Are managers costing your business too much money?
Some of the leading experts in management and organizational development would say, “absolutely;” more often than not, traditional management structures create costly inefficiencies that result in lower output, but at a higher cost.
That’s why some of the highest performing companies have said “no thank you” to the old way of doing things and have opted into alternative models that get them higher profits and productivity, with unbelievably low turnover...
Find out the 3 fundamental ways managers are costing businesses and what to do about it: https://www.virgin.com/entrepreneur/are-managers-costing-your-business-too-much-money
Hey everyone! We are in hibernation for the winter as some other projects get pushed forward. But don’t worry-- we’re all still getting a grip on our Facebook page. Stay connected!
How She Plays Tennis: That’s the Only Thing Anyone Should Be Talking About Regarding Serena Williams
Instead, we hear everything but that.
Once again, when an athlete who happens to be a female visibly excels at her sport, we hear a lot of commentary about everything but her performance in her sport. This comes second to their wardrobe or their hairstyle.
Why is that?
Whether it’s Gabby Douglas or Serena Williams, people just can’t stop obsessing about everything between their hair and thighs.
Their identity as a “woman” is challenged, whereas a male athlete never has to worry about having his “manliness” questioned.
"It’s almost as if ‘womanliness’ is something bestowed upon you by others, instead of something you identify as your own on your own and in your own way." - Erika Nicole Kendall.
I don’t need to break down the backwards-minded statements that have been reported because writers like Kendall have already done a great job with it.
I will, however, take this whole thing further to say, why do we stick to this bogus idea of "masculinity" and "femininity" / “manly” and “womanly,” anyway?
That’s right: BOGUS IDEA.
It's just another social construct. Think about it-- what characteristics do you attribute to being "womanly" or "manly?" Do you think that the characteristics you attribute to one gender are unnatural for the other gender?
The reality is that each human-- whether male or female-- has a wide range of potential characteristics that can be expressed, from aggression to compassion. The types of characteristics we end up expressing are largely the result of our environment, experiences, and ideals we've been exposed to. Many hormones and genes definitely play a part as well, and there is much variation with all this. It’s all very complex.
We see trends in certain behaviors among men and women because our culture has imposed these identities on us, teaching us to be a certain way, and many of us have followed suit-- but it isn’t “our nature.” In these situations-- when we submit to ideas of "feminine" and "masculine"-- we are missing out on the opportunity to discover and be our full, true selves. These labels have nothing to do with it.
Many jump to the easy argument that men have far more testosterone than women, resulting in specific tendencies. But, there are many other hormones at play than just testosterone and estrogen, plus a range of genes and experiences that may or may not trigger those genes. So, there’s a lot more factors involved than just testosterone and estrogen.
Personally, I am a female who is more aggressive than most men I meet. And, I’ve never had any interest for children. I’m not sure I even like kids. Do I have more testosterone than men? Probably not. Plus, a lot of men like and want kids.
Obviously, our preferences and behaviors are far more complicated than just the testosterone/estrogen ratio.
Contrary to popular opinion-- which is popular thanks to our social conditioning-- females are just as capable of logic, athleticism, courage, or aggression as any man, and men are just as capable of compassion, wanting a child, or sensitivity as any woman. It depends on the person.
That’s why statements like “she wants to be a woman” or calling Serena “manly” are logically meaningless. “Woman” is the gender, which is an identity constructed by culture and therefore just an idea that cannot exist without the people who believe it. “Female” is the sex, which is a physiological reality that is unchanged regardless of how you act or dress, and regardless of what people think.
It’s sad to see female athletes like Andrea Petkovic say, “I just feel unfeminine,” referring to her muscles bulging in photos. She, like so many, buys into the idea of “feminine” as being something real as well as an ideal to strive for-- lies we were taught since before we were even born, when we were given many little pretty pink things at our mother’s baby shower.
The reason people are so uncomfortable with women like Serena Williams is because she directly counters their false conception of what a female is and is not. She probably counters what many think a Black female is and is not, too. She is proof that the sexist and racist mentality that shows its ugly head so often in the world is limiting and simply false. It denies the true range of characteristics among women and men. Imposing a false and limiting identity on people hurts all sexes, and races, because it doesn’t let them be their full, true selves-- whether that’s strong and aggressive or sweet and shy, male or female. And when we are our true selves, it is criticized.
That’s why we need to let go of these culturally-manufactured ideas and start seeing every individual for the complex range of characteristics that they are. It’s time to be our full, true selves; not limited by false notions of femininity and masculinity. That will be a major win for all of us.
Do you agree/disagree? Let us know in the comments below.
It’s settled. That’s what Cleveland and the Justice Department said yesterday, when they announced a settlement to overhaul the city’s police department. Last year, the Justice Department released a report that found Cleveland police had a habit of using excessive force against residents. Very not good. Under this settlement, Cleveland officers will be retrained with new standards on how and when they can use their guns. They’ll also switch to community policing - aka keeping the same officers in the same neighborhoods, so they can get to know the people in the area. Thanks to stories like this, this, and this, Cleveland police have been at the front of a debate in the US over whether local PDs use too much force. But it’s not the only city that’s struggled with the issue – the Justice Department is also working with Ferguson and Baltimore.
This article was originally published on The Skimm.
At least that must be the take-away for M.D.s in the United States. Physical activity is a core pillar to health, but our doctors aren’t being trained on it. Uhh... problem?
Research shows that physical activity is largely left out of the U.S. medical school curriculum, which is crazy given the abundance of evidence on how an active lifestyle plays a huge role in preventing or managing chronic disease, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and mental health conditions.
No courses on physical activity were even offered in a majority of U.S. institutions, and if offered, they were usually optional.
"Because exercise has medicinal as well as other benefits, I was surprised that medical schools didn't spend more time on it," commented Brad Cardinal, the study’s lead author and a national expert on the benefits of physical activity.
"We really need to see something happen to address this.How do we get it more institutionalized into medical school curriculum? This is a question researchers have been asking for 40 years now. It is about time we figured it out."
Who wants to bet the same thing is going on for sleep?
Quit Hating! Why We Need Companies Like Starbucks for Social Progress
Starbucks has been getting a lot of heat for their social good campaign, “Race Together.” Yes, their execution of the concept was poor, but the concept itself is respectable. I want to see more companies leveraging their success to make a positive change in society, and I’m not mad at Starbucks for trying.
We should applaud Starbucks for:
- Taking a risk (and being willing to fail)
- Leveraging their success and their reach to advance positive social change
- Taking a stand for something
- Succeeding in getting people to think about racial issues in America, even if it’s only on a subconscious level
This campaign had a positive goal and supported an important social mission. We still have massive misunderstanding of the complex racial dynamics in America and their causes (case in point), and we’re not going to get anywhere if people don’t think or talk about it. Yes, it can seem hypocritical when you consider the fact that Starbucks’ executives are predominantly white, but suddenly changing their leadership team isn't going to change the social realities that extend far beyond their office.
Perhaps we can now build from this campaign and develop a better execution to achieve the core goal: improve consciousness and understanding of race relations, which is much needed.
In fact, the public’s response to this campaign is telling. Why are people so upset about a simple tagline on their coffee cup? If they don’t care about the issue, then they can just throw out the cup and tell the barista to f*** off. There’s criticism that the line at a coffee shop is not an “appropriate place for a conversation about race.” Well, why the hell not? What are you doing in that line that is more important than thinking about a fundamental issue that has held our society back for centuries? And, the timing for this campaign is solid; our growing awareness of all these killings of unarmed black men is just more reason to empower a dialogue about race relations *now*. We need to start getting smarter about race today; not when the media gets bored of reporting on black killings (which have always been there and will continue if we don’t make changes now).
Yes, there is a better way for companies like Starbucks to compel people to think and talk about race (or any issue), so let’s help them out by giving feedback and ideas. Think about a cause that’s important to you. When and where do you think people would be most receptive to hearing about it? Let’s build a better strategy.
Large corporations have the resources, the attention of the public, and a level of sway on policymakers to able to make a real dent in society. So let’s partner with these companies and harness their potential for social good rather than criticize them (in an unconstructive way) for trying to do good.
"I'll Sleep When I'm Dead," Right? You Might Get There Sooner Than You Think
Got a super important project keeping you up? If you won’t let yourself get enough sleep, at least avoid driving and operating machinery. Also, avoid other sleep-deprived people doing these things, like tired doctors. It could save your life, or at least some limbs…
Here’s what people did when asked what it means to run or hit like a girl...
But when young girls were asked, their response was powerful, and reminded women and men that the phrase “running like a girl” is a lie we were taught by our culture. Running like a girl means running as fast as you can, as hard as you can, and winning. It’s time clear things up. Spread the word.
Part of the podcast series, “Coming to America,” Kayse Jama, Executive Director of the Center for Intercultural Organizing, Somalian Refugee, and a community leader in Portland, OR,
describes some of the solutions for integrating immigrants and refugees
into American society.
Kayse Jama, Executive Director of the Center for Intercultural Organizing, Somalian Refugee, and a community leader in Portland, OR, describes the challenges faced by immigrants and refugees.
South Korean tech giant Samsung recently rolled out a new line of Smart TVs powered by its own homegrown operating system Tizen.
If a consumer were to look closely at the privacy policy that is provided with the product, they might be alarmed to read the following clause:
“Please be aware that if your spoken words include personal or other sensitive information, that information will be among the data captured and transmitted to a third party through your use of Voice Recognition.”
It’s not entirely clear how often the Smart TVs will be listening in on its users, but it is somewhat alarming that any audio recorded by the TV immediately becomes the property of Samsung.
Furthermore, the company is allowed to handle the information however they see fit no matter how “personal” or “sensitive” it may be.
With Samsung trying to lure users away from Google’s Android software, issues with trust could arise among potential consumers.
Political asylee and Executive Director of Africa House Djimet Dogo shares the African immigrant/refugee experience in Portland, OR and some of the initiatives they are undertaking to advance solutions.
Somalian high school student shares his story of integrating into the local community in Portland, OR after spending his childhood living in refugee camps throughout Kenya.
Governments don’t want a population capable of critical thinking, they want obedient workers, people just smart enough to run the machines and just dumb enough to passively accept their situation.
(We all know it's just eating disorders and still getting photoshopped, anyway.)
As we continue to be entertained by Super Bowl ads, let's keep this in mind: Ads are a reflection of our society's values, norms, and mind-sets. In an attempt to be amusing and relevant, many ads end up being sexist,racist, ageist... you get the picture. The Representation Project is calling this out (with a focus on sexism) with the twitter campaign #NotBuyingIt and #MediaWeLike.
One of the ads they highlight is the Victoria's Secret commercial. I'm going to fixate on this one for just one article. Here we have a top global brand with the eyes of the world guaranteed to them for a day, and this is how they decide to use your attention— show you excessively thin women with (fake?) breasts popping out of their lingerie looking at you seductively, shot after shot, including a woman walking down a city street in nothing but lingerie and a short leather jacket (cause that would really happen). They end the commercial with, "let the real games begin," re-enforcing the toxic idea that having a romantic relationship is a game when what we should be seeing are depictions of healthy, symbiotic relationships.
And that's all it is. These guys have their pick of ad agencies and this is the best they could come up with? Where's the creativity?
More importantly, where is the intelligence to be aware of what they are re-enforcing?
In the past couple of years, there has been a wonderful upsurge in articles, videos, and imagery calling out the bogus beauty standards in our society and exposing how these standards can't even be achieved by the models representing them; it takes pounds of make-up, hair product, the right lighting, and still getting photo shopped for the models to look this way. Not to mention the issue that we still rarely see any non-white models at companies like VS, perpetuating a very limited idea of beauty.
The issue is bigger than the construct of beauty and people's starved sense of self-worth. Our culture's archaic ideas about image ultimately shape practices, policies, and opportunities-- they allowed this pretty, white model to get away for driving on a red light with just a "Sorry, officer," while 86% of teens who are stopped and frisked for no reason in NYC, for example, are Black and Latino.
The general public is getting wiser and more outspoken. So why are companies still feeding us this crap? Why aren't real, healthy bodies of various heights and skin tones deemed good enough?
We don't need to be a size 2 to look good in Victoria's Secret, and we don't need Victoria or her secrets to look good, period. Let's demand better of our companies, culture, and ourselves. #NotBuyingIt
