Commentary
Finding the Good in Video Games
In the past decade, as Ive watched my son Eric spend endless hours on computer games, Ive grown hostile toward this industry that has stolen so much of my sons precious time. And Ive wondered darkly how he and his generation will shape the world in the coming decades after having spent so much of…
The Greatest Generation?
Near the end of 2008, the commercial real estate world began falling apart. In the course of five months, an otherwise normal environment turned into a projected industrywide revenue decline of 30 percent to 60 percent for 2009. At 49, Im old enough to have lived through the savings and loan crisis and a few…
Its Not Easy Being Green
Before the recent unpleasantnessaka the recession of 2008green was writ large. Most companies were flaunting their green credentials, and it seemed as if every product out there was green. Eventually, people grew tired of green. Not because it wasnt a valuable attribute, but because it appeared to be a marketing ploy. In many cases, it…
Is there an entrepreneurship gene?
https://seattlebusinessmag.com/sites/default/files/Tasker06-web3_0.jpgAttorney, Paradigm Counsel It is no secret that entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of the global economy. By developing new businesses, they create jobs, increase economic activity and drive innovation. Yet despite entrepreneurs positive influence on global prosperity and growth, they remain an often-misunderstood segment of the business world. As the founders of the Ernst &…
How worried are you?
https://seattlebusinessmag.com/sites/default/files/Annie_Searle-s2b_0_0.jpgAttorney, Paradigm Counsel Recent events in Japan have caused some businesses to worryabout whether they are prepared to keep operating after a major earthquake,especially since the greater Seattle area is situated on the Cascadia fault. Given the economic climate, disaster preparedness is oftenthe last thing on an executives mind these days, but creating a plan…
Details, Please, Mr. McKenna
Attorney General Rob McKenna has entered the governors race with a call for a major shift in budget priorities. He wants the state to spend as much as 51 percent of its annual budget on K12 education, up from 40 percent, and as much as 16 percent of the budget on higher education, twice the…
Final Analysis: What if companies were run according to Jesuit principles?
Having spent more than a few hours lately in classrooms at Seattle University and Gonzaga University, Ive been wondering: What if Americas businesses operated according to Ignatian principles? I know what youre thinking. Didnt the Federation vanquish the Ignatians in the eighth Star Trek movie? Nope. The Ignatians, better known as the Jesuits, are still…
An effective David to a competing Goliath
https://seattlebusinessmag.com/sites/default/files/James%20Wong%20headsho…Attorney, Paradigm Counsel Small to medium-size businesses (SMBs) face a host of unique challenges. For many, not the least of these is competing for customers on the same stage with much larger competitors. Many SMBs have accepted the role of follower, relegating themselves to living in their bigger competitors shadows. This, however, does not need…
Dealing with Good News
https://seattlebusinessmag.com/sites/default/files/Petry%2C-Nita_NewComme…Attorney, Paradigm Counsel After two years of layoffs and hiring freezes, the economy ispicking up. Employers are starting to think about where to go fromhere: Hire or hang tight? Offer raises or reserve that money forsomething else? The amount of change affecting compensation andbenefits has been unprecedented in the past two years. Both theeconomic crisis…
Raising iBrows
How connected do you want to be? Need to be? Im not talking about knowing the movers and shakers who will get you a cooler job or better seats. Im talking about being addicted to connecting. We all know people with the affliction. Perhaps youre one of them. Im not. At least, not yet. But…
Back to the Future
Ask a smart young college student about her career plans and she might talk about business, medicine or law. On rare occasions, you might find someone interested in engineering. What you arent likely to find is a student interested in manufacturing. Thats too bad, because after two decades of tough times, during which the sector…
Dealing with Good News
After two years of layoffs and hiring freezes, the economy is picking up. Employers are starting to think about where to go from here: Hire or hang tight? Offer raises or reserve that money for something else? The amount of change affecting compensation and benefits has been unprecedented in the past two years. Both the…
Mind Control
A mind is a terrible thing to waste, says the famous slogan of the United Negro College Fund. You never want a serious crisis to go to waste, says Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. So what do we do with a crisis about mindsspecifically, the minds that pass through Washingtons higher-education system? Saying that higher ed…