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Funny "Bits"

Chop Suey. In 1850 a bunch of hungry miners busted their way into a chow-chow late at night and demanded to be fed. The chef just stirred all the table scraps and leftovers he could find into a big mess and served it. The miners loved it. When they asked what it was, the chef replied, "chop sui," which means "garbage bits" in Cantonese. The dish remained virtually unheard of in China until after world War II. Today, it's advertised there as American cuisine.

Chow Mien. A mixture of noodles and Chinese vegetables, probably served to railroad crews in the 1850's. From a Mandarin dialect word that means "fried noodles."

Tie Vote

Nov. 14, 1994 - "In Rice, Minnesota, Virgil Nelson and Mitch Fiedler, who tied 90 to 90 in the November 1996 election for a city council seat, settled the race by drawing cards. On the first try, both drew eights, and on the second, both drew a seven, and Fiedler drew an eight for the victory."

News of the Weird

Mark Twain Says.

"All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence and then success is sure."

"What a talker he is - he could persuade a fish to come out and take a walk with him."

"Thousands of geniuses live and die undiscovered - either by themselves, or by others."

Disciplining Your Employees

The traditional way to reprimand employees is to punish them.

But you can discipline employees by giving them the responsibility to correct the problem, says Dick Grote, president of Grote Consulting, Dallas, Texas.

Using this system, managers should:

• State exactly what standards the organization has for all employees. Then describe how the actions of the employee fail to meet those expectations.
• Probe the employee for ways he or she plans to improve. The more input the employee gives, the more likely the problem will be solved.

Source: Leadership for the Front Lines, 24 Rope Ferry Road, Waterford, CT 06386.

When Selling Your Idea

How you present an idea depends on whom you are presenting to:

• Bosses--presidents, CEOs. They want strategic information. Examples: What's the long term effect of your idea? Why should we go after this market?
• Peers--vice presidents, department managers. They seek tactical evidence. Examples: How will my job be made easier by what you're proposing? How will it affect my bottom line?
• Employees--line managers, support staff. They look for technical details. Examples: How will your idea work? How long will it be in place?

Source: What They Still Don't Teach You at Harvard Business School, by Mark H. McCormack, Bantam Books, 1540 Broadway, New York, NY 10036.

Before You Get on the Web

Before you decide to put your products or services on the World Wide Web, says Kenneth D. Love of Lippincott & Margulies, ask these questions:

• What's my motive? Do I just want to be out there? Do I want to make my information easy to get? Do I want to spark dialogue? Innovate?
• What content will I use? Just putting your printed materials on the Web won't add value to your message. You need to think carefully about how you'll balance content with image.
• What risk do I face? The technology lets dissatisfied customers quickly tell lots of other Web browsers about your shortcomings. Are you ready for that? Can you make sure it won't happen?
• Do I have the staff I need? Web sites need managing and regular updating to stimulate repeat visits. Also, you may need more staff to handle the influx of customer comments, requests and complaints.

Source: Across the Board, 845 3rd Ave., New York, NY 10022.