RFID stands for Radio Frequency IDentification.

Its supporters tout its amazing power to streamline it supply chain. I am in agreement with those supporters. RFID will significantly increase the efficiency of supply chains. The problem with RFID is that the RFID tags will be released into the world and become a privacy and security nightmare.

I think that the true potential of this technology is as big as the internet. That is a bold statement, but think about it. The internet is electronic content in small pieces linked together. RFID taken to its logical limits becomes the internet of things. Imagine if every thing made in the world could shout out its existence. If you have enough RFID scanners and internet capacity you could place every man made object in its GPS location. Get your mind around that for a second. Every manmade object with real-time global placement.

This ends many things: cash, theft, and privacy.

Why would world wide RFID end cash? There would be no need to exchange currency because all of everybody’s possessions would be tagged. You go to a store you pick up what you want and then you leave. No stopping at the cash register (the cash register will be a relic like the slide rule) the RFID readers at the door know who you are and what you came in with and what you are leaving with and will debit you cash at the bank or put it on your credit card.

Why would word wide RFID end theft? Why steal anything the police will just pull out their PDA and find the item and arrest you. Also don’t try to cheat on your taxes the government all ready knows what items you posses.

The end of cash and theft sound like a wonderful ideas, but remember someone knows all that you have purchased where from and how much you paid. Do you want your child or boss to know every purchase you have ever made. Better not pick up that resume book at Barnes and Nobles because you boss who subscribes to a futuristic RFID listing service will be able to know you are looking for a job. I hope you never have an ex boy or girl friend track you down with the serial number from that pair of jeans they bought you. True world wide RFID is the “Internet of Things” (term taken from the book SPY CHIPS and website www.spychips.com) will end privacy.

Now governments are putting these RFID Chips into Passports and Drivers license. Public schools are tagging your children so they will be able to know who sneaks away for an unauthorized bathroom break. They use the same technology on your kids as ranchers use on their livestock. A government agent will be able to follow you around town from the comfort of a Fort Meade computer center. The potential for abuse is staggering. I feel that this issue is as significant as Cloning but it is not getting the press in the mainstream media. This is because the mainstream media is bought and paid for by corporations pushing RFID.

I am a Conservative Christian Business man. I believe in the right of business to make a profit if they work hard enough. On this issue I find my self allied with the far left fringe. This is because business is looking at the short term bottom line and not the long term effects on the world we share. Who wants to live in a world without privacy?

I call on businesses to think about your RFID strategy and its effects on the world we live in.

Brian Davis - Privacy Expert

Consumer advocate

http://www.DSBSecurity.com/

Tags: ethics, Government, Identity theft, Passports, Privacy, RFID, Security, Spy chips, Supply chain, Travelethics, Government, Identity theft, Passports, Privacy, RFID, Security, Spy chips, Supply chain, Travel

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Work ethics is a hot topic in today’s business and educational worlds. Yet, how do we define this hybrid phrase with the word work meaning more than a specific outcome and the word ethics being more than the values that enhance that outcome?

When we say we are going to work, work becomes the place of employment. When we say we are working, the implication is that we are engaged in a work-related activity and should be performing one or more specific tasks. However, the word work in today’s global economy does not easily denote specific outcomes much less measurable ones.

Years ago when our economy was agrarian based, farmers said they were going to work the fields. Their work or more specifically the outcomes of their work could be viewed from the plowed fields to the stacked bales of hay. In today’s technology and service driven economy, workers outcomes are not as nearly recognizable, but what is noticed is their behavior.

Now, ethics is a difficult word to define, as it is more than the enhancement of outcomes. This is aptly demonstrated by the variety of expectations such as being to work or school on time, performing quality work, being self-directed, having self-initiative, or being positive to both fellow contributors and customers. Ethics, from these expectations, encompass the internal behaviors of the contributors or what I really believe are attitudes.

Let’s step out of the box and construct a new and more accurate term that meets the expectations of both the business and educational worlds. First, let’s ask ourselves are we more concerned with the behavior or the attitudes? If we recognize that it is the attitudes that drive the behaviors that generate the outcomes, it would suggest that the contributors’ attitudes have the greater impact on the outcomes.

Next, since behavior has numerous meanings, possibly we can substitute performance for behavior. Performance can be measured provided the organization has accurate and complete expectations, valid assessments that do not penalize the contributors along with a well-communicated strategic plan. Through clearly articulated goals with consistent leadership and management, contributors have the opportunity to improve their performance thereby achieving measurable results.

Attitudes of performance appear then to better describe the desired outcomes and expectations that we have as employers, educators or even parents. As we all are contributors, by focusing on attitudes early in our performance experiences, we have the means to improve ourselves, our businesses and more importantly our communities.

Leanne Hoagland-Smith is President of ADVANCED SYSTEMS, The Process Specialist. With over 25 years of business and education experience, she partners with her clients to connect the 3P’s of Passion, Purpose and Performance to affect sustainable change in 4 key areas: financials, leadership, relationships and growth & innovation with a variety of industries. Her ROI solutions align the strategies, systems and people to develop loyal internal customers leading to loyal external customers. She is the co-author of M.A.G.I.C.A.L. Potential:Living an Amazing Life Beyond Purpose to Achievement due for June 205 release. Leanne also speaks nationally to a variety of audiences. Please call Leanne a call at 219.759.5601 or email leanne@processspecialist.com if you are seeking sustainable results for your business or yourself.

Copyright 2005 Leanne Hoagland-Smith, http://www.processspecialist.com

Permission to publish this article, electronically or in print, as long as the bylines are included, with a live link, and the article is not changed in any way (grammatical corrections accepted).

Tags: attitude, ethics, initiative, innovation, leadership, management, performance, quality, results, workattitude, ethics, initiative, innovation, leadership, management, performance, quality, results, work

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I walked outside to my car and saw a disturbing sight. Someone had keyed the entire passenger side. It had to get fixed. Fortunately, I was covered.

Of course they always hit the best looking side. And they didn’t key my hood, which needed the most touch-up. Some of you are saying, “Hey stupid. Why don’t you claim the hood as part of the damage? Your insurance wouldn’t know the difference.”

Simple. That would be a lie…

It was just prior to Christmas when I ordered a $500 correspondence course with an expiring $50 coupon for a total of $450. It arrived, but on the final week of the year, it goes on sale for $250. I could have returned the course, reordered it under the sale price, and saved $200but I didn’t.

Was it because I was doing well and didn’t face money challenges? NO. Just the opposite.

You’re thinking I must really be a sap. I got no money coming in on one end, and I’m throwing it away on the other. Just how gullible is your editor?

Hey I don’t like overpaying for anything, but if something was worth the price, then I’ll make an effort to get it. And in this case, the course was worth more than $500. The information alone was worth more than five thousand dollars.

(It’s funny, but when people buy a five thousand dollar itemthey treat it like a five thousand dollar item. If they get the exact item for free, it usually collects dust.)

Which leads to the volatile topic of personal integrity…

Do you lie on your income taxes? Do you plagiarize? Do you cheat on your partner? Do you break your word? Do you falsify information? And even more acceptabledo you try to get even?

I’m sure none of you are of this caliber, but let’s assume the rest of the world made these common practices. They believe it’s no big deal to tell a lie because it’s really harmless and besides, everyone gets away with it. Or maybe they’ve been burned by someone who got away with it, so why not join them and do the same to others?

For one thingthis eviscerates the Golden Rule of doing unto others, as you’d have them do unto you:

You don’t want to be a victim of cheating, so why would you become a participant? You don’t want to be taken advantage of, so why join some plot to abuse your talents? You want to reap the good, so why sow to the bad?

And for another thingwhat goes around, comes around:

Some call it karma. Others call it sin. Whatever it’s called in your circleit seems to haunt you later in life. It bites you in the ass and leaves painful marks.

If you want to be treated right, you should treat others right first. If you gossip about others, others will gossip about you. If you profit from the expense of others, others are forming a line to take a shot at you.

But you reason, “You don’t understand. You haven’t been through what I’ve been through. I’ve kept my word - my end of the deal - and I got burned. I’ve got to teach them a lesson!”

Hey, save it. You’ll waste too much time trying to collect what you’re due. It’s usually more profitable to forgive and move on. You won’t become its slave and you’ll sleep better at night.

Here’s what I mean…

My mentor’s books are illegally published in different languages. When he appeared in one of those countries for a keynote, they treated him like a famous rock star. He got the royal treatment and spin-off deals because he didn’t waste time collecting what he was owed. He leveraged his loss of income to make even more money without lifting a finger.

That’s the same power we’ve been granted. We have the power to choose our actions. Do we pursue our wrongdoers, or forgive them?

Tough choices we must make…

Is your editor applying for sainthood? No, not even. This is the same stuff he struggles with.

I was in Chicago for a company launch. My group leader offered his group a discount to join him. I was at the lobby when I met up with him.

The lady from Atlanta was shocked she had to pay full price for her group. She whined to our leader about the discount. To avoid a scene, he joked about it and quickly gave in.

I was next in line. Would I pay full price or would he offer me the same discount? No dice: I paid full.

Now you’re probably surmising: “You’re not a Super Saintbut a Super Sap.”

I disagree. Because it goes far deeper than just dollars and cents. Allow me to explain…

I sought no favor with my leader. He’s well off and doesn’t need the money. He was probably testing me to see if I would whine also. If I got anything from the incident, I think I won his respect. And that can stretch a very long way.

How about you?

Have you won people’s respect? Do they see you as an Institute of Integrity? Do you have a reputation that’s beyond reproach?

Advertise your answers in your daily walk and until we meet again, you have my best wishes.

Tags: character, doing right, ethics, integrity, karma, leadership, morals, saint., sincharacter, doing right, ethics, integrity, karma, leadership, morals, saint., sin

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