Word Of the Week #560: Opinions
April 29, 2015 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word Of the Week #560: Opinions
Opinions: judgments or beliefs not founded on certainty or proof.
Have you ever wondered how people’s opinions are formed? How can we make a judgment not founded on proof? Did you know that people make assessments in 10 seconds based on a first impression?
Washington Post writer Jena McGregor’s article, “GOOGLE HR MAN AND AUTHOR BOCK HAS IT ALL WORKED OUT” inspired this week’s WOW. She writes, “Laszlo Bock runs ‘people operations’ at Google, an apt title for a human resources department that seems far more like a data-driven lab than a mere home for HR administrivia. Only one-third of the people he hires for the department have a traditional HR background. The rest are strategy consultants or hold advanced degrees in subjects such as organizational psychology and physics.
Since joining Mountain View-based Google in 2006, Bock and his team have examined questions such as: 
What’s the ideal number of interviewers to assess job candidates? And, how does the size of the plates in Google’s famous cafeterias affect employees’ eating habits? His upcoming book “Work Rules,” shares many of those findings.
When asked what led him to write the book, Bock says, “I’ve always been a little frustrated and disappointed not only in myself as a leader, but also in how leadership and management work. We spend more time working than we do with our loved ones, than with our kids, than sleeping. With a little science and comparing notes with other organizations and testing at Google, we’ve been able to figure out ways to make work better. The hope is that through the book we can make work better everywhere.
When asked what’s the biggest mistake managers make when it comes to conducting interviews he says, “Relying on their own opinion. We all think we’re amazing at assessing character and candidates, but the research shows that we make an assessment in 10 seconds, based on a first impression. The rest of the time is spent trying to confirm that, even though we don’t know that’s what our brains are doing.
The best thing you can do to fix it is to have a bunch of people (we say four) interview every candidate. Make sure it’s not just the manager but people who are going to work for, and around, this person. Have every person assign a score, average that score, and make your decision based on that. Everybody has some level of error in their assessment. Some people are a little soft on candidates, some are a little hard on them, some are biased one way, some are biased another.
The second thing you should do is only hire people who are better than you in some way. Unless you walk away thinking, “That person is better than me at organizing things, or running a process, or solving a problem, or selling to customers,” you shouldn’t hire that person.
This week’s focus is on opinions. Are you open to hearing other people’s opinions? Have you ever had more than one person conduct interviews? Is the staff ever involved in hiring co-workers? What could be done to make your workplace better?
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FUN-travel: Wine Tasting – Sutter Creek to Plymouth – Day 2
April 28, 2015 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Wine Tasting – Sutter Creek to Plymouth – Day 2
2nd stop Sutter Creek – we needed to fuel up on a good lunch. As we drove down Main Street I spotted Hotel Sutter and just knew it was “the place.” My California burger was cooked a perfect med-rare topped with bacon, avocado and pepper jack and a side of garlic fries. Heaven! (I don’t eat that much meat so when I do it has to be really good) The entree beet & kale salad was bursting with flavors from the combination of shaved brussel sprouts, oranges, toasted almonds, and pomegranate seeds; drizzled with white balsamic vinaigrette. Nice selection of wines by the glass and draft beers. The Runquist 1448 blend at $25 a bottle was a good choice. (The name refers to the elevation where it’s grown)
Hotel Sutter
3rd stop Plymouth – located in Amador County, which is the heart of the Sierra Foothills, they boast over 40 wineries. Two that were recommended were Runquist and Renwood. Since our tasting time was limited we started at Renwood and then discovered Turley was just across the street from Runquist. We’ve been drinking Turley wines since we discovered them in Paso Robles back in 2007. They don’t offer a typical wine club with discounts. I had to wait several years before being allowed to order their new releases. Our Amador favorite was Runquist hands down. We joined their wine club and got 15% off of our mixed case of Barbera, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Pinot Noir, and the 1448 red blend.
Sutter Creek
- We stayed here specifically to have dinner at Taste. It has been named as one of the Top 100 Wine Restaurants in America by Wine Enthusiast magazine. I read that this was “one of the best meals ever” but that was not our experience. We started with their signature Mushroom Cigar appetizer – crimini, shiitake, oyster mushrooms, fresh herbs and goat cheese wrapped in phyllo – followed by the roasted beet salad, and for the entrée Roasted Halibut. Maybe we had too much FUN wine tasting but it just didn’t taste “off the charts” fabulous as we had expected. I did like the local red wine flight priced at $14 and the service was exceptional.
- The top rated TA hotel was the Shenandoah Inn. While the outside looked like any other non-descript motel, the rooms were large, clean, and had been nicely remodeled. The staff and manager went out of their way to make us feel welcome and accommodate our needs. FYI – Taste is opening a 17 room boutique hotel called Rest at the end of the year. And probably a whole lot more money too!
FUN-fact – Sutter Creek, known as the “Jewel of the Mother Lode,” was named after John Sutter, who sent a party to the area in 1846 in search of timber. Sutter’s discovery of gold at nearby Coloma in January 1848 triggered the California Gold Rush.
More FF – When you buy local wines in the restaurants they don’t gouge you by more than doubling the price.
FUN-travel: Wine Tasting – Modesto to Sutter Creek – Day 2
April 25, 2015 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Wine Tasting – Modesto to Sutter Creek – Day 2
1st stop Lodi – to pick up our wine club orders at Oak Ridge and Klinker Brick. Oak Ridge is Lodi’s oldest operating winery and has some incredibly good wines and even better prices! We are members of their VIP club – 2-3 select bottles each month – cost $25 – 35% tasting room discount. March’s special deal was Pinot Noir at an additional 5% off. That was a no brainer, we got a case. What makes it even better is they have 8 different varietals for a total of 48 different labels that include whites, reds, blends, champagne, sherry, and port. This is by far one of the best wine clubs we have joined! Their Moss Roxx is off the charts! We love the smoky richness. We had it at a restaurant in San Diego and that is what brought us here.
- Klinker Brick is much smaller, offering only zinfandel and syrah wines. Their tasting room is fairly big and has lots of FUN items for sale including a large selection of jewelry. This week’s special was too good to pass up – free pair of earrings with each necklace purchased. I found a great chunky amethyst one.
- As we headed off, we started doing the math on the Oak Ridge pricing, and turned around to get another case. That saved us $25 in shipping and as we say, “You can’t drink the shipping charge.”
FUN-fact – Lodi is the “Zin Capitol of the World” producing a whopping 35%. More grapes are grown in Lodi (100,000 acres) than in all of Napa (45,000 acres). They are known for their Zinfandels and Syrahs which are intense in color and concentration of flavors. And YUMMY might I add!
FUN-travel: 1st 2015 Road Trip – Modesto & OOC Concert – Day 1
April 24, 2015 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: 1st 2015 Road Trip – Modesto & OOC Concert – Day 1
- We started our first road trip of 2015 headed to Modesto to see our “grand boys” and their band, OOC – Out of Control, perform at the Gallo Center for the Arts. Before the concert we cheered Kelly (mom) on near the finish line of her half marathon. I really admire anyone who has the nerve to do that. (I only run if someone is chasing me!)
- Then we loaded up with a great breakfast at My Garden Café. Protein, fat and carbs served up on over sized plates; cooked to order perfectly. And just what I needed after watching a morning marathon!
- By 12:30 we were all settled into our plush seats awaiting OOC, who were the 2nd act. There was no question that the band had improved greatly since the last time we saw them at practice in September 2014. Colin is quite the showman and already exhibits “rock star qualities” as he gets down with his guitar and belts out songs. Patrick has a more “laid back” style as he strums his electric ukulele. Both brothers had lead male vocals.
- And check out the all girl band that followed them on stage. Just too cute! http://youtu.be/jPBCPbjv3zo
- Katherine’s not into music right now (and totally into basketball) but she did make the local paper. She was competing in the Girl Scout Pinewood Derby. She didn’t have the fastest car, but it definitely looked the coolest! Check out her A-Team van.
Word Of the Week #559: Addiction
April 23, 2015 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word Of the Week #559: Addiction
Addiction: devotion, strong inclination, or frequent indulgence.
What was your first thought when you saw this word? Would you agree that some words automatically have a negative connotation? Could it be possible to have a positive addiction?
Many words have multiple meanings. Take the word committed for example! In the movie “What The bleep Is Going On?” they say that love is a form of addiction. Now I ask you, is that a bad thing?
Well, it could be if the person you love is harmful to you. And by that I mean if they are abusive, demeaning, belittling, etc. But what if you love someone that actually motivates you to be a better person? Someone who holds themselves in high esteem and as a result of that, holds you in high esteem, and treats you with respect, kindness, adoration, etc. Is that kind of addiction a bad thing?
This word popped into my mind after my last massage with Sandra. I had just written my Habit WOW. She calls me a “touch junkie” and I thought to myself, “Getting my Sandra massage is a habit that I think is a good thing.” And probably close to an addiction since it is a “frequent indulgence.” It is something that makes me feel really good, and since I’m a “touch junkie” I would love to have more frequency!
This week focus on those things in your life that you have an enthusiastic devotion for and love to frequently indulge in. Are they harmful to you or helpful to you? What positive addictions would you like to have?
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