I travel the world and visit many societies, cultures and nationalities. I find it interesting to discover the different attitudes to life, the different beliefs and stimuli that motivate different people.
I am currently visiting North America having been in South Africa and the UK in the last month. Something strikes me on this visit. It has occurred to me that the pride people have for their nation, heritage, culture or who they are, varies a great deal.
For example, Canadians are very proud of being Canadian. This pride is despite their divided history and even their current divisions. They are simply proud of who they are and promote their own products, promote their country and do this whilst embracing a changing world. In fact I would describe Canada as one of the most multi-cultural, multi-ethnic nations with the most tolerant and positive attitude. I can genuinely say that people seem to completely ignore the colour of a persons skin and embrace people for who they are and not where they come from. Maybe this has a lot to do with the pride they have in themselves.
Canada is probably one of the few countries that have this pride in such abundance, and consistently. In the United States, there is a lot of pride in who they were! Listen to Americans, they talk about their history with great pride, and so they should. Their founders did them proud in giving birth to a nation, which provided so many opportunities. However, the talk is about what they have done in years gone by and not what is happening now. I am not talking about the current administration either. They are fully divided on that one! I am talking about pride in their nation and who they are.
The country is so divided now that they are more at war with each other than they are with any other country, or what is laughingly called terrorism. I heard a great quote that sums up the situation here, “America, having given the world democracy, is in danger of being strangled by democracy”. I get the feeling that in America, people have to be proud of being American. To not be proud is seen as being anti-American. There is no middle ground. In a society where we can’t speak out against our country for fear of being anti-xxxx, is a dangerous place to be.
France has always been a nation of proud people. But a little thought about the basis of their pride and we discover that it is based more on an attitude. France is proud of being stubborn!! Maybe that is a bit harsh but not too far from the truth. People of France are very fickle and are proud for being proud rather than for what they stand for. For example, the French care about the pronunciation of what you say and not what is being said. As France teeters on the edge of bankruptcy I am reminded of the expression, ‘pride comes before a fall’.
South Africa is interesting because their first President after apartheid, Nelson Mandela instilled in people that they were a “rainbow nation” and should be proud of who they have become, despite their history. I wonder if he took a look at Canada and came up with that thinking? Certainly the country uses the logo “Proudly South African” on its products, and the people refer to “Proudly South African” on as many occasions as possible, in as many places as it can.
Mostly it is true, people are proud of what they have become. Those that weren’t have mostly moved on. They have a right to be proud as well. The way they have largely settled their past and moved on is an example to so many. If they can sustain their pride in the future and not keep getting dragged back to the past, they will do well.
I am not saying that countries don’t have pride. I am saying that the pride is weak or poorly placed and not an enduring pride that feeds the culture for good.
UK has little or no pride left. Despite various rhetoric by Prime Ministers, the basis is not there. Similar to America, there is a lot of division, the pride is in the history, it is not as evident as it was a generation ago.
In Pakistan I found people that were very proud of their traditions and their cultures. They were keen to share with me the different types of foods and show me aspects of their culture. They were also very humble. Very willing to learn, very keen to discover and also very ashamed of the people that were giving the West a poor impression of who they are.
All nations have a degree of pride but it is what it is based on that makes a difference as much as the level of pride.
Jews are proud on principle!
New Zealanders need to win the rugby to be proud ☺
Australians are proud of being different and being able to swear the most.
As with all things, it is a matter of degree. Certainly, the wrong type of pride can alienate and ultimately undermine you or country. Too little pride gives no meaning and does not create a basis for which people can belong or be motivated to contribute.
Ask yourself this, if you wanted to live with a group of people that are proud of who they are and what they are creating for the future, who would you think of first? How would being with them affect you?
Pride for the right reason is a worthy pride.
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Travelling into Heathrow
Travelling as I do, I see lots of airports. Heathrow is one of my least favourite but on a recent trip out I was really impressed with the service at security. They had obviously done some work both in terms of layout and in terms of staff development. The system was far more efficient and the security people were helpful, friendly and a pleasure to be with.
I left UK with a good feeling.
Today I arrived at Heathrow on my return journey. Whenever I arrive I try to see the first impressions a tourist or foreigner would get of Heathrow and of UK. I arrive at the new wing and so it is clean and looking very nice. However, as I walk the corridors I come across walkways and escalators that are not working (I have never been through Heathrow when all the escalators and moving walkways are working)
I arrive at Immigration to discover the new IRIS system is not working and there is a queue to see the Immigration Officer. The sign says that if you are at this point, it will take 5 minutes, and that is the point I join at.
The escalator to the baggage hall is not working and as I enter the hall I see a group of people stood in the centre where there is the only video display showing which carrousel each flights baggage will be sent to. Being in the middle of the hall it means people congregate there to wait to see where they need to go. This means that anyone trying to get through the hall has a crowd of people to make their way through. As we stand waiting, there is a constant series of “excuse me” as passengers are trying to get through the standing people.
When you have to wait 25 minutes to be told which carrousel your baggage will be on you start to notice that British Airways flights are being given priority. Any BA flight is on a carousel within 5 minutes. I start to feel that I am a second class person for having flown the wrong airline!
I decide to buy my Heathrow Express ticket while I am waiting. Next to the underground ticket machine there is a sign that tells me there are three ways to get to London. Then I discover that there is no way to buy a ticket for the Heathrow Express. Because of the way it is laid out, I can imagine that a number of people have bought a ticket at this machine thinking they can use it on Heathrow Express.
Finally we get told the carousel to use and we make our way there only to wait another 5 minutes. Boredom is setting in and it is at this stage you start to notice how dirty the place is. The cleaner does not get under the carousel or up to the edges of the walls etc.
Bags start to arrive and they flow in ones and twos and then a gap. Finally we get fours and fives coming up the conveyor. The electronic eye (useless invention when it does work) stops the baggage coming off the conveyor because it senses bags on the carousel. The problem is, this one is set wrong and so stops bags and waits until the bag on the carousel is in front of it and then dumps itself on top of the bag. Bags bounce around all over the place. There are times when no bags come up at all! First Class and Priority bags are the last to make it along with bags in transit. Of course transit passengers are starting to pull their hair out and keep looking at their watches with sweat starting to form on their foreheads.
Finally my bag arrives after an hour waiting in the baggage hall! Due to the position of our carousel we now need to be part of the people that say “excuse me”, “excuse me”, “excuse me”…… as we make our way towards Customs and the green route.
As I finally sit down on the Heathrow Express I ponder about my experience. Why is it so difficult to make a good impression? It must take at least the same amount of energy to make a bad impression.
If I were a first time visitor at Heathrow, I would be forgiven for thinking that I had landed in a third world (or at best a second world) country. Why can I say that with confidence? Because I have been to so called second and third world countries and the airports are far more efficient than Heathrow.
A final thought went through my mind. I did not see, or to be specific, hear any English people working at Heathrow. All of them were of Asian or Middle Eastern descent. I am sorry to say that the thought went through my mind, I wonder if they would behave and work the way they do in Heathrow if they were working in their birth country? My experience is that in Asia and Middle East, people take a lot more pride in their work. Why are they not proud to work in UK? Is it because we have learnt to accept mediocrity? Is it because we lack leaders?
I opened the newspaper to read the headline, BAA plan to reduce their staff by 2000 people!!!!!! Oh dear. Can it get worse?
I left UK with a good feeling.
Today I arrived at Heathrow on my return journey. Whenever I arrive I try to see the first impressions a tourist or foreigner would get of Heathrow and of UK. I arrive at the new wing and so it is clean and looking very nice. However, as I walk the corridors I come across walkways and escalators that are not working (I have never been through Heathrow when all the escalators and moving walkways are working)
I arrive at Immigration to discover the new IRIS system is not working and there is a queue to see the Immigration Officer. The sign says that if you are at this point, it will take 5 minutes, and that is the point I join at.
The escalator to the baggage hall is not working and as I enter the hall I see a group of people stood in the centre where there is the only video display showing which carrousel each flights baggage will be sent to. Being in the middle of the hall it means people congregate there to wait to see where they need to go. This means that anyone trying to get through the hall has a crowd of people to make their way through. As we stand waiting, there is a constant series of “excuse me” as passengers are trying to get through the standing people.
When you have to wait 25 minutes to be told which carrousel your baggage will be on you start to notice that British Airways flights are being given priority. Any BA flight is on a carousel within 5 minutes. I start to feel that I am a second class person for having flown the wrong airline!
I decide to buy my Heathrow Express ticket while I am waiting. Next to the underground ticket machine there is a sign that tells me there are three ways to get to London. Then I discover that there is no way to buy a ticket for the Heathrow Express. Because of the way it is laid out, I can imagine that a number of people have bought a ticket at this machine thinking they can use it on Heathrow Express.
Finally we get told the carousel to use and we make our way there only to wait another 5 minutes. Boredom is setting in and it is at this stage you start to notice how dirty the place is. The cleaner does not get under the carousel or up to the edges of the walls etc.
Bags start to arrive and they flow in ones and twos and then a gap. Finally we get fours and fives coming up the conveyor. The electronic eye (useless invention when it does work) stops the baggage coming off the conveyor because it senses bags on the carousel. The problem is, this one is set wrong and so stops bags and waits until the bag on the carousel is in front of it and then dumps itself on top of the bag. Bags bounce around all over the place. There are times when no bags come up at all! First Class and Priority bags are the last to make it along with bags in transit. Of course transit passengers are starting to pull their hair out and keep looking at their watches with sweat starting to form on their foreheads.
Finally my bag arrives after an hour waiting in the baggage hall! Due to the position of our carousel we now need to be part of the people that say “excuse me”, “excuse me”, “excuse me”…… as we make our way towards Customs and the green route.
As I finally sit down on the Heathrow Express I ponder about my experience. Why is it so difficult to make a good impression? It must take at least the same amount of energy to make a bad impression.
If I were a first time visitor at Heathrow, I would be forgiven for thinking that I had landed in a third world (or at best a second world) country. Why can I say that with confidence? Because I have been to so called second and third world countries and the airports are far more efficient than Heathrow.
A final thought went through my mind. I did not see, or to be specific, hear any English people working at Heathrow. All of them were of Asian or Middle Eastern descent. I am sorry to say that the thought went through my mind, I wonder if they would behave and work the way they do in Heathrow if they were working in their birth country? My experience is that in Asia and Middle East, people take a lot more pride in their work. Why are they not proud to work in UK? Is it because we have learnt to accept mediocrity? Is it because we lack leaders?
I opened the newspaper to read the headline, BAA plan to reduce their staff by 2000 people!!!!!! Oh dear. Can it get worse?
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Getting ill while travelling
I am in South Africa and have an attack of gout. It is not something that happens often to me and my visits to the Doctor has done nothing to help me plan, deal with or learn about my condition. It has been a year since I had my last attack and this came on very suddenly. It is always a worry because the pain is distracting and it can limit my effectiveness as a professional speaker.
What do I do? Going to a Doctor is not something I relish in England, no mind in South Africa. The cost, what will they do, will I catch something, etc.
A close friend insists I go to the Doctor as I limp around in pain. I get loaded into the car on Saturday morning and driven into town to a Doctors surgery. We walk in at 9.35am and explain that I am visiting the country and need to see the Doctor.
The receptionist is not phased and she explains that the Doctor has some pre-planned appointments but she will see what she can do.
Three and a half minutes later I am sat in front of a doctor! He is cheerful and asks me questions which start with, “Have you been drinking too much South African wine?” We laugh and the examination goes ahead with the tone set. He is interested, considerate, and he oozes confidence combined with competence in a way that relaxes me.
Finally he explains (in a way that nobody has ever done before) what gout is, what happens and what he is going to recommend for me.
The recommendation is an injection of a “mix” they do. I cannot even start to pronounce the mix but he goes on to explain that the one will give relief within the hour and the other will kick in four hours later. “That gets you over the initial problem” he says, “and then I will give you a prescription for two things…”
He explains that one breaks down the crystals in the foot and the other is for pain relief if I need it.
Duly dealt with, including an injection and a prescription in hand, I leave the doctors consulting room. (By the way the injection was the least painful one I have ever had in my life) The Doctor hands me a leaflet on gout and as a true patriotic South African smiles and says, “Keep drinking the South African wine hey!”. We laugh, shake hands and he holds the door open as I leave.
Now a new fear clutches me as I realise I will have to pay for the consultation and treatment. I approach the receptionist with my two pieces of paper and she has a look at what is there. A few moments and she looks up and tells me I owe R236.00 (£16.27 or $8.13) for everything. I put away the credit card and pull out cash for such a small amount.
We walk into pharmacy and get a weeks treatment of both items on the prescription which costs me another R180 (£12.41 or $6.20). We go for a coffee and by the time we leave the coffee shop I can walk normally and feel great.
I am gobsmacked at the service I got, the speed I was dealt with and the relief I have in such a short period of time. Never in 10 years of going to Doctors and Consultants in UK have I had the same service and certainly I have never been able to see a Doctor at a moments notice.
I ask my friends if this is normal? “Oh yes, quite normal”. They are British and so know what happens in UK. They go on to tell me how she had a problem and she phoned the Consultant at the hospital directly and asked to see him. He said yes and the appointment was made the same day!
He examined her and said she needed surgery. He then asked when she would like it?! She said next Thursday would be good and he phoned up and two minutes later it was booked!!!!
In UK, if I want to see a Consultant it has to be through a Doctor and I have never seen one within four weeks of seeing the Doctor. In fact the last time the Doctor in UK referred me to a Consultant, I gave up trying to arrange an appointment after three attempts. In future I think I will get on a plane and fly to South Africa.
My friend tells me that increasingly people are coming to South Africa for plastic surgery and dental work in particular because it is cheaper, more efficient and they can combine it with an amazing holiday.
I ask myself, what is wrong with the systems in the West? We seem to have made it too complicated. The health service in UK has become a nightmare of bureaucracy and littered with frustrated people who have lost a common sense of purpose and even possibly even pride in their profession.
Personally? I know where I want to go if I really need medical advise in the future.
What do I do? Going to a Doctor is not something I relish in England, no mind in South Africa. The cost, what will they do, will I catch something, etc.
A close friend insists I go to the Doctor as I limp around in pain. I get loaded into the car on Saturday morning and driven into town to a Doctors surgery. We walk in at 9.35am and explain that I am visiting the country and need to see the Doctor.
The receptionist is not phased and she explains that the Doctor has some pre-planned appointments but she will see what she can do.
Three and a half minutes later I am sat in front of a doctor! He is cheerful and asks me questions which start with, “Have you been drinking too much South African wine?” We laugh and the examination goes ahead with the tone set. He is interested, considerate, and he oozes confidence combined with competence in a way that relaxes me.
Finally he explains (in a way that nobody has ever done before) what gout is, what happens and what he is going to recommend for me.
The recommendation is an injection of a “mix” they do. I cannot even start to pronounce the mix but he goes on to explain that the one will give relief within the hour and the other will kick in four hours later. “That gets you over the initial problem” he says, “and then I will give you a prescription for two things…”
He explains that one breaks down the crystals in the foot and the other is for pain relief if I need it.
Duly dealt with, including an injection and a prescription in hand, I leave the doctors consulting room. (By the way the injection was the least painful one I have ever had in my life) The Doctor hands me a leaflet on gout and as a true patriotic South African smiles and says, “Keep drinking the South African wine hey!”. We laugh, shake hands and he holds the door open as I leave.
Now a new fear clutches me as I realise I will have to pay for the consultation and treatment. I approach the receptionist with my two pieces of paper and she has a look at what is there. A few moments and she looks up and tells me I owe R236.00 (£16.27 or $8.13) for everything. I put away the credit card and pull out cash for such a small amount.
We walk into pharmacy and get a weeks treatment of both items on the prescription which costs me another R180 (£12.41 or $6.20). We go for a coffee and by the time we leave the coffee shop I can walk normally and feel great.
I am gobsmacked at the service I got, the speed I was dealt with and the relief I have in such a short period of time. Never in 10 years of going to Doctors and Consultants in UK have I had the same service and certainly I have never been able to see a Doctor at a moments notice.
I ask my friends if this is normal? “Oh yes, quite normal”. They are British and so know what happens in UK. They go on to tell me how she had a problem and she phoned the Consultant at the hospital directly and asked to see him. He said yes and the appointment was made the same day!
He examined her and said she needed surgery. He then asked when she would like it?! She said next Thursday would be good and he phoned up and two minutes later it was booked!!!!
In UK, if I want to see a Consultant it has to be through a Doctor and I have never seen one within four weeks of seeing the Doctor. In fact the last time the Doctor in UK referred me to a Consultant, I gave up trying to arrange an appointment after three attempts. In future I think I will get on a plane and fly to South Africa.
My friend tells me that increasingly people are coming to South Africa for plastic surgery and dental work in particular because it is cheaper, more efficient and they can combine it with an amazing holiday.
I ask myself, what is wrong with the systems in the West? We seem to have made it too complicated. The health service in UK has become a nightmare of bureaucracy and littered with frustrated people who have lost a common sense of purpose and even possibly even pride in their profession.
Personally? I know where I want to go if I really need medical advise in the future.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Another way...please!
Those of you who know me will know that I believe that society in the West is being strangled by fear of litigation as people spend more time covering their backs and ensuring that they are absolutely covered in the case of anything going wrong, or an accident happening. This atmosphere, which is being perpetuated by Governments in most cases, creates bureaucracy in organisations that stifles their creativity and in many cases, their ability to compete in an increasing global market.
China is at the other end of the spectrum producing goods that are being recalled from the shelves because they have been produced without the care and quality checks that make them safe. These mistakes are costing corporations dearly and wiping out some of the significant savings of having their manufacturing in Asia.
Recently Mattel had to recall toys because of lead paint being used and a problem with magnets. Already lawyers are seeking class action suits to force Mattel to pay for children to be tested for lead poisoning!
There have been a number of issues with goods being manufactured in China including mattresses, being returned for having been sprayed with poisonous chemicals to avoid infestation. Clothes, toothpaste, faulty tyres, dog food, etc. have all been in the news over the last couple of months with questions about their quality and as a result their danger to consumers.
As lawyers start to hover in anticipation of a chance to add to the problem with class actions suits and ways to make their money, we have to ask ourselves, isn’t there another way? Do we have to resort to this old fashioned method of retaliation that stifles innovation and creativity? For some organisations, creativity and innovation is their ONLY way of making money.
How can we blame China?
China does not have the wealth of experience that the West has in their development. If we look at Japan, it had to be educated (notice the word was not ‘told’) about the importance of quality. Once it understood about the importance of quality, Japan embarked on producing a quality product and, only then, did it seek to find ways of cutting the costs in the process down whilst maintaining the quality.
That education process is a vital link. How can we blame companies in China that are being given target prices to produce goods and so price becomes their primary focus? Quality becomes a secondary issue. But then we scream and shout when the quality is poor and try to blame China!
Dutch businessman Jan Kemeling sums it up well:
"It's like this: a Western company tells the Chinese that they have to make something that costs 10 euros, even though they know that the raw materials cost 15. So it stands to reason that the Chinese are going to take something out to arrive at that price of 10. They are going to look for ways to save a bit of money. Which means buying in cheaper paint or cheaper steel or whatever. And that's when the quality starts to slide."
http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/chi070824mc
In the case of the lead paint on Mattel toys, it seems that the Chinese manufacturing company outsourced the painting to another company that did not have the quality procedures in place! We can’t blame them for outsourcing in this way because we taught them that. We equally can’t blame them for forcing the outsourced company to do it cheaply when that is what the West taught them was the most important criteria.
The West needs to take a more responsible view and learn the importance of measuring the right things or at least teaching China how to prioritize measurements. Price without the quality IS NOT CHEAP.
So I ask as the lawyers add to the problem with their class action suites and scared business leaders frantically attempt to cover their ‘backs’ and limit the damage: Who is taking a step out of this blame culture and seeing where the real problem is?
As you consider that question, let me bring another thought to the table.
On 21st August we saw the return of the space shuttle Endeavour from the international space station after nearly two weeks away from earth. The shuttle was brought back a day early because of the concerns about Hurricane Dean.
Space shuttle Columbia in 2003 with seven crew were lost when entering earth’s orbit because of a hole made in the wing from some foam falling off at take off. Everything was put on hold to rectify the problem! Prior to Endeavour’s launch this time, NASA said that they had sorted out the issues relating to take-off that had caused eventual disasters of previous missions.
On the 8th August, the world was then shocked to discover that the space shuttle Endeavour was yet again damaged on take-off by falling foam. There were anxious moments when the shuttle flew back to earth and re-entered the earth atmosphere. Would another disaster befall this mission?
Fortunately, the shuttle returned to earth safely and NASA announced that once and for all they were going to get to the bottom this issue and ensure that the shuttle was not damaged. Once again more promises!
A friend said to me recently, “How would you like to get in a space craft made of tens of thousands of parts all made by a company that submitted the lowest tender?”
What a powerful question.
There has to be another way! Litigation and the fear of class action suites is not the way forward. It makes the lawyers rich and brings out the worst in humanity.
For China, education and good measurements are vital. Learn from Japan and educate people at every level of the organisation about quality first and then when that is right, seek ways to drive down costs within that framework.
For NASA I have a simple way of solving the foam issue. Every space flight in future carries one of the Executive Boards grandchildren on the voyage!
China is at the other end of the spectrum producing goods that are being recalled from the shelves because they have been produced without the care and quality checks that make them safe. These mistakes are costing corporations dearly and wiping out some of the significant savings of having their manufacturing in Asia.
Recently Mattel had to recall toys because of lead paint being used and a problem with magnets. Already lawyers are seeking class action suits to force Mattel to pay for children to be tested for lead poisoning!
There have been a number of issues with goods being manufactured in China including mattresses, being returned for having been sprayed with poisonous chemicals to avoid infestation. Clothes, toothpaste, faulty tyres, dog food, etc. have all been in the news over the last couple of months with questions about their quality and as a result their danger to consumers.
As lawyers start to hover in anticipation of a chance to add to the problem with class actions suits and ways to make their money, we have to ask ourselves, isn’t there another way? Do we have to resort to this old fashioned method of retaliation that stifles innovation and creativity? For some organisations, creativity and innovation is their ONLY way of making money.
How can we blame China?
China does not have the wealth of experience that the West has in their development. If we look at Japan, it had to be educated (notice the word was not ‘told’) about the importance of quality. Once it understood about the importance of quality, Japan embarked on producing a quality product and, only then, did it seek to find ways of cutting the costs in the process down whilst maintaining the quality.
That education process is a vital link. How can we blame companies in China that are being given target prices to produce goods and so price becomes their primary focus? Quality becomes a secondary issue. But then we scream and shout when the quality is poor and try to blame China!
Dutch businessman Jan Kemeling sums it up well:
"It's like this: a Western company tells the Chinese that they have to make something that costs 10 euros, even though they know that the raw materials cost 15. So it stands to reason that the Chinese are going to take something out to arrive at that price of 10. They are going to look for ways to save a bit of money. Which means buying in cheaper paint or cheaper steel or whatever. And that's when the quality starts to slide."
http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/chi070824mc
In the case of the lead paint on Mattel toys, it seems that the Chinese manufacturing company outsourced the painting to another company that did not have the quality procedures in place! We can’t blame them for outsourcing in this way because we taught them that. We equally can’t blame them for forcing the outsourced company to do it cheaply when that is what the West taught them was the most important criteria.
The West needs to take a more responsible view and learn the importance of measuring the right things or at least teaching China how to prioritize measurements. Price without the quality IS NOT CHEAP.
So I ask as the lawyers add to the problem with their class action suites and scared business leaders frantically attempt to cover their ‘backs’ and limit the damage: Who is taking a step out of this blame culture and seeing where the real problem is?
As you consider that question, let me bring another thought to the table.
On 21st August we saw the return of the space shuttle Endeavour from the international space station after nearly two weeks away from earth. The shuttle was brought back a day early because of the concerns about Hurricane Dean.
Space shuttle Columbia in 2003 with seven crew were lost when entering earth’s orbit because of a hole made in the wing from some foam falling off at take off. Everything was put on hold to rectify the problem! Prior to Endeavour’s launch this time, NASA said that they had sorted out the issues relating to take-off that had caused eventual disasters of previous missions.
On the 8th August, the world was then shocked to discover that the space shuttle Endeavour was yet again damaged on take-off by falling foam. There were anxious moments when the shuttle flew back to earth and re-entered the earth atmosphere. Would another disaster befall this mission?
Fortunately, the shuttle returned to earth safely and NASA announced that once and for all they were going to get to the bottom this issue and ensure that the shuttle was not damaged. Once again more promises!
A friend said to me recently, “How would you like to get in a space craft made of tens of thousands of parts all made by a company that submitted the lowest tender?”
What a powerful question.
There has to be another way! Litigation and the fear of class action suites is not the way forward. It makes the lawyers rich and brings out the worst in humanity.
For China, education and good measurements are vital. Learn from Japan and educate people at every level of the organisation about quality first and then when that is right, seek ways to drive down costs within that framework.
For NASA I have a simple way of solving the foam issue. Every space flight in future carries one of the Executive Boards grandchildren on the voyage!
Friday, August 03, 2007
Madeline Albright speaks
I had the pleasure of hearing Madeline Albright speak at the SHRM conference. She spoke well and made some excellent comments about the state of the world.
Hear is an official summary of her speech:
Albright Shares Hiring Tips, Middle East Peace Proposals
By J.J. Smith
LOS ANGELES—Former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright demonstrated her diplomatic skills by offering tips for HR professionals when hiring an executive—as well as proposals for peace in the Middle East—during her keynote address here March 19, 2007, at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Global Forum and Exhibition.
Albright said that, during her government service, she has had the opportunity to engage some of the most powerful men and women in the world, and that, before she met a leader, she would obtain various assessments from people who met with that person before. These methods can be applied when conducting interviews for top corporate positions, she said.
It is essential to get as much information as possible on a potential hire before meeting him or her, and, by necessity, “some of it is in written form.” However, it is important to talk to people who know that person as well. But even if an HR professional does manage to obtain vast amounts of information on a potential managerial hire, “in the end a lot of it does come down to a gut level, and there is no way to not make a mistake,” she said.
On Dec. 5, 1996, President Clinton nominated Albright as the first female secretary of state. After being confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate, she was sworn in to become the highest-ranking woman in the U.S. government. “I loved being secretary of state,” Albright said. After leaving government service, she entered the private sector, where she has “enjoyed the opportunity to meet with people such as [global HR professionals] who deeply are interested in foreign affairs, but from a different perspective.”
“The truth is, my own perspective has changed since I decided to start a business,” she said. “It’s called the Albright Group, and we offer strategic consulting services in social responsibility issues, especially to companies interested in emerging democracies.”
While in government, Albright said, she frequently turned to the business community for advice when making decisions about foreign policy because business people and diplomats have much in common. “Whether you’re a business person or a diplomat, you have to work in a global environment” that requires knowing “when to hold your tongue and when to be blunt,” she said. “And you have to understand that every time you’re wrong you will be held accountable. But, often, when you’re right, the credit for success will stop one pay grade above.”
Business people and diplomats are expected to have the gift of prophecy, Albright said. “It’s not enough to know what is happening today; you have to be able to predict what is happening next week, next month, next year,” she said. “This is true whether you’re managing human resources or managing world affairs.”
Some people are still predicting that the global economy will take off, and some say it will be brought down by instability and anxiety about the future. Some global forecasters fear that divisions about religion and culture will create ever-widening circles of conflict. And others point hopefully to the lack of tension among the leading powers.
“Given all that is going on, I’m often asked if I’m an optimist or a pessimist. I reply: ‘I’m an optimist who worries a lot,’ ” Albright said, adding that her optimism is based on “faith in democracy, free enterprise and the desire of most people to live free.” However, while she has faith in the resilience of the democratic system, she worries about the plague of terrorism, which remains widespread. “I worry about Afghanistan, where a weak government struggles against warlords and the Taliban with no victory in sight,” she said.
In addition, Albright worries “about the dark side of globalization, which hastens the spread of false and deadly ideas, the proliferation of deadly arms, and … spreads the gap between rich and poor both within and among nations.”
Albright is worried that democracy has slowed in some countries where “nationalization, repression and other failed policies from the past” have resurfaced.
But, above all else, Albright said, she worries “about Iraq and the Middle East because of the efforts of violent extremists to exploit chaos in order to advance their cause.” According to U.S. intelligence reports, the invasion of Iraq has increased the danger of international terror, making it essential for Gen. David Patreus and our forces in Iraq to succeed. “Unfortunately our troops have been caught in the middle of a civil war with the impossible mission to try to protect all sides against violence by all sides,” she said.
Nonetheless, she agrees with President Bush that it would be disastrous for the United States to leave Iraq under the present circumstances, but it might also be a disaster for the United States to stay. “If our forces are not in a position to make a difference, we have an overriding duty to bring them home sooner rather than later,” she said. In addition, the problems in Iraq have reached the point where our leaders no longer have any good options. “Whatever we decide to do, we will face great risks and the possibility of deeper disaster, so all we can hope for is to limit the damage,” she said, adding that there are four steps that should be applied in Iraq and broadly across the Middle East. They are:
• Contain the risk to our troops by giving them jobs that make the most sense; train Iraqis; step up the fight against Al Qaeda; and guard Iraq’s borders to prevent a wider war.
• Encourage a political settlement in Iraq that will give each side more than it would obtain through continued violence. Such settlements must include an equable sharing of oil, the protection of minority rights and the sharing of power between the central government in Baghdad and various regions.
• Pressure Iraq’s neighbors and our allies to do more to create stability.
• Consider the situation in the Persian Gulf as part of a larger strategy that includes revised peace negotiations between Arabs and Israel.
Concerning an effort to engage Iraq’s neighbors in halting violence, Albright said that during her tenure as secretary of state she was confronted with strife in the Balkans in which each faction inside the region had an ally outside the region from which it received arms and support. The solution was to get all the countries with an interest in the Balkans to work together. Something similar should be tried in Iraq, she said. If such a plan is implemented, the involvement of Iran is significant, she said. It is generally forgotten that Iraq invaded Iran during the 1980s, initiating a war that killed more than 1 million people.
“Today, Iraq is divided and weak, while Iran has more influence than at any time in a century and Iran’s president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has taken advantage of the regional turmoil to try to present himself on the world stage,” she said. By insisting on Iran’s right to reprocess nuclear fuel, questioning Israel’s right to exist and challenging the morality of America’s actions, Ahmadinejad tries to solidify his shaky domestic political base, she said.
The Bush administration deserves support for its efforts to persuade Iran to forgo the option of developing nuclear arms, Albright said. Those efforts are laborious, but the combination of economic sanctions and pressure on oil supplies may cause Iran to look for face-saving ways out. However, the administration has accused Iran of arming Shiite militias inside Iraq. The United States is right to protest and present evidence supporting the allegations, but the administration should not do anything to invite a wider war, she said.
Over the long term, the United States would benefit immensely from improved relations with Iran. There are no objective reasons why American and Iranian goals must clash, because the problems between Iran and the United States are ideological and potentially resolvable, according to Albright. “I fear a war would open wounds that would never close at great cost to us and to the world, so America’s focus should be on how to build peace, not how to justify another war,” she said.
She said one of the United States’ major accomplishments of the past half-century has been to gain the acceptance of Israel’s right to exist by virtually every government in the Middle East, including the Palestine Liberation Organization. “With that principle clearly understood, we should do all we can to encourage the creation of a viable Palestinian partner with whom Israel can negotiate,” she said.
Peace will not be achieved easily as long as there are elements within Islam, Christianity and Judaism who believe that war in the Middle East has been foretold by scripture, and that the decisive battle between good and evil will take place within that region, she said. “Armageddon is not a foreign policy,” she said. Those who believe God is directing events might begin by obeying God’s commandments instead of ignoring them. There’s nothing preordained about murder and mayhem in the Middle East.
Since the attacks of Sept. 11, it has been natural to focus on the threat posed by terrorism and the drama in the Middle East, but the world elsewhere has not stood still, Albright said. “In fact, it has been engaged in a transformation as profound as any since the industrial revolution,” she said, adding, “this may well be one of those periods that people look back on and say history moved from one era to another.” It is called globalization, but it is nothing more than the acceleration of trends that have been going on for decades. Human resource professionals are exposed to these trends every day. More companies are global in scope, and more business people travel overseas or work overseas on a permanent basis, she said.
Need for Training
That has created a need for more training, not only in job skills, but also in such matters as security, language and culture. One of the major trends is a shift in economic and political power from West to East. As countries such as China and India continue to develop, new challenges will arise, such as finding a way for billions of people to emerge from poverty into a middle-class lifestyle without exhausting resources or destroying the health of our planet, she said.
That requires developed nations to pay a great deal of attention to China, Albright said. At one time, Albright believed that all the Chinese wanted from the United States was an assurance that U.S. policy on Taiwan would not change. Now China’s concerns are economic, she said. China’s growth rate remains among the world’s most impressive, but such growth has generated an enormous appetite for natural resources such as oil, minerals and timber. As a buyer on the world market, China is welcomed by those with resources to sell, leading to an expansion of China’s diplomatic and commercial ties on almost every continent, she said. China’s economic clout has given it the confidence to be more assertive on the world stage.
While China is a rising country, it is also a nervous country, for the expectations of the Chinese are growing, unemployment is high and the gap between the rich and the poor is widening, Albright said. There has been a dramatic increase in public protest, and adding to the pressure is that the Summer Olympics will be held in Beijing in 2008, she said. China’s leaders will want to avoid controversy between now and when the games are held, she said.
All of the economic activity known as globalization challenges the U.S. leadership “to establish and maintain rules that enable countries to prosper together instead of at each other’s expense,” Albright said. That will not happen automatically, for it is not likely that governments will make the right choices, and it should not be assumed that the forces of enlightenment and freedom will prevail, she said. “As in Iraq, good intentions can lead to unintended consequences,” she said, adding that “those who feel threatened by globalization can be counted on to make their fears known through nationalism, protectionism and political protest.” Others will see the 21st century as the battle ground for re-fighting the religious wars of the Middle Ages, she said.
For the United States to succeed, it needs to do the best possible job not only expressing its beliefs but also understanding how and why others act as they do, Albright said. The United States has to remain true to democratic principles, “and we have to remember no matter how much we think we know, there’s always a lot more to learn,” she said.
J.J. Smith is manager of SHRM Online’s Global HR Focus Area.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
I am back. Sorry for the break
It has been a hectic year and I have not been disciplined enough to keep my blog up to date. No excuses, and I will rectify that from now on.
What has been happening so far? Well we have had a lot of challenges but also a lot of great things happening. The down side has been the death of my Mother in March. It was not unexpected but it still is a challenge. My Dad and Mom were together for over 50 years and he is feeling the effect of loosing his partner. We are supporting him but it takes time.
I have been to South Africa, Canada, India, USA, Vienna, Amsterdam, Belguim, etc. etc. A lot of fun and met some amazing people. The ones that have been most inspiring have been the opportunity to meet Jim Collins and chat with him. What a lovely man! Also the chance to meet and also listen to Madleine Albright speak.
There is so much happening and it is such an exciting time to be living and to be in business!!!! India was amazing. It was fascinating to see what was going on there.
Anyway, I am going to add a few articles to the blogg and post things as I remember them as well as commit to keeping this up to date.
In hope you are having a good time where ever you are and thanks for reading.
Best wishes
Paul
July 2007
What has been happening so far? Well we have had a lot of challenges but also a lot of great things happening. The down side has been the death of my Mother in March. It was not unexpected but it still is a challenge. My Dad and Mom were together for over 50 years and he is feeling the effect of loosing his partner. We are supporting him but it takes time.
I have been to South Africa, Canada, India, USA, Vienna, Amsterdam, Belguim, etc. etc. A lot of fun and met some amazing people. The ones that have been most inspiring have been the opportunity to meet Jim Collins and chat with him. What a lovely man! Also the chance to meet and also listen to Madleine Albright speak.
There is so much happening and it is such an exciting time to be living and to be in business!!!! India was amazing. It was fascinating to see what was going on there.
Anyway, I am going to add a few articles to the blogg and post things as I remember them as well as commit to keeping this up to date.
In hope you are having a good time where ever you are and thanks for reading.
Best wishes
Paul
July 2007
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