Welcome to the January 5, 2005 issue of The Total View

Your resource for cutting-edge news, tips, and tools to help you hire, manage, and motivate top-performing employees.

If you are receiving this issue as a forward, and want your own subscription, visit
http://www.chrysaliscorporation.com/cgi-bin/arp3/arp3-t.pl?l=11&c=292

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In This Issue
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1. Who was Reggie (White) - Leader, Teacher, Preacher?
2. Perfect Labor Storm Alerts #316 to #320.
3. The ROI of Effective Communication.
4. Useful Links, Helpful Tips - Background Checks.
5. Is Your Company or Association Planning to Conduct a Survey in 2005?
6. 21 Reasons Why Performance Reviews Fail.

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The Total View is written and published each Wednesday by Ira S. Wolfe, founder of Success Performance Solutions. (Yes, Ira writes every article, every week!) and is distributed with permission by The Chrysalis Corporation.

Ira S. Wolfe 2005 - All Rights Reserved. Reprints and other distribution by permission only.

To learn more about The Chrysalis Corporation or to read back issues of The Total View, visit our web site at
http://www.chrysaliscorporation.com/cgi-bin/arp3/arp3-t.pl?l=12&c=292

All of us at The Chrysalis Corporation would like to wish you the very happiest, healthiest, and wealthiest New Year. Thank you for helping us achieve great success in 2004 and wishing you the very best in 2005!

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1. Who was Reggie (White) - Leader, Teacher, Preacher?
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How appropriate that the last full week of the year 2004 be filled with so much irony. On the very weekend that thousands of travelers on their divergent ways to be with family and friends were delayed and stranded by inclement weather, baggage handlers at the Philadelphia Airport called in sick, separating their customers from their luggage for days. At the same time, workers from shipping giants UPS, FedEx and DHL showed up at work to fulfill their guarantee that their customers received their packages on time. Is it any wonder that these companies are growing stronger while US Air is on the verge of extinction?

Then just days later, a once in a century earthquake rocked the earth and tsunamis followed in the eastern Indian Ocean. At the latest count, it is reported that over 26,000 lives have been lost (and the number climbs with each report.) Over a third of the dead are children. How ironic this occurred the day after millions of Christians throughout the world celebrated one of the most revered and celebrated birthdays on earth.

Then the news came that same day that Reggie White was dead at age 43. While his young age pales in comparison to the thousands of children dragged out to sea by the tsunami, White will be sorely missed by the many people he touched - on and off the field. You see, while many quarterbacks will remember Reggie White for the veraciousness of his embrace on Sunday afternoons, most people will remember Reggie White for the lives he touched, his unshakable conviction to use his faith, and how he used his celebrity and power for the greater good. Reggie White lived to understand the spirit within man and turn their hopes into realities.

White, tipping the scale at over 300 pounds, was a huge man, surely one to make you think twice before walking down the same street at night. But while he was a fierce competitor, he was a gentle and tender man. But size did not limit his agility. He commanded a presence on the field like no one else and unlike so many athletes who can't separate their roles from their identities, White said more than once, "It isn't about football. It's about the platform."

In a sport where size and winning are coveted, he wore his faith as proudly as his jersey. With every other word spoken by many athletes today beginning with "f", just imagine the respect he earned from his teammates when he asked them to take cursing out of the locker room...and instead of telling them to "f--- off", they honored his request.

White dominated football for over a decade from his defensive end position. But as good as he was on the field, he was even greater off the field. White served as a role model and a leader You didn't have to agree with White's views or even share his faith, but you do have to admire White for his passion, conviction, and leadership.

We lost a lot of innocent lives this past weekend. US Air workers lost the last vestiges of respect (and baggage). And we lost a rare leader who had a vision for the world, one who looked at the whole world as a human family, one who led by example, one who lived his life to be your friend, mentor, coach.

As we turn the page onto a new chapter of our lives this weekend, what mark will you leave on your family, workplace, community? What is your vision for the future? What are your passions? Come alive in 2005 - call us today for a career test and personal coaching session and turn your hopes and dreams into reality.

To learn more, contact us by replying to this email or call 229.257.0665.

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2. Perfect Labor Storm Alerts #316 to #320.
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Fact #316: The percentage of US employers offering paid vacations dropped to 87 percent in 2003 from 95 percent in 1999, (Source: SHRM).

Fact #317: Americans receive 16 days off each year, but are so consumed with work that they take 14. Italians receive 42; the French, 37; Germans, 35, and South Korean and Japanese employees get 25 each. (Source: Expedia.com).

Fact #318: As many as 47 million adults may be putting themselves at risk for injury, health and behavior problems because they aren't meeting their minimum sleep need in order to be fully alert the next day. (Source: National Sleep Foundation).

Fact #319: Nearly 40 percent of US employees working more than 50 hours per week. (Source: National Sleep Foundation).

Fact #320: Two-thirds of older adults (67%) report frequent sleep problems, however only a small fraction, one in eight, says those problems have been diagnosed. (Source: National Sleep Foundation).

Don't be caught in storm without all the facts. "The Perfect Labor Storm Fact Book: Why Worker Shortages Won't Go Away" is a must-read leading edge forecast that predicts workforce trends for decades to come. Order your copy today - $7.95 includes no shipping costs for limited time only. Follow this link to learn more:
http://www.chrysaliscorporation.com/cgi-bin/arp3/arp3-t.pl?l=7&c=292

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3. The ROI of Effective Communication.
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Companies with the most effective employee- communication programs provided a 26 percent total return to shareholders from 1998 to 2002, compared to a minus 15 percent return by firms that communicate least effectively, according to a new Watson Wyatt study of 267 U.S. companies.

Follow the link below to learn about Dynamic Communication, a no-nonsense, fluff-free behavioral communication program that is guaranteed to improve the communication within your organization and produce measurable, observable, and long lasting results.
http://www.chrysaliscorporation.com/cgi-bin/arp3/arp3-t.pl?l=21&c=292

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4. Useful Links, Helpful Tips - Background Checks.
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To provide our clients with one-stop shopping for employee evaluation from pre-employment to career succession, we are very pleased to introduce our new partnership with Information Architects, a leading provider of Employment Screening and Background Investigations.

Services include:

Employment Verification
Criminal Records Search
Civil Records Search
Workers Comp Search
SSN Verification
Credit Reports
DMV Reports
Bankruptcy Search
Degree Verification
Professional License Verification
Drug Screening

Learn more about background checks, visit:
http://www.chrysaliscorporation.com/cgi-bin/arp3/arp3-t.pl?l=9&c=292

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5. Is Your Company or Association Planning to Conduct a Survey in 2005?
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Is your company or association planning to conduct a survey in Q4 2004? Hate the hassle of inputting survey results? Not enough time to query the data and create reports? Are you putting off getting much needed feedback from customers, employees and members?

Contact us today to learn about about real-time e-mail and web based surveys. No more hassles with entering results and creating presentations. Let us do the work for you. We can help you write, set-up, distribute (electronically), process and present in less time for less cost.

For more information about the survey solutions we can provide you with, including our Rapid Survey Option, follow the link below and type "Surveys" in the comment box. You can also contact us by phone at: 229-257-0665:
http://www.chrysaliscorporation.com/cgi-bin/arp3/arp3-t.pl?l=20&c=292

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6. 21 Reasons Why Performance Reviews Fail.
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1. The reviewer and employee have a personal friendship outside of work and both individuals can't differentiate their manager-employee role from their friend-friend relationship.

2. The reviewer and the employee see themselves as part of a team. Team members are supposed to encourage one another, be supportive in good and bad times. But when the manager has to provide negative feedback or discipline the employee, these actions are viewed as divisive.

3. When not provided regularly, annual (or even less periodic) reviews can be based on most recent performance, not performance over the course of the year. The results go both ways. Employees who put on their best behavior around review time get favorable ratings and the employee who has a bad couple of weeks gets punished.

4. Performance reviews are only scheduled when an employee is not performing up to expectations or a company needs to terminate/lay-off the employee.

5. "You know nobody's perfect and there is always room for improvement." The manager doesn't believe in rewarding an employee with a "10" (out of 10) even when he/she deserves it. Some employers actually use a rating scale of 1 to 9 because no employee deserves a 10 in their minds.

To read more, follow the link below.

Source: Ira S. Wolfe.
http://www.chrysaliscorporation.com/cgi-bin/arp3/arp3-t.pl?l=22&c=292

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Contact Information:

The Chrysalis Corporation
2001 Hammock Drive
Valdosta, GA 31602
229-257-0665