I wrote another article for YourMoney eZine on the topic “Hiding from the Internet Can Cost You Big Bucks.”
Video: Intolerance in the Caribbean Workplace
In October 2008, I completed an issue of FirstCuts (#27) that pointed to the fact that intolerance in the Caribbean workplace comes at a very high price.
That post came on the heels of comments made by Prime Minister Bruce Golding of Jamaica that gays would not be allowed to join his cabinet.
A policeman, and therefore a member of the civil service, recently came out of the closet, and in declaring that he is gay, shared his experience at the risk of facing a severe backlash.
What should an executive, HR director or board member do if this were a private company?
Here is the link to my original FirstCuts article: https://blog.fwconsulting.com/2008/09/the-not-so-diverse-caribbean-workplace/
Jamaica Gleaner Mentions Framework’s Work
This article appeared in the Jamaica Gleaner this morning and gives an overview of the work that Framework is doing here in the Caribbean: http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20090914/business/business1.html
A Propensity to Protest – FirstCuts32
The new issue of FirstCuts is available – A Propensity to Protest
This is issue 32, and you can find out why I wouldn’t take book a space on a Caribbean space shuttle to orbit the earth, if it were available!
(There’s a possible bit of controversy in this month’s issue…)
You can also access the audio version of the article here.
If you aren’t a subscriber and would like to follow the ideas in this ezine, simply visit the FirstCuts link in the menu above (https://blog.fwconsulting.com/firstcuts) or send email to firstcuts@aweber.com
I’d love to hear your comments on the article here on the blog!
Interview on Bessfm.com on Culture
I was interviewed by Aldo of Bessfm.com on July 23rd, on the topic of culture and the bottom line.
It apparently went over well enough to be invited back the following week.
Radio Show Tomorrow
Tomorrow I’ll be appearing on a radio show that will be broadcast online, on the topic of Corporate Culture and the Bottom Line.
For details, visit http://wbessfm.com, or listen in here in Jamaica to 100.5 FM.
FirstCuts31 – Accepting the Plantation
The latest issue of FirstCuts is now available in a very new format.
Gone are my struggles with ASCII files that Microsoft Outlook would mangle into an unrecognizable melange.
Now, there’s a magazine-like interface that allows a user to read through the ezine much as they would a paper periodical.
Receiving FirstCuts on a regular basis is easy – -simply send email to firstcuts@aweber.com and click on the link in the confirmation email.
In the meantime, click on the icon below to be taken to this month’s issue of FirstCuts. The audio version can be heard by clicking here — Podcast of FirstCuts31
Here is a short excerpt. Also, I welcome any comments you may have here on the blog.
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Accepting the Plantation
One of the gifts that expats bring to a job in our region is a view of what it would be like to work in an environment that’s free of the tragic history that plagues the Caribbean workplace.
Expats remind those of us who work in the region that our workplace is a unique one that’s been unable to escape its past. It’s uniqueness comes from the fact that it’s the only workplace in the world that remains staffed by a majority of citizens whose ancestors were brought to the region as slaves or indentured servants.
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To continue reading, click on the icon below.
Updating The New Networking: Caribbean 2008
I’d love to hear from Caribbean readers on what kinds of challenges they face in building professional networks across the region. I’m thinking about updating my e-book, The New Networking, for a 2010 release.
So, here is the question of the hour: “What is the greatest challenge you have in building your Caribbean network?”
Consultants Doing “Free Estimates”
I just read the following article at Michel Fortin’s blog and found it provocative, to say the least.
Here is an excerpt:
Ultimately, I would never, ever, meet with a client until and unless they pay for my expenses. After all, if they’re not willing to at least pay for my expenses, then…
- They are unqualified;
- They are going to haggle;
- They will nitpick my work;
- They will demand more, likely for free;
- And they’ll avoid paying for regular, project expenses, too.
This post should be required reading for all consultants. It’s that important. Here is the link to the post “How Far Are You Willing to Go to Land the Sale?”
Foolproof: SuperNanny and the Dog Whisperer
There are a couple of television shows that I find fascinating in their ability to demonstrate powerful coaching. They are fool-proof, simply because their coachees are demonstrating which techniques work, and which don’t.
In both cases, the subjects being coached aren’t acting, because they simply aren’t able. In the case of The Nanny, the coachees are young children, and in the case of the Dog Whisperer, they are canines of all kinds.
I recommend both, but not because I have either kids or puppies.
Instead, both coaches have had to develop a certain level of expertise that is unique, and the successes highlighted in each show can only happen because they have a fine grasp of the tools of their trade. They are masterful in how they approach each challenge, and when they are around the novice parents and owners that they work with, it’s obvious that they see each situation quite differently from those they are helping.
The response from their advice is immediate and visible, and each show takes pains to show the change that happens in vivid images.
Kudos to them for what they accomplish (even if the utter failures end up on the cutting floor.) They still demonstrate insight and understanding in action, and the results they are able to show in 30 minutes is fascinating to watch.