ArLyne's Diamonds

A running commentary of ideas

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Ethics

I am preparing the materials for the MBA course I am about to teach: Legal, Ethical and Political Aspects of Business - and remembered how different some of the ethical mandates are for different professions. For example: Attorneys can have dual relations, Psychologists can not.

I'd welcome your input about the code of ethics governing your profession - and your business.

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Sunday, December 25, 2011

Merry Christmas

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas - and spent it with family and friends.

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Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Cliches and Soundbites

If you are a true believer there are always pat phrases you can use and just drop into a conversation. I was in a meeting today with a bunch of thoughtful and interesting people. Unfortunately, one of the women in the group, trying hard I guess to be part of the conversation, would drop in some phrase right out of the political text-book she apparently read. Sometimes the phrases actually fit into the conversation, but two or three times I found myself saying, "huh?"

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Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Tikkun Olam

Literally, "repairing the world" Tikkum Olam is part of the Jewish tradition of giving service to others. It is not altruism - it is enlightened self-interest. By helping those we are able to help we make our world a better place.

During the holiday season, we should all remember to make the world a better place.

Happy Holidays

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Saturday, December 17, 2011

Rosie the Elephant

I can't stop thinking about Rosie, the Elephant in Water for Elephants. I just finished reading the part about the cruelty to her because of her accidentally hurting Marlena. Rosie apparently responds well to love and kindness and goes a little crazy over cruelty. She also seems to be passive-aggressive.

Rosie is no different from any of us. Most of us respond well to kindness and love and resist and resent hostility and cruely.

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Steps for Success

Steps for Success: Taking Your Business Idea and Making it A Reality
A One Day Workshop: Saturday, January 7, 2012
From: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
With: ArLyne Diamond, Ph.D.

You are invited to participate in a one day workshop for budding entrepreneurs who want to learn how to make their ideas a reality.
Dr. Diamond has over thirty years experience working with individuals and companies helping them develop business plans, road maps, strategy and tactics for their personal and professional growth, in addition to teaching these courses in an MBA program. Please visit her website: www.DiamondAssociates.net and Google: ArLyne Diamond, for more information about her background.
During the one day workshop, participants will:
• Share ideas they have for start-up businesses,
• Promise each other support and non-disclosure,
• Exchange brainstorming ideas for each other’s business ideas,
• Develop the steps necessary to take their idea to the next level,
• Understand types of investments and what they require,
• Create a personalized road map – step by step plans to make it a reality,
• Formulate the basis for an actual business plan, and
• Creatively format their presentation for potential investors.

This workshop will be held in either Sunnyvale or Santa Clara at a site to be determined after we establish the number of participants attending. Attendance will be limited so sign up now. The fee for non-Sole members is $100.00 for the day. TO SIGN UP: ArLyne@DiamondAssociates.net. Or call 408-554-0110.

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Monday, December 12, 2011

Marketing Plans

I think it's important when creating a marketing plan to be consistent. I like seeing logo, colors, fonts, style of wording and everything else that comes out of the organization reflect the mission/vision of that org.

For example, City Lights, is an "edgy" off-off Broadway type theater group in San Jose. Interestingly enough, it is even "off" the main strip of entertainment in the city.

They have a wall - a bright red brick wall - with the name City Lights Theater on it. I'd love to see that same image on their promotional materials, ticket information, and even their playbill.

Marketing - branding - needs to be big bold and consistent.

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Saying NO

Thank you for being you, sensitive to me
Knowing you know how to say NO, or Yes,
Allows me the freedom to ask.


This was a poem I wrote to my Bill.

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Thursday, December 08, 2011

San Jose Stage & City Lights

One of my favorite theater groups is San Jose Stage. We have season tickets. Tonight we saw: "Every Christmas Story Ever Told" with three actor/comedians. They were superb and the play moved quickly with lots of laughter from the audience.

City Lights is also doing a Xmas spoof. This one is Santaland - a spoof on Dept. Store Santas. A young man plays an elf and carries the show.

Both of these "little theater" groups are well worth your purchasing season tickets.

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Tuesday, December 06, 2011

Steps to Success - for Entrepreneurs

Steps for Success: Taking Your Business Idea and Making it A Reality
A One Day Workshop: Saturday, January 7, 2012
From: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
With: ArLyne Diamond, Ph.D.

Sole members are invited to participate in a one day workshop for budding entrepreneurs who want to learn how to make their ideas a reality.
Dr. Diamond has over thirty years experience working with individuals and companies helping them develop business plans, road maps, strategy and tactics for their personal and professional growth. Please visit her website: www.DiamondAssociates.net and Google: ArLyne Diamond, for more information about her background.
In addition to consulting, among the many MBA courses ArLyne teaches at Keller Graduate School of Management is the capstone Business Planning Seminar. During this course, Dr. Diamond helps her students create a business, develop a business plan for it, and make oral presentations to potential investors.
During the one day workshop, participants will:
• Share ideas they have for start-up businesses,
• Promise each other support and non-disclosure,
• Exchange brainstorming ideas for each other’s business ideas,
• Develop the steps necessary to take their idea to the next level,
• Understand types of investments and what they require,
• Learn terminology, such as “bootcamp” “entrepreneurship”, etc.
• Create a personalized road map – step by step plans to make it a reality,
• Formulate the basis for an actual business plan, and
• Creatively format their presentation for potential investors.

This workshop will be held in either Sunnyvale or Santa Clara at a site to be determined after we establish the number of participants attending. There will be no – charge for those participants that are active members of Sole (to be determined by Matt Ogorzalek) and the fee for others will be $100.00 for the day.

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Leading and Managing a Global Workforce

The book is getting some great reviews. Here are some I'd like to share:


1: A wonderful gem of a read, Dr. ArLyne Diamond shares her compelling life experiences and wise insights about leadership, life and business in her work with businesses globally. Written with spirited energy and her signature maverick candour, Dr. Diamond’s anecdotes - drawn from her wealth of knowledge and personal trials and tribulations over decades – are amongst the most fun, personal and memorable that you would find in any business book! - Rebecca Quah, MBA student at Keller Graduate School & Senior Director, CBRE/Asia Client Development.

2: ArLyne Diamond is to be admired for her insight into management and leadership. She has created a comprehensive guide that provides a clear direction on how to lead in the changing Global Economy. For executives this book is required reading. – Stephen Miller, CEO Eclipse Identity Recognition Technologies, Inc.

3: ArLyne brings to the vast sea of management/leadership books a very personal perspective from her many years of consulting and teaching. Avoiding the prescriptive “How to do it”, but rather putting things in an historical and geographic format demonstrates her knowledge of the reality we experience in trying to adapt to the global business world of today. I thoroughly enjoyed relating my own past missteps to ArLyne’s views and recognizing what I can learn and incorporate into my daily management life. – Michael J. Cubbin, President Bay Area Metro, DeVry University.

4: ArLyne Diamond’s book: Leading and Managing a Global Workforce has the rare quality of blending work experience, psychological insight and business know-how. The result is a powerful guide and treatise on how leaders cannot just manage but inspire their workers throughout the world. - Fred Foldvary, Director, Civil Society Institute at Santa Clara University.

5: Leading and managing A Global Workforce is a practical, easy read for anyone in leadership or management. Once again, Dr. ArLyne Diamond gives her audience food for thought in a compelling and unusual manner with timely insights for a rapidly changing global economy. - Dr. Lydia Ortega, Chair and Professor of Economics, Dept. of Economics, San Jose State University.

6: No company nowadays can afford to do business only in their domestic market. The minute a company has a website, they are global! Having grown up in initially in Germany and having lived and worked besides the USA also in the UK, Japan and South Korea, I applaud ArLyne’s capturing of the importance of doing business internationally. Only a true leader understands the importance of respecting and working with other cultures and nationalities. This understanding and global knowhow however is of essence for todays’ global leaders in order to themselves be respected and lead global teams. Well done ArLyne! - EJ Dieterle, President & CEO, YES Partners – Global Executive Search.

7: Intensifying global competition and staff from diverse cultures are driving the need for dynamic workforce management in today’s companies. Managing a global workforce is about managing diversity as cultures can vary from one location to the next with the same company. As such, the leadership must be astute to be able to relate to their employees’ needs in order to maximise their contribution to the organization.

Dr. ArLyne Diamond’s book will prove to be a guiding light for probing mangers who must take the lead to find answers to this ever-evolving subject. In her own words, she summarizes: “Great leaders are confident. If you don’t believe in yourself and your ideas, others will feel your self-doubt and fear following you.” Well said, indeed. - Sritharan Vellasamy, Founder of Outsourcing Magazine, an international publication on global services industry.

In addition, the book will be serialized in Outsourcing Magazine next year (2012)

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Saturday, December 03, 2011

Losing a meritocracy

I love being involved in companies that reward people based on merit. It's good to know that those who excel are noticed and compensated accordingly. Not only does it help those people, it actually acts as a motivator to inspire others to do better.

But, what happens when an organization decides that there is an "unfair" range of payments for what on the surface seems like the same work. They deny the differences between those who are excellent, and create a flat fee for a particular service.

So what does that do? It reduces the motivation to excel for everyone - and in short order takes the organization from splendid to ho hum.

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Friday, December 02, 2011

Writing made easy

Last night I attended "Shut Up and Write" meetup, in Mt. View. Although there were only 5 of us at this event, I found it stimulating. There is something nice about sitting with a group of people all quietly doing the same activity. I had company, yet was free to write alone.

I started a book I have been wanting to write for years. A romance story - a real one - my relationship with Bill.

Instead of using a computer, I chose to start this novel (or maybe novella) on paper with pen in a pretty little journal. I felt that I wanted to get away from my more professional style of writing and had a hunch (which paid off) that reverting back to paper and pen might let the creative juices flow differently from my usual professional style.

I was right. I finished the first chapter and was well into the second one when my hand just plain gave out. I haven't used those writing muscles in a very long time.

I like this idea of a writing group. It adds an interesting and worthwhile dimension.

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Workshop for Budding Entrepreneurs

Steps for Success: Taking Your Business Idea and Making it A Reality
A One Day Workshop: Saturday, January 7, 2012
From: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
With: ArLyne Diamond, Ph.D.

Sole members are invited to participate in a one day workshop for budding entrepreneurs who want to learn how to make their ideas a reality.
Dr. Diamond has over thirty years experience working with individuals and companies helping them develop business plans, road maps, strategy and tactics for their personal and professional growth. Please visit her website: www.DiamondAssociates.net and Google: ArLyne Diamond, for more information about her background.
In addition to consulting, among the many MBA courses ArLyne teaches at Keller Graduate School of Management is the capstone Business Planning Seminar. During this course, Dr. Diamond helps her students create a business, develop a business plan for it, and make oral presentations to potential investors.
During the one day workshop, participants will:
• Share ideas they have for start-up businesses,
• Promise each other support and non-disclosure,
• Exchange brainstorming ideas for each other’s business ideas,
• Develop the steps necessary to take their idea to the next level,
• Understand types of investments and what they require,
• Learn terminology, such as “bootcamp” “entrepreneurship”, etc.
• Create a personalized road map – step by step plans to make it a reality,
• Formulate the basis for an actual business plan, and
• Creatively format their presentation for potential investors.

This workshop will be held in either Sunnyvale or Santa Clara at a site to be determined after we establish the number of participants attending. There will be no – charge for those participants that are active members of Sole (to be determined by Matt Ogorzalek) and the fee for others will be $100.00 for the day.

Contact me: ArLyne@DiamondAssociates.net for further details and to enroll.

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