In his new book, “The Artificial Ape,” http://www.amazon.co.uk/Artificial-Ape-Technology-Changed-Evolution/dp/0... Bradford University anthropologist and archaeologist Timothy Taylor makes the startling claim that we did not make tools, tools made us.

In a fascinating interview with the New Scientist, http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/culturelab/2010/08/artificial-ape-man-..., Taylor argues that, apparently – allegedly, as I’m no scientist - the oldest stone tools we’ve found so far are 2.5 million years old, but the genus to which we belong, Homo, is only 2.2 million years old, at least according to the current fossil record. Our species, Homo sapiens, has been around for less time than the gap between tool creation and our genus.

Which means - laymen terms - our earlier ancestors – hominins called australopithecines – created the earliest stone tools, and these tools – this first technology - in turn led to our species to emerge.  

Accounting for People 2.0

Tomorrow What Goes Around will be one year old. Has it really been a year? Yes it has. September the first is our birthday. We’ll come back to the celebrations later. For now, I want to share three things that I’ve focussed on and worked at to help What Goes Around survive and thrive this past year. Three among the many that I’ve practiced in the last twelve months. And I would really appreciate it if you could do the same. Tell us three things you’ve practised to help you survive and thrive. I’m publishing this note on a number of networks. I’ll collate all the replies, and share them in a little ebook. Everything will be included, and of course, everyone gets a namecheck, a weblink, whatever works best for you. Here goes:

What Goes Around...

From conversations recently I think that's how many of us are approaching life.

Before you disagree could you please just do an inventory of all areas of your life and confirm how many of them you're perfectly happy with.

How did you get on?

What I've noticed is we do really seem to put up with a lot of what should be unacceptable in our lives. We just say "That's life", "That's business", "That's relationships for you", "That's just the way it is" or even "That's old age for you."

Paddle Finding with Alison Smith

What’s your biggest concern in the next six months? WorldatWork recently reported the results of ComPsych Corp. survey asking just this question of HR managers. The answer itself is not surprising: “Maintaining employee productivity and morale” (31%). I do have to admit, however, that I was surprised that this outranked “Dealing with health-care costs and new legislation” (26%). Admittedly, I listen to my US colleagues and follow the US healthcare debate through the lens of my own lifetime experience with the Irish healthcare system, but it’s clear to me that these changes are of serious concern to employees, HR Pros and company leaders alike.

Strategic Employee Recognition: by Derek Irvine