Archive for America
August 5, 2010 at 8:23 am · Filed under Leadership, America, Workplace, Australia
I met a former boss of mine for lunch yesterday. He’s originally Australian but lives in New York, and I reported to him when I was in Hong Kong (confused yet?). It was great to spend time and hear what’s happened in the ensuing 10 years since we worked together.
Over the years he’s had a plethora of titles - Vice President, Senior Vice President, Executive Vice President, CEO, Chairman of the Board. Clearly he’s been a success.
Yet as the business card holder was filled and refilled again and again by increasingly posh cards with weightier titles, the glamour of the card began to fade. When he approached retirement he quipped to his wife that he’s had every title known to man - spare one.
Today as a retiree he carries a card with the title, “Chief Tribal Warlord.” To those who had the good fortune to work for the man, he’s not that fierce (unless you missed your margin for a month!).
When I did run the business in Hong Kong one man had been with the business forever. In his latter years he wondered who no one had the title “Queen of the Nile” anymore. Can you guess what the brass plaque presented for his birthday read?
I also did an assignment for one of the smaller European nations. The Prince visited and as a thank you gave me platinum cufflinks that featured the royal seal. We had to address him as “His Most Serene Highness.” Yet he was much like any other businessman.
Corporations run amok with grandiose titles. What are the more extreme you’ve seen? And if you could have any title on your card, what would it be? Twitter away and use the hashtag #mytitle.
May 20, 2010 at 2:07 pm · Filed under Leadership, America, Issues Management
I’m tough on myself. There’s a lot I don’t like. I’m too broad around the midsection and my forehead has some permanent wrinkles already. (And no, it’s not due to constant surprises!) Then I look back and think there’s more I’d like to change. Perhaps a different alma mater? Higher GPA in high school?
Too bad I never met US Senate-hopeful Richard Blumenthal.
This wanna-be elected official in Connecticut seems to have fabricated portions of his career. Here’s a great video taken in 2008 – look for the catchphrase, “…from the days I served in Vietnam…”
Seems reasonable, no? Problem is all of his experience was States-side following a record five deferments.
So. One lie. Is that all?
As investigators pour over Dick’s record (why is it always a politician named Dick?), more anomalies appear. He says he was captain of the Harvard Swim Team. Now that might have been plausible if Blumenthal actually was on the team. Seems Dick wasn’t on the team he purported to captain. Oops.
In the face of mounting evidence and criticism, Richard Blumenthal has wedged himself into the corner of denial, stonewalling and obfuscation (”Here’s a video link where I accurately cite my Vietnam experience”).
So now I think. If I could re-make myself a la Blumenthal, what might I change? Maybe I won the Bermuda’s Cup in 1982. Perhaps I was founder of a major national charity that helps homeless youth. Or could I have been considered as the first non-scientific crew member of the Atlantis Space Shuttle.
No matter what I’ll have lost four inches off my waist and restored my smooth forehead. That’s my mimunum entry point for re-fabricating myself a la Blumenthal.
Dick. Is that you?
March 8, 2010 at 7:19 pm · Filed under America, Social Media
The downside of living in Australia is the Oscars are held during our work day. While North Americans are snug in their TV rooms we’re in our cubicles hashing out assignments. It’s the nature of our time zone. Yes, one of the penalties of living in the world’s most livable city is we’re always a day ahead. Alas.
Yet on Oscar night the torment is all the worse. In the Age of Twitter, every update was available on the instant. Even Associated Press couldn’t post wire columns fast enough to keep up with the flow from Twitter. Charlize Theron’s dress?
: Just had my fix of the Oscars dresses- Rachel mcAdams looked fab in Elie Saab but what was Charlize Theron thinking?!
When some favourite films were overlooked?
: WHAT THE F**K?!?!?! HOW DID PRECIOUSNOT WIN?!?? Yo this s**t is fkn FIXED! Ugh! -____-
(Apologies She_Beautiful as I have corporate minders to watch so I asterisked your post!)
: Why Oscar chose “Hurt Locker” over “Avatar”
And of course the after-parties!
: I have 2 admit Grammy after partiesare awsome, but Oscar parties are fabulous. Vanity Fair party was breathtaking.
Now why did Vanity Fair misplace my invitation again? That’s 20 years in a row!
The Twitter posts came so fast and so furious it was hard to keep up. Near the conclusion I entered “Oscars” and a slew of postings came up. In under one minute and additional 28 posts were made on the same subject.
Of course it was hard to concentrate at work as colleagues screamed out “Jeff Bridges” or “Sandra Bullock” or “Up”! In the end the show has yet to start here in Sydney but I already know all the winners. I suppose getting a photo to go along will add the glamour to the clamour!
Or maybe not - Thanks E! Online for all the photos…
March 6, 2010 at 9:34 pm · Filed under America, Australia
I need to hire good people and I need to hire them now. Australia is approaching technical full employment. That’s when anyone who wants a job is able to find one. There are always that cannot work or choose to lay low for awhile. The skills demand is even tougher in some technical areas of public relations (technology, healthcare, finance, digital). See the role we’re recruiting for now on Linked In.
Yet across the Pacific it’s bad news in America. Not only is unemployment static at just under 10%, the length of unemployment exceeds anything seen in recent history. NPR reports the average length is six months - with some reporting of a year or more without work.
The fall-out in America of long-term unemployment is going to be felt at the polls. Any government in power when the economy is down fares badly. In Australia we may be unhappy with elements of government, but since the economy is doing so well we’ll just leave the incumbents in power. Obama’s mid-term elections occur in November.
Will this be the “Change” he spoke so passionately about?
February 17, 2010 at 8:10 am · Filed under America, Public Relations
Through the miracle of modern technology and a wide network of contacts, I am the guest lecturer this evening at the International Public Relations course at Indiana University. My former Ford colleague Jim Bright has been a professor there for several years. Given his troupe is preparing for a field trip to Japan - and to satisfy their interest in how a boy from New Jersey is lucky enough to land in Sydney - I get to speak to the class.
As I gaze out of the Skype video window into the classroom, I’ll see 16 students. Nate from Evansville has the wickedest sideburns I’ve ever seen. Ashley was inspired by a cruise at age 13 and one of her dream jobs is to work on a ship as liaison with international travelers. Sam is “super jealous” I get to live in Australia as he’s already been here - and is itching to get back! There’s Rachel from Chicago and Bene’ from Nashville (one of my favourite American cities). Alexei is keen to learn the cultures of Japan and India, while Shabrelle can’t decide between public relations and corporate law (is it because they’re both creative fields?).
Angela wants to know if we really say “G’Day Mate!” (We do.) Alex est Francophone parce’qu’elle adore la France (moi aussi)! Meanwhile Kristopher speaks Japanese which may not prove useful in South Bend (not South Park) but will be a bonus in Tokyo. Paula is from Tulsa and is keen to learn about Asian cultures (there’s a lot to learn). Samantha’s already done an internship and is fluent in Spanish. And Alexandra is already an officer with PRSSA - the student public relations association.
Finally I’ll see Professor Bright and his able assistant Kate Lee (who is privately cheering for her fellow Canadians in Vancouver now).
So as you all hunker in to the cold and wet and snow of Indiana, spare a moment’s thought for all of us trapped down here in Australia. (Speak to you soon!)
January 22, 2010 at 3:05 pm · Filed under America, Globalisation
If you do NOT live in Indiana and know the title of this blog is the name of a song then you’re 45 or older. More like 50. Face it – the mirror and the high school yearbook photo look like chalk and cheese. It’s sad getting old!
But if you are from Indiana then you probably hear this song blasted in the Brickyards or while cruising up from Louisville or over to Indianapolis.
And if you’re one of Jim Bright’s students at Indiana University, you can leave comments on the topics or questions you have for an “around the world – twice” public relations guy!
January 8, 2010 at 8:12 am · Filed under America, Social Media
Funny story making the rounds on-line today.
Young man hides 12 beers in his room. His sister reports it to their parents so he’s grounded. Beware – payback is a bitch!
With all this time on his hands, brother rummages through his sister’s room and finds her “Dream Boy” list. Ten minutes later that is up on Facebook with tags to all the boys mentioned. Pretty soon all of sister’s dream boys see exactly what she thinks of them.
How did she go to school the next day? And how did the boys of “Twighlight” respond to be tagged?
Read the story here…
January 4, 2010 at 9:37 am · Filed under America, Australia
The Global Financial Crisis touched down in Sydney – and promptly left. In 2009 one quarter of economic activity experienced contraction – followed by a robust rebound. Already the Reserve Bank of Australia has increased interest rates to slow growth. Australia is faring well.
In the USA, signs of life are emerging. Yet the “green shoots” of economic growth promised by President Obama appear to be weeds in the lawns of foreclosed homes. The New York Times contains an exposé on real estate in Cape Coral Florida. There houses that once sold for $850,000 are available for under $300k. Of the 64,000 single family homes, more than 18,000 have been foreclosed. Today an entrepreneur drives an air conditioned van around with potential investors. The tour is of foreclosed homes.
Most striking in the article is the human element.
Kevin Jarrett seems a lot like me. He’d relocated for work and initially found selling real estate a good profession. (Change the name, change the city and change the profession and pretty soon you might relate, too.) He and his wife and daughter settled into a good life with a nice home and a few investment properties. But when the bottom fell out he was hit. Hard. After the three investment properties were taken by the bank, his wife left – taking their daughter. He tried to maintain his home. One day when washing his face the water was turned off. He lost his home and is on the move.
The Grapes of Wrath 2010.
Looking at the level of hardship in previously well-off communities like Cape Coral makes it apparent this recession will take a decade to heal – so long as a double dip doesn’t occur. The “floor” of this drop is a long, long way from the heights before the plunge. The way back up takes a lot longer than the drop.
Australia (again) was well sheltered. Even housing prices retained their gusto. Some outer-west suburbs in Sydney dropped by double digits. Yet by the September quarter 2009 housing starts had increased 10% nationally. Prices have increased in most Sydney suburbs. Of the major global economies, Australia was one of three to record growth (alongside Singapore and South Korea).
All that said, Australia has seen pockets of hardship – and for every Kevin Jarrett of Cape Coral there’s a similar hard luck story Down Under. Thankfully strong economic leadership and underlying demand for Australian products and services mean there are fewer of them.
December 7, 2009 at 8:24 am · Filed under America, Australia
Changes rocked Australian politics last week. The Leader of the Opposition last Monday was Malcolm Turnbull until Liberal party colleagues voted for a change. Media pundits backed Joe Hockey and, much like the Melbourne Cup, the favourite was nowhere near the finish line.
The new leader of the Opposition is Tony Abbott – conservative, anti-Emissions Trading, anti-union and a practicing Catholic. While religion rarely matters in politics, for a Catholic head of party it may make a difference as Australia has socialised medicine with a broad offering in reproductive medicine.
In August I wrote a post, “Facing an Election? Take Your Shirt Off!” Abbott is a fitness enthusiast known to bicycle 60 kms on the weekend for fun. There is no shortage of photos in the newspapers featuring Tony dashing across the finish line after an ocean swim. Of course he’s wearing the Australian standard – budgie smugglers (aka Speedos). If you’re not up on Aussie slang, a budgie is a type of bird. Put the two words together and you’ll probably get a visual. No? Look at this made-up campaign poster from today’s The Australian.
Later in the week the State of New South Wales (home to Sydney) also forced a change. This time it was the leader of the sitting government. Premier Nathan Rees was dumped in favour of Christina Keneally. Amazingly Christine is originally from Ohio and is the first female Premier in NSW. She still has a Yankee twang.
And like me, she fell in love and married an Australian – and fell in love all over again with Australia. It’s rare you get to choose your nationality!
Keneally shares a famous last name with Australian author Tom Keneally – best known for “Schindler’s Ark” which later became Speilberg’s film “Schindler’s List”. Christine is married to Tom’s nephew and they have two bi-national sons (Aussie-Yanks like my son).
Sad for Keneally is the view she’s a puppet to factional elements within the Labor Party – which was summed up neatly in The Sun Herald this weekend in their cartoon by David Rowe. I like the Yankee dress, the demure pose – and the numerous wingtips under the bustle of her dress.
November 26, 2009 at 6:33 am · Filed under America, Australia
In the land of November beach days, it’s not Thanksgiving today.
It’s just a Thursday in November and I am already at work.
There’s no steam in the kitchen as multiple pots come to boil. No one’s setting up the children’s table or ironing out Mimere’s lace tablecloth. There aren’t chores like shucking corn or stirring pearl onions or laying the fire. No one’s uncorking the wine or seeing if we remembered cranberry juice.
It’s all rather quiet.
I try to explain Thanksgiving but no one quite understands. What are Pilgrims? Didn’t you wind up killing Indians? Is it religious?
You can’t explain the conflicted thinking as you help yourself to a third serve of turkey - even though you were full after the first plate. You can’t explain the contentedness of being so squeezed onto a table three people need to pull out their chairs if you want to go to the bathroom. You can’t explain the wonderful incongruity of three generations together for one day a year - even if there are arguments. And you can’t explain why one woman…or two…or three…or some men…would cook for two days only to face a cavalcade of dirty pots.
No one understands Thanksgiving outside of America. And nowhere have I travelled that there’s been an equivalent holiday. It’s not like Christmas because you don’t have to buy gifts. It’s not like Easter because you don’t have to go to Church. It’s not like the Fourth of July because the weather keeps you indoors - all of you - and you have to wear nicer clothes. Plus they don’t televise football in summer!
Thanksgiving is a holiday completely unique in the world. And wherever I am I wish I was home.
Happy Thanksgiving. I miss you all!
Wally Down Undy
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