HomeHomeApril 2002
In the last few months, as global tensions have escalated and become ever more stressful, we Americans have continued to question our role in world, amid new reports of potential terrorist threats at home. And, interestingly enough, two recent reports in the news seem to have captured a bit of the quirkiness of American life in these difficult times. The first item deals with the Pew Charitable Trust report on rudeness in America, and the second item comes out of the Sleep Foundation report on sleeplessness in America.
According to the Pew report, eight in 10 Americans in their study indicated that a lack of respect and courtesy is a serious problem. Furthermore, six in 10 study participants said things have become worse in recent years. Forty-one percent believe that they're part of the problem and behave badly themselves on occasion. Three-quarters of those in the study said they've often seen customers treat sales staff rudely. Another 46 percent have said they've walked out of a store because of the way they've been treated by staff.
Meanwhile, it's not surprising that the Sleep Foundation claims that millions of Americans are sleep-deprived. According to this particular study, one-half of the American work force (51%) reports that "sleepiness on-the-job interferes with the amount of work they get done." While considering other factors, such as the millions who are struggling to live on an unlivable minimum wage, there may be connections between the two reports! We're overworked, in many cases underpaid, and many of us are genuinely exhausted.
The culture of America is all about working hard, self-improvement, and the value of pulling oneself up by one's bootstraps. We are supposed to reap the rewards of our work, but are we happy? Each year, millions of self-help books fly off the shelves in our nation's bookstores. (Part of this is because 70-80 million Baby Boomers are at mid-life and questioning why they are here and how they can make their lives count--it's a natural phenomenon.) Yet, is there something more--something in our "American" character that makes us want to fundamentally change who we are?
In both our work and personal lives, we are encouraged to examine our weaknesses and "correct" them. This is pervasive in women's lives, and we see this cultural value everywhere--from commercials for products that promise "younger looking skin" to diet or exercise regimes that will help us transform our thighs, breasts or legs. Woman are used to receiving the media messages that we are not "enough" physically. After all, how many "over 40" women weighing over 120 pounds, wearing their true wrinkles and hair color do we see on television and in the movies? Correcting our physical imperfections is a cultural value.
The opposite is true in the world of paid employment. In annual performance reviews across the country, millions of employees are encouraged to look at their "inner selves" via their level of productivity, and think about ways to improve their performance. An assessment of personal strengths and weaknesses is an inevitable part of the process. Isn't there a better way? Among all this "self-help" why are we still so stressed out?
According to Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman, authors of the 1999 book, First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently (Simon and Schuster, New York,) correcting our weaknesses is a huge mistake. According to the authors, the truly excellent managers understand a fundamental truth--namely, that people don't change that much. The good managers take a good look at their work teams, and then they strive to get to know the people they manage--who they are, what they dream of and value, what drives them to perform well.
The outstanding managers recognize the importance of taking the time to observe and analyze their staff's individual talents. They then work to maximize their staff members' strengths and minimize their weaknesses. In a culture devoted to self-improvement, this simple idea flies in the face of conventional "wisdom." And while this is an over-simplification of a very interesting book, the idea of accepting who we are, as we are, seems revolutionary. This is not to say that we can't try harder to be better, but the most important thing is to appreciate and foster the development of our God-given talents, and not ignore them by wasting time focusing on our weaknesses. Maybe if we chose this point of view, we'd be a lot happier, and less rude!
Teresa
tcallies@hotmail.comNews, resources, and other interesting tidbits:
It's hard to believe that Ms magazine is 30 years old! The Spring 2002 issue celebrates three decades of "Reporting, Rebelling & Truth-telling," and is well worth checking out.
The April issue of National Geographic has a phenomenal story about finding Sharbat Gula, the subject of one of the most unforgettable photographs ever taken - a photograph of a teenage Afghan girl that captures the pain of the refugee experience. Seventeen years ago, photographer Steve McCurry found her in an Afghan refugee village, and photographed her and other children. The National Geographic folks found her and tell her incredible story. Coincidentally, the National Geographic Society is working with select nonprofits to "develop educational opportunities for the girls and young women of Afghanistan." If you would like to more info about this important endeavor, check out their web site at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0204.
Monday, April 22nd is Earth Day. The Earth Day Network is the coordinating body of Earth Day activities all over the globe. Their goal is to "promote a healthy environment and a peaceful, just, sustainable world by spreading environmental awareness through educational materials and publications, and by organizing events, activities, and annual campaigns." The Earth Day Network includes more than 5,000 organizations in 184 countries.
Thursday, April 25th marks the 10th anniversary of the Ms. Foundation's annual "Take Our Daughters To Work Day." If you want to know why it's important to emphasize girls and the workplace on this day, check out their Frequently Asked Questions page.
The 14th Annual National Youth Service Day will be celebrated the weekend of April 26th - 28th. Sponsored by Youth Service Ameica, the National Youth Leadership Council, and Parade Magazine, the day honors the contributions millions of young people make to their communities.
Last week, Time magazine had an article about the pros and cons of women waiting until later in life to start their families.
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