Clasuae

THERE will always be some managers who are perceived as more successful than others. They may not be better qualified or more experienced, necessarily, but just seem to have the knack of pulling in better results. But this need not stay as one of life's unsolved mysteries, according to HR Online consultant Steven Carlin. Winning Technique Steven argues that there are techniques for identifying what sort of behaviours bring advantage in a particular set of circumstances, if firms and managers are willing to take time and analyse the differences . "If we were to look at a group of managers who carry out the same function, all may have taken a similar academic route, all are likely to have been inducted into the organisation in a similar manner and all are likely to have developed similar skills in relation to performing in their job. "Why then are some managers considered to more successful than others? The distinction lies not in what the manag...

On a nine-concert national tour of South Africa, the American pianist Awadagin Pratt is already proving what critics overseas are saying: he has something special when it comes to technique, musicality and interpretation. Pratt will be in Cape Town to play Beethoven with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra in its season opener - and his last concert - at the Cape Town City Hall on Thursday, June 4, at 8 pm. Technique Musicality and Interpretation Pratt is not new to Cape Town. He performed with The Cape Town Concert Series in 1996 and since then, apart from being a judge at the UNISA International Piano Competition a couple of years ago, the stars have not been aligned to have him back. "I enjoyed being in Cape Town - it was my first time in South Africa and I was happy to meet Archbishop Tutu. That specific concert was recorded for my third CD, Live from South Africa, so the concert remains fixed in my memory. A winner of the prestigious Naumburg Prize in 1992, Pr...

A common police  technique  of using small-time criminals to catch drug dealers may have contributed to an atmosphere that allowed two Eugene officers to think they could demand sex from women they stopped on patrol, victim advocates say. Known locally on the streets as "three-for-one," the practice is spelled out in the department's official policy manual and is an accepted investigation tool not just here but in cities across the country. Eugene police allow petty offenders, both men and woman, to "work off a charge" by turning in their dealers or performing drug buys that result in the arrest of three others. Though the use of confidential informants is generally seen as a benefit to both sides, it exploits people who are most vulnerable to coercion, say those who work closely with prostitutes and addicts. And the secretive nature of cutting deals on the street opens the door to potential abuse, they say. "You would have to be naive...

Adrian Milledge takes guard as a device costing pounds 2,000 comes to club cricket. Special delivery: Balls are fed into the bowling machine and delivered at a pre-planned speed (left) for Adrian Milledge (right) to improve his batting technique. You could never accuse Kenilworth Wardens of being Luddites. Witness their hiring of a helicopter a couple of seasons ago to dry a wet pitch so that a key match could be played. Technique and Technology Their latest embrace of modern technology, however, is set to have longer-term value. After a pilot scheme in the weeks leading up to Christmas, the club is now able to provide coaching which incorporates the use of a bowling machine and video camera. Wardens have had their own two-lane indoor nets for some years and, as far as the club's head of youth cricket David Gurr is concerned, complementing them with the latest in coaching aids is a natural progression. In local club cricket terms, Gurr believes it als...

Q. I tend to stay away from sit-ups because they often hurt my neck. Is there an effective way to work your abdominals so that you don't strain your neck? A. When done correctly, sit-ups will help to tone the muscles in your midsection as well as work to protect your back and enhance your overall posture. But do note that doing sit-ups incorrectly can be a complete waste of time - and even cause injury to your back. In order for sit-ups to be effective, proper  technique  is a must. More often than not, I'll see people using so much momentum that most of the work is being done by the neck, arms and legs rather than the abs. Keeping your knees bent during sit-ups helps to neutralize the action of the hip flexors (structures that comprise the hip joint) and therefore forces the abs to work harder. Do note, however, that the abs work hardest during the initial phase of the sit-up, because shortly after the initial lift, the hip flexors take over. The best approach is to lift yo...

IF I ASKED you what Judi Dench, Joanna Lumley, Pierce Brosnan and Robin Williams had in common, you would rightly say they are all actors. But if I were to throw Paul McCartney, Roald Dahl and George Bernard Shaw into the mix, perhaps you wouldn't be quite so sure. So I will put you out of your misery and let you into the secret. All of the aforementioned personalities have turned to the Alexander Technique to help them overcome muscle problems, poor posture, anxiety, asthma and a variety of other ailments -- and the number of people joining them is growing. Next month, from July 13-18, an Alexander Technique Summer School will take place in the  University of Limerick  and promises to show participants exactly how to make the method work for them to cure niggling pains, correct posture and ultimately save them a fortune in medical bills. I have always had back problems, thanks to a childhood incident in which a car drove over my foot. Unsurprisingly, it was a pret...

Yoshitaka Takeya thought he was heading for a playoff after squandering a late lead at the Japan Golf Tour Championship. Instead, he walked off with his first title as a pro. Takeya won the Japan  GTO  tour's second major when South Korea's Lee Sang Hee was assessed a two-shot penalty after catching the Japanese on the last hole of the final round Sunday at the Shishido Hills Country Club in Kasama, Ibaraki Prefecture. Takeya, the overnight coleader who started the round three shots ahead of Lee, rode a hot putter in a run of five straight birdies from the ninth hole, but bogeyed the final two holes to shoot a 68 and finish at 17-under 271. Lee, who had eight birdies, sank a par putt on No. 18 to apparently force a playoff with Takeya after trailing by four strokes with four holes to play. But tournament officials reviewed Lee's actions on the 11th hole, assessing him a penalty for improving his line on a putt. Lee said he was sweeping away debris with his fingers, but offi...

A new scientific technique developed by a team of University of Hawaii astronomers may help in the search for life in the planetary system closest to ours, and maybe beyond. Led by Svetlana Berdyugina, a visiting scientist at the UH NASA Astrobiology Institute, the team has found a way to detect life forms through reflected light using polarizing filters -- similar to Polaroid sunglasses or 3-D movie goggles -- even in the glow of a star millions of times brighter than a planet. Technique life The findings, published in the International Journal of Astrobiology, were presented last week at the International Astronomical Union General Assembly in Honolulu. Scientists from the University of Hawaii are Jeff Kuhn, David Harrington and John Messersmith. Berdyugina is from the Institute of Physics of the University of Freiburg and the Freiburg Kiepenheuer Institute for Solar Physics. In their research, the team developed a method of detecting life as we know it in photosynthetic pigments, w...

When Bob and Patricia Lawrence moved to Ponte Vedra Beach from Cairo, Egypt , in March 2000, they planned a leisurely life packed with fun and travel. At 57, Bob Lawrence had taken early retirement from his career as Lockheed-Martin's president for Africa, the Middle East and Pakistan. Say They're Breathing Life Life Technique "We had taken two summer leaves during our 11 years in Cairo and driven down the East Coast of the United States looking for the perfect retirement spot," recalls Patricia Lawrence. "We liked Ponte Vedra Beach best. Bob was a golfer and a fisherman, and I don't do cold weather well. We went online, found a Realtor and bought our house in Ponte Vedra." After living their dream for nearly 1 1/2 years, the nightmare began. In October 2001, Bob Lawrence was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. In January, he died. Ironically, the couple learned about "The Art of Living" while one of them was dying. Last year, as she researched a...