About Me

My photo
Scottsdale, Arizona
A little lady intrigued by the human experience. I'm persistently enamored by ideas. I fall more in love with life every day.

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Boring Group Discussions

Ever notice how group conversations are banal and empty social exchanges?

It seems as though there is a negative correlation between the number of people in a group and the quality of conversation. That is, the more people in a group the poorer quality of conversation.

In a large group, the intellectual capacity of a discussion needs to be diminished to a level that all understand the topics being discussed.

This may not be true of the workplace, a context in which an individual's success often thrives on their capacity to outshine colleagues.

Perhaps this exception to boring group conversations provides an exemplar for crafting impressive group discussions which are greater than the sum of its members. 

Friday, November 16, 2012

The Value of a Calling

Today I am happy.

Actually, I'm so happy that I feel like something wants to burst out of my body.

I just finished writing a 3-page paper on a fourth sector organization. It's about a Bakery that provides jobs for homeless people, seeking to get them on the path to self-sufficiency. I love the idea of an organization that helps the community, while at the same time achieves business success.

More than that,  I love that my job today was to write this paper.

I've just finished writing this paper at Starbucks, which is filled with high school who have trickled here from next door.

I can't help but remember what it was like to have no sense of purpose. Not to say it's bad. Just that I have this mission in life, and in high school... the only mission was to "appear cool".

I have completely lost any gauge of "coolness". It's Friday today, and I'll go to Zumba, then retreat to my cute apartment and try to finish another paper.

Today I'm grateful for my sense of purpose. If others are seeking a purpose, I hope they find it too.

Saturday, October 27, 2012

The Chief Diplomat: Obama or Romney?



The Chief Diplomat: Obama or Romney?
An Analysis of the use of Collaborative Language by the Presidential Hopefuls

C. R. Leier

In an increasingly globalized and interconnected world, maintaining and strengthening international relationships is critical to the future of America. The tragedy of the global financial crisis and countless international conflict sharply remind us that a nation’s economic success and homeland security is dependent upon fostering collaborative relationships with other countries.

The President of the United States serves an important role as the leader of the country’s public diplomacy mission. Public diplomacy is the nation’s effort to promote interests by maintaining and strengthening relationships between the United States and citizens of the rest of the world (McHale, 2010). The State Department describes the ongoing process of promoting national interests is accomplished “through understanding, informing, and influencing foreign audiences of US values beliefs, and policies (Hughes, 2007).”

The 3rd and final Presidential debate on foreign policy provided an ideal platform with which to compare the two presidential hopefuls on their ability to represent America as our Chief public diplomat. Given the International media coverage of US politics, it is important to consider the way in which each of the two candidates is perceived. Further, is important to evaluate the way in which each candidate communicated ideals of collaboration with foreign governments. 

The Obama and Romney Face-Off
Libya. Obama started by ensuring that those guilty of killing Americans would be brought to justice. Further, we stand with the “tens of thousands of Libyans” who were marching in support of American, declaring friendship. 

Romney declares his strategy for the Middle East is declaredly to “go after the bad guys…interrupt them, to- to kill them, to take them out of the picture”. His strategy is also to get the Muslim world to “be able to reject extremism on its own.” Our aim is to go after the Jihadists, and “help the Muslim world”.

Both candidates expressed disproval of extremism, although Romney’s “bad guy” is vague and Obama’s depiction of our Libyan allies is rather positive.

The Middle East. Generally, Romney’s notes that “Iran is the greatest national security threat we face”. In addition, he does not plan to give Putin additional flexibility because expectedly, Putin will get more of a “backbone” after the election. 

Obama positions that strong leadership is important in the Middle East in gaining allies for “supporting our counterterrorism efforts”. We need to “make sure that they are standing by our interests in Israel’s security, because it is a true friend and our greatest ally in the region”.

Romney’s Middle East discussion may have burned a few of his bridges; Obama seemed to have strengthened a few of his. 

Syria. Obama echoed “Syrians are going to have to determine their own future.” In describing our strategy in Syria, Obama describes that the US is in consultation with our partners in the region, and we are “coordinating with Turkey and other countries in the region that have a great interest in this.” Romney declared “Assad must go” and the “we want to make sure that we have the relationships of friendship with the people that take his place… They need a government that is “friendly to us”.

A collaborative relationship is clearly articulated by the president. Conversely, Romney more vividly envisions the kind of Syria he hopes to see.

Israel. Both candidates expressed a deep affinity with Israel. Obama describes that “Israel is a true friend”, Romney adds “We will stand with Israel… we have their back”. Obama goes on to express discordance with Iran, and that we have crippled Iran’s economy, a country that is a sponsor of Terrorism. Obama is not happy with Iran.

Pakistan. Romney details that aid to Pakistan is conditional, upon them “meeting certain benchmarks” and “becoming a civil society”. Further, “Pakistan is — is technically an ally, and they’re not acting very much like an ally right now”. Obama justifies the exit of Afghanistan by describing that “Afghans are perfectly capable of defending their own country”.

China. Both candidates envision a trade relationship with China that “works for us”. Obama envisions that “China can be a partner, but we’re also sending a very clear signal that America is a Pacific power…China is both an adversary, but also a potential partner in the international community if it’s following the rules.” 

Romney vision of a Chinese relationship describes that “We can work with them, we can collaborate with them, if they’re willing to be responsible.” Romney continues, and labels China as a “currency manipulator, which allows us to apply tariffs where they’re taking jobs. They’re stealing our intellectual property, our patents, our designs, our technology, hacking into our computers, counterfeiting our goods…I want a great relationship with China. China can be our partner, but — but that doesn’t mean they can just roll all over us and steal our jobs.”

Both candidates use very clear and powerful language to convey that our relationship with China is a tenuous one. For better or worse, Romney’s language was slightly more combative than President Obama’s.

Honorable Mention. Two topics were weakly discussed in the presidential debate. First, the environment was absent from the 90-minute discussion of our world politics. Discussion of the environment would have been a useful discussion given the nature of public diplomacy, the world has a common interest is protecting the environment. Second, Latin America was only briefly addressed with Governor Romney’s observation that “The opportunities for us in Latin America we have just not taken advantage of fully”. Our engagement with the world should include a plan of how we hope to collaborate with our neighbors to the south.

Choosing our Diplomat
Public diplomacy is certainly not the President’s job alone, nor is it restricted to a 90-minute time block. In fact, public diplomacy should be continuously enacted by a variety all government leaders and citizens of the United States. However the President and his voice serve as the voice of America, and echoes to far reaching corners of the world.

The person we elect to be chief diplomat should communicate a narrative that reflects the voices of all Americans. While the 3rd presidential debate afforded the candidates to voice their foreign policy views and objectives, there is certainly no guarantee on the delivery of such promises. One guarantee is that Presidential rhetoric is heard loudly by foreign nations.  On November 6th, we should all consider which presidential candidate to nominate as the American voice.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Work Hard or Work Out? The Irony in Work-Life Wellness Programs

Increasingly, companies are implementing work-life wellness programs to encourage employees to improve their health with healthy eating and habitual exercise.

Few employees question that their employers condemn them to piles of sedentary, often menial tasks. Hundreds of useless e-mails, endless unimportant forms, and boring meetings that do little other than assign more trivial work.

We are banished to stressful jobs, with endless work, and now we have another task: to improve our health.

The only remedy to the stress of accomplishing our endless to-do list, is to gobble a bag of Peanut M&M's  and hope that chocolate actually is good for your health.

Cheers.




Tuesday, February 28, 2012

The Life Crisis


The life crisis. 

What is the life crisis? The quarter-life crisis, the midlife crisis, among others. 

When does this crisis occur? 

Who does it happen to? Why do some people not have one, while others have them multiple times a day? 

What spurs this crisis? The accomplishments of others? Our own recognizition or our unsatisfactory progress in life? 

Might these crises be constructive in our personal development? 

Perhaps I have more questions than answers here, but all questions deserving of attention. 

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Work and Terror Management

Terror Management Theory. One of my very favorites.

To put it simply, this theory argues that much of human behavior is motivated to buffer us from thoughts about our own death. We attempt to find meaning in life, and create something bigger than us to provide us with a feeling that we will go on.  Even relationships, love, and sex have been credited for guarding us from thoughts of our inevitable demise. 

Surprisingly, researchers have yet to describe work as a buffer to thoughts about death

However I contend, that work is one the greatest suppressant of thoughts about death...

Endless e-mails, piles of work, coworkers always relying on you... there are always things to do. More than that, our work is something greater than ourselves. The author's published book, the artist's paintings, and the songwriter's lyrics... all things that will go on and exist long after they are gone. All this to say...

...make your work count.

Sistine Chapel

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

The Sex Appeal of Work

Work is not commonly thought of as sexy.

Day to day drudgery, often dirty and hard work. Long hours completing tasks that are tedious and often feel menial.

But might our work be sexy? 

Perhaps work might not be sexy in our own eyes, but rather it is sexy in the eyes of others.

Experts on intimacy have convincingly described that we long to see our partners/lovers in a new light, from a different angle. Similarly, we long to see our lover as an engaged worker.

It is exceedingly sexy to see the person you love passionately engaged in tasks they truly enjoy.

The utility of taking this perspective is monumental...

Putting spice back in your love life may not reside in the bedroom, but rather lies in the engagement we have with others outside of our relationship.

Volunteer...start a new hobby...take a class... 


Get love from your Work.








Compliments of C. Arakawa









Sunday, February 5, 2012

Working and They Don't Need the Money

Work.

The definition of work is that it is an activity involving mental or physical effort to achieve a purpose or result. Work has dreadful synonyms including words such as drudgery, exertion, slog, grind and sweat.

Work is an activity one has to do, and the efforts are affiliated with the means by which one must earn an income.


But what if you work and you don't need the money.

In fact, many do...

There are countless examples of people who work for the personal fulfillment. Movie stars often have buckets of money and pursue work to help others, or just to do perform and continue doing what they love. Well-off retirees often continue to work by way of bridge retirement, or through volunteer organizations. Terminally ill often continue working while ill, or seek work after recovery.

Many work for reasons far greater, deeper, and more fulfilling than money. Perhaps it is there we can discover the true meaning of work.