The corporate structure is replacing the doting parent

What we know now as open conversation and intellection can not be compared with the work culture of decades past. Phenomenal ideas and creative innovations erupted within informal passages of time and space. We were relaxed and uninhibited. We moved forward at a rapid pace without the constraints of what we know now as societies sensitive nature.

Yes, there was sexual harassment and political incorrectness. Sturdy personalities propagated into leadership roles because we learned to professionally dignify the moment and ourselves. We observed the practice of respect for those who forgot how. We weren’t constrained by human resource mediation, management witness procedures and signing affidavits of reprimand for stating a factual opinion that someone else twisted into a personal attack or fabrication.

Management and personnel is now subjected to sensitivity training, extreme puppet policies and SOP’s which would have been mind-blowing in the previous employment generations.

Sensitivity training is unnecessary if families teach their children to treat all human beings with equal dignity.

SOP’s in reference to rehabilitation for workplace violence, addictions, mental health and plain fricking weird have extended to employers having their hands tied behind their backs. They are afraid of soiling the brand or being sued because internal associates and  external clients, vendors and outsourced entities may find out you have a nut case in the cubes. The majority picks up the slack while the indisposed is doing a “Kum ba yah” at the local shrink arena. Employees now know they are covered by corporate fear factors. Everyone is still getting the first place trophy.

A previous management position exposed me to staff, though young in age, had not been taught responsibility, fundamental accountability or in general, manners. An extreme sense of entitlement prevailed. Formal education can not replace fundamentals which should have commenced with learning to walk and talk.

A social setting, years ago folded me into a conversation with a couple eager to raise perfect children. Both parents informed me their children’s job was to go to school and make good grades. They did not want them picking up clothes, taking out the garbage or walking the dog. Their only responsibilities were to be perfect students. The parents took extreme measures in study supervision and class follow-up. They were driven to class and picked up afterwards.

Neither kid learned to take care of themselves. Those master and doctorate degrees can not wake you up in the morning, to be on time for work. If failure was never an option, you can not learn the repercussions of your own actions. When all needs are met, it is impossible to be responsible because you never learned accountability.

The same consequences can be ramifications from children rearing themselves. Parents absent of proper skill or support to teach their children the passages of good character, socially acceptable behavior and self indulgent attitudes will encounter a similar outcome.

It all extends back to moderation and the basics.

The corporate structure is replacing the doting parent. We are teaching the current workforce to treat each other equally. We are mopping up addictions which are the result of not knowing what your kids are doing or who they are with. The process of teaching right from wrong is evident with telling a new hire, stealing will not be tolerated. The practice of respect is taught through corporate policy, standards of procedure and terms of service. If we have to write it down and have personnel sign the statements – they are assuming mom and dad didn’t teach them to be decent human beings. It is CYA to protect the brand and the potential abuses from each other. Look at someone sideways and you’ll be introduced to their lawyer cousin – who had his mother drive him to the courthouse to make sure he or she was on time!

Corporate America is reacting to the outcome, with rules made by the offenders.  Emotional health, anger issues and internal resentment is still viewed as illness and opportunity for redemption. Stage a crying jag at your desk and get a month off to resuscitate your self-esteem. Just like the two year old throwing a tantrum in the middle of the mall on a Saturday afternoon – the parents promise anything the toddler wants to stop the kicking and screaming. The baby stops screaming and has now learned to manipulate the adults.

 

 

 

 

East Texas Radio

It is a very long drive from Houston to Powderly, Texas. The entire world changes after the first hundred miles outside of the metro-plex. The skyscrapers and freeways appear to melt in the rear-view mirror. The concrete turns to no man land prairie and fields. And then, all of a sudden there is hardly a billboard and you are stuck with the minute array of radio stations.

Knock me in the head, sideways, but I could swear I heard someone on a station in Crockett, Texas reading the obituaries for the week, on the air. Each obituary, in its entirety, line by line, including pall bearers was relayed. I am still not sure if I view this as blasphemous or having the fear of my obit being read out loud on a radio station. It was the same feeling as finding out you have been wearing your panties inside out all day. Not a good feeling.

I have the steering wheel controls to switch stations. They must have a thousand switches on them now. There was a multitude of religious preaching going on. I could almost tell the size of the church. Bet it was painted white and there were wildflowers in mason jars around the altar. A few of the sermons were quiet and subdued. One particular preacher was yelling. Either the congregation was hard of hearing or no one was there and he was trying hard to reach out to them.

There was a nice surprise being able to zone into NPR contact  for enough time to hear the TED Radio Hour. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design. I love this program. I watch it on the Roku quite often. The episode this Sunday afternoon was, “Where ideas come from”.  Elizabeth Gilbert, the writer of “Eat, Pray, Love“, conveyed her theory on “A new way to think about creativity.” Shortly after Elizabeth’s 18 minutes of eloquence, the station buzzed out. It was like having lost a good friend to hear the static.

During the five and a half hour adventure, I heard the Beatles sing, “I Will“. At his wedding, I danced with our youngest son to that song  The words to this masterpiece was also printed on our sons’ adoption announcements. What would the odds be of hearing this never a top 10 billboard hit on a radio station driving North on Highway 19 in Texas? Immediately following was Frankie Valley and the 4 Seasons.

There was no heavy metal, headbanger, rap,coffeehouse songwriter hits, or classic rock and roll anywhere to be found. I would’ve settled for a few polkas and a couple of ditties from Yoko Ono. An abundance of kikker music and gospel tunes were swiftly switched, some back and forth, out of frustration, through the car speakers.

Small towns do not have budgets sufficient to provide a vast variety of contemporary and up to date programing. Most of it sounds like it is being produced from someone’s back porch. Advertisers cater to large populations. Bigger bang for the buck. Lack of funding is going to dictate availability. I am extremely spoiled with previous access to world-class programming and a gazillion choices. I am not to sure if satellite XM would have been accessible where I was driving. Fortune permitted the sound of any human voice.

I have since learned to sync the IPhone on a regular schedule to have current podcasts and tunes to entertain my soul, no matter where I may be. My own singing gets on my nerves. God forbid, I’d be left to my own solitary thoughts for more than a few minutes.

Write In Space

Why do I write in space every morning?

Historically, writing has been part of me since I figured out the alphabet. The thrill of the first Olivetti manual typewriter to becoming President of the Houston Manuscriptor Guild. It is what I do. Sounds like most writers?

Our recent move to northeast Texas has created a perfect writing environment. It is going to take time to ramp up my business. The routine social circle is very far away. There are a lot fewer distractions out in the country. To be very specific – I have become down right bored. Boredom can only be blamed on one person – yourself. It is not the most exciting adventure to pack and unpack moving boxes. I have tackled the art of making sourdough bread and creme fraiche from scratch. Oh yea, I did locate a kitchen in this house. It even freaks me out. For decades, my expertise in the kitchen amounted to nuking whatever was packaged in a fancy box from Krogers. Creative endeavors, cooking or writing, are a lot more enjoyable when you aren’t rushed and you’re new in town.

Through experience, writers write to be remembered. Value is calculated in the words they put together. Some teach. Some whine. Some ramble, but they have an innate need to express themselves. It is a lot less expensive than a shrink. It allows you to be the person no one else can see. I do find myself censoring articles so as not to alienate close family and friends. The rationale is also to maintain a step of decency. The truth walks a fine line. We are all a dysfunctional lot. It is what allows us to stand out from the crowd. “I’d never join a club who would have me as a member”. I think Woody Allen stole this quote from Groucho Marx. Change a word here and there – people will re quote, retweet and post to Facebook.

In sales, a key component for success is knowing your product and your competition. Do you ever envision how other writers, bloggers, novelist, reporters produce their wares? Has the I Pad and smartphones replaced the tiny spiral notebooks and pencils? Do they even jot down notes or pull it all from their heads as it appears on the pages? I picture a lot of scruffy faces, bathrobes, and Don King coiffures in front of huge CPU’s, little laptops, expensive Tablets and a few Bic pens flying across dog-eared notebooks.

Famous and memorable writers, enjoying interviews on name brand television programs, always have the mini replica of the estate house, a short walk away on the property. They are dressed in cashmere sweaters and pressed khaki’s. There is always someone who works for them, or a formally dressed spouse bringing them coffee and a sandwich – with the crust cut off the bread and cut into little triangles. The room they write in always has cherry wood paneling and oriental rugs. An environment which smells like jasmine. The interview commences with name dropping and unabashed astonishment to the reason for the attention. The famous writer always acts flabbergasted and unknowing when asked about the income they have received due to the remarkable notoriety. Oh, the good life.

I am not that kind of writer or want to be. Riding a rocket is a nice gig, but waiting for the bus teaches a better lesson.

 

 

Online Employment Applications

It appears the world is on a “dummy down” kick. Unemployment, alone,  can kick your ego and self-worth to shreds. The stricken try to replace their professional situation with a “like” position. These days, the economy is brutal with its beatings. You end up applying for anything you can get your hands on. The light bills need paid.The kids are growing out of their clothes.

The lower the pay for a job – the more information and testing is required. An online application for a retail clerk can take as long as an hour to complete. A huge concern is relinquishing your personal identification and history to “who knows” on the other end of the screen. Creating user-id’s and passwords for each corporate entity with terms that would baffle your attorney. “Commission only” positions appear to be the most invasive. What is it with companies paying for performance only, thinking they can invade your privacy? Read the fine print. Agreements post terms with the likes of sending you for psychological counseling, drug testing, the type of vehicle you must have and the cleanliness of said vehicle, dress code requirements, alcohol rehabilitation terms, etc. It makes me wonder what kind of characters they have employed there.

Assessment tests are the best entertainment. Many years ago, I applied for a mid-management bank position. After the first or second interview, I was asked to take assessment testing at a test center. I was told it would take approximately one hour. The “assessment” test turned out to be 9 or 10 different tests and some included ink blots. The appointment lasted 6 hours. Two or three additional employment interviews followed. The end result was an offer so low, I would’ve had to apply for public assistance to live in low-income housing and eat noodles for the rest of my days. At the time, I held a position paying almost twice the offer. What genius at this bank was receiving a kick back from the testing center? It surely wasn’t cost-effective.

The actual online line assessments state repetitious questions. Employers are looking for consistency, thieves, nut cases, simpletons and smart people able to follow directions but not so smart as to have an opinion or the ability to think outside the box. Stepford Wives comes to my mind. If you have an IQ with the ability to set up your own home tech systems, you are going to over think these ditties. A good example is – an executive sales professional is trained to take “risk”. If you don’t take a walk on the wild side – you will starve to death. An online assessment for a retail position equates a “risk taker” as one who steals.The executive sales professional will flunk this assessment. The sponsoring company just passed up a chance to increase sales and actual prosperity.

Experience with the hiring process has taught me there is no equivalent for a face to face interview. Employers are missing the mark and losing the most talented prospects. Mediocre and good enough is what we are receiving when we call customer service, receive a billing statement and put up with lazy attitudes and blatant errors. Which brings up the point – Is there an assessment for habitual absentees, slackers, and arrogant idiots? There must be – they’re passing some kind of test.