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The 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.

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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 how technology has changed our lives, two stories of entrepreneurs, cooperatives, and what's going on in Europe's economy.

Look to your left to see what I blogged about here this week, including my review of The New Age of Innovation. Over at Momentor I blogged about "Personal Development Made Simple" and did my weekly selection of Top Career Posts.

Last week's newsletter was "The John Wooden Rule." As usual there were pointers to Web and Reading Resources, too.

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

From the San Jose Mercury: This time, Silicon Valley's technology changed U.S. politics
"It struck me as I sat at the computer in the kitchen Tuesday night, with the TV blaring election results in the background. I was doing my best John King-on-CNN imitation, showing my kids a Web-based electoral map while trying to explain why 270 votes was the magic number. And you know what it was that struck me? That the TV was in the background."

Wally's Comment: Mike Cassidy's column illustrates how we've changed the way we get and share information. NB: This is not just about Silicon Valley.

From the Houston Chronicle: Entrepreneur aims to put chocolate on the map
"A London-born chef wants his Cocoamoda to be the premier name in ultra-high-end chocolate. Its location? Calvert, Texas, population 1,400."

Wally's Comment: Here's a fellow with high end specialty business that he's sure will succeed no matter what the economic climate. When you read the article, you'll see how he's thought things through.

From the Virginian-Pilot: Specialty shop Funky Beat marking time till the end
"When siblings Dean and Melody Workman opened Funky Beat 14 years ago, they brought the reggae scene and surf style to the suburbs of Hampton Roads. The brother-sister team established themselves as retail pioneers. They carry brands found primarily in specialty stores and scarce outside of big cities: RZST, Iron Fist, Nick & Mo. They stock an eclectic mix of clothing, jewelry, sneakers, swimwear, caps, gag gifts, funny-titled books and snacks. They even pierce ears."

Wally's Comment: This article is about the other end of the spectrum. It tells the story of a company that started out filling a niche and did well. Then mainstream retailers picked up on some of the things they sold. Now the tide is running against them and it's time for something else.

N.html" target=_blank>From the Arizona Republic: Retailer helping the 'do-it-yourselfers'
"As home construction has declined, so have sales at big-box home-improvement stores. But Ace Hardware Corp., with its smaller-store format and focus on building long-term relationships with customers who do their own home repairs, reported revenues that were even with the year before in its most recent quarterly earnings statement. And Ace's quarterly net income was up 13.2 percent, to $33.4 million."

Wally's Comment: Ace Hardware is not a company the way most people think of one. It's a dealer-owned cooperative. Cooperatives exist in every sector of the economy but they're often invisible. We see Ace Hardware stores, not the cooperative. We eat Sun-Maid products, unaware that they're a cooperative, too.

Cooperatives are usually organized using the Rochdale Principles. For an excellent review of what those are and how they've changed over the years, read David Thompson's excellent article titled "Cooperative Principles Then and Now." For more information on cooperatives, check the web site of National Cooperative Business Association.

From the Toronto Globe and Mail: European (dis)union
"It's been 10 years since the birth of the euro zone, and the dream of global economic clout. But now the blanket is tearing, threatening a disastrous derailment of the monetary union. "While much of the global concern has focused on Wall Street and the U.S. economy, the situation in Europe is even worse. No country has been spared, as the credit crisis has burst bubbles created by cheap debt, flattened business and consumer spending, and compounded existing structural problems."

i Most of the readers of this blog are in North America. North Americans, especially the ones from the US tend to have a very US-centric view of the world economy. In the last few months with our financial crisis and presidential election, many of us have lost track of what's going on elsewhere in the world. This Globe and Mail article will get you up to speed on what's happening in Europe. Hint: It's not good.

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.