The Northside Women in Business is the largest business women's network on the coast. Join us and have lunch with the girls at the Tower Restaurant. When: Friday 16th of February etc etc

Look around any organization and chances are you'll be able to find at least one person whose negative behavior affects the rest of the group to varying degrees. So much so, say two University of Washington researchers, that these "bad apples" are like a virus to their teams, and can upset or spoil the whole apple cart.

"Most organizations do not have very effective ways to handle the problem," said the author. "This is especially true when the problem employee has longevity, experience or power. Companies need to move quickly to deal with such problems because the negativity of just one individual is pervasive and destructive and can spread quickly."

One a month? Beyond a certain point, how much more self-actualization can a person handle? After all, you are coming to your job to work, not to realize your creative potential, right?

People talk of there being something "in the air" at Toyota, and it might be the buzz of all of those minds thinking, thinking, thinking... Over decades, these one-per-month ideas end up being millions of ideas across tens of thousands of employees.

Toyota's Creative Idea Suggestion System is possibly the longest continuing and most successful improvement methodology today. It is a great process for motivating workers and for sustaining improvement. So simple, yet so powerful.

Not only that, "suggestion system" is a misnomer for several reasons in that there is no suggestion box or centralized evaluation system for ideas (there is a decentralized system for evaluation, centralized system for rewards).

'found a trans-fat-free oil it deems worthy of its french fries, and plans to be using it for all its fried menu items by early 2008...after testing 18 varieties of oil in more than 50 blends during the last seven years'.

"Egocentric but equally boggling Pinot Gris. A mouthfull of carrot, ripe raspberry and total absence of apple. Drink now through 2010."

It's the way your customer think they're meant to talk when discussing wine! Not! Generate more here...

We would like to include you on our mailing list. It's so easy to join, and I'm offering a 10% discount on your first invoice for 2007 through Widget Services [obviously not their name].

Nope. The offer is just too 'pale'. If they were a major supplier (they're not) it might be useful, but in that case I'd be expecting regular communication from them anyway.

Is anyone convinced by 10% Off these days?