight, I thought it appropriate to give you all a little gift: a column that I guarantee will make you more more successful in the coming year.

Here are 14 quick strategies to get and keep yourself motivated:

1. Condition your mind. Train yourself to think positive thoughts while avoiding negative thoughts.

2. Condition your body. It takes physical energy to take action. Get your food and exercise budget in place and follow it like a business plan.
Read More: Why You're Still Overweight

3. Avoid negative people. They drain your energy and waste your time, so hanging with them is like shooting yourself in the foot.

4. Seek out the similarly motivated. Their positive energy will rub off on you and you can imitate their success strategies.

5. Have goals–but remain flexible. No plan should be cast in concrete, lest it become more important than achieving the goal.

6. Act with a higher purpose. Any activity or action that doesn’t serve your higher goal is wasted effort--and should be avoided.

7. Take responsibility for your own results. If you blame (or credit) luck, fate or divine intervention, you’ll always have an excuse.

8. Stretch past your limits on a daily basis. Walking the old, familiar paths is how you grow old. Stretching makes you grow and evolve.

9. Don't wait for perfection; do it now! Perfectionists are the losers in the game of life. Strive for excellence rather than the unachievable.

10. Celebrate your failures. Your most important lessons in life will come from what you don't achieve. Take time to understand where you fell short.

11. Don’t take success too seriously. Success can breed tomorrow's failure if you use it as an excuse to become complacent.

12. Avoid weak goals. Goals are the soul of achievement, so never begin them with "I'll try ..." Always start with "I will" or "I must."

13. Treat inaction as the only real failure. If you don’t take action, you fail by default and can't even learn from the experience.

14. Think before you speak. Keep silent rather than express something that doesn’t serve your purpose.

The above is based on a conversation with Omar Periu, one of the world’s best (and best known) motivational speakers

Source: Inc

This One Leadership Quality Will Make or Break You by Mike Myatt

One of the most often overlooked aspects of leadership is the need for pursuit. Great leaders are never satisfied with traditional practice, static thinking, conventional wisdom, or common performance. In fact, the best leaders are simply uncomfortable with anything that embraces the status quo. Leadership is pursuit – pursuit of excellence, of elegance, of truth, of what’s next, of what if, of change, of value, of results, of relationships, of service, of knowledge, and of something bigger than themselves. In the text that follows I’ll examine the value of being a pursuer…

Here’s the thing – pursuit leads to attainment. What you pursue will determine the paths you travel, the people you associate with, the character you develop, and ultimately, what you do or don’t achieve. Having a mindset focused on pursuit is so critical to leadership that lacking this one quality can sentence you to mediocrity or even obsolescence. The manner, method, and motivation behind any pursuit is what sets truly great leaders apart from the masses. If you want to become a great leader, become a great pursuer.

A failure to embrace pursuit is to cede opportunity to others. A leader’s failure to pursue clarity leaves them amidst the fog. Their failure to pursue creativity relegates them to the routine and mundane. Their failure to pursue talent sentences them to a world of isolation. Their failure to pursue change approves apathy. Their failure to pursue wisdom and discernment subjects them to distraction and folly. Their failure to pursue character leaves a question mark on their integrity. Let me put this as simply as I can – you cannot attain what you do not pursue.

Smart leaders understand it’s not just enough to pursue, but pursuit must be intentional, focused, consistent, aggressive, and unyielding. You must pursue the right things, for the right reasons, and at the right times. Perhaps most of all, the best forms of pursuit enlist others in the chase. Pursuit in its purest form is highly collaborative, very inclusive and easily transferable. Pursuit operates at greatest strength when it leverages velocity and scale.

I also want to caution you against trivial pursuits – don’t confuse pursuit with simple goal setting. Outcomes are clearly important, but as a leader, it’s what happens after the outcome that you need to be in pursuit of. Pursue discovery, seek dissenting opinions, develop your ability unlearn by embracing how much you don’t know, and find the kind of vision that truly does see around corners. Don’t use your pursuits to shift paradigms, pursue breaking them. Knowing what not to pursue is just as important as knowing what to pursue.

It’s important to keep in mind that nothing tells the world more about a leader than what or who they pursue – that which you pursue is that which you value. If you message to your organization you value talent, but don’t treat people well and don’t spend time developing the talent around you, then I would suggest you value rhetoric more than talent. Put simply, you can wax eloquent all you like, but your actions will ultimately reveal what you truly value.

Lastly, the best leaders pursue being better leaders. They know to fail in this pursuit is nothing short of a guarantee they’ll be replaced by those who don’t. All leaders would be well served to go back to school on what I refer to as the science of pursuitology

What’s been the best thing you’ve pursued? What pursuit has led you astray.
Thoughts?

Source: Forbes

A Different Kind of Container Store By LESLIE KAUFMAN

Source: Starbucks

Starbucks is about to unveil a new store in suburban Seattle built primarily of four used shipping containers — the large steel boxes used to store goods as they are transported long distances on boats and trucks.

Containers have become a hot commodity in the green building movement because so many of them are piling up at American ports and are in need of recycling, says Peter DeMaria, the principal in a design firm that does a lot of work with them. “Due to the trade imbalance with China, millions of containers are left in our ports every year,” he said.

And it just so happens the containers are perfect modular building blocks for construction.

“We like the idea of up-cycling, that is, using a material and deploying it in nearly its original state,” Mr. DeMaria said. Adapting a container takes 5 percent of the energy needed to take steel, melt it down and create a new beam, he added.

Mr. DeMaria was an early adopter of container construction in the United States, first building a container-based house in Redondo Beach, Calif., in 2005. Since then he has built a gallery and condo building in the Venice area of Los Angeles, among other projects. He has worked with Target on a sample home for a design show.

The Starbucks container story is a prototype, according to a company spokesman, Alan Hilowitz, which means it may lead to more container stores.

He said this store would be rare among the 17,000 Starbucks stores globally in that it will be drive-up and walk-up only with no space to lounge inside.

And it will be portable, he said, easy to break it down and transport somewhere else. “We see a lot of opportunities here,” he said. “We can put a store like this on a lot that will be developed someday but is free for two or three years, and then we can move it.”

The company, he said, was also motivated by the idea of not letting the containers it uses for importing tea and coffee just sit and go to waste.

Source:
The New York Times

EU: New rules soon on fruit juices

Following on from the Committee of Permanent Representatives' meeting in mid-November, the European Parliament has now endorsed the new rules that will improve the quality and labelling of fruit juices and ban the addition of sugar to these beverages. Meeting in plenary, on 14 December, MEPs supported by a very large majority the compromise on the proposal for amendment of Directive 2001/112/CE of the Council on fruit juices and certain similar products intended for human consumption.

The new rules make mainly technical changes based on progress in production methods and provisions of the Codex Alimentarius. They confirm the distinction between fresh juices and concentrated juices or nectars. The rules ban the addition of sugar or sweeteners to fruit juices and permit the industry to indicate this to consumers during a limited period. The directive also improves the clarity of juice labelling so that fruits will be listed in descending order of the volume of juices in the final product (the words 'several fruits' may be used for three or more fruits). All these rules will apply to products manufactured in Europe as well as those imported from outside the Union.

Once the new directive has been published in the EU Official Journal, the member states will have 18 months to transpose and apply it. Products labelled or placed on the market during this period may still be marketed for an additional 18 months. The Commission may amend the annexes to the directive through delegated acts during a period of five years.

Source: europolitics.info

3 Emerging Trends in Employee By Kara Scharwath

From the Brighter Planet Report, "Greening the Workplace 2011"

Two years ago, when the concept had just started to really gain traction, we reported the results of a survey conducted by Brighter Planet on engaging employees on sustainability issues. The company just released an update to that study which includes responses from employees at some of the companies leading corporate sustainability efforts including Wal-Mart, UPS, and Coca-Cola. Since the first survey two years ago, employee engagement practices around sustainability have become increasingly more common and organizations are seeing and monitoring the impact of these programs. The results of the study suggest three surprising trends that sustainability practitioners should take note of:

1.The results aren’t all positive. Although more than half of the employers in the survey are frequently promoting sustainability within their organizations, most still lack official engagement policies, and fewer programs were rated as effective at actually eliciting the desired behavior from employees. According to Brighter Planet, this could be the result of companies not implementing best practices established by the leaders in the space; or, it could be that employees have been slow to adopt the newer programs. Regardless, there is the possibility that ineffective programs could undermine the progress made so far on employee engagement overall and threaten the effectiveness of this approach to implementing sustainable practices.

2.Effective programs go beyond traditional issues. The more effective engagement programs promote action from employees on a variety of different issues. Instead of focusing narrowly on more traditional green office initiatives like recycling, energy use, and commuting, the best programs go a step further by giving more attention to emerging sustainability issues such as water use, sustainable procurement, and business travel. It’s possible that by expanding the breadth of their initiatives beyond the status quo, these companies are demonstrating to their employees a more serious commitment to sustainability as well as a more innovative approach which is likely to inspire greater motivation and action.

3.Data and information are key to success. Of all the organizations surveyed, those that collect and report data relevant to employee engagement efforts were three times as likely to have a program that was rated as “very effective.” This includes information on employee sustainability efforts, data on the organizations environmental footprint, and on travel and commuting. The number of employers that are collecting this type of data also increased 15 percent since 2009. In addition, the programs that empower employees to share sustainability-related ideas with each other had a strong correlation to overall program effectiveness.

Although employee engagement is becoming increasingly mainstream, it is still a young tool, and the effectiveness of different approaches vary widely. As companies implement and refine their employee engagement efforts, it’s important that they continue to collect the kind of feedback that this survey from Brighter Planet provides so they can continue to improve their programs

You Can't Predict Talent; Foster It by Margaret Heffernan

In his recent book Thinking Fast and Slow, behavioral economist Daniel Kahneman tells the story of observing army recruits out on exercises and his belief that he could spot the potential leaders amongst them. Years later, it turned out he'd been almost entirely wrong. His confident judgment had been a morass of bias, heuristics, and narrative fallacies.We like to imagine that our powers of discernment are greater than the evidence demonstrates. Similarly, investment banks like to imagine that their fund managers are impeccable pickers—even though the data shows almost no one is over a significant period of time.

We like to think that we know what is not knowable. I was reminded of this when I was asked what had made me so good at picking talent. Many of my ventures—broadcast productions as well as businesses—had involved individuals who went on to great things: stardom, fame, or success running their own businesses. How, I was asked, had I been able to identify ability to early?

On reflection, I knew I hadn't. Some of the entrepreneurs gave no sign that one day they'd be their own boss. Some of the TV talent I most liked went nowhere while others have developed rich public personae. I don't think I picked them; rather, I created the conditions in which they could grow.

So what were those conditions?
An open atmosphere. Every team I've ever run has, I realized, been profoundly democratic—which is to say that any good idea got attention. I've never cared about status except in disliking those who do. I take huge delight in good ideas from anywhere for anything: making the lunch room more pleasant or improving the core technology. Ideas didn't have to fight their way through a structure. They could be blurted out.Extravagant diversity.

It wasn't just that we employed Russians, Taiwanese, Indians, Americans, Brits, and Italians. Our youngest employee was eighteen and our oldest was 68. They'd worked in different countries, states and industries. Some demonstrated enormous emotional intelligence; some had virtually none. We hired more women than most technology companies—it wouldn't be hard—but you'd be hard pressed to make any generalization about the kinds of people we employed.

Time didn't matter. I've never cared when the work got done—as long as it does get done and in a way that doesn't cause co-workers undue inconvenience. Hours are not what count; productivity is. The same applied to maternity, paternity, and family leave. Individuals figured out what worked for them, and for their families—and that worked for the business. Too many companies seem to feel they have to fight for priority over family life and in that jealous feud, vast amounts of energy and goodwill are dissipated.

Stretch goals were just the start. Almost everything we tackled was hard. And if we cracked it, work got harder. We liked big challenges and cheered anyone who met them. I think it was clear when people came for interviews that the company was fun but not an easy option.
Was this enough to attract and develop wonderfully talented people?


I was probably also lucky to hire a few exceptionally creative individuals who then attracted others like themselves. But none of that would have mattered if the work itself hadn't been joyful and hard. It may sound like a contradiction, but doing great work is hard—that's why great people love it.

Top Ten Reasons Why Large Companies Fail To Keep Their Best Talent by Eric Jackson

Whether it’s a high-profile tech company like Yahoo!, or a more established conglomerate like GE or Home Depot, large companies have a hard time keeping their best and brightest in house. Recently, GigaOM discussed the troubles at Yahoo! with a flat stock price, vested options for some of their best people, and the apparent free flow of VC dollars luring away some of their best people to do the start-up thing again.Yet, Yahoo!, GE, Home Depot, and other large established companies have a tremendous advantage in retaining their top talent and don’t. In our business, we see the good and the bad things that large companies do in relation to talent management. Here’s my Top Ten list of what large companies do to lose their top talent :

1.Big Company Bureaucracy.

This is probably the #1 reason we hear after thefact from disenchanted employees. However, it’s usually a reason that masks the real reason. No one likes rules that make no sense. But, when top talent is complaining along these lines, it’s usually a sign that they didn’t feel as if they had a say in these rules. They were simply told to follow along and get with the program. No voice in the process and really talented people say “check please.”

2.Failing to Find a Projectfor the Talent that Ignites Their Passion.
Big companies have many moving parts — by definition. Therefore, they usually don’t have people going around to their best and brightest asking them if they’re enjoying their current projects or if they want to work on something new that they’re really interested in which would help the company. HR people are usually too busy keeping up with other things to get into this. The bosses are also usually tapped out on time and this becomes a “nice to have” rather than “must have” conversation. However, unless you see it as a “must have,” say adios to some of your best people. Top talent isn’t driven by money and power, but by the opportunity to be a part of something huge, that will change the world, and for which they are really passionate. Big companies usually never spend the time to figure this out with those people.

3.Poor Annual Performance
Reviews. You would be amazed at how many companies do not do a very effective job at annual performance reviews. Or, if they have them, they are rushed through, with a form quickly filled out and sent off to HR, and back to real work. The impression this leaves with the employee is that my boss — and, therefore, the company — isn’t really interested in my long-term future here. If you’re talented enough, why stay? This one leads into #4….

4.No Discussion around CareerDevelopment.
Here’s a secret for most bosses: most employees don’t know what they’ll be doing in 5 years. In our experience, about less than 5% of people could tell you if you asked. However, everyone wants to have a discussion with you about their future. Most bosses never engage with their employees about where they want to go in their careers — even the top talent. This represents a huge opportunity for you and your organization if you do bring it up. Our best clients have
separate annual discussions with their employees — apart from their annual or bi-annual performance review meetings — to discuss succession planning or career development. If your best people know that you think there’s a path for them going forward, they’ll be more likely to hang around.

5.Shifting Whims/Strategic Priorities.
I applaud Yahoo!’s plans to build an incubator or“brickhouse” around their talent, by giving them new exciting projects to work on. The challenge for most organizations is not setting up a strategic priority, like establishing an incubator, but sticking with it a year or two from now. Top talent hates to be “jerked around.” If you commit to a project that they will be heading up, you’ve got to give them enough opportunity to deliver what they’ve promised.

6.Lack of Accountabilityand/or telling them how to do their Jobs.
Although you can’t “jerk around” top talent, it’s a mistake to treat top talent leading a project as “untouchable.” We’re not saying that you need to get into anyone’s business or telling them what to do. However, top talent demands accountability from others and doesn’t mind being held accountable for their projects. Therefore, have regular touch points with your best people as they work through their projects. They’ll appreciate your insights/observations/suggestions — as long as they don’t spillover into preaching.

7.Top Talent likes other Top Talent.
What are the rest of the people around your top talent like? Many organizations keep some people on the payroll that rationally shouldn’t be there. You’ll get a litany of rationales explaining why when you ask. “It’s too hard to find a replacement for him/her….” “Now’s not the time….” However, doing exit interviews with the best people leaving big companies you often hear how they were turned off by some of their former “team mates.” If you want to keep your best people, make sure they’re surrounded by other great people.

8. The Missing Vision Thing.

This might sound obvious, but is the future of your organization exciting? What strategy are you executing? What is the vision you want this talented person to fulfill? Did they have a say/input into this vision? If the answer is no, there’s work to do — and fast.

9.Lack of Open-Mindedness.
The best people want to share their ideas and have them listened to. However, a lot of companies have a vision/strategy which they are trying to execute against — and, often find opposing voices to this strategy as an annoyance and a sign that someone’s not a “team player.” If all the best people are leaving and disagreeing with the strategy, you’re left with a bunch of “yes” people saying the same things to each other. You’ve got to be able to listen to others’ points of view — always incorporating the best parts of these new suggestions.

10.Who’s the Boss?
If a few people have recently quit at your company who report to the same boss, it’s likely not a coincidence. We’ll often get asked to come in and “fix” someone who’s a great sales person, engineer, or is a founder, but who is driving everyone around them “nuts.” We can try, but unfortunately, executive coaching usually only works 33% of the time in these cases. You’re better off trying to find another spot for them in the organization — or, at the very least, not overseeing your high-potential talent that you want to keep.

It’s never a one-way street. Top talent has to assume some responsibility as much as the organization. However, with the scarcity of talent — which will only increase in the next 5 years — Smart Organizations are ones who get out in front of these ten things, rather than wait for their people to come to them, asking to implement this list.

Source:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericjackson/2011/12/14/top-ten-reasons-why-large-companies-fail-to-keep-their-best-talent/

First Bird Nest Processor To Achieve ISO 22000: 2005 Certification in Malaysia: Kuan Wellness Sdn Bhd

Kuan Wellness Eco Park is the first bird’s nest ecology park established with ecotourism as its primary theme, and the first bird’s nest processing centre in Malaysia to be certified by the ISO 22000 Food Safety Management System. It is located at Tanjung Sepat, between Sepang Goldcoast and Morib Gold Coast, Kuan Wellness Eco Park is set to become one of the most sought after eco-tourism destination in Malaysia. With a total land area of 5 acres, the ecology park consists of a 3½ storey swiftlet house and a visitor centre, surrounded by palm oil plantations and tropical fruit farms which provide plenty of insects, the swiftlet's favourite food source.

More info:

http://www.kuanwellnessecopark.com/en/index.html

ISMS Implementation: Examing Roles & Responsibilities by Rafidah Abdul Hamid

“Security is everyone’s responsibility”.

Everyone have roles and responsibilities for maintaining security in organization.The management, technical people, employees, vendors and contractors havedifferent roles in developing and implementing an effective security process. For this article, we will look at the roles and responsibilities of management, Information Security Department and users in implementing and maintaining information security management system (ISMS) in organization.

Management's responsibilities
Management's responsibility goes beyond the basics of support. They must set the tone for the entire program. It is not enough just to bless the program. Management must own up to the program by becoming a part of the process. Management is responsible for overseeing the development, implementation, and maintenance of ISMS. This includes defining the information security objectives of the organization, allocating an amount of money to be invested in information security, and ensuring the compliancy and enforcement of implementation.

Management has specific goals for the organization, and sometimes technical people are not in the position to understand these nuances. Both groups should understand that security is not something that can be wrapped in a package and bought off the shelf. It should be a goal that both parties strive to maintain. One of the ways to bridge the divide is by setting up an Information Security Management Committee.

It is the responsibility of management to form this committee that will be responsible for reviewing changes in the business and determining how ISMS implementation should support those changes. To make this committee success, it is good to distribute the responsibilities throughout the organization depending on the institution’s size, complexity, culture, nature of operations, and other factors. The distribution of duties should ensure an appropriate segregation of duties between individuals or organizational groups. Management should also ensure integration of security controls throughout the organization by performing the following:

-Ensure the security process is governed by organizational policies and practices
that are consistently applied,
-Require that information with similar criticality and sensitivity characteristics
be protected consistently regardless of where in the organization it resides,
-Enforce compliance with the security program in a balanced and consistent manner
across the organization, and
-Coordinate information security with physical security.

Information Security Department Responsibilities
The Information Security Department is responsible and accountable for security administration. At a minimum, they should directly manage or oversee risk assessment, development of policies, standards, and procedures, testing, and security reporting processes. Security officers should have the authority to respond to a security event by ordering emergency actions to protect the organization from an imminent loss of information or value. They should have sufficient knowledge, background, and training, as well as an organizational position, to enable them to perform their assigned tasks.

User Responsibilities
Users should know, understand, and be held accountable for fulfilling their security responsibilities. The means of ensuring users understanding and/or recognition of their responsibilities varies. User security awareness training is one of the most common means available to achieve recognition of responsibility and computing asset worth. Some organizations require personnel to sign an agreement that includes the protection of computing assets as a condition of employment, while others sign agreements as a condition of allowing their
connection to the organizations network. One way to ensure that every current and future user knows that security is part of his job function is to make it part of each job description. Spelling out the security function or expectations within the job description demonstrates the commitment to information security, as well as emphasizes that it is part of the job. After it is made part of the job description, it becomes something that can be considered in performance evaluations.

Conclusion
Information security is the responsibility of everyone in the organization. Management support is crucial for a successful ISMS implementation. Along with its support is a responsibility to the ongoing maintenance of this program. To have a successful ISMS implementation; management, Information Security Department and users must have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities and be willing to take actions.

Infosecurity World Exhibition & Conference 2012 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (21-22 March 2012)

Infosecurity World Exhibition and Conference aims to answer the growing concerns of the international IT market regarding the threats to information security and protection of crucial and confidential data.

On one hand this trade show will serve the requirements of the channel players and retailers in terms of providing them with a platform to display their products and services as well as indulge in networking and business development initiatives, while on the other hand, it enlightens the visitors about the emerging trends in data security and cyber security.

Infosecurity World Exhibition and Conference is expected to be visited by more than 5,000 commercial and non commercial customers, who will get an unrivaled opportunity to interact with top industry players from all over the world

More info:

http://www.infosecurityworld.net/

9 Things That Motivate Employees More Than Money by llya Pozin

The ability to motivate employees is one of the greatest skills an entrepreneur can possess. Two years ago, I realized I didn’t have this skill. So I hired a CEO who did. Josh had 12 years in the corporate world, which included running a major department at Comcast. I knew he was seasoned, but I was still skeptical at first.

We were going through some tough growing pains, and I thought that a lack of cash would make it extremely difficult to improve the company morale. I was wrong. With his help and the help of the great team leaders he put in place, Josh not only rebuilt the culture, but also created a passionate, hard-working team that is as committed to growing and improving the company as I am. Here are nine things I learned from him:

1. Be generous with praise

.

Everyone wants it and it’s one of the easiest things to give. Plus, praise from the CEO goes a lot farther than you might think. Praise every improvement that you see your team members make. Once you’re comfortable delivering praise one-on-one to an employee, try praising them in front of others.

2. Get rid of the managers.

Projects without project managers? That doesn’t seem right! Try it. Removing the project lead or supervisor and empowering your staff to work together as a team rather then everyone reporting
to one individual can do wonders. Think about it. What’s worse than letting your supervisor down? Letting your team down! Allowing people to work together as a team, on an equal level with their co-workers, will often produce better projects faster. People will come in early, stay late, and devote more of their energy to solving problems.

3. Make your ideas theirs.

People hate being told what to do. Instead of telling people what you want done; ask them in a way that will make them feel like they came up with the idea. “I’d like you to do it this way” turns into “Do you think it’s a good idea if we do it this way?”

4. Never criticize or correct.

No one, and I mean no one, wants to hear that they did something wrong. If you’re looking for a de-motivator, this is it. Try an indirect approach to get people to improve, learn from their mistakes, and fix them. Ask, “Was that the best way to approach the problem? Why not? Have any ideas on what you could have done differently?” Then you’re having a conversation and talking through solutions, not pointing a finger.

5. Make everyone a leader.

Highlight your top performers’ strengths and let them know that because of their excellence, you want them to be the example for others. You’ll set the bar high and they’ll be motivated to live up to their reputation as a leader.

6. Take an employee to lunch once a week.

Surprise them. Don’t make an announcement that you’re establishing a new policy. Literally walk up to one of your employees, and invite them to lunch with you. It’s an easy way to remind
them that you notice and appreciate their work.

7. Give recognition and small rewards.

These two things come in many forms: Give a shout out to someone in a company meeting for what she has accomplished. Run contests or internal games and keep track of the results on a whiteboard that everyone can see. Tangible awards that don’t break the bank can work too. Try things like dinner, trophies, spa services, and plaques.

8. Throw company parties.

Doing things as a group can go a long way. Have a company picnic. Organize birthday parties. Hold a happy hour. Don’t just wait until the holidays to do a company activity; organize events throughout the year to remind your staff that you’re all in it together.

9. Share the rewards and the pain.

When your company does well, celebrate. This is the best time to let everyone know that you’re thankful for their hard work. Go out of your way to show how far you will go when people help your company succeed. If there are disappointments, share those too. If you expect high performance, your team deserves to know where the company stands. Be honest and transparent.

Source:

http://www.inc.com/ilya-pozin/9-things-that-motivate-employees-more-than-money.html

Food Safety: Reduce Your Pesticide

“Pesticides are used in the growing process on inorganic farms,” says Anne Wolf, RD, a registered dietitian and researcher at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. Growers use pesticides to cut down on pests, so that they won’t eat the plants and destroy the crops, and to get a better crop yield.

Pesticides and Food Safety: Are Pesticides Dangerous?

For most people, pesticides aren’t an enormous concern. Pesticides are regulated so that they can’t be applied to produce in harmful amounts.“The amount that’s on food is not horrific — the USDA is overseeing it,” says Wolf. But, she adds, the risk of health problems is significant for young children. Because they’re smaller and have less body weight, more of the pesticide gets absorbed, causing stronger effects.Pesticides can build up in the body after many years of pesticide exposure, another reason why they’re particularly dangerous for pregnant women and young children. Ingestion or pesticide exposure can cause:

-Problems with motor skills

-Behavioral problems and disorders

-Delayed developmental growth

Pesticides and Food Safety: Foods With Pesticides:

Any produce that’s typically eaten with the skin is going to have more pesticides. If you peel it off, as you would with oranges or bananas, you’ll get rid of those pesticides. But Wolf recommends eating the edible skins of other fruits because there’s so much fiber and nutritional value there

Source:

http://equinoxlab.com/labsaints/food-safety-reduce-your-pesticide-exposure/

GreenBuild Asia 2012 Exhibition & Conference in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia (14-16 feb 2012)

The world of sustainable building, design and construction will converge in Kuala Lumpur for GREENBUILD ASIA 2012 Exhibition & Conference. Held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) from 14-16 February 2012 the event is expected to be attended by over 10,000 delegates and trade buyers from across the region to get updated on the latest in property, building design, materials, construction equipment and interiors. Hosted by the Construction Industry Development Board, Malaysia, the event is Asia's No.1 Business-to-Business Event devoted to Green Building.

For more info:

http://www.greenbuildasia.org/main.html

Defination of RoHS Compliance

The RoHS directive aims to restrict certain dangerous substances commonly used in electronic and electronic equipment. Any RoHS compliant component is tested for the presence of Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), Mercury (Hg), Hexavalent chromium (Hex-Cr), Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB), and Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE).

For Cadmium and Hexavalent chromium, there must be less than 0.01% of the substance by weight at raw homogeneous materials level. For Lead, PBB, and PBDE, there must be no more than 0.1% of the material, when calculated by weight at raw homogeneous materials. Any RoHS compliant component must have 100 ppm or less of mercury and the mercury must not have been intentionally added to the component. In the EU, some military and medical equipment are exempt from RoHS compliance.

5 Ways To Spot A Bad Boss by Stephanie Taylor Christensen,

A boss can literally, make or break your career. Here are five ways to spot the bad ones before they become yours. A great boss can make you feel engaged and empowered at work, will keep you out of unnecessary office politics, and can identify and grow your strengths. But a bad boss can make the most impressive job on paper (and salary) quickly unbearable. Not only will a bad boss make you dislike at least 80% of your week, your relationships might suffer, too.

A recent study conducted at Baylor University found that stress and tension caused by an abusive boss “affects the marital relationship and subsequently, the employee’s entire family.” Supervisor abuse isn’t always as blatant as a screaming temper tantrum; it can include taking personal anger
out on you for no reason, dismissing your ideas in a meeting, or simply, being rude and critical of your work, while offering no constructive ways to improve it. Whatever the exhibition of bad boss behavior, your work and personal life will suffer. Merideth Ferguson, PH.D., co-author of the study and assistant professor of management and entrepreneurship at Baylor explains that “it may be that as supervisor abuse heightens tension in the relationship, the employee is less motivated or able to engage in positive interactions with the partner and other family members.”

There are many ways to try and combat the effects of a bad boss, including confronting him or her directly to work towards a productive solution, suggesting that you report to another supervisor, or soliciting the help of human resources. But none of those tactics gurantee improvement, and quite often, they’ll lead to more stress. The best solution is to spot a bad boss—before they become yours!

Here are five ways to tell whether your interviewer is a future bad boss.

1. Pronoun usage. Performance consultant John Brubaker says that the top verbal tell a boss can gives is in pronoun choice and the context it is used. If your interviewer uses the term “you” in communicating negative information ( such as, “you will deal with a lot of ambiguity”), don’t expect the boss to be a mentor.

If the boss chooses the word “I” to describe the department’s success—that’s a red flag. If the interviewer says “we” in regards to a particular challenge the team or company faced, it may indicate that he or she deflects responsibility and places blame.

2. Concern with your hobbies. There is a fine line between genuine relationship building, and fishing for information, so use your discretion on this one. If you have an overall good impression of the potential boss it may be that he or she is truly interested in the fact that you are heavily involved in charity work, and is simply getting to know you. On the other hand, the interviewer may be trying to determine whether you have too many commitments outside of work. The interviewer can’t legally ask if you are married, or have kids, so digging into your personal life can be a clever way to understand just how available you are.

3. They’re distracted. The era of email, Blackberries and smartphones have made it “okay” for people to develop disrespectful communication habits in the name of work. Particularly in a frenzied workplace, reading email while a person is speaking, multi-tasking on conference calls and checking the message behind that blinking Blackberry mid-conversation has become the norm of business communications.

But, regardless of his or her role in the company, the interviewer should be striving to make a good impression—which includes shutting down tech tools to give you undivided attention. If your interviewer is glancing at emails while you’re speaking, taking phone calls, or late to the interview, don’t expect a boss who will make time for you.

4. They can’t give you a straight answer. Caren Goldberg, Ph.D. is an HR professor at the Kogod School of Business at American University. She says a key “tell” is vague answers to your questions. Listen for pauses, awkwardness, or overly-generic responses when you inquire what happened to the person who held the position you are interviewing for, and/or what has created the need to hire.

(For example, if you are told the person was a “bad fit,” it may indicate that the workplace doesn’t spend much time on employee-development, and blames them when things don’t work out). You should also question turnover rates, how long people stay in given roles, and what their career path has been. All of these answers can indicate not only if the boss is one people want to work for, but whether pay is competitive, and employees are given a career growth plan.

5. They’ve got a record. Ask the potential boss how long he or she has been at the company, in the role, and where he or she worked before coming to it to get a feel for his or management style, and whether it’s what you respond to. For example, bosses making a switch from a large corporation to a small company may lead with formality. On the other hand, entrepreneurs tend
to be passionately involved in business, which can be a help or a hindrance, depending on your workstyle.

Source:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/stephaniechristensen/2011/12/11/5-ways-to-spot-a-bad-boss-in-an-interview/://

How To Go Green @ Work? Part II

5. Ramp up your recycling
· Make it a habit to recycle everything your company collects. Just about any kind of paper you would encounter in an office, including fax paper, envelopes, and junk mail, can be recycled. So can your old cell phone, PDA, or pager.

· Make it a policy to place recycling bins in accessible, high-traffic areas and
provide clear information about what can and can not be recycled.

6. Close the loop
· Make it a policy to purchase office supplies and furniture made from recycled materials.

7. Watch what (and how) you eat
· Make it a habit to bring your own mug and dishware for those meals you eat at the office.

· Make it a policy to provide reusable dishes, silverware, and glasses. Switch to Fair Trade and organic coffee and tea, and buy as much organic and local food as possible for parties and other events. Provide filtered drinking water to reduce bottled-water waste.

8.Rethink your travel
· Make it a habit to take the train, bus, or LRT when feasible instead of a rental car when travelling on business. If you have to rent a car, some rental agencies now offer hybrids and other high-mileage vehicles.

· Make it a policy to invest in videoconferencing and other technological solutions
that can reduce the amount of employee travel.

9.Reconsider your commute
· Make it a habit to carpool, bike, or take transit to work, and/or telecommute when possible. If you need to drive occasionally, consider joining a car-sharing service like bus and train instead of owning your own wheels.

· Make it a policy to encourage telecommuting and make it easy for employees to take alternative modes of transportation by subsidizing commuter checks, offering bike parking, or organizing a carpool board.

10. Create a healthy office environment
· Make it a habit to use nontoxic cleaning products. Brighten up your cubicle with plants, which absorb indoor pollution.

· Make it a policy to buy furniture, carpeting, and paint that are free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and won't off-gas toxic chemicals

How To Go Green @ Work ? Part I

1. Be bright about light
· Artificial lighting accounts for 44 percent of the electricity use in office buildings.
· Make it a habit to turn off the lights when you're leaving any room for 15 minutes or more and utilize natural light when you can.

· Make it a policy to buy Energy Star-rated light bulbs and fixtures, which use at least two-thirds less energy than regular lighting, and install timers or motion sensors that automatically shut off lights when they're not needed.

2. Maximize computer efficiency
· Computers contribute major unnecessarily electricity waste in the business sector.

· Make it a habit to turn off your computer—and the power strip it's plugged into—when you leave for the day. Otherwise, you're still burning energy even if you're not burning the midnight oil. (Check with your IT department to make sure the computer doesn't need to be on to run backups or other maintenance.) During the day, setting your computer to go to sleep automatically during short breaks can cut energy use by 70 percent. Remember, screen savers don't save energy.

· Make it a policy to invest in energy-saving computers, monitors, and printers and make sure that old equipment is properly recycled. Look for a recycler that has pledged not to export hazardous e-waste and to follow other safety guidelines. Old computers that still work, and are less than five years old, can be donated to organizations that will refurbish them and find them new homes. (You may even get a tax deduction.)

3. Print smarter
· According to market research firm Info Trends, businesses use more than a trillion pages of office paper each year.

· Make it a habit to print on both sides or use the back side of old documents for faxes, scrap paper, or drafts. Avoid color printing and print in draft mode whenever feasible.

· Make it a policy to buy chlorine-free paper with a higher percentage of post-consumer recycled content. Also consider switching to a lighter stock of paper or alternatives made from bamboo, hemp, organic cotton, or kenaf. Recycle toner and ink cartridges and buy remanufactured ones. Each remanufactured toner cartridge "keeps approximately 2.5 pounds of metal and plastic out of landfills...and conserves about a half gallon of oil."

4. Go paperless when possible

· Make it a habit to think before you print: could this be read or stored online instead? When you receive unwanted catalogs, newsletters, magazines, or junk mail, request to be removed from the mailing list before you recycle the item.

· Make it a policy to post employee manuals and similar materials online, rather than distribute print copies. They're easier to update that way too.

5.Ramp up your recycling
· Make it a habit to recycle everything your company collects. Just about any kind of paper you would encounter in an office, including fax paper, envelopes, and junk mail, can be recycled. So can your old cell phone, PDA, or pager.

· Make it a policy to place recycling bins in accessible, high-traffic areas and provide clear information about what can and can not be recycled.