Commentary
Editor’s Note: Management and Leadership
Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things. Peter Drucker Effective managers understand the nature of the challenges they face and respond effectively with all the tools at their disposal. They communicate their priorities, mobilize their employees and making the necessary investments for long-term success. For companies like Expeditors International, Expedia, Amazon.com…
Seattle Area Wages Grow 4.8% in 2012 for Nation’s Strongest Increase
Seattle topped the nation in wage growth, tying Houston, but beating Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York. Wages in Seattle in the fourth quarter of 2012 were up 4.8 percent from the same period in 2011, compared to just 1.6 percent in Washington D.C., another area where the economy has been relatively strong….
Want to Raise Money for a Good Cause: Organize a snowball fight and a snow-fort building competition.
Neil Bergquist, Director at Surf Incubator, a Seattle based community-supported space for digital entrepreneurs, noticed the need for young professionals to get involved with innovative forms of fundraising. After organizing a successful benefit last year for Seattle Public Librarys Homework Help program, he now hopes to raise money for the Boys and Girls club of…
Virgin on Business: Group Dynamics
The deindustrialization of Seattle was a trend, and an issue, long before the proposed hoops-and-hockey arena gave it renewed attention. As offices, retail developments, apartments and condos crowded in, manufacturers figured life would be less expensive and bring fewer hassles by going somewhere else. So where, for Washington, is that somewhere else? Does it matter…
Final Analysis: Do Microsoft’s Celebrity Endorsements Work?
Do celebrities influence you? More specifically, do their endorsements make you buy stuff? Are you more likely to shell out a few hundred bucks on a Windows Phone 8 because Gwen Stefani says it allows her to stay creative and never miss a thing in her busy life? Will it make a difference to you…
Editor’s Note They Might Be Giants
During last years presidential campaign, there was a great deal of talk about the importance of small businesses. Virtually every stump speech seemed to make some reference to the large proportion of jobs accounted for by the small business sector. Thats certainly true. But when it comes to job creationthe key concern of every regional…
…the Bad…
…THE BAD… RETAILING > Higher and HigherWashington voters who thought they would get a price break on booze when they voted to break up the state monopoly on liquor sales got an unpleasant surprise in June when private store sales went into effect. An unscientific Seattle Times survey indicated about half of 170 prices reported…
Editor’s Note: Roads to Recovery
Each year, the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce brings together regional leaders in an effort to build a consensus around the key issues that must be addressed for our region to grow and prosper. Last year, there was broad agreement on the need to keep production of Boeings next-generation 737 MAX airplane in our region,…
Virgin on Business: Windows of Opportunity
A year ago in this very space we opined that, as much as Boeing is a significant local business story every year, 2012 would be a critically important year for the company and for the region that economically depends upon it. Barely was the ink dry on the magazine when Boeing addressed several items on…
Final Analysis: Crowning Achievement
Welcome to the dark months. This is what Mick McHugh calls the period between the end of one baseball season in late September and the beginning of the next one in early April. McHugh owns F.X. McRorys Steak, Chop & Oyster House, which debuted in Pioneer Square in 1977, the same year the Seattle Mariners…
CEO Adviser: Conflict Avoidance
Businesses frequently use mediation to resolve employment disputes after a lawsuit has been filed, but a number of large local organizations believe they are better off using mediators to address workplace conflicts well before the lawyers have to be called in. Boeing and King County are doing just that, and the advantages are plenty. By…