With bureaucracies, it seems their modus operandi includes being self-serving, or unclear, or worse…
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The financial and insurance service industries in Canada is being regulated toward fuller disclosure to clients about both costs and performance of mutual fund investments and accounts content. In turn, the companies affected arestudying and materializing ways in which to provide ‘clear and transparent (more…)
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All manner of communities and organizations need leaders. The quality of leadership affects the success of these groups, small or large.
Just like communication skills, leadership skills are learned and enlarged through experience, facing challenges, and ultimately from episodes of failure and success. Whether you are new or experienced in a group, opportunity to develop these skills is likely available in some capacity if you step forward. (more…)
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As a long-time member of Toastmasters, I’ve had numerous opportunities to participate as contestant, organizer, or judge, at speech contests at the club, area, and division levels.
According to the speech contest rulebook, these events are considered important to the Toastmasters educational program, providing for participants “…to gain speaking experience, as well as an opportunity to learn by observing proficient (more…)
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For many the prospect of dealing with insurance matters, and such advisors, likely ranks with going to the dentist insofar as anticipatory delight. However, as with oral care, taking care of insurance issues should be faced more sooner than later, if not as frequently. (more…)
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There is a tendency to look for the shaping forces of our existence outside ourselves. Success and failure are unavoidably related in our minds with the state of things around us… The tendency to look for all causes outside ourselves persists even when it is clear that our state of being is the product of personal qualities such as ability, character, appearance, health, and so on. (more…)
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Does every encounter with a service provider have to be a hassle?
Maybe it has something to do with the depressive atmosphere of January. (more…)
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Last September and October I wrote a series of six posts concerning ‘The Art of Collecting’. Part of the underlying philosophy of expectation, including more basic categories such as coins and stamps, is predicated on there being an available marketplace should one decide to be a seller rather than being more static. (more…)
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Last Friday on CBC television’s investigative show Marketplace, the main story concerned the marketing of my favourite morning beverage, orange juice. The thrust was twofold: how do popular brands compare to freshly squeezed in taste, and what is done to preserve o.j. sold in cartons and plastic bottles (and to what extent are consumers aware). (more…)
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the watch of time
Getting Tire-d
Today has been one of those ‘getting new summer tires installed’ days – of course, in this part of the world in conjunction with exchanging the services of winter tires.
In past years it was customary for waiting areas in auto service departments to be rather non-descript and borderline comfortable. Magazines and chairs tended to be old and somewhat dingy, dimensions generally small. Nowadays, as part of the evolution of surroundings, likely more amenable to customer repeat business or upselling, environments have been enhanced with more modern and (more…)
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Social & political commentary
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