Yes, I must admit it. I am a millennial. I, like many other millennials, are the "kids our parents warned us about". We lack understanding of traditional authority, we loathe our government, many of the institutions around, and many aspects of the cultures we have been born into. We hate technology, yet we are so reliant on social media and information systems have made us so powerful. Our parents' generation despises us for nonconformity, yet in many ways members of our age group's nonconformity have brought us so many great new inventions, ideas, lifestyles and new approaches.
With regards to business etiquette, I completely lack many of the things discussed on page 53's list of "etiquette" suggestions in Business Communication Today, 12th edition, Bovée and Thill. My spelling sometimes is questionable, and while I have polished grammar after review, I often submit things without proofreading. I also curse a lot, don't dress up everyday (if I am unseen in a cubicle especially), express my emotions and concerns rather than dress them up, and particularly don't care if I waste a subordinate's time with an email. I am also 100% okay with this. Millennial are slowly deteriorating the so-called "business-culture " and all of its formality. While I think "business etiquette" is an okay reference point for decision making and business conduct, I agree with many millennials who interpret these as unnecessary or even restrictive. This goes along with the business framework in general, with its high power distance and lack of employee participation in idea-generation. Google is one example of a company that is allowing for new innovation and idea generations thanks to its informality and avant-garde approach to business etiquette. Below is an article that details exactly how Millennials are changing the business world.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2013/12/16/10-ways-millennials-are-creating-the-future-of-work/
I do think there are a lot to learn from learning business etiquette. I am an entrepreneur and for that reason it is crucial that I learn exactly how to act around customers and investors. Many of these folks are old-school and like to see well-dressed, well-spoken, professional young men, as it sets us apart and gives them confidence that they are making a wise decision. However, with my subordinates, I will take a much more millennial approach. I hope I can give employees the freedom to dress how they want as long as it isn't seen in a negative way, I also encourage creativity in communication. If my secretary emailed me information in haiku form or in $w@q language I would be thrilled (as long as it wasn't in an urgent situation; there IS a time and place.) Below is a list of good etiquette tips that I particularly like, however I believe that all of these can be broken without reprimand.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/robasghar/2014/04/22/27-etiquette-rules-for-our-times/
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Groups/Teams: Are They Really As Successful As We Are Told?
While reading pages 32-40 of Business Communication Today, 12th edition, Bovée and Thill, I noticed a lot of discussion in support of groups/teams. Yes, it is true that the ideas of Team Based Management are infiltrating the American business realm at increasing rates. After all, it was Theory Z, created by Japanese management theorist and UCLA MBA grad William Ouchi. It is a Japanese theory of Management that assumes some invalidity of the Western, English-Speaking world's Theory X and Y. It is a theory based upon group-trust; it is a theory that assumes that Team-building and some degree of employee (as a group) involvement can improve workplace productivity and employee fulfillment. I pose two questions:
-Would you prefer to work in a Team-Based Workplace?
-Do you agree with Theory Z?
-Is it easier to identify with group success or your own success? Why?
While I love the concept of Team Based approaches, and there is evidence to support its success in several large American companies, I am skeptical to say that this approach can really work in the US.
We are America. Land of the free. The pinnacle of individualism. We have been told for generations: "You can be someone" and "You have potential" not "We". While we are a patriotic country, we are not a nationalist country; we have a Constitution focused on Individual rights and we have Capitalism, perhaps the embodiment of Renaissance belief. We also have Western-based philosophies such as Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which never addresses the idea of Team success but rather focuses on individual fulfillment, or Self-Actualization as the highest goal of need-satisfaction in human existence. My point is that all of these theories of 'how things should be done' are culturally-relative; the Japanese are a collectivist culture. The satisfaction of group goals is a priority for them. It is deeply embedded into the culture and has been for thousands of years. Even the religions of the island address the interconnectedness of things and collective salvation.
As a manager or even an employee in an American company, I would refrain from focusing on teams too much. Americans, the wonderful people that they are, owe their success as a group to the pursuit of individual goals/dreams/needs/wants and they are aware of this. For that reason, I know exactly what will arise from too much "teamwork". Social loafing, frustration, disagreements, and those folks that just ride-the-coattails. Either "too many chiefs and not enough Indians" or "the blind-leading the blind. Even beyond freeloading, there are those who are cutthroat and success-focused. Think about Beyoncé. Surely, Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland would've loved to ride her coattails into superstardom. It wasn't even like Beyoncé had any competition with Kelly or Michelle for attention (you never see Michelle except maybe one time per music vid) and they compliment her voice perfectly in Destiny's Child. Think about all the members of NWA (Dre, Easy-E, Ice Cube). Think about New Edition. All these groups had problems regarding individuals using a group to initiate their success, and then ultimately deciding that their interest transcends the goals of the group. Think Don Henley of the Eagles, Steve Perry of Journey, or even about all of your favorite TV shows that were cancelled because a major cast-member decided not to return. We tend to be focused on our paycheck, our promotion, our careers, and our family's livelihood. This culture is what separates us from Japan. We have dangers in placing too much trust in a Theory Z form of Management simply because of the nature of Americans, which I believe, with much supporting evidence, are more likely to work best in a Performance-Based Management philosophy that borrows some from Theories X and Y. This ultimately hinges on individual performance rather than Team-Building. We can instead have "collaborations" for tasks, rather than "teams", when needed.
When I think about Theory Z, and really all of Asian collectivist philosophies, I am almost frightened. Why should we work for a collective goal? Is there really any reason to be more excited about your company's new profit margin than your new promotion; or your town's new public projects more than your own home renovation; or your country's high ranking over your surplus of disposable income? I am drawn to dystopian stories like the grotesque Orwell novel 1984 , or the new Lego Movie with Will Ferrell, where the mindless citizens run around singing "EVERYTHING IS AWESOME, EVERYTHING IS GREAT WHEN YOUR PART OF A TEAMMMM!".
-Would you prefer to work in a Team-Based Workplace?
-Do you agree with Theory Z?
-Is it easier to identify with group success or your own success? Why?
While I love the concept of Team Based approaches, and there is evidence to support its success in several large American companies, I am skeptical to say that this approach can really work in the US.
We are America. Land of the free. The pinnacle of individualism. We have been told for generations: "You can be someone" and "You have potential" not "We". While we are a patriotic country, we are not a nationalist country; we have a Constitution focused on Individual rights and we have Capitalism, perhaps the embodiment of Renaissance belief. We also have Western-based philosophies such as Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which never addresses the idea of Team success but rather focuses on individual fulfillment, or Self-Actualization as the highest goal of need-satisfaction in human existence. My point is that all of these theories of 'how things should be done' are culturally-relative; the Japanese are a collectivist culture. The satisfaction of group goals is a priority for them. It is deeply embedded into the culture and has been for thousands of years. Even the religions of the island address the interconnectedness of things and collective salvation.
As a manager or even an employee in an American company, I would refrain from focusing on teams too much. Americans, the wonderful people that they are, owe their success as a group to the pursuit of individual goals/dreams/needs/wants and they are aware of this. For that reason, I know exactly what will arise from too much "teamwork". Social loafing, frustration, disagreements, and those folks that just ride-the-coattails. Either "too many chiefs and not enough Indians" or "the blind-leading the blind. Even beyond freeloading, there are those who are cutthroat and success-focused. Think about Beyoncé. Surely, Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland would've loved to ride her coattails into superstardom. It wasn't even like Beyoncé had any competition with Kelly or Michelle for attention (you never see Michelle except maybe one time per music vid) and they compliment her voice perfectly in Destiny's Child. Think about all the members of NWA (Dre, Easy-E, Ice Cube). Think about New Edition. All these groups had problems regarding individuals using a group to initiate their success, and then ultimately deciding that their interest transcends the goals of the group. Think Don Henley of the Eagles, Steve Perry of Journey, or even about all of your favorite TV shows that were cancelled because a major cast-member decided not to return. We tend to be focused on our paycheck, our promotion, our careers, and our family's livelihood. This culture is what separates us from Japan. We have dangers in placing too much trust in a Theory Z form of Management simply because of the nature of Americans, which I believe, with much supporting evidence, are more likely to work best in a Performance-Based Management philosophy that borrows some from Theories X and Y. This ultimately hinges on individual performance rather than Team-Building. We can instead have "collaborations" for tasks, rather than "teams", when needed.
When I think about Theory Z, and really all of Asian collectivist philosophies, I am almost frightened. Why should we work for a collective goal? Is there really any reason to be more excited about your company's new profit margin than your new promotion; or your town's new public projects more than your own home renovation; or your country's high ranking over your surplus of disposable income? I am drawn to dystopian stories like the grotesque Orwell novel 1984 , or the new Lego Movie with Will Ferrell, where the mindless citizens run around singing "EVERYTHING IS AWESOME, EVERYTHING IS GREAT WHEN YOUR PART OF A TEAMMMM!".
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Excellent TED speech; We SHOULD be Fostering Childhood Entrepreneurs
After reflecting upon my own future as an entrepreneur I stumbled upon an excellent speech about the subject from Cameron Herold, creator of 1-800-GOT-Junk and BackPocket COO. Herold discusses his reflections as a child entrepreneur and discusses techniques he uses as a parent to foster an entrepreneurial spirit in his children. He rants against the current education system which I see as a one-size-fits-all assembly line.
Herold addresses ADHD, Bipolar, academic integrity, and many other subjects as he offers his unique spin on what is wrong with education. He claims that we should stop telling people that lawyers and doctors are the "good jobs" and start valuing children that offer other varieties of traits.
"Kids, when we grow up, have dreams, and we have passions, and we have visions, and somehow we get those things crushed. We get told that we need to study harder or be more focused or get a tutor. My parents got me a tutor in French, and I still suck in French. Two years ago, I was the highest-rated lecturer at MIT's entrepreneurial master's program. And it was a speaking event in front of groups of entrepreneurs from around the world. When I was in grade two, I won a city-wide speaking competition, but nobody had ever said, "Hey, this kid's a good speaker. He can't focus, but he loves walking around and getting people energized." No one said, "Get him a coach in speaking." They said, get me a tutor in what I suck at.
http://www.ted.com/talks/cameron_herold_let_s_raise_kids_to_be_entrepreneurs?language=en
Herold addresses ADHD, Bipolar, academic integrity, and many other subjects as he offers his unique spin on what is wrong with education. He claims that we should stop telling people that lawyers and doctors are the "good jobs" and start valuing children that offer other varieties of traits.
"Kids, when we grow up, have dreams, and we have passions, and we have visions, and somehow we get those things crushed. We get told that we need to study harder or be more focused or get a tutor. My parents got me a tutor in French, and I still suck in French. Two years ago, I was the highest-rated lecturer at MIT's entrepreneurial master's program. And it was a speaking event in front of groups of entrepreneurs from around the world. When I was in grade two, I won a city-wide speaking competition, but nobody had ever said, "Hey, this kid's a good speaker. He can't focus, but he loves walking around and getting people energized." No one said, "Get him a coach in speaking." They said, get me a tutor in what I suck at.
So as kids show these traits -- and we need to start looking for them -- I think we should be raising kids to be entrepreneurs instead of lawyers. Unfortunately the school system is grooming this world to say, "Hey, let's be a lawyer or let's be a doctor," and we're missing that opportunity because no one ever says, "Hey, be an entrepreneur." Entrepreneurs are people -- because we have a lot of them in this room -- who have these ideas and these passions or see these needs in the world and we decide to stand up and do it. And we put everything on the line to make that stuff happen. We have the ability to get those groups of people around us that want to kind of build that dream with us, and I think if we could get kids to embrace the idea at a young age of being entrepreneurial, we could change everything in the world that is a problem today. Every problem that's out there, somebody has the idea for. And as a young kid, nobody can say it can't happen because you're too dumb to realize that you couldn't figure it out." - Cameron Herold
Reach the entire episode at:
http://www.ted.com/talks/cameron_herold_let_s_raise_kids_to_be_entrepreneurs?language=en
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Blogger's Intro and Purpose
Hello, Blogosphere,
This blog's inception, despite being required by my English 3100 professor, Victoria Lozano, is to reflect my personal interests and convey my personality. It is intended to chronicle the existence of a Southern Boy with a heart-of-gold, raised in a Hip-Hop generation, with a knack for adventure; one whose hobbies include working out, climbing mountains, politics, reading, occasional Minecraft endeavors, music, and rather long, romantic walks to the fridge. In case you're wondering, the redneck-geek-fatass-blasting-trap-music is myself. Nevertheless, I will provide a humorous, entertaining, educated perspective to current events and media topics.
I would like to borrow from Rene Descartes, with his famous quote "Cogito, ergo sum" or "I think, therefore I am." This quote was the result of a long, challenging quest for truth (Unfortunately, Descartes did not have a Gandalf or Dumbledore to accompany him) that started with him questioning and then abandoning his previous Aristotelian beliefs. Descartes implies a subsequent link between existence and thought; one that is mutual with each being completely reliant on the other. From the perspective of someone who has taken insurmountable quantities of their personal philosophy from Descartes, one could argue that the meaning of life, if there may be one, is thought. Rational, deep, enlightened, research-based, educated thought. When I sit in a classroom full of my peers, and even more so when I reflect on the folks around me at parties, I see the opposite of deep- thought. I see a generation of technology-obsessed, looks-obsessed, one-size-fits-all (except-for-the-hipsters-who-are-only-unique-in-their-music-and-fashion-choices) mindless goons who Descartes and many other deep-thinkers would frown upon. My generation is more concerned with "turnin up" than solving the problems we are faced with: the United States economy, the deterioration of the American family, and the looming threat of a global government (Cue Emperor Palpatine and Star Wars Music). I cannot blame my generation completely; I do remind you that it IS our Yuppie parents who have allowed for us to develop the way we have. Our generation needs to think. Our generation craves thought. We must allow reason and logic to pour into our brains and flow out of our mouths. Economics, History, Law, Civics, Philosophy, and Politics need to be not only household topics but also "at the bar" topics for 18-25 year olds in 2015. The second purpose of this blog is to intertwine what I see as the most thoughtless, unrefined aspects of our generation like the Kardashians or Gucci Mane, with issues in the US and across the world that should yield more attention from young folks. It is time for our generation to start thinking and with it realize its existence.
Andrew Tarley
Writer and Editor
This blog's inception, despite being required by my English 3100 professor, Victoria Lozano, is to reflect my personal interests and convey my personality. It is intended to chronicle the existence of a Southern Boy with a heart-of-gold, raised in a Hip-Hop generation, with a knack for adventure; one whose hobbies include working out, climbing mountains, politics, reading, occasional Minecraft endeavors, music, and rather long, romantic walks to the fridge. In case you're wondering, the redneck-geek-fatass-blasting-trap-music is myself. Nevertheless, I will provide a humorous, entertaining, educated perspective to current events and media topics.
I would like to borrow from Rene Descartes, with his famous quote "Cogito, ergo sum" or "I think, therefore I am." This quote was the result of a long, challenging quest for truth (Unfortunately, Descartes did not have a Gandalf or Dumbledore to accompany him) that started with him questioning and then abandoning his previous Aristotelian beliefs. Descartes implies a subsequent link between existence and thought; one that is mutual with each being completely reliant on the other. From the perspective of someone who has taken insurmountable quantities of their personal philosophy from Descartes, one could argue that the meaning of life, if there may be one, is thought. Rational, deep, enlightened, research-based, educated thought. When I sit in a classroom full of my peers, and even more so when I reflect on the folks around me at parties, I see the opposite of deep- thought. I see a generation of technology-obsessed, looks-obsessed, one-size-fits-all (except-for-the-hipsters-who-are-only-unique-in-their-music-and-fashion-choices) mindless goons who Descartes and many other deep-thinkers would frown upon. My generation is more concerned with "turnin up" than solving the problems we are faced with: the United States economy, the deterioration of the American family, and the looming threat of a global government (Cue Emperor Palpatine and Star Wars Music). I cannot blame my generation completely; I do remind you that it IS our Yuppie parents who have allowed for us to develop the way we have. Our generation needs to think. Our generation craves thought. We must allow reason and logic to pour into our brains and flow out of our mouths. Economics, History, Law, Civics, Philosophy, and Politics need to be not only household topics but also "at the bar" topics for 18-25 year olds in 2015. The second purpose of this blog is to intertwine what I see as the most thoughtless, unrefined aspects of our generation like the Kardashians or Gucci Mane, with issues in the US and across the world that should yield more attention from young folks. It is time for our generation to start thinking and with it realize its existence.
Andrew Tarley
Writer and Editor
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