I finished setting up the new Links Assistant page. After a couple of years the original program I had was not really functioning well, and I must admit I hardly ever updated the links in the last six months, so I thought it was time for a change. The new Links Assistant is powered by PHP Link Directory. Overall it works a lot better than the old script, but like any other links script, it has its own particular quirks.

Feel free to submit your own links, but note I will not publish all links. I mostly use Links Assistant as a backup repository of sites I need to reference only once and a while.

The NewsHour last night covered the topic of free trade and how the 2006 election results tie in with how most Americans feel about international trade deals in general. Now frankly, I love how every time the media wants to talk about politics, they mention Iowa voters. It is almost trendy now to associate political debates with states like Iowa and Missouri. However, in the case of trade, NewsHour had it right. People here in Iowa, in general, do not like free trade. They see it as hurting their jobs and leading to anxiety over how their children will prosper in a diverse world economy. Speaking as someone who lost his job this last Spring and who had to hunt down a new job, I can tell you that it is not just the poor that have this notion that international trade is bad for their own individual economies, but the middle class who is deeply concerned about the economic situation. The continuing trends of rising healthcare costs, job insecurity, and minimized educational opportunities are causing the middle class to panic. We pay more in insurance premiums, prescription drugs, student loans, while at the same time working more dynamic and less secure jobs. Tax cuts do nothing to minimize these stresses, in fact they make the situation worse. As government removes more social programs and raises interest rates, the middle class sees how bad the poor are doing, and know that they are exactly three paychecks away from becoming poor themselves. It is in this climate that politicians who talk about NAFTA and other such international trade deals, will find little support for such policies.

Perhaps we as a nation have brought this economic stress upon ourselves by not saving enough, by choosing to use our homes as barter for taking on more debt, and by being more interested in individual excesses, but the reality is that the middle class does not see free trade as fair trade any longer. Politicians will have to learn to speak about trade in a more convincing manner. But if people continue to see climbing credit card interest rates, higher student loan rates, and rising prescription costs, I doubt middle class voters will be willing to listen to any debate on free trade.

Yesterday, I happen to be at my local Target store and realized that the Sony Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii were debuting. Is it just me or does anyone else find it strange that gamers give up the comfort of their own homes and erect shanty towns around BestBuy, Target, and Wal-Mart stores? Only in a consumer oriented society do people willingly become shanty people.

I seem to remember a time when I was young and thought I could do anything. When work was fun and I stayed at the office for countless hours and thought that hard work and dedication is all you needed to be successful. I was never more wrong, but hey, it happens. One of the naive notions I had was that if your technical, (that’s work jargon for saying you are smart at what you do), that would be enough to make you a great manager. In truth being a great manager is incredibly hard to achieve, and it takes some time to even become a somewhat good manager. Brilliance does not necessarily equal greatness. Managers do many things, and while technical skills are always a plus, if you ever want to be successful in your career, you have to constantly improve others and yourself in the process.

Lesson 1: Utilize Your People

It does not matter how smart you are, what matters is that you can motivate your people to work together. This means you need to know who your people are, what they can do, what they can’t do, and what they would like to do? Find out exactly who your team is, then give them the resources to be successful. If they run into obstacles its your job to get those annoyances out of their way. Remember, good managers are successful because the people that work under them produce, so ask your people how they can work better and then let them show you.

Lesson 2: Improve Yourself

Any business seminar will tell you that improving yourself is the best thing you can do to improve your company. Companies invest in people who invest in themselves. It is not what your company can do for you, it is what you can do for the company, and the only way to be innovative and progressive at work is for you to use all your available resources to learn more. This means taking extra classes, reading more about everything (not just your own field of work), and learning to be a better listener. You will find that by trying to be a better person, you also become a better manager.

Lesson 3: Seek Out Wisdom

Regardless of how the digital lifestyle has changed our work environment, we still live in a society and not in a cubicle alone with our computers. Now more than ever, it is important that you surround yourself with good people. To be a better manager, you need to work with great managers. Learning from others is something which we all do, so make sure that you pick up on the good advice from your peers.

Lesson 4: Accept Criticism

Everyone hates filling out surveys, but surveys are essential to business. They tell you a lot about the perceptions that people have about a business. In essence surveys are a form of feedback and criticism. As a manager you need to be open to criticism and evaluation from everyone. Without any feedback, how will you know what areas to improve on? No one becomes the perfect manager overnight. Good management skills are something you work on every day.