Monthly Archives: September 2012

Partnership to Fuel America Coming to Indy October 4

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Categories: Energy

A request from the Partnership to Fuel America and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (with whom we are not directly affiliated):

Matt Koch, Vice President at the U.S. Chamber’s Institute for 21st Century Energy will discuss the benefits of North American energy development to American manufacturers and the American economy at large.  Joining Mr. Koch will be Christopher Guith, Vice President for policy at the U.S. Chamber’s Institute for 21st Century Energy, who will provide a briefing on natural gas, hydraulic fracturing, and renewable fuels.  
 
WHO: 
Matt Koch, Vice President for Oil Sands and Arctic Issues at the U.S. Chamber’s Institute for 21st Century Energy.  
 
Christopher Guith, Vice President for policy at the U.S. Chamber’s Institute for 21st Century Energy.  
 
WHAT:
Partnership to Fuel America briefing and luncheon
 
WHEN:
Thursday, October 4 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
 
WHERE: 
Bose Public Affairs Group                      
111 Monument Circle, Suite 2700 
Indianapolis, IN 46204
 
*Parking will be validated for the Chase Tower garage. Please enter on Pennsylvania Street.
 
WHY:
Affordable Energy for the Future – North America has it! We will discuss strategies and priorities.
 
RSVP:
Christina Kane at 317-684-5427 or ckane@bosepublicaffairs.com

P2 Brings a Little Less Conversation, a Lot More Action

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Categories: 2012 Political Races, Chamber News

I get it – we’re less than two months away from an election. Stop yelling at me.

Because it seems no matter where I turn, people are yelling at me: on television, on the radio, through Facebook posts, in person, with newspaper articles, through inflammatory e-mails. They’re telling me why I should vote one way or another in November. And they’re telling me that their candidate is better because the other one is the devil and voting for him or her will literally kill me someday.

Enough. No more misinformation; no more spin; no more lies or half-truths or deceptions.

I am a decently informed voter. I don’t claim to know all the answers, or even have fully-formed opinions on all of the issues (because there are so many). But I know what matters to me at the end of the day. I’m sure you know what issues concern you as well. 

The question then becomes: How do we get everybody else on board this well-informed voting wagon? Call me naïve, but we need to get rid of the external nonsense and take a serious look at all of the candidates up for office – from local offices and state legislature all the way to Congress and the president.

I want to see voting records (because, the proof is in the pudding, folks). I want to know where politicians stand on substantial issues. And I’d like to know these things without partisan rhetoric. Meaning I can’t listen to the politicians themselves – or even the media at times – because it doesn’t seem like they want to give me true information.

Who do I turn to then? My family; a few friends. What about my employer? Maybe the boss doesn’t come right to mind as a source of political information. But, don’t you want to know if a legislator in your district previously passed a law that would have affected your paychecks? Bet you that your employer knows exactly who those legislators are already.

Even if we are just hearing from employers that it is our civic duty to be informed citizens and voters; that is the way we can right this ship.

With the Indiana Prosperity Project (Indiana P2), employers have access to great resources and tools to spread the message – and the information is presented in a non-partisan way. Voting records, legislator profiles, contact information, links to government information (how to register to vote online, how a bill becomes a law, the Indiana election process and much more) are available for free. The Prosperity Project staff will even build employers a customized web site to go along with their brand.

A newly-redesigned and user-friendly Prosperity Project web site is available for employers to explore and share with employees at www.indianaprosperity.org.

Employers – check it out and start using it. Employees – take heed and trust your employer.

And for goodness’ sake – everybody else stop yelling at me.
 

What’s Worse Than Losing Your iPad?

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Categories: Technology

A typical person could name myriad things in life that would be worse than losing one’s iPad: Being forced to watch those super sad Sarah McLachlan abused animal commercials on a continuous loop. Dying in a fiery car crash. Being a chair in Clint Eastwood’s home, constantly having to deflect his criticism.

But a recent newsletter from Mobile Enterprise posts answers from users who were asked that very question. Their findings may surpise you:

iPad users would find accidentally destroying their device more painful than:

  • Getting in a minor car accident – 40%
  • Having a root canal – 32%
  • Breaking their nose – 16%
  • Getting fired from their job – 10%

Business travelers also say they’d rather forget the following items than forget their iPad:

  • Deodorant – 55%
  • Birth control – 50% (47% among females)
  • A change of clothes – 35%
  • To lock the front door – 22%
  • To turn off the oven – 17%

H/t to staffer Glenn Harkness.

Workers Ready to Be on the Move

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Categories: Human Resources

Workforce surveys are seemingly available on an almost daily basis. A new one from Kelly Services offers some interesting perspectives from workers on career paths and opportunties for growth.

Nearly half of respondents (47 percent) surveyed as part of the Kelly Global Workforce Index (KGWI) believe that in order to develop their skills and advance their careers, it is more important to change employers, rather than remain with their existing employer.

The KGWI examines issues of job mobility and career progression as part of a shift to a more autonomous and empowered workforce. The survey reflects a changing attitude from workers, with more seeking to gain new experiences and skills with multiple employers. Nearly 170,000 people in 30 countries participated in the survey.

In spite of the lingering uncertainty in the economy, more than half (62 percent) say that if they did change jobs, they would be in a good position to negotiate a similar or better position.

"We are seeing a shifting attitude on the part of employees who are increasingly embracing the idea of working for multiple employers as a way to gain a wider array of work experience and advance their careers," said Kristin Supancich, Vice President and General Manager of Canadian Operations for Kelly Services.

The survey shows that the idea of a career-for-life with one employer is regarded as important by 38 percent of workers, and those with professional and technical skills are less attracted to the career-for-life (37 percent) proposition compared to other workers (41 percent).

"Employers face the reality that even happy workers are actively planning for the next step in their career and that many are seeing the advantages of employment experiences with a more diverse range of organizations," Supancich said. "Employers need to consider ways to improve their development and engagement programs so that employees think twice before switching employers." 

Boomers Bring Big Bucks to Table

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Categories: Business News

Don’t forget about the Boomers. I guess I’ve always been one of them, but my recent ascent (do you like that word choice?) into the 50-plus crowd has me more aligned with those born in the 1946 to1964 time period.

Anyway, some numbers from Nielsen suggest that the consumers of my generation are being ignored — and they shouldn’t be.

The Baby Boomers are 80 million strong. Yet despite their significant size and spending power, these high potential consumers have been largely unaddressed by marketers since they started to age out of the popular 18-49 cohort. In five years, 50% of the U.S. population will be 50-plus. These consumers spend close to half of all consumer-packaged-goods dollars yet less than 5% of advertising is geared toward them.

In the next five years, Boomers are set to control 70% of the disposable income in the U.S. What’s more, they stand to inherit $15 trillion in the next 20 years. As they age out of the workforce, 67% of Boomers plan to spend more time on their hobbies and interests, moving from a life dedicated to making money to one that is directed to spending money.

Boomers are not afraid of technology, making them accessible through digital media. They comprise one-third of all online users and one-third of all social media users. While slower to adopt new technologies, once a technology goes mainstream, Boomers buy in.

It’s clear that taking Boomers’ loyalty for granted, or forsaking them for being too loyal or set in their ways, are both risky approaches for marketers.  

Midwest Telecom Expo Coming to Fort Wayne October 9-11

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Categories: Technology

If you have an interest in emerging technologies, you may want to make a trip up to Fort Wayne in October. The Indiana Telecommunications Association is hosting the Midwest Telecom Expo. Here is some info from a press release: 

The Midwest Telecom Expo is excited to announce it will be diving into its next 30 years of service by bringing innovative technology from exhibitor booths and a broad discussion on topics impacting fiber optic technology, broadband, wireless services, enterprise business networking, video services and home networks.  The Midwest Telecom Expo will be held October 9-11, at the Grand Wayne Convention Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and will host over 600 communication professionals and 100 exhibits designed to provide a “hands on” opportunity for attendees to see new technology and discuss its capabilities.  

“This showcase provides attendees in the communications business with all the latest high tech equipment and how it can be used to grow services in a competitive economy,” said Darren Dierbeck, Vantage Point Solutions, VP of Customer Relations and Chairman of The Midwest Telecom Expo. “Whether it’s broadband, wireless or networking, the Expo gives telecom companies a place to evaluate which equipment best suits their needs.”

Highlights of this year’s agenda will include keynote speaker, Michael Golob, SVP-Engineering and Technology at FRONTIER and a leading authority in networking communications technology. He will discuss how to take the benefits of broadband services to America’s rural areas.  Golob is responsible for integrating the new service areas acquired in 2010 from Verizon into FRONTIER’S national network and also works to expand the broadband capacity of the company’s network. The second keynote speaker will be David Seda, Vice President of Field Marketing for CALIX. Seda is a technology expert with the distinction of working as an executive at world renowned technology company, APPLE for 10 years when the company was bringing some of its most innovative products to market.  Seda will be discussing the growth of wireless technology and how companies may serve customers with more services by utilizing new fixed wireless options.

Other topics that will be covered include Disaster Recovery, Growing Services from Data Networks and Strategic Planning.

In addition to its educational programming and exhibit hall, The Midwest Telecom Expo will feature exciting evening receptions and a golf outing (weather permitting) to provide a casual atmosphere for networking. Additionally, FRONTIER is helping sponsor a National Guard Indy Car revealing the latest in racing technology to attendees while they view exhibits.

“The Midwest Telecom Expo has always been a promotion of new technology and its application, and Fort Wayne has been the perfect host for this most important regional event,” said John Koppin, president of the Indiana Telecommunications Association. “As technology changes our industry, we are changing the Expo to keep pace. I think attendees and exhibitors will be impressed by the agenda and will be able to sharpen their skills and cultivate new business relationships.”

Communications professionals can register now for The Midwest Telecom Expo. For exhibitor, sponsorship or attendee questions, please contact Kristen or Ashley at (317) 635-1272, or visit the website: www.midwesttelecomexpo.com.

Good Journalism; Broken Congress

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Categories: Government

I  love reading The New York Times headline stories. I continue to be shocked by the fact that Congress is so dysfunctional. The two came together late last week.

Here’s the first sentence of a Times story from early in the week. "Members of Congress feel mighty proud of themselves this week, mainly because they appear to be avoiding a government shutdown — an outcome taken as an actual accomplishment in this turbulent and acrimonious legislature." (Which is exactly what happened early Saturday with a stopgap budget measure to fund day-to-day government through late March 2013).

Other gems from this Times article:

  • The 112th Congress is set to enter the Congressional record books as the least productive body in a generation, passing a mere 173 public laws as of last month. That was well below the 906 enacted from January 1947 through December 1948 by the body President Harry S. Truman referred to as the “do-nothing” Congress, and far fewer than even a single session of many prior Congresses.
  • Appropriations bills, once the central function of the legislative branch, have been ditched in favor of short-term spending measures that do little more than keep the lights on.
  • After the election, when the makeup of the White House and the next Congress are known, there will be a lame-duck session during which myriad tax issues will be tackled, or, somehow punted into the next year.

Saxby Chambliss, a Republican senator from Georgia, sums up the situation. "There has been way too much politics injected into the work that is going on in the Senate. We’ve been spinning our wheels all year."

And that, while true, is simply unbelievable. 

Recognizing Interns, Professionals Who Make an IMPACT

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Categories: Business News, Education

The IMPACT Awards Luncheon, sponsored by Ivy Tech Community College, is still several months away, but this is a great time to start thinking about nominations. We are putting together a great program that you won’t want to miss!

The seventh annual luncheon will be Feb. 6, 2013, at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art. Registration will begin at 11 a.m., and the program will start at 11:30 a.m. The museum is offering free admission and parking to IMPACT Awards Luncheon attendees.

Caroline Dowd-Higgins is the keynote speaker, and we are looking forward to hearing an inspiring message from her. She is the director of career and professional development at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law. She is the author of This is Not the Career I Ordered and the host of a national weekly CBS Radio show, "Career Coach Caroline." The keynote will address playing to your strengths, identifying your passions and finding rewarding work.

Internship programs provide innumerable benefits to organizations and give students meaningful project work . When the programs are strong, great things happen – employers experience increased productivity and creativity, and students become more hirable and are often encouraged to stay and work in Indiana.

We invite you to take part in this event dedicated to celebrating internship excellence. Winners’ names and stories will be released to media outlets across the state and will appear in the Indiana Chamber of Commerce’s BizVoice magazine and the “Building A Better Indiana” blog. These awards are also fantastic résumé-enhancing and network-building opportunities for interns.

Again, you can find the nomination form at the Indiana INTERNnet web site. The nomination deadline is Friday, Nov. 9 at 5 p.m.  Registration is now open, and sponsorship opportunities are available.

We can’t wait to hear your success stories! If you want to give us a preview of your nomination, please share in the comments section below.
 

Stuck in Job Search; This News Won’t Help

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Categories: Human Resources

WOW!, with all capital letters and an exclamation point. I have nothing against people with a criminal record receiving another chance, but I was floored upon reading the following:

A survey from Bullhorn, a Boston-based maker of recruiting software finds that people who have criminal records but are holding down a job have an easier time impressing hiring managers than people who have been out of work for two years or more

The numbers in the "out of work for two years through no fault of their own" category are growing. To have that serve as another major strike in finding future employment seems more than unfair.

Forbes magazine has the following recap of the survey:

Among other questions, the survey asked respondents to rate, on a scale of one to five, who would be most difficult to place. Forty-four percent said someone who has been unemployed for more than two years would rate a 5, while only 31% said someone with a (non-felony) criminal record would be most difficult the place.

The rough total number of unemployed or underemployed people right now is 23.1 million. That includes discouraged job seekers, those actively looking for work (12.5 million) and the 8 million people who are working part-time but wish they had full-time jobs. The Bullhorn study suggests it’s far better to take a part-time job than to do no work at all.

The survey also reveals that the range of time that job seekers can be unemployed before recruiters and hiring managers start souring on them is between six months and a year, according to 36% of poll respondents. Seventeen percent said that being out of work for fewer than six months would also make it difficult to place someone in a job. One ray of light: Only 4% said it is simply difficult to place anyone who is unemployed, no matter what the duration.

The survey also asked about job-hopping, or staying at a job for less than a year. Recruiters don’t like to see this. Thirty-nine percent said job-hopping was the single biggest obstacle for an unemployed job seeker. Hiring managers also don’t like to see gaps in employment. Twenty-eight percent said they saw it as a big obstacle when evaluating candidates.

The survey offers one bit of encouragement for older job seekers: Respondents said a 55-year-old with a steady employment history was easier to place than a job-hopping 30-year-old with less than a year in one place.

 

INDYCOG, Sun King Partner Up for Safety

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Categories: Wellness

Who here likes cycling? Great. Now, who likes local beer? Neat! I’m seeing a lot of the same hands. Then you should be enthused about this partnership between INDYCOG (Indianapolis’ bicycle advocacy group) and Sun King Brewing:

INDYCOG is partnering with Sun King Brewing Company to deliver a message of mutual respect on our roadways. The Coaster Safety messaging, which is part of an overall campaign known as Riders in the Know, consists of six messages: three focused on motorists and three on cyclists. These messages are designed to educate and mitigate conflict on our roadways. Sun King will be printing these messages on 20,000 drink coasters that they will distribute to bars and restaurants in the Indianapolis area who carry their product. The first two messages began circulating in early September, while the other four messages will be released with other local breweries over the fall and winter months.

“Sun King is focused on making our community a better place to live and work. We love working with INDYCOG to spread the word about bicycle advocacy and this coaster project is a great way to get the word about bicycle safety out all over Indy,’ said Clay Robinson, brewer/co-owner of Sun King Brewing Company.

“While crashes between bicycles and automobiles are not common (17% of all bicycle crashes), we would like to reduce that number to zero. We feel by concentrating our messaging on 6 of the most common causes for collisions between these two groups, we can contribute to working towards that goal,” said Kevin Whited, executive director, INDYCOG.

For more information on the Riders in the Know project or other information on bicycle safety, please visit INDYCOG online at www.theindycog.com.