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Here are five choice articles from the business press to start off your work week. I'm pointing you to articles about Dubai unraveling, Target imitating Wal-Mart, engagement, Jason Fried, and trends to watch.

From Reuters: "Dubai model" was the vision of one man
"The "Dubai vision," which has suffered a crushing blow from the freewheeling Gulf emirate's sudden debt crisis, is the creation of one man who failed to apply the rules of open governance. The city state's rapid growth revolved around the ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, who outlined his ideas in a book, "My Vision," where he suggested other Arab countries could replicate Dubai's success. Now the model -- always controversial among Gulf Arabs since it involved building shining cities in the desert at breakneck speed through the import of foreign residents, finance and labor -- is on the ropes."

Wally's Comment: Earlier this year, the TV series "The Amazing Race" visited Dubai for an episode. The episode centered on competition at Burj Dubai, described as "the world's tallest building."

I wondered how a building that wasn't finished could be described as the "world's tallest." But Dubai got credit for that and, it seems, a lot of other things that weren't quite finished. This last week the wheels came off and started rolling through the world's money markets. Seems like another lesson about being wary of leverage and hype.

From Business Week: Look Who's Stalking Wal-Mart
"Target is increasingly going downmarket to get through the consumer recession. But can it ape its rival and retain its cachet?"

Wally's Comment: There are lots of things that Target could emulate that Wal-Mart does. But what seems to be happening is that the number two discount retailer is emulating Wal-Mart's pricing strategy, without emulating the purchasing and logistic efficiency that makes it possible.

From Forbes: Incentives Vs. Recognition: How Do You Get Your Workers Engaged Again?
"It takes two to tango. These days, however, many chief executive officers worry they may be dancing alone with their employees standing idle on the sidelines. The recession has pummeled employee engagement, and poor employee morale has left CEOs feeling out of step with their workforce. What can you do to get your workers moving again? How do you capture their hearts and give them back the drive to do their very best? "

Wally's Comment: The discussions of incentives and recognition are good. More interesting is the assumption that workers were engaged and CEOs were in touch with them before the financial crisis.

From Inc: The Way I Work: Jason Fried of 37Signals
"Jason Fried hates lame meetings, tech companies that don't generate revenue, and companies that treat their employees like children. A peek inside his typical workday."

Wally's Comment: I was excited when I discovered this interview because 1) I think Jason Fried has a lot of good, no BS stuff to say about business and life and work and 2) because I really wanted to know how a "less is more" philosophy translates into a workday.

If you want to peek inside his excellent, Signals vs. Noise blog, I think you'll become a frequent reader, like me. There are things about 37Signals products, but also wonderful insights and thought-starters on business, simplicity and culture.

From Entrepreneur: 10 and 1/2 Trends to Watch
"We read the reports. Sifted the data. Nagged insiders until they gave up the goods. Now, here's the result: 10-plus business trends that are thriving even in this economy."

Wally's Comment: 'Tis not only the season to be jolly. 'Tis also the season to make predictions and write about trends. Enjoy.

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.