Sources of the written word are more abundant than ever: books, emails, blogs, reports, journals, websites, status updates, homework, social media posts, résumés, CVs, advertisements and brochures to name but a few. In an age where there is so much information and so much competition, a well written, grammatically correct and properly structured article or document can stand head and shoulders above the rest. 

Yet standards are declining; the ease of writing a piece and the expected speed of response have led to an abundance of grammatical errors and poor structure that detrimentally affect the reader's impression of both the message and the messenger. Depending on the audience, which can range from an individual to the entire globe, or anywhere in between, the effect can be devastating. Loss of reader interest, loss of personal respect, loss of employment opportunities and loss of business contracts are all unintended potential consequences which are difficult to reverse in today's fast-paced, electronic world. More than ever, first impressions really do have a lasting effect; more important, they have an immediate effect.

As a fun example, take this little gem I received in my inbox just the other day:

Greetings. 

I know you will be surprised to read my email. Apart from being surprise you may be skeptical to reply me because based on what is happening on the internet world, one has to be very careful because a lot of scammers are out there to scam innocent citizens and this has made it very difficult for people to believe anything that comes through the internet. My name is Capt. Kate Carr Lee. I am a member of the US ARMY Medical Team deployed to Iraq because of the current ISIS problems. I discovered 2 trunk boxes containing American dollar. Am looking for a trust worthy individual who will assist me to receive the funds in his country before l will come over and join the person. To prove my sincerity, you are not sending me any money because most of these scams are all about sending money.

Not only was I surprise, I was shock and excite. Now I’m not sure exactly where Capt. Kate Carr Lee was educated, but when I eventually meet her, after I’ve sent her all my personal information and received the two boxes of American dollar, I’m going to give her a few pointed lessons on the art of writing a decent scam letter.   
Hey, maybe scam letter editing is a niche where I can make my fortune; we all have to start somewhere. Perhaps our dear Capt. Kate would find more takers if her letter was a little more fluent and a little less Google translate. I mean, does she not know anyone who speaks English, for crying out loud?

This sitting duck aside, it is crucially important that we all have at least a cursory glance over our musings before pressing the ‘publish’, ‘send’ or ‘post’ button, if only to check for spelling mistakes (the transposing of your and you’re being one of the most serious faux pas). Of course, Capt. Kate Carr Lee will benefit only marginally from even the most polished grammatical review, since the critical element in this tired attempt at deceit is to somehow convince the reader that the request is genuine. How Capt. Kate obtained my email address and why I was chosen to be the lucky recipient of the American dollar are two difficult questions that need plausible explanations. Answering both effectively requires a high level of creativity and expression, and will almost certainly result in a reduction of the global relevancy. This, however, is not a bad thing - other more effective email "phishing" scams, such as those that seem to have come from a specific financial institution or service provider, work on this exact concept; by reducing the number of recipients to which the message is relevant, the chance of deception can be greatly increased. Only recently, I found myself distracted and half way through entering my personal details for a Paypal security request until I realized just in time that the submit button linked not to paypal.com but to youdumbasscapitalistpig.ru. In these cases, grammatical accuracy is critical, and can be the difference between success (at your expense) and failure.

So let's reluctantly move away from Capt. Kate for a moment, and instead look at some other examples closer to home. A quick search through my LinkedIn home page revealed the following posts (mentioning no names of course):

were all ready for tomorrows advanced engineering show

"We're all ready" (good to know) or "we were all ready" (until something went wrong)? And is it a show about tomorrow's advanced engineering, or (more likely) is it the Advanced Engineering Show that's happening tomorrow?

You should to attend one of my webinars next week

Does this mean "you should attend", "you should try to attend", "you two should attend", or the more forceful "you should too attend"?

It can be seen that, regardless of how seemingly minor, the grammatical errors detract from the messages being portrayed - both these updates have just a single positive response even though the originators have over five hundred connections each. What makes things worse is that this is not Facebook; the level of grammatical accuracy on LinkedIn is very high for most posts, so deficiencies tend to stand out markedly. Where the goal was to draw positive attention to the subject at hand, the opposite is occurring and readers are shying away from being associated with these types of mistakes.

Correcting your own grammatical errors is actually harder than it first appears - I’m sure there are many within this article (which will no doubt be pointed out). The problem is that our brain knows what it wrote the first time, and no amount of re-reading will change what it sees and knows to be true. So if you have a chance to have someone else look over your writing, it can never hurt and will almost always be to your benefit. Your audience won’t mind waiting a little longer for your newsletter, ad or status update, and will certainly react more favourably if grammatical mistakes are avoided.

In the end, I think we can all learn a thing or two from Capt. Kate Carr Lee.  

The English language is inherently complicated due to its storied history. Countless rules and exceptions make it remarkably difficult to learn, especially when lacking the benefit of being raised on its subtle nuances and colloquialisms. But even when it is the native tongue, English can be precarious when the speaker grows up hearing, believing or being taught some other modified version. 

The mispronunciation of certain words may lead to an unfair and possibly derogatory judgment of the speaker's level of education and authenticity. These errors aren’t related to regional or social variations (dialects), such as the difference in pronunciation of schedule between North Americans and the British (skedule and shedule respectively); they are a direct misuse or misunderstanding of the language. The following five words are the biggest culprits - there are others, but these are the most common - and correcting them in everyday speech will help limit any potential damage to the credibility of the speaker, since those listening often know the correct form of the word.

1. Heighth (Height) – This mistake arises from other similar words of the measurement family ending with th e.g. length (from long), width (from wide), depth (from deep), and the lesser used breadth (from broad). It certainly seems like it should be heighth and is a normal extension of those other words, but similar to weight, the ending is t, not th, and the correct pronunciation and spelling is height, sounding like light.
2. Expresso (Espresso) – The pronunciation with an x can be heard quite frequently, even while visiting the numerous coffee shops where it is brewed and sold. It is another close call based on form (similar to heighth), since the origins are related to the word express, meaning “to press or squeeze out”, and some dictionaries permit it as a variant. However, the correct pronunciation of espressousing an s comes from Italy, where the x in Latin root words is often replaced by an s in the derivative. When in Rome, and all that ...
3. Supposably (Supposedly) – Shockingly, supposably is a legitimate word (at least in American English). It’s probably not the word you’re looking for most of the time, but nonetheless it is an adverb meaning “able to be supposed” or “conceivably”. Even the spell checker can’t believe it. An example of usage would be: “we may supposably be permitted to go home tomorrow”, but its use is not advised - opt for conceivably instead.  The word generally required is supposedly, meaning “accepted or believed as true”, but often accompanied with just a little hint of sarcasm: “my brother is supposedly coming to visit me tomorrow, but I’ll believe it when I see it.”
   
4. Irregardless (Regardless) – A flawed construction given life by the word irrespective.  The prefix ir means “not” and the suffix less means “without”, creating a double negative around the root word regard.  Therefore, in essence (but not in reality, since it isn’t a word despite what the spell checker might say), irregardless means “in regard to”, the opposite of what it is supposed to mean.  It does, however, appear in some dictionaries, but this is not an excuse to use it in speech as it is listed as non-standard (i.e. commonly used, but utterly incorrect).  The recommended and correct form of the word is regardless, meaning “without regard”.
   
5. Pacific (Specific) – Pacific is correct when talking about the ocean, but incorrect when meaning either “precise” (“she had a specific set of objectives”), or “details”, (“the police officer recorded the specifics of the crime scene”).  The correct word is specific; the reason for the difficulty in pronunciation is the proximity of the second s sound to the opening sp sound.  If you are prone to this little linguistic trap (ask a close friend), practice slowly by saying together sp as in sport, si as in sing, and fick as in fickle, and hopefully you'll soon be out of deep water.

Of course, there are many other English words and phrases that are treated with a little less respect than they may, or may not, deserve – some deliberately mispronounced (aks instead of ask), and some just difficult to grasp (like Otorhinolaryngologist - give me a break).  Still others present a very personal challenge; one notable case is the actor Benedict Cumberbatch’s public battle with the word penguins in the documentary Strange Islands, during which he repeatedly refers to the flightless birds as pengwings, or at one point penglings, probably as a result of some terrible childhood penguin trauma. Certain phrases can also join in the fun, with the classic example being to all intensive purposes instead of to all intents and purposes.  But it’s the five words above that standout markedly in common speech, and learning to pronounce them correctly will certainly help to at least maintain your conversational standing among your peers.

Zara, part of the Inditex Group, is perhaps the most successful fashion retailer on the planet, founded by Amancio Ortega, himself one of the most successful and richest businessmen in the world (second only to one Mr William Gates). Zara’s remarkable history is founded on the fundamental concept of being a leader in business strategy and execution, standing head and shoulders above its peer group in terms of forward thinking. 

The first Zara boutique was opened in 1975 in the Spanish town of A Coruña. Originally called “Zorba” after Zorba the Greek, the fledgling fashion outlet was forced to change its identity thanks to a nearby restaurant with the same name; since those humble beginnings, the Zara chain has grown to over 2100 stores across 88 countries under the leadership of Ortega, incorporating a highly agile supply chain. Whether male or female, young or old, contemporary or classic in taste, Zara's customer base is as broad as it is fashionable, and kept constantly on its toes by the high level of flexibility and responsiveness that the store is able to achieve through a sophisticated system of constant feedback from its retail outlets to its 200 designers. As such, customers can't get enough; on average, a customer will visit a Zara store seventeen times a year compared with a measly three times for most other fashion retail outlets. 

This is a remarkable achievement, made possible only by the implementation of a strategy first employed in the automotive industry at Toyota; that of Just In Time manufacturing and the associated concepts of lean production. While other retail stores naturally tend toward a repetitive production strategy (the assembly line approach) due to the would-be typical timelines involved in fashion design and the drive to reduce manufacturing costs by outsourcing to Asia, Zara began to shift gears starting in the '80s to a mass customization approach where customers’ desires are rapidly catered to. 

It has done this in several ways using the fundamentals of the lean manufacturing model.  Firstly, it has kept its supply base close.  As others moved to Asia for production, Zara maintains suppliers in Spain that use high levels of automation in order to create unfinished or “greige” (pronounced “grey”) goods, and a network of finishing shops in Spain, Portugal, Turkey and Morocco, to which the greige goods are sent in order to produce the final designs (suits, shirts, dresses, pants etc). Zara’s inventory is kept remarkably low, with the majority of designs for the season unknown. Whereas a typical fashion store would tie itself into a certain style, Zara will not. As brave as it is ingenious, a Kanban approach is adopted to pull (rather than push) from the designer’s wardrobe, as it were, and using complex information technology systems such as RFID tags it is able to keep a close track of its inventory. Small orders are placed frequently so that customers are not kept waiting and do not lose interest – in this way, Zara can deliver brand new designs to its retail outlets in as little as 15 days; designs which until 3 weeks before had not been thought of previously. 

This compares to the 6 months or more that it takes its rivals, and is obviously an incredible example of waste minimization and competitive advantage. A constant stream of data regarding which products are most popular can also help analyze current and future trends, and allow for better predictions of demand for more popular products. At the end of every day, store managers electronically impart customer driven feedback including returns, complaints, advice etc, to develop a process of continuous improvement to aid the distribution and design centres quickly correct any problems and ensure on-going customer satisfaction. Zara’s online presence is also highly impressive and fits directly into the mass customization model; the array of clothing available is second to none.
On top of all of this, Zara has managed to incorporate sustainability into its business model, partnering with Greenpeace to eliminate the use of toxic substances in its production, and ensuring that its manufacturers and suppliers meet their code of conduct and environmental sustainability standards.

This incredibly effective business model, based on the principles of lean manufacturing developed in the factories of Toyota, has resulted in high fashion being available to the general public at very reasonable prices, despite locating in some of the most highly sought after and expensive real estate locations in the world. According to its website:
Zara is always striving to meet the needs of its customers at the same time as helping to inform their ideas, trends and tastes. The idea is to share responsible passion for fashion across a broad spectrum of people, cultures and ages.Today, Inditex, Zara’s parent company, reaches a valuation of over €100 billion, operating over 7,000 stores in 91 markets worldwide. Given the dedication and the expert application of the principles of lean manufacturing, and the courage of its founder Mr Ortega (and his former wife Rosalía Mera), this incredible success is perhaps not unsurprising. 
​
​References
1.     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amancio_Ortega
2.     http://www.inditex.com/en/home
3.     https://successstory.com/companies/zara
4.     http://www.forbes.com/sites/gregpetro/2012/10/25/the-future-of-fashion-retailing-the-zara-approach-part-2-of-3/#1c72e36a39a0
5.     https://theleadershipnetwork.com/article/lean-manufacturing/zara-lean-fashion-retail

Since Henry Ford’s development of the assembly line to assist mass production, quality and its method of implementation has been an integral part of the auto industry.  Ford managed to cut costs of the inaugural Model T by more than half, making his cars affordable for the average American family, whilst simultaneously improving reliability and safety.  The repetitive manufacturing process relied heavily on interchangeable parts, which had to be made to exacting standards in order to be effective.  Ford had set the tone for quality in the auto industry, and despite Model T sales falling by the mid 1920s, had built a platform of growth based on quality products for Detroit’s Big Three – Ford, Chrysler and GM.

The onset of World War II brought home the importance of reliability, and military standards forced car manufacturers to adopt rigorous statistical process control (SPC) techniques.  However, after the war ended, US manufacturers resorted to old ways and stopped making quality a priority.  It became driven by inspection rather than by process; it was not fully supported by management, and product reliability as well as manufacturing costs suffered.  Japanese manufacturers however adopted these techniques whole-heartedly, ironically under the instruction of American quality specialist W. Edwards Deming.   The Japanese, historically known for shoddy production, began to infiltrate the US auto market in the 1960s, and Toyota and other foreign manufacturers were able to gain a foothold.  The Big Three still did not foresee the issues, thinking price was the driving factor and not quality.  Hit by a series of unreliable products, market share began to slide, and when oil prices started to rise in the 1970s, Chrysler were unable to react quickly enough despite having the resources in Europe to manufacture more fuel efficient cars.  Management had failed the company – a foresight of what was to come twenty five years later.
In the words of Alan Mulally, Ford’s dynamic President and CEO during the 2008 bail-out crisis (in which Ford didn’t need bailing out due to his actions):

“These three companies have been going out of business for 80 years.  They were insulated and had great success early on with 70, 80% of the market.  But they were arrogant.  They made fun of the Japanese.  And then they made shoddy products; all of a sudden they had some competition, and their arrogance caught up with them.”

Quality of US vehicles only began to improve slowly in the mid 80s when US companies started to benchmark against some of their foreign rivals and implement techniques such as quality circles and SPC.  But corporate arrogance led to a belief that they knew what was best for the customer, and that they were indestructible; as profits increased once more, ludicrously rich deals such as the "Jobs Bank", which paid 95% of salary to laid off workers indefinitely, were made with the unions resulting in astronomical fixed costs on every vehicle.  These fixed costs cut massively into the margin of each car they produced, and put the Big Three far behind the eight-ball in comparison to its lean, focused, customer-driven overseas competitors.  And despite constant decline of market share in the late 90s and early 2000s, they did not take heed of the practices of their rivals and continued to invest heavily in non fuel-efficient trucks – their biggest profit products.  In 2007, as oil prices rose and the global economy faltered, their inventory mounted - in-fighting was common-place, relations with dealers became strained, and high-paid executives became ever-more isolated from their workers and customers.

However, Bill Ford recognized in 2006 many of the issues, and managed to entice to Ford a very successful executive from Boeing, Alan Mulally.  Ford had reacted just in time, and demonstrated a perfect example of benchmarking outside of an industry.  Mulally realized that Ford’s lack of focus, controlling multiple brands such as Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo, was hurting the company significantly.  He reduced the product line, selling most of the non-Ford brands, turned the focus to more fuel-efficient vehicles that customers so badly wanted, and implemented a total quality management system which included eliminating fear and allowing people to be open and honest – a trait not seen in the auto-industry for many years.  His employees responded to him positively and things started to turn around at Ford on the back of some shrewd borrowing, divesting, sales and negotiations with the unions.  Mulally and Ford went through the bankruptcy negotiations with GM and Chrysler, but they did not need to – they went only to provide support, and in turn show the world that quality was at the heart of Ford’s future. Once the Big Three came through the other side of the government bailout, it was Ford who showed the way, just as they had at the turn of the century.  According to Ford, the “One Ford” philosophy:

“encourages focus, teamwork and a single global approach, aligning employee efforts toward a common definition of success. It emphasizes the importance of working together as one team to achieve automotive leadership, which is measured by the satisfaction of our customers, employees and essential business partners, such as our dealers, investors, suppliers, unions/councils and the communities in which we operate.”
​
It is likely the Big Three will never make these mistakes again.  Then again, perhaps we will only have to wait another 25 years.

​Depending on the nature of its business, a company may adopt one of several production strategies in order minimize waste and maximise profit.  The primary factors affecting which strategy to use are the levels of production volume and product variety.
 
Process Focus Strategy – Low Volume, High Variety
 
A process focused strategy centres around the processes used to build products, grouping similar resources together in work cells.  It is best employed by companies that output low volume, differentiated products with high levels of customisation i.e. products that are typically unique to the customer.  Commonly referred to as “job shops”, examples include machine shops, aircraft infra-red suppressor manufacturers, custom carpenters and beauty salons.  Due to the high variability from one job to the next, they require a well-trained, skilled, flexible workforce, and use high levels of raw materials – therefore variable costs are high relative to fixed costs.  Utilization of resources is very low (between 5-20%), as forecasting is difficult, although not impossible – there may be seasonal trends or other demand influencing factors such as current fashions or medical outbreaks.  They tend to build to order and carry very little if any finished goods inventory – for the majority of the time material is in WIP (work in progress) undergoing value-added operations, and the sequence of tasks (i.e. the specific order work cells are visited) can vary significantly from one product to the next.  The Process Focus strategy is therefore termed ‘intermittent’.
 
Product Focus Strategy – High Volume, Low Variety
 
Polar opposite to the Process Focus strategy is a Product Focus strategy, which concentrates on optimising the factory lay-out for very low variety (possibly a single item e.g. a plastic curtain hook) but very high volume manufacturing.  The process is highly linear and can run for long periods of time - possibly non-stop with multiple shifts of workers, hence it is referred to as a ‘continuous’ process. Automation moves WIP rapidly from one stage to the next resulting in a high utilization of resources (70-90%).  Capital investment in equipment can be large and both equipment and process failures are highly undesirable resulting in potential large loss of product.  Contingency plans need to be in place to ensure that production can continue during times of equipment maintenance and repair.  Inspections throughout the process ensure that it remains within certain limits – this can be controlled by statistical process control methods using computer generated data (e.g. temperature, mass etc).  There are only a few work instructions, and the workforce is generally small and not broadly trained due to the low flexibility of the process – the majority of the workers are less skilled than in the constantly changing Process Focused facility.  Raw material expenditure is generally low and raw materials are quickly consumed.  Production rates are set based on forecasts and repeat orders with finished goods inventory typically high.  Variable costs (material and labour) are therefore generally lower and fixed costs higher than a process focused strategy.
 
Repetitive Focus Strategy
 
Repetitive Focus combines aspects of both Process Focus and Product Focus, and as a production strategy lies somewhere between the two in terms of production volume and flexibility - less flexibility but higher volume when compared to the process focused approach, and vice versa when compared to the product focused approach.  It is termed ‘modular’, since lower level assemblies are manufactured in modules off of the main assembly line and brought together in a continuous production process to produce a somewhat custom product.  The modular components are also generally manufactured in a continuous process.  The process relies heavily on interchangeable parts produced by each module, a concept developed by Honoré Blanc in France in the 18th century, and popularized by Eli Whitney in the USA shortly thereafter.  Repetitive manufacturing is the quintessential assembly line as employed by the automobile, appliance and electronics industries, as well as others, with the fundamental advantage being that the main assembly occurs in stages which are repeated time and time again (from one unit to the next) by a semi-skilled workforce trained to do their particular job in an efficient manner.  Product therefore emerges from the line at a rate equal to the time taken to complete the slowest single operation, so that in an assembly line of many repeatable operations, the rate of production can be high compared to the time taken to manufacture a single unit.  Analyses are performed to ensure the ergonomics of the work station (e.g. tool location, material handling methods etc) are optimised so that no time is wasted and the worker is as comfortable as possible.  Still, any one individual’s job can become tedious and injury can result from repetitive strain.  There can also be some disassociation of workers from the final product since they only work in the one area in which they are focused and trained.  It is the task of management to control and negate these potential issues.
 
Raw material consumption typically operates under a Just-in-Time protocol, while the modules and assemblies move by mechanical means from one stage to the next, and production levels are guided by forecasting.
 
Mass Customization Strategy - High Volume, High Variety
 
The most difficult and hence the riskiest production process to implement, Mass Customization aims to achieve high levels of flexibility at high production volumes.  Unlike the Process Focus approach, which can be highly flexible with an almost unlimited product range (within the capacity of the processes available) and has typically accepted long production times, mass customization must give the impression of an almost unlimited product range by anticipating the needs of the customer and tailoring sufficient options (modules) to suit that demand in as short a time as possible.  The rise of mass customization has been accelerated by the introduction of technology and primarily the internet which allows the average consumer to build a product to their own specification and expect delivery within a matter of days or even hours.  Achieving or not achieving a sufficient level of flexibility (variety of product) can be the difference between success and failure when volumes are high.  Too much flexibility means that production will not be able to react fast enough to satisfy demand; too little flexibility and the consumer will not be able to create the product (they think) they need.  In both cases, company reputation will suffer rapidly and possibly irrevocably at the hands of online critics. 
 
Mass customisation relies on flexibility both of its workforce and its equipment in order to adapt to the many different custom demands which need to be processed rapidly and built-to-order.  Costs are optimized by keep inventory low using techniques such as JIT, lean and kanban.  To make the strategy viable, variable costs must be kept low relative to fixed costs; companies employ methods such as postponement to delay customisation as late in the process as possible thereby benefitting from high levels of utilization seen in a more typical continuous production approach.  In such a time-critical yet flexible process, the supply chain must be extraordinarily well-managed which requires having best-in-class relationships with suppliers.  The risks of mass customisation are high, and failure is a very real possibility, but by not implementing such a strategy a business may well be left behind by its competitors who reap the rewards of higher margins and increased market-share.
 
Note that the impression of mass customisation can be partially achieved by offering options which correspond to existing inventory, but the number of combinations available is then limited and the economic benefits that come from streamlined supply chains and low inventory costs are not generally realized.

​Ref: The New York Times, Energy & Environment “Keurig’s New K-Cup Coffee Is Recyclable, but Hardly Green” David Gelles, April 15, 2016
 
The life of the Keurig K-cup is interesting because its rise has by driven by the consumer’s strong desire for excessive convenience and yet historically is remarkably non-environmentally friendly due to their lack of recyclability.  According to the article, “reusable K-Cups are also available from Keurig and other manufacturers, but haven’t caught on with convenience-obsessed consumers.”  Initially, consumers would complain of a non-recyclable product while sipping their single serve French Vanilla coffee, but recent falling sales due to various online campaigns against the container (including the proclamation that a single year’s sales of the cups would circle the globe 10 times) sparked the initiative from Green Mountain, Keurig’s parent company, to develop a recyclable product.  But development was incredibly difficult since it was a backward design with many restrictions related to fit, form and function; the cup had to stay the same shape to fit the existing machines as well as having an easily punctured lid and the ability to keep the coffee from being exposed to oxygen.  Still, after several false starts, their designers managed to come up with a product that meets all the requirements by using a new type of plastic, and the intent is to transition fully to the new cups by 2020.  According to Keurig’s website, “polypropylene #5 plastic ... performs well in our brewing system, is accepted for recycling in a majority of communities in the United States and Canada, and is in high demand as a recovered material.”  However, there remain those who doubt as to whether the effort may not have been wasted at least from a true sustainability viewpoint since the cup is not compostable or reusable and will require extra effort from the convenience-driven consumer to remove the lid and wash out the pots – a dirty and time consuming process.  Not that true sustainability may have been the goal however – in this case the perception of moving toward a more sustainable product may be more important in order to recover falling sales in an expanding market (a cynical viewpoint that may or may not be proven out with time).  Certainly, the Keurig website suggests that they are trying to overcome the problems associated with the extra effort, including developing partnerships with The Association of Plastic Recyclers, and the investment of five million dollars in small item recovery through the Closed Loop Fund.  In the end though, perhaps the only way that sustainability may be truly achieved is for consumers to stop purchasing the product altogether and start practicing their French Press.

As Canadian citizens, we are protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which allows us to live in a free and democratic society.  Along with these rights and freedoms, however, come certain responsibilities, one of which is helping others in the community.  The Government of Canada website has this to say on the subject:

“Millions of volunteers freely donate their time to help others without pay—helping people in need, assisting at your child’s school, volunteering at a food bank or other charity, or encouraging newcomers to integrate. Volunteering is an excellent way to gain useful skills and develop friends and contacts.”

I know this because, although not born in Canada, I have been through the process of ‘naturalization’ (don’t worry, it wasn’t painful).  A few years ago I was honoured to be accepted as one of your own - despite my preference for driving on the left - and in turn now have two of my own who think I speak funny and mock me for drinking excessive amounts of tea.

During the citizenship ceremony I was thus reminded that as a Canadian citizen I have a responsibility to be an active member of my community, although how those who do not go through this naturalization process know this I am not sure; perhaps it is assumed to be common sense?  I remember it well because I was very proud that I was entering into a society that places so much emphasis on ‘paying it forward’.  There were about sixty people in the ceremony that day, and each year about two hundred thousand more immigrants like me are granted the privilege of Canadian citizenship.  And yet so often, when ferrying the entourage between scouting events, baseball games, school barbecues and charity fundraisers, it is the same people in charge, taking fees, cooking burgers and setting up tents.  It is no secret that in today’s self indulgent society, full of personal gadgetry, we are becoming more secluded and less social.  The community, in essence, is struggling to survive, and is being propped up by a minority who give their time freely and without any expectation.

Some spiritual leaders suggest that the keys to happiness include doing things for others and connecting with the people and world around us.  None align with the principle that personal contentment resides within our ‘My-phones’ and ‘My-pads’.  This is not a guilt trip; there is a time and a place for everything.  But it is important for our own well-being that we try as hard as we can to do some small thing, anything, to help strengthen our community and build our own sense of self worth; spend a few hours picking up litter, help an elderly neighbour rake the leaves, volunteer for a local service.  Even such a simple thing as looking up and saying ‘hi’ to a passer-by can make a difference. 

Often though, and I myself know it all too well (for I am no saint), it is the first step that is so very hard.  Moving out of your comfort zone requires a monumental effort, and preparing to do anything out of the ordinary is a burden better put off until tomorrow – we are, by nature, animals who prefer the path of least resistance (coined ‘The Principle of Least Effort’).  Why waste valuable resources needed for survival on pursuits that instinctively gain us nothing?  Personally, I prefer sitting on the couch watching golf (sorry, I mean conserving energy) rather than going for a run or preparing a soccer coaching plan.  But once the ball starts rolling, it is much easier to keep it rolling; and once it begins to roll collectively, we will reap the benefits in so many ways, ironically not the least of which will be a selfish sense of fulfillment which will add to the ball’s momentum.  Other benefits include meeting new people, having things to look forward to, and the feeling of being part of a bigger picture (otherwise, what is the point of all this?).  In turn, our communities will become safer, happier places because more of us will be aware of our surroundings and the individuals, families and children within them.

If you already contribute to the community, my family and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the effort you put in.  If you feel you could do more, why not take some time to sit down and think where you could contribute, be it at your child’s evening activity (perfect if you don’t have much time) or somewhere else - www.volunteerottawa.ca is a great place to start.  Everyone needs to pay it forward in a small way; don’t do it because the government says you should do it.  Do it for your own benefit.  We owe it to ourselves to be better citizens.

Whether unhappy in your present position, or currently “between opportunities”, you owe it to yourself to find the job that's right for you; one where you can be your best, and which in turn will reward you appropriately for your efforts.

Done correctly, the process is not as complicated as you might expect.  If you have a job already, it can help relieve any stress by providing focus; and if you don't have a job, you do now.

Step 1 - Networking

First and foremost – never send your résumé to a company as they will rarely respond, because the truth is they usually have someone in mind already. Networking is key; it’s not what you know, but who you know. To go about it correctly, you must talk to people face to face.

Start by thinking of all the people you know who might know someone in the particular industry you are interested in; friends, trustworthy work colleagues, family members, teachers, waiters etc. Keep a list of the people they suggest and get their permission to call those people. This is your contacts list and will grow with time.

Step 2 - The Call

Pick someone from your contacts list, and make a call. Practise on a friend first if you’re nervous.  When you speak to the contact, introduce yourself and tell them who gave you their name.  Say that you're interested in researching companies in your specific industry to broaden your horizons, and that their company is of interest to you.

Then request a lunch meeting for an hour maximum so it won't disrupt their workday too much (you pay of course), to ask them some questions about their role and their business. Be positive and confident; the worst they can say is no, but most people will give time to an interested, enthusiastic person, if only to relieve their own tedium at work. If they do insist on not meeting you, ask if they know anyone else who could give you insight.  And so your contacts list grows.

Step 3 - The Meeting

Be prepared.  When you go to the meeting, have questions about the individual’s role and the business they’re in. Be engaging, talk about yourself where appropriate, but don't overdo it.

It is imperative that you are genuinely interested in the company by doing your research, just as you would for an interview.  Bring a few résumés in your bag just in case you are asked (but don’t hand them out), and dress smartly to maintain a level of professionalism.  The goal is to make a good enough first impression so that when a position becomes available, they will think of you first.  Occasionally, when the impression is very good, a position might appear that fits your skills even when one is not currently open.

At the end of the meeting, pay the bill, thank them for their time, and ask if they know of anyone who might be able to speak to you about other companies.  And so your contacts list grows.

Step 4 - Follow Up

Make sure after a couple of days you follow up. Write a thank you email or call to say how much you appreciated their time, and ask again if they can think of anyone else that might be interested in talking to you. All of these dates and timelines should be noted in your contacts list - how the meeting went, what you thought of the company and the person, who else they recommended.

Step 5 - Repeat

Now move to the next contact on your list. Challenge yourself to find alternative avenues to build contacts. Take pleasure in meeting new people while at the same time learning about your career needs. In no time you will be presented with employment opportunities that you will have to give careful consideration to.  Ultimately it is not simply about an employer finding another body or you taking the first opportunity, but about the development of a mutual respect between employer and employee which will reward both parties to the fullest potential in their working relationship.

 I would wish you the best of luck, but honestly, I know you won’t need it.

William Humphries likes to write, and has been unemployed before. He is trained as a mechanical engineer and is currently working in the aerospace industry. He found his current job and his two previous jobs using the techniques described above. He has also edited a book about one room schoolhouses for local author Joy Forbes, and builds websites as a hobby. You can see some of his work at www.oneroomschoolhouses.ca, www.hardycoaching.com and his own editing website, www.willpoweredediting.com