Why Conrad Black is blustering

Convicted fraudsters who want to stay in business obey a single rule for their future prosperity – they always protest their innocence and seek pity as the victims of vengeful prosecutors, governments or “dark forces”. The fraudster knows that the slightest admission of guilt would permanently destroy his ambition to restore his social reputation and get back into making money. His mission of reassertion is always accompanied by cursing and trivialising an unfortunate interruption in his blessed way of life – like a damning government report, bankruptcy, or a period in jail.

(via The Guardian)

Female executives failing to get foothold in top firms, survey shows

The UK’s largest companies are failing to promote female executives to senior management roles, potentially creating a shortage of women qualified to fill future boardroom roles and undermining initiatives to appoint more female directors.

Analysis by the Guardian of 50 of the UK’s most valuable companies shows that women account for only 14% of staff serving on executive committees – the management level just one rung below the boardroom and which are viewed as the pipeline of talent to fill future board vacancies.

The figures imply that women occupying jobs at executive committee level are even more scarce than on FTSE 100 boards, with the latest numbers from the Professional Boards Forum showing just 17.3% of blue chip directors are women. (via The Guardian)

25 Tips for Avoiding Communication Problems

Miscommunication is a huge obstacle to building a successful relationship. And, since freelancer/client trust is based on relationship–miscommunication can be a huge problem for freelancers.

Nearly every freelancer eventually faces a communication problem with a client. Even those of us who specialize in clear communication sometimes have problems.

Here are some steps that every freelancer can take to avoid miscommunication. (via FreelanceFolder)

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The Small Business Owner’s Guide to Taking a Vacation [Infographic]

Being a small business owner is really a lifestyle and not just a job, and “all work and no play” is often the mindset of the entrepreneur. But owning and running a small business takes its toll on even the strongest individuals, so carving out time for R&R is not just important, it’s essential.

(Click on the infographic ABOVE to learn more.)

Via Column Five for Intuit