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November 12, 2013 There's Nothing Wrong with Service With a Smile By The Daily Idea Pret-a-Manager has caught the ire of cynical writers at The London Review of Books and The New Republic. Why? The fast-casual sandwich chain has adopted somewhat of an extreme service-with-a-smile philosophy. It's staff, for example, is required to create a Pret Buzz by emoting genuine feelings of happiness. And wide smiles are a must. Once critic has argued that the company's positive-energy training is an unfair form of emotional labor. This is elitist thinking. Service... More »

Customer service When a Company Is No Longer That into You by Sam Ford The consequences of not following through can haunt customer relations. Work life balance 7 Policy Changes America Needs So People Can Work and Have Kids by Stew Friedman New research on Wharton grads highlights a challenge the country as a whole must tackle. Health Integrating Maintenance of Board Certification and Health Systems' Quality-Improvement Programs by Henry H. Ting A Mayo Clinic pilot in team- and institutional-based quality-improvement projects is paving the way to reform the outdated MOC system. Global business Sustainable Business Initiatives Will Fail Unless Leaders Change Their Mindset by Jib Ellison Their biggest mistake is a focus on quantifiable ROI. Managing uncertainty Managing Complexity Is the Epic Battle Between Emergence and Entropy by Julian Birkinshaw If the organization is a complex adaptive system, what is the work of the leader? Managing yourself The Value of Being the "Weird" Job Candidate by Neil Bearden Will you be remembered or just be one of those other guys? Government Jack Ma on Taking Back China's Blue Skies by Jack Ma The future will be bleak if people can't even see the sun. Mergers & Acquisitions Friendly Social Ties Between Merging Companies Can Spell Trouble by The Daily Stat Social connections between executives of an acquirer and a target increase the likelihood that the merger will be considered a flop. Managing people Real Men Go to Sleep by Alan Derickson It's time for the cult of manly wakefulness to end.

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