Recommended Reading – July

A Wealth of Resources

It’s July. It’s Summer. Life is supposed to be lived at a slower pace so that we don’t get overheated and burned to a spent match. Hey. There’s too much to be aware of and consumed. But let’s find some of the really good nuggets to keep our minds fresh and focused on the better side of the issues – and help us be wary of omens and trends.

With all that being said, Here’s the list of reading morsels recommended and found in various environs.

The Los Angeles Public Library offers a place where job seekers can access tools to aid in their career transitions. These tools are essentially universal (not limited to Los Angeles nor to California) so feel free to learn about and start using them (ahem, in addition to staying up to date with the knowledge available on Career Coach Corner

• AARP offers their recommendations for Summer movies.
• They also entice Summer reading choices from their June newsletter
• as well as their Summer fiction preview announced in May
• On the subject of Personal Finance, AARP offers two titles by one of their writers, Kimberly Palmer, which are “Smart Mom, Rich Mom: How to Build Wealth While Raising a Family and The Economy of You: Discover Your Inner Entrepreneur and Recession-Proof Your Life.

Offered by Ron from Starbucks Reserve (July 3) are

• The Funding of Scientific Racism: Wickliffe Draper and the Pioneer Fund by William H. Tucker
• The Isis Papers: The Keys to the Colors by Francis Cress Welsing

NACD Directorship Magazine offers Tools for Being an Effective Director download

HR pros Franny Oxford and Jessica DeFeo have formed a White women’s discussion group that has a recommended reading list you’ll want to have under your belt (no matter what your ethnicity). Too extensive to enumerate each title, here’s the post that provides the list.

In conjunction with the leaning toward affirmative action items, be certain you get your hands on Flora Davis’ Moving the Mountain either to read it or re-read it.

Pinterest offers some especially interesting and useful items related to the subject of Strategic Planning.

Many of us are aware that 82-year-old Associate Justice Kennedy retired two weeks ago. He is far from over the hill and he is definitely not useless. But for those who are threatened with being put into a persistent vegetative state, consider reading the study Can Volunteering Fight Dementia?

The Christian Science Monitor provided an interesting investigation of the issues confronting the Supreme Court on the matters of travel and Executive privilege in their article “As Supreme Court hears travel ban, questions of presidential authority also on docket.”

Resources:

• eBooks
• GoodReads
• Wolters Kluwer
• Read The Desk on Kindle
• Or get your fill of useful training at Talent Genius

Dispelling Myths: Timeless Lessons

What was the day like on June 20, 1926 in Beggs, Louisiana? Out of curiosity, let us look at a remodeled farm house from that period that’s now standing in present day standards. Simply switch out the dish washer for a stand with a place for a tub, a wood burning stove, and humble plaster on the walls, and you’ve pretty much transported yourself into the time and place. Let us compare and contrast that the updated appearance to that of the period. Consider The Creole Cottage. Aside from the appliances and an abundance of windows, the appointments are not drastically different.

It was the height of the Great Depression and the Summer. By necessity, industry was predominantly agrarian, the house filling with children. There were many hands contributing to the burgeoning amount of work to be done. We’ve gone through several economic revolutions in that time but some things are just as timeless as the cottage.

There were many lessons to be learned and passed on to the next generation. Lessons with regard to business matters and roles of the individual sexes. There were many teachers in many disciplines. But discipline and etiquette were primary for all, no matter what age or race. Abiding to strict rules of protocol and respect was expected of everyone toward their fellow humans. Pre-pubescents did not speak to any adult as though the adult was an inferior, no matter what the race. Likewise, children did not dismiss adults from their presence because the child was through talking to the adult.

Being articulate and well spoken is another trait of the Louisianan. Those skills represent one’s station as well as the status of the family. Expect the candidate from Louisiana to take humble pride in their speaking skills. In fact, don’t be surprised if there’s astonishment at a compliment paid to their articulateness. It’s a matter that’s taken for granted.

Even before there were human resource departments in urban areas and before the establishment of the Social Security system, a form of collective benefits fund in the form of a Creole Social Club was established in order to provide for emergencies. These are resourceful people who do not rely on handouts for survival. It is insulting to characterize them in any inferior way.

Animal husbandry was just part of the daily grind. So, also, was weights and measures and negotiating a fair price. Sundays were spent listening to Grandfather preach. Weekdays were constant exercises of how to speak to others with diplomacy, in a well modulated voice, using reason as the higher bargaining skill in order to negotiate the sought-after goal.

It was Great Depression America. That meant knowing how to be self sufficient. But it also meant having the wisdom to gain favor with all neighbors in case of need or emergency. Which takes us back to communication and persuasion skills. Speak; don’t speak. It takes a discerning mind to know when words are necessary in order to accomplish something and what priority the “something” has with regard to advocating for it.

There were social skills to learn. One realized that no matter who you were, you were an example of your family. That meant being circumspect in all manner of things. To bring shame upon yourself was to bring shame on not only your family but also your neighbors, your community. So being polite, knowing the rules of etiquette, and knowing your place were supremely important for the community to heave together and survive.

Evaluate, evaluate, evaluate. Before making judgments about anything, evaluate as much of the situation as possible. Gather all the facts. Judge the person by their acts and deeds and use a point system in order to rank whether they have earned being in your company or if they are begging for exclusion. If the words don’t match the actions, if they don’t have the right number of points, they need to be removed from consideration. Maybe they can redeem theirself sometime in the future. But there are many things that need to be accomplished. Better to not waste time and energy on one who will be a detraction. So keep them on the fringes (maybe) for future consideration and allow them to prove they are worthy of earning trust and inclusion for building resources and skills.

Things have changed since 1926. It’s called modernization and progress. But some things are constant. Before we fall on trusting the generalizations about classes of people, we need to realize that the character of a person and the foundations upon which they were raised are as ingrained in them as their DNA. Take them out of the place of origin and they will resort to the practices that made them who they are. Many are what we desire: circumspect, hard working, discerning, reliable.

References:

• Creole Society and Culture contrasted to American culture
• Evolution of Creole Culture in Louisiana
• The Creole Cottage
• Creole Language

Sponsored Links:

• Creole: The History and Legacy of Louisiana’s Free People of Color
• RESPECT ROCKS: A Behavior Program for Teaching Your Children Respect & Responsibility