Business Bestsellers
As of June 9, 2008

1. Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim, Renee Mauborgne Harvard Business School Press, $33.95

2. Influencer: The Power to Change Anything by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, David Maxfield, Ron McMillan , Al Switzler McGraw Hill, $26.95

3. Fast Forward: Organizational Change in 100 Days by Elspeth J. Murray, Peter R. Richardson Oxford University Press, $21.95

4. A Tale of Two Employees and the Person Who Wanted to Lead Them by Dr. Chris Bart Corporate Missions Inc., $18.99

5. Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In by Roger Fisher, William Ury Penguin Books, $18.00

6. Getting Past No: Negotiating in Difficult Situations by William Ury Bantam, $22.00

7. Boom Bust & Echo: Profiting from the Demographic Shift in the 21st Century by David Foot Footwork Consulting, $24.95

8. It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be: The World’s Best Selling Book by Paul Arden Phaidon Press, $11.95

9. If It Aint Broke...Break It! by Robert J Kriegel, Louis Palater Warner Business Books, $18.99

10. The New Retirement by Sherry Cooper Viking Canada, $26.00

Figuratively Speaking

Compiled by John MacIntyre

• Percentage of job recruiters who said being a cultural fit is the most important attribute in giving a candidate an edge, according to survey by Korn/Ferry International: 42

• Percentage who said character or personality: 32

• Percentage who said work experience: 17

• Percentage who said education: 1

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• Percentage of entrepreneurs who launched their first venture during childhood, through a lemonade stand or paper route, according to a survey conducted by Northeastern University’s School of Technological Entrepreneurship: 42

• Percentage of today’s entrepreneurs who consider themselves to be risk takers: 41

• Percentage of entrepreneurs who claim they are somewhat cautious when faced with major decisions: 49

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• Number of workers employed worldwide by Wal-Mart Stores, topping the first published list of the world’s 500 largest corporate employers, according to a study by My Global Career: 1,800,000

• Number of workers employed by number two ranked Deutsche Post of Germany: 502,545

• Number employed by third ranked Siemens Group of Germany: 461,000

• By fourth ranked McDonald’s: 447,000

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• Percentage of adult Canadians who would try to get more professional career planning or job information than they did initially, according to a Canadian Education and Research Institute for Counseling survey: 71

• Percentage of Canadians who agree that they regret not getting a professional career-counseling program: 41

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• Percentage of Canadians who feel that “Canadians are becoming less patient about lining up” these days, according to a survey conducted on behalf of NCR Canada: 84

• Percentage of Canadians who say they waste more than 30 minutes in a typical week lining up at retail stores, post offices, banks, food outlets or many other places: 62

• Percentage who say the worst line-ups are “registering at a clinic or hospital”: 70

• Percentage of Canadians who would like to see organizations “employ staff” in order to reduce line-ups and line frustrations: 94

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• Percentage of all travelers surveyed who would use the mini-bar more often if the prices were reasonable, according to a hotel mini-bar/fridge survey by TripAdvisor: 94

• Percentage of travelers who said they never hit the mini-bar: 33

• Percentage of respondents who have had a dispute with a hotel over a mini-bar charge: 25

• To avoid being charged at higher hotel prices, percentage of travelers who have replaced an item in their hotel room mini-bar/fridge: 20

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• Percentage of employed Canadians who would diagnose themselves as “vacation-deprived,” according to a survey by expedia.ca: 36

• Percentage of employed Canadians who come back from vacation feeling rested, rejuvenated, and reconnected to their personal life: 55

• Percentage who feel more productive and better about their jobs: 43

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• Percentage of Canadians who would rather clean out their basement or their garages than look at their taxes or finances, according to a survey by Ipsos Reid: 41

• When thinking of savings, percentage of Canadians who say they use and stick to a budget: 69

• Percentage who say that they buy items in bulk — “they are addicted to Costco!” 26

• Percentage who look for “freebies” such as samples, free lunches, dinners etc. to save money: 17

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• Percentage of administrative professionals who say they have misread a work environment at least once, according to a survey conducted by OfficeTeam: 46

• Percentage of human resources managers who say they have misjudged someone’s fit for a role or position within their company: 59

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• Percentage of students who say that completing an internship is “extremely” important for future career success, according to a survey conducted by Vault Inc.: 82 

Idle Thought: “He who would be a leader must be a bridge.” — Welsh proverb