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 RELEASE    REFINERY NEWS - JANUARY 2009
   Welcome to THE REFINERY newsletter

MAKING THE MOST OF TOUGH TIMES - What does The Refinery recommend in these times of economic turmoil?
As we find ourselves in the midst of economic turmoil, all organizations are faced with some challenging circumstances. Certainty has gone (or at least the appearance of it), replaced by fears, changes in direction and more ambiguity. Yet here at The Refinery we believe strongly there is opportunity in this crisis for those organizations that do the right thing. But what is the right thing? How can organizations not only survive, but thrive, in this environment? read more…

WHY LEADERS NEED BUSINESS ACUMEN.
Business acumen is a term that, in its most general sense, is the ability to understand a business and how it operates. It requires the ability to recognize the financial health of an organization and what that means in terms of decision-making, operations and other variables. read more…

HOW NOT TO LEAD.
As appalling as it was to watch, the recent behaviour of Mr. Harper, Mr. Dion, Mr. Layton and Mr. Duceppe offers some important leadership lessons for the rest of us. Don’t say they never gave you anything. read more…

THE REFINERY Calgary Office is NOW OPEN.
The Refinery has expanded and we now have a Calgary office headed up by our Alberta Lead, Valerie Nishi. You can reach Valerie at her Direct Line (403) 289-8999, Cell (403) 966-4141 or by email at vnishi@refineryleadership.com.  read more about Valerie…

MORE NEW FACES at The Refinery....
Tanya Perkins, Administration Lead, and Lakshmi Aysola, Administrative Assistant add to our team in the Vancouver office. Tanya has taken on the administrative duties for the company and Lakshmi is our first contact for clients and the Refinery team. For more information on all of our newest Refinery team members, click and scroll on read more…

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HEAR REFINERY CONSULTANTS SPEAK at these upcoming events:

2009 SHRM Global Conference, Dr. Rosie Steeves, March 30 - April 1, 2009, Toronto, “Don’t Get Lost in Translation: What to Know Before You Expand a Leadership Program to New Cultures” - This session will help you understand the critical challenges, best practices and top priorities when extending leadership development programs to different countries and cultures.

2009 CMA Conference, David Gibbons, May 27, 2009, Victoria - "Crafting Strategy in Uncertain Times" - This session will look at frameworks for crafting value creation strategies that are particularly useful in the face of uncertainty.  We will explore new ways to look at market selection, product/service identification and corporate strategy that will help all businesses succeed in these unstable times.

2009 BCHRMA Conference, David Gibbons, Wed, May 6, 2009, Vancouver,

"Advancing to Boardwalk" - Participants will learn how the financial statements represent the financial realities of a firm by playing an adapted game of Monopoly. During this activity, participants will discuss and learn about the unique financial realities of their industry and even their company. The session will then focus on how HR professionals can positively impact these realities and build business results. And all this through a well-known board game!

2009 CMA Conference, Rosie Steeves, May 26, 27, 2009, Vancouver, - "A Leadership Wake-Up Call: What every manager needs to know to increase organizational effectiveness" - What if you could increase your organization's annual performance by a factor of 7 with an investment of less than 1%? Would you do it? What if this investment required commitment and courage? Would you still do it? What if it required changing your behaviour and demanding others change theirs? Would you still do it?

Do you want more information on REFINERY speakers? - refer to the Speaker's Page on our website.

The Refinery enhances organizational performance through leadership development. Our method digs deeper, turns over more stones, and unearths more untapped potential. When you work with us, you convert raw talent into high-performing leaders that will move your organization forward. We are also dedicated to moving leadership initiatives forward, and this newsletter is part of that effort to share what we learn along the way. We hope it inspires you to unearth your full leadership potential.

Find out what The Refinery can do for your organization.

Contact us at:
385 – 375 Water Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 5C6
t  604 899 4192
info@refineryleadership.com
www.refineryleadership.com