The economy is uncertain, pessimism is rife in businesses, and many are standing around waiting for things to happen. However, complacency does not send a positive message to customers, colleagues, and employees.

Once upon a time, customer service meant more than pressing 2 to wait (and wait and wait) for “the next available representative.” Companies valued those who bought their goods and services and went the proverbial extra mile to make them happy.

(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- The panel of judges for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation’s highest recognition for organizational performance excellence, has selected 16 organizations for the final review stage for the 2010 award.

“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”

Leaders lead. Or do they? There is not always a cause-and-effect relationship between leadership actions and follower behavior. Not all leaders succeed at pulling people along in the same direction.

Looking for a new factory to work with in China can be daunting. With pressures from poor rice production on the rise and labor throughout China unstable, more China-based manufacturers are closing shop every day.

All organizations can slot their activities into one of two categories: projects or new initiatives, and operations. Everything falls into one of those.

I was recently watching the movie “When Harry Met Sally,” and there’s that funny scene where Harry tells Sally that she’s high maintenance:

With growing interest in using nanoparticles for everything from antibacterial socks to medical imaging to electronic devices, the need to understand the environmental, health, and safety risks of these particles also grows.

Recently, I wrote a list of “12 Things Good Bosses Believe.” Now I want to delve into the ninth belief mentioned in that article: “Innovation is crucial to every team a