SMOKING and DRUGS

Tobacco Use Drops

The percentage of boys and girls ages 12 to 17 that used tobacco products is dropping. In 2002, the reported use was 12.3 and 13.6 percent for boys and girls respectively. By 2005 the use had dropped to 10.7 and 10.8 percent respectively.

Since the early 1970’s, smoking education programs have been in place in K-12 education. All the non-profit health organizations such as heart, lung and cancer have introduced games, booklets, videos and mascots to send the message to K-12 students that smoking is harmful and needs to be avoided. After nearly 35 years of effort, the programs seem to be working.

Or are they? The cost for a pack of cigarettes has increased dramatically, enforcement agencies have deterred small shop owners from selling to minors and society in general has shunned the habit with more laws banning public smoking. And, in the workplace, employment may hinge on answering the question about whether or not you smoke. Some companies have targeted employed smokers whenever there are terminations.

These messages may be stronger than education. Adults see smoking as a negative behavior even among the ones who smoke. This kind of talk around their children sends a message of disgust and that may be the turning point. Researchers know that children follow the lead of their parents. If they hear enough negative talk about smoking, health and social acceptance that may be the trigger point not to start.

Education about smoking now completes the adoption of non-smoking behavior by reinforcing what the child hears at home. As long as the program focuses on healthy alternatives to a smoking lifestyle that can be as satisfying, smoking among young people will be minimized but not totally eliminated.

To completely eradicate smoking among school students of all ages, schools need to influence the social circles of peer groups. Every school has cliques and they are part of the dominating social circles. The leadership in these larger circles needs to be influenced so they set the trend of not smoking. If you lose any of these social influencers, many more students will follow and the drop in smoking numbers may start to reverse.

Stop Anti-Drug Campaigns

Is there anyone who really believes that people who use drugs will be influenced by commercials showing “eggs in a frying pan?” Remember the crash and burn films in driver’s ed that were supposed to encourage safe driving? Behaviorists know that people use “cognitive dissonance” to justify their behaviors, even ones as simple as buying new clothes. In essence, we can talk ourselves into anything that we want to pursue.

The Government Accountability Office issued a report in August 2006, that reveals anti-drug campaigns are not working and should end. The campaign actually seems to be increasing drug use. The 2007 budget has requested $170 million to continue the commercials, a $20 million increase over this year’s budget. Why?

Here’s another scenario where the survival of bureaucracy is trying to trump the science of investigation. If independent research says “it’s not working,” then why continue along those same strategies? Why not investigate other ideas that may have an impact? When it comes to drug abuse and how to minimize its spread, there are many credible voices that need to be heard.

The “war on drugs” began in the 1970’s (a familiar theme?) generally has not deterred the use of drugs despite some instances of success. The harder to achieve (with more long-term results) solutions that would have a greater impact are too much “leg-work” for those in bureaucracy. These solutions call for stronger education at all grade levels, better housing and prospects for employment and raising the hopes of those that for generations have struggled. In general, give people a reason not to use drugs or to sell drugs as a way out of their environment.

Solving drug abuse at the social level is not as glamorous as tracking down and capturing drug lords but it is the long-term solution that makes sense. Cut off the demand and you will eliminate the supplier.

Hoopla Around Professional Models

Recently, the annual fashion shows were making their rounds across the globe introducing new styles. Young girls are influenced by these glamorous people. The result is to do whatever is necessary to keep thin. While a certain degree of thinness is healthy, purposely denying your body of nutrients during the “growing years” will result in long-term chronic illness such as heart disease and osteoporosis. Fortunately, this devotion to thinness appears to be short-term infatuation.

Professional models often wear a size 4; the size most often sold in retail is size 14. The average proportion of physical features for size 4 is 32-24-35. For size 14 the attributes are 38-31-42. If young girls can make it through the formative years with minimal bodily damage, it appears they will “catch up” as they get older.

Physical fitness needs to be stressed more as a healthy way of creating thinness not only during the teen years but for life. As with all behavioral issues, quality alternatives need to be introduced in order to replace the negative choice.

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GROWTH <> LEADERSHIP <> EXCELLENCE

© 2006 3 Minute Learning LLC

BASEBALL AND LEADERSHIP

National Past-time Offers Many Lessons

Baseball doesn’t always get the respect it deserves as a teaching tool. While it is not as popular on TV as compared to football or basketball, the game still has magnetism. Attendance this past season reached an all-time high; fans can still afford to see the game live. Seeing the game in person is the best way to learn.

The first lesson is the slow pace of the game. In today’s “what can you tell me in 30-seconds” world, a slow pace is a welcome change. A slow pace illustrates patience and allows strategies to develop. There are no time limits (just like the real world where problems may take years to solve) and players stay involved from start to finish. There is plenty of time for communications and time-outs are taken regularly to discuss strategy.

The slow pace parallels the work or education world because not every moment is loaded with excitement or doing things. There are lulls but then the action can start to build and intensify. The pace is action then rest; action then rest; score and don’t lose ground; and so on until the game is over (or the task is completed).

The second lesson is the player’s defined roles. Baseball is played as a team but it is a game of individuals. A player can be the best hitter in the league but his team has a losing record. A pitching staff can have big winners and big losers. A team’s record doesn’t always reflect individual performances.

A championship caliber manager doesn’t mange a team, he manages players. Individuals matter in baseball and they contribute to the team’s success. Players know the boundaries and the goals and they have the freedom to determine how to get there.

Players know what their roles are on the team. Some players are interchangeable, playing a variety of positions, but most have single, defined roles. A power hitter will always be in the middle of the batting line-up; weak hitters near the bottom. Starting pitchers train to pace themselves for 6 or 7 innings; relievers can go for 1 or 2 innings. Switch those roles and not much success will ensue.

Leaders need to embrace this attitude of individuals on a team. They need to identify employees’ strengths and have them fill a role that uses those strengths on a regular basis. Some people can do more than one task with success, but most need to specialize. You don’t ask someone to pitch 6 when they are best at 2.

The third lesson is the attitude of success based on failure. The best players fail more often than succeed. A top hitter is successful about 35 percent of the time. A top pitcher wins about half of his starts. The point is that through failure, a player is better prepared to deliver when the game is “on the line.” Many times a hitter will be having a bad day until that last at bat when suddenly he swings and sends a drive deep into the seats to give his team the lead or the win. Baseball players learn from the first time they play the game that failure prepares them for the next opportunity. A hitter doesn’t hit four home runs every game; his goal is to hit a home run when it matters. If you only have one hit, you want it in the bottom of the ninth as a game winner. If you as a pitcher only have one strikeout, you want it on the last batter that wins the game.

Leadership in the workplace is much the same way. People cannot come to work everyday and hit multiple home runs, even though they try. You want them to deliver when it creates a win. You want them to quickly recover from a strikeout and do their best next time. Highly successful people learn from mistakes.

The fourth lesson is that the offense scores even though the ball is controlled by the defense. The pitcher and the catcher attempt to confuse the batter with a variety of pitches. The fielders cut off ground and fly balls to keep runners from getting on base. The offense must overcome these obstacles in order to score runs. Leaders must recognize that control over external events is not always possible; you keep adjusting the strategy to respond to the environment. Your employees continue working at what they do best and they realize that set backs are part of the game. Everyone understands that the game has 27 outs and you have plenty of time to score.

Baseball is enjoyed because of its appearance of simplicity. Talented people make it look effortless and easy. Yet anyone who has tried to play baseball will tell you that it is complex and takes a high level of skill. It appears slow yet decisions are made in milliseconds. Outs are the result of the ball and bat missing the “sweet spot” by millimeters. Defensive plays are the result of superior reaction time and the high degree of coordination between mind and body.

Practice, practice and more practice makes the game look easy when played by professionals. Leaders want their employees to practice, practice and practice so when they are needed, they deliver and it looks easy. Simulation exercises allow people to explore reasons for failure and what needs to be done to be successful next time. Preparation is as much a part of the workplace as work and productivity.

Enjoy a ballgame next year and see how it can apply to your workplace.

Career Development

The three areas of career development considered most important are:

1) learning new skills

2) pay increases, and

3) career paths

The difference in regards to importance relates to age. For example, employees 18 to 26 rank the three areas in terms of importance as 31 percent, 22 percent and 21 percent. People ages 27 to 41 rank the areas as 27, 31 and 33. Finally, people 42 to 61 rank the three areas as 19, 14, and 8.

It is ironic that in the ever changing workplace that so little respect is given to learning new skills. Without question, the acquisition of new skills is linked to pay increases and possibly career paths. Yet, respondents see higher pay and promotions as career development, not learning.

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GROWTH <> LEADERSHIP <> EXCELLENCE

© 2006 3 Minute Learning LLC

Tomorrow’s Careers

What Career Will You Choose?

The top 10 careers as rated on CNNMoney.com are:

1) Software Engineer

2) College Professor

3) Financial Advisor

4) Human Resource Manager

5) Physician’s Assistant

6) Market Research Analyst

7) Computer/Information Technology Analyst

8) Real Estate Appraiser

9) Pharmacist

10) Psychologist

Given the emphasis on career re-training following plant closings or downsizing, what career from the list above do you suppose a person who lost their job in manufacturing could achieve? With few exceptions, none of the above careers can be achieved without going to college for at least 4 years and an investment of more than $40K.

This is the growing issue in the US with respect to jobs. Even if displaced workers were motivated and capable of attending college to study for one of the above careers, where would the money come from to pay the bills while they are at school? How do you raise a family without working?

And, what about if you are a junior or senior in high school and see one of these careers as something worth pursuing? Who guides you to understanding what it will take to be successful as a student in those fields? Are there appropriate resources and courses at the high school to prepare you for gaining acceptance into colleges that offer these programs? Will

What other choices might there be if you don’t have the interest in one of the above fields or you need to work to support your family? The top three jobs readily available that require little training are:

1) Retail Sales

2) Food Preparation

3) Customer Service Representative

As many under-employed people now realize, for the past 10 years the US has moved from a producer to a consumer society. Jobs (over 90 percent) are now in the service industry as compared to 25 years ago when over 80 percent of the jobs were in manufacturing. It is no longer possible for a high school graduate, or even a dropout, to get a high paying job that will see them though a lifetime. Most service industry related jobs will pay around $18K per year and have minimal, if any benefits.

On a related note, the world’s largest employer is Wal-Mart with 1.8 million employees (ranked second in total revenue). Other world employer leaders include the US Postal Service (4^th) with 803,000 employees (61^st in revenue) and McDonald’s at 447,000 employees (ranked 318^th in revenue).

Terms In The News

1) Jihad: defined as the utmost struggle (sometimes used to mean a religious war)

2) fatwa: a legal pronouncement that can include a declaration of war

An Insightful Quote

The Stone Age didn’t end because the world ran out of stones.

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GROWTH <> LEADERSHIP <> EXCELLENCE

© 2006 3 Minute Learning LLC

SEPTEMBER TIDBITS

Older Men and Employment

Maybe “55 is the new 40” when it comes to social engagements but in the work world, over 55 is a tough place to reside. Older men are facing discrimination in executive and administrative employment.

Nearly 80 percent of respondents say age is now a factor in finding higher wage employment. Before age 45, only 7 percent believe age is a factor. By age 55, 34 percent say age is a factor and from 45 to 60, 79 percent say age is a factor. (Source: USA Today)

It seems ironic that at a time when men (and women) would have the most value to their companies in terms of experience, knowledge and skills that they are being terminated. The same companies that say they are looking for people who can think critically are eliminating a critical asset in their workplace. The essential components of critical thinking, experience, knowledge and skills are thrown out with the older worker.

The percentage of men employed after age 54 has been dropping steadily and the main culprit appears to be the cost of health insurance. The difference in healthcare premiums between age 54 and 55 will cost a company an additional 50 percent or more in higher premiums. The higher costs have little to do with the actual health of the older person. The fees are based on statistical models that predict the likelihood of a serious illnesses occurring in various age groups.

Essentially, it is cheaper to hire people under 50; a company could have a work force twice as large given the savings in healthcare premiums. Other benefits, such as retirement and sick time, figure in as well making the older worker more of a liability than a value.

Without a universal approach to healthcare, it is unlikely that men will see a reversal of fortunes. Then again, given the war-like attitudes of the neo-cons, enough younger people may die over the 10 years to make it necessary to hire the over 50.

Variable Rates Starting to Take a Toll

Pity the fool was a popular quote from Mr. T on a TV show called the A-Team. This attitude may unfortunately now apply to those families that thought they could afford “starter castles” or homes that are outrageously large and expensive. Of course, the foolish part was buying these homes with exotic mortgages and variable rates that kept monthly obligations at a minimum. Until now.

Now, those rates are expiring or ballooning and monthly obligations are now forcing people into delinquency or worse, foreclosures. Pennsylvania currently has a 15.6 percent delinquency rate (defined as ARM loans 30 or more days past due). The national average is 12.2 percent. Sadly, these numbers are going up and have not yet peaked.

The states with rates under 10 percent include Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah, Washington and Oregon. States with rates over 20 percent include West Virginia, Mississippi and Louisiana.

If you are in a position to sell, get out before you are overwhelmed. The secondary (pre-owned) housing market has many attractive options that are affordable.

As always, buyers beware! If the deal looks too good to be true, it probably is.

First Amendment

Here is the actual First Amendment to the US Constitution:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

That is a lot to say in such a short paragraph and easy to understand why it is so misunderstood. In one sweeping statement, the idea of religion, free speech, public assembly and having access to government is offered. The First Amendment would have had less misinterpretation if each thought would have been treated separately, but not nearly as much fun. Where would TV writers get ideas for their legal shows?

Looking at one component, the idea of free speech, people need to remember that there are limitations. For example, you do not have free speech at work or in school. Say negative things about your boss and you will probably lose your job. In schools, there is constant vigilance over what is written in school papers or even on the Internet.

Is it fair? Probably not, but it is understood that when you accept a paycheck or taxpayers are paying for public education, that there are boundaries and the need to respect culture. The idea of free speech allows us to have dialog with our friends without the worry of legal repercussions. Free speech is not a license to unfairly criticize or disrupt work or school; just freedom to have conversations.

The best lesson is to learn how to negotiate or to politic for changes. Free speech is not always welcome and may undermine any beneficial changes.

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GROWTH <> LEADERSHIP <> EXCELLENCE

© 2006 3 Minute Learning LLC

PEOPLE WANT SOLUTIONS

Recently I was watching a talk show and one of the panelist stated that people are tired of hearing about problems; they want to hear about solutions. I’m sure they were referring to the mountains of political dialog that seems to center around the problems in the US and around the world. Certainly, solutions would be an outstanding contribution to moving our society forward.

Solutions take work and commitment. The “Founding Fathers” spent 4 months in the sweltering heat of a Philadelphia summer to create the Constitution of the United States (and then they were admonished for not creating a “Bill of Rights”). Not only was this effort completed under the stress of heat and debate but also without the interference of the press, lobbyists or the representatives’ families. Only weekends were reserved for families and some recreation; Monday morning everyone was back to work and so it went for 4 months.

The current US Congress will attempt to address a litany of issues while working less than 4 months for the entire year! Imagine if these legislators only worked on one social issue such as healthcare for 4 months. There’s a good chance a solution may be developed. But, when healthcare is one small part of a busy day of scheduled events, it is not likely to get the focus it deserves. It is no wonder that only problems are discussed during campaigning rhetoric.

Side note: For Congress to fix any problem, they will need to deal with a lobbying group. The number of registered lobbyists in Washington doubled from 2000 to 2005. In 2000, there were 16,342 registered lobbyists; by 2005, the number was 32,890. Bring up a topic and two sides are likely to appear.

America has become a society of sound bites and half-hour solutions. Television has created the impression that people can either make snap decisions to solve problems or they are too dumb to figure it out. (A Recent statistic in Time magazine stated that the average American watches 8.2 hours of TV every day!) As a result, people grow bored with problem-solving that may take weeks, months or even years. The prevailing attitude is to throw enough money at the problem and either it gets fixed or it goes away.

People are not widgets. Attitudes, behaviors and change take time, hard work and a developed level of trust. Unlike technology, people are not replaced by using new parts. Most key people are powerful and influential and not likely to surrender their views without proof that a new solution has value.

To create a solution with value takes more resources than currently exists in most venues. The time to dissect a problem to manageable components, create a solution at each level and then stitch the solutions back together for an “ultimate” approach is not possible. There are insufficient human and capital resources to fund such an effort. It will take too long and people will lose interest; waning interest also means waning financing.

As dreadful as this may appear, finding solutions is not a lost art. Most of what we appreciate today in terms of better health, better living and more of everything is a result of decades of solution hunting. By discussing problems in a rational and open way, people start thinking about positive outcomes. Progress has been made.

Hence, our problems, or finding solutions, are two-fold. First, results are not always immediate and people need to exercise patience. (It was once said that patience is the control of passion.) Rarely will we experience a quick and satisfying solution. Action is necessary to provide a direction. Once a direction is forged, it is always necessary to tweak the course to gain the best results.

Second, we need better dialog not just rhetoric. Like most people I am tired of every issue being turned into a new catch phrase like “smear and fear.” Let it go; start discussing issues without a self-serving agenda. “What’s in it for me” is a customer catch phrase not a phrase for decision-makers.

America and most of the world has the resources to take care of its entire people. The problems no one can overcome are greed and laziness.

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GROWTH <> LEADERSHIP <> EXCELLENCE

© 2006 3 Minute Learning LLC