Biz Bits
The Business > Biz Bits
The latest essential buys for business travelers.
Dell Delivers
Dell 3110cn
$499
www.dell.com
The newest addition to the next generation of laser printers is the 3110cn, designed to make color printing more aff ordable for businesses, schools and government agencies. Th ree times faster than its predecessor, the print speed reaches 30 pages per minute mono and 17 ppm color. Optional wireless connectivity is also available.
Mother of Pearls
Blackberry Pearl
Fans of the ubiquitous Blackberry will love this new smartphone, one of the lightest in the world at 3.2 ounces, and incorporating the gold standard in wireless email, digital camera and advanced multimedia capabilities.
The quad-band GSM/GPRS and EDGE-enabled phone has best-in-class technology that is feature-rich and user-friendly, true to the iconic Blackberry experience.
Mouse Magic
Logitech MX
$79.99
www.logitech.com
On average, people spin their mouse’s scroll wheel a massive 26 feet in an eight-hour day, so it’s worth investing in a decent one. Th e new Logitech MX Revolution cordless laser mouse is as advanced as it gets—featuring a hyper-fast scrolling wheel—which allows hundreds of pages to be spanned with a single fl ick of the fi nger—as well as an innovative One-Touch Search feature allowing users to select a word on a document and view internet search results. All in one click.
Tough Job
Hiring and Firing: Book Three
(Haag Press, $15)
Ruth Haag, president of Haag Environmental Company, trains supervisors and creates management systems that focus on employees. In her new book, the third in a series of fi ve, she tackles the tricky issues of hiring and fi ring. We caught up with her to get tips on the dreaded deed of laying off staff .
1. What got you interested in hiring and firing?
I started as a supervisor when I was 23 and had some problems.
I had fi gured that as long as I was nice to everyone, they would follow my directions. It turned out not to be as simple as that. I studied the situation some more and discovered that there are three basic supervisor personalities, each with distinct problems that make it diffi cult to lead people eff ectively.
2. What type of personality were you?
I named my type sensitive. I was basically a shy, non-confrontational person who resisted disciplining employees, hoping they would just get better on their own. I trained myself to confront problem employees.
3. What’s the worst example you’ve heard of an employee layoff?
Th ere was a jewelry store that decided to shut down. Th e management told no one. Th ey simply closed up and locked the doors. Th e employees arrived Monday morning to fi nd no store and no jobs.
4. What are your top three tips for respectfully laying off an employee when it is necessary?
Tip 1: Tell the staff way ahead that layoff s might be coming, and why. If you share the problems with them, they might be able to help you fi nd a solution. For example, if you tell them that you have to cut back staff , some employees might volunteer to be cut, while others might be willing to decrease to half-time.
Tip 2: When the layoff time comes, the employees should be told individually—face-to-face.
Tip 3: Off er any help possible. Larger companies oft en can provide severance packages. Smaller companies can off er help with resume writing, or provide contact with employment services.
5. Is it possible to fire someone without them taking it as anything but personal?
No. A person’s job is part of their identity. It takes time for anyone to overcome the upset of being fi red or laid off .
6. Is it ever appropriate for someone to return to the same company after having been fired?
Yes. For example, sometimes a person is removed because of corporate politics, and when the faction that did not like them leaves, the person might be willing to come back. Th roughout, it is important that both sides of the layoff /fi ring situation consistently treat the other with respect. If either side lashes out and says rude things during that time, then the possibility of a return will be gone.
Business Glossary
“the strategic-execution gap”
You have a great vision for your company, but you can’t seem to bring it to fruition. A recent survey by OnPoint Consulting found that a massive 49% of leaders questioned did perceive this gap within their organizations. Furthermore, 64% of these respondents didn’t have full confi dence that their companies would be able to close the gap. To fi nd out more, read Flexible Leadership: Creating Value by Balancing Multiple Challenges and Choices by Richard Lepsinger, the president of OnPoint Consulting (Jossey-Bass/ A Wiley Imprint, $44).
