Status: U Return-Path: Received: from whmx-tenant.pas.sa.earthlink.net ([127.0.0.1]) by whmx-tenant.pas.sa.earthlink.net (EarthLink SMTP Server) with SMTP id 1nwbke2M83NZFmB4; Sat, 16 Jan 2010 08:16:34 -0800 (PST) Received: from whasmtp-shoe.pas.sa.earthlink.net ([207.217.120.47]) by whmx-tenant.pas.sa.earthlink.net (EarthLink SMTP Server) with SMTP id 1nwbke2Kv3NZFmB0 for ; Sat, 16 Jan 2010 08:16:34 -0800 (PST) Received: from [68.15.13.44] (helo=merilee07cf8a9) by whasmtp-shoe.pas.sa.earthlink.net with esmtpa (Exim 4.67) (envelope-from ) id 1NWBIM-0002Qn-17 for merileek@kerncommunications.com; Sat, 16 Jan 2010 08:14:38 -0800 Message-ID: Reply-To: "Merilee Kern" From: "Merilee Kern" To: Subject: USA Today Placement - Jenson Date: Sat, 16 Jan 2010 08:14:41 -0800 Organization: Kern Communications MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; type="multipart/alternative"; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_006A_01CA9683.F3EF9F50" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.5843 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.5579 X-ELNK-Trace: 662dec90a69e8f59d74b96e4441e0f23c24a704c227740a07958cbd3afaba6ee2d15336f9178b6ef0ce6ff2759441367350badd9bab72f9c350badd9bab72f9c X-Originating-IP: 68.15.13.44 X-ELNK-AV: 0 X-ELNK-Info: sbv=0; sbrc=.0; sbf=00; sbw=010; This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_006A_01CA9683.F3EF9F50 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_001_006B_01CA9683.F3EF9F50" ------=_NextPart_001_006B_01CA9683.F3EF9F50 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/management/2010-01-04-ceos-new-ye= ar-resolutions_N.htm?csp=3D34&utm_source=3Dfeedburner&utm_medium=3Dfeed&u= tm_campaign=3DFeed%3A+UsatodaycomMoney-TopStories+%28Money+-+Top+Stories%= 29 What kind of resolve do CEOs have? By Del Jones, USA TODAY CEOs may be more driven and goal-oriented than the crowd, but they seem = to struggle at keeping New Year's resolutions just like the rest of us. A year ago, heading into 2009, USA TODAY e-mailed more than 500 members = of its CEO panel asking them for their New Year's resolutions and = promised that they would be contacted in a year's time to "own up" to = their successes and failures. Among all adults, only about 40% bother making resolutions, says = University of Scranton psychology professor John Norcross, an expert on = resolutions. That might partly explain the low response rate to USA = TODAY's request. Only 56 e-mailed back their resolutions a year ago, and = when USA TODAY contacted those 56 a year later to see how they had done, = just 22 responded. USA TODAY asked the CEOs to rate their success at keeping their = resolutions on a 1-5 scale, with 5 being the most successful. The = average score was 4. That's not bad, but assuming that those who failed = were more likely not to respond, the results might indicate a lack of = New Year's resolution follow-through by CEOs that is much like the = public at large. Among all adults, Norcross found that 71% keep their = resolutions for two weeks, but by six months the success rate falls to = 46%. Discipline should help CEOs=20 Norcross says he would expect CEOs to be more successful in keeping = their resolutions because they are a "particularly disciplined, driven = and successful subpopulation of humans." Many of the CEOs might agree with that assessment. "Leaders must make = resolutions. If you don't make them, I'd venture to say you are not a = leader," says Robert Jenson, CEO of the Las Vegas-based luxury real = estate company Jenson Group. "I think resolutions are helpful, even though I often forget exactly = what I resolved," says Clara Miller, CEO of 78-employee Nonprofit = Finance Fund, which provides loans to non-profits in seven cities. One resolution Miller made a year ago was to reduce her carbon = footprint, but she travels a lot and she says that caused her daughter = to remark: "Mom, just one airplane trip and all the recycling gets wiped = out." Todd Thibodeaux, CEO of the 23,000-member Computing Technology Industry = Association that includes among its members Best Buy, Hewlett-Packard = and Microsoft, says he has owned 24 cars over the years and so resolved = last year to finish 2009 with the same three cars. The score he gave himself was a perfect 5 because he started and ended = 2009 with a 2008 Mercedes C300, a 2007 BMW 328xi and a 2008 Cadillac = XLR. However, while he didn't dispose of any of the three, he added a = new one: a 2006 Porsche 911. In a poll of 700 workers last year by WorkplaceOptions, a provider of = employee benefits, more than a third of resolutions involved either = weight loss or improved fitness. But Todd Thomas, professor of = leadership behavior for the DeVos Graduate School of Management, who is = conducting resolution research, has found that CEOs are less likely to = make personal resolutions. Rather, most CEO resolutions are directed at = the companies they run. "We spun off from Cardinal Health on Sept. 1, launched a new brand as = CareFusion, and have reached more than half of our global employees with = our culture sessions," says David Schlotterbeck, who awarded himself a 5 = with an exclamation point for the early success of the $4 billion = medical technology company. But a focus on corporate goals might partly explain why CEOs as a group = don't do well on resolutions. "Even the most powerful CEO has only a = limited amount of influence on actual corporate results," Thomas says. Susan Long, CEO of Diving Unlimited International, a diving equipment = manufacturer in San Diego, resolved at the start of 2009 to keep her 91 = employees working. By February the company laid off eight. Three others left voluntarily = and only one was replaced, which leaves the company with 81 employees = today, who all received year-end bonuses. What score should Long get? "I'm tough on myself, a 3.5," she says. = "Others would probably give me a 4.5. But just because there is a = recession, it's no excuse not to meet your goal." Setting more personal goals=20 CEOs who made more personal resolutions reported mixed results. Lucas = Skoczkowski, CEO of Canadian software company Redknee, made three = resolutions a year ago: Take a family vacation or otherwise spend a week = with his family each quarter; read one book a week; and complete a = marathon in four hours, 15 minutes. He postponed the marathon until this year due to a training injury, but = he did spend a week each quarter with his family. He read more than 52 = books. Among his favorites were Snowball by Alice Schroeder, Born to Run = by Christopher McDougall and On Killing by Dave Grossman. Concerro CEO Graham Barnes resolved a year ago that neither he nor the = hospital staffing software company he runs would spend a dime on = something that wasn't necessary during the month of January. His family = refrained from new clothes, music, videos, games, recreational reading = material, wine and new appliances. "We cut back to just groceries and ongoing bills," Barnes says. His company cut non-essential travel, instituted a hiring freeze and = took on no long-term obligations that couldn't be directly tied to = revenue. "I actually did it," says Barnes, who scored himself a 4 on the 1-to-5 = scale. If nothing else, the exercise sparked a good debate with his children on = what was and was not discretionary, Barnes says. ------=_NextPart_001_006B_01CA9683.F3EF9F50 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/managemen= t/2010-01-04-ceos-new-year-resolutions_N.htm?csp=3D34&utm_source=3Dfe= edburner&utm_medium=3Dfeed&utm_campaign=3DFeed%3A+UsatodaycomMone= y-TopStories+%28Money+-+Top+Stories%29
 
 
What kind of=20 resolve do CEOs have?
By Del Jones, USA TODAY
 
CEOs may be more driven and goal-oriented than = the crowd,=20 but they seem to struggle at keeping New Year's resolutions just like = the rest=20 of us.

A year ago, heading into 2009, USA TODAY e-mailed = more than=20 500 members of its CEO panel asking them for their New Year's = resolutions and=20 promised that they would be contacted in a year's time to "own up" to = their=20 successes and failures.

Among all adults, only about 40% bother making = resolutions,=20 says University of Scranton psychology professor John Norcross, an = expert on=20 resolutions. That might partly explain the low response rate to USA = TODAY's=20 request. Only 56 e-mailed back their resolutions a year ago, and when = USA TODAY=20 contacted those 56 a year later to see how they had done, just 22 = responded.

USA TODAY asked the CEOs to rate their success at = keeping=20 their resolutions on a 1-5 scale, with 5 being the most successful. The = average=20 score was 4. That's not bad, but assuming that those who failed were = more likely=20 not to respond, the results might indicate a lack of New Year's = resolution=20 follow-through by CEOs that is much like the public at large. Among all = adults,=20 Norcross found that 71% keep their resolutions for two weeks, but by six = months=20 the success rate falls to 46%.

Discipline should help CEOs

Norcross says he would expect CEOs to be more = successful in=20 keeping their resolutions because they are a "particularly disciplined, = driven=20 and successful subpopulation of humans."

Many of the CEOs = might agree=20 with that assessment. "Leaders must make resolutions. If you don't make = them,=20 I'd venture to say you are not a leader," says Robert Jenson, CEO of the = Las=20 Vegas-based luxury real estate company Jenson Group.

"I think resolutions are helpful, even though I = often=20 forget exactly what I resolved," says Clara Miller, CEO of 78-employee = Nonprofit=20 Finance Fund, which provides loans to non-profits in seven cities.

One resolution Miller made a year ago was to = reduce her=20 carbon footprint, but she travels a lot and she says that caused her = daughter to=20 remark: "Mom, just one airplane trip and all the recycling gets wiped = out."

Todd Thibodeaux, CEO of the 23,000-member = Computing=20 Technology Industry Association that includes among its members Best Buy, Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft, says he has owned 24 cars over the = years and=20 so resolved last year to finish 2009 with the same three cars.

The score he gave himself was a perfect 5 because = he=20 started and ended 2009 with a 2008 Mercedes C300, a 2007 BMW 328xi and a 2008 Cadillac XLR. However, = while he=20 didn't dispose of any of the three, he added a new one: a 2006 Porsche 911.

In a poll of 700 workers last year by = WorkplaceOptions, a=20 provider of employee benefits, more than a third of resolutions involved = either=20 weight loss or improved fitness. But Todd Thomas, professor of = leadership=20 behavior for the DeVos Graduate School of Management, who is conducting=20 resolution research, has found that CEOs are less likely to make = personal=20 resolutions. Rather, most CEO resolutions are directed at the companies = they=20 run.

"We spun off from Cardinal Health on Sept. 1, launched a new = brand as=20 CareFusion, and have reached more than half of our global employees with = our=20 culture sessions," says David Schlotterbeck, who awarded himself a 5 = with an=20 exclamation point for the early success of the $4 billion medical = technology=20 company.

But a focus on corporate goals might partly = explain why=20 CEOs as a group don't do well on resolutions. "Even the most powerful = CEO has=20 only a limited amount of influence on actual corporate results," Thomas=20 says.

Susan Long, CEO of Diving Unlimited = International, a diving=20 equipment manufacturer in San Diego, resolved at the start of 2009 to = keep her=20 91 employees working.

By February the company laid off eight. Three = others left=20 voluntarily and only one was replaced, which leaves the company with 81=20 employees today, who all received year-end bonuses.

What score should Long get? "I'm tough on myself, = a 3.5,"=20 she says. "Others would probably give me a 4.5. But just because there = is a=20 recession, it's no excuse not to meet your goal."

Setting more personal goals

CEOs who made more personal resolutions reported = mixed=20 results. Lucas Skoczkowski, CEO of Canadian software company Redknee, = made three=20 resolutions a year ago: Take a family vacation or otherwise spend a week = with=20 his family each quarter; read one book a week; and complete a marathon = in four=20 hours, 15 minutes.

He postponed the marathon until this year due to = a training=20 injury, but he did spend a week each quarter with his family. He read = more than=20 52 books. Among his favorites were Snowball by Alice Schroeder, = Born to Run by Christopher McDougall and = On=20 Killing by Dave Grossman.

Concerro CEO Graham Barnes resolved a year ago = that neither=20 he nor the hospital staffing software company he runs would spend a dime = on=20 something that wasn't necessary during the month of January. His family=20 refrained from new clothes, music, videos, games, recreational reading = material,=20 wine and new appliances.

"We cut back to just groceries and ongoing = bills," Barnes=20 says.

His company cut non-essential travel, instituted = a hiring=20 freeze and took on no long-term obligations that couldn't be directly = tied to=20 revenue.

"I actually did it," says Barnes, who scored = himself a 4 on=20 the 1-to-5 scale.

If nothing else, the exercise sparked a good = debate with=20 his children on what was and was not discretionary, Barnes=20 says.

------=_NextPart_001_006B_01CA9683.F3EF9F50-- ------=_NextPart_000_006A_01CA9683.F3EF9F50 Content-Type: image/gif; name="usat_logo2.gif" Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64 Content-Location: http://i.usatoday.net/_common/_images/usat_logo2.gif R0lGODlhQAAkAMQQAO/0+WCTwRBdoTBzrp++2VCIut/p8iBoqHCex8/e7I+z06/J4L/U5kB9tH+o zQBSm////wAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACH5BAEA ABAALAAAAABAACQAAAX/ICSOBuGcaKo6xCgyqQEByPDcDZK4EIy2vCDiRjw0jsgj8dHgOZaMhGC5 bI4aVEBwxGBMiYNFl6EdVZ1QG5VohRjWwOBzTae3RfPbsP5gjPZnWwwKdQhjh4EjeUxLAwAABEYu B3QyPAoOWHYxIol4VUsILpYQC3UOPAl8q54Qi5pEAQtlIwV1BzwAXbZUDoe/rYsBdQV+M1RqNztc J8O9K74MwUsLlHUthLHZNwEui6x1d65QBrBUAgbWNwtvRAJbM08K8C5LuN5QIgmZa8437xB43YiT IAmWAVOMGCxwggoPf31yJQN3o8AIAAYbfPmXUeOSZSLU9WkQBwIgijdo/wWBWPJKI0vfCOAQQ2Aj ygfzRojko7DBzjoDft5s5GKfCkoIoJ2wSeymAJUAqJAakWBMAQG/fm0r5IqpuyXdeAh8IIoHgwBC hxa7qGDiAALmjLkwVYSe3S26ukwNYgDkXXhKTwABoKCADSMKSBlQSmCvCBMofJzIKWJxilVNFHi9 garHKgRQbWpeQnnsNyoNINJxJG2VoxEylxSg+08G7QcDIAwN19q1S6ljGwCwuWMMWBjnkiJgCjGA gbNUWrSjomC4vSWdzRBBZS4ALQCqscMmerLubaI8sEdls8Wc+BETIagjHpCO307bez9YsOX8dnxE bFUTEaJY9156+X2E16QpAP7jDnjuiHBbbltgp59cRTH4Rx3d3Mafbv9VuN10D4T1kIYhEdMQERaB yBk84k3UUmx0ZLcVRVociOCLNFYkxgKqdddFeODMo2M9IY7FxwD6UWTQRrlhR8AAAfj1HgATraYL K26dSIQq2wUgAJVIvigCDXwUoEWTVAQgoFmhYFdAAAWUJUISLRlQQxFVUtVRAYm5ksQWBSBRKBIE JBAAaBCEAAA7 ------=_NextPart_000_006A_01CA9683.F3EF9F50--