(Source Videos: Andy Blumenthal)
Showing posts with label Culture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Culture. Show all posts
March 18, 2018
December 22, 2017
Israel Style
What I really liked was seeing it up close and not from the back of a tour bus.
After just a day or so, I started to feel like I was really experiencing life here.
Crossing Menachem Begin Road, we ran into these fashion-conscious ladies.
The colorful clothes and hair, the tall blue shoes, the ripped leggings of the women on the left definitely stood out.
Juxtaposed is the lady on the right in the black dress, short haircut, bag, and glasses.
This pair was a standout!
In a way, I miss the Holy lifestyle of Jerusalem here in Tel Aviv, but at the same time, I like the cosmopolitan and modern life here too.
Anyway, I feel like I am learning a lot and enjoying experiencing culture and religion Israel-style.
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
December 21, 2017
Welcome To Israel Henna Party
It was amazing to me to see how the Holy Land has so developed from when I was here last over 25-years ago.
It is a thriving nation in every sense of the word.
Just as G-d has promised, the land and it's people have blossomed under His blessings.
I am grateful to G-d for helping me to reach this wonderful and happy time.
Tonight, we had a wonderful dinner with the in-laws and there was a henna ceremony as well--for good luck (Mazel Tov)!
Little did I know, I thought this bowl of henna was chocolate fudge and part of dessert--good thing that I didn't take a staining bite out of that.
How would that have looked in the wedding pictures? ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
October 30, 2017
Halloween DC Style
So Halloween in Washington, D.C. is no small deal.
I liked the new spooky Orange Fanta soda cans with the scary lady on it--it really stood out from all the others--Coke, Pepsi, etc.--that were otherwise so boring.
Then there was this other lady riding the Metro in her Halloween outfit--anybody need a nurse?
Let's just say she seems to have evoked some attention on the train.
Even more than another women (lower left) holding 2 baby dolls slumped over backwards in a very unfortunate manner.
One more is Mr. Baywatch lifeguard here, and peering over his shoulder is someone with scary Zombie hallowed out black eyes and sharp growling teeth!
Finally, one of my wonderful colleagues told me about a Halloween party she went to with her male friend.
I asked whether they dressed up.
She said, "yeah," and smiled.
So I asked, "What did you dress up as?"
Well this was a new one for me...
She was dressed up as the jelly side of the sandwich and he was the peanut butter side.
What all this means for this zany holiday, I have no idea...but it's a fun time of year that doesn't go unnoticed by anyone. ;-)
(Source Photos: Andy Blumenthal)
September 7, 2017
The CEO and The Janitor
The colleague's father was a industrial psychologist and he would go into some relatively big organizations to improve the functioning and culture.
One of the things that he would do is get the CEO and the janitor in the same room together.
And he would say:
"Both of you have vital jobs in the organization and you need to appreciate each other!"
At this point, the CEO and the janitor would be looking around the room super quizzically.
And the psychologist would to the janitor and say:
"The CEO's job is critical, because without the CEO, we wouldn't have the leadership and vision for the organization to be successful, and you wouldn't have a job and salary.
Then he'd turn to the CEO and explain:
The Janitor's job is critical, because without the janitor, we wouldn't have a clean and functioning building and facilities for everyone to do their jobs and be successful, and you wouldn't be able to come to work ever day."
It's really amazing that despite all the fancy titles, corners offices, and rich compensation packages for some, really everyone in the organization is vital in their own way!
We need to remember that when we deal with others that they are human beings--in the image of G-d--and we need to treat all with the utmost dignity and respect for both who they are and what they contribute. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
August 15, 2017
Happy Summer Shoes
People throw off the thick winter coats and heavy boots and wear some nice sandals.
I saw this one lady wearing these happy, colorful sandals on the Metro.
I'd expect to see these more in Florida or California than in stodgy Washington, D.C.
They were pretty awesome--trendy, stylish, even comfortable looking.
Fashion is self-expression and freedom.
It's also artistic and a reflection of our culture and our desires.
We need more color, more chance, more futurism from our fashion.
The clothes can shape not only our bodies, but the times we live in. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
July 21, 2017
Killer Organizational Sharks
And it's not just in the oceans.
There are plenty in your organizations.
They make for lots of dysfunction and conflict.
The organizational sharks see themselves as the bigger and more important fish in the sea.
They look for weakness in others---they smell blood and when they do, they usually follow it to the kill!
These sharks are the types of people that attack their colleagues when they should be assisting them.
Not only do they lack respect for others, but instead see them as the enemy and eat them as prey, when instead, they need to be chewing up the outside competition.
It's an attitude of us versus them misplaced within the organization, rather than external-facing.
These organizational sharks could be in leadership positions, in which case, their attitudes filter down infecting the rest of their staffs.
Instead of unity, cohesion, and working together to get the mission and job down, the sharks are selfishly worrying about and working to build their own power base.
It's a dysfunctional culture that allows these sharks to exist and swarm in their organizational waters.
Sharks for some reason fail to see that their boats are hitched to everyone else in the organization, and that all the organizational boats rise together or fill with polluted water and sink to the bottom.
As leaders, we need to focus and agree on supporting each other to achieve the success of all.
Even sharks should learn to be nice and play together with all the other fish in the organizational sea. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
January 17, 2017
Twitter BESTS Facebook
- Unadulterated News & Messaging
Twitter is where you can hear it from the President's mouth or the Kardashians or anyone else for that matter with no media bias and filtering (their very mission is information sharing), while Facebook is often about reposting stories, pictures, and videos that we find of interest already on the web. What's even more amazing is that anyone of us can tweet back to @realDonaldTrump or @SpeakerRyan...that is some unbelievable access we now have.
- Speed of Information To Market
Twitter is now considered the fastest way to get the latest (and greatest) on what's happening. From the US Airways jet crash into the Hudson River to up-to-the-minute updates on the Mumbai terrorist attack. You could even watch the election debates or the Walking Dead and get a real-time running commentary.
- Our Very Social Identity
Twitter is now part of our very social identity, so that everything from our blog writings to our resume has our Twitter handle. Mine is @AndyBlumenthal.
- It's Populism As A Movement
Twitter, while not technically as popular in terms of number of users as Facebook, is more popular in terms of the cultural impact. Politicians are putting out policy debates online and fighting it out there too, while celebrities and athletes are sharing personal updates, and the world is truly communicating directly and succinctly in 140 characters or less what's really important to them.
- Operating On A Global Open Platform
Twitter feeds are open to anyone who follows them and tweets are searchable on the web as opposed to Facebook which is predominantly a closed system to the web and you've got to be "friends" to get the real scoop with someone. Whether the Iranian Green Revolution or the Syrians Being Bombarded in Aleppo it's open and on Twitter.
- Get Your BIG Data and Feed Your Artificial Intelligence
Twitter has about 500 million tweets a day or about 200 billion a year. Even pulling out the ridiculous "What I had for lunch today" tweets, there is still an unbelievable amount of data to mine for analysis and artificial intelligence. Talking about a potential treasure trove of information and sentiment from over 317 million users, and computer algorithms are already churning through it to make the big data intelligible and usable for decision making.
Certainly Twitter (and Facebook) need to get their virtual arms around fake news and profiles, but the good thing about it is that others can call b.s. as soon as they see it in 140 characters or less. ;-)
(Note: I am so impressed with Twitter's prospects, I am putting my own money where my mouth is.)
September 5, 2016
The Beating Of Life's Drums
So this was some awesome drumming at the Renaissance Festival today.
The beating of the drums was powerful and in a sense mesmerizing.
It moved the people to sway, to dance, and to feel the power of the moment.
In life, as they say, we all sort of move to a different beat--our own beat!
Recently, I had the experience to meet someone who was a truly wonderful person, but who came from a very different geographical, religious, and cultural background.
There just seemed to be so many misunderstandings as a result, and it wasn't because anyone was being hurtful or a bad person.
Rather, we were dealing with good people, who just had very different expectations of each other and of life.
The beat was there--like a heartbeat, but the beat wasn't in sync, so in the end, everyone decided it best to go their own way in blessing, and find the life that would met their needs and where the beat was going to be in tune for them.
In a sense, while we are all the same, yet we are all subtly different whether by nature and/or nurture, we come to situations and to each other with different viewpoints, distinct needs, as well as specific ways to satisfy them and grow us.
Good and bad is beyond the point.
Two hearts beat as one and that is a miracle when it happens.
At other times, two hearts beat each other in their differences and maybe in exasperation and finally in sorrow.
The beats are strong and we search for the beats that uplift us, mesh with us, and make us better when we're together. ;-)
(Source Video: Andy Blumenthal)
July 16, 2016
Look Who I Found In Synagogue
I captured this amazing Pokemon.
I can't say that I actually saw him davening (praying) in shule.
But he was on the way down to the kiddush (blessing and meal) after services.
No virtual apps needed for this Pokemon.
He was right there over the chulent (bean and meat stew)--Oh, that must've been another week.
Anyway, this Pokemon is ready to defend in the next battle of good and evil.
Thanks to Nintendo, Pokemon goes these days where the rest of our leaders are afraid to endeavor.
Hence the search for Pokemon far and wide...it's a true craze. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
July 6, 2016
Towel Music Washington DC
It's a hot day in Washington, DC.
But outside the White House, the music is piping.
Even if our politics is murky at times, our songful expression is always loud and clear.
The towel over the head keeps the perspiration from overflowing and the music fluid to the masses.
We are a sophisticated country--full of culture, diversity, and heartfelt soul.
(Source Video: Andy Blumenthal)
June 24, 2016
Why Can't The English Be More English
Unity is a wonderful thing when values and vision is widely shared and the burden and benefits are more or less evenly distributed.
But in the case of the UK in the EU, the vote for independence was anchored in the unsettling issues of mass immigration from the Arab Spring, the debt crisis of many of the poorer Southern EU states (e.g. Greece, Spain, Portugal, etc.), the decision of the UK to maintain their own currency (not accepting the Euro), and culturally (and language-wise), even though they all interact with each other, the UK has more in common with the US and Australia, then they ever had with Germany, France, and the rest of Europe.
It is really very understandable that the UK doesn't want to lose their identity and sovereignty and just be another EU state--rather than be a unique, independent, and dominant entity of it's own, charting their own course and driving their own fate.
While it's great to a part of something bigger, sometimes being yourself is more important, and you can still interact with the rest.
No people should be forced to become a shadow of themselves, and if the call is for independence, then that is noble call even if it is inconvenient for those who would rather call themselves the EU.
Unity may best be by alliance rather than strict integration...one for all and all for each and every one. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
April 19, 2016
Her Hair Was A Hoot
No offense intended, but not going to miss this lady in a crowd.
Orange-hot pink hair, a zebra shirt, big black-rimmed glasses, and a wild bag with dozens of pins all over it.
It was also funny that the sign over her head says, "Orange" to match this lady's hair.
My childhood friends would probably call this a "Hair Don't" like a hairdo, only don't do it!
Sometimes, you have to wonder what people are thinking.
It's nice to get attention, if it's attention worth getting. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
January 25, 2016
Stack Theory Doesn't Stack Up
Christopher Mims' article in the Wall Street Journal today on why big companies get disrupted by others doesn't make a lot of sense to me.
He discusses the "Stack Fallacy" of Anshu Sharma a venture capitalist that it "is the mistaken belief that it is trivial to build the layers above yours."
Mims explains that the stack is like a "layer cake of technology"--where one layer is built on another.
Similar to the OSI technology model where there are architecture layers for physical, data, network, application and so on.
Basically, Mims explains that tech companies can only invent at a single layer of technology (or below).
But when companies try to invent up the stack, they fail.
Here's why...
Mims says that companies despite their size and resources can't innovate up the stack because they don't understand the users there.
But this doesn't stack up to me.
Companies can and do use their resources to study and understand what users want up the food chain and what they can't easily build, they can acquire.
Apple successfully went from a iPod and iTunes music player and song store to producing a highly sophisticated and integrated iPhone and Apps store where music is just an afterthought.
Similarly, IBM went from being primarily a mainframe and desktop company to being a top-tier consulting firm with expertise in cloud, mobile, social, artificial intelligence, and analytics computing.
But it isn't easy for a company to change.
And to me, it's not because they can't understand what users want and need.
Rather, it is because of something we've all heard of called specialization.
Like human beings, even extraordinary ones, companies are specialized and good at what they are good at, but they aren't good at everything.
A great example of this was when NBA superstar, Michael Jordan, tried to take his basketball talents and apply it to baseball...he was "bobbling easy flies and swatting at bad pitches" in the minor leagues.
As even kindergarteners are taught that "Everyone is good at something, but no one is good at everything."
Companies have a specific culture, a specific niche, a specific specialization and expertise.
And to go beyond that is very, very difficult...as IBM learned, it requires nothing less than a transformation of epic proportions.
So I think Mims is wrong that companies can't understand what users want in areas up the innovation stack, but rather it's a monumental change management challenge for companies that are specialized in one thing and not another.
So welcome to the world of Apple after Steve Jobs and his iPhone and to the the recent 25% decline in their stock price with investors and customers anxiously waiting for the possible but not certain next move up the technology stack. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
January 18, 2016
The Science Of The Interview
Almost as if there is an exact science behind trying to pick "the winners" from "the losers." {hate those harsh terms about people]
Many questions look at how quickly the interviewee thinks on their feet, how prepared they are for the interview, and how well they present themselves for the job.
However, my question is whether these things are truly determinant of the fit between the person and the job, the culture, and the supervisor and team, as well as indicative of integrity of the person, their work ethic, or how well they would actually perform in said job.
The interviewer proudly blurts out from his or her script:
TELL ME ABOUT...
- A time that you came from from work and said "I completely nailed it--a home run out of the park!"
Or
- A time that you came from work and said "Oh shit, I completely screwed everything up."
Ah, like work--or life for that matter--is generally that black and white.
Are we forgetting about the 99% of the time that people go in the office, put in a solid day's work for a solid day's pay--and did a good job, made a decent contribution, and got along with the team.
Also, let's face it, the vast majority of people are not the Einsteins or Steve Jobs of this world.
They don't come to the interview having invented the driverless car or negotiated the end to World War II.
How about this question...
"Why do you want to work here?"
I heard someone actually asked this question about a job working in mining regulation--yeah right, your and everyone else's dream job.
What an incredibly narcissistic question, where the interviewer is looking to hear about how great their organization is or their department is, how superb a leader he/she is known to be, and why the person just will fit in perfectly to a place that alas they probably really know very little about from an insider's perspective.
Okay, let's try another one...
"Where do you see yourself in 5-years?"
Let's see I want to be kissing your ass in 5-years and actually until the day I die or maybe better what your really afraid of hearing is that I'm gunning for your and would like to take your job and show this company what a real XYZ can do to improve things around here.
Here's another one a colleague told me about recently...
Pretend your David Ogilvy and sell me on one of your ideas. You have 15-minutes to prepare.
Ok let's put the pressure on, because the candidate coming in today for the job interview with a mortgage and two kids at home to feed isn't enough. Do these conditions really demonstrate what the person could do with amble time and preparation and for something they really believe in?
Let's not forget to give an IQ and personality test to the person, so we can peg their intelligence and Myers Briggs or perhaps we should give them some puzzles and let them really sweat with the pieces.
Let's face it we've all had some people wow on the interview and on paper and turn out to be duds on the specific jobs, and others that you weren't so sure about that turned out superbly.
Assessing people is hard and many people are great at the poker game of landing the offer.
It's the interviewers job to look beyond the playbook and the acting, and try to see the real person sitting in front of them.
Yes, presentation is important, but even more so can we get down to the work ethic and the integrity of the person? What they are good at and where do they have weaknesses? Are they able and willing to learn and grow? What do they like to work on and what do they recoil from? How do they relate to others and can they get along? When they face problems, challenges, and conflicts, can they and are they willing to work through it?
I don't know any supervisor that hasn't hit the jackpot on some hires and made mistakes on others...those that claim they've made an actual science out of bringing on the absolute talent--I wonder how well they do in their next interview. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
September 9, 2015
Where Is Europe?
With hundreds of thousands streaming to its shores, and either an inability or lack of desire to absorb the migrants.
As the Middle East and North Africa burn with the Arab Spring, Caliphate enthusiasts, civil war mongers, religious extremists, terrorists, and anarchists, innocent people caught in the crossfire are seeking immigration to Europe as refugees or for a better future.
But significant entities in Europe, perhaps better known historically for their ultranationalism, deportations, expulsions, and the Holocaust are left gropping with what to do with a seemingly endless wave of Muslim immigrants.
As Europe tries to figure it out, thousands are dying in capsized boats, sufficated truck cargo holds, and at the mercilessness of their handlers.
So what will be of a future Europe that either heartlessly turns away needy migrants or potentially becomes more a Muslim enclave than the predominantly westernized and Christian continent they have been?
At least for now, Europe is facing a major humanitarian and identity crisis. In the longer term, they run the risk of their culture fading or disappearing altogether as the demographics shift beneath their techtonic feet.
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
June 30, 2015
Can't Find My Dentures
Someone found a set of dentures on the table in the lobby!
Uh, what was someone doing taking out their dentures and putting them on a public table in the lobby?
I remember my beloved Opa (grandfather) who had quite a set of dentures (years ago they couldn't as readily save people's teeth as they can today).
When my sister and I would go over to my Opa and Oma for Shabbat lunch after synagogue, and sometime right before Birchas Hamazon (grace after meals), my grandfather would invariably end up taking out his dentures and we would all laugh together at how silly those things looked.
But thank G-d for those dentures, beause I don't know how people would eat solid food or smile a non-gummy smile without them.
Of course, I hope whoever lost their dentures in the lobby isn't going crazy searching for them, sees the lost and found sign, and claims them soon.
Anyway, can you imagine going down to the lobby and seeing someone's false teeth just laying there randomly on the table or when they go to the front desk to claim their lost dentures, and the person behind the desk says, "Well Sir (or Madam), can you put them in your mouth and prove that they are yours?" ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
June 10, 2015
Don't Just Hire Another You
The New York Times confirms that "more than 80% of employers worldwide named cultural fit as a top hiring priority," where cultural fit is a sugarcoated synonym for hiring others like themselves!
Your resume influences whether you get an interview, but then "chemistry"--personality ("not qualifications") takes over--"like you were on a date."
Often cited reasons for hiring someone:
- Someone you would enjoy "hanging out" with, and "developing close relationships with."
- Those with "shared experiences," alma maters, and pedigrees--including "hobbies, hometowns, and biographies...and even "those who played the same sport."
What about diversity?
Well apparently, it's still an "old boys network" out there, even though diversity has been found especially important for "jobs involving complex decisions and creativity," and so as not to become "overconfident, ignore vital information, and make poor (and even unethical) decisions."
No doubt, personality and values can also be important in getting along with others in the group--even a few jerks on the team, can create plenty of havoc, discord, and dysfunction.
Maybe after meeting the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) requirements, one of the litmus tests should be not whether the person is the same as us, but whether they are moral and decent human beings that can act appropriately with others.
Not an easy thing to judge from some interviews, testing, or even reference checking--even when these are done well, there are still quite a number of hiring surprises that happen.
Or as they say about marriage, you don't really know the person until you wake up with them in the morning.
There are also more extensive background checking that can help vet employees, such as in the Federal system, where many sensitive positions require an in-depth security clearance review process that looks at everything from criminal background, financial responsibility, psychological stability, national loyalties, and more.
We need to know who we are dealing with, not intrusively, but responsibly for good hiring decisions.
Honestly, you don't just want to hire the candidate that just looks good, like the pretty girl with no personality or a hideous disposition.
To be clear, there should never be ANY hiring biases in the workplace--conscious or unconscious.
Hiring mangers should make sure the person they are hiring is excellent in terms of the KSAs, has a broad set of terrific references, and can reasonably act like a mensch under a broad set of circumstances--the last one is the hardest one to ensure. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
June 9, 2015
See The World Through The Eyes Of Others
It's not only important what we think, but also what and how others see things.
One the things, the folks that work with me frequently hear from me is "Let me put myself in the other person's shoes for a moment, and give you feedback on that."
We are what we are and not as our customers are, and while we may strive for excellence in customer service, our customers may have completely different notions of what that means.
For example, I may think a 24-hour turnaround on something is pretty good given everything on our plate, but when I imagine myself in the customer's shoes for a moment, I may change that expectation to "We need to get this done by noon today (or sooner)!"
People are different, our experiences, our cultures, our context and the way we interpret things.
So when it comes to work or family or even social issues, being compassionate often means seeing the world through someone else's eyes.
There was an interesting article in the New York Times called "Imaging The Lives Of Others" by psychologist, Paul Bloom.
While he notes the importance to "behold the universe through the eyes of another," he also says how difficult this really is.
If you haven't done something, how can you really imagine what it was like, let alone know what it was like for someone else to experience it?
Without the access to the particular significant life experience, the duration, the controls (so you can't just say stop like in an experiment), perhaps a person can never fully know what it's like.
For example, if you haven't been through a devastating war, can you truly know what it's like to be in a foxhole and have the bullets whooshing by your head and the tanks rumbling over it?
Yes, we can imagine, but that is probably a far cry!
Yet, to really empathize with others, do right by them, and to make good leadership decisions, we most certainly need to at least try to see and experience the world the way others do.
Thinking about the over 805 million hungry people in the world today, it is much more impactful to imagine myself hungry and starving, then just to say the mere fact that these poor people exist.
We can probably never know someone's else pain and suffering the way they do, but through our own experiences, extrapolation from them, and our imagination, we can at least try to elevate ourselves for a purely self-centric universe of one that is of billions (under one G-d), and who need our understanding, compassion, support, and help. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
May 19, 2015
The Flaming Bus
This cool bus is painted with flames on the hood and has a guitar at the top.
No, it's not the bus from The Partridge Family although it has similar colors!
On this bus, the guitar has the name "Sailing Conductors Jack Mantis" on it.
When I looked this up online, I found that these are some "music loving dudes" who travel (sail and bus) the world and record musicians across dozen of countries and 5 continents.
They have music, videos, and a 4-part TV series from their global talent search--although there is only limited material at their site (so not sure where all the recordings from the "hundreds of local musicians" is available for consumption).
Anyway, this is a fascinating experiment in discovering diversity, music and the arts, and culture along their travels.
As to the specific music--beauty is in the eye of the beholder. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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