“Success always comes when preparation meets opportunity”--Henry Hartman

I have an acquaintance that works in the news business.  He recently bemoaned how lazy most reporters have become in the current age of instant information and in a world where political parties, special interest groups and others send them a generous dose of “talking points” daily.  “Most don’t spend time doing the hard work of investigative reporting anymore,” he said.  “They don’t search for the facts themselves. They have become lazy.”

Like many of you, I was surprised to see Yahoo’s recent announcement that employees will no longer be allowed to work from home.  The responses in the media have been predictably varied and, at times, harsh.  Yahoo’s rationale, at least the explanation I have seen, is that collaboration and innovation work better when people are physically together.  Fair enough, although one could make the argument that everyone doesn’t need to be together all of the time. That, however, is another discussion entirely.

Social media, online marketing guru and former colleague of mine Paul Gillin wailed recently on CIOs who have not picked up the social media gauntlet. The post was aptly entitled "As business goes social, CIOs sit on sidelines." Indeed, socially-sidelined CIOs would seem to confirm our poll from a few weeks ago asking if CIOs are reserved or engaging.

The simple act of dressing a salad demands chefs bend the laws of chemistry. They have to coax two substances that barely get along, oil and vinegar, to blend harmoniously. The only way to get them to play nicely is to apply vigorous agitation, and even then the ingredients separate the minute external energy is removed.