So I am sure that you have all heard of K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid) Well I would like to talk to you about the importance of that. I know the concept has been around for a while but people often do not apply it. It is especially useful when trying to cut costs in a recessing economy. Anyways, I am not going to belittle you by writing anything lengthy, I just wanted to give you a friendly reminder to always K.I.S.S!

Just in case you do want further info on the concept here are a few links:

Wikipedia Article

Definition

So obviously some people at Deutsche Telekom skipped the meeting on ethics, as the NY Times reports.  The phone giant tracked THOUSANDS of phone calls to identify the source of internal media leaks.  In a case very similar to to that of Hewlett Packard’s, “severe and far-reaching” abuse of private data between board members and the media was the issue.  Obviously, this caused great concern to privacy advocates.  One reason this is such an issue is that the German government effectively controls the company.  This basically means it was a federal investigation, without warrants.  Sound familiar?  (Guess they learned a little something from the Patriot Act…) 

Well the government is launching an investigation into the “spying” as it was a “serious breach of mistrust.”  They say that by having the prosecutor handle the case they are merely, “using the sharpest knife we have to solve the problem…”  and not trying to hide anything.  This still doesn’t satisfy many Germans though, as they have been EXTREMELY active about privacy rights since the Nazi and Communist regimes.  This really doesn’t look good on German companies as a whole considering they just went through bribery issues with Siemens and payoffs to union representatives by Volkswagen.  Maybe a company with such a large customer base to be loyal to should be a little more careful?  Anyways, this serves as yet ANOTHER great example why it always pays to be ethical.  Even something seemingly “small” can get you plastered all over the world.

So I talk about honesty and ethics but obviously as a business you can’t be brutally honest all the time so the question becomes, “When do I spin?”  Spinning the message can be a tricky thing.  Unfortunately it is most often used negatively, but can be used positively, such as in the Public Relations field.  Well in my opinion, here are cases when it is ok to spin the message.  Just remember, when in doubt, back out!

Spin When:

“• The benefits described by the sender of the message are real – and truly add value to the receiver of the message. For the long-term viability of the organization, business transactions need to be “win-win.”  (Think Mutually Beneficial)
• The spinning is done to help the larger good – not just promote the person doing it.  (No need to be selfish now.)
• The sender describing the benefits truly believes that the overall impact to the receiver of the message is positive. For example, great leaders effectively promote their organizations. They may highlight the positives of their companies more than the negatives, but they believe (on balance) that their organizations add value to stakeholders – whether they are employees, stockholders or customers.
• Optimism is balanced with realism. Optimism is a characteristic that is highly correlated with success in any field. Yet optimists often over-commit. In the short-term, positive projections for the future may motivate people to buy products, services or stocks. In the long-term, leaders have to consistently deliver on promises – or they will be seen as being to unreliable to justify an investment.”

So as business becomes more global, more training is required to keep ahead of the game.  In fact many companies in Europe are actually paying to fly English speakers over for an all inclusive trip just to speak English to their employees.  Let me explain further.

You see what happens is after being accepted for a program such as Pueblo Ingles or Vaughan Town, you then can go online and chat with other English speakers who will be there the same week as you.  Although many of the volunteers are retirees, they also have programs for ages 19 and up from what I found on their websites.  Once you arrive in Spain (usually Madrid) you meet up with your fellow travelers for a dinner, only to depart for the “Spanish” experience the next morning on a bus.  

During a typical day you eat and chat with your new Spanish acquaintances.  The rules are you speak only English and you must do 60% of the talking.  Sounds easy, right?  Well you only get approximately an hour and a half free time in the afternoons and then “social time” in the evenings, but this is a small price to pay for three course meals with red wine and four star accommodations.  Unfortunately the volunteer package doesn’t cover airfare or your hotel in Madrid before or after the trip.  But for someone looking to broaden their horizons and possibly learn a little Spanish at a discount, this could be great.  Just don’t let the organizers know you are learning Spanish, they don’t seem to like that…

So there is a new generation of talent among the business populous.  Fresh talent.  Sharp talent.  GREEN talent.  No, by green I don’t mean rookie, I mean environmentally green.  As global warming and the economy become bigger and bigger issues, college graduates are demanding change.  In fact, many MBA graduates are saying that they would rather take a cut in pay and work for a “Green” employer than work for a company that isn’t socially conscious.  So what does this mean for you as an employer?  Step up your green game!

Personally, I am one of these students.  I will be a future business executive and when I am, I shall demand that my company be as green as possible.  I feel like we have tortured our planet long enough and it is time to give back.  We ask and ask of the earth, asking it to provide for our every need yet we hesitate to give back when it is clearly about to fall apart?  If our generation doesn’t demand change it will never happen, so here we are.  We aren’t just a bunch of hippies, however.  We are the future, this isn’t the 60′s again, this is now.  This is real.  So to all you big companies?  Think green because then the real talent will come to you. 

This is a two part effort.  We as the future will invest our time coming up with ideas to save this planet.  You as our employers must be willing to listen and be like-minded.  We aren’t trying to make life difficult, only fresher.  We always hear about leaving legacies for future generations.  Well here is our legacy; we will leave a legacy of preservation.  We will save the planet so that all previous legacies continue.  We will strive for success so that future generations may even exist.  That is our legacy.  Now step up.