On Monday, January 16th, Nikon Inc. sent a letter to independent camera repair technicians in the US to say that “it will no longer make repair parts available for purchase by repair facilities that have not been authorized by Nikon Inc. to perform camera repairs.” So after July 13, 2012, all Nikon repairs will be pushed through Nikon’s own repair service or one of 22 “Nikon authorized repair stations.” Local, independent camera repair shops will no longer be able to repair Nikon cameras with manufacturer-approved parts.

This is unnerving news.

What’s the Problem?

Eliminating the supply of parts will devastate many local repair shops—Nikon repairs make up a significant portion of their business—and will make it significantly more difficult for photographers to get their Nikon equipment fixed.

Scott Jarvie, a full-time photographer, outlined his concerns with the policy in a detailed Google+ post. He demonstrates how silly the new policy seems by comparing cameras to cars. What if your car broke, and you went to your favorite mechanic, but he told you that you’re out of luck? Though he could fix your car by tomorrow, your car’s manufacturer will no longer allow him to buy the necessary parts. Instead, you have to send your car to your car manufacturer’s own repair shop (which, if we’re taking this analogy all the way, has a much poorer BBB rating than your own local shop) or one of two dozen manufacturer-authorized repair shops—oh, you don’t live near one of those? There’s not even one in your state? Too bad. Forget driving to work this week; you’re going to have to ship in your car. Think the car analogy sounds ridiculous? Don’t speak too soon.

If you depend on your camera for work, as Jarvie does, having to mail your camera in to be fixed will cost you more than just the price of the repair: lost business, shipping costs, and time lost waiting for the Postal Service to shuttle the camera back and forth.

Plus, a major manufacturer limiting repairs to only their own approved repair shops doesn’t bode well for the future of camera repair in general. The more barriers to repair, the more likely people are to trash their broken stuff instead of trying to fix it. And if one major manufacturer successfully implements this new model (a model that is likely to make them some money—siphoning business from local repair shops is one way to increase profit, I suppose), other manufacturers may follow.

Why is Nikon Doing This?

In the letter sent to camera repair shops, Nikon cites the increasing complexity and specialization of technology, “as well as the specialized tools that are now necessary to perform repairs on this complex equipment.” Frankly, this seems ridiculous to me: local camera shops are staffed by people who have extensive experience repairing Nikon equipment, and the only reason they wouldn’t have access to the necessary tools is if Nikon uses proprietary or tamper-proof fasteners and won’t sell the tools their own repair techs use.

Yes, Nikon cameras, like nearly all consumer electronics, are getting more complicated as they become more computerized. But they’re certainly not too complicated to repair—we have 37 repair guides for 15 different Nikon cameras, including the D70 top cover guide for which we took the photo above.

If Nikon is just worried about uneducated techs working on their equipment, why not reach out to repair shops and encourage them to become certified? Why not provide better service documentation? Why not educate more technicians rather than restricting trade?

A company certainly can’t be blamed for wanting to make a profit. But companies should be held accountable for developing ethical, responsible business practices.

How Can You Help?

When customers fight back loudly enough, companies listen. Verizon dropped their $2 online bill pay fee following a consumer backlash, and Netflix decided not to split its business in two with Qwikster when its users spoke out.

So tell Nikon, as loudly as possible, that they need to keep selling parts to smaller repair shops. Here’s an online petition you can sign. You can also send Nikon a letter at 1300 Walt Whitman Road, Melville, NY 11747-3064, U.S.A., or call them at 631-547-4200. Tweet at them @Nikon_USA.

This isn’t cool, Nikon. Grow a pair and stay open to allow services out there to stand on their own skill and merit, not your subject to your blessing.

In the small-business world, profit sharing is the new black. But one company, software training firm Agile Learning Labs, has taken it to the extreme.

Agile’s six-member team is paid the same share of the company’s profits, regardless of title or role. Apparently, there are big advantages. First, since it impacts them directly and equally, all team members are constantly looking out for the bottom line. Everyone wants to do what they can to support the sales director, because it’s the customers who are paying for dinner that night. “Even those of us who would normally have no customer contact are more aware of our clients and their needs,” says Agile co-founder Chris Sims. “This helps the business.”

Digging in the dirt

Despite the increased loyalty, personal investment and productivity that profit sharing engenders in staff, the decision to move to this model was not made lightly. Every member of Agile’s team researched existing models and contributed ideas. The sales director based his concept on Eliyahu Goldratt’s theory of Throughput Accounting, and the novelist creative director wrote a narrative describing the company’s environment under a new profit sharing model a la Pat Lencioni.

Agile claims that the logistics of the chosen model are simple and elegant. Because his team was small, Sims wanted to avoid a structure that was too top-heavy and required loads of administrative time. Here’s how it works.

This system still pays out a low-end base salary to everyone–no change here. The profit share is calculated once per month and is paid as a bonus in the next pay period. The company has retained an accountant and HR firm to vet its practices and ensure that it is operating according to state and federal employment laws.

Not for the faint-hearted

For risk-averse individuals like me, however, profit sharing is a bit nerve-wracking. Sims admits that outcomes are variable. “When we start the month out, we can’t predict what the payout will be. In our few months’ experience, it has ranged from fair to excellent. So far the average is acceptable, but there’s always the possibility of a slump,” he says.

And what happens when the company gets bigger? How can everyone receive an equal share of profits when the firm grows to 100 or more employees? Fortunately for Agile, Sims has already thought that through. “We may restrict the model to the core team at some point, but right now we’re experimenting with extending it to some of our independent contractors and it’s working well,” Sims says. “We intend to revise our methods as we go.”

Getting down to business

If profit sharing sounds palatable to you, there are a few things you’ll want to consider. The U.S. Department of Labor recommends that you first decide whether to set up the plan yourself or to consult a professional or financial institution. Then, you will want to create a written document that outlines how the plan will work day-to-day, arrange a trust fund for the plan’s assets, develop a record-keeping system and provide plan information to participants.

Sims suggests figuring out the simplest model that could possibly work and give it a try, remembering that the primary benefit of profit sharing is a sense of shared investment in the health of the business–not the cash. “Once you have that kind of buy-in, where people feel like pulling together in lean times as much as they do celebrating the flush times, the cash will begin to take care of itself,” Sims says. “And don’t make instituting a profit sharing plan a cumbersome project, because then it will either never happen or you’ll design something no one can understand or administer.”

Debbie Brewster has become an accomplished leader, and now becomes a mentor to Blake, the son of Debbie’s former mentor. She teaches him not just how to lead, but emphasizes the critical importance of continually learning and developing his leadership abilities throughout his career. She identifies four areas in which every leader must continue to G.R.O.W.:

Gain knowledge of themselves, others, their industry and the field of leadership. Every leader is a learner, but many leaders fail to gain knowledge because they have too much to do–they’re going too fast and trying to accomplish too much.

Reach out to others both formally and informally. As a leader, your role is to teach both by sharing information as well as by probing questions.

Open your world at work and outside of work. If you get too busy with your job to grow, your influence and your leadership will stagnate and ultimately evaporate.

Walk toward wisdom through self-evaluation, feedback and counsel. Wisdom is the application of knowledge, discernment, insight, experience and judgment to make good decisions when the answer may not be obvious.

The best way to review a business fable is to interview the authors about applying the key messages they’re trying to communicate through storytelling. So I sent Ken and Mark the following questions. Here are their answers:

How will people be able to tell whether they are growing or not?

They have to be able to answer “yes” to questions like: Are they responding to the challenges of their roles in new and fresh ways? Are people seeking them out for their counsel on issues?

What is the number one mistake someone makes while growing to become a leader?

Quite simply this: confusing leadership with a position or a title.

How is the mentality of a leader who is willing to grow different from one who isn’t? What are their advantages? Any possible disadvantages?

Growing leaders understand how little they really know about the world. They have an appropriate humility regarding their roles and their accomplishments.Leaders who aren’t willing to grow have misplaced confidence in their own abilities. Their egos are huge obstacles to their future success.

What is the biggest hurdle a leader needs to overcome when growing?

The biggest challenge is not getting too caught up in today’s challenges and ignoring the future. A leader’s first priority is to ensure that there will be a future for his or her organization. Unless a leader is extremely vigilant, the current challenges will always win the day over future challenges. Only the disciplined leader will make time to grow, yet growth is absolutely required.

What is the most important advice you would give to current leaders? Newcomers?

The advice is the same for both: Assume responsibility for your own growth as a leader. If your organization will help, that’s fantastic. However, your growth is not your organization’s responsibility.

Debbie Brewster has become an accomplished leader, and now becomes a mentor to Blake, the son of Debbie’s former mentor. She teaches him not just how to lead, but emphasizes the critical importance of continually learning and developing his leadership abilities throughout his career. She identifies four areas in which every leader must continue to G.R.O.W.:

Gain knowledge of themselves, others, their industry and the field of leadership. Every leader is a learner, but many leaders fail to gain knowledge because they have too much to do–they’re going too fast and trying to accomplish too much.

Reach out to others both formally and informally. As a leader, your role is to teach both by sharing information as well as by probing questions.

Open your world at work and outside of work. If you get too busy with your job to grow, your influence and your leadership will stagnate and ultimately evaporate.

Walk toward wisdom through self-evaluation, feedback and counsel. Wisdom is the application of knowledge, discernment, insight, experience and judgment to make good decisions when the answer may not be obvious.

The best way to review a business fable is to interview the authors about applying the key messages they’re trying to communicate through storytelling. So I sent Ken and Mark the following questions. Here are their answers:

How will people be able to tell whether they are growing or not?

They have to be able to answer “yes” to questions like: Are they responding to the challenges of their roles in new and fresh ways? Are people seeking them out for their counsel on issues?

What is the number one mistake someone makes while growing to become a leader?

Quite simply this: confusing leadership with a position or a title.

How is the mentality of a leader who is willing to grow different from one who isn’t? What are their advantages? Any possible disadvantages?

Growing leaders understand how little they really know about the world. They have an appropriate humility regarding their roles and their accomplishments.Leaders who aren’t willing to grow have misplaced confidence in their own abilities. Their egos are huge obstacles to their future success.

What is the biggest hurdle a leader needs to overcome when growing?

The biggest challenge is not getting too caught up in today’s challenges and ignoring the future. A leader’s first priority is to ensure that there will be a future for his or her organization. Unless a leader is extremely vigilant, the current challenges will always win the day over future challenges. Only the disciplined leader will make time to grow, yet growth is absolutely required.

What is the most important advice you would give to current leaders? Newcomers?

The advice is the same for both: Assume responsibility for your own growth as a leader. If your organization will help, that’s fantastic. However, your growth is not your organization’s responsibility.

Josh had 12 years in the corporate world, which included running a major department at Comcast. I knew he was seasoned, but I was still skeptical at first. We were going through some tough growing pains, and I thought that a lack of cash would make it extremely difficult to improve the company morale.

I was wrong.

With his help and the help of the great team leaders he put in place, Josh not only rebuilt the culture, but also created a passionate, hard-working team that is as committed to growing and improving the company as I am. 

Here are nine things I learned from him:

1. Be generous with praise. Everyone wants it and it’s one of the easiest things to give. Plus, praise from the CEO goes a lot farther than you might think. Praise every improvement that you see your team members make. Once you’re comfortable delivering praise one-on-one to an employee, try praising them in front of others.  
2. Get rid of the managers. Projects without project managers? That doesn’t seem right! Try it. Removing the project lead or supervisor and empowering your staff to work together as a team rather then everyone reporting to one individual can do wonders. Think about it. What’s worse than letting your supervisor down? Letting your team down! Allowing people to work together as a team, on an equal level with their co-workers, will often produce better projects faster. People will come in early, stay late, and devote more of their energy to solving problems.  
3. Make your ideas theirs. People hate being told what to do. Instead of telling people what you want done; ask them in a way that will make them feel like they came up with the idea. “I’d like you to do it this way” turns into “Do you think it’s a good idea if we do it this way?”  
4. Never criticize or correct. No one, and I mean no one, wants to hear that they did something wrong. If you’re looking for a de-motivator, this is it. Try an indirect approach to get people to improve, learn from their mistakes, and fix them. Ask, “Was that the best way to approach the problem? Why not? Have any ideas on what you could have done differently?” Then you’re having a conversation and talking through solutions, not pointing a finger.  
5. Make everyone a leader. Highlight your top performers’ strengths and let them know that because of their excellence, you want them to be the example for others. You’ll set the bar high and they’ll be motivated to live up to their reputation as a leader.  
6. Take an employee to lunch once a week. Surprise them. Don’t make an announcement that you’re establishing a new policy. Literally walk up to one of your employees, and invite them to lunch with you. It’s an easy way to remind them that you notice and appreciate their work.  
7. Give recognition and small rewards. These two things come in many forms: Give a shout out to someone in a company meeting for what she has accomplished. Run contests or internal games and keep track of the results on a whiteboard that everyone can see. Tangible awards that don’t break the bank can work too. Try things like dinner, trophies, spa services, and plaques. 
8. Throw company parties. Doing things as a group can go a long way. Have a company picnic. Organize birthday parties. Hold a happy hour. Don’t just wait until the holidays to do a company activity; organize events throughout the year to remind your staff that you’re all in it together. 
9. Share the rewards—and the pain. When your company does well, celebrate. This is the best time to let everyone know that you’re thankful for their hard work. Go out of your way to show how far you will go when people help your company succeed. If there are disappointments, share those too. If you expect high performance, your team deserves to know where the company stands. Be honest and transparent. 

Hopefully you haven’t been faced with this scenario. And if you keep reading, you may never find yourself on the receiving end of such bad news. That’s because the following is some of the best advice on how to retain your rock stars. Take this list to heart and you may land a top dog for life.

Learn their language

You may think you know what motivates your top employees, but have you sat down and asked them? Tom Gimbel, founder and CEO of LaSalle Network, a staffing and recruiting firm in Chicago, sets aside time on a regular basis to learn what motivates his best employees. Then, when they do a good job, he rewards them accordingly.

“I have one guy who loves sporting events; I can’t give him enough tickets,” he says. “I have another sales person who loves to share her stories with me. She wants time with the CEO, to get my insights, so I schedule about 30 minutes every few weeks and that time keeps her happy and motivated.”

Involve them in company decisions

The more invested an employee, the more likely they will stay, so “bring them into the inner circle,” suggests Ralph Neal, vice president, educational services at Employers Resource Association in Cincinnati.

Consider bringing your top dogs into strategic planning meetings. Let them offer suggestions and seek their opinion about issues that will affect the organization as a whole, he adds.

“They will appreciate being part of the business planning process; it can be a big motivator,” says Neal.

While Gimbel agrees with this suggestion, he also offers a warning: some top performers don’t want to be involved.

“It all comes back to spending time with them and getting to know what they are thinking,” he says.

Give them ownership of their work

A micromanaging boss will only drive away a high achiever. Lori Dernavich, an employee performance advisor based in New York City, suggests letting them complete tasks on their own.

“Allow them to have a say on how to solve a problem; managers shouldn’t have all the answers, so give them a chance to own it,” she says.

Get rid of low performers

Top staff members don’t want to hang out with unmotivated, low performing employees, says Gimbel. Consider showing your bottom feeders the door.

“The majority of really good producers would rather work more than clean up the mess of an underperforming employee,” he adds.

Help design their career path

Don’t assume you know the desired career trajectory of a top performer, says Dernavich. Work with them on a personal development plan. Even if you can’t give them everything they want, your eagerness will land you a few brownie points.

Body language includes all the things that are being said by everything from your posture to the way you play with your hair in the midst of a conversation. Believe it or not, all these things express what you may not be saying verbally, and the person on the other side of the table is picking up on every non-verbal word!

Here are some of the most common mistakes that people make:

1. Looking at your PDA

If you are looking at your PDA when someone is talking to you, it’s a clear signal that you are not interested in what they are saying. It’s also a sign of pure arrogance. Turn the PDA off and put it out of site.

One tip here—if you need to take notes, avoid taking them on your PDA because it will look like you are texting. Instead, opt for using the old pen and paper. Ironically, even if you are doodling out of site on paper, you will be looked at more favorably than if you are typing notes into your PDA.

2. Clasping and rubbing hands together

If you are doing this it says you are nervous or uncomfortable. Rubbing your hands together may also be an indicator that you believe you have sealed the deal and money is headed your way. This could be seen as arrogant. Let your hands naturally rest at your sides or on your lap, depending on if you are sitting or standing. Also, avoid doing things like cracking your knuckles, which is believed to be a macho attention seeking behavior.

3. Dressing messy

There is cool, stylish and there is, well, just plain sloppy. If you look sloppy, it will come across that you are unprofessional and just don’t care. It may also be an indicator of the way you do business. But if you are stylish and well put together, on the other hand, it shows that you are current and caring.

4. Clock watching

Whether it is looking at your watch or checking the time on the wall, it says to the other person that you have something more important than what they are saying. It will make the other person feel rushed as well. Forget the time and focus on the meeting at hand.

5. Arm crossing

Keep tabs on what you do with your arms. If you have them crossed, it makes you look defensive and closed off, or that you are disregarding what they are saying. Open your arms so that you appear to be inviting.

6. Eye rolling

You have to know that every word coming out of your mouth, no matter how sincere it may sound, will be instantly defeated with even a half a second rolling of the eyes. Save the eye rolling for when you are back in your car or office and out of sight.

7. No eye contact

When you are looking everywhere but at the person in the eye, it makes them think you can’t be trusted and that you are holding something back. Make good eye contact to build trust and show you are engaged and interested.

In the business world you have just a minute or two to pull someone in. But one of these business body language blunders can take just seconds. Don’t lose a deal or customer simply because you weren’t on your body language game. Keep these tips in mind so that your body works for you, rather than against you!

I’m subscribed to GigaOm Pro newsletters. I get weekly technology news from them, and I love it. Hard to put my finger on it, but their news just seems — smarter. Anyway, here’s their footer:

As a publication, they obviously would prefer that you not unsubscribe from their list. They’d prefer that you change your settings. But they don’t hide their unsubscribe link (in fact, they make it more immediate). They’ve just prioritized the “change email settings” button. Smart.

@pod2g has created a terrific gift for iOS fans — an untethered 5.0.1 jailbreak for non-A5 devices! 

Many of you have already been following @pod2g’s blog where he’s been keeping everyone up to date on his progress.  And so you know that he recently decided to push the button on a release for all devices except the new iPhone4S and iPad2.  @pod2g’s untether involves two separate exploits and a few other “tricks” — and since he’s taken the @comex approach of doing nearly everything himself, you know his plate has been full these past few months!

A few days ago, @pod2g gave the untether to both the iPhone devteam and the chronic devteam.  We’ve put it into redsn0w 0.9.10 and PwnageTool, and the chronic devteam put it into a Cydia package (the same set of exploits is in all three).

Here are the basic steps for how to get it:

• The untether is for iOS 5.0.1 on iPhone3GS, iPhone4, iPhone4-CDMA, iPad1, iPod touch 3G, iPod touch 4G
• If you have one of those devices and are not on 5.0.1 yet, update now!  The SHSH window is still open for 5.0.1  If you unlock via ultrasn0w or gevey, make sure you only get to 5.0.1 via a custom IPSW!  See the guides at places like iClarified.com if you don’t know how.  Once you’re at 5.0.1, use the latest redsn0w 0.9.10 to both jailbreak and untether.
• If you’re already at 5.0.1 with a tethered jailbreak, you have two choices: either run redsn0w 0.9.10 over your current jailbreak (deselect “Install Cydia” if you do that), or install the Cydia package prepared by the chronic devteam.  The patches are the same regardless of which you choose.
• Some of you are using a hybrid 5.0/5.0.1 configuration.  If so, do not attempt to install this untether over that setup!  You will most likely get into a reboot cycle.  Do a sync and fresh restore to 5.0.1 then install the jailbreak + untether.

As mentioned earlier, @pod2g has spent months working on all the exploits and tricks in this untether, and many of you may be wondering how you can send donations.  Although the iPhone devteam itself doesn’t take donations, we thought it was appropriate to provide a link at the end of the redsn0w run for you to more easily donate directly to @pod2g if you wish (alternatively, you can go right here).  There’s a link in the Cydia package for donating to the chronic devteam for the Cydia version of @pod2g’s untether.