BLUE THING #10: BackTalk: Comments From Our Readers

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Here are some of your comments on our recent TNNW articles:

Teri Aulph: Beyond the Cubicle - Corporate Culture
Culturally speaking...are you where you need to be?

"Yet, another interesting article from my favorite writer. I found this on google - you are using your strategic experience and expertise - nice to see. Culture is complex, as you well know, I look forward to following you on this site, as well. Loved today's article on Examiner, by the way."
- PG

"Great article! Culture is a powerful element of all companies and one that most do not dare to tread."

- Anonymous



Rick Itzkowich: Being There When it Counts
How many opportunities are you missing?

"I accept all invitations - it only helps increasing visibility and I don't mind helping others if I can."
- Regina Creekmore


"Recruiters now have a unique opportunity to expand their connections, and they really do it - most of them 500+ connected people... "10 million unemployed people - what a chance to get millions connections - not 500+ ... "They can even circulate the same jobs month after month to keep that unique opportunity... "Thousands of hopeless people get linked in with them but WHY?"
- Ph.D. Mikhail Baklashov


"I agree with Rick. However some instances, we can think about accept the connection from person who has some common interest or similar work as we do. But, it is true that there is no value of having thousands or hundreds connections in network which we don't know any thing abt them...And also whoever in network, should act professionally and ethically... Should not create spam in the network.."
- Senthil (Puvanendran Senthilruban)


"I think this leads to the perennial question do you want quality or quantity in your network. For me the answer lies in the middle, you need a minimum of 60 to have an effective network, but networking is about helping people and if you have too many you are just collecting names. What is often not discussed is that diversity is a key component. I strongly recommend that LinkedIn members accept interesting and diverse contacts, who you believe you can add value to."
- Tony Woodward

"I treat LinkedIn differently than other networking sites. For example, in Twitter, variety is truly the spice of life. Networking with people you don't know in Twitter opens new doors because it's so conversational and it's more about sharing your personality and non-professional facets. LinkedIn is not. It's more about being a connector or a resource for your colleagues. I feel I can't do that unless I know them, so I do not accept invites from people in LinkedIn unless I know them. I have to be confident that if someone needs to be introduced, I can satisfy that request and be certain the person is trustworthy and receptive. I don't have to know them for years but at least be involved with them in some sort of event or activity. The size of my LinkedIn contact list isn't as important as it's effectiveness. I look at LinkedIn groups to satisfy the need to connect outside my known colleagues list. And of course, Twitter!"

- Barbara

"I also agree - it's about giving rather than just getting. I've tried to educate many people in this area that just dont "get it". Some are too concerned to share or connect, some start when they are up against the wall and get frustrated no one is leapeing to their aid, others are mixing old school relationship management with emerging social media technologies and techniques."
- Matthew Keane




Adam J. Kovitz: Because I Can
Reality, Fantasy and Sustainability, Part 1

"Yes Adam, we believe [the the failure to understand the difference between reality and fantasy is to blame for unsustainability and global economic crisis].

"Here's a manifesto which warned about it to support the case for change 13 years ago in a paper presented to the re-election committee for the US Presidency:

"http://www.p-ced.com/1/about/background/ "
- Jeff Mowatt


"You might try rebranding escapism as socialising, volunteering, personal development or similar. And then think of a way it could be taxed - then governments might encourage it."
- Dave Marsay


"One analogy I would like to use in regards to our economy and fiscal policy would be the "old house in debt" reference. In the real world, a home owner of an old beat-up house who's heavily in debt would do the reasonable thing - save money, spend money wisely, and if absolutely necessary borrow money to decrease debts or invest in an investment that would ultimately lighten your debt ratio, if not eliminate it (e.g. borrow money to purchase widget to be resell at X profit). However, in this fantasy world we live in, we are borrowing even more money to fix the floor (shovel-ready jobs), purchase expensive air filters (Cap and Trade), and use more of these borrowed money to pay for our neighbors' entitlements when the money doesn't even belong to us (bailout)! Worse yet, the "too big to fail" mentality leads many of us to believe that our creditors will continue to let us spend their money irresponsibly without any serious consequences - borrow money that will only increase to our debt, while not generating anything of fiscal value in return. I guess ideally, one may argue regarding the "global value" of having cleaner air, cooler summer, etc., but not keeping in mind that our creditors do not accept carbon credit as a real form of payment! Furthermore, some of the exact same policy not only does not help us to make money, it further handicap our ability to generate the money needed to repay those payments. Imagine spending ten thousand dollars on an air-filtering system in your house that costs $100 additional dollar to maintain to decrease your CO2 - While it is for a noble cost I seriously doubt you will get many takers for the house, even if you give the filtering system away! Keep up the good work in educating the general mass - one blogger/reader at a time!"
- "Joe Schmoe"

"No [the the failure to understand the difference between reality and fantasy is NOT to blame for unsustainability and global economic crisis] Not when a simpler explaination is due to the 1-3% of the human race that are criminal and/or do not have the capacity to care about other people. Every organization larger than a certain size has these people in it. Once the people at the top get the attitude that they can not fail, then they allow these other people to get power within the organization. These criminal or uncaring people have brought down many organizations over the centuries and will in the future."
- David Randolph

"Thank you for asking this question. For years I have been saying that we live in an American Idol Society, that is to say, wanting to live the dream of being an IDOL without having the singing talent required. As the contestants say, 'Simply add some mixers and backup singers and I will be an Idol'. That is what they believe. It becomes their reality, as you suggest. You will not be convincing them any time soon that they are not 'singing idols'. Yet, the popular vote will sometimes make these unlikely singing candidates 'idols' despite any shortcomings or failures they have that are the reality of the singing part of the job. "What does their fantasy belief have to do with the economy? I offer a simple example, of the actions of one intelligent, hard-working individual in the high-tech field, who in a social situation (dating) asks himself “what would Tom Colicchio do?” Tom is, of course, the star and a judge on the reality competition for Top Chef. (This is not a commentary on Tom.) To go along with his imitation of his favorite Top Chef star, he goes to Tom’s restaurant frequently, as he lives in LA, and does what he believes Tom 'would do', as he says. For example, he orders the $80 cheese, even though he knows that is something he wouldn’t do if he weren’t trying to imitate his idol. He doesn’t even like the cheese. It doesn’t make him a Top Chef, or Tom Colicchio but he wants the 'fantasy' of being someone with authoritative information (about cheese?) and a celebrity status. "I vote 'yes' that signs point to the reality that the line is blurring for many, many people, not just singing contestants, which shows the widespread popularity of the phenomena, but many others who you would not expect to be absorbed by the fantasy or making the fantasy their reality. Does it affect the economy? You bet."
- Vaune Carr



Yossi Feigenson: Real Estate...and Other Things of Value
Land Down Under Stays Above

"I am in the lending industry doing BI and financial reporting for a financial services org selling loans and also brokering loans. The article is good, your findings are right spot on, the people here are saying the same thing. Just today I heard from John Symond once again, that "this time I would not want to be anywhere in the world but in Australia". It was funny how they would give out cash to people, and how people would spend it. Especially radio talks about it, on 2GB etc. The bottom line of it all was "just relax, give cash to people and let it go. they will spend it on what they will spend it on". Recently my friend bought a house and ordered roof insulation for $0 bux. It was all paid by the government -- another form of supporting little businesses and the consumers at the same time. Petrol->Gas conversion subsidy for cars another example. FHOG of some 15-20K is questionable, but still helped many people."
- Valentin Malakhov


"There's not so much recession in New Zealand either, as our banks never committed the excesses of US banks, and we didn't get an oversupply of houses. Our unemployment rate has climbed a little, but to nowhere near as high as it was in the 1990s, our population is climbing as our university-educated young adults who were working in harder-hit economies around the world are coming back home, and we're short of small starter homes for them. "There's a saying that the way to start a recession is to squeeze your dollars so hard that the Queen chokes (we have her picture on ours). So, spend as much as you can afford to, but keep it local where possible - if you go to a movie the popcorn-maker has a job, and buys new shoes so the shoe-shop worker has a job....if nobody goes she loses her job, she can't buy the shoes, etc around the chain and back to the people who are hiring your services."
- Deborah East


"Great article on Australia. I think that our credit crunch is caused by a knee jerk reaction by lumping all CRE (Commercial Real Estate) loans that the banks have loans on, as all bad is a major contributing factor of the lending crisis. The President says "Make loans." and the Comptroller says not CRE loans. The old rule was that banks could loan 300% of capital and then in one day the new rule was 200%. Everyone scrambled to liquidate, call due or otherwise dispose of enough of their loans to comply. When this happens, there is noplace to go to refinance thus making the value of all CRE go down. Industry grinds to a halt. The banks have money to lend, but the new criteria makes it where they cannot. There are not enough Maytag Washing machines out there to finance. CRE should be further classified into more segments, such as Industrial Leased, performing office, Apartments - performing etc. and not all lumped together. You may have a performing asset in one area of the country that gets lumped into the category of CRE. Once the snowball effect starts, about all you can do is stand back and wait it out. "Our company has over $70,000,000 of projects ready to go but are waiting on financing."
- Duke Marquiss






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BLUE THING #10: BackTalk: Comments From Our Readers