Nothing is more evident in 2009 than the decline of ethics in this country. Enron was not the beginning just the beginning of our consciousness, and yet it wasn’t even the tip of the iceberg. It is not that I am pointing the finger at America alone, because as we all know the world is rife with corruption and unethical behavior, but we tend to hold ourselves to a higher standard. If we hold ourselves to a higher standard then why are we in the financial mess we now find ourselves in? The answers are far and wide. Check back here often as my website launches to reveal my views on our current situation in America and solutions I offer.

I am reprinting this blog of mine I did on another website Nov. 30, 2008, and I thought it was appropriate to share here with a bit of an update.

People are often confused by me; just when you think you know me, I can surprise you. The fact that I am a liberal while being more fiscally conservative may surprise many. I also like to see things from both sides of the equation, which is handy considering I teach global economics. So, let me start by telling you that I no longer watch the news on television. I do, however, read newspapers from all over the world every day, and there is a very good reason – television is for drama.

Television news is overly dramatic for a reason. Now, I am not saying there is no economic difficulty before us, but I am saying that broadcast news has a singular responsibility to get ratings and not to inform you. That, my friends, is lesson number one.
Lesson number two? Be wary of what those around you say. Remember the old adage about screaming fire in a theater? There is a good reason it is illegal to do so, and it should similarly be illegal for network news to overly dramatize the world economic situation. Again, I am not saying we don’t have a situation, because we do, but I remind everyone that this is a cycle. It is only a little scarier because we are being told to be scared.

Economics, as a whole, is a confidence game. If Warren Buffet told us things would be all better in six months, everyone would start down that road the minute he stopped talking. When the pundits, news stations and even friends cry disaster, guess what – disaster looms.

Yes, Mervyn’s (is going) went out of business. They couldn’t compete anymore. Yes, Circuit City (is going) went under. Best Buy out-advertised, out-marketed and just simply outdid them. Yes, GM, Ford and Chrysler are headed down the drain (update – Chrysler just claimed bankruptcy), but perhaps they shouldn’t have been making Hummers when Toyota was selling the Prius like hotcakes. Not that I am a fan of the Prius as I think it is more hype than reality. It truly does not give us anything better for the environment than a BMW. And, yes, many banks have gone under. We all know the golden rule of not buying what you can’t afford and, similarly, not loaning what you are pretty sure will never be paid back.

There are many businesses starting up now than there have been in many years. People are no longer complacent with bad business. They are starting to think for themselves, which is one of the principles this country was founded upon.

So, I conclude with a few important questions. When do bad management and bad business decisions become the responsibility of a nation of taxpayers? When does it become crucial to put common sense first in lieu of high television ratings? And, perhaps more importantly, when do we stop blaming the other guy for our failures, suck it up and start over, just like our forefathers?

Reprinted from my blog at a national travel magazine

Despite the fact that I have been in corporate America for more than 25 years, I have a pet peeve I must share with all of you corporate raiders out there reading this. Since most of you are the movers and shakers I am begging you to hear me out. What is my pet peeve? Corporate-speak!

I was in my local bookstore and picked up a book that caught my eye called “A Dictionary of Bullshit” by Diane Law. I have been laughing from the moment I picked it up because it addresses my annoyance at the plethora of business “buzzwords” that have permeated our conversations for decades now. So, before I lose my mind completely I want to share some of them with you and plead with people to embrace the English language as it was designed and throw these silly phrases to the wind. Some of my favorites:

“Due Diligence (noun): the failure to spot blindingly obvious contractual, legal and accounting nightmares prior to a takeover.”

“Blowback (noun): the inevitable consequences of a foolish business decision, generally dealt with by other parties after the person responsible for the decision has safely left the scene of the crime.”

“Benchmarking (noun): the corporate equivalent of waterboarding.”

“Behavioral Competencies (noun pl.): personal idiosyncracies yet to be crushed to nothingness by the corporate behemoth.”

“360 Degree Appraisal (noun): an attack from all sides.”

“Robust (noun): a doormat, which holds up well to being stood on, repeatedly, by many different people.”

“Third Generation Contingencies (noun): things that might go wrong, but not until years in the future, by which time you’ll hopefully be far away and beyond the reach of blame.”

And, on the top of my list:

Vice President (noun): a corporate drone who accepted a fancy job title instead of a pay rise.

Reprinted from my blog at a national travel magazine