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Every week, reporters around the continent write great business stories that don't make it onto your screen or into your local paper. And every week I scour newspapers around the continent to identify five of those great stories to enrich your weekend reading. This week I'm pointing you to stories about why some physicians are choosing to go it alone, flextime, simple courtesies, retirement (or not), and why one Olympic athlete might be a hotter property even though he didn't win a medal.

Look to your left to see what I blogged about here this week. Over at Momentor I blogged about "Can you have it all?" and did my weekly collection of Top Career Posts.

Last week's newsletter was "The Richard Ewell Rules." As usual there were pointers to Web and Reading Resources, too.

This week there were two excellent posts that will extend your blog horizons. Fistful of Talent re-launched the Talent Management Blog Power Rankings. Check out the list to discover great HR and talent management blogs as well as some other blogs, like mine, that don't exactly fit the category, but are read by a lot of the same people.

Julie Ferguson at HR Web Café shared a few "new" HR blog discoveries. Julie does this frequently. HR Web Café is worth reading for posts like this and other pointers to resources.

And now, here's my pick of the five best local stories this week.

From the Virginian-Pilot: In a complicated industry, some doctors go it alone
"John Brady’s decision to start a solo practice five years ago bucks a national trend in which most doctors are choosing to join larger practices."

Wally's Comment: In many places, physicians seem to pursue efficiency and cost effectiveness as their primary goals, with patient well-being coming in somewhere down the list. But some physicians are trying to go a different way.

From the Washington Post: Flextime Has Green Appeal and Lures Younger Workers
"They have replaced incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents, cut the number of cars in their fleets and embraced hybrids. They have planted native grasses to cut down on lawn maintenance and, with it, fuel consumption. Now a growing number of businesses and state and local governments from Fairfax to Detroit to Salt Lake City are pondering a strategy for saving on utility costs and being kind to the environment: telling their workers, stay home. "

Wally's Comment: Telecommuting and flextime are powerful tools for all sorts of things. Cost savings and "going green" are just two of them.

From the Arizona Republic: Dear customer, We really care
"In an era of marketing by e-mail blast, the Valley's two most luxurious department stores communicate with their best shoppers in the genteel style of yesterday: Handwritten notes, telephone calls and a wealth of personal attention."

Wally's Comment: What used to be common courtesy has now become so rare that it's competitive advantage. My mother wrote at least three thank-you notes a day every day of her adult life. I'm trying to live up to her example, and I find that today, the sincere thank-you is a rare and treasured thing. For bit more on this, read Rowan Manahan's excellent post, "Golden Oldies - Simple courtesies," published this last week. fortifyservices.blogspot.com/2008/08/golden-oldies-simple-courtesies.html

From Long Island Newsday: Fed up with retirement? Unretire!
"While the majority of Americans successfully settle into retirement and probably never consider returning to the workforce, 19 percent do go back, either full or part time, according to a February survey by AXA Equitable Global Retirement."

Wally's Comment: Read this article to get an idea why some of your retirees may want to return to work.

From the Boston Globe: His mettle will still make the biggest impression
"Sprinter Tyson Gay is an earnest, hard-working athlete whose youth and Olympic hopes made for a potent formula for advertising success. But is he still as alluring without a gold medal in the mix?"

Wally's Comment: When it comes to using athletes for marketing, an Olympic gold medal isn't everything. Read about why Trevor Gay may be a more valuable property without one.

Wally's Working Supervisor's Support Kit is a collection of information and tools to help working supervisors do a better job. It's based on what Wally's learned in over twenty years of supervisory skills training. Click here to check it out.

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Wally Bock has helped people learn to be great bosses for more than a quarter century. His latest book, Performance Talk: The One-on-One Part of Leadership, makes learning key leadership principles almost effortless by teaching through a story and providing lists of resources for further growth.

Click here to find out more about Wally's coaching services.

For weekly tips and resources pointers, check our Wally Bock's Three Star Leadership Letter.

Click here to find out more about having Wally speak to your company or convention.