Bridging cultures together in a campaign

Earlier this week, prominent members of the Kennedy family endorsed presidential bid of Senator Barack Obama. In doing so the Kennedys erected a bridge between the popular Generation Y candidate to the massive Baby Boomer electorate.

A simple endorsement would not have invoked the emotional foundation of the generational bridge. However both Caroline Kennedy and Ted Kennedy reminded the Baby Boomers of the days of Camelot.

Although baby boomers were too young to vote for President Kennedy they were well aware of the vision he had created for a new America. He had instilled hopes and dreams with then American hearts as he redefined the presidential image.

The key swing factor of 1960 presidential campaign was the use of television. Richard Nixon had a persona of the traditional stuffy politician. Yet Kennedy used the media to convey a friendly, human side. This image allowed him to speak directly to the hearts of Americans.

This is the same persona Obama worked to create. The message as well with Generation Y. However the Baby Boomers of the Democrat party were more likely to be supportive of Hillary Clinton. The words used as the Kennedy clan endorsed Obama created a bridge that Senator can now use to reach a new generation.

Cultural awareness saves South African wetlands

Forget legislation, in South Africa the key to persevering wetlands is cultural knowledge. The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry is working with private and educational groups to create a belief system based on cultures dating to ancient times.

By connecting residents to the basket weaving culture, for example, they are learning the differences between the tall grasses. Grass at first may all look the same, yet some varieties are good for basket weaving while other varieties provide excellent roofing material. Each has a specific season, as part of ancestral teaching, that has naturally protected the wetlands from extinction.

They have also reinforced ancient beliefs on hunting and eating crocodiles, maintaining fish stocks, and water pollution.

One such ancient belief is that urinating in the water would immediately cause you to become a member of the opposite sex. Okay, it seems far fetched, but wouldn’t you think twice before doing so?

Get lucky with the Chinese before August

The luckiest day in history is coming this August, according to the Chinese. It is signified by the opening of the Olympics in Beijing at 8:00 pm on August 8. That would be 8 08/08/08.

Anyone that has ever read a fortune cookie knows that numbers are important in the Chinese culture. And to the Chinese, no other number is as lucky as the number 8.

June weddings may be popular in the western culture, but to the Chinese, August 8 is the busiest day of the year for matrimonial industry. Last year 3,400 couples were wed in Beijing alone. That number should be dwarfed by this year’s nuptials.

Savvy people in the wedding business would do well to plan some special promotions geared around this once in a century marketing event.

Colleges want Non-American Africans

A study in the American Journal of Education has revealed a growing trend among the most prestigious of American colleges and universities in seeking students from migrating black populations. According to the study blacks born outside the United States were twice as likely to gain admission at Ivy League schools.

Africans and African-Caribbeans are more likely to be able to prepare for admissions tests according to Harvard professor Lani Guinier, as quoted by the Washington Post.

From a diversity standpoint it is advantageous for colleges and universities to enroll students from foreign countries. They are able to introduce the student body into different processes and experiences.

As local businesses are able to recruit the African students upon graduation, they will also increase their ability or effective problem solving and decision-making.

Starbucks hits back in coffee culture war

People were shocked when McDonald’s, the chain more popular for burgers and fries, announced they were going after the elite coffee market. It was seen clearly as a missile aimed directly right into Starbucks profitable business niche.

Entrepreneurs and Generation Y regularly gather at Starbucks for meetings and relationship building. Both these cultures are also within McDonald’s target demographics however cultural members had been walking under the green circle more than through the golden arches.

Evidently McDonald’s move was effective as Starbucks is now firing back with a marketing campaign clearly aimed at the restaurant giant.

An undisclosed number of Starbucks in Seattle are test marketing two of McDonald’s mainstays: the dollar menu and free beverage refills.

Okay, so it only includes one-product, the small, or “short”, coffee, it is still a significant change in the way coffee shops operate. There is not price parody as McDonald’s cup is 50% larger, but it is the first time a major coffee-driven chain has provided free refills.

Now we’ll watch to see if Starbucks is able to attract McDonald’s frugal economic culture.

GM v. Toyota: Editor misses big story

The newspaper editor missed a big story by not reading his own newspaper.

His front page told about GM’s quest to stay number 1 in global automotive sales – a feat they pulled off by a mere 3,000 vehicles on a base of over 9 million new car deliveries. Meanwhile, the business section had a story about how GM and Toyota had also tied for customer loyalty awards.

Are these really unrelated stories – or are they a key factor in global business success?

The most significant number in the second story is the 63% rate at which GM drivers return to buy another car. The same rate is only 57% at Toyota. Seems like a small difference – think again, it is over a half-million cars. Had Toyota been as successful at customer retention, they easily would have been in first place.

The cultural aspect of customer retention

Every product and service lends itself to s specific cultural demographic. However cultures change as they grow and develop. For example, the interests of the Baby Boomers have gone from economy student car, to SUVs as the children grew, to more luxury features as the generation reached career goals.

Each country has also its own cultural factors to address. GM is rapidly growing in several nations where they have clearly keyed into the local needs and desires of prevalent automotive-buying cultures. That is why they were able to hold onto the top spot for at least one more year – despite predictions.

Oddly enough, in the 1970s it was companies like Toyota that taught GM this cultural lesson.

Wal-Mart opens door for cultural competition

Wal-Mart is open the door for culturally-minded storeowners by discontinuing more than 1000 magazines from the list of titles its stores can carry. Most magazines on the list has specific cultural demographics allowing for other merchants targeting that demographic have a competitive advantage over Wal-Mart's narrow offerings.

Wal-Mart has long left the door open to other retailers to find successful niches enabling them to survive side-by-side. Targeting specific cultures with merchandise offers smaller retailers, and everyone's a small retailer, to meet the needs and desires of specific groups within their community. These magazines offer another commerce niche to exploit when attracting culturally specific customers.

Among the magazines that were cut from the Wal-Mart approved list are Better Homes and Gardens, which is still popular for women -- particularly those in the Baby Boomer and Builder/Traditionalist generations. Condé Nast and The Economist were cut, providing an opportunity for those reaching out to the affluent culture.

Eliminating the titles is not an indication the magazines are not sellable, profitable, or desirable for other stores. It is merely keeping within Sam Walton's established culture of narrow product offerings. By limiting the number of products within any individual category or target group, Wal-Mart is able to keep their UPC catalog smaller to improve cash register efficiency. In the case of merchandise that flows through the distribution centers, narrowing the product mix allows them to handle fewer products and higher quantities which reduces handling and carrying costs.

Wal-Mart’s weaknesses

Smart local storeowners know they can compete very effectively with Wal-Mart through wider product offerings, unique local products, and enhanced customer service. These are Wal-Mart's three weaknesses, which the giant corporation is willing to risk as none of the three can be profitably overcome without sacrificing even more profitable areas of their operation.

The content of one’s character

When we look back over the course of history there are several speeches that still ring with passion and spirit to invoke modern emotion. Kennedy’s “Ask Not” challenge, Lincoln’s Gettysburg address, and Martin Luther King's “Content of Character” speeches have stood the test of time.
When we recall the words of Dr. King we tend to gloss over the specific meaning of what he had to say. Most think that content of character simply means we should judge people for who they are beneath the pigmentation of their skin. Although this is true, if we are really to appreciate the content of character we must understand what creates one's character in the first place.

Character is nothing more than a group of cultures. It is what we have learned from our experiences based on our experiences in whatever religious, economic, geographical, recreational, vocational, physical inventory, gender, sexual orientation, and racial cultures. Character is the cultures taught to us by her parents, witnessed in our friends, impressed upon us by the media, and demonstrated by our heroes.

King's words prompt us to look into the soul of a person instead of pre-judging outward appearances.

Pre-judging is easy. It is often wrong and can cost us friendships, business opportunities, and growth experiences.

I remember a Franchise Expo we held in the early days of MBC Global. An older unshaven man in ragged clothes toured the display floor feeling no need to impress. The exhibitors ignored him, preferring to talk to the crisp, well pressed suits. When he did speak, he did so in what appeared to be uneducated English. Without being introduced to a single franchise opportunity he decided to exit. As he was leaving I spoke to him briefly. He said he wanted to come even though it was a weekend day normally dedicated to sleeping in and spending time with his family. The following Monday he sat behind his desk managing his empire of 84 gas stations.

Just as these franchise salespeople missed an opportunity, we all miss opportunities when we jump to erroneous conclusions simply because we don't get to know the contents of one's character.

Before passing judgment take the time to understand the cultures contained within a person's character. Only then will you be able to get beyond your prejudices.

Great news - Recession is coming!

Have you heard the great news? Economists are predicting a recession!

There are two cultures within the larger entrepreneurial culture, one driven by the top-line and the other driven by the bottom-line.

Bottom-line entrepreneurs and small business owners think, eat, and breathe to keep that bottom-line black. It is their belief that every action they make must somehow protect bottom-line profits. Any hint the bottom-line will be reduced or turn red will strike fear into the bottom-line entrepreneur. They will quickly circle their wagons and wait for the recession’s attack to be over.

Top-line entrepreneurs have their focus on the top of the balance sheet -- the income. To these entrepreneurs and small business owners a recession is what Charles Dickens would call, “the best of times”. Top-line entrepreneurs will saddle their horses and seek out the encircled covered wagons.

Top-line entrepreneurs know exactly what I’m talking about, but I've lost the bottom-line entrepreneurs, including those bottom-line entrepreneurs that incorrectly think they're focused on the top-line.

Here's how the recession cycle work:

1. Recession sets in.
   Bottom-line entrepreneurs cut expenses.
   Top-line entrepreneurs are oblivious to recession.
2. Recession gets worse.
   Bottom-line entrepreneurs cut all non-essential programs.
   Top-line entrepreneurs seek strategies to increase revenue.
3. Business-to-business companies lower prices.
   Bottom-line entrepreneurs appreciate the savings but spend less.
   Top-line entrepreneurs appreciate the savings and may stock up.
4. Recession continues.
   Without marketing bottom-line entrepreneurs continue to see sales fall validating their position that the economy is bad.
   Top-line entrepreneurs smell opportunity to steal business from the non-marketing competition.
5. Economy improves.
   Bottom-line entrepreneur feels there may be hope, but elects to continue a self-defense posture.
   Top-line entrepreneurs use of the negativity of the bottom-line entrepreneur to continue to steal market share.
6. Economy stumbles again.
   Bottom-line entrepreneur is grateful he did not increase spending.
   Top-line entrepreneur is grateful bottom-line entrepreneur did not increase spending as top-line entrepreneur continues to steal his market share.
7. Recession ends.
   Bottom line entrepreneurs now work for top-line entrepreneurs

Bottom line entrepreneurs now work for top-line entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs are like diners at a local lunch counter. They admire the pie and want a big piece. During a healthy economy the pie is huge. During a weak economy a smaller pie is in the desert case. It takes a bigger piece of pie to satisfy your hunger.

Bottom-line entrepreneurs focus on the smaller pie. Top-line entrepreneurs plot ways to get a bigger piece.

How hungry are you?

Gen Y can drive and talk at the same time

by Guillermo, MBC Staffer

It seems popular for lawmakers to want to make it illegal for people to use their cell phones while they drive. With a war in Iraq, genocide in Darfur, starving children in every country on the planet, recession, the rising cost of education, global warming, healthcare, nuclear Iran, the declining US dollar, and rising crude prices – is this really what we should be working on?

Perhaps talking on the cell phone for older people is a problem, it isn’t for Generation Y or X. Gens X and Y are masters of multitasking. Remember, Generation X mastered IMing while playing NeoPets while checking out the latest video on You Tube. Gen Y can text message, create a FaceBook, update an iPod, and visit friends on Runescape – all at the same time. (Note: to Baby Boomers, get your grandchildren to tell you what these things are.)

Obviously doing all that at the same time is much more complicated than talking on the phone behind the wheel of a speeding car – so give Xers and Yers a break!

If you want to talk about driver distraction, ask a Gen Yer to drive while oldies music is playing on the radio. It not a distraction – it’s a sleep inducer for Gen Y. Maybe there should be a law about that.

Different, somewhat quirky, perspectives

Do you work with someone who uses different thought processes that most people? Perhaps they seem a little eccentric, quirky, unusual, or different? At MBC Global we have such a person. His name is Guillermo.

Whenever a business issue or problem arises, and the work team is huddled in search of a solution, Guillermo sits quietly and listens. When he eventually speaks you can bet it will be something that will sound completely obscure -- as if it has absolutely no relationship to the problem at hand. His comments are usually greeted with chuckles and sighs.

Those who have never been in a meeting with Guillermo will often wonder if he has been attending another meeting. But some of us know that as peculiar as his comment may be, there's wisdom in his words.

Guillermo is not alone. Every place I've worked has had at least one of his clones. I remember the “Hat Man” in New York, the “Star Trek Lady” in Detroit, and the “Nerd Boy” in Boston. Each one had an unusual personality disguising an absolutely brilliant brain.

I bring up Guillermo for two reasons. First, so you may better appreciate your Guillermo and the diversity he or she brings to your workplace. Second, because Guillermo has something of value for you.

When we have our meeting to review coming blog entries, Guillermo always has one of those weird little comments to make. He looks at most of our topics with an absurdity that covers a base of common sense.

Often he has said, “Just let me write the thing”.

Today we said, “Okay, give it a try.”

Tomorrow you will see Guillermo’s first official entry to our blog. We only ask that you keep an open mind as you read his unique point of view.

After 30 years the fashion industry is still the same

I vividly remember the day in 1979 when Murray, the owner of a t-shirt company, walked into our fashion buying office in New York City. I was new to my position of assistant buyer and did not yet understand the culture of the industry.

Rick, my boss, handed Murray a copy of an ad for proofing. It featured one of the knit tops he was selling our national chain of discount department stores.

He shouted out, “Darn [sic] it!”

“What's wrong?” Rick asked.

“They put it on a black girl,” he said.

“What's the matter with that?” Rick inquired. “She's very attractive and it looks good on her.”

Murray told us that fashion industry believed that using African-American models would reduce sales by 30 to 50%.

Fast forward to 2008 and a story published by the International Herald Tribune. Reporter Guy Trebay notes that little has changed as today's fashion runways remain various shapes of Caucasian.

According to TargetMarketNews.com, African-American women comprise a $20 billion marketplace. Regardless, Trebay reports that fashion show producers receive explicit orders that fashions appear on Caucasian women. Request of this nature come from fashion shows in New York, Milan, and Paris.

What does this say about the fashion culture?

Immigration: global problems and opportunities

In American homes the word immigration is typically preceded by the word “illegal”. Americans generally think it refers to the large number of undocumented Latinos living within the nation’s borders. However it is a topic of peoples and governments around the world – and it does not necessary involve the USA or Mexico.

This week the online version of this blog, which is a weekly e-zine (if you want to read it hurry as it is only archived for three weeks) has a special focus on global migration. As editor, I was amazed to see the magnitude of the situation.

From potential weak damns in China to housing in Libya, the entire world seems to have some sort of impact from incoming or outgoing populations.

Some countries welcome the new arrivals. Others struggle to meet infrastructure upgrades. Others want to close their borders.

Regardless of the countries involved, the most prevalent reason seems to be that migrating populations seek to live in a wealthier country. They want to experience the opportunities afforded to them by a more robust economy or the simple fact that food, water, and housing is more plentiful.

Political reasons are another large factor. Many people are seeking to get out from under oppression while others look to expand their own self-worth through a friendlier government.

MBC Global does not take any political stand on this or any other issue. We do, however, encourage you to empower yourself with global information to have as complete an understanding of this issue as possible.

Who is responsible for the ’64 Civil Rights Act?

There is much debate in the American Presidential primaries about who is responsible for the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton was quoted as giving primary credit to President Lyndon Johnson who signed the act. History has credited passage of the act to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Who is ultimately responsible for major historical advancements? Is it the person with the power to finally enact the outcome? Or is it the person that initially put into motion a series of events that led to enactment? Or could it be the people involved along the way?

History can be kind or unkind to individuals. Many have taught that Henry Ford invented the automobile. In reality he had nothing to do with that intention -- he merely invented an assembly line to mass produce what others had done. (Yes, we know that the word “merely” is a drastic understatement).

What about flight? Did the Wright Brothers’ success at Kitty Hawk mean that they should be given sole responsibility for the airplane? Could they have done it without the research, trials, and errors over hundreds of years as man sought to overcome gravity?

These are inventions -- and perhaps not clearly connected with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. So let's look at something more political.

Franklin Roosevelt signed the treaties that ended World War II. Can one therefore say he won the war? Can one therefore say he is responsible for the end of the war? By doing so do we diminish the sacrifice and efforts of soldiers, airmen, and sailors from dozens of countries who laid their lives on the line in the name of national sovereignty?

Even closer to the issue at hand, should Abraham Lincoln receive full acclamation and credit for freeing American slaves when he signed the Emancipation Proclamation? Could the proclamation have stood were it not for the dedication of Union soldiers, the work of the Underground Railroad, and many people who spoke loudly that all people were created equal and deserve freedom?

Granted, Lyndon Johnson was the only person in a position to sign an act of Congress. However if we give him full or majority credit for this deed, do we diminish the contributions of millions of people supporting Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr? And as for the doctor himself, do we undermine the magnificence with which he laid his life on the line by creating a vivid enough vision of a nation of equality sufficient to build an army of such proportion?

We can long debate who is responsible for the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In doing so let us remember that had it not been for the courageous, visionary leadership of Dr. King, President Johnson would not have had any document in front of him in the first place.

Picture credit: Lyndon Baines Johnson Library

Learning the culture of success – from my daughter

Two years ago my daughter had a dream of someday becoming a cheerleader. She translated her dream into action steps which involved weekly gymnastics training, the addition of a trampoline in our backyard, and occasional jogging.

She went to her first tryout and poured her heart into it. She practiced every evening and on the weekend, teaming with another to develop her final routine. She had confidence in her effort and performance. She had trouble sleeping the night before the new cheer squad would be announced as anticipation chased away all morsels of melatonin. Tears flowed when her name was absent from the final list.

She would not give up. She read cheerleading books from the library, subscriber to a cheerleading magazine, and intensified her use of the trampoline to develop and refine her moves.

Finally it was time for another try-out. She committed her body and time to the sacrifice necessary to make the time. But alas, at the end of the tryouts only the names of others were on the roster.

It was summertime when thoughts of school fall to the back of the mind, yet my daughter continued to hone the skills required for the cheerleading squad. “This year there will be more girls on the squad,” she reflected with surety that she would be among the new members. Learning, practicing, and mind-development filled the summer days, although giving into some of the uniqueness of the summer season’s special activities.

Soon the weather chilled signaling another fall with another opportunity to make the cheer team. The long afternoon tryout drills were tiring, but they did not dim her hopes – which thrived until the third occurrence of announcing the squad, without her.

Disappointment was severe – three tries and three failures. In despair, she indicated she would move on to something else.

We were surprised when she announced that another cheerleading tryout was coming up for the winter semester and stated she was once again going to make another attempt for the team. As with each prior endeavor, the try-outs occupied her time. She worked out on the trampoline, did back-walk-overs in the house, read her books and magazines, and dreamed that her action plan would finally deliver the most wanted reward. She tuned out the critics by encouraged others trying out to do better, which also helped her draw on her talent.

When I went to pick her up after the new squad was announced she was sitting in a rejected posture on the bench in front of the school. “How long is she going to subject herself to disappointment?” I thought.

As she approached the car she could contain herself no longer: “I made it!”

Saturday, the team won a championship trophy. That’s them in the picture above.

Not only had my daughter’s dream, turned into a plan which grew to fruition, she experienced that rare feeling that she was part of championship team.

Who could learn from my daughter’s lesson? What about the entrepreneur that feels like giving up? What about the business executive that feels they are in over their head? What about the culture that feels they will always be oppressed? What about other dreamers?

Market brings cultures together

When most people think of a store with ethnic products they tend to think of a store targeting a specific ethnicity. This is not the case in St. George, Utah.
El Tapatio Market on Sunset Boulevard sees its role as bringing the city’s two major populations together. According to owner Armando Porras the market is a gathering place for Anglos and Latinos.

The ethnic populations find high quality products that meet the taste preferences of their cultural customers. For example, you can buy Coca-Cola bottled locally using the American formula or you can buy Coca-Cola imported from Mexico using the sweeter formula from south of the border. You will also find meat cuts for USA Anglo favorites and popular Latino dishes.

The store makes sure they always have at least one employee fluent in English and another fluent in Spanish.

The market is credited by locals as establishing trust between the two ethnicities. Anglo shoppers say they have a more positive impression of the Latino community as negative stereotypes are being eliminated. Several have stated surprise that their Latino neighbors are doctors, accountants, and other professionals.

El Tapatio Market is certainly a model for supermercados in other areas to follow.

End note: El Tapatio Market has been entered as a candidate for the MBC Global “Outstanding Multicultural Achievement Award” (OMAA). If you know of a business that is bringing cultures together, be sure to submit them for consideration for the award on the MBC Global website.

Creating a culture of sales failure

Not too long ago I was at a luncheon of local business leaders. At my table were two of the owners of the city’s automobile dealers. Referring to the practice in the Detroit area of advertising cars at the employee discount price, someone asked them what percentage of cars they sold to the employees of their particular make. One said in a boastful fashion, “somewhere between 80 and 85%”. The other was asked the same question, replying, “about the same for me.”

It was shocking to see how proud they were to have such a high percentage as these sales are at the lower end of the profitability scale.

My thoughts immediately turned to the local Toyota dealer. How many of his sales are to employees? Not 80%, not 70%, not even 50%. None, zero, nil, nada, zip sales to employees. Are his sales only 20% of the sales of each of the other two? I doubt it. Not with the glitz of his showroom.

So what’s the problem?

The problem with the proud pair is that they are accepting their current results. They are not hungry enough to go after more profitable sales. They accept the ratio of sales, projecting the same expectations onto their sales force. I am confident they have passed on this doomed feeling to their sales people, probably saying that it is not worth the effort to try to get the higher margin sales – after all everyone in the Detroit area works for one of the major automobile manufacturers.

They have created a sales culture focused on failure!

Once it is accepted to have a specific sales level, most salespeople lose their motivation and drive to exceed it. Commission is not the driver as they are led to believe that certain types of sales are unattainable – so why bother? In the case of these dealers, they taught salespeople there was such a small likelihood of selling to a non-employee that it would take too much effort, time, and energy that could be better spent on the easy sale when an automotive factory worker walked through the door.

Entrepreneurs can also fall prey to this thinking by assuming certain types of sales would be unattainable. This is especially true when it comes to opening new cultures.

Actually case story

I know a lady that was at an Expo in Dearborn, Michigan, a city known for a high Muslim population. Her goal was to sign a people for home cooking parties. When the expo was over she had not signed up even one new party. Her conclusion was to blame the Muslim population based on the myth that Muslims would not buy from non-Muslims. Firm in her belief, she declared she would never attempt to build business in Dearborn again because it was closed-minded, in our opinion.

Do you want to know what really happened? To entice people with the great food, she selected bacon-wrapped scallops not realizing Muslims don't eat pork products.

What about you?

Are you creating a failure culture for yourself or others? Take an objective look. Better yet, get a mentor or coach to help you!

Hey America: Diversity isn’t about race

In the United States when you mention the word “diversity” people immediately think about inclusion of races. This is a narrow view that causes many diversity programs to do more harm than good.

The world view is more correct. Take for example a recent program announced in the Western Africa country of Ghana. With less racial diversity than Detroit or Washington they are setting up the what is probably the largest diversity program of any secondary school system in the world.

This month 1,600 students will enter the “Ghana National Exchange Programme School” to learn about the country’s six distinctly different regions. Under Country Director Cecil Nii Obodai Wentum told MBC Global that Ghana understands the diversity of its people is a key to intellectual advancement.

Ghana realizes that the different cultures between urban and rural settings, tourist and village economies, coastal and landlocked living, and many distinctions create different cognitive learning styles, experiences, and reasoning which, when understood by others, allows everyone to have a broader scope in decision making and problem solving.

Companies and organizations throughout the world should take a look at the West African nation’s program and expand their working definition of the term “diversity” if they want to have successful program.

I wonder if it is because of inventiveness like this that causes us to refer to Ghana as a “developing nation”.

Face it Baby Boomers, X and Y have arrived

For the first time in their generation Baby Boomers are seeing their power waning. The generation that first experienced television was catapulted into power before most of the generation’s age had reached double digits. They did so on the strength of simple things like the Hula Hoop and Frisbee. Marketers like McDonald's learn they could move much more product by taking their message directly to the children, bypassing parents.

Baby Boomers were influential in ending the Vietnam War, beginning the suburban sprawl, and expanding individual homeownership. Through it all they assumed leadership in the business, educational, religious, and political arenas.

The Baby Boomer reign is over.

Last year several surveys showed that Baby Boomers were ready to hand over the reins of the business world. The results indicated the boomers want relief from the stress of business leadership, preferring to let the younger Generation X have a chance to fully develop the new contemporary management style. This is not just an American trend, it is happening throughout Europe and Asia as well.

The worldwide political scene is also experiencing this age shift in leadership. In December, Fidel Castro, who has been leader of Cuba for almost the entirety of the Baby Boomer's lifespan, was ready to turn over leadership to the younger generation.

In the United States, the recent Iowa caucus saw record numbers of Generations X and Y turning out to support candidate most exemplifying the desires and wishes of their generation. Most specifically, they desire to do away with the partisan battles that have stalemated our government. Other candidates are quickly redefining themselves to show they can also deliver what Generations X and Y are looking for: a fresh approach.

Baghdad Zoo, a cultural blending spot

On the January 4 6:00 pm edition of Special Report, Fox News ran a one-time story about the Baghdad Zoo. They showed footage of how Sunnis and Shiites, from different sides of the river, are able to come together and enjoy the displays and safety of the zoo.

Some Iraqi families were torn apart during the Hussein regime in a Romeo-Juliet fashion. Someone in a Sunni family may have married a Shiite. Likewise a Shiite may have married a Sunni. With tensions high among these two religious cultures it has been difficult for the family members to get together. The zoo offers an excellent venue for outings as it is one of the safer parts of Baghdad.

Family members may join different religious cultures, which is an external dimension of cultural personality. They do not choose the family to which they belong nor their ethnicity, which are both internal dimensions of their personality.

Understanding people requires understanding the three aspects of personality: internal, external, and workplace. See MBC Global's Cultural Bridges to further understand the dimensions of cultural personality.

Babies naturally detect goodness

According to a study by Yale University, babies are naturally drawn to “good Samaritans”. The study goes so far as to state the babies identify with them.

Perhaps this is the basis of all cultures.

Human nature is in its purest form in babies. With the desire to be around those that do good, people form cultural bonds. As the culture grows, it is molded by the experiences its members encounter. They react to those experiences and, in most cases, adapt their behaviors based upon the experiences. Bonds grow stronger as the shared experiences create a camaraderie to which each member easily relates.

Sometimes the culture becomes hardened by their experiences. Members are treated badly and this disrespect becomes the shared experience. Hatred of their culture creates hatred by their culture. The cycle continues, with the mutual contempt growing.

Babies take a fresh look at things. Experiences cloud eyesight.

Keep your eyes open. Seek to understand.

The hatred can end.

Oil at $100: entrepreneurial culture lesson

Richard Arens, an entrepreneur who runs a one-man oil brokerage, is solely responsible for pushing the price for a barrel of oil over $100 for the first time. As reported by The London Financial Times, he contracted for the record price despite the fact that oil was trading at 60 cents less per barrel.

Although Arens reasoning remains a mystery, a look at the characteristics of the entrepreneurial culture could shed some insight:

• Entrepreneurs want other to know their name. Certainly Arens’s name is now well known in the oil brokering business, but Richard, is this what you want to be know as?


• Entrepreneurs look for publicity for their company. Arens’s company, ABS, has made the papers. Someone needs to tell him that the saying “there’s no such thing as bad publicity” is only a myth.


• Entrepreneurs want to maximize their prices. Investors love revenues so entrepreneurs need to find ways to maximize income. The day after the hundred dollar price ceiling was prices at the pump went up 3-5%. If Arens also had interests in the retail price of gasoline/petrol, the $600 he overpaid on his contract could quickly have been recouped.

How diversity got Dorothy back to Kansas

Are you ready for something a little lighthearted? Looking at diversity topics is a serious matter as it is through diversity that we build relationships, productivity, and business. Yet the fantasy world often provides anecdotal comparisons to life.

I received a letter asking me who the real leader was in the “Wizard of Oz”. Certainly the story revolved around a diverse cast of characters. There was Dorothy, the human from the rural farm culture, the Good Witch from the elitist culture; the scarecrow, an admirer of the academic culture who decided to stop giving directions to others and take a journey for himself; the lion, a misfit in a warrior culture; the tin woodsman, a laborer that felt unloved; and the wizard, a circus performer out of his element.

Individually they were unable to fulfill their goals. Together they were able to draw on their knowledge and ideas to find their dreams. That is the way it is with diversity - different individuals coming together to do great things.

So who was the true leader in the story. For that you need to visit my article.

The overlooked role of culture in Obama victory

In reporting the Barack Obama victory in the Democratic caucuses in Iowa political pundits, including those for the candidates themselves, have missed what is possibly one of the most significant events of the day.

It is not necessarily their fault for missing an unprecedented event as they are focused strictly on the candidates and voter demographics. On the surface this seems sufficient as demographics represent people. But that is similar to saying a fever represents illness. Although it is true that demographics represent people, they miss the reality that people represent cultures. If they were looking at cultures also demographics they would have seen an absolutely amazing story.

They did pick up on the fact that Iowa has a heavily white population. According to the United States Census Bureau, only Vermont and West Virginia are whiter than Iowa. This is important in analyzing the results, but fall short of diagnosing a fever.

Historical perspective

African-Americans historically have been rated higher in polls than on the actual ballot casting. The difference between the two, polling and balloting, is that the pollster knows the identity of the respondent. Balloting is anonymous.

The simple fact shows people want others to think they are inclusive. By publicly stating they are for a minority candidate they feel good about themselves. Once in the voting booth, the anonymity allows for personal prejudices to take over.

The stunning aspect of the Iowa results is the caucus process causes someone to publicly declare their vote. It removes the curtain of the voting booth that cloaked the personal bias of the voter.

White Iowans publicly declared their desire for an African-American in the White House. They stood before their friends and neighbors, people they work with, and white folk they had never met to say the African-American Obama was their candidate for the presidency.

Never before has this happened. Iowa was a reversal of the norm. Obama actually received a larger percentage than pre-caucus polling had indicated -- and he did it with white voters.

The future

It will be interesting to see how Obama does in the states where secret ballots are used. Regardless of whether or not he ultimately gets the Democratic combination, or the privilege of moving into the White House next January, he will always be the one who broke a very significant cultural barrier -- whites publicly saying the time has arrived for an African-American President.

The cultural viewpoint of illegal immigration

Although it illegal immigration has been a hot topic during the presidential campaign in the United States, other countries are also dealing with illegal immigrants. Nine European countries have joined together to get tough on illegal immigration, forming the European Union's borderless Schengen zone.

One of the nations, the Czech Republic, estimates that 20,000 Americans are living in Prague although only 5000 are registered with the United States Embassy. These numbers do not include 4000 illegal immigrants that were deported in 2007.

The viewpoint of illegal immigration seems to depend on one's status. Americans legally living in Prague support the new policy. Likewise one’s view of illegal American immigration can differ.

To put this in perspective, imagine for a moment how you would feel about this topic if:

1. You are a Latino Hispanic that risked your life crossing the desert to get to America to be threatened with deportation if found?
2. You are Cuban Hispanic that risked your life crossing the ocean and was granted permanent residency the moment you touched a grain of sand on an American beach
3. You are a Puerto Rican Hispanic that received citizenship at birth?
4. You are a Madrid Hispanic on a 10 year waiting list for an American visa?
   

This is not to imply that all illegal immigrants are of Hispanic descent. We are only using Hispanics as a reference point as Hispanics are receiving the most attention in the American debate.