Great article By Eric Pooley and Philip Revzin

Hungry for a Solution to Rising Food Prices?

Even if the global agriculture crisis doesn’t turn cataclysmic, it represents a massive test

By Eric Pooley and Philip Revzin

As the Tunisian dictator Zine el Abidine Ben Ali discovered in January, there is no surer route to political oblivion than to deny people access to affordable food. On Dec. 17, after Tunisian police assaulted a street vendor named Mohamed Bouazizi and seized his produce cart because, according to his family, he couldn’t afford to pay bribes, the 26-year-old Bouazizi doused himself with accelerant and lit a match. He died two weeks later. The riots that ensued—propelled in part by anger over high food prices—drove Ben Ali from power and spread to Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, and Algeria. Ben Ali may be remembered as the despot who was toppled by a vegetable cart.

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When creating a home-work space, professionals and the experts agree on several key elements your space must have. Here are 10 things to keep in mind.

No. 1: Give yourself some space.

OK, OK, if you live in New York, Washington, or any other pricey city and don’t make a Wall Street salary, your “space” may consist of 700 square feet – or less – in some cases. Whatever the footage, ensure that your “office” is separate from the rest of your living area to ensure a bit of that home-office divide.

No. 2: Buy a good chair.

Nothing spells “future physical therapy” and “chiropractor bills” like a bad seat.

No. 3: Think about height.

Whether it be your chair, your desk, keyboard, etc… all items need to be the proper height and position to make sure your body is aligned in ergonomically correct fashion. If something is too low, it could cause you to slouch; if it’s too high, it could cause strain on the neck and shoulders.

No. 4: Lose the tube.

If you’re like most people, watching “24” reruns or the latest episode of “Glee” is distracting. That’s why most home-office design experts advise against having the device in your home office

. If you need it for work – keep it on FOXBusiness or another work-related channel. No Lifetimespecials.

No. 5:  Let in the light.

Nothing spells d-e-p-r-e-s-s-i-o-n like working in an office eight or more hours a day with no natural sunlight. Soft light is good, but make sure it is not so soft it makes you want to snooze.

“Leave fluorescent and musak for the corporate environment,” said Jeff Zbar, founder of ChiefHomeOfficer.com.

No. 6: Get a room with a view.

Placing your desk near the window allows you to let in some fresh air, and can keep you calm and focused. However, this one of course depends on your surroundings. When that deadline is fast approaching, a serene view of a yard or trees would be far more calming than that of rush-hour city traffic.

No. 7: Play some tunes.

Many people with home offices listen to music while they work to soothe and keep them calm when under tights deadlines. Or, alternatively, playing rock ‘n roll tunes may help pump you up — to get revved up to get that assignment finished.

No. 8: Make sure there’s a door.

If you have the luxury of living in a house or apartment with separate rooms, be sure a door separates you and work from any home-life distractions.

No. 9: Have the technology you need.

This may be a fast Internet connection, big enough computer monitor, second landline in the house and office, or wireless phone and headset so you can be mobile in your space.

No. 10: Un-plug From “Home”

Make sure your setup allows you to avoid being distracted by “home” and the chores awaiting you there. Lisa Kanarek, a home office expert and author and founder of WorkingNaked.com, said: “Throwing in a load of laundry before you get to your home office is fine. But when one personal task leads to another, you’ll have a day filled with personal tasks and no work.”

By Liza Porteus Viana

5 Ways to be Persuasive

This is a good article.  Offer value first and watch attraction principles work.

Dr. Noah Goldstein, Steve Martin, and Professor Robert Cialdini are the authors of the New York Times bestselling Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive. I recently met Steve on a trip to London where he runs Influence at Work, and he shared these top five ways to increase your influence and persuasion with me.

1. Be the first to give. Studies show that we are persuaded more by people who have done something for us first. We give bigger tips to servers who give us a mint with the check. We’re more likely to help work colleagues with their projects if they have helped us with ours. Requests that are personalized are most persuasive of all. When researchers randomly sent out surveys they were able to double responses if they personalized the request by placing a handwritten post-it note on the survey.

2. Don’t offer too many choices. Whether it’s the number of products you offer or the number of plans you allow your employees to choose from, too many choices often frustrate people. Companies offering a small number of retirement plans have far greater enrollment than companies that offer a large number of plans.

3. Argue against self-interest. Trust is a critical component to persuasion. The surest way to be perceived as honest is to admit to a small weakness in your argument, product or business immediately prior to communicating the strongest positive argument for your product or service.

4. Losses are more persuasive than gains. Instead of telling your audience what they stand to gain from taking your advice or buying your product, research shows that people are often more persuaded if you tell them what they stand to lose out on if they don’t take your advice or buy your product. In 2003, the Oldsmobile far exceeded it sales projections despite the company reducing its advertising and product development budgets. Why? General Motors decided to discontinue the car because of slow sales. As a result the car became something people would be losing out on even though before the news few people wanted one.

5. Make people feel as if they’ve already made progress toward a goal. A car wash offering a loyalty card nearly doubled customer retention by changing their offer from “Buy eight washes, get one free” to “Buy 10 washes, get one free—and we’ll start you off by crediting you for two washes.”

Some people have the ability to capture an audience’s attention, convince the undecided and convert non-customers into customers. Some do not, but there’s good news from social science. Persuasion is not just a skill gifted to a chosen few. It’s a science and researchers who study it have formulated a series of rules for moving people in your direction. Learning about these rules can make you a more effective and ethical influencer.

How persuasive are you? You can find out by taking the free five- minute interactive test at www.myyesscore.com. For more information Steve’s and Robert Cialdini’s programs, contact Influence at Work if you’re in the U. S and Influence at Work UK if you’re in Europe.