In many manufacturing environments, a production line can typically be set up to produce many different products by simply reconfiguring the tools and machinery on the line. In manufacturing parlance, this is called retooling the line and enables manufacturers to cost-effectively produce a wide range of products. For the Big Three American automobile manufacturers however this might be a moot point because according to the CEOs of these companies, they are all on the verge of bankruptcy. All the retraining and retooling in the world might not be able to save these companies. The question is whether bankruptcy could have been avoided had they retrained and retooled sooner.

Another aspect of manufacturing is that operators on the production line must be trained to use the various machines. The more different machines that a worker can operate, or the more tasks that an individual can perform, the more valuable they are to the company. For that reason manufacturing employees often undergo an ongoing process of training on new equipment and learning new skills.

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1) Reduce work stress levels. People’s jobs are the single biggest cause of stress (Source: Hazard Magazine), and stress can contribute to health problems, obesity and depression as well as affecting your personal happiness. Identify what is stressing you about work, and aim to reduce or remove it from your job entirely. Life is too short to be miserable

2) Work part time or work from home 1 day per week. Technology now enables people to do a portion of their work from home. With broadband internet and phone access, you can do your admin tasks and attend phone conference meetings and avoid the commute. Productivity is greater at home as there are fewer interruptions. You can get more done in less time, and feel greater job satisfaction as well as seeing your family. Working 4 days a week may also be attractive to companies in this economic climate, if you can afford it yourself. Ask your Manager for the opportunity and demonstrate the value for them.

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In the tough competition the world of business finds itself in, people – whether they are customers or employees – go for where their money is worth and their efforts are recognized, respectively. Everybody wants to get something in return for what they have given. As a business owner, you may want to measure the effectiveness of every program or strategy you implement to see if your business is doing well. Reward metrics present another business solution you can consider without compromising any of your business elements.

Rewards are encouraging and motivating for anyone. They basically give more reason for both your employees to stay in your company, work hard for everything, and get what he deserves as a token for his effort. And for your clients to patronize your company’s products and services, use them regularly, and receive a gift for being a loyal client. Now, measuring these things could let you know if the strategy is successful or not.

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You’re so excited you’re practically bouncing off the walls. This idea—your best ever—is not only going to save the company tens of thousands of dollars this year, it’s eventually going to be a moneymaker. Following your presentation, however, three colleagues sit unresponsively before you, reminding you of the three wise monkeys and the proverb “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.” You stare back at them in idiotic wonder: why don’t they want what you want—especially when it’s clearly the best thing for the company?

Almost everyone has had this experience at one time or another, and the reason for it is simple. When you make a presentation instead of having a conversation about an idea, you can’t guess what’s going on in the minds of your audience. Do they get what you’re saying? Do they like it? Do they like you?

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Learning online is different to learning in a classroom and here we discuss the relative benefits of learning online versus group discussion and more traditional methods of learning and training.

So what is learning online?

As soon as someone sits at a PC they are learning something. It might only be a trivial item like looking at a “You Tube” video or the time of the next bus into town, but they are learning.

Taking that to the next level, ask yourself, as a manager, what do you want your staff to learn or how will the learning benefit your business or the service you provide?

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Getting a lemon of a record from your favorite band may be one of the worst things to happen to a music fan. How do bands with so much talent and skill produce such bad material? I could never understand how (or why) they would let these duds get out the door. Do these people just lose their minds and become tasteless musicians?

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Apple announced its new line of notebooks today, and while most of the coverage out there centers on the new “unibody” manufacturing process that Apple is using to produce MacBooks and MacBook Pros, it wasn’t the only news that broke today. In fact, Apple’s novel use of multiple graphics cards in its Macbook Pros is today’s most interesting news.

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People who drink alcohol — even the moderate amounts that help prevent heart disease — have a smaller brain volume than those who do not, according to a study in the Archives of Neurology.

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Burdened by debt and driving home from a night of gambling in West Virginia, Sergio Lopez launched a scheme that at the time must have seemed like a good idea. He pulled his Volkswagen Jetta up to a random corner in Silver Spring, doused the interior with gasoline, set it on fire and walked away. He later made a claim to Nationwide Insurance.

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Despite a raft load of nifty new features, Apple’s new Mac notebooks will have a hard time moving off store shelves during the economic crisis, industry analysts say.

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