Dan Erwin

GEN-Y: LOOK WHO'S CENSORING THE INTERNET NOW

It's not just countries like Iran and China that are censoring the internet now.  You'd be surprised to know that among the list are France, India, Australia, Argentina and South Korea. 

Although some are censoring for pornography, that's not the whole story by a long stretch.  What gets into the picture are politics, gambling, and limits to Google and Yahoo because of certain celebrities that use their engines. 

The current article is free on Foreign Policy, and no registration is required.  Foreign Policy is an especially useful means for learning that our American culture's way of looking at society and culture is not the same way other cultures view their world.  The contrasts are always enlightening.  

Check it out.  Many of you either are or will be with internationals and the more we understand their world, the more productive our work relationships. 

HOW DO YOU SAY "I DON'T KNOW?"

I've been musing about why, even when the consequences are harmless, some will and some won't say, "I don't know" about an issue of their obvious ignorance.  If you're anything like most of us, it's a mixed bag.  

Being a pragmatic soul, I'll ask why you should confess to ignorance.  What's in it for you?  Of course, it's an issue of simple honesty.  But I'm unconvinced that simple honesty all the time is valued that much.  It would be great if we could operate that way a bit more, but it doesn't always make for a job promotion.  

The fact of the matter is that we all lie or cheat a little.  Don't think so?  In a charming study, the wry Dan Ariely of MIT, explored the subject of cheating, using--you guessed it--poker chips.  To no surprise, he found that, yes, most of us will cheat a little, given the opportunity.  But he also found that our consciences impose limits to our cheating.  

It's the third conclusion that speaks to what's in it for you: when it's not about money, we'll cheat more.  That means, for example, when we think our reputation is at stake, we're liable to cheat a bit and not say, "I don't know." 

Take care when you fail to say, "I don't know" to a question someone asked.  It may be to your advantage to fess up.  Very solid research also reveals that we admire people whom we perceive to be likable and competent.  Nice guys without competence eventually get ignored.  And competent people who aren't likable get avoided. 

But a nice guy who's also competent?  Great stuff!  Competence means that 90% of the time you know the answer to the question but the rest of the time, you may be guessing, fudging or cheating.  Instead, use that extra 10% to to exemplify your honesty and confidence by admitting your not knowing.  It's amazing the reputation for credibility you can earn with a simple answer to a question of your ignorance:  "I don't know."

ECONOMY, RECESSION AND REINVENTION

What's becoming more clear every week is how crisis reshapes business and the professional.  Many of us have lived through the vast transitions of the '80s and '90s and watched technology wade into business and bring massive change.  Now the global financial world is bringing its massive share of change.  Matt Bai, like David Brooks and Tom Friedman, is a writer I love to read.  Responding to General Motors' probable "totaling" in the Sunday New York Times Magazine he writes about a number of significant and underlying changes in our culture. 

Bai argues rather forcefully that a bankruptcy is not a bankruptcy.  In other words, GM leadership has not understood that the American culture does not view a bankruptcy the way it used to.  With innovation the central driving factor of economic success, and innovators quite willing to accept bankruptcy on the way to success, attitudes have changed.

By now, the public has become aware that Rick Wagoner, CEO of GM, has resigned.  Change has been mandated.  But the intriguing cultural insight that Matt Bai surfaces for us business professionals is that in the past 20 years the notion of the infallible organization--the regal organizations of the industrial age--have come to an end.  (My wife remembers working in her second summer of college on the staff of the vice-president of GM Overseas, where the receptionist spoke 12 languages--and all resided in the magnificent General Motors Building around the corner from Woodward Avenue, adjacent to the golden tower of the Fisher Building.  Talk about regal!).  

Bai summarizes his near revolutionary insight this way:

But in the 20 years since Silicon Valley start-ups began transforming the workplace, younger Americans--in other words, those who now make up the heart of the consumer market--have largely dispensed with the mythology of the infallible institution.  Transparency and reinvention, rather than stability and regality, are the more valued assets in an economy where entrepreneurs expect to stumble more often than they succeed and where employees expect to have to change jobs (if not careers) multiple times.  In the fastest-growing quarters of the economy, admitting your failures and remaking yourself is the new American work ethic.

In the past 25 years, we've watched hierarchy go flat, and transparency among employees become the courageous expectation.  And reinvention, well, skills to reinvent your career are becoming key to avoiding obsolescence.  And if you're not thinking in those terms, you'd best get moving.

I'm amused to notice, however, that career development has at last caught up with one founding father--Ben Franklin.  Franklin for all his womanizing and deceptiveness, is probably the most truly American forefather (In both ways--if you get my drift.).  He more than all the rest, epitomizes the ability to change himself.  But he became a master at it in a world that Gordon Wood portrays through the words of Jonathan Edwards, where all have,

their appointed office, place and station, according to their several capacities and talents, and everyone keeps his place, and continues in his proper business."

Although Franklin was raised in Boston, clearly he never got Edwards' message.  Instead, he was prodigal son and brother, printer, wealthy landowner, founder of a school (Penn, the Ivy), world renown scientist, Ambassador to France, and on and on.  Quite the model for our entrepreneurial nation and professionals.

Ah well, what's important is that in our professional life we learn more and more about transparency and reinvention--as the norms of successful business professionals.

So. . . a bit of today, yesterday and commonality.  What do you think about all that?

MANAGEMENT EDUCATION WITH A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

In a hands-on approach to management education, a Wall Street Journal writer, Alina Dizik, explains a unique program based in Hong Kong that exposes young leaders to different cultures.  It's a two-week immersion in which managers develop a business plan, gain input from top-flite speakers, and spend the second week putting their learning to use.  Attendees learn how to debate in a cross-cultural setting and even table etiquette, all with direct feedback.  With this under their belt, the group heads off to an Asian country of choice to assist a local entrepreneur with business development.  Classic learning by doing.  Cool!

The focus is on younger managers--late twenties and thirties.  Some leading international companies are already involved.

Take a look-see with my link.

"OBAMANOMICS ISN'T ABOUT BIG GOVERNMENT"

When I want to understand policy, I often go to Robert Reich.  In an Op-Ed article in this morning's Wall Street Journal, Reich parses the distinctions between Reagan and Obama's "animating" ideas.  Reagan's idea was top-down.  The economy grows best when the wealthy are taxed less and benefits would "trickle down."  Although "trickle down" was never proved, it's clear that we had the longest bull market in history as a result of those theories.  The problem?  The benefits were not widely shared.  Recently, that's become a profound understatement.

In contrast, according to Reich, Obama's perspective is that the economy grows best from the bottom up.  Everyone knows that the wealthy will be getting increased taxes.  The president proposes that taxes will fund more college grants for lower-income students, better pay for teachers "that show they're worth it," broader access to health care, improved infrastructure and more basic research.

Based on the drastic economic changes over the past two years, one thing is becoming more certain and it's counter-intuitive to talk radio.  Pragmatism will lead, not ideology.  Indeed, I suspect that the coming decade will represent the triumph of pragmatism over ideology and CEOs will become the statesmen.  Both Bush and Paulson jettisoned free market convictions when the credit crunch threatened catastrophe.  At that point, ideology went down the tubes.  If you're doing a close read of the health care debates, you can't miss the fact that big business wants out of the health care business, wants the government to be more involved--in some fashion--and wants some form of universal coverage.  Business wants that??

And if you read the news closely, you should be noticing the impact of some of the top financial CEOs--it's not all negative.  Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase regularly puts in more than his two-cents--and it's a rather intelligent two-cents at that.  Furthermore, pay attention to Dimon's push back of Obama, and the attention Obama gives to Dimon's ideas.  They're representative of the future.

Stay tuned.  And I'm curious.  What do you really think about Reich's interpretation?

QUOTATION OF THE WEEK: GEITHNER'S INSIGHT

"Our system failed in fundamental ways.  To address this will require comprehensive reform.  Not modest repairs at the margin, but new rules of the game." 

--From a presentation at the House Financial Services Committee, reported in today's New York Times. 

LOSE YOUR JOB? SHOULD YOU STAY IN THE SAME FIELD?

In an informative post, Jason Alba of JibberJobber.com explores his feelings about an engagement at Columbia's top journalism school.  What will these grads do as newspapers go away?  

Is the sky falling?  Maybe they're (you're??) looking for the wrong job.

Go to the comments on the post where my own theories about career addresses his issue.  It should have been a post on this site.  Oh well. . . .

GEN-Y SKILLS: HOW TO GET LAID-OFF

If you get laid off, don't burn a single bridge. 

Getting laid-off in this economy can be a particularly gut-wrenching experience.  In contrast to quitting, it's more frustrating.  You're not in charge of the process, it's going to impact your financial security and you may have no opportunity to prepare for the conversation.  Furthermore, in a lay-off people watch you differently than if you quit.  Their defenses will be up and they may be tightly strung in preparation for an outburst.  Remember, those with the responsiblity of the lay-off also view the experience with a great deal of trepidation and angst.

In this economy, unless you have golden handcuffs or own the firm, I'd give a few minutes to thinking about a possible lay-off and make some notes in preparation.  As a consultant and specialist in communication, I'm aware that the average professinal gives little time to thinking about his/her conversations unless there's a court date or the CEO has asked for input.  A lay-off conversation of talking points is smart preparation.

This recession means you're liable to have little warning of a lay-off, so now's a good time to prepare for it.  More than 25 years ago, as a result of a tenure discussion it became obvious that though I could work out a relationship with the school, over the long term it would not be a happy situation.  I had given some thought to leaving for nearly six months prior to the discussion, and was well prepared.  The University president told me that my written and verbal resignation were the "classiest" in his experience.  As a result of my behavior, I am--years later--still able to access information and resources.  

Plan to make a good impression in the lay-off experience.  Thank your boss for the experience you've had at the firm, and be able to concretely detail your gains.  Handled with panache, a lay-off will provide you with a number of opportunities.  Five years ago, one of my small clients was having financial difficulty, and though I had a contract with him, I offered him a contract "furlough."  That experience is still spoken of with awe by my client.  I currently have a two year contract with the same client--essentially paid in advance.  Cool, eh?

You will want to be able to use your employer as a reference.  One manager not only agrees to serve as a reference, but also makes a number of perks available.  He offers his service to assist in fine-tuning a resume to show it off to best advantage.  Since a portfolio is a valuable resource for his employees, he makes electronic files of their work available.  Resume help is not necessary if you have an out-placement contract, but very few are that fortunate.

Recruiters often test a candidate's potential with this question of the former manager:  "Would you be willing to hire that person back in an upturn?"  Another of my clients informs the laid-off employee of his precise response should the question be asked.

You might top all this off with a hand-written note, indicating that you understand their financial position and sincerely appreciated the opportunities you had while working there.  That's a highly effective piece of street smarts that lets everyone know that you're mature, and have the ability to manage your emotions.

Don't burn a bridge with co-workers either.  Anyone you've worked with is a potential reference, and that's another reason to avoid griping in a work setting--even to your friends.    

Again, one of the top relationship skills applies especially well to a lay-off:  Never burn a bridge.

TREASURY GEITHNER PROPOSES MASSIVE REGULATORY REFORM

Geithner proposal to extend sweeping federal authority over financial markets.  First time regulatory power over insurers, hedge funds and derivatives.  Washington Post says Geithner will ask for power to compel firms to comply with Treasury directives.  Check out the extensive reform proposals--and the fascinating--intriguing--American history of financial reform.

Question.  Who should you trust most?  Legislature, Treasury Geithner or Fed Bernanke?  See what Bradford DeLong, top  UCal Berkeley economist, has to say!

GEN-Y SKILLS: LISTENING SUCCESSFULLY TO NON-VERBAL MESAGES

He that has eyes to see and ears to hear may convince himself that no mortal can keep a secret.  If his lips are silent, he chatters with his finger tips; betrayal oozes out of him at every pore.  Sigmund Freud

Leave it to Freud to pick up the negative side of nonverbal listening.  Still, his point that skin and finger tips talk is quite correct.  There are plenty of businessmen and women, who when angry or embarrassed, turn red on their neck or face.  Few of us miss the meaning of tapping fingertips on a conference table or a voice that has become shaky with tension or anger.

Most of the natives in the Upper Midwest are well aware that the nonverbal of silence when in advocacy or persuasive settings usually means no.  Those of us who are national consultants know that silence may mean yes in New York.  Not even God knows what silence means in California.  You've always got to check it out in Los Angeles.

Nonverbal messages are even more difficult than verbal messages to interpret correctly.  Nonverbal messages, unlike verbal messages, are not sequential.  The nonverbal is not logically ordered.  Furthermore, nonverbal messages are often involuntary or uncontrolled.  Finally, the same expression, such as a smile or crossed arms, can be indicative of widely different emotions. 

FYI:  Checking out nonverbal messages is rarely done in business settings, and should be initiated in less threatening settings, such as in one-on-one conversations.   Not only you, but also your recipients need to get used to the process.  Once you've had 20 to 30 experiences of checking out, you will be familiar with most of the "unexpected" responses of recipients.  Then you can move to team settings where there are no hierarchical differences, and eventually to hierarchical settings.  Better managed companies are gradually getting used to transparency in their relationships--an experience necessitated by the intense competition of today's marketplace.  Although early experiences can be tense, checking out nonverbals will add to your reputation as a "No B.S." professional--a highly valuable reputation in most organizations.

Research indicates that nonverbal accuracy rates are less than 50%, even with married people or those who have worked together for years. For that reason, when dealing with important business matters, you'd be wise to check out your nonverbal interpretations through this three-step process:

1. Tell the other person what you saw her do and heard her say that leads you to your conclusion.
2. Tell her what meaning you have tentatively attached to her nonverbal actions.
3. Ask her if your conclusion is correct.

For example:

1. "You just said you liked this project, but you frowned.  Would it be right to say there are pluses and minuses to what you're doing?"
2. "You said you had time to discuss my project timelines, but you keep looking at your watch.  Would you like me to come at a better time tomorrow?"

Remember that most people are inaccurate most of the time.  In other words, "how to read a person like a book" is pure baloney.  Even though I have extensive graduate education and training in nonverbal, if the business issue is significant, I always check out the meaning of a cue.  Better safe than sorry.