Values: The National Human Capital Elixir

 Values are important in society and business. Ethics is related to essential values but applied to business and work behaviors. We sometimes think values are only based in our religious or cultural perspective. Many times values are skewed in the interest of ourselves. We run into a situation where values are highly subjective and in turn we are slowly damaging our long term prospects through human capital erosion. 

Let me give you an example. In businesses we often think that values are about winning at all costs and returning shareholder wealth above all else. While winning can lead to increase in shareholder value is can also lead to major declines. Those declines can come in terms of lost customer trust and/or human capital decline.

For example, an executive may win a huge bonus and gain a contract by using misleading information. It isn't a problem until a few years later when they can't deliver on those promises. One could say the same for a construction company that uses inferior materials even though they know its wrong. 

We run into a situation where values are distorted for political, personal, and business gain. When we don't think wider we often miss the importance of values to society and to the entire economy. Business transactions and our entire economy is based in trust that roots to our universal values. 

Another examples is when society rewards those who do the wrong thing or those who are rewarded through nepotism. When this occurs you begin to erode the foundations of our society. We become tribal and the friction between classes rise as some take all and few others receive much.

Rewarding only certain individuals within a company, society, or government when they are not actually earning those rewards when compared objectively to others destroys that trust. It also erodes our competitiveness because performance and rewards are not connected (nepotism destroys human capital development). 

I have seen it. People who want something take it, those who shouldn't be promoted are moved up, those who stand up for values are squashed, the mindful suppressed and the ignorant empowered (through rewards, praise, poor justice, or social pressure), etc., etc., etc. That doesn't neglect the very smart government officials, business leaders, and investors that live their values in their activities.

A big problem is that its difficult to gain  commitments from some leaders, politicians and executive officers because the sometimes there is short term thinking. It is important for them to influencers to move from talking about values (the subjective values that help them and their social groups-Trees) to enacted values (That which pushes all of society forward-Forest). 

If we want a powerful society we will need to ensure that we aren't just rewarding our friends and those with the wrong values but ensuring we are creating societal motivation by rewarding good behavior and supporting those who earned their keep through actual performance. While nepotism is common in many societies (greasing palms), and a dangerous long term practice, we should actively seek to draw in the new and the talented. Why the best and brightest must move up beyond those in the connected for long term health of companies and country. 

Integrity and Ethics

Hanging Out. Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

 Life is short! Enjoy every moment. Focus simple and live big! Yesterday is a memory, tomorrow is an abstraction and today is something you can enjoy.

White House Discusses Economic Approaches (July 7th, 2022) Opportunities for Improved Innovative Manufacturing?

Discussion on beefing up manufacturing and competition. We do need to compete and if possible if the right growth in the right area we can see faster change as synergy is created. Synergy occurs when it is in the self interest of organizations to develop and build off of each other creating more value then they put in and more than they can generate themselves. Innovation can be sparked in multiple industries when resources, investment (R&D and business invest), human capital and infrastructure interact creating broad based development that leads to new discoveries and butterfly effects across multiple industries (i.e. meaning development in multiple industries that impact each other and bump each other upwards.)

White House Says Economy Is Strongest in History by Lauren Giella and Meghan Roos.

A Few Observations of Group Hate

 A couple of simple observations of how hate groups function. Not everything needs to be a long article. These are quick but for the most part seem ok. 

1.) Internal dialogue is focused on comparison with others (Why they are better than others). 

2.) History of past poor behaviors (bullying, dishonesty, put downs, etc..). 

3.) Low boundaries between members and high social pressure (likely an extension of mental health of leadership).

4.) Attempt to influence others (if strong enough local officials).

5.) Devaluing of others which limits boundaries

6.) Shared identity (i.e. ISIS, Proud Boys, etc...)

7.) Defensive (cultish) or expansive (promotors). 

8.) Use of rumors, emotions and angers to motivate members to intimidate others.

9.) Have difficult finding different paths to conflict resolution (might be learned).

10.) Use of passive aggressive behaviors designed to intimidate but not enough to be specific to account.

11.) Most members may be neutral but live within the social context of active extreme behaviors and values.

12.) Mental health seems to be associated with leadership.

13.) Financial and social aspects to behaviors (could be designed to hide poor behaviors)

14.) Willing to act if numbers and physical intimidation allow them to do so (Highly dependent on the personalities and context of others. Surrounded by supporters they may act where they wouldn't alone. Diluted responsibilities.)

15.) Active seeks support form others to influence public/local opinion using false/misleading behaviors.

16.) Such groups attempt to work by circumventing laws and or weaknesses in current law and enforcement (i.e. police or military in sacking of capital or a local law enforcement officer in support of social network.)

Could Russian Invasion of Donetsk Determine Their Objectives?

 

Donetsk may be the decisive line in the Russian-Ukrainian war. Thinking strategically of why Russia would want it and one has to wonder if it sort of connects their initiatives to the industrial area. That could be true if Russia wants to reemerge as a manufacturing country and wants not only access to ports and industrial infrastructure but also shipping to China and the Asian region. It is always possible that they have a master plan (After failed plan A which likely included invasion up to Dnipro the refocused on the essentials in plan B). Could Donetsk be the final zone or will they continue westward for all of Ukraine (I doubt they want all of it) (See Donetsk evacuation)?  

This is also why I advocate for our American politicians to put aside their differences, redevelop our own capacities, infrastructure, and human capital (I know I know not very important!). We watch as two major ideologies must compete again and the iron curtain redrawn. I hope we are up to the task. As of now we are moving and starting to tackle but have a long way to go. I also believe that the sacking of our capital wasn't completely random either. Intelligence has shown social media manipulation and intentional hyping of differences has been occurring. They just love it when we argue and drag our feet and likely even more when our politicians duke it out without seeing the bigger picture (See Post Afghan Threats). 🤷

 (Those of us who draw people together are often, not always, but often ignored for hyper politics and those in the "connected" upper echelons of society. Having a Muslim sounding name definitively makes your opinions and skills less worthy{I can't even say my opinion is right but just a maybe}. Its all so simple! Nothing is a fact but just open possibilities for exploration by those who want to dig to find solutions. I have devoted much of my life to learning and science and I see that nothing should be ruled out until it can be ruled out...one works in probabilities and avoids absolutes. Muslim name or not...time answers all questions. Competitive Position) 

Highland Park Mass Shooter: We Still Aren't Able to See and Intervene

Some people come from dark places and sometimes it doesn't take much to set people off. The motivations for each mass shooting are different yet the solutions include mental health, not having access to certain weapons, and undefined more (We will eventually figure it out.). Better policing is helpful, community support in exposing violent intent and thoughtful justice that seeks long term solutions can make a dent. We have accepted violence in our culture, in our politics, and in our entertainment and there are likely many factors that range from devaluing of others to lack of community connection. 

Let us see if this trend will wain and we will be able to find some solutions. Mental health track and resolve are helpful but many times overlooked. When we analyze these situations we come to find similarities among these actors. It is possible to sort of pick out characteristics and the patterns people use. It only takes dumping them all into a spreadsheet, breaking apart the different characteristics and then cross analyzing them to see strengths of connection. While it might not get the outliers it certainly could get what appears to be some relation. 

More analysis leads to better definitions of purchasing and behavior patterns. Except you can't get full macro data without a track and resolve type strategies that gets into the inner choices. You can analyze the outward choices but not the inner choices (This may be something for ethicists to resolve). Look onto the horizon for solutions. Such behaviors have solutions....we just need the will and the way. 

While it may seem shocking religion, race, and other biased perceptions of values won't solve this problem because they are unassociated (Bias tries to associate them but just look at the backgrounds of domestic terrorism and it will sort of help you see the misleading judgements we often live by). Just like helping others can be universal across cultures and backgrounds so can hate. We need to step outside our assumptions. There are challenges we face as a people and we must find a path to solutions. Its not as fun as arguing incessantly but it might be more fruitful. If we choose to do little we will likely come to little results. Its a moral issue....if we still believe in those things. Sometimes I wonder......   (Then I realize my opinions don't matter much as I have a Muslim sounding name.)

Peterson-Dumesnil House in Louisville

I saw this amazing house the other day that is 150 years old. The community has different parties and events there. In this case they were conducting an auction for non profit stuff. You can visit their website HERE.  You can donate it HERE Anyway.....enjoy some of the pics.