Guilt Is Good

-By Development Network- The more guilt you feel, the better friend, co-worker and boss you just might be. Researchers Taya Cohen of Carnegie Mellon University and A. T. Panter of the University of North Carolina examined people's predisposition to feelings of guilt and how it influences their behavior in the workplace in a recent article in academic journal ''Current Directions in Psychological Science.'' Their conclusion: People more prone to feelings of guilt are more likely to be sympathetic, able to see situations from others' perspectives, consider future consequences of their behavior and value moral traits. ''There's quite a bit of variability between people who, when faced with tempting situations, are likely to yield to temptation and do things that are ethically questionable and people [who] are better able to resist those temptations and act more ethically,'' said Cohen, an assistant professor of organizational behavior and theory. People who are subject to high levels of guilt proneness - the predisposition to feel bad about a negative personal behavior before they actually do it - are less likely to engage in bad bad or counterproductive behavior, such as showing up late for work, stealing office supplies and being rude to clients and customers, even when no one is monitoring them, Cohen said. Measuring Guilt Proneness Researchers measure workers' proneness to feelings of guilt using the 16-item Guilt and Shame Proneness (GASP) scale which asks participants to rate their feelings in an imaginary situation on a seven-point scale. Assessment items include questions such as: After realizing you received too much change at the store, you decide to keep it because the sales clerk doesn't notice. What's the likelihood you would feel uncomfortable about keeping the money? ''The idea is that there is a private situation where you've done something wrong - in this case, keeping too much change - and [to rate] how bad you feel about what you did,'' Cohen said. The researchers found that 39 percent of adults surveyed rated low in guilt proneness, 27 percent had medium guilt proneness scores and 34 percent had high levels of guilt proneness. ''The people that we'd categorize as low are much more likely to perform these counterproductive work behaviors - these are things that harm the organization - whereas people that are high are much less likely compared to average,'' Cohen said. The research also showed that women are more guilt prone than men and guilt proneness increases as people get older. ''As people get older they recognize often the consequences of their own behavior for themselves and towards other people,'' Cohen said. ''Guilt is related to consideration of others - things like empathy or perspective taking. People who are more likely to consider other people and consider the future consequences of their actions are more likely to be guilt prone.'' Guilt at Work Cohen is now conducting research to validate the use of GASP in high-stakes situations in the workplace, such as hiring and promotion, and hopes to be able to show similar conclusions about work behavior. People who are predisposed to feel guilt are less likely to make unethical business decisions, lie for monetary gain or cheat during negotiations, said Cohen. Being able to assess and identify a worker's level of guilt proneness can have real benefits for the organization not just in selection and hiring but also in ongoing development and career growth. ''It's really important to recognize at the end you have to live with yourself and your own decisions,'' Cohen said. ''You should be aware that if you are feeling uncomfortable about a particular decision and might feel guilty about it later, it's important to recognize those feelings and see whether that might change your decision making.'' [About the Author: Mike Prokopeak is the editorial director at Talent Management magazine.] -For More Articles and Information:  http://www.developmentnetwork.co.nr/

A review of the 5th World Forum Convergences 2015

-By Development Network- From the 19th -21st September 2012,    The 5th edition of the World Forum Convergences 2015  brought together over 5,000 participants: 4,000 decision-makers and experts from the public, private, and solidarity-based sectors were present + 1,000 youths ready to get involved + 300 international speakers who came to share their solutions + 200 journalists invited to reflect upon the role of the media > Over 5,000 participants at the Forum: we achieved a global and intersectoral mobilisation! * With over 4,000 professionals, the World Forum brought together key actors from the public, private and solidarity-based sectors committed to the fight against poverty,as well as over 1,000 youths involved in the movement "Youth We Can", and 200 journalists who attended the evening event "Can the media change the world?". >Find highlights of the 3 days online Over 50 workshops, round tables, conferences and grand debates were held at the Palais Brongniart and Paris City Hall. Over the 56 sessions, experts and decision-makers from the public, private and solidarity-based sectors shared experiences, exchanged their viewpoints, and addressed strong messages. Grouped into 17 thematic focuses, these discussions dealt with issues as diverse as the social impact of microfinance, technical innovation in the agricultural sector, and the role of banks.  >Watch and listen to the Forum's sessions. 300 international decision-makers and experts The Forum was host to prestigious speakers such as Michel Barnier, Simon Compaoré, Antoine Frérot, BenoîtHamon, Anne Hidalgo, Martin Hirsch, Jeremy Hobbs, Nicolas Hulot, Alain Juppé, Stéphane Richard, Michel Rocard, Louis Schweitzer, François Villeroy de Galhau, andmany more... > Find the 300 prestigious speakers in the Forum's Who`s Who. A Professional Marketplace: joining forces to create innovative partnerships in the fight against poverty! At the heart of the Palais Brongniart, the Professional Marketplace offered over 50 stalls for the Forum's 5,000 participants. It brought together professionals from the private (Unilever France, KPMG, ...), public (City of Paris, European Commission, ...) and solidarity-based (Agence Française de Développement, Vision du monde, ...) sectors. The 2012 edition of the Forum demonstrated the potential of the Professional Marketplace to act as a true platform of exchanges, mobilisation and synergiesin order to create innovative partnerships to fight poverty! The laureates of the 2nd Convergences 2015 Awards: Entreprendre pour Humaniser la DépendanceandPrakti Design In partnership with the City of Paris, Le Monde, the European Commission and FACTS, the Convergences 2015 Awards reward innovative partnerships towards poverty alleviation through creative and viable projects. The 2nd edition of the Convergences 2015 Awards gave the France Award to the projet « Vie Grande Ouverte » of Entreprendre pour Humaniser la Dépendancein partnership with Habitat et Humanisme and the Université Catholique de Lyon and theInternational Awardwas given to the social enterprise Prakti Design in partnership with Skillmech.       >Have a look at the Presentation of the Convergences 2015 Awards (in French). > Commit to the Global Appeal for responsible microfinance and  to the New Paris Appeal for the future Millennium Goals The Global Appeal for responsible microfinance Following the "Paris Appeal for responsible microfinance", launched during the 4th edition of the World Forum Convergences 2015, the 5th edition of the Forum renewed, reinforced and widened its call for microfinance to serve poverty reduction and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals through the "Global Appeal for responsible microfinance". To increase the impact of microfinance, all actors - microfinance institutions, regulators, policy makers, investors, researchers, and financers, must play their part. Support this Appeal and join the 500 organisations and 1,000 individuals who have already signed it on www.appeldeparis.org. The New Paris Appeal for the future Millennium Goals for Sustainable and Equitable Development 3 years to the Millennium Development Goals deadline, the 5th edition of the Convergences 2015 Forum launched a New Paris Appeal for the definition of new Millennium Goals for Sustainable and Equitable Development. For these goals to stem from the experience of the past decades, and to be as inclusive as possible, all actors - governments, businesses, associations, local authorities, civil society, must be mobilised in a co-construction approach. Only then can the objectives meet the requirements of universality, inclusiveness, adaptation, appropriation, operationality, balance and rationality. -For more Articles and Information:  http://www.developmentnetwork.co.nr/

Tips For Becoming A Successful Entrepreneur

-By Development Network- Becoming an entrepreneur is something that a lot of people dream about. After all, these are the people who you hear about in the news making tons of money, and living the good life. Of course, not all entrepreneurs are rich, but it can be quite fun to live this kind of life. But before you decide that being an entrepreneur is right for you, there are some things that you will need to take a closer look at. Remember, if being a successful entrepreneur was a piece of cake everybody would be doing it. This is not to say that you have no chance of entrepreneurial success, but you cannot simply jump into this and expect to start raking in loads of cash. Here are three tips for becoming a successful entrepreneur. At the very least, they should be able to push you in the right direction towards success. 1. A successful entrepreneur is one who knows what they want, and then works hard to get it. In other words, you should set your sights on a goal, and then do whatever it takes to reach it. A lot of people jump from opportunity to opportunity without ever really sinking their teeth in. You should avoid this at all costs, and instead work hard to reach one goal before you move onto the next. 2. Do you think that all entrepreneurs become rich and successful over night? The fact of the matter is that there are only a small percentage of people who fall into their success. If you want to be a successful entrepreneur you need to be willing to exercise some patience. Your first idea may not take off, but if you stick with things you will realize your potential sooner rather than later. If you are searching for a quick buck, you will probably be a disappointed entrepreneur. 3. There is nothing wrong with asking other entrepreneurs for help. Everybody needs some assistance along the way, and you are probably no different. If you know an entrepreneur friend, let them guide you if they are willing to assist. After all, getting first hand advice from an already successful entrepreneur is invaluable. These three tips may go a long way in helping you to become a successful, and hopefully rich, entrepreneur. Of course, just like anything in life there is no guarantee. Only you will be able to determine the level of success you have in this new venture. If you want to be an entrepreneur who is all over the news, you need to go out and work for the right to do so. Nobody is going to make things easy on you, but successful entrepreneurs are born everyday. There is no reason that you cannot join them at the top. Are you planning on becoming a entrepreneur right now or in the near future? If so, visit the link: http://tinyurl.com/8e9emlt and pay attention. There's finally a new, breakthrough book created just for people like you. And, if you really want to have the most beautiful, paycheck that will bring a smile to your face, then this book is definitely for YOU! -For more Articles and Information:  http://www.developmentnetwork.co.nr/