Transformational-change initiatives have a dismal track record. In 1996, Harvard Business School professor John Kotter claimed that nearly 70 percent of large-scale change programs didn’t meet their goals,1 and virtually every survey since has shown similar results. Why is change so confounding? We don’t think the issue lies with an understanding of its building blocks—Kotter’s classic eight-step change-management model is still a helpful guide. The problem lies in beliefs about who is responsible for launching change and how change is implemented.

With an eye toward making better running robots, researchers from from Oregon State University, the Royal Veterinary College and other institutions have made surprising new findings about some of nature’s most energy-efficient bipeds — running birds.

These are some of the most sophisticated runners of any two-legged land animals, including humans, the researchers found in a study published Wednesday (Oct. 29) in the Journal of Experimental Biology, with an impressive ability to run while minimizing energy cost, avoiding falls or injury, and maintaining speed and direction.

Image: Model of motion in turkeys (Credit: OSU)

The discussion was one of several events that marked the inauguration of Thomas F. Rosenbaum as Caltech's ninth president. In using the eve of his inauguration to reflect on the U.S. government's historical role funding basic research at universities, how that role has shifted, and the implications for institutions like Caltech, Rosenbaum signaled that the Institute's continuing ability to lead innovation is both a concern and a priority for his presidency. As he noted in his opening remarks, the discussion "occurs at a time when the model for national investment in science that came out of World War II is under both explicit and implicit reassessment. We hope to illuminate the issues that confront the practice of science, the future of national competitiveness, and the inspiration that scientific discovery provides."

Image: http://www.caltech.edu

Advertising on social media has proven to be a lot more cost-efficient than placing ads through traditional media. It could be more effective, too. But that doesn’t mean you should abandon the power of the traditional media. Instead, you can take advantage of your local media and other outlets by gaining some valuable and free publicity for your small business. And in some ways, your social media marketing and public relations efforts will work hand-in-hand.

image: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net 

You dread Monday morning. You watch the clock during the workday. And TGIF stands for ‘Thank God it’s five o’clock.’ Is your attitude toward work normal or is it possible you’re in the wrong job?

You’re in the wrong job when every day feels like the movie "Groundhog Day" – a stale repeat of the previous day, says Shawnice Meador, director of career management and leadership development for the University of North Carolina’s online MBA program.

Image: Free Digital Photos

"The difference between a budding entrepreneur who merely shows promise and one who is already enjoying some success often comes down to mentoring. Good advice can be just as crucial as funding in the early stages of an enterprise," argues Richard Branson in a recent entrepreneur.com blog.

"The need for a mentor is obvious, yet seeking one out can be quite difficult and daunting. How do you find the right person?"

Image: http://www.virgin.com

In Mike Judge’s excellent comedy series “Silicon Valley”, the much clichéd mission statement of start-ups claiming “to make the world a better place” is mocked to full effect. In one episode, a handful of start-ups line up to pitch to a panel of investors. They all conclude their presentations with the same lofty ambition, pledging to do their bit for the world.

Image: Some of the “crazy ones” highlighted in Apple’s Think Different campaign. willsisti/Flickr

My colleague and friend Jeb Spencer recently wrote a piece for Xconomy about angel investors looking for “Unicorns,” those rare early stage companies with valuations—justified or not—of $1 billion or more. He wondered if angels are flying too close to the sun by misunderstanding their chances of success and failing to do their homework on deals—and perhaps pumping up company valuations in future rounds.

Image: http://www.xconomy.com

Today I’ve got a Mixergy fan who had an idea that investors rejected because it was too much like vanilla. They said it was just too plain.

But now he has grown it to over 3,000,000 users and has a great process for teaching those three million users. I invited him here to talk about how he did it.

Crowdfunding is giving a whole generation of startup entrepreneurs a new way to fund their dreams. While that’s good for entrepreneurs, it means the investors whose business it is to profit off of fledgling startups will have to work harder to woo top-notch entrepreneurs.

Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/rooreynolds/3364301376

Oct. 29 (Bloomberg) -- Joanne Wilson, chief executive officer at Gotham Gal Ventures, talks about her approach to receiving a pitch for venture capital and Mark Zuckerberg’s spending plan to spur growth at Facebook. She speaks on “Bloomberg Surveillance.”

The manner of taxation of income of venture capital funds (VCFs) and their investors in respect of income from such funds has been an issue under litigation for the past few years. The problem was triggered by replacement of a complete pass-through of fund income (taxed directly in the hands of investors instead of being taxed as income of the VCF) by a partial pass-through in 2008, and modification in 2013. The issue has primarily revolved around the taxability of the income, which is not covered by the express pass-through provisions. Is such income taxable as income of the VCF or as that of the investors?

Image: Free Digital Photos

In the retail loyalty game, the buy-10, get-one-free punch card has come and gone.

Businesses need a better alternative, so Max Bailey and Myron Gomes founded Ottawa-based Spoonity Inc., which provides retail stores and restaurants with online-based loyalty and incentive programs.

Image: http://www.theglobeandmail.com

How many times have you heard startups are hard and companies fail? You know the drill. Think about it: If angel investors were actually buying your company, they would be much more interested in its outcome. But they aren’t.

At any moment in a given day, we have push notifications, text messages, email alerts, phone calls, tweets, and even real humans vying for our attention. Not only are we busy in the present, but also our minds are often consumed with the future and all of the decisions we have to make.

Image: Free Digital Photos

Several years ago, I worked with an analyst on several projects. He was a friend of a friend, and a capable interviewer and researcher. He was charismatic and intelligent. He ran his own company. I liked and trusted him.

But after a few months of working together, I started seeing red flags. Subcontractors were calling me to find out why he hadn’t paid them. He had become defensive and secretive and seemed to be controlling communications between me and his clients.

In a competitive job market it’s tempting to want to make yourself stand out.

And since we are such a visually driven culture (studies show that you can convey more information faster with pictures than you can with words), it's not surprising that some job seekers are considering turning their resumes into infographics.

According to a study from Cornell University, charts make you more persuasive — even when the charts themselves are meaningless.

Researchers Aner Tal and Brian Wansink presented the study participants with a description of a medicine. Half the group were also shown accompanying graphs and charts, that added no new information to the description.

The group that was shown the charts, found the information more persuasive than the control group, even though the graphs and charts added no new information.

Image: http://www.business-opportunities.biz

As scientists look at crops to find ways to help them deal with climate change stress and growing populations, a tool has emerged to give them a new perspective: the view from underground.

Plants are a lot like icebergs: A bulk of their mass is invisible to the naked eye, buried in their roots. Roots allow plants to compensate for their stationary role in life, hunting for nutrients and diving to mine for water in times of drought.

Image: Prop roots of Maize plant. Credit: Krish Dulal via Wikimedia Commons

It's better than a bird, better than a plane — maybe even better than Superman. It's a flying car.

Slovakian startup AeroMobil announced the world premiere of the AeroMobil 3.0 at the Pioneers Festival in Vienna on Wednesday. It's an idea 25 years in the making, and the company's third working prototype.