The Coach Has Lost The Team

I was watching ESPN the other day while working out and one of the stories was about the Los Angeles Clippers, who after a start to the season that promised (and showed) great potential, have seemingly taken their rightful seat next to Kobe Bryant and the Lakers as the ‘other’ team in Los Angeles.

No one would argue that the loss of newly signed Chauncey Billups, a proven veteran with skins on the wall, was significant in curtailing the team’s ascension to the NBA elite. Still, they have Blake Griffin, one of the league’s brightest young stars whose aerial assaults on the rim are renowned. And they do have DeAndre Jordan, as athletic a center (at 6’11″, 265) as there is in the league. They also added the much-needed outside shooting of Mo Williams, who only a few years ago teamed up with Lebron James in Cleveland to lead what was before and has been since a mostly moribund franchise to the NBA Finals. And for toughness and the dirty work that doesn’t always show up on the stat sheet, I present to you the salty veteran Kenyon Martin. Oh, and by the way, Chris Paul, a perennial All-Star recognized as one of the top handful of point guards in the league, came over this season in one of the year’s few blockbuster trades. A lineup with talent, right? Young talent. Exciting talent. So what’s the problem? The coach!

How to be The Worst Boss Ever

Recall your worst day at work. [It’s probably not hard to do.] What made it so bad? Was it the workload, the number of meetings, the cafeteria food that day?

Probably not. Probably it was your manager. Something she did, or something he said.

Do you want to learn more about how YOU can be aspire to be an even worse boss? Then read on, dear friend.

Why I Tossed Your Resume

How do [most] hiring managers move through so many applications so quickly? We weed the stack. We look for red flags that scream “don’t interview me!” so we can safely put those applications aside and move on. I’ve cut my stacks in half with that method, sometimes glancing at a résumé for mere seconds before finding a suicidal mistake.

After serving on numerous hiring committees, I’ve developed a list of six mistakes that will guarantee your résumé a one-way ticket to my shredder.

What Makes Workplaces Miserable

A recent congressional hearing caught my attention. It focused on the subject of miserable employees — more specifically, the record-low engagement of employees in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

DHS was advised to spend time and money “training” managers and supervisors. The problem, the agencies were told, stems from poor work-life balance, benefits, pay freezes — that sort of thing.

This is completely misguided.

The World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies- 32: Gogo

Every time someone on Twitter brags, “I’m on a plane!” a Gogo engineer’s ears pop. The Illinois startup commands the market for in-flight Wi-Fi: It now serves more than 1,300 commercial flights and controls 85% of Wi-Fi-equipped planes. In the first nine months of 2011, Gogo reported $113.8 million in revenue, and the company is now taxiing to a 2012 IPO. It will use the funds to upgrade its network and in-flight platforms.