Who Hires the Staff?

The nonprofit board is responsible for hiring the senior professional. From there a great team develops.

As an example, the hiring responsibilities of the parochial school board are limited to hiring the principal. If the board feels it is necessary to hire any of the teachers or other key staff member, it is time to ask, "Do we have the right principal?" The role of the board is to act as a sounding board and ask the right questions to help the principal make the best possible decision.

Wanting to hire key staff members is symptomatic of one of two board problems:

The board is micromanaging the organization

The executive was hired before he or she was ready to handle all of the responsibilities of the job

Every board wants a great team. That is the "good heart" behind the attempt to micromanage the process. However, it undercuts the senior leader. It tells the staff that the board lacks full confidence in the ability of the leader. It sends a mixed signal to the new hire (We hired you. You report to the leader. We have ultimate control.). It opens the door for any staff member to go over the head of the leader.

If the leader lacks the experience or has a demonstrated lack of skill hiring staff, it is time to help him or her by providing additional coaching or training. If after coaching and training, the leader still lacks the necessary skills it is time for the board to admit it made a hiring error and find a new leader.

If the board has great hiring and recruiting skills, it will hire a great leader who can assemble a great team. If the board lacks the skills necessary to hire a great leader, it is compounding the problem by attempting to hire the leader's subordinates.

Remembering that boards monitor activity and set policy to enable the plans to succeed, how can the board ensure the key staff members are great choices without micromanaging? The simple answer is, "Ask the right questions."

Of course, before the questions can be asked, the board needs to write a policy that says the leader must review his or her choices with the board or a committee of the board, before the job offer is made. This establishes the parameters for monitoring the hiring process.

Some sample questions the board committee might ask are:

What are the top three weaknesses of this candidate? (Now we know the hiring process is objective.)

What does the professional development plan look like for the candidate and what will it cost to implement the plan? (Now we know there is a plan to overcome the weaknesses of the candidate and help ensure they will be successful over the long run.)

Why will this candidate be better for the clients than the others you interviewed? (Again, the decision is being made objectively and with the best interests of the mission in mind.)

We have a wonderful portfolio of talent. Why are you confident this candidate will improve the average of our portfolio? (Now we know the hiring process will raise the level of excellence in the agency. Related articles are "Get the Right Board Members" and "New Teachers Are Coming".)

The preceding questions ensure the leader is being objective (weaknesses explored), is looking to the future (professional development plan), is thinking about the clients and mission and being selective, and is focused on excellence (improving the portfolio of skills).

Next Step:

Remind the board that hiring staff is the leader's job

Determine if the leader needs additional training in interviewing and selecting candidates

Help the board develop the right questions to audit the leader's decision if the board needs reassurance that good decisions are being made

Give the leader the benefit of the doubt when staff hiring decisions are being made

Low staff retention rates are a barrier to sustainability. Staff retention is higher when the leader is able to select and develop the team. Sustainability also improves when the staff is hired with the intention of improving the level of excellence (hiring above the average of the staff portfolio). The focus on excellence also challenges the current staff to be constantly improving. This of course requires the board to be committed to investing in the professional development of the staff.

Are you letting your leader manage your talent portfolio or is the board trying to manage the talent portfolio?

Fantastic Facts About South Korea's Sports

Did You Know...

South Korea -one of the most modern countries in the Third World- is very successful in international sport. From 1976 to 2004, Korea has won 203 Olympic medals, including 72 golds. It has more gold medals than Cuba, Venezuela, Portugal and Nigeria combined.

The team from South Korea won the gold medal in the 4th World Junior Men`s volleyball Championship held in Manama (Bahrain) in 1987. Suk-Eun Kim, best player of the tournament, helped his team towards first position, the best result ever for an Asian country since 1981.

Seoul -the capital city of Korea- has hosted several international sports events including:

-The X Asian Games

-The VIII World Basketball Championship

-The XXIV Olympic Games

Like Jorge Antonio Bell Mathey (Dominican Republic) and Oswaldo Jose Guillen Barrios (Venezuela) , Dong Won Choi was one of the best baseball players in the 1980s. Under his creative leadership, Korea won the silver medal at the 1980 World Championship in Japan.

Un Yong Kim -former Korean politician and diplomat- received the 2000 Sports Grand Prix of the Korea Sports Press Union, in recognition of his contribution for the historic joint parade of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and South Korea on Olympic teams during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Sydney. This great man of Korean sport has been honored several times in recognition of his efforts to national and regional sports movement.

South Korea won the second Olympic title of its history in women`s handball in Barcelona'92 (the first one was in Seoul'88). It defeated teams such as Austria, Spain, Germany and Norway. The team also won the gold medal at the 1995 World Cup. In 1998, Korea won the gold medal at the Asian Games in Thailand.

The Korean baseball players were participants in the second Olympic tournament in Atlanta (Georgia,USA).

This Asian country is well-known for its sportswomen in the world. Among these athletes are Kim Jin Ho (archery), Jang Ji-Won (taekwondo), Kim Hyun OK (handball), Lee Bo-Na (shooting), Lee Eun-Sil (table tennis), Jang Mi Nam (weightlifting), Jin Sun-Yu (skating), Seok Eun-Mi (table tennis), Byun Chun-So (skating), Kim Hyung Mee (handball), Hyun Tung-Hwa (table tennis), Suh Kwang-Mi ( field hockey), Jang Young-Ja (table tennis), Sun-Hee Lee (taekwondo), Se Ri Pak (golf), Cho-Hyun Kang (shooting), Kim Soo Nyung (archery), Kim Hwa Soon (basketball), Lee Eun Kyung (archery), Bang Soo Hyun (badminton) and Hyun Sook Hee (taekwondo).

Yoo Nam-Kyu won a gold medal in men`s table tennis singles at the Olympics in Seoul.

The 1st World Youth Women`s Volleyball Championship was won by South Korea in a final against the People`s Republic of China.

Jae-Wang Kang was one of the best handball players in the 20th century. Under his exceptional play, South Korea won the silver medal in handball in the Olympics in 1988.

South Korea has won a gold medal in men´s basketball three times at the Asian Games (1970, 1982 and 2002).

The Peruvian women`s volleyball team was coached by Man Bok Park, who was born in South Korea. Immediately after Peruvian women`s team failed to qualify for the Olympic Games in 1972, the Peruvian Volleyball Federation appointed Man Bok Park as head coach of the senior national team. Man Bok Park said: " In four years time I intend to make Peru one of the top six in the world". In just a few months the Peruvian national team changed. He was expecting dedication and a banishment from their vocabulary of the word "vacation". He won the gold medal at the 1993 South American Championship, the silver medal at the 1982 World Championship, the silver medal at the 1986 Goodwill Games, the silver medal at the 1988 Olympics, the bronze medal at the 1986 World Championship and the bronze medal at the 1991 Pan American Games.

The Republic of Korea hosted the 27th Baseball World Cup in 1982. The Korean team beat Japan to clinch the first place. This was the first time in which a country other than Venezuela, Colombia or Puerto Rico had won the World Championship.

Yang Jung-Mo won the Olympic gold medal for freestyle wrestling at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, Canada. However, he lost the chance to defend his title when South Korea boycotted the Olympics in 1980 in the USSR.

The 2003 World University Games took place in Daeju, Republic of Korea.

Korea -one of the world`s poorest countries in the 1950s- competed at the Asian Games for the first time at the 1954 Asian Games in Manila, Philippines.

The Republic of Korea sent 9 sportswomen to the Winter Olympic Games in Lillehammer (Norway) in 1994.

Kim Hwa Soon is the best basketball player in the history of Korea. In 1984, she finally realized her dream of competing in the Olympic Games, helping the Korean team win a silver medal at the Los Angeles Games.

In the 1980s, Korea had famous volleyball players in Asia. They were Jang Suk Han, Jong-Il Yoon, Hee-Kyung Gae and Byung-Sun Lee.

Korean sportspeople have performed excellent in international events in sports such as archery, badminton, baseball, basketball, boxing , kayak, cycling, equestrian, football, golf, gymnastics, handball, fencing, field hockey, judo, karate, shooting, softball, synchronized swimming, table tennis, volleyball, beach volleyball, weightlifting and wrestling.

Yeo Woon-Kon was a member of the Korean team which won the field hockey tournament at the 2002 Asian Games. He also won the silver medal at the Olympics in Sydney.

The Korean youth team won the Asian Cup football in 1981 and qualified for the FIFA World Youth Cup in Sydney, Australia.

Business Center in Angeles City, Philippines

Angeles City is popular for getting the largest nightlife scene inside the Philippines. Nightlife centers about the Balibago district, where the neon-lit Fields Avenue reputedly has the world's largest concentration of go-go bars. Other tourist attractions in Angeles City incorporate the Clark Freeport Zone, Salakot Arch, Bayanihan Park, Kapampangan Museum, Expo Pilipino, Apu Chapel, Mount Pinatubo, Lilly Hill, Juan D. Nepomuceno Center for Kapampangan Research, Bale Herencia, Museo ning Angeles, Holy Family Academy Constructing, Holy Rosary Church, the Old Pamintuan Residence and Fort Stotsenburg.

The ABC Boutique Hotel is a five-star hotel boasting some of Angeles City's most luxurious accommodations. Located 50 minutes from the beach, the hotel has developed a miniature pool/beach replete with native plants such as coconut trees and palm trees. The pool location has imported sand and cabanas for relaxation. The hotel also gives a fitness center, sauna, spa, poolside bar, currency exchange and an international restaurant. All rooms deliver a mini bar, safe, cable tv, coffee maker, air conditioning, wireless Internet, computer desks and 24-hour room service. Located 20 minutes from the city's main tourist attractions, the hotel delivers tour and tourist information and facts.

The Clark Air Base was originally founded as Fort Stotsenburg by the U.S. Army within the district of Sapang Bato in 1903. A portion of Fort Stotsenburg was separated in 1919 to be made use of as an airbase and named Clark Field. Because of the eruption of Mount Pinatubo, the U.S. States had to give up Clark Air Base and it was transferred to the Philippine government.

Santo Rosario Church is among the most well-known tourist spots of Angeles City and was built in the course of the Spanish period, when the colonizers introduced a type of slavery. A legend tells that a great deal of native people that where convicted of rebellion found a cruel death and had been buried within the grounds of the church. Bale Mutua, situated inside the district of Santo Rosario, was built by the major of San Fernando Don Angel Pantaleon de Miranda inside the 1800s. Right now it can be the oldest home in Angeles City and exhibiting for its visitors precious artefacts of former times.

Clark Air Base was a former U.S. Air Force base on one of the three principal islands in the Philippines - Luzon and is now referred to as the Clark Unique Economic Zone. It is near the city of Angeles within the province of Pampanga and about 40 miles (60 km) northwest of Manila. Clark Air Base was arguably one of the most urbanized military facility in history, and was the largest American base overseas. The base was converted into a unique economic zone immediately after the American military left the Philippines in 1992. Clark Air Base was an American military facility from 1903 to 1991. The base covered 14.three square miles (37 km²) having a military reservation extending north that covered yet another 230 square miles (596 km²). At its peak about 1990, it had a permanent population of 15,000. The base was a stronghold of American forces throughout the finish of World War II, and until 1975, it was a backbone of logistical support in the course of the Vietnam War.

What to Do When Your Alarm Clock Doesn't Wake You Up

Tring - Tring the alarm rings...but did you fail to wake up? You have a crucial meeting tomorrow. The last thing you do while sleeping is to set the timing s of your alarm clock, retaining full confidence in yourself of not making the blunder of getting late this time. But what happens? The alarm bell rings and falls on deaf ears. The time you realize that the dawn has broken, it's too late. Here are some nitty - gritty that should be followed in a terrible situation like this.

· The first thing that you should do in such a case is not to lose your temper and composure. In other words do not panic.

· Don't start investigating and cursing your alarm clock. You will have ample time to examine and scrutinize it later.

· Try and speed up the work as possible. Like take a quick shower and just forget the morning newspaper.

· Don't start messing up your wardrobe for clothes. A little patience will help you find the right and perfect dress in few seconds.

· If your clothes are not ironed, iron them. Do not compromise on wearing ironed clothes. Crushed clothes never leave a straight and perfect impression.

· Your attire matters a lot for every work you go. So from your flattened shirt to polished shoes everything should be in an ideal manner. The other people must not be able to conjecture your folly.

· After you dress up, warily keep your official documents. Make sure you have kept everything that you require for the day's meeting.

· You can skip your breakfast or the other thing you can carry some eatable in your bag. This you can eat while driving or in the bus. It is better to take something from home if available rather than spending money outside.

· Your hurry should not let you forget to lock your house. It is never too late to secure your house.

· Hasten up and reach to your car. But remember to check the fuel. This saves from the snag of stopping of your vehicle in the middle and often at a place where petrol pumps are unavailable. If the fuel needle points to nil make sure that you get it refilled from the first petrol pump you encounter.

· After all the hurly burly when you arrive at your office don't just start screaming at your staff. For others are not aimed to pay for your unpleasant morning. Don't get agitated. Be calm and amiable to the rest of the people. Make an effort to depart yourself from the morning blues.

· Last but not the least work in an unruffled and poised manner. Bear in mind that a day not well begun does not entail a day ending in worse.

Finally, one should learn from such slip-ups. Check your alarm clock whether it is functioning accurately or not. If it is then the entire gaffe is on your part. From next time make sure that you arrange and organize your essentials (your ironed outfit, papers etc.) beforehand. Sleep on time so that you do not fail to listen to the alarm bell. Keep in mind that you might have got spared from your boss for reaching late once but not always. So be cautious for safety is always better than the cure.

Stopping Burglars With the Power of the Mind

If you have spent any time watching Planet Earth or any of the other nature-related Discovery channel program that studies animals in nature you will find that many of their defenses are more of a psychological advantage than anything else, trying to look bigger than the attacker. The same can hold true when you are a human defending yourself against an intruder.

Home security systems aren't perfect. Truth be told, they're one piece of your protective puzzle. If you want to really keep burglars at bay, there are some psychological tricks you can use to complement the system. Here are a few:

Home security signs. Whether or not you actually have a system installed, signs or stickers that say you do can act as a deterrent to burglars. Some burglars just won't even attempt to enter a home that they believe has a home security system. They'll move on to the next house, not wanting to take the risk. Motion sensitive driveway lights. Burglars don't like to operate in the light. As a matter of fact, a well-lit yard, driveway, and entryways can act as a major deterrent to burglars. Motion-sensitive lights let you keep away burglars without having to leave a light going all night long, or use the electricity to do so. Today's motion-sensitive lights are also built so as to not be set off by small animals, such as a wandering alley cat. Fake animals. Burglars are also concerned with who or what might be inside the house. Putting a dog bowl on the porch, for example, can make them think that a vicious guard dog awaits them inside. A big bowl is good, but even a smaller one can do the trick. Burglars don't want to draw attention, and a yelping small dog will do that as much as a barking Doberman. Fake residents. Likewise, a burglar is more likely to enter a home if he believes he can easily overcome the resident. A single woman, for example, might consider buying a pair of size 15 men's work boots from a second-hand store, just to make burglars think that a big, burly man lives in the home. Giant Shoes. If you go to any thrift store, you are likely to find a big pair of worn-in shoes that, when placed on the front porch, will have the psychological effect of making whatever potential home intruder who is scoping out your house think twice when approaching.

Don't simply install your home security system and hope for the best. These other measures will give you an added layer of security you can't get with a home security system by itself.

Top Tips For Finding Private Hire Taxi Insurance

If you're thinking of running a taxi service of any type, there are a few things that you will need to take into consideration. The first thing of course, is the actual cost of the cab. This can range from a few thousand Euros to around fifty-thousand depending on the type of vehicle you choose to purchase. It will become even more expensive if you choose to purchase an entire fleet of vehicles.

On top of that you will need to deal with maintenance costs, and you may find that you need to do full blown repairs either because of an unhappy client or an irresponsible driver. The second should not happen often, but we will discuss your hiring practices at a later time. At the moment, we will discuss what you can do in the event your cabs become damaged.

Naturally, you are going to need some form of insurance, and if you are a private hire company, you will need a special form of cover. There are quite a few benefits to buying your insurance, and they are the following:

-Repairs are Covered: You won't have to deal with expensive repairs, though you may need to cover a bit of the cost. This is definitely acceptable when you consider the alternative! The taxi service can become expensive, especially when you are dealing with private hire. Don't let it become more expensive than it has to be!

-Replacements? No Problem!: When running a taxi service you will inevitably find that your vehicles suffer damage, and in the end they may actually need replacing. This can be a serious problem, especially if you were using top of the line cabs. With that being the case, you need to have a form of private hire taxi insurance that is more than capable of replacing those cabs when the need arises.

-Assaults: These will happen at some point or another, and you want to make sure your vehicle is covered when someone rushes it with a baseball bat. While you will most definitely want to press charges in this instance, you will also want to make sure the damage is actually repaired. With that in mind, now would be a great time to seek out private hire taxi insurance.

As you can see, there are plenty of reasons for you to purchase insurance. It's going to be expensive of course, but that doesn't mean you should ignore your responsibility as a fleet owner. On a brighter note, there are several insurance companies that will actually provide you a discount for owning a fleet and insuring multiple drivers. That being said, now would be a great time for you to look into the different types of insurance For your fleet. You might be surprised at the plans you can find and the discounts that you can obtain if you just look hard enough! Your cab and the drivers that work for you are extremely important, make sure you treat them as such!

High Plains Redemption is Exciting Addition to Series!

"In a spine-jolting crunch that flattened me against the steering wheel, the Mercury slid under them and their car came down on my hood, leaving my horn blaring and my engine roaring...I spun around in the seat, used both feet to push open the door, moved fast...and started forward with my pistol in my hand." (p. 137)

Like Fast-paced? Like strong female PI's?

Meet.... Baby Shark!

I came in on the "third act" of Baby Shark, in High Plains Redemption, but I'll be going back to pick up the first two books...and continue on with this hot series by Robert Fate! Baby Shark reminds me of Geena Davis in my all-time favorite action movie, The Long Kiss Goodnight! If you loved Geena in some of her outrageous acts in that movie, then you'll certainly want to meet Baby Shark:

She can take it:

"He grabbed me by my hair and pulled me around so hard I thought my neck would snap. He jammed a hand between my thighs, picked me up by my crotch and the hair of my head, swooped me up shoulder high-and then I was falling..." (p. 130)

And she can dish it out:

"I moved instantly, swinging my hands out as I fell forward, chopping my blades into their necks as if I were striking cymbals. The first cuts were to the bone, but I slashed up and pressed in, doing even more injury as I withdrew, leaving their neck wounds open wide and their heads nearly detached from their bodies." (p. 251)

High Plains Redemption takes Kristin Van Dijk, aka Baby Shark and partner, Otis Millett into bootlegging country and two warring mountain clans, as they are hired to find and return Savannah, daughter of one of the clan leaders-hired, but not by her own family!

Baby Shark is as confused as everybody else as they try to determine exactly what is happening and who is leaving the trail of bodies behind as Savannah is located and then lost again. Baby Shark knows only one thing-she must protect Savannah! No matter what or who gets in the way.

Unfortunately, that could actually be her lover, Lee, who happens to be a law officer who expects her to follow all the legal rules that he does in protecting the innocent! It is a constant struggle, for Baby Shark knows, "we work on the edge of the law, and...it gets blurry out there were Otis and I deal with things." (p. 198) And Baby Shark just doesn't think she can trust Lee...

Admit it, readers! This sounds like that exciting novel into which you want to escape this weekend! Well, you'll be right! This book is highly recommended for lovers of action thrillers!

So, excuse me, now...I'm going back to start reading: Baby Shark-first book in what I expect will be Robert Fate's fantastic series! You might want to start at the beginning... but, no problem, High Plains Redemption stands alone as a great addition, so wherever you meet her, I think you'll thoroughly enjoy Baby Shark!

An Overview of Bankruptcy Lawyers

Bankruptcy laws are very complicated and it is nearly impossible for any average person to understand them that is why it is essential to hire a bankruptcy lawyer. The bankruptcy laws become more complicated after some amendments that have been made by the court recently. A good lawyer can help you a lot in choosing an accurate chapter of bankruptcy for you.

The bankruptcy lawyers specialize in the rules and laws which are related to the bankruptcy. However, it is also important to know that not every lawyer is experienced in the particular laws of the state. That is why it is highly advised to hire a local lawyer who has some good information about different laws of bankruptcy of your state. The laws of one state can be different from the other. So, before choosing a lawyer make sure that he/she has enough experience of working in your state.

Actually filing bankruptcy is a life changing experience for everyone and lots of emotions are attached to it. Therefore, you want to hire a person who understands your feelings and who also understands that from which phase you are going through. A good and experienced lawyer will exactly know how to handle any kind of fears or concerns of his/her clients.

Your budget is a key element, when filing your bankruptcy. It is very essential to have a perfect understanding of your budget. Generally these lawyers charge pretty high fee for their services. A client is responsible to pay for the actual bankruptcy and these costs depend on the different kind of bankruptcies.

For example the chapter 7 bankruptcy runs around the $350. Then, a lawyer will charge more or less $1000 to $2500. If the fee of the lawyer is too high for you then try to find any other lawyer. But also keep it in your mind that these legal services have some charges and it will be good for you to pay a bit more for a trustworthy and an excellent lawyer.

Choosing a reputable lawyer is very crucial for the results and outcome of your case. No one wants to choose a lawyer randomly and we all know that blindly choosing a lawyer could have some really negative impacts on the final outcome of the case. When picking a lawyer, ask your friends, family and colleagues for the recommendations.

Do not pick any bankruptcy lawyer randomly or at the last minute. Perform some advance research and planning before making any final decision. It is extremely important that you work with a lawyer who dedicated his/her self in this particular field of bankruptcy. If you hire a good lawyer then he or she will make the overall process simpler and easier.

Willa Cather's O Pioneer

A common theme throughout American Literature is that strong women characters end up either dead or being punished and Willa Cather is able to break that mold in her novel O Pioneers!. Willa Cather was aware of how women are being viewed in society and portrayed within the popular texts of the time. In the introduction to O Pioneers! true womanhood is described by Barbara Welters as "purity, piety, submissiveness and domesticity" and this was common conception throughout society. (Cather, xii) Alexandra is a character who seemingly defies those stereotypes and Willa Cather uses her as a model for what a woman could become.

The passage I chose from O Pioneers! is right near the beginning of the novel on page ten and that point is the reader's first introduction with Alexandra. Nearly every characteristic used by Cather to describe Alexandra is masculine and has striking comparisons to her male counterpart. The first sentence introduces Alexandra as "tall", "strong", and walking "rapidly". (Cather, 10) These are all generally traits that men have yet Willa Cather makes a point to immediately associate Alexandra with them. This is an attempt by Willa Cather to create a character that she can manifest her own egalitarian beliefs. The male comparisons extend beyond Alexandra's physical characteristics of but to her everyday attire.

Cather describes Alexandra by saying "She wore a man's long ulster (not as if it were an affliction, but as if it were very comfortable and belonged to her; carried it like a young solder)". (Cather, 10) In that day a Woman would never choose to wear an ulster on their personal accord. Willa Cather made it clear that it was Alexandra's choice by saying it was no "affliction" and that she was "comfortable" in it despite the lack of femininity a baggy woolen coat would provide.