Engagement: everyone talks about it, but what does it really mean?Gallup Research says: 29% of a company's workers are engaged (your 'stars'); 54% are disengaged (your 'so-so's') and 17% are ACTIVELY disengaged (your 'passengers).So what? It is estimated the ACTIVELY disengaged employee wastes 2.5 hours per day, EVERY day. At $20 per hour, that person is costing you $50 per day. On an annual basis, they are costing you $11,000, mininum.What if your company is 'average' and 17% of your work force are 'passengers', what is lack of engagement costing you?Are your employees engaged? The results ofa recent survey at a company with 33 employees ("we're small, we've got a handle on our employees; it's the big companies at that are at risk...

Slowly but surely, progress is being made against childhood obesity. The First Ladys Lets Move! campaign and the increased funding for school food programs are positive changes, and overall, the food industry has welcomed these initiatives and continues to play a supportive role. Last week, Jamie Olivers Food Revolution debuted on ABC TV. The British celebrity chef has made it a mission to expose children to good food and improve their eating habits, and last weeks premiere TV show drew more than 7 million viewers. The show was engaging and uplifting, as the dynamic Oliver captivated youngsters with the wonders of nutrition. He also coerced administrators, foodservice directors and foodservice employees to go out of their way to assist him...

The nations economy continues to struggle. Many businesses are finding it hard to borrow money from banks that would enable them to begin hiring people again. Consumers remain cautious about spending.But tax fever continues to run high among career tax advocates, and soda taxes is their latest bandwagon. These advocates are not concerned about placing new burdens on consumers and businesses at a time when they can least afford them. To tax advocates, theres no such thing as a bad tax.The fact that tax advocates are ramping up their calls for more food and beverage taxes demonstrates how out of touch these individuals are with the concerns of most people.One of the most extreme examples I came across was a guest editorial published last week...

Politicians are famous for speaking out of both sides of their mouth, but the U.S. Mint and Treasury? Thats a hard pill to swallow.During the Presidents inauguration, the New England Mint, a private mint, took official quarters and layered them with images of Barack Obama. The New England Mint then advertised these coins for sale as limited edition items.A recent NBC TV news story reports that these Obama quarters are still being used by merchants and banks in New York City, despite the fact that the U.S. Mint does not approve them. To view the recent TV report, go to: http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local-beat/Obama-Quarters-Loose-Change-85821077.html After reading this story on the Internet, I sought clarification from the U.S. Mint...