4 Reasons to Make Blogging a Priority

I haven't written in a while. This is by no means because I didn't want to. I just didn't make it a priority. Here are four reasons from a new favorite book of mine for why I need to make it a priority:

1. "Full, free self-expression is the essence of leadership. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, 'The man is only half himself, the other half is his expression.'"

2. "No leader sets out to be a leader per se, but rather to express himself [or herself] freely and fully. That is, leaders have no interest in proving themselves, but an abiding interest in expressing themselves. The difference is crucial, for it's the difference between being driven, as too many people are today, and leading, as too few people do."

3. "Codifying one's thinking is an important step in inventing oneself... Writing is the most profound way of codifying your thoughts, the best way of learning from yourself who you are and what you believe."

4. "To be authentic is to literally be your own author (the words derive from the same Greek root), to discover your own native energies and desires, and then to find your own way of acting on them."

The book is On Becoming a Leader by Warren Bennis. Bennis was the President of the University of Cincinnati in the 70's, and is known for his leadership expertise.

Are Business Schools Going "Soft?"

So I'm graduating soon. By the end of 2010 I will have a bachelor's degree in Organizational Leadership. As a part of my 30 year-old plan I have to seriously start figuring out what I want to do for a masters degree. I've been looking into various options for my graduate schooling over the past five years. My general idea of what type of schooling I want to pursue has changed along the way. This is largely due to the various mentors and advice givers I've had along the path. These people include friends, family, academic advisers, various professors, and the occasional stranger. Please feel free to share your opinion with me and possible alter the course of history.

I have looked into programs of planning, organizational leadership, public administration, and most recently communications. I have been criticized by some advice givers that my preferred option (as of now) in communications is "soft" and that communications is mostly "fluff." I've been told that I would do much better to go toward business, organizational psychology, or planning. That I needed to stay away from those "people who talk about Discourse." I personally have never felt like business schools would satisfy me. I didn't feel that I was MBA material because I felt that most MBA programs were too rigid. It's somewhat hard to explain exactly what I mean by this, but I will try.

The business field has conventionally focused on "good business." What sells, what makes a profit, how to maximize the profit, and how to develop more efficient processes are the typical stuff of business schools. They call these various routes to success "business models," and will tel you how to be successful using these various models. Anyways, I have always preferred the "soft" approach of the social sciences that discuss things like implicit costs and social impact. I like the idea that everything is interconnected and that if we mess with one area to get a big profit, it can have disastrous results in another area. I like this because it's true! In business they generally don't care. The only entity to consider is the business and its stakeholders, which is a very narrow point of view.

So I was highly surprised when I was turned on to an article in the New York Times by one of my professors. The article explained that due to the recent economic crisis, many business schools felt that they needed to provide a more holistic thinking graduate. The article mentions that "[MBA Graduates] need to sharpen their thinking skills, whether it’s questioning assumptions, or looking at problems from multiple points of view." The article then echos my previous understanding that "learning how to think critically — how to imaginatively frame questions and consider multiple perspectives — [is] historically ... associated with a liberal arts education, not a business school curriculum." So what has been the solution? Change the curriculum to match the need. My response... about time. The article states that this shift in curriculum is "tectonic," which is to say foundational. A couple of the schools mentioned in this shift are the business schools at Stanford, Yale, and the University of Toronto.

This is wonderful news for me. My gut feeling that I would be better served by going "soft" is actually something that several business schools are trying to do as well. It's a strong affirmation that I wasn't in the wrong as a couple advice-givers suggested. Some business scholars such as Henry Mintzberg believe that all MBA programs should be shut down and that the only programs for business education should be those for people who have already earned some of their management stripes. Interesting thought.

Without doing away with one of the most profitable degrees for universities across the globe, I like the approach that several programs are taking. I really like the title of some of the courses mentioned in the article as well. Titles such as "Fundamentals of Integrative Thinking," and "Problem Framing," and "The Opposable Mind." These changes are in the face of traditional thinking, and not everyone is on board. The idea is that by creating a more socially aware and capable thinking graduate, economic crises like the ones we've seen in recent times will be less frequent and potent. However, as the article states, if the pay systems that reward huge short-term profits over steady long-term success remain, it will negate much of the attempted changes. The article quoted Upton Sinclair who said, "it’s amazing how difficult it is for a man to understand something if he’s paid a small fortune to not understand it."

For me, I've added a couple business schools to my list of options. They made a huge shift in their thought and so have I.

Here's a Tongue Twister for You.

So when I was in High School I decided to invent a tongue twister. I must have been really bored. I thought I would publish it for the first time for anyone to see.

Jamaican Bacon

Are Jamaicans makin' Jamaican bacon for the Jamaicans achin' for Jamaican bacon made from Jamaican bacon-makin' pigs?

There you have it.

The Good of Education

I love to learn. That is probably why I may never actually leave the classroom (figuratively speaking of course). I am one that want to take full advantage of every opportunity I am given to learn. I make the most of the even the most mundane classes, from Physics (interesting concepts, but horrible teacher) to Deaf Heritage (a topic I never really thought about before). I am usually the annoying kid in class who always has something to say about what the teacher is explaining. This has its positive and negative effects.

The Negative:
My obsession with school almost always estranges me from my peers. Few college students that I come in contact care about their education the way I do. Most of my classmates just want to get the grade and move on. One graduate student even went so far as to say that her college education is "knowledge bulimia" in that she upchucks all of the info she learned at the end of each quarter in order to make room for the next quarter. I am the opposite in that I hope to retain as much info about the class as possible (in case I need it).

Fortunately technology has made this much easier and less messy. The quarter has just passed and I have spent about two or three hours scanning in all of my notes, hand-outs, and tests from the quarter. I have documented each item in its appropriate spot, and pushed it back into my school archives. I can breathe easier, but I can't easily forget what I have learned. I may be considered by some as obsessive, but I prefer the term "knowledge-centric." This centricity can easily seen as a negative, but only from the outside.

The positive:

I always try to do more than I need to. This often annoys the other students (especially if there is a curve), but I feel that I owe it to myself to do the best that I can possibly do. Part of this is immersing myself in the the subject. I do this to the point that I blend the past experiences I've had with what I'm learning and get highly interested in even the most difficult subjects. This generally leades to several after class discussions with the professor. My professors have usually learned that I am a bit more committed than the usual student, and consequently entrust me with some interesting assignments.

For example: I made a comment in class about Dr. Seligman's work on learned optimism and explanatory style. The teacher was so interested that she asked for some more information. I went home and composed an email with some of the basics about learned optimism as it pertained to the topic in class. She then emailed me and asked if I wanted to help her do research on the topic that I had brought to her attention. Wow! I wasn't expecting that to come from a simple comment in class. This same professor also submitted my name to be a good candidate for the new Organizational Leadership Club that our school is trying to start. I was able to become the inaugural recruitment chair. Neat opportunities.

Another example is a professor in one class who started lobbying for me to go to her department's masters program once I completed my Bachelor's Degree. It seemed interesting, and I began doing some research into the degree and my options. At the end of the quarter after I received one of only two A's in the class, I was asked by the same professor if I would be willing to work for her. The job would be reading the textbook for her class next quarter (which I will be taking) and helping with the research to get it ready for publication. I am amazed at the opportunity to learn more even outside the classroom.

It is for these reasons that I am happy to say that I may never leave the classroom. Even if I don't quite see things the same way my peers do. This has been a great quarter for these opportunities, and I look forward to next quarter.

Thank You Brian Kelly and Farewell

There has been quite a bit of hatred around Cincinnati recently with the announcement that Brian Kelly is the new head coach at Notre Dame. I will admit that I was also extremely upset, but I have moved on and feel that the rest of Cincinnati, barring the UC football team, should do so as well. This city needs to be grateful for what Brian Kelly has done to the University of Cincinnati's football program. Here are a couple reasons why.

1. Brian Kelly left for his dream job. Although most people are claiming that he chose to go to Notre Dame because of the money, I don't think he would have left for any other school even if they offered significantly more money. Because of his success he was a highly desired football coach. His negotiations with both Notre Dame and Cincinnati were rigorous. According to Cincinnati's Athletic Director Mike Thomas, every effort was made to keep Kelly here in Cincinnati. The final decision came down to the fact that Brian Kelly would rather be in Notre Dame. I think that even if Notre Dame offered the exact same amount of money that Cincinnati offered, he would still have picked Notre Dame.

2. Isn't it better that Kelly used Cincinnati as a stepping stone to Notre Dame than UConn or Louisville? This is my biggest point. It doesn't take much to see the impact that Brian Kelly has had on the Cincinnati football program. Would this have happened if he had never worked here? I doubt it. So why complain that he left so long as he left the program significantly better.

3. I can understand why people are upset, and I've been frustrated in the past couple days in which Kelly left Cincinnati. Especially considering that several of the players that are upset, have been classmates of mine at one point or another. However, Brian Kelly didn't do anything to me personally, and he really didn't hurt my "pride" in Cincinnati. If anything I am much more "proud" of Cincinnati and rub it into my Ohio State counterparts every chance I get. I wish he was still here, but he isn't and maybe it is just as good.

4. The last two schools that Kelly has left are still doing really well because of the way that he structured their systems for the future. The same has happened for Cincinnati. I will be highly surprised if Cincinnati goes back to being a "no-name" team in college football just because Kelly isn't here anymore. Because of the way Kelly left the program, we can get another good coach, continue to dominate the Big East, and stay in contention for the national title in years to come.

Cincinnati should be grateful that Kelly came. Stop beating the man up and let him move on to Notre Dame. The only people that shouldn't move on, at least not yet, are the football players that used to be under Kelly's guidance. He ditched them flat out. Take that anger and frustration and use it. Use it to destroy Florida! That kind of rage could tip the scales even more in favor of Cincinnati at the Sugar Bowl. Then when the Sugar Bowl is over, we can start working on next season with the new coach. For goodness sake, we still have Zach Collaros, DJ Woods, and Armon Binns. Let Cincinnati football continue on in greatness.

The one thing that has upset me the most about this whole BK to ND deal is that Notre Dame acts as if it is their right to pick anybody for the position. It also seems crazy that a program as dilapidated as Notre Dame's can still hold such a strong sway over a man as intelligent as Kelly. In this sense, maybe it is all about the money. In some sense, I wish Kelly would fall flat at Notre Dame, but not because I want Kelly to fail. I just want Notre Dame to be knocked down a couple more pride notches. I wish Kelly the best of luck in everything he does, mostly for the way he has positioned out football program for a magnificent future. I am not going to predict if Kelly will succeed or fail, I'm not that vested in the Fighting (and losing) Irish. Either way, I am looking forward to the new coach and the next chapter in UC football history. Bring on the Sugar Bowl!!

PB&J In a Bag and more M&M Creations

I was at the new Wal-Mart in Fairfax today and was stunned to see a new product in the check out line. The Mars M&M company has come out with a limited edition equivalent of Peanut Butter and Jelly (PB&J) in a Bag. The special M&M's are called "Strawberried Peanut Butter M&Ms," and they are weird. I couldn't resist buying a pack to test them out. Sure enough, as I suspected, they tasted like little morsels of America's favorite slap together sandwich. Just add a hint of chocolate, shrink it down to the size of a pea, and put a candy shell around it. Why not?

Just to clarify, I don't really like PB&J, so I was really going out on a limb with this little pack. But I figured in a worse case scenario I could give them all to my toddlers who will eat anything. However, the most I shared was two M&Ms to each of my two kids, and about three or four with my wife. Yeah, I'm stingy. Fortunately for my taste buds the peanut butter flavor overpowered the PB&J effect, which made for a good mid-morning snack. I love peanut butter.

Shortly after eating them, I patted my portly belly and decided to check and see if I had done myself a nutritional favor by eating that bag of M&Ms instead of a real PB&J. One bag contains about 230 calories and various other nefarious ingredients. One PB&J sandwich contains about as many calories, perhaps a few more, and is possibly healthier. It all depends on the bread, peanut butter, and jam that you use; And also if you lay it on thick (like I do), or spread it so thin you have to sniff the bread to see if there is anything on it (like my wife). Needless to say the Mars M&M Company has come out with a nifty little snack. I just wonder if we as a society are to the point where we are too lazy to make a PB&J. If so, we now have an easy solution.

I checked out the M&M website to see if I could find anything else about their nifty little sandwich in a bag (not named such, probably for marketing reasons. It doesn’t sound as appealing). Unfortunately I didn’t see anything about their strawberry excursion, but I did see something else that really caught my eye. M&M’s have offered personalization to their candies for a while now, letting people pick their color, and even picking messages to go on the candies as in those little sweet hearts at Valentines Day. Now they have taken it one step further, and creepier. You can now get faces printed on your M&Ms. On their web page they highlight a girl’s face on some pieces with phrases such as “Tiff is 16” and “Born to Party!” on other pieces. I think this is a clever idea, although it is a little strange. Why would you want your face on a piece of candy that is going to be crushed to bits in one of your friend's mouth. I do think we could really put this to good use though. If the US Government had special M&Ms created with the top ten most wanted criminals’ faces on them, we the people could literally help take a bite out of crime! Think about it.

Selling Books (Half Price may not be so great)

I love Half Price Books. A regular bookstore where everything is half price or better. What a brilliant idea. To top it off, they even let you sell your old books to them for cash. I thought this might be a good way to clean up the old home library. We have collected several books we rarely touch, and even more rarely think about or read.

I packed up a box full of books and headed to the local Half Price Book Store. It is only 10 minutes away and easily accessible to the freeway. I hoped to get at least $50 for my box of books, which I thought was extremely low considering several of the books cost at least $30 or more. However, $50 would have been worth the trip.

The way it works is that you take your books to the counter, and while they are tabulating your box of books, you can wander around looking for new books to spend your cash on. They told me that once they tabulated everything they would make an offer and I could accept or decline. I had come in with the intention to take whatever offer they gave me.

I left with the whole box of books. Not only was the offer well below my expectations ($26), I wouldn't even be able to buy the new books I had picked up while wandering around the store. I was incredulous. Still am. Now I know that if I want to sell enough books to buy a few new books, I have to bring my whole bookcase. Crazy!

I decided to check out a couple websites that offer to buy books from you. One is Cash 4 Books, which would only take 6 of the books I was offering for $45. The other website, Powell's Books, Offered me $7 for 3 other books. This is totaling $52 (or twice as much as Half Price) for only 9 books of the offered 20-30. Not bad. Good thing I didn't take Half Price's offer. It's a rip off.

In Half Price's defense, I'm sure that they have seen an influx of people bringing in old books due to the economy. They were the only place I checked out that would actually take all of the books. Based on simple principles of supply and demand, I can't really imagine that they are offering top prices in this economy. It is still surprising though that I can get double their offer with a third of the books.