Issue 166 Stop "Q" Frisk September 19, 2013

Everyone has heard of the Stop and Frisk program in New York City. But for those who don't know, it is where the police randomly search people for weapons. This program has come under fire and has people looking for an alternative.

History: The Stop and Frisk program came out of the attacks of September 11, 2001. The idea was to prevent other terrorist threats from happening on soft targets like the subways and in tourist traps like time square. Later the program was copied by other law enforcement agencies due to its effectiveness as it not only deterred terrorism, but other crime as well. In fact the program in its first years confiscated numerous illegally obtained weapons and drugs. As a result, crime has gone down.

Controversy: What the argument is about is race. Even though the searches are in general random, the stop and frisk program in black communities has been deemed raciest. However it is not raciest in the first place, it was simply the fact that disproportionately black men were being caught will illegal drugs and guns. As such the black community felt as if they were being targeted.

On top of this, the program itself is deemed unconstitutional. As it violates the requirement that police need to have a warrant to conduct a search. Therefore, if at any time the program is brought before the courts questioning its constitutionality, it would fail.

What’s to be done: Well for some, they want the program to be eliminated. They of course say this due to the "racism" and how it is unconstitutional. But there is a good solution. That is for the officer to use police techniques to decide if the person is first worth calling over. That means looking at the persons clothing and items from afar and asking to themselves, is that what a terrorist or a criminal would wear or is that how a regular person would behave. From there the officer would question the person to see if they have reason to want to search that person’s bag. In short, the officer would chit chat with the individual long enough to know if that person could be a potential threat to society. If the person is deemed OK through the casual conversation, then the person may move along fine. However, if the person shows signs of stress or other symptoms of wanting to escape the officers questions (outside of wanting to get to work) the officer will ask to search their bags. Key word is "ask." This eliminates the unconstitutional element completely from the equation for if the person submits to the search then it is voluntary and thus no warrant is required. The individual is still free to refuse, but most will not because they know that they will then become suspect in the eyes of the police. Also, if carried out this way it would still deter crime. Basically this is how Stop, Question and Frisk will work.

Conclusion: Most of the time the Stop and Frisk program works as described in “the what’s to be done” section of today's issue.  Police generally don’t want to interfere with people’s daily lives.  However, most people don't actually realize that. People want it gone partly because it is an inconvenience and because of the number of African American Men being caught with illegal paraphernalia. Truth is the program just needs a re-branding to keep up with the general populace who don't pay attention because let's face it; they just want to go about their daily lives unhindered. I like the re-branding of the program and the methodology behind it as people will feel less like criminals being asked about their daily routine. I don't know what to do with the whole racial element as that is something the black community has to address when it comes to their kids, and male adults.

Issue 165 Guidlines for leadership September 18, 2013

Following on the heels of Issues 163 and 164, leadership becomes critical. As such what is needed to be a good leader?

1. Create an ethos to accomplish mission and/or goals.

People need to not only know what they are working toward but the methodology behind it. They need a uniting ethos to keep them motivated and enable them to work together for their common goal.

2. Be mindful of other commitments.

As a leader you must be mindful of all the jobs and tasks assigned to your company, division or section. But this also includes the commitments that your individual employees have. This may include their children, their elderly parents or even a second job. Helping them work in the company while ensuring they can maintain their commitments aids in keeping up moral. But it also helps to garner respect.

3. People are more important.

When it comes down to it, your business and your workers come first. If forced between harming your business/ workers or losing a contract then you should probably loose the contract.

4. Intuition is a leadership tool.

Use your intuition to decide what is right for the given situation. It may be wrong latter, but not acting on a situation can be much worse.

5. Ensure individuals and their positions are adaptable.

People in a corporation need to know they are valued. By giving them flexibility either at the personal or the position level it will allow the person to solve problems and meet goals that much more easily.

When all is said and done, a good leader requires the respect from his/her workers. These guidelines help, but they cannot do it alone. They cannot force people to respect you as a leader. Respect will always be earned. Good luck to all you leaders and potential leaders out there.

Issue 164 Personal Managment 2 Spetember 17, 2013

Part 2 is all about promoting individuals (which can also be used for the hiring process as well). Remember, putting the right individuals in the right positions is crucial to maintaining good work flow and running a successful business overall.

1. Performance, Competence and leadership potential are the primary considerations for deciding if a person gets promoted.

Each of these qualities is judged separately to find the best overall measure in comparison to other eligible persons who want the same position. This insures that only the best qualified person gets into the position that they are needed in most.

2. The qualities for each of the aforementioned in number one are determined by the individual person’s attributes and traits.

Basically, know each of the skill levels of your employees and how well they work with others. Know about their personality and what makes them a good worker.

3. To help decipher who is the best candidate, hold a yearly test to determine these traits and attributes. Then if they qualify hold an interview before a panel.

The tests help you figure out overall levels of ability and help you measure your workers against each other. Once these measurements have figured out the necessary measurements in number one, the panel looks into the overall personality and ability. It will determine if the person is worthy of the position over another talented individual.

4. All appointees are only to be employed when all talents are confirmed.

Basically, ensure they are as good as they look.

5. If this process is being used to hire someone new then you separate them into general applicants and applicants who have committed crimes or are involved with scandals.

General applicants move on, but those with black marks on their record must be evaluated to insure that they are still worth hiring despite their history and that it will not negatively impact the company if they are hired.

Of course the same principle of placing people into positions that they are most useful in is still maintained to insure the jobs assigned are done quickly and efficiently.

Issue 163 Personal Managment 1 Spetember 16,2013

Managing a business is a very tough task. But if you already own a business you should have already realized that. There are tips though that can help a person manage a business however which I have collected from various sources. So here are some of those tips.

1. Principle: Hire those more talented than yourself.

The reason for this is so that they can make up the differences in your own weaknesses. People with talent will get the job done with little effort and as such they can handle a larger work load. All this equals more profit.

2. Remove those who are unqualified for a position and place them into one that they are useful in.

Basically, rather than firing a talented individual, first look to where their talents and skill can be best put to good use. As such, you retain a skilled worker and maintain an efficient work flow.

3. Manage people as if they were volunteers.

You pay people for their work because you value their efforts. But this is not always enough. By managing them as if they were volunteers it allows them to feel as if they are more valued then just their work.

4. Treat as an associate.

While you can manage them like volunteers, you must treat them as if they are your partners in the business. So even the lowest person on the corporate ladder can feel valued.

5. Employees must be challenged (knowing and believing in mission).

By keeping employees busy with tasks that suit them, but also challenging them will prevent them from getting board. A board employee loses their moral and thus brings everyone in the company down as well.

6. Capitalize on people’s strengths and Knowledge.

You do not have to wait to place a person with talent in a position that would best help the company prosper. If a person has prior knowledge and understanding they can be useful even as an advisory role and that knowledge should be taken advantage of.

Hope this all helps. See you all for part 2 on promotions tomorrow.

Issue 162 Orwell's language rules Spetember 12, 2013

Well George Orwell had his own rules for language. As I cannot say it any better than him, I will simply re-write them for you here for your own personal use.

1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.

(Basically avoid such this as they over complicate your point or thought).

2. Never use long word where a short one will do.

(Aka, don't use a word like "excommunication" where a word like "banished" would and could be used instead).

3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.

(You can see I am trying to do that right?! But yes, keep you sentences simple and free of complexity where ever you can so as to not over complicate your message).

4. Never use the passive where you can use the active.

(I learned this lesson over time, and it was hard for me as I always used to write in the passive. Basically by keeping the message or your writing in the active, you provide action to your words. Make your words represent what is happening now, not what has happened).

5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.

(By using words from any of what Orwell describes above, you complicate your message and thoughts. People will not understand the word Scuttlebutt, but they will understand the word gossip).

6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

(In other words, if there is no other way to say it, then break these rules. If you try to change a sentence to make it simpler where such simplicity cannot exist due to the overall message then you are just going to loose that message by changing it. You can only keep it as simple as the rules of language will allow).

I prefer Orwell's rules to Luntz's mainly because I like George Orwell. But use these and Luntz's rules as you wish. I wish you all luck in your own written and vocal endeavors.

I'm off to another wedding so I will be unable to post tomorrow.  So enjoy the weekend and see you all Monday.

Issue 161 Words that work 2 September 11, 2013

Part to of Frank Luntz's advice is the rules he prescribes for writing and public speaking. These tips (which I attempt to follow) can help you craft your own message to your audience.

The Rules:

1. Simplicity: In other words say what you need to say in the easiest most understood form possible.

2.Brevity: Keep it short. People don't want to listen to some long drawn out argument or rhetoric.

3. Credibility: Keep yourself credible by actually knowing what you are talking about. Or get someone with credibility to deliver your message for you. If there is no credibility coming from the speaker or writer then people will not listen.

4. Consistence: Be consistent in your argument. You are not allowed to flip flop with your message let alone in the same sentence. If you do, you may loose credibility and your message and point will be lost.

5. Novelty: Be unique in your delivery. In other words be yourself and have your own way of speaking that is attractive to you selected audience.

6.Sound: How you speak matters. If you sound passive, angry or sincere dictates how the audience will react. So cater your sound and even the tone of your words to suit your message.

7. Aspiration: Show that there are solutions. Show that there is hope to resolve a situation. People are turned off by being depressed.

8. Visualization: If you do not have visual symbols or need some form of reinforcement to your point create or tell a story that gives your words a physical form. Like when you talk about slavery, you do not just say it is bad. You tell people of the scares left behind by the whips.

9. Questioning: Involve your audience to keep their attention. Ask them if they will stand to fight an injustice if there is one. Ask them if they want a better life.

10. Context: Context matters. By keeping your arguments within the context of what you are talking about (slavery with slavery, health care with health care etc.) you prevent confusion and keep the message and information on track.

Well these are the 10 rules. I hope you all find them helpful. Remember to par them up with the information provided in Issue 160 to ensure your words work.

Issue 160 Words that work 1 September 10, 2013

Frank Luntz wrote a book known as Words That Work.  In it he explains the use of language and how it can be best used to deliver a message.  I.e. What is the difference between the Estate tax and the Death tax?  None, as they are the exact same tax.  It is just that the nickname of the tax "Death Tax" provides a stronger response from people.  Given this example, I will provide you my readers with his advice and rules on language. 

1st:  "The meanings are shaped and shaded by the regional biases, life experiences, education, assumptions, and prejudices of those who receive them."    In short, all your life experiences and how you perceive the world dictate how you respond to words.  As such you may have to cater slightly to your audience with respect to what you are presenting to them to better deliver your message.

2nd:  "getting the order right language lesson: A+B+C does not necessarily equal C+B+A - order of presentation determines reaction.  The right order equals the right content."  Basically, we need to put our message in the proper order to elicit the proper response.  This makes a difference as if something like health care reform is presented in such a way that people will loose coverage first and then you say your solution which may cause this.  You sabotaged your own message.  But if you say it in a way that makes it as if your solution will stop people from no longer being dropped from their health care then people will be more likely to listen.

3rd: Visual symbols are also essential.  Those visuals aid in getting the message across to your reader or your audience.  So if you can provide a chart or a picture to help support your evidence, then do so. It will make it that much easier to get your message across.

See you tomorrow for Frank's 10 rules.