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In
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Word to the
Whys
In politics... never retreat, never retract... never admit a mistake.
Napolean Bonaparte
In war you can be killed only once. In politics, many times.
Winston Churchill
Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.
Ronald Reagan
Elections are won by men and women chiefly because most people vote against somebody rather than for somebody.
Franklin P. Adams, Journalist and Broadcaster
Sincerity and competence is a strong combination. In politics, it is everything.
Peggy Noonan, Renowned Presidential Speechwriter
Because negative campaigning provides the biggest bang for the political buck, it has been so incessant that good politicians are coarsened and coarse people are drawn to politics.
George Will
I'm not the inventor of negative campaigning, but I'm an ardent practitioner.
Lee Atwater
He who throws dirt always loses ground.
Unknown
A man doesn't automatically get my respect. He has to get down on the ground and beg for it.
Jack Handey – Author, Deep Thoughts
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Just Released! Eric's All New Video Highlights DVD!
Attack Ads Destroy More than Political Foes
The rough and tumble game of political campaigning has always involved an element of truth-twisting, scandal-mongering, and mudslinging. However, politics of late has become so ugly that most ads on TV should be preceded by a parental warning and shown only on late night cable.
You can run, but you cannot hide. No matter what your viewing habits, where you live, or what your party affiliation, you and your family are being bombarded by an endless stream of vicious attack ads. They're aimed at destroying the credibility of all candidates running for public office. Campaigners spend untold fortunes and use all means possible to make their opponents look more like creeps and convicts than willing, trustworthy servants. And all parties are equally culpable.
It angers me that we've allowed our election campaigning to become so heavily polluted with 30-second, tightly spun character assassinations; but that's not really what keeps me up at night. I'm much more concerned about how this ever-deteriorating campaign process is value-imprinting our next generation of voters—and anyone who aspires to positions of leadership.
At home, school, and church, we teach and preach lessons of civility, honesty, decency, and tolerance. We say to our children, “If you can't say something nice about someone, don't say anything at all.” Then every two years, they see civic leaders participate in an election contest where the winners are determined not on the basis of the best ideas and abilities, but rather on which candidates exposed the worst in their opponents. It's the epitome of hypocrisy.
When I was young, my mom used to tell me that if I dreamed big, lived clean, and worked hard, I could grow up to be President of the United States. Try to convince kids today that being elected President is something they should dream about. They know all too well that those who dare run for office—any office—instantly place a giant target on their backs. And the higher the office, the bigger the target.
Even when candidates manage to survive the storm and get elected, they set themselves up as punch lines from comedians and punching bags of talk show hosts. What kid in today's world wants to dream big, live clean, and work hard for that?
If you don't see how all of this can poison your organization, think again. The only way to grow your business is to grow your people and harvest their talents and ideas. To stay competitive, you have to continually develop leaders who are willing to make sacrifices, visualize greatness, and take risks to move both themselves and your business forward. However, if those in your new crop of talent fear that they, or their ideas, might get shot down and they'll lose face or be ridiculed, you'll never realize the true potential of the resources in your ranks.
The Whys Take Away
Whether you employ ten or ten thousand, it's imperative that you create a culture that values ideas and rewards risks. Your workers need assurance that their environment is free from backstabbing and mudslinging, and that their managers won't tolerate gossip and infighting. Most of all, pull out all the stops to make sure those in your emerging workforce feel safe from their coworkers' criticism.
Show how your organization values and respects internal leaders by honoring them as you would a foreign dignitary or top customer. One way is to expand your company wall-of-fame to tell stories about the special accomplishments that enabled them to rise through the ranks.
Prove to your Gen Whys that if they dream big, live clean, and work hard, they will grow personally and professionally, they will be treated with the highest level of admiration and respect. Ultimately, you'll see them reap the sweetest rewards your organization offers.
We want to hear from you...
You can comment on Eric's article at his blog on the same topic.
50 Best Interview Questions update
We're hard at work compiling the interview questions you ask Generation Why applicants into an e-book for release by mid-December this year ... just the stocking stuffer you'll need for the HR staffer or hiring manager in your life!
In the meantime, here is a link to a PDF file containing a random sample of some of the submissions we received. And, by the way, if you have a killer question that you're convinced needs to be asked, then it's not too late to submit it. Send the interview question you ask all your Gen Why applicants to christie@generationwhy.com.
Whys Cracks
A Pricey Snooze - Social networking site MySpace.com sold out to Rupert Murdoch for $650 million. Competing site Facebook.com may be worth more than $1billion, analysts say. Microsoft recently brokered a deal with the company to supply a minimum of $200 million of ad revenue over three years. But when Microsoft tried to get an appointment to talk with Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, age 22, to talk about buying the company, it didn't go the way the software giant thought. They wanted to set up an 8:00 a.m. conference call, but Zuckerberg doesn't get up that early. "I'm in the office at 10:30 a.m.," he said. "Sometimes." (Wall Street Journal)
Perhaps if the offer were a trillion dollars, this Gen Why dotcom entrepreneur would have gotten up to take the call. But get real, man, who’s gonna lose any sleep over a measly billion?
The Buzz
"...Winner!... outstanding presentation...right on target...energy and enthusiasm that you exhibited...were contagious...invaluable contribution to our conference."
"Eric, I think you have a message everyone who hires, manages, and motivates the emerging workforce needs to hear."
Ron Boire
President -Toys "R" Us, USA |
