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Multinationals: Why Don’t They "Just Do It?"

Business Ethics: Worth a thought?

The corporate world today faces rising ethical dilemmas in every day operations. Ethical issues, often confused with corporate scandals, are not necessarily as dramatic as that. Every department of every organization face moral and ethical dilemmas in their day to day functioning, and often enough corporations get away with unethical or immoral behaviour. Of course, reasons vary. Arguably, organizations cannot afford the risk of not investing their time or resources in developing a comprehensive approach to corporate ethics. This report looks at two multinational organizations, Unilever and Nike Inc. and draws a comparison on their discriminatory practices in the various countries or culture they operate in. Both the firms are identified with unethical behaviour, and although the circumstances and the firm’s ways of handling these issues are different, little seems to have changed.

Unilever Issue: Fair is Lovely!!

An Anglo-Dutch company, Unilever owns many of the world’s consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products. Unilever employs more than 247,000 people and had a worldwide revenue of US$51.4 billion in 2004. (Unilever 2006). In India however the firm runs under its operations under the name of Hindustan lever. The company has a range of ‘home and personal care’ products in the Indian market. One of the most successful brands of the company is ‘Fair & Lovely’. The company websites claims to be using a patented technology for this fariness cream. The website claims ‘Fair & Lovely’ to be formulated with optimum levels of UV sunscreens and Niacinamide, which acts safely and gently with the natural renewal process of the skin, making complexion fairer over a period of six weeks.

A number of ethical concerns are however related to the product. Apart from the ill effects on the skin, as claimed by some doctors, the advertising and marketing of the product has been doing more harm than good for the society. Its frequently-aired ads typically show a depressed woman with few prospects, gaining a brighter future by having a boyfriend or attaining a job after becoming markedly fairer (emphasized by several silhouettes of her face lined up dark to light). On its Web site the company calls its product, “the miracle worker,” which is “proven to deliver one to three shades of change.” (Unilever 2006). To many it may seem or sound strange for all this to happen in a country where the majority of the people have a dark complexion of skin colour with variations in brownness. Ironically enough though, people from all walks of life, be it a would-be-mother in law, or a young or an old male, everyone seems to have a fascination for lighter skin. Women from all socio-economic backgrounds go to unbelievable lengths to become just a little whiter.

Although the advertising done by Unilever for ‘Fair & Lovely’ is not illegal but it certainly remains objectionable. In an era which is dawned by corporate scandals, such as Enron and the Australian Wheat Board (AWB), Unilever has been successfully running this product in over 38 countries. Ironically most of these countries are under-developed/ developing country, who can do away with such practices. In India, a country with a huge social and cultural divide, high unemployment and illiteracy levels, Unilever successfully deceives and manipulates people through its exaggerated claims. Even if the claims were to be true, and such a product was to make skin lighter, the company looks to gain market share and increase profitability by creating a mindset where lighter skin is superior to a darker complexion. In reality people are buying products that will cause more harm than good. The demand for such “skincare” products is part of an India-wide trend of women wanting to lighten their complexions in the belief that lighter is better. This desire has a long history, a hangover from India’s colonial past fuelled by contemporary global perceptions of beauty that give prominence to western marketing and fashion styles. The advertisements shown fail miserably at all levels of advertising ethics.

One of the concepts that can be used to explain the practices of Unilever advertising is Moral myophia, the failure of Unilever to see the moral dimension at all. The advertisements done by the firm have probably been successful. How else would you explain the never ending promotional campaigns all over the media; print, display or broadcast. Success in this case relates to the increasing profitability of the firm after a particular ad campaign. The social implications of this to the society are however conveniently ignored. Quite clearly, Unilever seems to be following the belief of the only bad advert is one that does not work.

The content of the product website makes things a little more complicated. The website claims to be helping women in India, often considered to be the weaker sex. The Fair and Lovely Foundation, an initiative of Hindustan Lever Limited seeks economic empowerment of Indian women through information and resources in the areas of education, career guidance and skills training. Comprising of an advisory body of leading individuals, this foundation aims to undertake various projects and initiatives in keeping with its vision of empowering women to a brighter future. Prominent women organizations and achievers partner initiative to promote economic empowerment of women. (Grace & Cohen 2005)

Noble thought?

It sure is, but at what expense. Isn’t it strange and ironic that this company, and others in the business, continue to sell fairness as a desirable quality, be it for success in marriage or career, and equate dark complexions with failure and undesirability? Where does a company draw the line between selling a product and being socially sensitive? What is even more disturbing is the fact that there is a constant attempt to disguise these socially unacceptable practices. As noble as the idea behind the Fair and Lovely Foundation might be, it still does not solve the root problem. Addressing one problem in the society can not come at the expense of exaggerating the other one. Women in India need to be empowered, and be told that they are no less than their male counterparts, however the people of India also need to be told that the mere colour of skin does not make one superior. The society needs to get over the colonial hangover, and the least that companies like Unilever can do is not spend millions of dollars on campaigns which do more social harm than good.

Nike Dilemma: Still waiting for them to “do it”!

Another corporate giant having its fare share of controversies over the years is Nike. Nike employs approximately 26,000 people worldwide. In addition, approximately 650,000 workers are employed in Nike contracted factories around the globe. More than 75% of these work in Asia, predominantly in China, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Korea and Malaysia (Nike 2006). In 1998 Nike came under fire for the sweatshop conditions of the workers in the Nike factories in China and other third world countries. The evidence showed that the workers were regularly subject to physical punishment and sexual abuse and exposed to dangerous chemicals. (Nike Accused of Lying About Asian Factories 1998). Sub standard working facilities, bare minimum wages and risks to health of labourers mark NIKE factories in Asia. The firm was also accused of practicing child labour in Pakistan.

So the question now is, why did it happen, and more importantly, has anything been done since to correct it.

So why did it happen?

Well that is quite clear. The reason why most firms outsource their activities to lesser developed countries is to exploit cheaper labour and production costs. Nike has a brand reputation worldwide, and in-fact is a market leader in the sales of athletic shoes. The constant focus is to formulate ways and strategies to reduce production costs, and one way of that is fewer wages to the workers. The high unemployment levels in the third world countries, as well as the desperation for people to be employed, in any kind of work, allows multinationals like Nike , the perfect platform to indulge in malpractices without getting into too much trouble. A look at some of the ethical issues concerned with Nike’s human (or inhuman!) right violations would give a better understanding of the concern.

Ethical Dilemma:

Any firm which expands its operations globally needs to follow the basic code of international ethics:

o Not to intentionally direct harm in the host country. By providing below standard and unsafe working conditions, and low wages, Nike was clearly intentionally doing harm.

o Benefit the host country. Although Nike was indeed expanding the number of jobs available in China, a desirable aspect, but the extremely low wages meant it was all beneficial for the corporation and not the people in China.

o Respect the human rights of employees. Reports of unsafe and hazardous working conditions proved that Nike did not care much about the human rights in China.

o Respect the values, culture and laws of the host country- as long as they are not morally wrong or against human rights. (Grace & Cohen 2005)

It would be a fair assumption to make, if a certain behaviour is unacceptable in the home country, it would most likely be morally wrong in a foreign environment as well. Managing stakeholder interests is also extremely important for any firm. However problems arise when businesses fail to prioritize the stakeholder interests. Nike prioritizes its stakeholders in terms of their importance to the firm, and quite clearly the workers in Asia, do not seem to be anywhere near top of this priority list. As a consequence, all the efforts of the firm are directed towards the consumers, who typically are in developed countries, with more money, and who can not care less about what might be happening in a Nike factory miles away from home.

So has Nike done anything about it?

Since the controversy first broke out in 1998, Nike has claimed to taken several steps to correct the mistakes. Or so is what the organisation claims. This section of the article focuses on Nike’s efforts, the truth, the lies and the myths about it.

After the controversy broke out in the international media, Nike’s founder and CEO Mr. Philip Knight made six commitments:

o All Nike shoe factories will meet the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) standards in indoor air quality.

o The minimum age for Nike factory workers will be raised to 18 for footwear factories and 16 for apparel factories

o Nike will include non-government organizations in its factory monitoring, with summaries of that monitoring released to the public.

o Nike will expand its worker education program, making free high school equivalency courses available to all workers in Nike footwear factories.

o Nike will expand its micro-enterprise loan program to benefit four thousand families in Vietnam, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Thailand.

o Funding university research and open forums on responsible business practices, including programs at four universities in the 1998-99 academic year. (Connor 2001)

However there was still no mention of the human rights of workers, higher wages, more reasonable working hours, safer and healthier work places and respect for Workers’ Right to Freedom of Association. Later consumer activist Marc Kasky filed a lawsuit in California regarding newspaper advertisements and letters Nike distributed in response to criticisms of labour conditions in its factories. Kasky claimed that the company made representations that constituted false advertising. Nike responded the false advertising laws did not cover the company’s expression of its views on a public issue, and that these were entitled to First Amendment protection. The local court agreed with Nike’s lawyers, but the California Supreme Court overturned this ruling, claiming that the corporation’s communications were commercial speech and therefore subject to false advertising laws. (Kasky V. Nike 2002)

The parties subsequently settled out of court before any finding on the accuracy of Nike’s statements, for $1.5 million. Discovery in the Kasky case had the potential to open the Nike files to public scrutiny, to document the mistreatment of workers throughout the world, and the flow of money from Nike to public interest groups. However Kasky and his lawyers settled this potential historic case for a $1.5 million donation to a group controlled by the shoe and apparel industry. There hasn’t been a word about it since.

(Weissman & Mokhiber 2002)

In 2004 Nike announced that it would be developing a balanced scorecard to integrate corporate responsibility into its business. The sports goods manufacturer said it would introduce corporate responsibility as an integral part of its contract manufacturing business. Sourcing decisions were to be based not just on price, quality and delivery but also a contractor’s pledge towards labour management and environmental, health and safety programmes.

In 2005, seven years from the time when the controversy was first made public, an independent research conducted showed that although 60% of factories monitored achieved an A or B rating in terms of compliance with agreed standards, a quarter of factories were found to present more serious problems. These ranged from a lack of basic terms of employment and excessive hours of work to unauthorised sub-contracting, confirmed physical or sexual abuse and the existence of conditions which could lead to death or serious injury. The Guardian also reported some of the conditions that existed in the Chinese factories in 2005

o Between 25% and 50% of the factories in the region restrict access to toilets and drinking water during the workday.

o In more than half of Nike’s factories, the report said, employees worked more than 60 hours a week. In up to 25%, workers refusing to do overtime were punished.

o Wages were also below the legal minimum at up to 25% of factories

(What are factory conditions in China 2005)

Once again Nike said it would set up a taskforce to improve compliance with its code of conduct on working hours. It will also work with factories to help them address the most pressing problems as well as seeking to establish a set of common standards across the industry. (Nike opens up in Standards Drive 2005)

The question of course is, would anything still be done. There is a good chance it may never be. Nike sees business ethics as “no good at all”, and believes acting ethically would not be in the best of interests of the business. Not till the time, the sales of the business go down alarmingly, would there be any hope for any drastic improvements in these conditions. Nike has always had its share of controversies, and the firm seems to be thriving on it. The firm manages to use the controversies as a publicity tool. Thus far, Nike has treated allegations as an issue of public relations rather than human rights. Every allegation is followed by the release of public statements across various magazines and newspapers stating the efforts made by the firm to make the difference, but seven years down the road, the differences are yet to be seen. Meanwhile the efforts of Nike to manipulate and win even more customers go on. The corporate website of the firm talks heavily about their shifting approach to labour compliance.

(Evolution: Shifting Approach to labor compliance 2006)

Unlike Nike, Unilever has not quite been indulging itself in illegal activities, but does that make it any less harmful, or does that make Unilever any bit more ethical than Nike?

According to this writer, the answer to both the questions is NO. In fact what makes Unilever’s practices even scarier than those of Nike is the fact that they cause as much harm, but still there seems to be little concern over it. The firm has been in operation since 1978, and even 28 years after there seems to be little or no concern. There is little media coverage over the menace, possibly because of the advertising revenues being paid, or just the ignorant nature of the present day media, which seems to be more interested in scandals rather than some social concerns in a third world country.

The double standards practised by both Nike Inc, and Unilever are quite apparent as well. The majority of Nike clothing is produced in countries it hardly has any sales, but of course the factory conditions of a worker based in an American factory is strikingly different from that of a worker in a Chinese factory. Likewise Unilever manipulates the market by introducing fairness creams in cultures where beauty equates fairness. To boost the sales, the company goes a step further by trying to position the product by changing consumer perception of fairness as being successful, both socially and emotionally.

Social impacts? Did you ask?

Of course that’s hardly on the agenda. The interesting thing is, although Unilever operates in over 40 different counties, including Australia, the ‘Fair & Lovely’ product is only available in a handful of markets. The company does not have any ‘Dark & lovely’ brands in their western markets, possibly because they perceive this market to be more educated and therefore tougher to manipulate.

The firms of course have their reasons, and one of them is us, the consumers, who purchase these products. It is the age old formula of demand and supply. We demand the product, and the firm of course goes to any lengths to fulfil the gap. In Unilever’s case, there is an obvious need in the mind of the consumers in India to have fair skin. Similarly for Nike, the worldwide demand for their apparels compels the firm to go to unbelievable extent to produce lower cost products. The story unfortunately does not end here. We the consumers, then put the firm under even more pressure to maintain their profitability, only this time we take the role of investors. Investor’s of course are only concerned with the share return, and cannot care less about how the firm maintains its profitability.

Jennifer Abbott and Mark Achbar, in their documentary ‘The Corporation’, proved that corporations in the present time fit the definition of a ‘psychopath’. The concern is that this psychopath is being raised and bred by us, the consumers, and the investors. These are average times we are living in, with every day more issues, more scandals and more controversies breaking out. However reading the stories is nearly not enough. Something somehow somewhere needs to change and change sooner rather later, before it gets too late.

End of story?

Unfortunately, I don’t think so.

Don’t Wait For The Opportunity, Create It

Most of us wait for the right opportunity to come. We wait for an opportunity to be offered a better position or a better job. We wait for an opportunity to make more money. Does the opportunity ever come? Sometimes it does, but sometimes it doesn’t.

You wait passively for something to happen. Why just daydream and not go beyond the dream? Why become disappointed and unhappy because nothing happens? You can create opportunities!

Opportunities are missed by most people because they don’t realize they’ve encountered such. There will always be opportunities for those who recognize and pursue them. The lucky people are simply those who have taken more chances than average

Often, it is not a matter of creating them, but becoming aware of them. Often, they are there all the time, in front of us, but we do not recognize them. Seeing them and recognizing them requires a change of your mindset.

When you want something very strongly, and focus on it, things start happening. There is no magic here, just plain mental and emotional laws at work. Successful people use these laws, albeit unknowingly. Most people use the same laws, but in a negative manner, creating things they don’t want.

You need to define what you want. If you don’t know what exactly you want, how can you get it? When you know what you want, you will recognize the opportunities. Know your limits. You can’t be perfect. You can’t do everything yourself.

You can’t create a business or live the life of your dreams or make a lot of money if you don’t know your weaknesses, strengths, and passions. If you know your limits and what you are capable of, you will know exactly what you need. Once you begin to know yourself, you will realize your weakness and you can fill these weaknesses with other people’s strengths.

Visualize your goal as already accomplished. Feel it, and enjoy it. This will motivate and energize you to make it real. When you have the motivation, energy, and enthusiasm, you see opportunities, which you haven’t seen before. People you meet would sense your enthusiasm and would open new doors for you.

For example, if you want a new job very much, believe you will find one, and expect to find it, certain opportunities will become available. You might see an advertisement in a newspaper, or a friend might tell you about it. The job was there, and because of your expectant attitude, you became aware of the opportunity. Without this mindset, you would have probably missed it.

Another example is if you want to travel abroad, but believing the trip would cost you a lot of money, you don’t even check the prices. You regard this dream as not an achievable dream. This attitude would block any chance of traveling. This is different if you can awaken a strong ambition, not just a mild wish.

Visualize and see yourself traveling, without having any doubts about it. Sooner or later, you will find a deal, a discount, or some other way to enable you to travel, which you can afford. You might also find an opportunity to make more money, so you can travel.

You should visit different places for at least one time a year. This way you will sure as well meet new people and also might be presented with an opportunity that simply doesn’t exist in your hometown.

If you want to find friends, you create the opportunity by mixing with people, not by staying at home. You create the opportunity, by rehearsing in your mind how to talk and behave, so that they are attracted to you.

If you want to be presented with more opportunities, simply meet new people. The more people you know, the higher chances you will be presented with new experiences. Go to meetings with people having similar interests as you.

You just never know, life is unpredictable, and that’s why you should always keep your eyes wide open. You might miss an opportunity simply because you were too busy listening to your iPod. Always be on the lookout even when doing simple activities as drinking coffee, riding the bus, or walking back home.

Don’t be afraid to ask. – Just DON’T! There is no shame in not knowing something, and there is no shame in questioning things. Most people would gladly help you if you asked them nicely for some help. People are not monsters, most of us are good and kind. You just have to ask the right way.

Don’t be afraid to try a different approach. Build your self-confidence. You can’t make people follow you if you don’t look confident. If you could make people follow you, you will surely be able to create a lot of opportunities for yourself/ your company/ your workplace.

Keep learning. Learning is a process that never ends. You can always learn something new. Always maintain the attitude of a student. If you think you are done learning, bitterness set in, but if you have more to achieve every day, in any arena, that makes each morning’s awakening full of potential and cheery portent.

In the end, it all comes to doing. You will never get presented with opportunities by sitting and watching TV all day. Go out, feel, see, be, and take part in life. If you are active and always on the lookout, you will always end up in the right place at the right moment.

Uptalk – What it is and Why You Don’t Ever Want to Do it!

Carol doesn’t understand why no one seems to take her ideas seriously in business meetings

Sophie complains that every time she makes a suggestion in an Executive meeting the idea gets tossed around until finally some ‘guy’ says the same thing she did and is congratulated for his contribution.

Both of these women experience similar difficulties. They are not given credit for their ideas. One of the biggest causes of women not being taken seriously is the use of ‘Uptalk’ when speaking.

In English, the use of a question mark at the end of a sentence indicates that the sender is asking a question. The speaker therefore raises their inflection at the end of the statement. It is this upward inflection, or lilt, that lets the receiver know that we are asking them something; that we are looking for a response from them.

Uptalk occurs when we inject that same upward inflection at the end of our sentences, rather than inflecting downward, as we should when we read a period. This upward inflection takes our definitive statements and softens them, making them sound as if we are asking a question or looking for approval. The use of uptalk is one of the most common elements undermining women’s credibility with men around the boardroom table.

Consider the impact of uptalk on the following statements. I’ve inserted question marks in parenthesis to indicate where the inflection rises and exclamation points to indicate where the inflection should fall. Practice saying these out loud to ‘hear’ the impact that the uptalk has.

With uptalk: It’s a nice day today(?)
Without uptalk: It’s a nice day today(!)

In the first example, your inflection rises at the end of the statement, making it sound as if you are unsure of whether the day is, in fact, nice or not. Certainly it makes you sound more hesitant and less confident. The second statement however clearly lets others know how you feel about the day. Although this is a simplistic example, the following is an excerpt from an introduction given by a woman in one of my training sessions. Try to follow the upward inflection indicated by the arrows above the phrases and read it out loud. Again, I have inserted question marks to indicate where Susan’s inflection rose as she was delivering her introduction.

Hi(?), my name is Susan(?). I’m the Manager(?) of Information Services(?) for a large Telecommunications company(?)

In this example, you can see that uptalk can occur much more frequently than simply at the end of a sentence. Often people’s sentences are punctuated with uptalk throughout, making it a stronger message. Susan’s use of uptalk made her seem very hesitant and unsure of herself. In fact, it seemed that she should have pulled out a business card to verify that, in fact, her name was Susan as well as her title and employer! If this is the effect that the use of uptalk has on simple, very direct, very definitive statements, is it any wonder that women’s ideas, when presented with uptalk, are often overlooked or ignored?

Women often develop uptalk early in life in an effort to ‘play nice’. Young girls learn early to soften their orders and directions to others by using uptalk. They sound less directing and controlling, less ‘bossy’, and therefore will still be allowed into other little girls’ play circles.

Little boys, on the other hand, will give very direct orders during play, without alienating other boys in the process. It seems that boys are more open to having other boys displaying leadership traits, without any hard feelings or animosity arising, while girls take it as a personal affront when another girl attempts to do so.

In a recent Women in Business networking event I attended, each woman was given two minutes to introduce themselves and their businesses. I was astounded as I listened to these women. Easily 75% of the women present uptalked their way through their personal introductions. They sounded hesitant and ineffectual!

If you find that your statements seem to lack credibility or conviction, that your ideas are lacking strength, take the time to listen to yourself on tape. Listen for the uptalk. Once you train your ear to identify it, you will be amazed at how easily you can begin to control it. You cannot change what you cannot identify though, so get out that tape-recorder and start taping! We have had many past training participants come back to us and say that learning to hear and control their uptalk was one of the biggest contributors to their ongoing success in business. As one participant shared “I can’t believe that such a seemingly small element had such a major impact on how I was perceived. Once I began working to eliminate my uptalk the change in others perception was almost instantaneous. What’s funny is that others knew something was different about me but couldn’t put their finger on what it was. My boss kept asking who lit the fire under me!”

Marketing Planning – Don’t Do SWOT

SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) is a popular framework for developing a marketing strategy. A Google search for “SWOT” and “planning” turned up almost 93,000 hits (August 2004), most all of which laud the use of SWOT. Some students have said that it is the most important thing they learned at the Wharton School.

Although SWOT is promoted as a useful technique in numerous marketing texts, it is not universally praised: One expert said that he preferred to think of SWOT as a “Significant Waste of Time.”

The problem with SWOT is more serious than the fact that it wastes time. Because it mixes idea generation with evaluation, it is likely to reduce the range of strategies that are considered. In addition, people who use SWOT might conclude that they have done an adequate job of planning and ignore such sensible things as defining the firm’s objectives or calculating ROI for alternate strategies. I have observed this when business school students use SWOT on cases.

What does the evidence say? Perhaps the most notable indication is that I have been unable to find any evidence to support the use of SWOT.

Two studies have examined SWOT. Menon et al. (1999) asked 212 managers from Fortune 1000 companies about recent marketing strategies implemented in their firms. The findings showed that SWOT harmed performance. When Hill and Westbrook (1997) examined the use of SWOT by 20 companies in the UK in 1993-94, they concluded that the process was so flawed that it was time for a “product recall.”

One advocate of SWOT asked: if not SWOT, then what? Borrowing from corporate strategic planning literature, a better option for planners is to follow a formal written process to:

Set objectives
Generate alternative strategies
Evaluate alternative strategies
Monitor results
Gain commitment among the stakeholders during each step of this process.

I describe this 5-step procedure in Armstrong (1982). Evidence on the value of this planning process, obtained from 28 validation studies (summarized in Armstrong 1990), showed that it led to better corporate performance:

20 studies found higher performance with formal planning
5 found no difference
3 found formal planning to be detrimental

This support was obtained even though the formal planning in the studies typically used only some of the steps. Furthermore, the steps were often poorly implemented and the conditions were not always ideal for formal planning.

Given the evidence, SWOT is not justified under any circumstances. Instead, use the comprehensive 5-step planning procedure.

References

Armstrong, J. S. (1982) “The Value of Formal Planning for Strategic Decisions,” Strategic Management Journal, 3, 197-211.

Armstrong, J. S. (1990), “Review of Corporate Strategic Planning,” Journal of Marketing, 54, 114-119.

Hill, T. & R. Westbrook (1997), “SWOT Analysis: It’s Time for a Product Recall,” Long Range Planning, 30, No. 1, 46-52.

Menon, A. et al. (1999), “Antecedents and Consequences of Marketing Strategy Making,” Journal of Marketing, 63, 18-40.

Writing Your Business Plan? Don’t Forget Your Own Professional Development

This may seem obvious to more serious or experienced individuals who are climbing the ladder of success, but one must endeavor to stay current and invest in professional development. Many of the business plans that I review fall short in this area, and a lack of vision at the outset of the planning process can eventually be fatal to the enterprise.

When a prospective entrepreneur shows me a plan that cuts corners in important ways, I become concerned. Going “bare on health care”; family members working for free; no plans for time off; delayed or unpaid salaries; a statement that marketing will all be done by “word-of-mouth”; and no budget for professional development: one or more of these is a sure-fire tip-off that there’s trouble ahead on the entrepreneurial railway. You see, if a product or service which is to be offered is really viable, it stands to reason that the business would be profitable enough to support necessary business expenses, which include creating an environment that is suitable for human beings, as compared to machines.

In addressing the subject of “professional development,” we might divide it into two sub-topics: How does one “do it?” and “What are the benefits that cost-justify the investment?”

How exactly does one “do” professional development?

For the past couple of years, I have purchased an average of two or three books per month, which are related to a subject area that is of interest to me, either at a book store, or when a book club circular associated with this area of interest is delivered to my mail box. The reason I have not specified my area of interest is that it doesn’t really matter, relative to the overarching point, which is: You should buy books that address a topic of interest of your own, and read them. This practice (virtually made into a “habit” because of the book club) costs me about $50 dollars per month.

I also subscribe to about two dozen periodicals (journals and magazines). Some are industry specific, some are business magazines, and some are consumer magazines. Some are paid subscriptions, and some are complimentary subscriptions based on my ties with certain industries or subject areas (and some are included in membership fees). My paid subscriptions cost about $300 per year.

It is also very important to attend conferences and workshops. If one goes as a speaker, he or she can use the visibility of the conference platform as a means to network, create a reputation for having a certain type of expertise, learn from others who have different viewpoints or specialties, and justify travel expenses. If one goes as an attendee, he or she can accomplish many of the same objectives, sans the visibility of being on the official program. Conferences vary widely in price, but several hundred dollars for conference fees, and $1500 for food, lodging, and travel might be typical for a four-day national conference. Regional conferences are typically less expensive across the board, as they are held at less expensive facilities, have smaller conference fees, and may be within driving distance. I plan to attend a one-day workshop in Atlanta within the next month or so. That will cost $149 for the workshop fee, and mileage expenses (about a three-hour drive). Annually, one should probably budget at least a few thousand dollars for these activities (e.g., four or five), and of course, the “sky is the limit.”

Networking soirées are all over the place. These happen in any given community as social, cultural, and business events. Organizations such as a local chamber of commerce will often sponsor gatherings that allow people to mingle and meet over drinks and light fare. Many cities have bona fide networking clubs, which are operated to provide a free exchange ideas, resources, and contacts. The entry fee for most of these events is low: $30 may be typical. How often should one attend? Oh, I’d say about a hundred dollars-worth per month would prevent anyone from accusing you of being reclusive.

Professional memberships are also important. For any given discipline or area of specialization, there are probably three or four associations or similar organizations that one should join. (Hint: discounts on conference fees, publications, and other perks are usually available to members as an incentive to join). Being an active member is also important. Try to contribute in some way, besides paying membership dues. You can participate in the conferences and support the organization’s sponsors (which keeps the organization viable), serve on committees or in leadership positions, be responsive to other members, provide pro bono services, or the like. While fees and the availability of memberships varies widely, $1000 per year would be a good place to start.

Some training is covered above in the context of workshops and conferences, but you may want to also consider taking a formalized course from time-to-time, or even enrolling in a degree or certificate program. On a smaller scale, you could buy software, take courses, and stay current on the Internet (e-learning is predicted to be a major trend). If you are now convinced about implementing the suggestions that I have mentioned above, but still looking to cut costs, you can certainly spend time in the library, and online, conducting research and staying current. I would recommend that you do not attempt to cut all of the costs, because that would mean that I am back to square one, with regard to the purpose of this article. The issue is discipline, and creating positive habits. (Remember, I said that the book club circular ensures my own habitual behavior? Meeting announcements, membership and subscription renewals, and other regular reminders will help you make sure that you follow-through with action – if you are determined to do so in the first place, of course).

What are the benefits that cost-justify the investment?

Now, some people will say they can’t afford to invest in books, conferences, workshops, and the other tools that would aid their efforts to either stay current, or advance in their careers. I would reply that it’s a matter of attitude and planning, at least to a great extent.

Can you afford to pay for your own professional development?

Well, that’s up to you, and your own attitude, and the choices that you make about your career and your business pursuits.

One’s own professional development (and the development of employees, assuming that you are still working on your business plan) is a far better investment than just about anything else you can buy. Paying attention to your own professional development, and addressing the means by which you will grow the people in your organization within the pages of your business plan will assist you in proving that you are long-sighted, adaptable, and worthwhile investment, yourself (if you are seeking outside capital).

As for me, I figure the several thousand dollars per year that I keep investing will eventually be worth far more than what I have spent. I know what I won’t have if I don’t invest: No current knowledge; no contacts; no contracts; no industry knowledge; and no ability to demonstrate that I even have a clue about what’s going on, as a so-called professional, among my cohorts in academia or the business community.

That would be a very high price to pay, indeed.

Plan? We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Plan

Unfortunately that famous line from Humphrey Bogart’s movie The Treasure of the Sierra Madre”, “Badges? We ain’t got not no badges. We don’t need no badges! I don’t have to show you no stinkin’badges!” is often one of the most misquoted lines in movie history, in fact, when I first started writing this, I had to correct myself when using the quote! That being said, let’s get to the point of this blog……. Planning. Our last blog discussed planning on a global, big picture scale. Let’s focus on what it means to you, as an individual running your business! The first step is to realize “WE NEED A PLAN!” How do you go about developing a plan that will be meaningful and effective for your business? There are many templates and programs that will assist you with the fundamentals, a simple Google search will provide a wealth of information. It’s what you put in the plan that counts! Following are some ideas and thoughts that you may want to consider as you develop your plan:

o What is changing in your industry?

o What is changing in technology and how does it impact your ability to connect with customers

o What is changing with your customers?

o What is changing in the economy?

We all know the traditional ways to reach out to customers….. mailings, telemarketing, mass emails and others. But what is going to grab your customer’s attention, how can you convince them to choose you over all the other alternatives in the market? Think about the following:

o Provide value, beyond the product – value in personal attention and customization

o Make yourself unique – find a way to differentiate yourself from the competition

o Build Relationships – showing the customer you really are invested in helping them make the best decisions and choices with your expertise. They will count on you to make sure their best interests are being looked after!

o Network in the community…. Join the Chamber of Commerce, sponsor a youth activity, help with a charity event, get involved in local professional groups

The key is your plan should focus on cultivating a two-way relationship with your customers. Yes, the new technology of Social Media is important, but so is an act so simple most of us have forgotten it…. Pick up the phone or stop by to say a personal “Hello”.

Don’t Focus on Being the Best, Focus on Being Unique

In a world where competition is the constant factor, it’s hard to differentiate and build your own identity. It’s difficult, but it is possible to be unique!

Effective differentiation is one of the main challenges many business owners face, because they focus on competing with big companies. Here are four ways to help your business be unique and stand out from the crowd. Each one of these factors has worked well for countless companies. How many of them are part of your current business strategy?

1. Deliver Extraordinary Service

This is what makes the most successful companies unique and different. However, saying isn’t enough. You must deliver an extraordinary service that your customers can’t get anywhere else.

If you want to beat your competitors, don’t focus on being the best; instead, focus on being unique. You can be unique and different if you think about offering extraordinary service to your customers that goes beyond what your competitors are offering.

2. Address Customer Needs

If you want to impress your customers, the best way to do that is to meet their needs and desires. Think about how you can solve common problems for your customers. This’ll help you stand out from the competition.

3. Do Business Differently from Your Competitors

Doing business differently than your competitors will help to be stand out. Find and exploit holes in your competitors’ business strategy; this is the best way to be unique.

Get into the habit of analyzing your competitors regularly. Find out the products/services they offer, how much they sell them for and how they run their company. This information can make your business stand out from the rest. For instance, if a competitor sells a product at a low price, you can lower your price.

Remember, your goal should be to give customers a reason to do business with you and this could be one way to help achieve this goal.

When looking at your competitor’s business strategy, don’t just copy what they have. Instead, focus on their weaknesses and see how you can improve on them. Being innovative will help your business become better and different. How you can do the same thing differently?

4. Give a Powerful Offer or Guarantee

Offers and guarantees are the best ways to reduce the perceived risk of buying your products/services. Removing the reluctance for making a purchase can generate more sales. Also, a guarantee will make your company seem more trustworthy and likable.

For instance, you can make sure you answer every email or social media query within one or two hours. This will improve your responsiveness, and it will give customers more reason to contact you and do business with you.

Innovation is a common characteristic among successful organizations. If your business is innovative and unique, it’ll grow fast. So, if you want to take your business to the next level, focus on being unique, and don’t copy your competitors’ business strategy.

Don’t Be Conned By A Resume Writer

A Professional Resume Writer or Resume Service can indeed help you land a new job or receive a job promotion. However, there are a lot of scams on the internet. My goal in this article is to help you know how to identify a resume scam. While nothing is foolproof, learning what to look for in a resume writer can help you avoid the resume scams!

The Cost of a Professionally Written Resume

A professionally written resume is an investment in your career. And… professionally written resumes are tax-deductible!

Just because it is an investment does not mean that it will cost you $1,000. However, It also does not mean that a resume writer selling ‘professionally written resumes’ for $25 will do a good job. Your job as a job seeker is to hire the best you can afford. A strong, well written resume for a mid level career should not be more than $150 TOPS. A high-end executive, however, should expect to pay more. The majority of resumes that I write are for those mid level job seekers. I am not afraid, or ashamed, to admit that I do NOT feel comfortable working with a high-end – big whig- CEO of a multinational conglomeration! I know my limitations. Which leads us to my next point…

Your Resume Writer Knows Their Limitations!

As I said, I do VERY FEW Senior executive resumes. I have done them, but that is on a case by case basis. I often turn down work because it is not in my realm of knowledge. No resume writer can know everything about every career! A resume scammer will tell you they DO. For the record, I also do not do resumes for attorneys, actors, federal resumes or resumes for physicians. You can be in sales, IT, construction, education, management, or any number of other fields and I am more than happy to assist you. I know my limitations. Every resume writer SHOULD.

Guarantees (Money Back or Job Placement)

If a resume writer guarantees that their resume will get you a job within a particular period of time, FIND ANOTHER WRITER! I am a resume WRITER, not a HIRING MANAGER (been there, done that!). I cannot guarantee you get a job any more than you can guarantee me work for the next 6 months. Your interviewing skills, personality, networking skills, career background and sometimes – sheer luck- are what will GET you a job. MY JOB is to create and write a resume that markets your skills and accomplishments and makes you more attractive and valuable to companies!

Resume writers that offer a money back guarantee typically make it so incredibly difficult to get it, that they RARELY give refunds. And, any resume writer can tell you how easy it is for clients to scam THEM. I have a friend who is a resume writer (I used to work for her, coincidentally) and she had several instances of clients simply saying they did not like it, in order to get a refund. The problem with this is that we live in a VERY small community. The client ALSO lived in the SAME community. She received a phone call one day from a local business who had just hired this client. The gentleman who hired him, recognized her style of writing and called with a ‘hey- you’ll never guess who I just hired’ message. She never did recoup her money. She could have cost him the job. She chose NOT to tell her friend the scam his new employee had pulled on her. I’m just not sure I’d be able to keep my mouth shut. So no… unless there is some type of critical error or incomplete order, most resume writers will NOT offer refunds.

No Revisions

While a good resume writer will not offer refunds, they SHOULD offer revisions! My clients get as many revisions as they need. Any company or resume writer who is not willing to work with you and ensure your satisfaction is definitely a scam!

Questionnaires

In and of themselves, questionnaires are not a bad thing. I use one myself. HOWEVER – I will also call or email with questions, and offer my phone number for you to call me if you need to! If there is a major issue with your resume, I will ALWAYS call to speak with you.

Upselling

Many resume scams will hook you with a low or reasonable price, then upsell you on other features or services and/or tell you your resume will be longer and make you pay for a ‘2 or 3 page’ resume. I can’t STAND this practice! I charge a flat rate because (mainly) it’s easier for me! Sure, I may lose money on the occasional resume that takes longer or is more difficult than I estimated, and yes, some are easier and take less time. It all balances out. I believe in keeping my pricing fair – for my clients and myself. And the last thing I want to do is spend my time trying to talk you into buying something you don’t want. I can’t stand pushy salespeople! And if I wanted to be in sales- I would be! There’s a reason I’m not!

Top 10 Resume Writer/ Top 10 Resume Service Lists

To the best of my knowledge, there is no such (legitimate) site! In most cases, these sites are owned (directly or indirectly) by these resume service sites themselves! They give ‘reviews’ with 5 star ratings to their companies, or to companies which have paid (usually several hundred dollars per month!) to be included on this list!

There are professional resume writing certifications and organizations, and you can find a legitimate resume service there. Keep in mind though; there are also many good writers who are NOT in these organizations for one reason or another. The cost of them is often a primary factor. So, just because your resume writer is not part of these groups, does not mean that they are not very good at what they do.

One thing you should do is check to see if the resume writer or service is listed on RipOffReport.com, which is a popular site where disgruntled customers can log their complaints.

Guaranteed Quick Turnaround Time

At the most, I only write 1-2 resumes per day. It takes several hours for each resume. A good resume takes hours to write and the best resume writers produce only 1-2 resumes per day. Be wary of resume writers that will not provide at least a few different samples of resumes they have created. Any resume writer promising 24-48 hour turnaround and charging $99 or less, generally produces 6-8 resumes a day. They all look the same. The information is put into a template and they shoot it off to you. Generally speaking, my turnaround time is a week to 10 days. Sometimes more. I am always honest about how long it will take me to send your resume. I do offer same day and next day service, but on a very limited availability and it comes with a price. Your time is valuable and so is mine. If I am doing a rush order for you, it means I am taking time away from my family and personal life. This is true of any competent resume writer!

Their Website

This is a double-edged sword here. The website should be attractive and easy to find information on. However, just because it is ‘pretty’ doesn’t mean that they produce high quality resumes. Look at their samples. If you don’t like their samples, you probably won’t like their work. Make sure their samples are of different styles and industries. A resume for a teacher will not look the same as it does for a sales executive or engineer! Look to see if they are focusing on skills and accomplishments as opposed to producing pretty resumes that just list job duties. Also look to see if they are using advanced techniques like color, testimonials and highlights to make your resume stand out from the crowd.

By using your common sense, you can reduce the odds of falling into a resume scam. Some resume scammers are very good, and even with these tips you may fall victim. But by being educated and diligent, you significantly reduce that chance and increase the odds of you finding the best resume writer for you! Google the resume service name and the resume writer’s name, look them up on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Just as employers will check you out before offering you a job, check out your resume writer before you hire them!

Why People Don’t Seek Mental Health Treatment

Because of the increase of school shootings across the United States, there is an ongoing debate regarding solutions. One of the most looked at causes behind mass shootings are the mental state of the shooters themselves. Most mass shooters have some things in common with each other.

1. Grew up in a fatherless home

2. Was on prescription psychotropic drugs

3. Had stressful events going on in their lives

For category #1, the solutions are obvious. We need to revamp the family law courts in way that there aren’t “winning” parents and “losing” parents. I speak about this topic in-depth in my published report sent to the U.N. titled, “Global Human Trafficking in The Family Law Courts”, which can be found on Amazon.

However, for the sake of this article, I want to focus on the mental health aspect. It is undeniable that our school systems and our healthcare systems are handing out psychotropic drugs like candy! Kids who aren’t paying attention in class are quickly prescribed Ritalin. Depressed teenagers are quickly give Prozac; the situation for adults isn’t much better.

Let’s look at modern rappers like, “Lil Xan”, “Future”, and the recently deceased 20 year old rapper, “Lil Peep”, who died from a Xanax pill laced with Fentanyl. The rapper was seen on Instagram frequently swallowing hand fulls of Xanax pills daily. His young fans who idolized him are most likely following suit.

According to the “business-insider” news site, the United States of America is the world’s leader in prescribing anti-depressant medication. According to one of its articles published, it was found that 12% of all Americans are on some type of drug used to treat mental illness.

There are pros and cons to these numbers. Take South Korea for example, a very developed nation, yet it is ranked #3 for suicides. In the Korean culture, seeing a doctor for depression is a social stigma that shows weakness, especially on part of a male. It isn’t surprising considering that 80% of all suicides in the world are attributed to men. Because mental illness is pretty much ignored in South Korea and among males in general due to society pressures to remain “stoic”, people are killing themselves left and right.

On the other hand, the United States, which is ranked between #30 – #40 (depending on the study), for suicides. So, there is some evidence that perhaps anti-depressant medications can work. Or is it merely cultural? Jamaica often ranks at the very bottom of the list for suicide rates despite being a poor country. Although the poor, the communities are very close knit, and their culture is very cheerful. Perhaps it’s because marijuana is legal to smoke in the country! Who knows!

But, I do know one thing; anti-depressants and other drugs used to treat mental illness carry many side-effects. “Suicidal Thoughts”, is often listed as one of the major side-effects of Prozac. Imagine that! A medication designed for suicidal people which may cause suicidal thoughts! There is no doubt that taking psychotropic drugs alters the brain chemistry, just like alcohol or any other intoxicant.

It is in my opinion that occupational therapy, talk therapy, and community interaction are among the best treatments for depression. However, yet again, there is a draw back to these types of therapies as well.

Anytime an American sees a counselor for depression, suicidal thoughts, or any mental health concern, they are then “logged” and “stereotyped”. Those who frequent a mental health counselor could have such activities used against them in a custody battle or those who seek to purchase a firearm.

Imagine you are battling depression, so you go see a counselor, only to have it used against you in the future. This is why many, myself included, fear the idea of seeing a mental health specialist during times of great stress. Once you visit these people, you are very “labeled” and will be “marked”. If you find yourself facing any future litigation, the courts can uncover your medical records whereas they will say,:

“Ahhh! You went to a mental health counselor several times for depression! You aren’t fit to own a gun or have custody of your kids!”.

In some cases, this may true, whereas in others, it could be an unfair stereotype. When people mentioned that they see a counselor or take anti-depressant medication, people will often sneer at you or perhaps take a step back. We associate mental health concerns with schizophrenia or severe manic depressive types. The fact is, we are all suffering with some form of mental illness.

If you are too happy, the doctors will say you are “manic”. If you are too grumpy, they will say you have “type A” personality. If you are too sad, they will say you are suffering from severe “Depression”. It is much like going to a mechanic. If you talk long enough, they will find something wrong with you!

The truth is simple. Visiting a mental health counselor could result in you losing rights to your child, to your firearms, and your reputation as a person. It is a sad truth. Under our current system, most people do not seek help for fear of being demonized.

The top ways we can prevent mass shootings is by encouraging a friendly community, surround yourself with loving people, do your best to be involved parents, seek natural therapies to mental health disorders over drugs if possible (Sports, work therapy, etc..). If you are hearing voices or are frequently attempting to complete your suicide, then you should certainly seek medical intention.

Requiring mental health screenings to purchase firearms sounds like a great idea until you realize that most don’t seek help so that they can purchase a firearm! Why not screen people’s health condition before they purchase alcohol, get a driver’s license, or board a plane? Mental health can make nearly any activity dangerous. Our country must stop looking for “quick” fixes and start looking at the true cause of our demise.

Our fast-food, sex-violence, entertainment, glorification of misunderstand anarchism. There is “freedom” and then there is “responsible” freedom. Make choices in life, however, make those choices in respect of how it will affect your society at large. Legislators cannot solve these issues. These issues are ones that will require families to step up, unite, and take back the reign of traditional values without going overboard.

A middle ground between progressive thought and traditional values must be balanced. We mustn’t be afraid to advance our society, but we must also not totally disregard traditional ways of living which have served our humanity for so long.

Lastly, we must encourage more anonymity within our mental health departments. Must like the “confessionals” at a Catholic church. If people can be anonymously treated without so much of a paper-trail to stigmatize them, I am sure that many more people would step forward and ask for help.

As a boxing coach, this job often requires me to be a counselor, talking with my students, building up their confidence. If you are depressed and need help, but do not trust or fear doctors, a great alternative in my opinion is to stay active in group settings. Building relationships are essential in combating mental illness. In poor countries, suicide rates are often low because their communities are so tight knit. They may be poor, but no one is as lonely as the isolated modern man who types away in his cold artificially lit office cubicle.