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image from whotv.com A few days ago at a fundraiser, President Obama said that Kamala Harris, the Attorney General of California, was " by far the best-looking attorney general in the country ." The President apologized the next day, and it seemed to be no big deal, but some research has indicated that even positive comments--judgments of ANY kind--can have a negative impact on how the person receiving the compliment is perceived. In the study cited in the article below, the person being complimented was a woman. The research was set up like this: subjects were shown similar biographies of two hypothetical Congressional candidates--Dan and Jane. No physical description of either candidate was given. Jane was preferred slightly (49%-48%). Then, in another version, there was a "neutral description of Jane's appearance"; she trailed by 5%. In Version 3, there was a positive physical description of Jane: Jane trailed by 13 %. In Version 4, there was a negative physical description of Jane: Jane also trailed by about 13 %. Go figure... any physical description of Jane, the female candidate, caused her potential success to decline. The study's authors concluded that " even a complimentary comment like Obama's is both inappropriate and damaging in a professional setting. It primes people to think of a woman's appearance, and that's apparently enough to keep them from thinking about her actual qualifications ." I'd like to see another study done where the man's physical appearance was remarked upon, and see what the results are in that case. Sources: " Here's Why 'Good Looking' Is Wrong and Damaging , " by Kevin Drum, Mother Jones, April 8, 2013. " Name it. Change It. Women's Media Center. She Should Run " survey by Chesapeake Beach Consulting, Lake Research Partners. [pdf file--open with Google Chrome if using a Mac] ThinkProgress Follow up: Think of a work or classroom situation where you have observed or been given a compliment that has made you (or someone else) uncomfortable. What are the social dynamics at play in such a situation? What were the job classifications and relative "rank" of the individuals involved. Have you ever intervened or spoken up when an inappropriate comment has been made--either a compliment or something more damaging? What was the situation? What are the choices a person or bystander has in a situation like this, and what are the pros and cons of each course of action? Would this type of comment be considered "sexual harassment" in your workplace or school environment? What are the parameters for interpersonal conduct where you work or go to school?

image from chicagocreativedesign.com Double Encore is a company that is betting everything on home-grown apps. They develop for Apple (not for the android market), and they employ all their own developers. They are a Colorado-based technology company with a special relationship with Apple...and--THEY DON'T OUTSOURCE. Their policy is contrary to the industry trend. The Computer Economics Annual Outsourcing Study recently reported that information technology outsourcing was up by 23% in 2012. But Double Encore is bucking the trend. Here are some of the reasons: quality control can only be monitored in a controlled environment their office is an environment of "experience, creativity, and unwavering ambition" their commitment to their clients is based on originality--not on "knock offs" outsourcing contributes to lower salaries for engineers...which then contributes to a smaller pool of talent willing to work for sub-par salaries they've seen the poor results from their clients failed outsourced products, which have to be cleaned up Double Encore is marketing itself from this quality niche. Its policies also set the standard for its human resource management. Does it sound like a good place to work? Sources: " Why We Don't Outsource [Seriously, Stop Calling Us] ," by Emily Grossman, Double Encore Blog, March 24, 2013. Follow up: What do you think of the Double Encore idea that "Genius doesn't go on sale. It just leaves the market"? What does it mean, with respect to outsourcing policies?

[View:http://community.cengage.com/GECResource/themes/gew/utility/ :550:0] Video produced by Code.org, starring Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, et. al. This video was produced by Code.org , to promote the idea of learning how to write computer programs. Listening to the men and women on the video--it seems like fun. Lots of today's programming can be done with logic, organization, and problem solving skills rather than higher-order mathematics. Considering how important these skills are in the marketplace, it is baffling that programming isn't a graduation requirement for a college degree. I have a little experience with this. Back in 1973, "Intro to Computing" was a programming class, not a class to become a skilled application user. We learned a Fortran language called WATFiV. Our programs had to be typed onto punch cards and dropped off at the computing center to be run, and then debugged if necessary, then run again. Writing the programs was like solving a puzzle, and actually very satisfying. My first job at Coopers & Lybrand (long before it combined with Price Waterhouse) was to use their closet-sized punch card computer to run "What-if" scenarios for limited partnership prospectuses. Basically, the programs I wrote and adapted were just a more clumsy version of what, a few years later, was Lotus 1-2-3 and then Excel. In 1983, I bought my first PC, and have been a "user" ever since. Today, there are several computing frontiers--apps, biomedical, transportation, mobile everything, computing everywhere. A lot of the money to be made in the future will be made by knowing how to not only use computers, but more importantly to control what they do . That's computer programming. Source: " What Most Schools Don't Teach " by Code Org, YouTube , February 26, 2013. Follow up: Have you ever taken a programming class? What computer language? What kinds of programs did you write? If you don't know a computer language, do you know another language besides English? How will you enhance your ability to communicate world-wide 25 years from now? Do you have an idea for an app? What have you done to get it working and in the marketplace?

image from ashvogue.wordpress.com Meditation was a key element of the management strategy for the Los Angeles Lakers when they were coached by Phil Jackson. But Jackson is no longer the the Lakers' coach, and the Lakers...well, I am wondering if the correlation between Jackson's coaching style and the Lakers current performance may also be due to the cause and effect of eliminating this mental portion of a practice regimen. "Meditation" and "mindfulness" are currently popular strategies for employee development and consulting. In the modern world, with all of its stress and multitasking, many businesses are finding that it is difficult to get employees to focus. Meditation practices can lead to an increased capacity to adapt to change and be resilient. Companies such as Google , Target, and General Mills have incorporated meditation into employee training. Some might think that meditation is only for Buddhists, but there is no religious component to meditation itself. There is also no "downside risk." It can't hurt. As a break from the workday, it may do more good that playing Solitaire or checking Facebook. Besides, it can help build the soft skills of resilience and calmness-under-pressure. Source: " The Lakers Meditate? " interview by Soren Gordhamer, the MBA project, May 18, 2006. " 28 day Meditation Challenge ," by Sharon Salzberg, February 1, 2013. " Mindfulness in the Corporate World: How Businesses are Incorporating the Eastern Practice ," Huffington Post, August 30, 2012; updated January 7, 2013 . " OK, Google, take a deep breath ," by Caitlin Kelly, the New York Times , April 28, 2012. Follow up: Check out the Sharon Salzberg link above and consider giving it a try. What are the seven effects of meditation on the brain and body that are delineated in the Huffington Post slideshow? Which of these matter to you and why?

image from comerecommended.com "What is your dream job? If you could have the career of any person, who’s would it be? Wouldn’t it be nice to talk to that person, and ask them how they got where they are?... Well, why don’t you?" This is what my 24-year old daughter, Hannah Bernstein, asked a friend of hers, based on her own experience doing interviews for the Facebook site, " Blue Sky Black Sheep ." Hannah was talking about a personal interview, done by you to get exactly the information that you need to make a career, educational, or investment move. Hannah's advice: "If what you really want to do is own your own business, or run a restaurant--it’s likely that those entrepreneurs haven’t been professionally interviewed. But you can still ask these people questions about their career. It’s called an ' informational interview '. It’s like a magic word. Pick out exactly who you’d like to talk to. If you’re looking to open up a restaurant in Los Angeles that serves meals at a $20-35 price point, that seats around 50 people, find a restaurant like that and find out who runs it. Then look up their email address (likely available on the company website) and get in touch. Explain that you have aspirations in that field, open with an expression of admiration of that person’s knowledge, and then ask if you can talk to them, either by phone or in person, about how they’ve achieved what they have in their profession." "I find that there are different conventions around informational interviews in different fields. When talking to someone in the business world, politics, or an administrative position, 'informational interview' is a thing that they’ll know about. You can directly ask for an informational interview, and they’ll say yes if they can. In less formal fields, like tech or entertainment, the convention is often to offer to buy someone coffee or a meal, so you can 'pick their brain' while you’re doing it." "People like to talk about themselves. When you tell someone that they’ve achieved something in their field-- enough so that you look up to them as an inspiration--they’re flattered. The worst that can happen is that they say 'no'." The possible positive outcomes are: a larger network for additional connections in a field that you like; the beginning of a mentor relationship that might lead to an internship or more; inside information about the downsides of a business that you hadn't considered; a better understanding about what is involved in a successful career path; a body of information that will help you to interview for jobs in that field, if experience is necessary first improving your business communication skills. If you have no experience as the "interviewer," check out the list of possible informational interview questions on About.com. Sources: " Informational Interview Questions ," About.com. " Blue Sky Black Sheep ," Facebook.com Follow up: Just do it. Interview someone who has a career you want. Take a digital recorder and a notebook, prepare some questions, and have some fun.

The Black Friday protests at Wal-Mart have brought to public consciousness the day-to-day realities of many of Wal-Mart workers. Making minimum wage in part-time positions (that do not include benefits) , Wal-Mart employees can live only with the help of public assistance. For some observers, this is a call for unionization, since unionized retail workers tend to raise the wages for all working in that industry. For others, it is a call to blame the workers for being too lazy or unproductive to get a better job. For others, it it a call to claim profit participation for taxpayers because of the "investment" in Wal-Mart workers. New information about Wal-Mart 's employee practices has recently come to light. From the Sacramento Bee : "Last week, journalists obtained a copy of Wal-Mart's 'Field Non-Exempt Associate Pay Plan' for 2013. The 'Pay Plan' is one of the first internal documents made public that clearly contradicts Wal-Mart's misinformation on compensation. It details Wal-Mart's rigid pay structure for hourly employees, and makes clear why it is so difficult for associates to earn more than poverty-level wages. Despite what the company claims about paying competitive wages, the reality is that almost half of Wal-Mart's associates make less than $10 an hour, with many of them relying on public assistance as well as their wages to support their families. Average Wal-Mart employees make just $8.81 per hour, with many of those making more than $10 an hour having worked for the retail giant for a decade or longer." A broader discussion about the costs to taxpayers of a minimum wage that cannot support an above-poverty-level lifestyle is possibly warranted. Sources: " Taxpayers subsidizing Walmart should share Profits " Steev Schmidt, Sacramento Bee , November 23, 2012 " Viewpoints: Stakes are High for Striking Walmart workers ," by John Logan, Sacramento Bee , November 21, 2012. " Happy 50th Birthday Walmart " Follow up: Make a monthly and annual budget for yourself. Include expenses that are currently subsidized by parents or others, such as room and board, health insurance, car payment, gas, phone, internet, car insurance, electricity, clothing and travel. What salary would you have to earn (less about 20% in payroll and income taxes), to afford to live as you do now? What do you think the minimum wage should be? People usually work about 2000 hours per year, full time. Do you agree with the writer of the Letter to the Editor that claims that taxpayers should be participating in profits from Wal-Mart since we are subsidizing their workforce? Why or why not?

image from article linked immediately below Link to radio podcast and transcript: " Cloud Computing Saves Health Care Industry Time and Money " by Wendy Kaufman, NPR, All Things Considered , October 1, 2012 Health care research, analysis and data-sharing is now much less expensive, due to "cloud computing." Amazon sells cloud computer space to companies, including hospitals and medical research institutions, and those entities use the computer power to solve medical problems, diagnose diseases, and find cures. One drug company wanted to screen 21 million chemical compounds. Rather than purchase the 50,000 laptops needed to analyze the data--as well as hire workers for several years--three hours of cloud computing time was rented at a cost of $15,000. Of course, another feature of using the cloud is the opportunity for sharing information and ideas about products in development, diagnoses, and treatments. The business benefits exists for both the users of the cloud computing services...and for the providers. According to the article, it is estimated that Amazon makes $1 billion annually and growing. Follow up: Read or listen to the article. What medical problem was used as an example by Dr. Michael Cunningham? Why would this example be used by the writers of the article? List at least three features that cloud computing provides for the pharmaceutical industry. What other industries might benefit from using cloud computing? What industries would have little or no use for this type of service? Why not?