The chatter about how AI will change the world, take your job, out-consult the consultants, displace management, perform reviews, identify potential criminals and reoffenders, diagnose illnesses, etc., especially etc., is never ending.
AI is supposed to bring true objectivity to its many applications creating longed for change.
AI is good at increasing bias in the name of efficiency and objectivity.
It is even better at automating the loss of privacy and increasing surveillance in the name of safety.
Long before AI got hot Lou Gerstner knew the solution.
Computers are magnificent tools for the realization of our dreams, but no machine can replace the human spark of spirit, compassion, love, and understanding.
Something tech has forgotten in its love affair with data and its warped view of progress.
A series of three studies reveals that investors prefer pitches from male entrepreneurs over those from female entrepreneurs, even when the content of the pitches is identical. Attractive men are the most persuasive pitchers of all, the studies show.
According to Gordon Patzer, author of The Power and Paradox of Physical Attractiveness,
“We are just hard wired to respond more favorably to attractive people. This is something anthropologically that has existed for as long as history exists.”
Anthropologically, not biologically.
Every living creature “responds more favorably” to attractiveness as defined by its species, but that isn’t the same as biological hardwiring.
Awareness of a prejudice allows you to put it in perspective and see past it.
But you have to want to.
I’ve always said that charm is the number one reason for bad hires, what I forget is that looks are the number one reason for missing good hires.
A Friday series exploring Startups and the people who make them go. Read allIf the Shoe Fits posts here
Judge: A thoughtful evaluation of another person’s action, thought, opinion, etc., with which you may agree or disagree.
Judgmental: A part of MAP typically reflecting a negative critiquing of other’s actions, thoughts, opinions and even the person.
You have every right as a boss to subjectively quantify your people’s efforts, thoughts and attitudes against requirements of which they are clearly and explicitly informed.
You have no right to assign values, such as stupid, wrong, spiteful, etc., to your subjective quantifications.
The first is judging; the second is judgmental.
Do you judge or are you judgmental?
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Maya Angelou is well known as a poet and an activist, but I find what she says full of common sense and much of it applicable to the workplace, especially to entrepreneurs.
First and of great importance Angelou warns, “Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future and renders the present inaccessible.” This refers not only to the obvious prejudices, but also the more subtle ones, such as schools, age (young if you aren’t and older if you are), neighborhood, etc.
The following seems focused directly on a large portion of Millennials, “There is nothing so pitiful as a young cynic because he has gone from knowing nothing to believing nothing.”
Angelou also offers the same advice Steve Jobs did on how to be successful, “You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off you.”
Creativity is something that every manager wants and being creative is something that every person is, whether they realize it or not, “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”
People talk all the time about “having it all” and “doing it all,” but, as Maya advises, “There is a very fine line between loving life and being greedy for it.”
She also share some hard won wisdom that entrepreneurs and others in the work world would do well to remember, “I’ve learned that making a “living” is not the same thing as making a “life.””
Finally, Angelou offers us the ultimate advice; definitely worth remembering, “Nothing will work unless you do.”
I find it amusing to read about research that proves what most of us already know—things such as healthy food costs more or that managers play favorites.
While 84% of those surveyed say favoritism takes place at their own organizations, just 23% acknowledged practicing it themselves, and 9% say it was a factor in determining their last promotion.
“I think the really interesting point is that almost a quarter admit to practicing it themselves, but only 9% believe that favoritism played a role in their own achievements. I guess it is therefore safe to assume that the other 91% believe they made it strictly on their own merits and hard work. Now I would call that either delusional, or defying the odds, though more likely the former.”
Many managers who believe they are fair are influenced in ways in which they are totally unaware.
When I was a recruiter I knew a manager who would not hire a blonde; he wasn’t aware of it until I proved it to him. Another manager refused to promote a talented woman until he realized it was because she looked like his ex mother-in-law.
Both of them worked through it, but before you can stop something you have to recognize that you’re doing it.
That means being aware of your personal prejudices and making a conscious effort not to let them influence you.
By the same token, you need to be aware when you’re playing to the boss-gallery because you figured out what floats his boat.
I’m not saying you have to admit it, but at least don’t kid yourself.
Do you ever give thought to your personal prejudices? Not the race, creed, color, gender orientation prejudices, but all those prejudices and predilections that predispose you to think and respond a certain way—sometimes they are even one in the same.
My most annoying prejudice/predilection, and the one that has brought me the most grief, stems from my hearing—or should I say my lack of hearing.
I hear the sound of voices, but I have difficulty turning those sounds into understandable speech. This is exacerbated by the speed at which people speak and the lack of good diction. In other words, to my hearing, people talk very fast and mumble.
Because of that I tend to latch on to those I can hear, cutting them too much slack, rationalizing the red flags and, worst of all, trusting them because I can hear/understand them.
Stupid, but I’ve fallen into that trap more times than I can count and it has cost me time, money and pain.
My solution has been to build up an ultra conscious sensitivity to people’s speech patterns; it doesn’t necessarily stop my mad rush, but at least I’m conscious of the risk.
By the same token, that awareness keeps me from passing people by who have great value, but are difficult to hear.
Whether you call them prejudices or not, you would be wise to build your awareness of them. Even the piddily little ones can keep you from hiring great people, finding the love of your life and moving forward on dozens of other fronts without your even realizing it.
So try taking a step back, watch yourself as you go about your life; actively listen to what you say and think about why you said it. Recognize your auto responses; know what immediately puts you at ease, like my hearing, and consider how much that influences your attitude.
Yes, it’s work, but, as with any kind of work, when it’s done well, the payoff more than rewards the effort on so many levels.
As most of you know I write a series on Thursday called Leadership’s Future that looks at education, parenting, kids, Millennials, etc. In the course of my reading I see a articles that would be of interest, but I can’t fit them all in, so I thought that today I’d offer up some of the good ones that I haven’t had time to feature.
Assuming you live on this planet you’re aware that there’s a recession going on, so what’s happening in the world of youth and parents?
Do you tweet? Some college professors are finding uses for Twitter in their teaching, although enhancing spelling isn’t one of them; speaking of education, some schools are delivering sex ed via cell phone.
Multiple studies by professors at a variety of universities show that having interracial roommates reduces prejudice. Not that surprising, it’s hard to hate a real individual vs. a hypothetical stereotype.
Finally, there’s a new texting champion (control your enthusiasm) who practiced by sending 14,000 texts a month. Isn’t that thrilling?
Think of all the times you’ve used it as your argument of choice—or had it used on you.
The problem, Gloria Steinem tells us, is that “Logic is in the eye of the logician.”
That makes logic a moving target and subject to the whims of MAP, which means that “Logic is the art of going wrong with confidence,” according to Joseph Wood Krutch
Ambrose Bierce offers a wonderful definition, “Logic: The art of thinking and reasoning in strict accordance with the limitations and incapacities of the human misunderstanding.”
Boy is that true.
John Locke tells us that “Logic is the anatomy of thought,” while Leonard Nimoy believes that “Logic is the beginning of wisdom, not the end.”
But it was Dale Carnegie hit the nail on the head when he said, “When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures of emotion, creatures bristling with prejudice, and motivated by pride and vanity.”
And Tryon Edwards warns us that “Prejudices are rarely overcome by argument; not being founded in reason they cannot be destroyed by logic,” because, as Anon tells us, “The best defense against logic is ignorance.”
Which goes a long way to explaining why no one on Wall Street or the SEC listened to Warren Buffet or Harry Markopolos respectively.
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.
$10 really does make a difference and you’ll never miss it,
Maya Angelou is well known as a poet and an activist, but I find what she says full of common sense and much of it applicable to the workplace, especially to entrepreneurs.
I find it amusing to read about research that proves what most of us already know—things such as healthy food costs more or that 
Assuming you live on this planet you’re aware that there’s a recession going on, so what’s happening in the world of youth and parents?
Think of all the times you’ve used it as your argument of choice—or had it used on you.
