Word: spira
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...third. Many PAFs have said that though their stipend is not being reduced, they would do the same work for free because the experience is so rewarding. “I take it more as a service than an obligation,” said Elizabeth C. Spira ’11, referring to her responsibilities as a PAF. “I would be wiling to take less money and still do the position.” Despite the grim projections on paper, some students on the committee did not believe that the cuts would be so drastic in reality...
...Jonathan Spira, CEO and chief analyst at Basex, suspects that so-called NetGen'ers-- those who grew up IMing, Googling and texting--are less stressed by gadget-abetted multitasking than are older workers. "Younger people may actually be wired a little differently," he says. But, he adds, there's no getting away from the fact that to do your best work on difficult tasks, "sometimes you need to shut everything else out and focus...
...people take even the most basic steps to reduce workplace interruption. In the Basex study, 55% of workers surveyed said they open e-mail immediately or shortly after it arrives, no matter how busy they are. "Most people don't even think about turning off the dinger," says Spira, who turned off the alert sound on his e-mail nine years ago with no regrets. "We can't control ourselves when it comes to limiting technological intrusions...
...give employees DO NOT INTERRUPT screens to put over their cubicles or establish quiet times when it's not permissible to bother a colleague. In some offices, she says, "workers wear colored hats to signify when they do and do not want to be interrupted." Another simple trick, suggests Spira, is to leave more explicit instructions on e-mail "away messages" and answering machines about how and when you prefer to be interrupted...
...Spira has also carved a niche among people with foot ailments. But in the athletic market, which gives a sneaker stature, Spira is still near the starting blocks. Runners won't sprint to pay $130, the cost of a high-tech Spira, for a brand they have never heard of. Plus, the sneakers aren't dashing. "They're ugly," says Andy Krafsur. Spiras are in 700 retail shops, but they didn't test well at Foot Locker, the 4,000-store giant. "We need to establish ourselves in the small stores where people explain the technology," says Krafsur. "That...