By Don C. Brunell, President - Association of Washington Business For much of the world, Italy is synonymous with “la dolce vita,” the sweet life, full of pleasure and indulgence. But that life comes at a price, and the bill has come due. After 60 years of ever-increasing cradle-to-grave benefits and lifetime job security, Italy’s economy — the eighth largest in the world — is breaking down amidst declining birthrates, protectionism and crushing debt. Stunted by policies that … [Read more...]

By Vicki M. James, PMP, CBAP - Professional Project Services Too often, we are involved in big meetings without the single most important tool that can guarantee meeting success. A successful meeting is one that meets the purpose and objectives intended. I am talking about the kind of meeting where you end up with lots of post it notes on the wall, brainstorm lists everywhere, a large parking lot, and yet no one can say we met the purpose or that anything meaningful happened. The results are … [Read more...]

By Don Brunel, President - Association of Washington Business When environmental organizations pushed Washington voters to approve their renewable energy Initiative 937, they touted biomass energy -- incinerated wood waste -- as one of their preferred alternatives to fossil fuel. They reasoned that biomass energy plants would help clear forests of flammable wood debris from dead and diseased timber, put idled loggers and millworkers back to work, and produce cleaner, more affordable … [Read more...]

By Paul J. H. Schoemaker You're the boss, but you still spend too much time on the day-to-day. Here's how to become the strategic leader your office needs. In the beginning, there was just you and your co-workers. You did every job. You coded, you emptied the trash and phoned in the midnight pizza. Now you have others to do all that and it's time for you to "be strategic." Whatever that means. If you find yourself resisting "being strategic," because it sounds like a fast track to … [Read more...]

By Don C. Brunell - President, Association of Washington Business Oregonians loathe a sales tax about as much as Washingtonians detest an income tax. Knowing that, why would Curry County commissioners put a 3 percent sales tax on the ballot later this year? The answer: Money. Curry, Oregon’s southwesternmost county, is one of a network of economically distressed rural counties throughout the West with double-digit unemployment and facing the potential loss of federal subsidies. Congress … [Read more...]