The cause of workplace disagreements - revealed!

Just what does cause us to lose our temper and argue with our co-workers - is it the pressure of wanting to succeed and progress our careers? Or is it, as Peter Vajda argues, a deep-rooted instinct for approval and self-protection that stems from our childhood upbringing.

Read Peter's article in Management Issues here.

It's not fair!

When trying to counter negative publicity, the cry of unfairness is frequently heard. People trying to put their point across are often frustrated by the media's preference for the sellability of the story ahead of its accuracy.

In her blog, Judy Shapiro argues that seeking fairness may be futile - an emphasis on balance is likely to yield a better outcome.

Read Judy's post here:

HR comes in for some stick

Is the HR department an integral part of your organisation that contributes positively to the commercial as well as human side of the business? Or is it just an irritating and unnecessary drain on resources?

Luke Johnson's argument for the latter created quite a stink in last week's Financial Times - in case you missed it, here is the chance to see the article in full. To read the story click here:

We would love to hear some of the views against (or even supporting) this article, and will include the best in an upcoming newsletter.

How to prevent a Valentine's present crisis

Ever wonder what on earth was going through your partner's mind when they bought you that gift? Well now is the time to join the 8 million Americans who have decided to make sure the gift they recieve on February 14 is EXACTLY what they wanted.

Read the illuminating article from Reuters Life! here:

Crisis Briefs

This story will resonate with most of us, I'm sure... A Florida lawyer has been charged with assault for over-vigorously shaking the hand of a fellow attorney (BBC News).

Kathy Brewer Rentas, 49, shook the hand of Assistant US Attorney Jennifer Keene so hard her arm was nearly ripped out of its socket, a court official said.

Moments before, Ms Keene successfully prosecuted Ms Brewer Rentas' husband. Anthony Rentas was accused of violating the terms of a probation order for supplying cocaine, and sentenced to 90 days of house arrest. After the hearing in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Mrs Brewer Rentas insisted on shaking the prosecuting lawyer's hand.

In shaking it, she nearly floored Ms Keene with the vigour of her hand-action. "With Keene in hand, Brewer made an upward, then a quick downward motion and pulled Keene toward the ground moving her forward, almost causing Keene to fall to the ground," said a court security officer.

Alicia Valle, a spokeswoman for the US Attorney's Office, said assaulting a federal officer was a serious matter and that Mrs Brewer Rentas would be prosecuted "vigorously". "As a member of the bar, she should know better," she said.

Mrs Brewer Rentas was freed on Friday on $100,000 (£50,000) bail, after spending a night in solitary confinement, and ordered to undergo psychological examination.

She was also ordered to stay away from Mrs Keene, and faces up to a year in prison if convicted of assault. Mrs Brewer Rentas says she did not intend to cause any harm.

And finally... from down under, an example of how emergency responses can be sparked by the most unexpected causes. A drunken man's threat to blow up half a city with his television remote control forced Australian police to declare a state of emergency at a luxury golf resort, a local court heard on Thursday.

Geoffrey Martin Fryatt, 57, a resident of the Fairways Golf and Lifestyle Retreat in Brisbane, was arrested by elite paramilitary police after terrifying neighbours with a knife and threatening to detonate a store of chemicals with the TV remote. "One push of the button will blow up half of Brisbane," Fryatt shouted in the standoff last May before police in the Queensland state capital opened fire with rubber bullets.

Fryatt's lawyer told the Brisbane District Court that his client lost control after losing much of his life savings in a fraud carried out by his finance broker, local media said.

"People are genuinely scared of sudden explosions," the judge said, sentencing Fryatt to a year's probation. "Frightening members of the public with threats of bombs and bomb hoaxes has a much greater impact than it once did," she said. Fryatt accepted probation, but said he was concerned it could interrupt plans to travel overseas to do humanitarian aid work, the Brisbane Times newspaper reported.

"Let's get you right before we send you off to a third world country," the judge said. (Reuters, Aus)