It’s back! And according to recent research by outplacement and consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc., it could be costing US businesses $86.6 million in unproductive wages for each 13.5 minutes of time spent following the tournament on the Internet.

As this article from K State points out, wagering on games is more than just a productivity issue; office pools are technically illegal in every state except Nevada. The same article quotes a Kansas State University associate professor of management who says she sees nothing inherently wrong with participation in these pools by employees at work — if done in moderation.

“Such activities at work do create a bond among employees and increase their interest in being at work and foster a climate of solidarity,” Swanson said. “Instead of people sitting solemnly around and not connecting, these kinds of things can help to connect people and create bonds around a focal point of interest. This is desirable in a climate where employees by the thousands have lost jobs due to outsourcing and whopping misconduct at the top of organizations.”

“A focal point of interest?” What ever happened to focusing on getting the job done?

So, Why Fight It? How About Just Reducing It’s Impact

To combat all that lost productivity, I’d like suggest a way to regain some sales productivity. One that requires very little time, no great research and is simple, easy and quick. Therefore in the spirit of March Madness, Sweet Sixteen, I’m offering you this simple (legal) wager:

Wager
If you can pick the winning team from the final 16 teams left in the tournament, I will send you a collection of 16 books, CDs and DVDs from our store. The winner will get $600 worth of products designed to help build successful selling skills and strategies for smart businesses. I will even personally autograph each item.

Books

Audios

DVD

Rules

  • Entries must be placed through the “read and post comments” link located under this entry.
  • Deadline for entering this contest is Thursday March 29th 22nd at noon 5 pm Eastern Standard Time. No entries will be accepted after that time.
  • Each entry must include first and last name along with a valid email address.
  • Only one entry per person.
  • This contest will NOT have multiple winners. In the event that more than one person chooses the winning team, the winner will be the entrant whose projected score is closest to the actual score of the final game.
  • Each entry must consist of a single team name and a final score to be used as a tiebreaker in the event that two or more people choose the same team.


Here’s an example of how your entry should appear in order to be counted as a valid entry:
North Carolina
Final Score
76 - 73

Good Luck!

UPDATE
Oops, we goofed…We originally posted a deadline for Thursday March 29th at 5 pm EDT. It should have been March 22nd at 5 pm EDT. Since we made a mistake, the people that entered the contest afterwards will not be eligible for the original giveaway. However, if they win they will be eligible for one product of their choosing from our product list that we made available for the giveaway. This will not interfere with the original giveaway. We will still have a winner from the people that entered before the deadline of March 22nd. We apologize for any inconvenience to everyone that participated in our giveaway. Thanks for your understanding.

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