Impossible is an opinion, not a fact.
This is Cameron Clapp's motto, and how well it describes this young man's exuberance and enthusiasm for life. Since losing both legs and his right arm in a train accident, Clapp has gone on to become an elite athlete. The media spotlight has embraced him. His story was featured on the Discovery Channel's Medical Incredible, NBC's Today Show, and CNN. Clapp also has enjoyed the excitement and challenge of being an actor; he has appeared on the HBO series Carnivale and most recently on NBC's My Name is Earl, starring Jason Lee.
However, all the celebrity and success has not turned his head; he's unpretentious, fun-loving, personable, and excited about the future. You can read more about Cameron in "Unquenchable Spirit: The Cameron Clapp Story".
Change Agents
Change is inevitable, so how do businesses manage it? Those who help drive adaptation to new environments and circumstances are the "change agents"--the early adopters of whatever is new, especially technology. Largely, change agents belong to "Generation Y"--those born in the period from the early 1980s to the late 1990s. How do these workers affect the organizational dynamics--that is, how people function together to accomplish a task--of your business?
This is the first time in American history that there have been four different generations working side-by-side in the workplace, observed Greg Hammill in FDU MagazineOnline, published by Fairleigh Dickinson University. Hammill defines these generations as the "veterans" or "traditionalists" (born 1922-1945); the "Baby Boomers" (1946-1964), "Generation X" (1965-1980), and "Generation Y," also known as the "Millennials" or "Echo Boomers" (1981-2000). Although each individual is unique and not all are necessarily tied to a particular generation, each generation has distinct attitudes, behaviors, expectations, habits, and motivational buttons, notes Hammill.
The feature article, "Do Your Organizational Dynamics Determine Your Operational Success?" by Meredy DeBorde, discusses managing generational diversity as well as other aspects of human interaction in the workplace.
And...
Mud, mold, and misery continue to beset hurricane survivors--and their businesses--in Louisiana and Mississippi. What is happening with their insurance coverage and payments? Find out in an online-exclusive article "Getting O&P Companies Up and Running after Katrina: Why Does the Insurance Response Seem So Slow?"
Stock-and-Bill--could it be good for O&P? Is it professional? Legal? Ethical? Profitable? The article "Stock-and-Bill: Sleeping with the Enemy?" brings this controversial subject out of the shadows and into the light as it explores these issues.
We also want to know what you think about Stock-and-Bill. Be sure to visit www.oandp.com/edge and participate in this month's related poll question and if you have a specific comment on the subject, feel free to share it with us by sending your thoughts to Tina Eichner at tina@opedge.com. We will summarize a sampling of comments in a future issue.
