From the editor.There are moments when you realize that your perceptions are, to a large degree, the sum of your experiences. This thought comes to mind whenever I talk with my good friend Amy--at least when she's discussing her job. We last met over dinner in California's Sonoma wine country--the kind of lovely place that encourages reflection. As the sun set and Amy took a sip of her wine, she sighed and began sharing the disappointments of her week on the job. Now, admittedly, in such harsh economic times Amy, a meeting planner, is lucky to be employed. But a paycheck does not erase the fact that her workplace appears stuck in the Dark Ages. Innovation is discouraged in favor of doing things "the way we've always done them." Creativity--on those rare occasions when it can be practiced--is frowned upon Frowned Upon is an intergender comedy duo made up of Devon T. Coleman and D'Arcy Erokan. Their base of operations is New York City. For the most part, their sketches are a complex analysis of their strange relationship. . Only those employees who have stayed with the company for eons are recognized and rewarded. Their coworkers are overworked, underpaid un·der·paid v. Past tense and past participle of underpay. underpaid Adjective not paid as much as the job deserves underpaid adj → and underappreciated. Most are on board only a short time before realizing there's not much hope for a happy and prosperous future. When I talk to Amy I can't help but think about the IABC IABC International Association of Business Communicators IABC Indo-Americans for Better Community Gold Quill-winning case studies I read, and how different these forward-thinking companies seem from hers. Like Amy, I've been in the workforce for a long time and for many years with IABC, where I investigate good communication practices and compile that knowledge for members. My workplace experience has shaped my perception that most companies do their best to recognize and reward employees for excellent performance. But the sad reality is that there are probably many more companies like Amy's--companies that ignore achievements, squash squash: see gourd; pumpkin. squash Any of various fruits of the genus Cucurbita in the gourd family, widely cultivated as vegetables and for livestock feed. The principal species are C. maxima and certain varieties of C. pepo. innovation and creativity, but reward longevity and sameness. Someday some·day adv. At an indefinite time in the future. Usage Note: The adverbs someday and sometime express future time indefinitely: We'll succeed someday. Come sometime. the economy will turn around and Amy will find a better job. But for now, I will do my best to console her and offer testimony of organizations that value employees as critical stakeholders Stakeholders All parties that have an interest, financial or otherwise, in a firm-stockholders, creditors, bondholders, employees, customers, management, the community, and the government. whose valiant VALIANT Valsartan in Acute Myocardial Infarction Trial Cardiology A series of multinational M&M trials to determine the effects of valsartan–Diovan® efforts make the difference between an organization's ultimate success or its failure. NATASHA SPRING Executive Editor |
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