diversity « David Ferrabee’s Blog

Women at work in 2010

HYDE PARK — I watched an episode of Mission: Impossible with my 11-year-old yesterday. It was 1968 and they had to trick a bad guy into believing it he’d been frozen for 12 years. So they froze him and he “woke up in 1980″.

It was great to see what 1980 looked like from 1968. There [...]

A blog, for you?

OXFORD STREET — At my local Starbucks everyone this morning was ending their sentences with “…for you.” I think if I worked there I’d start doing it too. It’s a cross over from a number of European languages that add the possessive to sentences for emphasis.

We don’t really do it English so much.

Except we do [...]

“Shout abuse and run away.”

HOME — I’ve had a bit of an epiphany. Again. I realised that there may be another defining national characteristic that I hadn’t really understood.

I used to think that the national flag of the United Kingdom ought to be this:

Instead of this:

But maybe the one at the top of this post is even better?

In the [...]

Carl Jung, leadership and communications

TCR — My mother’s maiden name was Young. And her sister’s called Carol. So, I know it’s a bit of a stretch, but I feel quite proprietary about Carl Jung.

Jung and Freud are also set to be the subject of a saucy film about their relationship with a Russian emigree. It will be out next [...]

London cyclists: We need a voluntary code

SPRINGFIELD — I don’t like being told what to do. My wife says that anyway.

But when I am on 2 wheels and fighting my way through London streets, I have that Canadian instinct for accommodation. I won’t put myself or anyone else into any peril. So I am constantly surprised when I get told off. [...]

Bringing brands and company cultures together

KNIGHTSBRIDGE — We have worked on a couple of very prominent instances of this recently. Indeed we’re doing one now. And there’s one single message that has emerged as the most important:

Don’t invent symbolic events. Just look out for them.

Some of us (consultants) will happily tell you that a symbolic event is tremendously important in [...]

Africa, communications and the future

MAYFIELD — I was in an outdoor restaurant in beautiful downtown Riyadh a few years ago and this lovely guy with a brilliant smile came over with some food. I looked at him and said: “Your from Kenya!”

And indeed he was.

I could tell by his disposition. There’s no faking it. It just is.

For me it [...]

The Olympics, Canada and the USA: A study of contradictions

SOUTH CAROLINA — My mom has been calling her American friends: “You guys are being so nice about Canada, thousands of people are going to emigrate…”

The NBC coverage of the Vancouver Olympics has been very complimentary. Long features with Wayne Gretzky. Hymns to Canadian style and bouquets about the natural world we inhabit. Even Stephen [...]

HR and Communications -- the uncomfortable relationship

WESTFIELD — Human Resources departments and Corporate Communications departments have a great deal in common. Including a mutual suspicion and occasionally antagonism.

Both:
• focus primarily on people
• believe they can use their systems and processes to make people think / do what they want
• don’t like people much

Someone called last night and said: “What is it about Communications people, [...]

Copenhagen: Lack of focus kills change management projects

14 BUS — There’s a rotten picture in the paper today of the opening speaker at the Copenhagen conference, Dr Rajendra Pachauri. I know it’s not a nice thing to say, but he is a very unusual looking fellow. Yes, it’s shallow and unimportant, but it’s another diversion from the real issue at hand. And [...]

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