Attracting and Retaining Great People

If you guessed a raise and a promotion, you're only partially right. The only two things your employees really want are to to feel valued and and to create value. Virgin and Johnson & Johnson have developed company cultures that put employees above shareholders. In his book "Losing My Virginity", Richard Bronson, Founder and CEO of Virgin, states "Convention dictates that a company looks after its shareholders first, its customers next and last of all worries about its employees. Virgin does the opposite. If you start off with a happy, well-motivated workforce, you're far more likely to have happy customers. In due course the resulting profits will make shareholders happy." Johnson & Johnson's 60 year old Credo places employees second after customers, but before community and shareholders. Both companies recognize that their employees are their most valuable assets and thus create organizational cultures that allow employees to demonstrate their value.

1. To Feel Valued

Company culture is central to an employee's sense of value. Culture gets ingrained in a new team member during the on-boarding process and perhaps even earlier. Your company culture may have caused some talented people to self-select out before or during the interview process. Culture is 20% explicit and 80% unstated. In other words, there are a few underlying principles that are explicitly stated within the company that inform millions of possible individual and organizational decisions about how employees relate to one another on a daily basis. The company's principles shape the culture and it is the CEO's responsibility to foster a healthy culture to spur innovation and growth. Principles determine how success is measured internally and externally. Raises, promotions, hiring and firing decisions should be made in alignment with organization's principles.

2. To Create Value

Everyone secretly wants be a super hero or at least feel like they are changing the world in some way. They want to be able to point to something and say "I did that." Imagine that there was an off-boarding process where each employee that was leaving had to make a final presentation to the entire organization. Would your employees have anything to brag about or would they simply just restate the bullet-points on their initial job descriptions? When you give your employees opportunities to create value, they will also feel valued, invested, and invested in. If leadership trusts in its employees and leads instead of manages, the employees will naturally energize innovate, taking the company to new heights that even the CEO's vision could not have imagined.

Syndicated by DowntoBusiness.com

Attracting and Retaining Great People

Before the business plan, the pitch deck, the company name, the logo, and the business cards, the most powerful thing you have as an entrepreneur is a vision that people can believe in. A powerful vision will attract the right people, opportunities, and ideas.

One of the myths about visionary companies revealed by James Collins and Jerry Porras in "Built To Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies" is that it doesn't take a great idea to start a great company. The reality is that few of the visionary companies the research began with a great idea. Several began without any idea at all. Most just began with a few people dedicated to realizing a singular vision.

Your product will evolve over time, but your vision should remain constant. Your first product may fail, but if you're truly committed to the vision, then you will go back to the drawing board to try to find another way to achieve it.

People want to feel like they are changing the world everyday they come to work. The challenge of actualizing the company's vision ignites their fire more so than the product itself. The product is a manifestation of the vision, not the other way around. Trying to blindly build a product without a vision may bring you some financing, a niche market, and some PR, but in the long-run it may cost you valuable team members, your integrity, and most importantly, your life.

The last thing you want to do is spend ten years building something that made lots of money but failed to achieve your initial vision. You could have got a job for that.

In addition to reading "Built To Last" (click here for summary), I also recommend that you read Randy Komisar's "Monk & The Riddle". It documents the journey of a technology entrepreneur and his struggle to create value for the world as his vision gets clouded by profit, prestige, and people.

Godspeed!

This article was syndicated by Downtobusiness.com

By Jullien Gordon

As technology burgeons, our minds shrivel. Especially in America, we are attracted by the concept of laziness. So called technological advances such as the remote control only foster our laziness and have led to poor physical conditions like obesity. Rather than getting up and turning on the television, we’ll spend more time searching for the lost remote control. Our reliance on technology to manage our minds and memory will inevitably lead us to a matrix-like state in this PDA-era.

A prime example is the cellular phone. We can’t leave home without them. Our cell phones store the telephone numbers of all the most important (and not so important) people in our lives. But the primary reason we can’t leave home without them is because we don’t memorize the telephone numbers stored in their chips. God forbid your battery dies, your LCD cracks, or you lose your phone when you’re in a crisis. As children we used to shoot telephone numbers off our head because all we had was 25 cents and pay phone.

Simply stated, the more we become digitalized, the less we memorize. As we enter February in celebration of Black history month I am afraid to say that many African Americans don’t know their history beyond slavery and the Civil Rights movement. As trite as it may sound, if you don’t know where you’re coming from, you don’t know where you’re going.

The art of story telling has evolved over time. Initially, our history was committed to memory and after that it became song. It used to be the responsibility of the griot, the elder, the keeper of the tales, and tribal memory to communicate and pass on the history to future generation. As a lost people, I question, where is our griot? When did our ongoing story, beginning from the creation of man in African come to an abrupt end and stop being told?

Was it when our history was transcribed to text? Ancient libraries in Egypt such Alexandria, Edfu, Heliopolis, Hermopolis, and Thebes contained documents rich in our history which was originally kept by oral traditions. But libraries like Alexandria were burned, thus leaving us without a manuscript to articulate where we were and how far we have come. African Americans are more undocumented than any illegal immigrant, because our history has been consumed by flames and all we have left to interpret is ashes and one paragraph in the annals American history.

There is an ongoing generational curse being recycled because each generation speaks a different language. Today’s hip hop generation communicates through lyrics, which at the root doesn’t deviate from the oral tradition, however today’s hip hop generation doesn’t address historical issues in their lyrics.

A people without a history become history. Without a sense of history, we will continue to stumble over the same obstacles and make the same mistakes that our ancestors endured. It is like driving without a rear view mirror. If we aren’t occasionally reminded of our history and where we’ve come from, we are aimlessly traveling through life without direction. If we look in our rear view mirror, we will see a 400 year car pile up and hundreds of potholes. We are what we’ve been through and that makes us the most resilient people on the face of this planet.

Each generation is supposed to improve upon the generation before it. But, that can only happen if the previous generation explains, educates, and empowers the generation following it with information they’ve acquired over the course of their life. It doesn’t take two people to burn themselves on the stove for both of them to know that the stove is hot.

According to William Glasser, we remember 10% of what we read, 20% of what we hear, 30% of what we see, 50% of what we see and hear, 70% of what we discuss with others, 80% of what we experience personally, and 95% of what we teach to someone else. Therefore, in order to complete the learning process elders must teach youth about their personal experience through discussion.

I highly recommend starting to write your own autobiography, taking pictures, making films, and developing your family tree so that future generations can learn from you life’s trials and tribulations. But most importantly, I recommend sharing your life stories orally with others because no form of communication is as intimate, genuine, and memorable as face-to-face dialogue.

By Jullien Gordon

Last Spring, the African community at UCLA was devastated. In May of 2004, 12-year old, Gregory Gabriel, a participant in UCLA African Student Union’s SHAPE after school academic achievement program, was shot and killed on an adolescent adventure to a youth night club in South Central after sneaking out from a sleep over. A few weeks later, Charles Gross, a 3rd year political science major, president of the UCLA Stocks & Bonds financial literacy organization, and NOMMO assistant editor was on track to graduate a year early, when he was unexpectedly shot on the porch of his home in Compton in May of 2004. An individual’s commitment to educational achievement no longer shields them from the evil, the crime, and the hate that infect our community. The stories of these two young Black men serve as a reminder to us all that no man is an island unto himself and that an injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

UCLA (or Westwood) can be considered a world within itself. On this campus, we still deal with unlawful policies (the end of Affirmative Action), discrimination (no Diversity Requirement), poverty (lack of financial aid), and even police brutality. No microcosm can exist without a macrocosm, thus UCLA is not an escape from reality; reality is merely downsized. It is in this type of environment where an individual is able to realize their potential because they can take risk, trying things they may have never considered trying on the global scale. Giant fears shrink into conquerable challenges. UCLA is a controlled experimental environment that provides time for student like ourselves to practice, evaluate, and refine our ideas and plans for the future. An on-campus community service organization is a microcosm of a non-profit or small business in the same way that our student government is a microcosm of world politics. If one cannot execute their “practice” plan on a college campus, chances are that they will struggle when they try to in the real world. This is also to say that individuals who don’t contribute to their on-campus community are not likely to contribute to their community at large once (and if) they graduate.

Though we as Black Bruins have been isolated by the 405, 10, and 110 freeways, a terrible public transportation system, high parking prices, and heaps of homework, these are just the erroneous factors we use to excuse ourselves from our responsibility to our community. Without ever leaving campus, how can one significantly impact or even know their community? Without ever leaving campus, one becomes disconnected and loses touch with their roots; when our primary reason for begin here is to uplift our people. Regardless of who you are or where you are, one can never detach themselves from the conditions that their people face worldwide. Without a football or basketball jersey, African athletes (and rap artist) are seen as nothing more than criminals and prisoners to most of the world. Thus, if the world doesn’t value our global gladiators outside of the sports arena, then how much more will they honor any individual of color, whose face they don’t even recognize whether they are educated or not. To be blunt, most of us hate being associated with Black and are unconsciously using our education to not only brighten our minds, but also the way the world views us. Thus, the greatest obstacle to the development of the Black community is our own selfishness which is motivated by our internal desire to become white.

We as African college students at UCLA have an obligation to our communities to share the well of wisdom we’ve been given unrestricted access to with the dying seeds (youth and ideas) of our community. There was no escape for Charles or Gregory, and there is no excuse for you or me. This is a warning to our college community, to prevent everyone from becoming the bourgeois that was created by the “system” to oppress its own people by creating class divisions among its own kind. Consider your college degree as a step forward for your people, not as a step up and above those who may not have the opportunity you have in being here.

We must act where we can impact and pray for what we cannot. The sequence of events that lead to a dead end for Gregory Gabriel and an untimely detour for Charles Gross was out of our control. Or were they? Could one of us potentially had the responsibility of mentoring the shooters in both instances, but failed to fulfill our responsibility out of our own selfishness. This inspiring individual could have been anyone of us, however, the guiltiest person is the person who has done the least. Below are various ways you can ways to positively affect your community from campus. If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. Ultimately, the goal is to share the knowledge and gifts you have been given. What is the purpose of your education if you cannot apply it?

1. Volunteer for an on-campus outreach or community service program
2. Put on some sort of workshop for your very own siblings and family members.
3. Bring a class from you high school up to your college campus for a tour
4. Create some sort of community service program that goes to schools, youth centers, or churches in local urban areas to educate them on various topics, skills, and professions.

I’m not going to lie, I like Kanye West’s music. What I don’t like is the overarching message that his lyrics promote. As UCLA’s African Student Union’s SHAPE (Students Heightening Academic Performance through Education) director, my staff and I spend our lives trying to instill a college-going culture into a community that has put education on the backburner. Granted, Kanye West addresses some deeper issues that other shallow artist do not, in one Rocafella marketing campaign, the work we do daily regresses to square one because having money is prioritized above having peace of mind.

If you know anything about Black history (or even American history at that), I am sure you can recall The Little Rock Nine Incident (September 1957) sparked by Governor Orval Faubus’ intervention regarding the desegregation of Central High in Arkansas. I am confident that you can also remember Alabama Governor George Wallace’s Stand at the Schoolhouse Door (June 1963) when he was confronted by federal authorities at the University of Alabama in Montgomery for trying to prevent two black students from enrolling. If not, them I’m sure your can recall all the lyrics to “Slow Jamz”. I hesitate to call it a celebration, but 50 years after the 1954 Brown vs. Board decision, segregation in public education still exists because legislation without implementation is worthless. History repeats itself and we as Africans in America have to ask ourselves two questions: Is California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger any different than Faubus and Wallace? What are we going to do to open access to higher education for the youth from our communities?

Education was kept from us longer than our freedom. Normally, when things are kept away from a person, it is because it is dangerous to the individual and may result in self-harm. Kanye West CD “The College Dropout” is a prime example of how we have been conditioned to think that our education is “fast food for thought” and unhealthy. In his book To Be Popular or Smart: The Black Peer Group, Jawanza Kunjufu articulates that “The oppressor used all of his tools-books, psychologists, doctors, schools, and later the electronic media—to portray Africans as genetically inferior” (13). To exacerbate the problem, today we portray ourselves as genetically inferior through rap and other forms of media, because our oppressor is willing to pay us chump change in comparison to their profit to do so. We as learners must realize that many of the math, science, and philosophy being taught in schools of all levels are merely boomerang. They were taken from Africa to Europe, translated reaccredited and then given back. Everyone know the intrinsic value of education or the exercising of one’s mind to strengthen it, but the enemy culture is more aware of the Black male’s intellectual potential than the Black male and therefore it will do any and everything it can to suppress what’s already exists inside of us…wisdom, history, and success.

Is a college degree worth it? Many people question the fair market value of a college degree, especially if financial aid is inadequate. It is disappointing to know that my people are the least willing to invest in the development of their minds. Thou shall not steal, but I will rejoice the day Black kids start stealing books from bookstores. According to the chart below (taken from the National Endowment for Financial Education), from a financial standpoint, college is more than worth it:

Education and Earnings: Annual Household Earnings
No High School Diploma: $20,724
High School Diploma: $34,373
Some College: $41,658
Bachelor’s Degree: $62,188
Professional Degree: $95,309

We always hear the about the mystifying “education outside of the classroom”. Those life lessons alone add extra value to the financial benefits of acquiring a college education. When I asked thirty Black Bruins “What are you gaining from college outside of the classroom?”, they had the following responses:

I developed…
independence (4), money management skills(4), responsibility, discipline, my identity (2), social skills (2), my critical thinking skills, political consciousness, a collective community attitude, what I want to do in life (2), as a person (2), my time and self management (5), my work experience and career plans, cultural tolerance (8), an increased hunger for knowledge, friendships (4), spiritually (3), writing skills (3), leadership skills (8), communication skills (2), my own view of the world, into an adult, a life-long network, an appreciation for diversity
I learned …
about who I am (6), how to plan, how to utilize resources, how to be organized, my history (2), why things are the way they are, how to deal with discrimination (2), what kind of person I am (2), my strengths, how to set goals, how to plan, how to be competitive (2), how to work with other people (2), how to value other people’s opinions, how to interact with the opposite sex (2), that success is a journey not a destination, how the real world works (2), my interest, how to share, how to research, how to stand up and articulate myself (3), my person in life, what makes me happy, to try new things, the inter connectedness of life, how to do presentations
I experienced…
studying abroad and traveling internationally (5), great teaching, a real world experience (2), entrepreneurship
I acquired…
public speaking skills, cultural tolerance (2), new ideas and perspectives, a glimpse of the real world, confidence, time to experiment, computer skills, time to prepare for life, a space to be creative, a sense of accomplishment

Even though our grade point averages are not based on these intangible skills, they cannot be discounted when speaking about the college experience. It wouldn’t be fair if I said you couldn’t gain these things from a rap career either, but I think it is fair to say that the chances of graduating from college and getting a record deal are incomparable. Kanye West is right; it does not matter what you major or minor in. All in all, you should double major in yourself. You should graduate college with the ability to say that I have a better understanding of who I am, and why I am. If we never reach that understanding, we will inevitably spend the rest of our lives trying to be someone we are not.

Disregarding the animalistic implication, the Black male has been identified as an “endangered species”. Last year, only a handful of Black males were admitted to UCLA, and of that, only 5 of the ones who enrolled were admitted based on solely academics. The remaining Black males student athletes. This year, only a depressing 167 Black students were admitted. Considering that UCLA has over 26,000 undergraduates, these numbers are below low, they are horrifying. With the exception of perhaps the higher echelons of corporate America, it can be argued that no place in the world parallels the social disposition that the Black male faces at UCLA. As a public land grant institution, it is obligatory that UCLA’s admissions, hiring practices, and curriculum be reflective of the community in which it exist, however the Black male Bruin serves as the prime example and victim of UCLA’s anti-African attitude. Therefore, the retention of the Black male at UCLA becomes just as pertinent as addressing the outreach concern.

If a Black male can’t even obtain a quality education at their local public university, what other alternatives does he have in today’s society if he chooses not to go to college? Rap? Professional sports? Entrepreneurship? Jail? Comedians? Racially-bias laws, gang violence, police brutality, the prison industrial complex, single-parent homes, drugs, alcoholism, and sexually transmitted diseases are some of the pervading social factors that negatively affect the Black male and Black community as a whole. It is essential that our Black women recognize that this is all part of California’s “Master Plan” to divide Black men and women with regards to educational attainment, flip, and destroy the Black family structure. According to the California Postsecondary Education Commission, no other community has as great a disparity between the number of women and men attending college than Blacks. The ratio is almost 2:1 (65% to 35%). Though sheltered by the veil of Westwood, just because the Black male has been extricated from his natural environment and the atmosphere has changed, that does not mean that his values will change. That was the myth that led to the failure of the High Potential Alternative Admissions Program, in which only 1 of its 50 participants actually graduated fro UCLA. To proactively counter these unconstructive vices, the ASU’s African Men’s Collective seeks to build cross-generational mentorship relationships so that Black men can help strengthen one another as opposed to tear each other down. Instead of regressing, by sharing our experiences, life lessons, and mistakes we can begin a cycle of progress that will eventually result in our mental emancipation.

The African Men’s Collective is Black male support group for all Black men at UCLA created to sustain and retain the Black male at UCLA. The organization breaks generational and educational barriers by unifying Black male undergraduates, graduate students, alumni, faculty and staff, and even prospective UCLA students.

Hence, the African Men’s Collective is organizing their first quarterly conference, “The College Dropout” on Saturday, April 17, 2004 from 8am to 5pm at UCLA. As the initiators of social change, we as Black males stand for what’s right or else we will fall for what’s wrong. We will be building bridges and addressing issues that affect the Black male Bruin, such as definition of a Black man, issues pertaining to Black women, the college experience, the importance of mentorship, and how society views the Black male. It is guaranteed to be a day of empowerment, understanding, and change