Many people take physical or other risks. Some risks are real, others are perceived. How we weigh the benefits of an action versus the risk, and make a decision, reveals a lot about who we are. There is also the factor of regret. If you don't take a risk, will you regret it for the rest of your life? Stephen Irwin, aka "The Crocodile Hunter," was an Australian conservationist and television personality who died on 4 September after being fatally wounded by a stingray spine while snorkeling at the Great Barrier reef. Irwin lived a life full of risk and died doing what he loved to do. A life of value is determined by actions, not by longevity. There are many examples of people who died young but who left an enduring legacy of value. Steven Irwin was certainly one of those people.

There costs and risks to a program of action; but they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction.

— John F. Kennedy

Other Bytes

Here are some of the things going on in and around the engineering community:

• The third quarter issue of IEEE Engineering Management Review [34(3), 2006] focuses on the "world of work." Sixteen reprinted articles, totaling 162 pages, provide the best of the published literature on the world of work, such as "The Use of Humor in the Workplace" and "So You Want to be a Global Project Manager?" Engineering Management Review has been published since 1973 and subscriptions are available to IEEE members for $30 per year. Not available through IEEE Xplore, the Review is an excellent investment for your career success.

• We have all at some point-in-time used the Google's search engine to find information that we needed. In "Google Revealed: An Inside Look at How its ‘out loud' Culture Translates Into Technical Advantage [Informationweek.com, #1103, 28 August 2006, pp.34-43, www.informationweek.com], Thomas Claburn provides insights on how the companies unconventional IT strategy makes information "universally accessible and useful."

• Today's workplace is characterized by the presence of distinct generations who need to work together effectively. In "Leadership for a New Age" [Training and Development, 60(6), pp. 22-23, 2006, www.astd.org/astd/publications/td_magazine], Jennifer Salopek discusses how the diverse talents of a multigenerational workforce must be harnessed to keep up with organizational productivity. As the author states: "It is crucial for leaders to understand each generation's characteristics, values, and motivations; to adopt new competencies to harness the best of each; to facilitate cooperating; and to explore new ways of thinking that incorporate the critical differences among generations." An understanding is also crucial for employees, enhancing their ability to work effectively together.

• Changes over the past 40 years have resulted in an unprecedented increase of diversity in the workplace. In "Rethinking Political Correctness" [Harvard Business Review: 84(9), pp. 79-87, 2006, www.hbr.com], Robin Ely et al. discuss their research that suggests that political correctness is a double edged sword. It has helped many employees but may hinder our ability to develop effective work relationships. The authors provide five principles for healthy resolution of the tensions that commonly arise over differences.

• The Economist recently published its annual survey of the world economy [Volume 380 #8495, [30 page inset], 16-22 September 2006, www.economist.com]. In introducing the survey the author's state "last year the combined output of emerging economies reached an important milestone: it accounted for more than half of total world GDP." The impact is that countries that have traditionally dominated the global economy no longer do so. Interesting information as you manage your career now and plan for future success.

• The cover story of the 18 September BusinessWeek focuses on the "50 Best Places to Launch a Career" [BusinessWeek, #4001, pp. 64-81, 2006, www.businessweek.com]. Leading the list is Disney followed by Lockheed Martin and Deloitte & Touche. An interesting and informative table is provided with the ranking. Associated with the article is Interesting reading that will provide you with insights on important information on what to look for, and what questions to ask your current employer or a potential employer.

• Next-Gen Innovators is the title of an article by Mark Henricks in Entrepreneur [34(9), pp. 76-79, 2006, www.entrepreneur.com]. Interesting stories are told of forward-thinking entrepreneurs who are making strides in promising areas. We can all learn from the real life experiences of others.

 

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