I wrote yesterday’s Oldie back in 2007; it ended with this comment,
Corporate responsibility is a major buzzword these days, but it’s hard to tell whether it’s tied more closely to
doing what’s right;
doing what you can get away with; or
not getting caught.
It’s taken 13 years for practitioners of the second and third approaches to even consider changing.
The pressure they face to take such steps is real; the industry’s years of reliance on hypocrisy, lobbying, and misleading public relations tactics is eerily reminiscent of the approach taken by tobacco companies, and its litigation risks are set to follow a similar trajectory, with lawyers and activists framing failure to address climate change as a human-rights violation.
The changes certainly aren’t being driven by the Feds (consider the EPA’s decision to limit scientific research when drafting environmental and public health regulations), but by people.
The corporate responsibility façade is—finally, thankfully—crumbling. Activist investors and angry citizens have forced a reckoning. The Conference Board views the upcoming 2020 proxy season as a tipping point for disclosure of corporate political activity.
Even more potent are Gen Z’s and many Millennial’s attitude on choosing a place to work.
Young graduates evaluating prospective employers know that the true narrative of a corporation’s purpose can be found by reviewing who it does business with and which politicians it backs [emphasis mine].
There is no company that can survive without an adequate workforce and there is no Generation in history as suspicious and downright cynical about corporate America, including Big Tech, unicorns and startups in general than Gen Z — an attitude already infecting other generational segments.
Amazon employee reaction to CEO Jeff Bezos’ climate change initiative is a good example.
Amazon Employees for Climate Justice responded to Jeff Bezos’s recent $10 billion commitment to fight climate change by reminding their CEO that “one hand cannot give what the other is taking away.”
That two-faced approach isn’t unusual; in fact, it’s common practice — more plainly described as talk the talk, but screw the walk.
It will be difficult for that approach to continue working when it seriously limits recruiting efforts, not to mention paying customers.
It’s a sad commentary that when discussions turn to technical careers so many people immediately assume that means software/startup/consumer product monetized by advertising.
Today, I thought I’d introduce you to Millennial Matt Heverly, who heads the team driving NASA’s Curiosity as it explores Mars.
Yes, you drive by programming, but how much more exciting to work on a team that explores a planet than to build another social app.
And for those who think working for a large, semi-governmental corporation (Jet Propulsion Labs) means an uptight attitude you couldn’t be more wrong.
Bobak Ferdowsi, a flight director who sports a mohawk with red, white and blue streaks…
But it was the group’s esprit de corps that left the lasting impression. A spoof video, “We’re NASA and We Know It,” recorded to the beat of the song “Sexy and I Know It,” now has 2.4 million views on YouTube. Mr. Ferdowsi, now known online as Mohawk Guy, has 53,000 Twitter followers, up from a couple of hundred before the mission. People inside Building 264 here, part of the Space Flight Operations Facility, have long had a sense of humor about themselves — at one rocket launching, a group of scientists wore Spock ears.
It’s great to get kids involved in science and math, but they need to know that there are dozens of career paths out there that have depth and meaning and aren’t necessarily startups.
Just for fun, I’m posting the spoof, but you should also take a look at these videos of Mars.
And be sure to join me Friday for a look at the new, more solid direction of internet and software startups according to Sequoia Capital’s Jim Goetz.
The collider has to be some of the coolest science to come down the road in quite a while. But what I really loved was a collateral happening that goes along way to proving that science and the people practicing it are cool, too.
Meet Katie McAlpine, a Millennial whose efforts and interests have led her in a very short time to a fabulous job.
Katie graduated Michigan State University in 2007 with dual BAs in physics (with honors) and professional writing.
She has been the ATLAS E-News Journalist/Webmaster for ATLAS Collaboration, CERN since May.
Katie says, “I am an adventurer in the realm of ideas, and I have pitched my camp at a crossroads: the intersection of science and writing.” She also thinks that “science itself should be fun.”
More than that, Katie walks her talk as her well received Hadron rap video proves.
See more of Katie’s raps. Better yet, show/send them to all the kids you know.
Entrepreneurs face difficulties that are hard for most people to imagine, let alone understand. You can find anonymous help and connections that do understand at 7 cups of tea.
Crises never end.
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