email subscription test

2008-01-17T13:28:00Z

testing how users get blog info via the email subscription
...

last test entry -- for cat 7

2008-01-13T13:43:00Z

We get there by separating the people from the problem and focusing on the substantive problems as we

                + address our respective interests,
                + cooperate in developing options for satisfying those interests,
                + weigh proposed outcomes against shared standards of fairness, and
                + ask whether potential agreements are better than what we can accomplish on our own.

The process is one in which the parties check to assure that they each see the relevant reality the same way, engage in accurate communication, and act in a trustworthy fashion at all times.

This method—often called the Harvard Method—has been used effectively in thousands upon thousands of successful negotiations. Individuals have used it to work out agreement on comparatively trivial matters. Heads of state and leaders of political factions have found it helpful in resolving intractable disputes such as the transition to majority rule in South Africa and the peace agreement in Northern Ireland.

It has been described and outlined in Getting To Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In, Getting Together: Building Relationships as We Negotiate, Beyond Winning, Beyond Machiavelli, and other books and articles by people associated with the Harvard Program on Negotiation.

test entry for cat 6

2008-01-13T13:42:00Z

something about other firms...

something about us:
With Interest-centered management, leaders seek outcomes that

                + Satisfy their interests well and those of others acceptably well.
                + Produce as much value as possible through creative options for agreement.
                + Are better than what I can do on my own.
                + Meet all parties’ understandings of what is fair.
                + Culminate in commitments that are realistic, sufficient, and clear about what each party is to do.
                + Are based on a shared view of the facts.
                + Result from good communication.
                + Improve the working relationship among the parties.

Whether it is leadership, individual or joint decision making, conflict management, negotiation of agreements, dispute resolution, conflict management systems design, interdepartmental cooperation, or the sales and marketing of company products—organizations will improve their chances of success if they use processes in which we skillfully use the seven elements of joint decision making:

                + communication,
                + relationship,
                + interests,
                + options,
                + legitimacy,
                + alternatives, and
                + commitments.

test 2 for cat 5

2008-01-13T13:41:00Z

Ethics By Design™ helps companies develop a company-wide commitment to interest-centered management and negotiation. Our training has stood the test of time for over 25 years.

...

test entry for cat 4

2008-01-13T13:36:00Z

NEWS NEWS NEWS
Interest-centered management is based on the insight that all working relationships arise out of the skillful satisfaction of interests—ours and those of others.

Corporations succeed through cooperation in the use of tools and processes for the production of goods and services.

Companies must also build cooperative relationships with outside stakeholders such as customers, suppliers, and partners.

Your company can get more done at less cost and with greater profit when you and your employees know how to inquire about the interests of the participants and to develop options for satisfying them well within a framework of legitimacy.

...

test blog entry for cat 3

2008-01-13T13:35:00Z

We Help Organizations:

    * Assess current status of governance, risk management, and compliance (GRC).
    * Design and implement a code of conduct, monitoring, and enforcement system.
    * Establish a whistleblower hotline.
    * Create an ethics training program.
    * Improve communication skills.
    * Provide ethics coaching with an ethics helpline.
    * Learn to make good decisions.
    * Build an ethical culture that supports the success of the enterprise.

...

Test Blog Entry

2008-01-12T16:40:00Z

This is a test of the ethicsdialogue.com blog. I am adding a test entry to the Book Reviews category.

This is text size 3.
This is text size 4.
This is text size 5.

I just changed everything to Times NR, and it was straightforward and easy.

What are trackbacks?

The following was copied from a word document. It retained formatting but not font or size.
What We Do

We Help Organizations:

    * Assess current status of governance, risk management, and compliance (GRC).
    * Design and implement a code of conduct, monitoring, and enforcement system.
    * Establish a whistleblower hotline.
    * Create an ethics training program.
    * Improve communication skills.
    * Provide ethics coaching with an ethics helpline.
    * Learn to make good decisions.
    * Build an ethical culture that supports the success of the enterprise.


How We Do It     Interest-Centered Management



What is Interest-Centered Management?

Interest-centered management is based on the insight that all working relationships arise out of the skillful satisfaction of interests—ours and those of others.

Corporations succeed through cooperation in the use of tools and processes for the production of goods and services.

Companies must also build cooperative relationships with outside stakeholders such as customers, suppliers, and partners.

Your company can get more done at less cost and with greater profit when you and your employees know how to inquire about the interests of the participants and to develop options for satisfying them well within a framework of legitimacy.

Companies tend to succeed where others fail when respect, authenticity, and honesty are part of its culture. Interest-centered management helps make that success possible.

Ethics By Design™ helps companies develop a company-wide commitment to interest-centered management and negotiation. Our training has stood the test of time for over 25 years.

With Interest-centered management, leaders seek outcomes that

                + Satisfy their interests well and those of others acceptably well.
                + Produce as much value as possible through creative options for agreement.
                + Are better than what I can do on my own.
                + Meet all parties’ understandings of what is fair.
                + Culminate in commitments that are realistic, sufficient, and clear about what each party is to do.
                + Are based on a shared view of the facts.
                + Result from good communication.
                + Improve the working relationship among the parties.

Whether it is leadership, individual or joint decision making, conflict management, negotiation of agreements, dispute resolution, conflict management systems design, interdepartmental cooperation, or the sales and marketing of company products—organizations will improve their chances of success if they use processes in which we skillfully use the seven elements of joint decision making:

                + communication,
                + relationship,
                + interests,
                + options,
                + legitimacy,
                + alternatives, and
                + commitments.

We get there by separating the people from the problem and focusing on the substantive problems as we

                + address our respective interests,
                + cooperate in developing options for satisfying those interests,
                + weigh proposed outcomes against shared standards of fairness, and
                + ask whether potential agreements are better than what we can accomplish on our own.

The process is one in which the parties check to assure that they each see the relevant reality the same way, engage in accurate communication, and act in a trustworthy fashion at all times.

This method—often called the Harvard Method—has been used effectively in thousands upon thousands of successful negotiations. Individuals have used it to work out agreement on comparatively trivial matters. Heads of state and leaders of political factions have found it helpful in resolving intractable disputes such as the transition to majority rule in South Africa and the peace agreement in Northern Ireland.

It has been described and outlined in Getting To Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In, Getting Together: Building Relationships as We Negotiate, Beyond Winning, Beyond Machiavelli, and other books and articles by people associated with the Harvard Program on Negotiation.

This method is like an all terrain vehicle. You can use it in a variety of settings, when making family decisions, when negotiating with your colleagues and supervisors, when devising sales plans and making sales pitches, when addressing disputes and other conflicts, and in building a school, business, or non-profit organization that will thrive in the modern world.

It is the foundation for the consulting and systems design work that we do at Ethics By Design.

    Integrating Ethics and High-quality Work



Ever notice that shoddy work and sleazy morals go hand in hand? The opposite is true as well:

    * Excellence in ethics and work product is a seamless cloth.

The best companies pay attention both to what they do and how they do it. Businesses succeed through the cooperation of skilled employees with each other and with external stakeholders.

    * Without trust there is no cooperation.

Ethics By Design helps its clients build trust and prevent misconduct by developing good policies, procedures, and rules grounded in a solid ethical culture. Interest-centered management is a key part of this process.

Our diagnostic, design, and training services help companies integrate their Governance, Risk, & Compliance (GRC) functions for better performance.

Ethics By Design programs complement and enhance Six Sigma methods for developing and delivering near-perfect products and services.

By working with leading technology firms to provide a custom-designed ethics program for each client, we can accommodate companies of all sizes—from 10 employees to thousands.

Make your business one in which "The Ethics Go In Before the Product Goes Out."

    Leadership: Improving The Ways We Work With Others



The best professional golfers routinely consult with a coach or a mentor to keep their game in top form. The role of a consultant is to help us see and understand what we can't perceive by ourselves and to provide guidance about how we might solve a particular problem.

We help individuals and teams understand how to improve their working relationships with employees, customers, suppliers, and others both inside and outside their school, company, or non-profit organization.

Leaders typically call us to help with a specific problem or objective. The general climate and level of communication within the organization might be unsatisfactory. A new approach to working with the firm's customers may be needed. In some cases, we are called in to help resolve a conflict or settle a lawsuit. The leadership may ask us to help create a plan to improve relationships within and outside the school, business, church, or volunteer organization. Or we might provide assistance with the development of a system for managing conflict.

When companies and nonprofits evaluate leaders in their organizations, they measure competencies such as the following:

                                                    * Adaptability & Innovation
                                                    * Building Trust & Integrity
                                                    * Coaching & Counseling
                                                    * Communicating Effectively
                                                    * Influence & Negotiation
                                                    * Managing Change
                                                    * Managing Conflict
                                                    * Managing Diversity
                                                    * Performance Management
                                                    * Problem Solving & Decision Making
                                                    * Setting Goals & Standards
                                                    * Team Building

2/3 of the items on this list involve relationship skills. Indeed, good relationships are at the heart of any successful business or non-profit organization.

Our expertise is in cooperative decision making, negotiation, relationship building, analyzing the interests of parties to a transaction or conflict, and creating options for good outcomes. Every situation is unique. But the principles of problem-solving negotiation apply to each set of circumstances. This is true because they are grounded in human reality.

Who We Are

Mike Palmer is a leading authority on organizational ethics and interest-centered management.

In over 25 years of practice as a lawyer and consultant, Mike has learned why businesses fail and how they succeed.

A Senior Professional with CMI Concord Group, Inc., Mike has worked as an international consultant to the governments of Jordan, Macedonia, and Bosnia & Herzegovina. With others in CMI Concord, Mike has provided consulting and training services to Fortune 500 companies and Big Four accounting firms as well as to lawyers, medical centers, and educational institutions.

Mike has been a featured speaker at international conferences in the United States and Europe and has received various awards and recognitions for his professional work.

Mike's writings include articles and books on GRC issues, employee fraud and theft, social ethics, negotiation and conflict management, and codes of ethics.

In addition to his law degree, Mike holds a doctorate in theology and social ethics. He is a member of the Society for Business Ethics, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, the American Bar Association, and other professional associations.