Discussions/Homework – WRT 205 Summer 2021

Discussions/Homework Week of 8/16

https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/browncenter_20161209_teachers_memo.pdf

The writing in this memo is conveying brief yet critical information quickly to multiple individuals at once. While it is not as formal as a business letter, it is professional since it includes action items for the intended recipient. This particular memo is divided into three general sections: The situation, Recommendations and Conclusion.

First the memo gives a quick introduction to the memo’s purpose. In my example it is talks about teachers being among our most valuable school resources for improving student learning.

My introduction would go something like this:

One in four individuals in the United States have a disability, which equates to 61 million people (CDC, 2021). For many of these individuals, disclosing an invisible disability in the work environment is an extremely complex dilemma. It can enable maintaining or obtaining employment, however disclosure can result in losing employment or to not being hired, due to of discrimination and stigma.

The next part of the memo is the situation. The situation gives an overview of the topic and provides the reader with a general outline about the overall purpose. The memo is clearly written by people in academic institutions with certain philosophies of education. The tone of the memo is polite and is written in a formal manner.

The memo says “In order for students to benefit from good teachers, school systems must recruit, prepare, improve, and retain excellent teachers and distribute these excellent teachers equitably across schools and communities. We currently face challenges across these areas.”

My situation might be:

The lack of disclosure by employees indicates they often feel the need to disguise their disability during the recruitment process as well as during the rest of their employment. Having a disability is different from the norm and thus obvious in a damaging way from others. With this potential stigma, individuals are afraid to disclose their disability, lest it adversely affect their employment relations and career prospects.

The next part is the recommendations. Recommendations are the point of the memo. Recommendations should be persuasive however all recommendations need support. As such the memo will encompass straightforward recommendations with support material immediately following or support for the recommendations, with data.

My recommendation might be:

The disclosure process is complicated, and the result is influenced by numerous factors.

For example, HR managers are an important stakeholder group who have mainly negative attitudes and behavior regarding disabilities. Since their job is to act on behalf of their organization, their attitudes and behavior may not change until organizations at the level of management change.

In the memo it starts out with “The federal government can increase the effectiveness of the teacher workforce through efforts to recruit, prepare, improve, retain, and more equally distribute excellent teachers. In keeping with the broader federal role in education, the federal role in teaching policy involves investments in capacity building and knowledge generation.” After that a series of recommendations are listed.

The final part is the conclusion. This sums up the point of the memo. It is clear cut and succinct.

“Teachers are the most important school resource for improving educational opportunities for students. We recommend six steps for the federal government to improve the teacher workforce, particularly in the most difficult-to-staff schools:”

My conclusion might sound something like this.

People with invisible disabilities are in a susceptible position as they choose whether or not to disclose their diagnoses. If recipients of these disclosures are supportive, this could create a more positive experience for the individuals disclosing.

However, it should be noted that multiple studies have shown that disclosure during the hiring period resulted in fewer invitations for job interviews (Hipes et al, 2016).

Positive outcomes of disclosure include:

– Improved relationships with colleagues and supervisors

– Authenticity

– Work environment support

– Friendly culture

Negative outcomes of disclosure include:

– Facing stigma

– Discrimination

Overall, as I evaluated this memo, I envision something shorter and more succinct. However I want to make sure I include research as it is to be directed to professionals in the field.

References:

Disability Impacts All of Us Infographic | CDC. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Retrieved 16 August 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/infographic-disability-impacts-all.html.

Hipes, C., Lucas, J., Phelan, J.C., White, R. (2016) The stigma of mental illness in the labor market, Social Science Research, Volume 56, 2016, Pages 16-25, ISSN 0049-089X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2015.12.001.

Discussion Questions 8/9

#1 Mollie West’s “How To Create a Culture Manifesto for Your Organization (And Why It’s a Good Idea)” article provides exemplars of organizations that effectively implemented culture manifestos. The article points out that organizational mission statements tend to concentrate on external goals as opposed to internal ways of working. It’s recommended that organizations consider forming a culture manifesto to assist with the internal business environment as well as attracting appropriate talent. Based on the persuasive tone of the article, I would say the target audience is employees, and upper management of an organization. The writer is confident and sincere while using emphasis appropriately. Examples of companies that have utilized successfully culture manifesto such as Method Products, Etsy, and Warby Parker are provided to demonstrate different approaches to the process. By providing different companies, it gives the readers an opportunity to possibly see their own organization within one of the examples thus increasing the chance of attempting culture manifestos. Furthermore, Ms. West provides a step-by-step methodology for businesses that might want to utilize this. This makes the process actionable for an organization since it is clearly described. I believe the combination of persuasion and inspirational (examples of successful organizations) are effective for the target audience.

#2 When we first were assigned the research project, I wanted to a topic that would benefit me both personally as well as in this class. The first unit that encompassed topics on hiring individuals with disabilities piqued my interest. While some disabilities are obvious, others are well hidden and only discoverable if the individual discloses them. This topic has been one of challenge to find research. I was particularly intrigued about individuals with visible disabilities being able to hide them due to working from home this past year. While not necessarily the focus of my project, it was an interesting twist.

I envision my research to take the form of memo to advise professionals as well as individuals about the advantages and disadvantages involved in disclosing invisible disabilities. The issues questions are: (1) what are advantages and disadvantages of disclosing invisible disabilities in the work environment? Pre and post-employment; (2) are there factors of influence resulting in a positive outcome of disclosure?

I think the readers would be likely to engage in text that presented data backed up with research. The expectation is that I would have sources cited to give an authoritative and persuasive tone to my memo. Anecdotal stories would be beneficial as well in this memo.

Discussion Questions Week 8/2

#1 The journal article, “Individual Change Won’t Create Gender Equality in Organizations,” authored by Alison Wynn, points out that gender bias as well as disparity are still very present in today’s workplace and decision makers need to step up to decrease this. Jessi Hempel in the article, “Why Are There Few Women in Tech?” explores this concept from a pre-employment recruiting standpoint as to how companies alienate women and thus do not end up with qualified female candidates with science, technology engineering, or math (STEM) degrees.

The article discusses preliminary recruiting sessions in well-known colleges, which apparently routinely discourage women from applying to their tech organizations. The gaffes that tech companies make while attempting to recruit female candidates are numerous and clearly indicate not only an unwelcoming environment for women, but rather a misogynistic environment within the organization.

As Alison Wynn indicates, this atmosphere is crystal clear from the start of staff recruiting sessions. Women were relegated to refreshment control and handing out swag (did I hear the term secretary whispered?). Female engineers were not given featured roles in presentations but rather served as window dressing and if they did get a word in…they had the real possibility of being rudely interrupted by a male colleague. Of the sessions Wynn’s research team observed, only 22 percent featured female engineers talking about technical work. When those women did speak, according to the sessions observed, male presenters spoke over them. Moreover, recruiters used gender stereotypes of women in sexy attire and discussed porn. Seriously? Is this a frat house party or recruitment of individuals with an Ivy League degree?

As expected, many women walked out of the recruitment meetings without submitting an application. In the words of Albert Einstein: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” If organizations expect to recruit female candidates, they must change the manner in which they interact with potential candidates. Failure to do this will continue the inequality in the organizations.

#2 Who do I think would most benefit from reading this article? I think decision makers from HR managers to CEOs to recruitment team members need to not only read this article but to take a cold hard look at the manner in which they recruit individuals. While this article focused on female recruitment, I suspect we could add other demographics to this as well. I can’t even begin to contemplate what the recruiters would think of someone with a disability (my research paper area). By actively including female candidates in their recruiting efforts an organization can move forward and make the most of its diversity by creating an inclusive, equitable and sustainable culture and work environment. The diversity of women creates the potential for greater innovation and productivity, inclusion is what enables organizations to realize the business benefits of this potential. Equity refers to fair treatment in access, opportunity and advancement for these individuals. Work in this area involves identifying and working to remove barriers to fair treatment for this group. Obviously one way as the article suggests, is to recruit more females into tech firms.

Wynn’s group research however shows some of the problems in the recruiting teams sent to bring more females into the firms. These are a few of their findings.

In an attempt to appear approachable, presenters often made comments that disparaged women or depicted them as sexualized objects rather than talented technical colleagues. For example, in one session, a man mentioned the “better gender ratio” at the company’s Los Angeles office compared with its Silicon Valley office. “I had no girlfriends at [University Name], but now I’m married,” he said, suggesting that the better odds had helped get him hitched.

This type of informal banter occasionally devolved into overtly sexualized comments. One presenter from a small startup mentioned porn a couple of times. Another, when talking about a project that would allow banking on ships, suggested that sailors needed access to cash for prostitutes.

I think if HR managers, CEOs and recruitment team members were to look at these findings with an unbiased eye, they might recognize this certainly is not the way to encourage women to work with them. I also believe if their legal staff were to review these statements, there might be other issues at hand as well.

Frankly when I read through this article for the first time, I almost laughed because the examples were almost so ludicrous. Is this real life? Sadly it is. Effective recruitment means companies recruit individuals with a collective mixture of not just similarities but differences to provide the company with a diverse group of employees. Until the recruiters and their firms learn how to present information in an unbiased manner, there will continue to be a lack of females in the tech field.

Discussion Questions Week of 8/2

Response to #1

In the journal article, “Individual Change Won’t Create Gender Equality in Organizations,” written by Alison Wynn, a critical point is brought up regarding holding decision-makers accountable for reducing gender inequality within an organization. In Emilio J. Castilla’s article, she explores this idea. Castilla proposes that being more transparent when making pay decisions would reduce the pay gap by employee gender, race, and “foreign nationality.” Castilla delves into her study of reward decisions in the workplace, where she notes the introduction of new organizational procedures, accountability, and transparency has affected almost 9,000 employees positively. Before this, however, there was a large gap in “performance-based rewards” that resulted in unfairness towards women, who could also be ethnic minorities. They also received less money than men, who also happened to be citizens of the United States. Castilla notes that after attaining accountability and transparency, however, this gap was reduced.

I believe this approach is crucial for reducing gender inequality within organizations, and it adds to Wynn’s article perfectly because one wrong turn when it comes to being accountable and unbiased can cause vast marginalized intersectionality. When decision-makers decide to be biased and pay White men more, for example, women are oppressed. First, women are oppressed, but racist bias is brought into the picture when ethnic women are oppressed. Multiple biases then co-exist, backtracking greatly when it comes to reducing inequality. Although Castilla’s proposal initially involves gender inequality, it also simultaneously involves racial inequality as well. Many intersectional components of marginalization can be reversed when decision-makers are trained to be more transparent. By starting within an organization, employees and bosses can really look inward and not blame a larger picture for an easy “out.

Response to #2

In Wynn’s article, “Individual Change Won’t Create Gender Equality in Organizations,” I believe an employee or a person soon to have a higher position within a company would benefit the most from reading this article. I do not believe Wynn’s article is vague at all. Still, if it were directed towards executives within an organization, her tone would be more analytical, presenting more data and evidence that executives would understand. Wynn also subtly hints at a larger picture through her writing. People can not simply acknowledge that they are “good” but work together to change the structures that ultimately increase gender inequality. As cliché as it sounds, working together towards specific issues is crucial, and Wynn laid out these issues perfectly. Although not specifically written, I believe one of Wynn’s main points is that there needs to be a framework for an issue, or else people are not able to see the issue. In a TED talk I recently watched, Kimberlé Crenshaw said just this. If there is no framework (for example, a commonly seen issue regarding police violence against women), there is no priority for the injustice.

I believe Wynn is trying to open the eyes of future employees or new employees ahead of time. Although she focuses on gender inequality within the workplace, Wynn tries to set up solutions and a framework for all inequalities. Wynn notes, “These recommendations can help fight bias and inequality on many dimensions, beyond just gender. While my research specifically focused on a gender equality initiative, similar research must be done examining other types of initiatives to ensure organizations can address all types of inequalities.” To effectively create change, people must address and acknowledge the most marginalized first, prioritize them, set a framework for change, and carry this mindset onto other injustices. This quote works for the audience I have mentioned because it introduces a certain demeanor for young adults that regard future change towards equality.

Discussion Questions Week 7/26

1. An individual can feel shame for being laughed at for having a disability (Gray, Pakinson, & Dunbar, 2015).

Reference:

Gray, A. W., Parkinson, B., & Dunbar, R. I. (2015). Laughter’s influence on the intimacy of self-disclosure. Human Nature: An Interdisciplinary Biosocial Perspective, 26(1), 28-43.

It is suggested by current research theory that laughter works to build relationships between people. Therefore, laughter should be connected to interpersonal connection important to the development of relationships. To develop close social bonds, disclosing behaviors are seen as a way to help this process. It is thought that the act of laughing could momentarily reduce a laugher’s reluctance to disclose personal information. In this experiment, characteristics of self-disclosing statements produced by those who had watched previously one of three video clips differed in the extent to which they elicited laughter and positive affect. The results show that disclosure intimacy is significantly higher after laughter than in the control group. This suggests that this effect may be due, in part, to laughter itself. On the other hand, the research further indicates that an individual can feel shame for being laughed at for a disability.

This will support my project as far as the stigma of having a disability. If individuals have a disability (whether it is invisible or not) and have been the subject of laughter or bullying this can have a long-term impact on their willingness to disclose this to others. The concept of feeling shame regarding a potential flaw in their ability to perform a job could make an individual silent on any disability related issues even if they could assist them in job performance. This supports the previous research that suggests individuals with invisible disabilities are concerned about the stigma of revelation.

2. Brigitte D. had some differing thoughts on the ideas in the original article “The subtle sexism of your open office plan”. While she initially agreed that there is a level of self-consciousness in the open plan, there was a sense that this was a temporary situation. Brigitte herself was able to develop the ability to ignore the situation. However, it was the sensory overload that was problematic due to the open office plans. It was so severe that it got to a point where she could barely function and concentrate. As we consider individuals with sensory processing difficulties (either small or more significant), they can have a substantial impact on an employee’s success. For instance, many autistic adults are unable to concentrate in an open-plan office because of the background noise? Brigitte used numerous examples such as a man who drummed erratically on his desk, while another one whistled. At another place the sound of the dinging microwave and opening of the refrigerator combined with another employee who utilized too much perfume every morning.

Sensitivity to noise at work can be very erratic, especially if you work in an environment where certain times of the day are busy and other times are quiet. Without a place to support employees with auditory sensitivities, this type of work environment is challenging at best.

Although Brigitte spoke up at work, it appears the situation was not resolved. That speaks volumes for the state of how employees are handled with valid concerns. The fact that she transferred from position to position with various organizations is troubling. Would it have made a difference if a man had a problem with the same situation? At the end of her post is the final comment, “In all my career I saw two setups that promoted productivity, both were in having an individual office space temporarily, during construction of a new cubicle setup”…and there you have it.

Discussion Questions Week of 7/19

1. I enjoyed reading Wong’s perspectives around diversity. The part that struck me were her notions on Equity vs. Equality( page 27). The metaphor of the race with Wong demonstrates the idea that fair is not always equal. Literally the expression that one size does not fit all is utilized by Wong with all runners being given the same size shoe to complete the race. The obvious problem is that all runners don’t wear the same size shoe and in an attempt to be fair to everyone they have disadvantaged some. If my shoe size is smaller or larger than this one size shoe, I am disadvantaged. This metaphor reminded me of a young child’s sense of fair. For example, to young children running a metaphorical race fair (equality) means everyone starts at the same place at the same time. However, when children move to the classroom and have some have a disadvantage the notion of fair and equal treatment becomes an important issue. From our research so far this semester, this “disadvantage” can range from being a student with a disability to an English Language Learner to an LGBTQ individual to a specific gender.

As a student growing up with an IEP, my CSE (Committee for Special Education) meetings always focused on equality. Looking back I have a different lens regarding whether the accommodations produced equality.

But I digress…back to Wong’s metaphorical race, treating students with equality can only be fair if all students are at the starting line and can attain the same access, opportunity and support. Equity is when all “runners” reach the finish line (whatever that might be) of graduation or career choice. Also equity is when these runners have the same opportunities regardless of “disability”.

Source: https://momentousinstitute.org/blog/equity-why-talk-about-it-with-children

2. Chapter 8 of TSIS, explores the issue of connecting all the parts of writing from transition terms to repeating yourself but with a difference. Wong utilizes both of these connections throughout her writing. Wong starts out in the first paragraph with one of her favorite phrases “in addition” (I prefer additionally) …In addition to a business case. Paragraph two starts out with the contrast transition, regardless (not irregardless – even though Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary has officially really added the word “irregardless” to its dictionary, regardless to the fact it’s not a word…hmmm).

As Wong moves on in the article to the section titled “Context” we see the example of, for example, as a transition in the second paragraph. The “Privilege, Marginalization & Differences in Experience” area demonstrates a paragraph starting out with the contrast transition of – in contrast. These are a few examples of the commonly used transitions that are seen throughout the article.

I appreciate the subtle manner in which Wong repeats information but in a way that is smooth. An example of this would be “Recognizing that certain groups of people have experienced (and continue to experience)”.

Wong uses transitions strategically by making sure that each word and phrase fits the relationship she’s emphasizing or the connection being made. As writers one of our primary goals is to present ideas in both a clear-cut and comprehensible way. Transitional words and phrases create compelling links between ideas and can help readers comprehend the paper’s logic.

I forgot to add what my excitement was for the week…probably because I was busy getting ready for it. I’m going with my family to meet my Aunt and Uncle in Texas on vacation in Mexico…so I’m a bit scattered trying to get everything done finishing my other two classes and packing. Perhaps I’ll have some fun pictures to share in the next few weeks. A vacation is fun but the pre-vacation and post-vacation is a lot of work…and those of you with kids…I take my hat off to you as I try to get just myself ready.

Discussion Questions Week of 7/12

1) All my research papers involve the same fundamental process: I collect information, organize my ideas, and write. To accomplish this I start my research on any subject with Syracuse Library “Summons”…my favorite…It’s one of the few bookmarks on my computer. It puts an initial “Search articles, books and other resources” at the tip of your fingers.

If it’s a topic that I’m not particularly familiar with I will then start with tertiary sources since they are the most general. Tertiary sources are encyclopedias, atlases, or other reference books (not Wikipedia 😊). These sources can give me basic background information, help me with keywords for additional research, and direct me to further sources. Since this information is very broad, tertiary sources are my starting point.

In my search engine, I typically start with filters, (if I’m not planning to be on campus)- full text online, peer reviewed (it’s my science background – we love peer reviewed), and then publication dates (usually within the last 5 years but I can be flexible depending on the topic). I may play with subject terms and area of study.

I may then move into an advanced search. If this leads me to results that I don’t want, then I can “exclude” certain results from a further search.

Interestingly, I sometimes put my search into “google” or “bing”. I can come up with results that were not initially in my Syracuse University search. Here’s a pro tip… put those results into Summons and you can have access to the information (which many times you are unable to – just with an internet search engine).

Another pro tip…our Syracuse University tuition pays for librarians and they’ll even “Live Chat” or email you back. I was frustrated late one weekend and they came to my rescue (and at a late time). I even see a text number although I haven’t tried that yet.

2) As far as my research, I am intrigued by the concept of hiring individuals with disabilities and at what point should the disability be disclosed. Will this disclosure cause stigmatized populations to be discriminated against (even if it’s never obvious to the individual)? I think disclosing of disabilities to a potential employer is a really important topic in organizational culture so I’m going to explain this foundational idea of pre-employment disclosure and the effect on hiring of individuals with disabilities.

We know from the articles we’ve read and the expanding the canon research our classmates have done that the employment participation of people with disabilities is still lags when compared to their non-disabled, and comparably educated, counterparts.

A main reason for the underemployment of individuals with disabilities is that employers often hold negative views about the work-related abilities of these individuals. What I’m interested in researching is an analysis of where in the employment relationship these negative views appear, and whether a disabled individual should disclose pre-employment of a disability. I’m referring to so-called invisible disabilities. Those struggling with invisible disabilities should be comfortable sharing information about their disability with their employer as well as requesting accommodation. Unfortunately, that is not always the situation. The question of whether or not to inform employers as well as when to inform them is an interesting question.

The issue of invisible disabilities is becoming more common in the workplace. Invisible disabilities (as described by the Invisible Disabilities Association) indicates symptoms such as “debilitating pain, fatigue, dizziness, cognitive dysfunctions, brain injuries, learning differences and mental health disorders, as well as hearing and vision impairments.” Sometimes employees are undecided about disclosing their invisible disability to their employer or coworkers. In addition to not disclosing this during an interview, this lack of transparency means that accommodations for disabilities may not be requested or made. Accommodations made in the workplace for invisible disabilities can include flexible schedule, special software for assisting with scheduling or prioritizing tasks, or architectural changes such as a standing desk.

I plan to have my research include both primary and secondary resources. This may be a challenging topic to find research on but it is one that is of personal interest to me. I hope to find the viewpoints of both the employee and the employer. I hypothesize finding employers that will truthfully answer questions (particularly about pre-employment prejudice) might be a challenge. I will try to speak with agencies that help disabled people find employment.

Discussion Questions Week of 7/5

1) I have appreciated the opportunity to read everyone’s posts and their interpretation of this assignment.

As a student in Knowledge Management with classmates from around the world, I found Julia’s issue of “Reproducing inequity: the role of race in the business school faculty search”, to be of statistical interest. The article proceeds to enlighten us that an overwhelming 67% of full-time faculty at business schools are white. The research noted that to be effective in creating an inclusive environment, everyone must be enthusiastic and open to change. Exactly! Without reading about this research, I might have assumed (and you know what happens when you do that)…that highly educated individuals might embrace diversity and all that it contributes to a school’s educational value. As the students so eloquently discussed in the YouTube video, in the business world they will encounter diversity as well as different mindsets. By having a diverse faculty as instructors their education would reflect the world in which they’ll be working. I also found the graphic with data from the opinions of white and black faculty to be quite eye opening. White faculty members consider their department to be more committed to inclusion while black faculty may believe that department efforts to promote inclusion are unsatisfactory. As a result, many feel as though the department does not take inclusion seriously.

So Julia your article got me thinking…I found this in the Daily Orange from March 2021

In early March, the Board of Trustees special committee announced a $50 million investment toward faculty diversification. The university has also increased the number of learning communities geared toward underrepresented communities and hired additional counseling professionals from marginalized identities.

Students question SU’s commitment to diversity, report shows

I guess we’ll see Syracuse University!

Another contribution that I enjoyed reading was Kayla’s contribution on “The association between unemployment status and physical health among veterans and civilians in the United States” by Than V. Tran, Julie Canfield, & Keith Chan. I appreciated increasing public awareness of the struggles of marginalized people face. In my classes at Syracuse, so many of my classmates are military or former military. In addition to unemployment health concerns for veterans the TED talk pointed out that two thirds of veterans struggle to adjusting to civilian life. This has definitely opened my eyes to the great challenges of veterans and I’m glad that Syracuse University has the National Veterans Resource Center that can assist our military in their educational endeavors.

In our Expanding the Canon posts, classmates offered many different aspects of diversity and organizational culture. I enjoyed exploring these differences in a safe and positive environment. This unit has been about understanding each other and moving from an environment of tolerance to celebrating the diversity within each individual.

3) Transitions allow you to signal clearly when you are changing direction. This change could be in the subject or emphasis. One thing that should be noted Bogost could never be accused of using too many strong transitions. There was not a however or nevertheless to be found…his transitions were very slick and seamless. I kept re-reading the article to find transitions, they were not overly obvious and strong.

I’m about to demonstrate my quantitative nature right now which might not score me points with a qualitative writing teacher but … but is utilized as a transition word to begin paragraphs four times as well as in countless sentences. I just found that interesting.

As far as transitions, I noted the first one at the first but… “But that’s an aspirational hope. This is when Bogost emphasizes a viewpoint. Another transition I noted is after (yes another but) “But their impact might be a drop in the bucket”. This transition has particular emphasis by utilizing that strong phrase. The writer is contrasting good efforts however realistically those efforts have a minimal impact.

Another transition is “But integration is much harder than diversity.” Since this transition is at the start of a paragraph, it signals a connection (in this case a contrast) between idea segments.

I noticed that Bogost used Webb’s name as a transition to connect paragraphs…

“When Amy Webb, Webb, who is a professor at New York University, Webb’s experience is, Webb points to China, In Webb’s view, But to Webb, For Webb”

It appears that Webb is the transition between many parts of Bogost’s writing. Bogost in his writing has the ability to connect with his audience. The situations are relatable and by using smooth transitions it is an easy read.

Discussion Questions Week of 6/28

1) Jason Fried does a great job explaining in an engaging manner “Why work doesn’t happen at work”. His goal appears to convince people that productivity occurs everywhere but at the office. I should be upfront as I analyze this talk I believe in certain circumstances I agree with him. Did he write this after the pandemic…he should have because it’s can be so true. It is clear from the audience reaction that they can relate to his story of workers attempting to find time and a place to accomplish work.

The strategy that he uses to explain his ideas is one of folksy stories. One of the big laughs that he got from the audience is “You don’t have workdays anymore…you have work moments.” He points out that special creative people need long stretches of uninterrupted time, well I’d point out that all workers may need longer stretches of uninterrupted time to accomplish effective work.

Jason is invoking the audience’s emotion to gain acceptance and approval for the ideas expressed. He stirs the emotions of many employees who might have simmering resentment of their supervisors by noting, “Managers jobs are to interrupt people and make sure people are working.” While that got a chuckle from the audience, I think a grain of truth was in the statement which caused the reaction.

He ends the talk with three provocative ideas that are intended to generate strong emotions.

1) Instead of casual Fridays…“No-talk Thursdays.” Just one Thursday a month with a period of “quiet time” prohibiting coworkers from talking to each other and limiting distraction. It’s better than a new computer.

2) Replacing active communication such as face to face conversation, with passive forms such as email, IM and collaboration tools.

3)If you have a meeting coming up…go ahead and cancel the meeting.

Throughout his talk, Jason speaks in a calm, relaxed manner. He walks across the stage with authority and confidence. He uses pauses effectively as he describes the stories, makes his point, but is not too wordy (thus losing his audience’s attention). By using a full, resonant voice, Jason conveys an air of knowledge and I am drawn to his talk as the audience was.

2) Margaret Heffernan’s talk is one of a speaker working with evidence. The overall theme of her TED talk is about the unstable planet that we exist in…how prophetic! In an engaging talk, Heffernan provides numerous examples of skills that should be developed in our unpredictable world along with examples of companies and almost frightening predictions of what occurred since she made the speech in 2019.

As evidence she mentions the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness, CEPI. At the time of the talk, she commented that there will be more epidemics in future, although we don’t know the specifics so all we can do is prepare. Vaccines can be developed, knowing that we can’t predict which vaccines are going to work or which diseases will break out. However, some of those vaccines will never be used. While there’s a certain inefficiency to that it does mean that we have choices. Those choices mean the system is strong and healthy. I’m sure if she did the talk in 2021 she’d note the choices in vaccines that are available.

The bottom line according to Heffernan is the human skills are important in solving the problems of our unpredictable age. Margaret Heffernan walks the audience through her argument with examples from supermarket chains to the Bank of England to climate change. This talk was easy-to-understand and Heffernan conveyed the information with a passion that was clear to the audience.

Margaret Heffernan’s perspective is that of an entrepreneur, CEO, and writer. She is presently a Professor of Practice at the University of Bath School of Management in the UK. She teaches entrepreneurship, as well as mentors executives.