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Is Tech Dumbing Us Down and Making Us Vulnerable to Mob Rule?

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 30 Nov 2017 18:00:55 +0000

As a result of ever-present information sharing technology, are we losing our freedom? According to Thomas Jefferson, we are moving in that direction! “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, it expects what never was and never will be,” he said. “If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed.” By “informed” he meant well informed about the truth of matters, not just blasted with information coming from unreliable sources.

You can’t get a driver’s license without knowing the rules of the road, but you can vote without knowing the rules of the government – unless you are a naturalized citizen! Then you have to know the divisions of government, what they do, and how they check and balance each other. Why should native-born Americans know any less?

As we get further into the information age, we have become more and more inundated with a constant din of information and noise. Is it any wonder we have such short attention spans? Is it any wonder we want to hack everything so we can get the process without the principles?

We may think that all this access to information is making us smarter, but isn’t it just dumbing us down with over-generalized sound bites, sensationalized headlines, and simplistic explanations? Just having access to information doesn’t make us smarter. There needs to be a learning process that involves deductions, analysis, and validation in order to improve our intellect.

In the last election, we had two candidates, one at each extreme of the political spectrum. Each one addressed two very different crowds. But what both crowds had in common was a simplistic view of what the president could do legally. And it was wrong! Neither candidate could actually deliver what they promised without breaking the law. Nonetheless, both candidates got votes …and one got elected!

Why? Is it because we’ve grown so impatient that we want simple answers that sound good to us and we don’t know enough about how the government works to realize they are impossible to execute?

Are we now living in a country whose citizens think that they are voting for a cure-all candidate who can exercise extra-legal power to “get the job done”? If so, what’s to stop future candidates from pandering to this uninformed “populism?” As long as we don’t make knowledge of basic Civics a requirement, nothing!

Many folks who preferred a candidate who was not on the final ballot simply didn’t vote. They were not willing to cast their vote for the “lessor of two evils.” “That’ll show ‘em!” they may have thought – But without their vote, they got 4 years with the “greater of two evils.”

Hostile governments know what Jefferson warned us about. They know that we are likely to take action without fact checking. That’s why they spent millions on Facebook ads and tweets. They know the ads and tweets will get passed on before they are verified. Why? We’ve become impatient and want simple answers fast! This enables them to spread distraction, polarity, and chaos. This enables them to divide and (possibly) conquer.

The evidence is mounting that US election, the Brexit vote, and the Catalan succession votes were all at least influenced by foreign ads that played on simplistic cure-all themes.

Most of the world’s democracies are parliamentary systems where the prime minister is elected by the legislature, not directly by the people. So, to change government you just vote for the opposition party so that you can presumably cause a vote of non-confidence and form a new government, more to your liking. But in practice, fragile coalitions must be formed because the multi-party system may not allow a clear majority in those legislatures.

In the US, our founders wanted to allow us the ability to vote for legislators of one party and a president of another. The problem is, however, that the decision you make on election day lasts 4 years! Even more reason to have an educated population.

So, if this sounds like a plea to bring back Civics class, it is – to save our democracy, to save our economy, and to save what really makes America great, diversity!

Who We Are

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.

Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.

They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.

Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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Why Your Business Should Take an Active Interest in Your Parks

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 04 Feb 2016 18:00:37 +0000

These days parks across the country are underfunded. In fact, if all the local volunteers who donate their time to provide access, management, funding and maintenance suddenly quit, the parks would have to close down. In most states, parks are kept open only due to the love and care of local residents and non-profit members. Many who vote against additional funding for the parks argue that the locals benefit the most, and therefore locals should provide most of the support. But there is another group that benefits greatly from the existence of well-maintained and well-managed parks. It’s local business owners and their staff!

How can your business benefit from the parks? Several ways, not the least of which is recruitment. At the higher end of the pay scale where specialties become scarce, you are competing for qualified candidates from all over the country. Country wide, other businesses are doing the same.

Many of these candidates have families. Aside from the job, the benefits, and the career opportunities, they want to know what the lifestyle is like where you are asking them to move. They want to know about the obvious – good schools, low crime, good neighborhoods. But they also want to know about recreational opportunities, such as the parks and open space. Before they make any career decision, they want to know if they and their family will be happy and healthy in the new area. It may be more important than the compensation offered.

So now, from a Human Resources recruitment standpoint and from an employee’s tenure and loyalty standpoint, the parks and open spaces near your business are critical in attracting and keeping the talent you want to hire. Parks and access to open space can be the deciding factor in the candidate’s decision to work for you.

Your HR people should already be aware of the natural attractions immediately surrounding your place of business. But do you, as a business owner, contribute your fair share to this local resource you depend upon? Or do you take it for granted? Maybe you think, “I pay my taxes, so the government should provide these services.” If you do, you haven’t been reading the news. The parks are considerably underfunded and have huge backlogs of deferred maintenance. The parks also are now dependent on volunteers to help with management and maintenance. Chances are the trails you walk on in your local park were built and maintained by a local non-profit.

We believe all businesses have a responsibility to help support the parks that are supporting their communities. You can do this by writing a big check, which would be very welcomed by these non-profit groups, but there are other ways, too.

You company already has heath programs that involve some kind of exercise to keep employees in shape and reduce medical costs. Why not join an organized group to do clean-ups, trail maintenance, and ecological restoration projects in your nearby parks? Your people will love it and you will be helping to pay the parks back for their positive influence on the recruitment and tenure of your staff.

If your business or your affiliates are in construction, building materials, engineering, water, or maintenance, you can donate supplies to the parks and take it as a tax deduction. It will reduce their expenses and be very well received. Further, most parks will allow signage that says donated by your company for all visitors to see. Now you are improving your company image!

Time for your business to say “Thank You” to your local parks that make your business a more attractive place to work!

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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How to Get a Job in Today’s Market – Part 3: The Interview

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Sat, 10 May 2014 18:30:38 +0000

Congratulations! You have made it through the vetting process. They’ve checked your résumé, called your references, and scheduled an appointment for that all important in-person interview. This will be their first opportunity to see you in person, hear how you answer questions, and see how you present yourself.

Basically, they want to know if they will get a return on their investment in time, money, training, and the diminished production during your training period. Remember, they also have to take a seasoned employee away from their job to focus on your training. So they are under a great deal of pressure to hire the best candidate.

They know that résumés can be professionally written and tailored to specific jobs, but when you interview in person, they are seeing the “real deal.” Here are some tips that might help you land that job:

Research. Find out all you can about the company you are applying with – who they are, what they do, who is their competition, how long they’ve been around, and what their goals are. Research their reputation and how they earned it. Understand how they make profits. Talk to former and current employees. The more you know the better prepared you will be.

Getting There. Make sure you know exactly where the interview is taking place. Understand the best way to get there and, if you are driving, where to park. Showing up three to five minutes early will make a good impression.

Appearance. Be sure you are clean and well-groomed. Dress professionally according to the standards of the company and the position for which you are interviewing. Colognes, perfumes, and excessive make-up will distract from what you have to say.

Posture. Smile and walk with a sense of earnestness. Stand and sit up straight. Make eye contact. Keep your head up. By leaning slightly forward you convey an interest in your interviewer. Don’t cross your arms or legs, as this looks defensive. Project an image of confidence and openness. Your body language speaks louder than your words.

Show respect. Don’t just take their card American style and jam it in your pocket. Take a tip from the Japanese and read every word, and then make eye contact with an acknowledging nod and a smile. If you have multiple interviewers, leave the cards out on the table in front of you and arrange them according to where the interviewers are sitting so you will know their names – and do use their names when you address them. Remember to shut off you phone before you walk in.

Their Questions. Expect questions about your résumé, especially if you left a job in less than one year or had six months or more without work. Also expect questions about your professional long-term goals, what you liked and didn’t like about you past employers, and what your greatest accomplishments and challenges were. Give them examples of how you accepted responsibility and didn’t blame others, made improvements in your last company, met deadlines with a sense of urgency, and were a team player.

Your Questions. That’s right, you should have questions for them too. Some suggestions are: What are the opportunities for advancement? Where will the company be in five years? What kind of orientation and training are offered? This shows you are anticipating long-term employment with them.

Volunteered Information. They are naturally concerned about your stability. Although there are certain questions they may not ask, anything you volunteer that indicates stability would be to your advantage, such as you just purchased a house or have family in the area.

These are some of the things we looked for in an interview. We hope this inside information will help you land the right job!

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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