Category: Authentic or Not?
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Want More Women on Tech & TED Panels? Reject Meritocracy and Embrace Curation
Are there enough women¹ being included in public lineups of remarkable business people? Are enough women being selected for conference panels on Technology & Entrepreneurship, for the roster of the annual TED conferences, or even for the Silicon Alley Daily’s 100 Coolest New York Tech people? No. There are not enough² women being chosen for…
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Built to Deceive: When organizations intend to mislead us
What would you think about an organization that intentionally mislead its potential clients? — That advertised itself as providing a range of products or services, when in fact it only offered one? — That presented itself as being here to “help you”, when in reality its sole purpose is to fulfill its own mission, regardless…
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3 Dangerous Assumptions in Corporate Work-Life Policy
Isn’t Corporate Work-Life policy great? Here we have a progressive set of programs and strategies that: Acknowledge that every employee is more than a worker, Recognize that she or he is also a ‘whole person’ with a life that extends outside the workplace, and Demonstrate that employees’ full lives should be respected and maybe even…
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Target: Why Organizations Should Boycott Target but Individuals Shouldn’t Bother
I’m a supporter of LGBTQx rights and of organizational diversity. As an individual, I’m not likely to do much to boycott Target in response to Target’s $150,00 contribution to an anti-gay, pro-bigotry gubernatorial candidate. But, if I were Target’s business customer, business supplier, stakeholder, or other important large stakeholder, I would make a bit deal…
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Target Misses the Mark on Diversity: Corporate Donation equals Corporate Homophobia
How do you know whether an organization is racist, or sexist, or homophobic? You can use my 6 Degrees test, or you can use an even simpler method: You can watch where they put their money. Target has put its money behind the campaign of a homophobe who’s against same-sex marriage. This single action casts…
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Changing the CEO at BP: It won’t make a difference, except where it will
For the past 90 days and counting, we knew this day was coming. You didn’t need an Irish bookmaker to tell you that Tony Hayward’s tenure as CEO of BP was coming to a close. Any organization facing a crisis like the BP Oil Spill would be likely to replace the guy at the helm.…
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BP’s Beyond Petroleum: Hypocrisy, or caught in the act of learning?
Some people actually believe(d) that BP was making an authentic effort to move “Beyond Petroleum”. I was quite surprised to discover this early in June, in conversation with an organizational change consultant who specializes is sustainability change. This consultant explained that, in contrast to other energy companies that he had worked with, BP was making…
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Sexism in FairyLand: Disney’s Pixie Hollow Won’t Let Girls Wear Pants
Mom, Disney is a sexist company, isn’t it. Out of the mouths of babes, and 9 year olds, come important truths. But I like to wait it out, rather than presume, so I reply with: Why do you say that, honey? On Pixie Hollow I want to buy pants for my fairies. I have the…