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Farnaz on Featured, Negating Stereotypes, Redefining Archetypes, New World Trends, New Realities, Women, Emerging Power
Work/Life Balance is no longer a gender issue, it's cultural and generational
Work/Life balance has been in the forefront of business productivity plans for over a decade as more women entered the work force in management positions and contributed to better company performance. What started out as a gender issue, later became a generational issue, and now it's a cultural issue. With 70% of US moms working in 2014, the cultural conversation has shifted from whether women should work outside of home to how do we understand the needs and values of the working parents, and tailor policies accordingly, to attract and retain the best talent regardless of gender and/or generation. Talent is a company's most powerful sustainable competitive advantage. These valuable insights are extremely important in branding strategies of your value propositions to the new world marketplace customers as well.
WMRI (Working Mother Research Institute) recently conducted a fascinating study on 3 generations of men and women that make up majority of the work force now: Baby Boomers (1946-1964), Gen X (1965-1980) and Gen Y, aka millennials (1981-2000). Interesting similarities and differences between generations of parents as it relates to the best ways to manage work and personal lives….clearly common grounds for all working parents as well as areas where generational and gender attitudes diverge…..
Do you remember Gen X being referred to as slackers years ago? They earned this reputation mainly because they were the first generation that demanded work/life balance. For work-centric boomers, they were slackers. Can you imagine what Boomer bosses are going through now with Millennials? I've spoken to many business leaders who stereotype and mischaracterize Millennial's love and expectation of work/life balance as laziness and lack of ambition, versus a cultural shift and thoughtful re-prioritization of personal and family values.
This WMRI extensive study clearly outlines that Gen Y moms feel far more optimistic and happy than previous generations—mostly because of the support they are receiving from their spouses (as equal active partners) but also from their parents and managers. Gen-Xers tend to be stressed often viewing work as a financial necessity…but they are ambitious, highly educated and tech savvy, and overwhelmingly part of the dual-earner couples. And baby boomers feeling stretched as new demands of caring for parents, retirement and aging are upon them….hard to imagine when they find the time to look and feel younger than their age. The only group that outshine Millennials in their optimism is the female breadwinners—in every category. Interesting, huh?
Couple of surprises about Millennials, even for me…although they are cheery about family finances (64%), pleased with their relationship with their spouses and partners (71%) and were even happier about contributions fathers make in caring for their children (73%)…and although this generation is more career-minded than the previous two….they are more conflicted about child care and career. Most agree that one parent should be home to care for the kids (60%) and home when a child gets there (83%). And this is the generation that feels free to choose between work and staying home and they figure out how. Don't be surprised if Millennial parents choose to stay at home for some years during their career. Providing flexibility may or may not be enough for them. More than half of all men and women in Gen Y think flex causes work to interfere with family time. So separation of work and family is more important to them. And encouraging unplugging even more so, specially at nights, weekends, vacations, etc.
Depending on your perception, this may emphasize some stereotypes about laziness and sense of entitlements for this generation, but like it or not, this is the future work force. Millennial's need to unplug is not to avoid hard work, but to help them fuel for the job—whereas boomers and Gen X'ers liked the always-on, always-connected work culture that gave them flexibility of working remotely. Let's not mischaracterize these cultural shifts in needs and values. The always-on fatigue is somewhat evident in previous generations.
What everyone wants most in the workplace, no matter the gender or generation, are job security and stability, competitive earnings and flexible schedule and culture. But communicating each for different generations may be very different. The key is ensuring that the flex options match the needs of each life stage.
Here's the common ground regardless of gender or generation…top 3:
- Couples should have equal input of how income is used no matter who earns what
- Children should be cared for equally by both parents
- Work and personal time should be kept separate
Now ask yourself if your current business practices and policies support these values? How about your branding and marketing strategies? I'm starting to see a few fathers in commercials but are we representing working parents both equally caring for children and deciding on spending? Think about it…this is a huge opportunity.
I have written about many studies that have shown that Millennial dads are more enthusiastic and engaged with their kids than previous generations. The latest Pew research released this month revealed that more dads are staying home with the kids. Although this study did not break down by generation, it showed an overall rise of stay at home dads in recent years. High unemployment rates around the great recession contributed to this increase, but the biggest contributor to long-terms growth is number of fathers who stay at home primarily to care for their family. Even more interesting and noteworthy is that working fathers with children under 18 are just as likely as working mothers to say that it is difficult to balance work and family. Roughly equal shares of working fathers (48%) and mothers (52%) prefer to be at home raising their children, but they need to work because they need the income.
These are the trends that will likely have dramatic impact on workplace policies in the not-so-distant future for both mothers and fathers. And they should have dramatic impact on your marketing and branding strategies today and onward. Do you want to have a powerful competitive differentiation and advantage? Start embracing these cultural shifts in needs and values.
Are you ready for the shift?
Keep staying informed, and please share your thoughts and comments below….
Do you know the underlying needs and values to address women effectively? 10 questions to ask your strategy team
Since the Wave 5 of the Ipsos MediaCT Audience Measurement Group came out earlier this month about Women, Power & Money, I read myriad of articles on the web. There was one in particular by MediaPost which intrigued me, examining American women's lives, lifestyles and marketplace choices across three generations—Gen Y, Gen X and Baby Boomers. I thought the findings identified cultural shifts in women's priorities and how women are shaping the leadership and financial course of The New World Marketplace. Of course, as an X-CMO, I thought they were all missing what companies and brands should do differently with their strategic positioning and branding messages with these new findings. But that is why you are here, reading my blog.
There is no doubt that, despite gender lags in pay and salary negotiations, American women are feeling increasingly empowered, independent, knowledgeable and successful. According to Allianz women money and power research, women made up half of all stock-market investors and controlled 48% of estates worth more than $5 million in 2006-2007. By 2011 women controlled over 50% of the United States' wealth, and 60% of women with business degrees out-earn their husbands and describe themselves as primary breadwinner. And according to the latest U.S. Census, regardless of educational attainments, women out-earn their male partners in 22% of households….while this is not a big number worth bragging, it is a far cry from Cinderella archetype.
However, there are radically differing perceptions of financial responsibilities between women and men, says the report. Women perceive controlling day-to-day spending, with ¾ or more feeling responsible for household purchases, while big-ticket purchases are considered joint responsibility. Men perceive differently, seeing day-to-day decisions jointly, and big-ticket purchases as largely theirs. Regardless of this differing perception, it makes sense, in any healthy relationship, to discuss and agree on big-ticket and joint-household purchases…while day-to-day spending may not warrant negotiations. The same is true in any Corporate structure of financial responsibilities and sign-offs, isn't it? This speaks greatly to who should be targeted for what product/service purchases, singularly or jointly, varying by age/generation, culture, income and lifestyle.
Let's face it. Since the recession, messages of price value and affordability resonate across genders, cultures and generations. But throughout the Ipsos study, women show greater tendencies toward price and value (despite income), more inclination to spend on "experiences", and more openness to new brands….which make them less brand loyal (only 29% express brand loyalty). Men are more likely to spend on products, less price focused (except for financial services) and show preference for familiar brands. For women, the security and freedom money brings is 15-20 times more important than the status and respect it affords.
This report also highlights key generational differences:
- Boomer women perceive more differences between men and women. However, in my opinion, this is the generation that taught Gen Y about gender equality and "girls can do anything boys can do." The study shows that they are more swayed by messages related to "values" and corporate social responsibility, but I believe they are also leading the way with embracing the major cultural shifts for the younger generation…for their sons and daughters.
- Gen X women are solidly in the lifestage of family formation and its associated trade-offs. They seem more financially constrained and price-conscious—so price/value messages resonate best with this generation of women, and considered necessity.
- Gen Y women, aka millenials, feel empowered and equal to men, and are more likely to describe themselves as smart (70% vs. 54% men). But they also feel more stressed and exhausted in an uphill climb in achieving equal results with men. Gen Y is also a global generation of women with perspectives and marketplace preferences that transcend gender and cultural borders, and are inspired by shared experiences of technology, innovation, social media, and new creative brands.
I believe it is the Gen Y women that will finally close the gender inequality in corridors of power in the future. This new generation of women not only feel more ambitious, independent, smart and educated, but they are also less likely than men to be living with their parents—32% versus 40% of men–continuing a long-term gender gap in the share of young adults living at home, according to Pew research.
In my book, I cited the Levi Strauss Millennial study that showed values such as independence (96%) and being able to shape their own future (87%) trump everything… including becoming a mom (68%) and marriage (only 50%). This generation of women who grew up with executive mothers see the hard-working, hard-charging work life as "extreme" and costs too great. This is the most educated cohort of all times with a zest for entrepreneurship, if for nothing else, so they can shape their own future. So clearly they have the greatest influence on cultural evolution for women. (Also read, Evolving Archetypes & Rise of Women)
If you think about it, these underlying "values" and "needs" have major implications in building emotional connections through your branding and communication strategies and messages. More importantly, they help define need-based targeting for brand products and services. For example, price/value is increasingly becoming a greater and greater "need" for women in providing quality life for families, and brands have greater and greater "need" to differentiate amidst the clutter with lower brand loyalties among women consumers. Generational life phase clearly bring forth different set of needs, but the aspirational values for women cross over generationally and demographically.
Targeting women, in general, is an economic imperative and strategic necessity for profitable growth. Targeting women effectively can also serve as a key strategic differentiation for companies. Women not only control majority of buying decisions, but they also demand change and expect it to be meaningful.
If I was consulting for your company, I'd start with asking your strategy and marketing teams these 10 key questions. Here they are…go ahead and ask your team….this is good starting point for your strategic discussions around your Value Propositions and branding/communication strategies:
- Have we re-evaluated our core target to primarily include women ?
- Have we defined which women, which needs and at what relative price?
- Does our Value Proposition(s) identify and align with evolving needs and values?
- How do we differentiate from competition? Is this clearly being communicated?
- Do we know which one of our products/services is "her decision" alone, and which ones are joint with her partner? Are we communicating accordingly?
- Are we enhancing "her experience"? If so, how are we communicating this?
- Does she consider us "affordable" relative to competition? (Note: affordable is not the same as cheap)
- Are we avoiding gender biases and stereotypes in our communication strategies?
- Have we identified the sweet spot of commonalities cross-generationally?
- Are we recognizing and acknowledging The New World Modern Woman?
Can you and your team answer these questions effectively? Are you ready to shift?
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Do women hold themselves back from corridors of power? My take on "Lean In"
It took several weeks of unusual summer rain in Atlanta and couple of days without phone, internet and cable, before I finished reading some of the books laying on my night stand for months. One of them, Lean In, by Sheryl Sandberg.
I was among many women who bought this book due to all the media hype, but didn't read it immediately. Mainly because there were so many articles, blogs, reviews, videos and TV interviews, that I felt I had already read the book. But not true. The promotional sound bites and all the controversy don't do this book justice. I must admit, reading her 'acknowledgements' section, which was as big as any chapter in the book, made me think that if I only had that much help with my book (or any help), I would end up with the same media coverage. Envy aside, kudos to her and her team….I absolutely love her message and her courage to start this important dialogue, and believe her book is a must read for all women and men. And here's why…..
Sheryl Sandberg is the first woman who finally spoke up about internal barriers as much as external barriers that hold women back from reaching leadership positions. It's true. Many women (not all) hold themselves back by lacking self-confidence through gender stereotype messages they hear and tend to believe throughout life…. by not raising their hands or sitting at the table…. and by pulling back when they should be leaning in (leaving before leaving). Her TEDtalk speech with this main message reached over 550 million views. In the book she goes further into complex challenges women face and adjustments/differences we can make ourselves: increasing self-confidence and closing the ambition gap, getting our partners to do more at home (Make Your Partner a Real Partner)… not holding ourselves to unattainable standards (The Myth of Doing It All)…. and of course my favorite–avoiding gender stereotypes (OK, she doesn't have a chapter on this, but she references it allot and I'm personally all about this.)
All that sounds great, right? I nodded my head in agreement most of the entire time and even laughed out loud quite a few times (it's a witty, funny book). So why all the controversy, and why are so many women so pissed off? Sheryl may think it's because success and likability are negatively correlated for women, by both women and men. She has a chapter on this with great research no one can negate. But I think there is more….I believe there are two main reasons at the core of the controversy and mixed responses by women about this important message:
First, many women don't face these internal barriers, depending on cultural and family backgrounds, but face complex external barriers that hold them back. It's important to read this book without reaching any conclusions, because her argument does not negate external barriers, but pushes everyone to get rid of internal barriers critical to gaining power and success. She poses this as the ultimate chicken-and-egg situation. The chicken: women will tear down the external institutional barriers once we achieve leadership roles and make sure we level the playing field (one can shoot holes all over this with research too.) The egg: we need to eliminate the external institutional barrier to get women into those roles in the first place. Both valid, she encourages women that instead of debating over which comes first, to focus on the chicken and our own internal barriers. It's a brave move and rarely discussed. Problem is, without reading the book, some think she is attacking the victim. That is not true at all, but perhaps her marketing team have not done a good job balancing her promotional/media messages to include both, as she has done in her book, without alienating those women who truly know how to "lean in" but face institutional barriers. Even those women can really benefit from her message of unconscious gender bias and stereotypes that women face ourselves, and against one another.
Second, and more importantly, I think people in general (men and women) have a harder time relating to those who have not been through similar experiences and hardships. Overcoming severe adversities is a common thread among greatest leaders….one that entices people to listen, relate, learn and follow. And Sheryl has not been through much other than difficult child labor and long work hours. No one should ever hold that against her and the important message she is sending out to The New World Marketplace. But this lack of common wo/man relatability goes far beyond a correlation analysis of success and likability. We all love–regardless of gender, age and culture–hero/eins who rise from ashes like the Phoenix, overcoming adversities and helping others.
With all that said, I give "Lean In" a big thumbs up. But I'd only re-write Time's headline, "don't hate her because she is successful," and say, read this book regardless of how relatively easy success came to the writer, because the message is excellent, prevalent and important for all women and men cross-generationally. Bravo Sheryl.
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New World Trend & Cultural Shift: Is Dad the New Mom?
We are used to generations of women doing the lioness' share of child care and housework, even if they have jobs outside the home. Now we are seeing rise of co-parenting and cultural shifts phasing out "husband and wife" and "father and mother" and replacing them with functional roles of "spouse and parent." Work-family balance is no longer a women's issue—it is now truly a "family" issue as the word intended.
According to the most recent Census report, the number of stay-at-home fathers in the United States has more than doubled in the past 10 years to 176,000. And according to a report released by the Family and Work Institute last year, men are also experiencing work-family conflict, with 60% saying it was an issue in 2008 (up from 35% in 1977.) That figure remained relatively flat for women (47% in 2008, 41% in 1977.) Today's Gen Y dads, aka millennials, spend 4+ hours per day with kids under 13, versus only 2 hours in 1977.
A similar WSJ article reported from Census that 32% of fathers with working wives routinely care for their children under age 15, up from 26% in 2002. Pew studies report that dads have tripled the amount of time they spend with their children since 1965. Myriad of research showing increased share of household chores by men…not surprising given the increased presence of women in the workplace, right? But the world outside of homes and inside marketing/branding meeting rooms haven't caught up yet.
New World fathers are no longer seen as just financial providers or occasional babysitters. They are actively engaged in their children's daily lives and routine care and view fatherhood as a big part of their personal identities and a pride attribute of who they are as individuals. Factors vary from job market and increasing cost of child care, to rise of women at work, blurring gender roles in the youth culture, and to a degree, today's men raised amid the women's movement and perhaps absent fathers… But, no one can argue that the new world of more involved dads as full time partners in parenting has arrived and it's here to stay.
What's even more interesting is what Pew Research calls "breadwinner moms." A record 40% of all households with children under the age of 18 include mothers who are either the sole or primary source of income for the family. The share was just 11% in 1960. One of my continuous sound bites about The New World Marketplace is that 1/3 of Gen Y were into unwed mothers.
These "breadwinner moms" are made up of two very different groups:
1) 5.1 million (37%) are married mothers who have a higher income than their husbands, and are slightly older, disproportionally white and college educated…grown from 4% in 1960 to 15% in 2011.
2) 8.6 million (63%) are single mothers, who are younger, more likely to be black or Hispanic, less likely to have a college degree, grown from 7% to 25% during the same period. And they are more likely to be never married than divorced/separated.
No surprises here, education has always had direct correlation to income, and unfortunately to date, correlation to race/ethnicity (but this is changing.) Interestingly, both groups of breadwinner moms have grown in size in the past as seen by increasing work population of women. What may be surprising to most is that the total family income is higher when the mother, not the father, is the primary breadwinner. And married mothers are increasingly better educated than their husbands. This is a trend most likely to escalate as we see for every 2 men graduating from college, 3 women are and with better GPAs.
What do all these cultural shifts mean to you and your businesses?
It's simple. Think about it. Should diaper bags and child care materials all have pink bows and flowers on them? Diaper Dude now sells dozens of styles of bags designed to appeal to men…grey, black, camouflage prints, even bags with baseball team logos. Are you in the restaurant business? Have you thought about changing tables in your men's restrooms? Are you in technology business? Think of the AT&T ad showing a dad changing diapers while talking sports on his smartphone with his friend.
The new generations of parents use technology to feel connected and involved with their children. It's no longer just about reading the popular books on parenting, but also weekly customized e-mails from BabyCenter, apps like Contraction Timer, iPads at daycares logging activity throughout the day, watching your kids on your smartphones from your office. Even doggie day cares allow that. But why aren't we seeing enough of these new world life scenarios in advertising campaigns for technology brands, specially using dads? Working moms, hands-on dads and more involved young fathers are the new normal. Think about that next time you are developing an ad campaign for a household product.
This type of cultural trend has significant impact on traditional paradigms and how marketers should view targeting families for products and services.
Yes… Women control 85% of consumer buying decisions. Moms will remain a key target market for many business categories. But what do you think appeals to women and moms? Certainly not the old gender stereotypes.
Here are 3 simple tips to get you started:
1. Don't speak to mom at the exclusion of dad, unless you are targeting single mothers only …he is a trusted parenting partner.
2. Avoid all gender stereotypes in your branding messages and strategies. Market to shared values and needs, not gender. Market to the inside of your customers, not outside.
2. Don't project your own traditional cultural paradigm in your branding strategies. You are not your customers. And it is The New World Marketplace, afterall.
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Cultural Change Expert explains why women don't need to man up to be successful leaders
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (by Tate Publishing)
ATLANTA, GA. – It's The New World Marketplace afterall, and women, youth and multiculturalism are shaping our future. A rapid cultural shift has occurred over the last decade, but author and thought leader Farnaz Wallace believes it's not being addressed by businesses and leaders.
"With all the great empowerment initiatives for women today, we are still looking at massive gender inequality in corridors of power," she said. "Many great women thought leaders point to re-evaluating business policies to eliminate obstacles that force talented women to choose between family and career, and others point to women's ambition calling us all to man up–but I believe there are 4 missing links from this important dialogue."
Wallace breaks these down into four essentials for women to succeed in The New World Marketplace Leadership: Inner-authenticity, Being the woman leader other women want to work for, Re-defining Power, and Avoiding all gender stereotypes.
"I've always believed once you gain trust and respect, love always follows," she said. "But how can women gain trust and respect if they're trying to be someone they are not?" Wallace believes it's far more important to find the richest, fullest expression of one's authentic self, and spend majority of time in strength and passion and generate results, versus trying to fit into a perceived cultural norm.
"Research shows that women have a tougher time working for women," she said. "To be a successful leader, people of all ages, cultures, race and gender must want to follow and work for you, specially other women. Men and women largely agree on life goals. It is the position of power and domination that differentiates us, not just between men and women, but also among women ourselves."
"That's even more of an important toptic than gender inequality because the old business culture of command and control doesn't work for men or women," she said. Wallace believes it is time to redefine power as less need to limit or control others, and define power as affiliation, linking and partnership–a blend of hard and soft powers, she calls it "smart" powers. "Women don't need to man up to be successful, they need to possess smart powers," she said.
"Women are different than other women, just as men are different than other men, why the continuous focus on gender stereotyping?" she asks. "I believe if we want to achieve gender equality, we must first stop gender stereotyping for it serves no purpose other than protecting traditional orthodoxies that have held women back for generations."
Wallace is a thought leader, speaker, and strategic consultant focused on helping companies capitalize on cultural macro trends in today's fast-changing marketplace. She is the published author of the book, The New World Marketplace, and presently resides in Atlanta.
4 Tips on How to Become A New World Woman Leader (Video/Blog)
With all the great empowerment initiatives for women today, we are still looking at massive gender inequality in corridors of power. Many great women thought leaders point to re-evaluating business policies as it relates to the flexible work schedule and eliminating obstacles that force brilliant women to choose between family and career. Others point to women's ambition calling us all to man up. While I think there is truth in both, I think there are 4 missing links from this important dialogue.
In my keynote speech at Possible Woman conference two weeks ago, I addressed what it takes to be a successful woman leader in The New World Marketplace. Here's a 5-min video highlight of this keynote address followed by my written summary of the 4 tips I shared:
1. Be authentic, focus on your own unique differentiation, gain trust and respect
I wasn't just a woman working hard to advance my career in Corporate America, I was an Iranian-American woman….so you can just imagine the brutal stereotypes I had to face and overcome. I wasn't just an Iranian-American woman, but I had multi-colored hair and tattoos. A far cry from a traditional image of a successful businessman. But at the end of the day, results speak for themselves. Under my CMO leadership, we drove 5 years of consecutive same-store-sales growth. So, I built trust and respect instead of focusing on changing myself to fit into a cultural norm…and I've always believed once you gain trust and respect, love follows. Trust and respect are two most important shared values in relationships in The New World Marketplace. But how can you possibly gain trust and respect of your collegues, employees, bosses, even your customers, when you're trying to be someone you're not?
It's far more important to always find the richest, fullest expression of your authentic self, and spend majority of your time in your strengths and passion, versus trying to fit into an exclusive image of the professional businessman, which is no longer the success archetype in The New World Marketplace. Because being good at what you do has nothing to do with how others see you…but it has everything to do with how you see and feel about yourself.
I not only believe the inner authenticity translates in to your own power and success, but I believe authenticity in branding strategies also translates in to your company success. Strategy is not about being the best, it's about being different and unique. Your own branding strategy has to be the same….about your own uniqueness and differentiation. Be authentic, focus on your own unique differentiation, gain trust and respect and let the results speak for themselves.
2. Be the woman leader other women want to work for
Beyond my non-traditional image and my business and financial performance, it was my style of leadership that differentiated me. I was determined to become the woman leader other women wanted to work for. As an emerging leader, I was always promoted every 2-3 years by working hard and driving results. And I've had just as many female bosses as I've had male bosses….yet the women bosses weren't the ones promoting me. I always questioned whether it was a scarcity mentality that there is just not enough abundance to go around for all of us…or a flaw in leadership training for women. I decided then that I wanted to be a woman leader other women wanted to work for and that I'd provide an environment for women to thrive and succeed.
As I was doing research for my book, I came across this data from Time Magazine: More than 2/3 of women still think men resent powerful women…yet 45% of women say female bosses are harder to work for, versus only 29% of men. This is a major issue not often addressed.
Believe it or not, men and women of all races and ages largely agree on life goals. It is the position of power and domination that differentiates us, not just between men and women, but also among women ourselves. That's even more of an important topic than gender inequality, because one of my biggest fear is reaching gender equality but maintaining the same business culture of domination, command and control. Because that model is not working, and simply switching gender without redefining power and success will not address the core issue.
3. Redefine Power as a blend of hard and soft powers – SMART powers
I believe it's time to redefine power as less need to limit or control others and define power as affiliation, linking and partnership. In fact, the need to control and dominate, in reality, is a feeling of powerlessness. That means leaving behind the hard, conquest and domination-oriented values. I don't believe you need to man up to be a successful woman leader.
Feminine values or soft powers are loaded with polarizing reactions, but they are meant to refer to values associated with creation, life-generating, nurturing powers, caring, relating…human and relationship values that have become a business imperative and taught in almost all leadership materials…versus taking, conquest and domination.
It's time to use feminine and masculine powers as qualities and values in all women and men, instead of gender stereotyping. Let's face it…there are many women who lead with masculine hard powers, and there are many men who lead with relating, nurturing, caring & soft powers. It has nothing to do with gender.
I believe we all need both…. and it's a matter of knowing when to use which… Blend of hard powers and soft powers….let's just call it "SMART POWERS." It's time for women leaders to re-evaluate how they view power to succeed and use SMART powers.
4. Stop gender stereotyping, avoid focus on gender differences
Men are from Mars. Women are from Venus. Ask yourself why do we persist to focus on gender differences. Men are logical. Women are emotional. If that's true, and marketing is designed to get an "emotional" response and attachment from customers, why do we bother market to men at all? Men are different from other men. Women are different than other women. Why the continuous focus on how men and women are different? Haven't we confused our next generations of leaders enough?
I, for one, have defied all gender stereotypes, but that doesn't mean I forgot how to be a caring, nurturing woman as a leader. I used my masculine powers to gain competitive market share and drive financial results, but I led my team with feminine powers of caring, relating and partnership.
The focus on gender inequality must be different than our continuous focus on gender differences. In fact, I believe if we want to achieve gender equality, we must first stop gender stereotyping for it serves no purpose other than protecting traditional orthodoxies that have held women back for generations.
In The New World Marketplace, it's neither the man's world nor a woman's nation. It's a dynamic, cooperative shared reality that is under constant evaluation. And the template of success and happiness is very unique and personal to each individual, and is gender neutral and color blind. If you lead with authenticity, purpose and passion, power and success will follow.
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Farnaz Wallace Keynote Address at Diversity Woman Leadership Conference
Farnaz Wallace delivers a thought-provoking, motivational keynote about The New World Marketplace at 2012 Diversity Woman Business Leadership Conference in Washington DC on December 17, 2012. Here's a short 3-minute clip of this speech:
Farnaz Wallace Joins Possible Woman Conference As Opening Keynote, April 24
The dynamic Farnaz Wallace, author of The New World Marketplace and CEO/Founder of Farnaz Global LLC, will be the opening keynote speaker at the Possible Woman Conference Wednesday April 24 at Atlanta Marriott Marquis. In its 17th year, Possible Woman is an inspiring conference that connects attendees with the growth possibilities in every woman.
Wallace joins international dance star Judith Jamison, choreographer and artistic director emerita of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, who will be the luncheon keynote speaker.
As a former Chief Marketing Officer with Church's Chicken who drove five years of consecutive sales growth outpacing the category, Wallace coined the phrase The New World Marketplace to define how women, youth and multiculturalism are shaping our future. She is a provocative thinker and an insightful strategist who helps leaders and companies capitalize on cultural macro trends and define their brand's value proposition and sustainable revenue models in today's fast-changing marketplace.
Of Iranian background, Wallace immigrated with her family to Louisiana at the age 15. She uses the lessons learned by overcoming issues of ethnicity, gender, class, caste, religious, political, economic and lifestyle experiences to shape her vision and keep it alive. She believes in the spirit's deep desire for freedom, self-determination and self-expressions to maintain an inner authenticity. She leads others to find authenticity within themselves, their companies and customers.
"Her whole life has been a Possible Woman experience!" said Linda Wind, CEO of Wind Enterprises®, organizer of the annual regional leadership conference. "Her ideas are fascinating and will help makePOWER. PURPOSE. PASSION. Possible Woman 2013 the most dynamic Possible Woman event yet!"
An Honest Discussion About Gender Gap – in Leadership and Politics
The gender gap continues as the hottest topic as both business leaders and women's movement continue their focus on underrepresentation of women in high government positions, C-suites and corridors of power. You don't have to like politics or follow partisan conventions to know that the gender gap is at the forefront of political campaigns as well. The empowerment initiatives are overtly celebrated, but little to no honest discussions are taking place in regards to the real social, cultural and business barriers women face.
This is the Republican National Convention week. Judging by the line-up of speakers, it is easy to see how the GOP is going out of their way to show that this is not just the party for the older white men. Last night, Condoleezza Rice and Susana Martinez gave brilliant speeches. Paul Ryan referred to his mom as his role model. Ann Romney saluted moms, specially working moms who have to work a little harder. All clearly designed to bridge the gender gap for the Romney campaign. Again, empowering but no mentions of the real issues and barriers, nor any solutions on how to overcome them.
Ann-Marie Slaughter wrote an amazing, honest article, Why Women Still Can't Have It All. I personally wouldn't use that title, because asking whether women can have it all is a rhetorical question. We never seem to ask if men can have it all, and the question itself is airbrushing reality for both men and women. It's the same ironic label as "working women" when women represent over 50% of the work force. We don't seem to ever say "working men."
Slaughter stepped down from her high power government position so she can spend more time with her sons. She notes reasons such as, inflexible schedules, unrelenting travel and constant pressure to be in the office, conflicts between school schedules and work schedules, and the insistence that work be done in the office. This is not unique to Slaughter. These are the barrier most women face with our current social and business policies, particularly in positions of power. What is more unique is her financial independence and the ability to choose family over career. A choice most working mothers, with the same maternal instincts, do not have….they struggle to simply keep what they already have. This may explain why we have over 50% women representation in low-to-mid-management positions but a very small token in top positions.
Do we want social/business policies and political platforms that keep women at home or a better gender balance in leadership that has proven over and over again to grow the businesses and economy? This brings us up to the honest dialogue about the gender gap.
When given a choice, women seem to make compromises that men are less likely to make. Of course, fathers do not love their children any less than mothers do, but men seem more likely to choose their job at a cost to their family, while women seem more likely to choose their family at a cost to their career. Whether this "choice" is culturally driven or maternal instincts (I think it is both), the reality remains that positions of power provide that choice, while lower positions are occupied by those without one.
Work-life balance is not a women's issue—it is a social and business issue for all of us. Slaughter offers good solutions for flexible working hours, investment intervals and family-comes-first management culture….shifting the false notion of when, where and how work will be done. I agree and implemented all these suggestions in my previous C-suite position, while generating great financial results. I'd add longer maternity leave, better affordable child-care, and women's health issues to this list—particularly pertinent for those working mothers, without a choice, who are our future leaders.
Many men, just like women, would like this cultural change too, but we need to redefine what success looks like. Her article sites research proving that organizations with extensive work-family policies have better performance. So, what do you think is stopping politicians, specially female politicians who fight so hard for women's votes, from addressing these issues? We keep hearing that children are our future, but are they paying any respect to our future when it comes to working mothers?
I don't have any kids, so this is not personal for me. But I care and believe in policies that support women not to choose between family and career. I can afford my own insurance, so taking away women's right to have health insurance pay for birth control is not personal for me. But I care and believe in women's reproductive rights, equal pay for equal work, and the freedom to "choose." Professional success with real commitment to family life–with or without kids–is important to everyone. Don't you think it's more about country's social and business policies than women's lack of ambition, as often repeated by the status quo?
Political campaigns are rightfully centered on job creation and keeping women and men employed. But they are missing a greater point on how to support families when they are employed. A big opportunity in closing the gender gap in leadership, as well as political votes. You see, it's time to have an honest dialogue about the gender gap.
Evolving Archetypes & Rise of Women – Should Men Falling Behind?
I saw the movie Snow White & the Huntsman last week and was intrigued by the twist to this fairy tale. This Snow White didn't just lie down waiting to be kissed and saved. She got trained in the art of war by the Huntsman and led an army of her fellow men in a quest to vanquish the Evil Queen. These archetypal changes for the roles of women is nothing new in movies and our pop culture. Remember Princess Leia standing up to Darth Vader in Star Wars, or Trinity fighting alongside Neo in The Matrix? And who can argue whether Angelina Jolie is the new James Bond or not?
The hero/ine is an archetype that is universal, but we are now recognizing that it is also gender neutral. Practically all new epic movies from Avatar to Harry Potter have female heroines as well as males heroes who physically go to war, fight injustice, and bring peace, harmony and happiness to the world. I find it interesting that different female archetypes throughout history were far more diverse and complicated than where we ended up in our current social model and branding messages. Even in the classical music world, we've seen classical trumpeters as stereotypically male. But women like Alison Balsom, who won the female artist of the year in Classic Brit Awards 2011, have trumped that stereotype as well.
I read an interesting article on New York Times, Boys Have Fallen Behind, about how American girls have achieved parity with boys in math but are well ahead in verbal skills and reading. The National Honor Society says that 64% of its outstanding members are girls. Some colleges even give special help to male applicants to avoid skewed sex ratios. How is that for a change? Among whites, women earn 57% of bachelor's degrees and 62% of master's degrees. Among blacks, the figures are 66% and 72%. One of my own continuous sound bites: for every two men graduating from college, three women graduate, and with better GPAs. This is real, and contrary to the popular belief that it may due to multicultural demographic growth in the US, it is a global concept.
The National Bureau of Economic Research outlines this beautifully in the article, Why Do Women Outnumber Men in College. In 2003, there were 1.35 females for every male who graduated from a four-year college. That contrasts with 1960, when there were 1.6 males for every female. This article suggests that the shift started in the 70s when women aimed to have careers rather than to follow in their mothers' footsteps, and as a result the age of first marriage increased by 2.5 years. Factors include the availability of the contraceptive "pill", the feminist movement, social acceptance of co-habitating without marriage and higher divorce rates. By 2009, the median age for the first marriage was delayed by 5 years (Do You Really Know 20-somethings). I believe it is a byproduct of cultural, social and economic forces.
And to top it all off….Sorry, Young Man, You're Not the Most Important Demographic in Tech, either. It turns out that women are new lead adopters of the whole bundle of technology. The technology industry's focus on men is just a reflection of women's current underrepresentation at major venture capital firms and electronic/internet companies. And it is built on a plain wrong stereotype and a far cry from the reality of the new marketplace. To negate this stereotype further, this research shows that the majority of technology users are women in their 40s, 50s and 60s, not the 18-24 year olds. So who do you think you should ask about what the future looks like?
At a time when men are still hugely overrepresented in Congress, on executive boards, and in the corridors of power, do we think this will shift the future of our Corporate and Leadership culture? The Dark Side of Girls' Success in School article in Huffington Post argues that it won't unless girls shift the "good student" toolkit for greater risk taking and challenging the authority. This article attributes girls' success in school to respect for an obedience of authority, careful rule-following, people-pleasing and succeeding in an externally imposed framework…qualities that will translate into their success at lower-mid-levels, but not as leaders and game changers. While there may be some truth in this perspective, I can shoot holes in it by women's zest for entrepreneurship, which is all about risk taking…and decades of women's movement which is all about challenging the authority and shrugging off criticism.
So when I'm asked on interviews whether we will ever achieve gender equality in leadership in my life time, I always say, yes, we will, and just by default of this cultural evolution currently in progress. Even the child care culture is evolving as men get more involved with this responsibility. And young families will end up with the spouse most qualified to earn higher pay taking on greater financial responsibility, regardless of gender. Again, a byproduct of cultural, social and economic forces.
Should we care whether boys are struggling in schools and underrepresented in colleges? Of course we should. The feminist movement, rise of women and the evolving cultures and archetypes were always about equality and partnership–to make the best use of human capital for economic success and to enhance our social models–but never about the shift in power, making one inferior to the other. Wouldn't it be a better world if everyone focused on their own personal and unique strengths and passions, regardless of gender? I would argue that this will be the only way to increase productivity and prosperity , both at work and in personal lives.


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Martins speaking as part of MIT's LIDS seminar series
Associate Professor Maryland Robotics Center Director Nuno Martins (ECE/ISR) will be a speaker in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's LIDS Seminar Series on Nov. 20. The series is sponsored by the Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems. Martins will speak on "Convex Parameterizations for Norm-Optimal Linear Control."
| Learn more at the LIDS website |
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UAE students, Northrop Grumman engineers tour robotics laboratoriesREU in Miniature Robotics holds final project symposiumMartins, Gupta, Aloimonos speak at 'Fostering Excellence in Robotics'Martins interviewed in story about robotics use in MarylandFaculty Members Take On New ResponsibilitiesMiniature Robotics REU students give final presentationsMartins selected for Leadership Fellows programAntbot research profiled in Pacific Standard magazineMaryland Robotics Center featured on live TV broadcastSerban Sabau will be postdoctoral researcher at University of Pennsylvania
October 28, 2012
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Clark School Welcomes Corporate Partners for Summit


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Wednesday's local scores
Men's Basketball
UW-Stout 55, UW-La Crosse 63...Eagles clinch 3rd place in the WIAC
Viterbo 71, William Penn 88...V-Hawks 6-5 MCC
Western Tech 88, Riverland CC 78
Women's Basketball
UW-La Crosse 72, UW-Stout 89
Viterbo 60, William Penn 80
Western Tech 68, Riverland CC 29
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Advisory BoardFriday, February 14, 20148:00 a.m.Rhoades Hall
John Phillips, Oil Region Alliance
Lisa Groner, The Learning Center
Chris Reber, Venango College
Kay Ensle, Venango College
Deb Lutz, Oil Region Alliance
Jeremy Ravotti, Ravotti Air
Jim Shore, PMI
Dave Lott, Venango College
Rod Griffin, Specialty Fabrication and Powder Coating
Matt Healy, AAS-IT graduate (BAS student)
Dennis Wilke, PMI
Kyle Herron, Webco
Stephanie Craig, Triangle Tech
Lance Hummer, Keystone Community Education Council
Susan Hileman, Northwest Industrial Resource Center
Bill Hallock, Venango College
I. Bill Hallock opened the meeting at 8 a.m. and welcomed everyone in attendance. II. John Phillips, Chair, made opening remarks
III. Approval of Minutes
A motion was made by Rod Griffin, and seconded by Kyle Herron, to approve the minutes of the June 2012 meeting. Motion approved by unanimous decision.
IV. Approval of By-Law Changes
A motion was made by Lisa Groner, and seconded by Rod Griffin, to approve changes to the Bylaws. Some discussion was had regarding editing specific wording, and those changes were made. Motion approved by unanimous decision.
V. Approval of Program Mission & Vision Statement
A motion was made by Deb Lutz, and seconded by Rod Griffin to approve the changes with some minor edits. Motion approved by unanimous decision
VI. Approval of Program Learning Outcomes
A motion was made by Susan Hileman, and seconded by Lisa Groner, to approve the outcomes. Two specific changes were requested. 1) Add "attain industry credential as appropriate" to outcome 1, action. 2) Edit the action to include mock interviews with local business leaders. Motion was approved by unanimous decision.
VII. ATMAE Site Visit
Dr. Hallock informed the Advisory Board of the upcoming site visit in April. He is not sure whether the luncheon with the site team will be Monday April 7 or Tuesday April 8, but that he would inform the group as soon as a decision was made.
The Board reviewed ATMAE, our accreditation history, and discussed how we plan to attain accreditation for the BAS in 6 years.
VIII. Program Updates
Jeremy Ravotti discussed the new partnership with Ravotti Air, and gave specific examples of the job outlook, pay, and quality of life in this career.
Dr. Hallock discussed the new partnership with Global Powerline Academy and a return to our ability to offer the Electric Utility Technology concentration.
Lisa Groner updated the Board on the new Office Manager concentration in the Administration Technology degree, and PMI discussed their new takeover by Rosedale Technical School out of Pittsburgh and the transition.
IX. Upcoming Events
The next meeting will be April 7 or 8, at noon, with the ATMAE site visit team.
Meeting adjourned at 9:40am


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Getting a foot on the ladder
Rude staff, unreliable, problems with time and holiday sheets, not given notice when employment ends
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I signed up on Reed's website when I was living in Edinburgh in March. I filled in all the details on the website and posted up my CV. I had heard nothing from them, and no jobs matching the description I had filled in had been sent to me by email. So I decided to go into their offices.
At the same time, I was looking to possibly moving to Sheffield, and decided to look into recruiters in the area. I was recommended Reed, and got in contact with one of the recruiters. He was very helpful and apologized for the poor service I had received in the Edinburgh branch. He told me he was sending me up some application forms for a job in Sheffield which he was 90% sure I would get. So I filled out the forms and photocopies of my ID and NI card and sent it back.
The next week I call up and yet another recruiter answers the phone. I ask for the woman I have been recommended to contact, and get told she's on holiday all that week, but could she help. So here I go explaining what's happened, with the forms going missing, but being told that there was supposed to be a job secured for me when I arrive in Sheffield. She then tells me that they can't do that and instead I need to go into their offices on the first Monday I arrive to take some tests. By this point I am really pissed off that I've been messed around, and tell her this. She apologises but says they can't put me forward without me taking these tests (which I originally didn't have to take).
The next week I call like she told me to and she's busy, so I get told she'll call me back. Hours later, still no call, so I take the initiative and call again. Again she's busy and get told she'll ring me back later. Again hours later, still no call so I call it a day and think I'll call her tomorrow. I call the next day, and this time get asked for a message. I tell them this is my third call in 2 days and keep getting told she'll call back and doesn't, and I really need to talk to her. Eventually she calls me back and is unbelievably rude. "I've been busy!" and basically asks what do I want. So I ask her if any jobs have come up and I get told that she'll call me when something comes up.
The following week I receive a call from the other temp recruiter. She tells me there's a job that's come up which sounds ideal for me. By this point I'm desperate and would have taken anything. I'm to go the next day for the interview (I'm not impressed with it being such short notice, but I need this job!) and to contact her after the interview. I go to the interview, which is an informal chat, and get asked to start on the Tuesday. I don't really have too much of an idea what it is I'm doing, but it sounds alright as a temporary job.
The next week I call for my holiday sheet. They've been told prior to this that I'm going away for a couple of days, but I need to have it all confirmed. Once more I call in the morning, then lunch time and get told that they're just going to send it through. Eventually when we're closing up, it's still not come through, and I have to call again to ask where the heck my holiday sheet is cause I need to have it filled in by my manager. Again the reception is very rude and get told once more how busy she is, and finally sends it through. I'm sure it doesn't take almost 8 hours to fax one sheet through!
So I go for a new interview, and this job is far more suited. Again it is the second recruiter that finds me this job, and I will be starting after my holiday. But before I go to the interview, it's another case of being told the interview is the next day, but this time I don't get told where it is, and I have to go in an hour before my interview, into Reed's office to pick up directions and an interview techniques sheet. A bit late for that when I have 45 minutes before the interview.
I then start my new work, and once more I have problems with time sheets. I get them in the post now, which makes things easier, but not the first week, and find myself having problems getting it faxed to me once more. Again rude reception from the first recruiter. But once I'm getting the sheets in the post, I think my problems are over with these sheets. Alas I'm proved wrong when I get a call telling me they haven't received my time sheet on the Monday, 2 weeks after I'd started. I had faxed it to the number given to me and it had gone through fine the past 2 weeks, and had received a confirmation, but then I have to fax it again. Lucky I had the original still with me! I then rudely get told that in future I have to call to make sure they have the time sheet instead of assuming. I thought that's what a confirmation fax was for?
I heard a few more people discussing Reed and the problems they had, from timesheets they called up saying they hadn't received which suddenly turn up when they're told that the employee had confirmed they had the fax on the telephone, to holiday sheets mysteriously going missing. Oh and plenty being said about the one very rude recruiter.
I thought that was the end of it, til I found time sheets were still being sent to me, and texts reminding me to send my time sheet in. This continued 2/3 week after my employment had ended. I'm still getting money from them from being over taxed and from holiday pay I hadn't claimed.
So to round this review up, if someone came to me asking for advice on recruitment agencies, I would tell them to steer well clear of Reed. They are unreliable, they're rude, and when they say they're going to do something, make sure you're ready to call them another 4 times to actually get it done. It's not about getting you the right job, it's making sure they get commission, and they don't care about the temps they have working for them otherwise they would do what they say they were doing instead of having to be chased up more than once.
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Comments about this review »
DiaboloVF 07.09.2006 03:29
Ah, another great cock-up by the Reed bunch. You're not the first to have been done over by them, and I'm sure you won't be the last.
Extremely good review.
snowbunni 10.01.2006 10:04
A friend of mine went through a similar palaver with Reed in London. They seem to be the most inept bunch of idiots working in recruitment... wonder how they managed to congregate them all the one company, lol. Very good review, very detailed & concise.x
a-true-ben 29.12.2005 11:17
From the sounds of it they have pretty high staff turnover, maybe you could get a job working for them!
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Welcome to the family Else, we are German and we speak very little French. Spend your holiday on the private land of 10,000 sqm. House Else has 2 apartments with a wonderful view over the valley of the Herault. On our ground pool salt for you. Many excursions await you Mourèze, Villeneuvette Lake Salagou, Beziers, Pezenas... There is a possible turn to the Canal du Midi or hiking: Ravin d'Arc, Pic de Loup...
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Winchester daredevils raise nearly £3,000 for charity (From Andover Advertiser)
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Winchester daredevils raise nearly £3,000 for charity
1:00pm Friday 23rd May 2014 in Winchester By Charlotte Neal, Reporter
A GROUP of Winchester daredevils have raised almost £3,000 for charity.
Four members of the Winnall Social Club, and the bar manager, completed a parachute jump last month in aid of local charities, and at a recent celebration evening they announced their grand totals.
Bar manager Steve Statham raised £930 for St John's Pre School, Craig Barnaby, 42, raised £875 for Lantern's Children Centre and Simon Williams, 24, £525 for Friends of Osbourne School.
Sasha Clements, 22, raised £620 for the special baby care unit at Royal Hampshire County Hospital, and Julie Pain, 51, £505 for her workplace, Triangles Pre-School.
Each jumper had to raise a minimum of £500.
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Hiroyuki Tokutomi, formerly unknown outside his native Japan and barely known within, has exploded onto the world stage during the past three years. His creations have captured the imagination of astute collectors in the United States and Europe. Though his pipes are often beautifully grained, that is not what has ignited the passion of those that collect and love Tokutomi's pipes. While his engineering is perfect and the smoking qualities superb, that is not what has yielded this excitement. Quite simply, Tokutomi's sense of design and shape is brilliant. Tokutomi is an artist whose medium happens to be briar, whose self-imposed constraints are the limitations imposed by the necessary functioning of a smoking instrument...(read more)A photo essay including Hiroyuki Tokutomi
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I just read a great article by Bill Barnes, at profootballfocus.com this morning, "Free Agents You Meet In Hell". In this article (I'll post the link at the bottom) he points out over the last decade or more the history of how Free Agent signings have worked out. It offers some valuable insight at to what the Panthers should do about RB DeAngelo Williams, DE Charles Johnson, and signing a WR.
RB DeAngelo Williams
"Spending more than a million dollars or so on a RB in free agency though, has mostly been a fool's errand. Vertually every outlay given to a veteran RB in free agency has failed. The last time a team invested more than a million bucks in a free agent RB and got a consistent return was when the Bears snapped up Thomas Jones in 2004." RB's who have put up a 1,000 yard season since 1983 have only been able to repeat that performance an average of 1.5 times over the remainder of their careers."
DE Charles Johnson
It's sort of a mixed bag of good and bad news for Panthers free agent DE Charles Johnson, with both good and bad news.
The bad news - ""When a team has signed or traded for a D-Lineman who produced 10 or more sacks in the season before hitting free agency, it has gotten only an average of 7.1 sacks from that D-Lineman in the subsequent campaign. ... Only 26% of D-Linemen followed up their 10 sack season with another one in their furst campaign with the new team. In fact 20% of the DE's weren't able to get past 2 sacks, thanks to injury or ineffectiveness."
The good news - "Stay away from proven pass rushers and lean towards what might look like flashes in the pan" (Johnson, Babin, etc.). (this next part is a little muddled, so I'll paraphrase to make it a little easier to understand) guys who had hit 10 sacks before leaving hit an average of just 6.3 sacks with their new team next season. Guys who had 10 sacks just once before free agency averaged 9.1 sacks the next season.
A Free Agent WR Warning
Here is a warning about signing WR's who come a powerful offense, with a top QB, unless he's the teams top reveiver, it's been a failure. "Virtually every time that a team has reached for a secondary or tertiary (WR) target from an efficent passing offense, it;s been burned", he calls this "The Alvin Harper Rule". He follows with 2 examples from the 2011 free agent class, Steve Smith (Giants) and Malcolm Floyd. I would add Lance Moore, James Jones, and Steve Breston to the list. You could add WR Sidney Rice to the list, because his only good season was also Brett Farves' best season as well, but he was their top receiver. This would rule out about all free WR's except Santino Holmes, Mike Sims-Walker, and Laurent Robinson (who's around 8th on the Rams depth chart now).
Profootballfocus.com also ranked Panthers OLB James Anderson as the 9th best 4-3 OLB of the last 3 seasons. They also said he's a target of the Lions, along with their 10th best 4-3 OLB of the last 3 seasons Justin Durant, and have previously mentioned Panthers OLB Thomas Davis as a Lions target. If the lion can get these 2 players, then they would have a great front 7, and only lack a top CB.


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North Carolina State vs. Miami
Mike Glennon looked pretty good, showing glimpses of greatness along with some bad plays. He can make all the throws at the college and NFL level. He can drop the ball in the bucket on deep throws in stride with the receiver, but sometimes underthrows wildly. He's got a powerful and mostly accurate arm, but sometimes overpowers his targets or misses them completely. I can't tell if it's his teammates making bad route choices, or Glennon reading incorrectly. His teammates didn't help him much as well, dropping some key passes, snapping a ball over his head, and fumbling at the goalline. He does seem best in a ball control scheme, and looked equally comfortable under center and from the shotgun. He looked mobile for a big QB, but needs to take some off the fastball while he's moving. Some of the criticism levied at him for not scanning the field seems inaccurate to me. Glennon went through his progression well in this game. Most importantly, he didn't rattle as the game got out of hand early, and fought back, leading his team back to make this a good game, eventually bringing his team back in the fourth quarter to tie the game. I think Glennon may end up in the Brock Osweiler category: good physical skills but needs some time behind a starter before he's ready. He had his moments, and even drives, where he looks like a big time QB. He just needs some more time. I think Glennon has the talent worthy of developing.
Wolfpack cornerback David Amerson is kind of hard to judge. He won't get get challenged much all game, but when Miami challenged him deep, he got confused in the matchup zone and didn't run with his receiver. He's a big, zone style cornerback that's best when he can see and react in his zone. He's high cut and not super fluid in man, but he's not bad at it either. He's supports the run well and tackles what he sees most of the time. He did mistime his jump on a field goal block in the third quarter, and the penalty gave Miami a first down. They scored the next play. A team that plays heavy Tampa 2, cover 2 with zone underneath, or cover 3 would be an ideal fit for Amerson. Overall, I can't tell if Amerson is playing the zone correctly and his teammates aren't, or if he's not playing the zone well. I did notice that when he's beaten, he immediately turns to look at a teammate, as if they got beat because the other player was out of position. I don't know Amerson, but I'd want to talk to his coaches before drafting him. If he's counseling his teammates in a positive way, that's fine. But if he's blaming others, that's a pretty big red flag for me. He does seem to let up a bit at the end of deep plays. I'm not sure I'd be comfortable playing him in a scheme where he's the last line of defense from the cornerback position. In Chicago's defense, where he's playing up in the zone, he's a great fit - if his head is right.
NC State has three good runners. Sophomore RB Tony Creecy played well. He's a multi-role runner that picked up tough yards inside, can break longer runs, and caught a touchdown. He can power up inside, but is also patient and will slide and pick his hole. Once in the hole, he'll lower his shoulder and pound out some tough yards. He's not eligible yet, but looks like a future workhorse. His running mate, senior Brandon Barnes, ran very hard and picked up some good yardage. He's a slasher that excels at making one cuts and then blowing up through the hole. Freshman Shadrach Thornton looked similar to Barnes, and picked up some tough yards, especially in the late third and fourth quarters.
Kudos to the Wolfpack offensive line in the run game. They did allow some pressure to get to Glennon, and put a snap over the 6-6 Glennon's head, but overall, they played well. Even in the heat of the 4th quarter, Miami couldn't beat the Wolfpack linemen in the ground game. LT RJ Mattes looked the best of the group, and most of the pressure on Glennon came from the right side of the line. Mattes, Andrew Wallace, Zach Allen, and Camden Wentz are all probably worthy of late round to undrafted consideration.
NC State sophomore fullback Logan Winkles is a bowling ball of a player, a sledgehammer lead blocker, and can catch out of the backfield. He even lined up some at tight end. He's got the 1980s rock band look. He's exactly what you envision when you think of a lead blocking full back.
Miami QB Stephen Morris played atypical of Miami QBs we've seen in past years. He stayed within the offense, made sound judgments, and got the ball where it needed to go, though his play regressed as NC State ratcheted up the pressure in the second half. Miami runs a pro style offense, and Morris plays as a dropback pocket passer in the offense. He underthrew a couple deep passes that still were completed, but he was mostly on target - the one pass I remember being high was his interception in the red zone, which went off his receiver's hands. Morris looked like his game came apart a bit in the second half, when the Wolfpack came after him, though he stayed within the offense, didn't make the killer mistake, adjusted, made some plays, and threw an absolutely beautiful ball on the TD to win the game. He's a junior, and probably hasn't shown enough yet to declare early, but worthy to keep in mind. He made a lot of good throws in this game.
The NCAA requires Miami to maintain a stock of NFL quality wide receivers, and the Hurricanes have three that meet the requirement. Allen Hurns, Phillip Dorsett, and Rawshawn Scott played very well. Scott and Dorsett are sophomores and Hurns is a junior. Hurns is the typical tall Hurricane receiver. He's got great body control and can make the tough catches. Dorsett is explosive. He had a punt return touchdown called back, looked like the fastest player on the field, and got behind Amerson on the winning TD catch. Scott looked like the true vertical threat for Miami, though he got caught from behind on a deep catch in the first quarter.
Vaughn Telemaque looked like a decent mid-roudn safety that a team can use against tight ends. He's long legged and didn't look comfortable against receivers, but matched up against NC State's TEs pretty well. He's not built well, and even on his forced fumble, he got bowled over by Barnes as he made the tackle. He could be a good pick for a team that likes to play a lot of cover 1, with the strong safety matched against the TE. He guessed to much in zone, and I wouldn't be comfortable with him as my team's FS. He's kind of a tweener - FS body with the skill set of a sub-package SS.
Miami RB Mike James isn't that highly regarded, and he shouldn't be, but he looks like a solid late round / undrafted rookie acquisition. He's built well and runs like a pinball. He's not real fast, but finds the hole well. He doesn't give up and fights for yardage to the whistle.
Tennessee vs. Georgia
Tyler Bray had an up and down game, though he played pretty well against a Georgia defense with 5-6 high quality NFL prospects. His biggest issue remains throwing off his back foot. He gets velocity on the ball, and when he throws while backpedalling, the defense has a hard time getting to him. But Bray misses on way too many throws for this to be a benefit. When he sets his feet and fires, he's got the best arm in college football in terms of velocity and accuracy. His stat line was far worse than his play. Two of his three interceptions were tipped, and I counted at least 5 dropped balls and 4 passes thrown away. Bray put the ball right on the money on a fade to Patterson, who dropped it. Bray didn't hang his head and fought back hard in a game where Georgia took a huge lead early. He stands tall in the pocket and delivers with the rush closing in, and will step up against the rush and keep his eyes downfield. He can change his arm angle when necessary, and still throw a good ball. He has a fast release and gets ball off prior to the defense getting to him. Still, his accuracy is concerning. He has two games in his career with a 60% completion rate, or better, where he threw over 20 times against quality opponent. I'm starting to get the Jake Locker feeling about Bray. He's got issues that folks are going to get down on him for. But he's got an immense amount of natural talent, isn't getting a lot of help from the drops, and his accuracy can easily be fixed with improved footwork. When he sets his feet and fires, there's none better in college football.
Justin Hunter was nearly invisible in this game. He's got a big frame and gets open while covered, but Bray didn't throw his way much. Hunter did show that he'd go over the middle, which isn't always the case with vertical receivers.
Hunter's running mate, Cordarrelle Patterson, dropped a deep touchdown that Bray put right on the money. He did that against Florida as well. He's a fantastic runner in the open field, and is at his best when he can get the ball in stride and able to run.
Dallas Thomas started at LG for Tennessee. He was part of a line that dominated the line of scrimmage against a good Georgia front. He worked against Johnathan Jenkins on doubles almost all game, and held his own.
I really like Tennessee running back Rajion Neal. I think he's underrated and will be a good NFL back. He's got good balance and great vision. He hits the hole hard once he sees it, runs hard, and defenses have to work to get him on the ground. Neal is a workhorse style back with a low center of gravity that keeps coming as the came goes on.
Tennessee's Zach Rogers is a tough little slot receiver. He reads defenses like a QB. Might be worth a undrafted rookie contract. He's got some Wes Welker to his game.
Daniel McCullers is a huge man in the middle of the Tennessee defense. Georgia had some trouble running when he was in the game. He's strictly a run down player, tires easily, and gets almost nothing in the pass rush.
Georgia has some great, young talent on this team. The offensive line is huge and talented, and many of the skill players are freshman and sophomores, including running backs Keith Marshall and Todd Gurley, receiver Michael Bennett, etc. There's too many players to list, but Georgia has the same feel as Alabama did a few years back - lots of youngsters playing well now.
Aaron Murray operates a lot like USC's Matt Barkley, but with a stronger arm. He snaps the ball off his shoulder and the ball comes off his ear. Murray really gets going in a three step drop offense where he can see and fire. He had a ball tipped at line, which was intercepted for a TD. He shows good ball placement and is really accurate on short to intermediate routes inside. He moves coverage with his eyes. He'll step up into open areas of the pocket and keep his eyes downfield. He'll keep his eyes up when moving, and is pretty accurate on the run. He misfired late in the game, and Georgia couldn't get a first down and had to punt to Tennessee three straight drives to end the game.
Jarvis Jones had a poor game. He didn't get close to Bray. He was shutdown by Georgia sophomore offensive tackle Antonio Richardson - the same guy that forced Thomas in to left guard. Jones pursued hard in the run game, but the only penetration he got was on shovel plays.
Bulldog receiver Tavarres King gets on top of corners fast. He's not the typical vertical threat, and he'll work over the middle and fights for yards. Kind of similar to how Chan Gailey uses Donald Jones, he will block from the H-back position. He plays outside and in the slot.
Alec Ogletree is a tall, thin looking outside linebacker for the Bulldogs. He looks more like a big wide receiver than a linebacker, and sort of plays like it. He's not stout against the run, and will slips blocks instead of fighting through. Most of the time, he gets washed out on runs. He's best in pursuit. Against the pass, he comes fast off the corner on blitzes. He's best in coverage, and plays like a SS in zones. He got really good range, and blankets TEs and backs in man coverage.
Johnathan Jenkins got double teamed almost all game and didn't get in on plays. He playied over center a lot as a NT.
Georgia's Bacarri Rambo gambled in coverage a bit. He's a ball hawk that guesses some. He'll fill hard in run support and arrives with a thud, and wraps well. I didn't notice his running mate, Shawn Williams, at all. That may or may not have been a good thing.


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in his "Bracketology" for the NCAA Tournament and playing in the East Bracket. He has us playing William and Mary in the first game.
Apparently we're getting some love! We need to win tomorrow against Purdue to keep up up in that rating. I see where Samson is still out of the Purdue game and I think he will probably be out for one or two more. To bad, we got a tough bunch of games coming up in January. We got to hope that smaller lineup will run opponents to death or else Iverson will have to have some monster games which from his past performances doesn't seem too likely.


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Imagine dedicating each weekend, November through March, to 10 hours of driving and 15 hours of athletic training, working toward a goal that could be shattered with one injury or the slightest lapse in commitment.
Now imagine doing that and being just 14 years old.
That's the life of Katherine (Kat) Spilman, a freshman dedicating her free time to the United States Ski Association (USSA) and competing in freestyle mogul events in the northeast and Canada.
Spilman, who gets her ski skills from her parents, Chris and JoAnn, took to the slopes at the age of 2, she said, and began skiing competitively at age 9. The high school freshman made the junior varsity volleyball team this past fall, and plays club softball as well. She'll be trying out for the school softball team in March, too.
"I've always been athletic and a competitive person," Spilman said. "I don't really sit still; I need to be moving and doing something all the time."
The inability to keep stationery–aside from when she's texting, according to Spilman's mom–is the driving force behind the teen's burgeoning ski career.
Spilman competes in mogul races and just came in eighth at the Killington Klassic on Feb. 5 in the dual mogul event in Vermont.
In order to compete in those events, however, the family has to pack up and hit the road every Friday for Saturday and Sunday competitions.
"We all have assigned seats in the car, which is sort of like our second home," Kat Spilman said. The family even brings their Shiba Inu, Cindy, along for the ride.
The weekend travel to and from Vermont has become routine, Chris said, but the family has gotten to the point where it needs to weigh the effort against the outcome.
"It's all about the money for (the USSA)," Chris Spilman said. "The more you compete and win, the more money they get by you entering into competitions. It's a machine. We're at a point right now where we have to ask ourselves, where do we go from here?"
While Spilman continues to progress, she–and her parents–understand that one injury could end her career.
"I've seen girls with terrible injuries, tearing their ACL on the slopes, and now they're basically done," Spilman said.
Competing in mogul events can be wearing on the body, Spilman said, who has suffered a few back injuries during her career, along with a broken ankle while training on a trampoline last summer.
"There are days when you can't get out of bed," she said. "You make sure you always have Advil with you."
"Injuries are always in the back of your mind," JoAnn Spilman said. "Your first priority is for all the kids to get down (the slopes) OK."
Looking ahead
As Spilman continues to master the speed, turns and lines, and air facets of the sport–the three categories mogul racers are judged on–she looks toward competing on a bigger stage, sooner than later.
The youngster is keeping the focus directly ahead of her, saying competing in the Olympics would be a dream, but isn't a goal right now. Qualifying for the NorAm competition, however, is on her current shortlist.
Placing in the top-2 positions in moguls or dual moguls at the NorAm event would automatically qualify her to be part of the
The young athlete may not get the accolades most high school sports participants achieve because of her choice of extracurricular activity, but she's fine with that.
"I'll take (skiing) over anything else," Spilman said. "You're always moving, always doing something, and I just love doing it."
Spilman will continue to work toward her goal, with her family's support firmly behind her, and hopes to always keep moving within the world of skiing.


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So, it's Saturday night for most of you/Sunday morning for me. I've got some things to share, so hey, why not have a half-weekend DBD?
1) Sec119, I have asked the mommy blog what their baby sunscreen recommendations are, and will report back.
2) Here is a novel form of payment accepted in Australia: http://www.grubstreet.com/2013/06/metro-st-james-sydney-coffee-kiss.html
3) While the rest of the country is celebrating Pride, Columbus has the Arts Festival going on! No, Twist, it's not just tents full of Kinkade. He was, in fact, Californian. Here in Ohio, we welcome local artists and visiting talent, from Maya Lin to A.E. London. I remember London's work from last year and am so glad she came back to the festival, although it is of course still way out of my tax bracket.
At any rate, sleeping would help with this transition between Saturday and Sunday, but if anyone wants to come hang out, the DBD coffeeshop is open!


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Select Route:
For its modest grade, this route has a surprisingly exposed "big wall" atmosphere. Snark ascends the left center of the main NE face in a direct line, ending near the summit cairn. Approach is made on a huge diagonal ledge, most easily attained at its lower right side. The route itself can be located with reference to a great left-leaning pillar or finger of rock, at least half the height of the face. The climb reaches the U-shaped ledge area at the lower right corner of this formation, and continues up in a vertical line to its right to the top of the face.
The FA party found good protection with a light rack of stoppers, hexes and runners. No fixed anchors were placed.


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Students- Summer Grants
HARWARD SUMMER STUDENT FELLOWSHIPS, which are funded through the Vincent Mulford Fund, the Class of 2000 Fund, and the Harward Center, provide support for community-engaged learning projects.
Students interested in applying for this fellowship are encouraged to meet with the Harward Center staff to discuss the application process. Working with a supervisor at a service agency site, the student designs an eight- to ten-week project, outlines job responsibilities, and identifies some of the social and/or environmental issues that the work will address. Grant applications must include a written endorsement from both the host agency and a faculty member. Students are encouraged to develop projects that address wide-ranging social or environmental issues while having a local impact. $3200 is awarded for a minimum of eight weeks of full-time work. These grants are highly competitive. For more information, contact Marty Deschaines at the Harward Center for Community Partnerships or click here to download an application.
DEADLINE: March 16, 2015
SUMMER COMMUNITY WORK-STUDY FELLOWSHIPS provide federal work-study funds for summer community-engaged learning projects. These projects may be primarily socially or environmentally focused. Funds are available on a competitive basis. Students can design projects in non-profit agencies or apply for jobs already listed for local organizations. Funds can be used locally or in other parts of the country with preference being given to local projects. Students MUST qualify for federal work-study funds in both the current academic year and the following academic year. Compensation is at a rate of $10/hour and students can earn up to $3700 for the summer. Host agencies must agree to reimburse Bates College for 25% of the student's total earnings. Applicants must also submit a strong letter of support from the agency supervisor and from a faculty member. Summer work cannot begin until June 1st. For more information, contact Marty Deschaines at the Harward Center for Community Partnerships or click here to download an application.
DEADLINE: March 16, 2015
Click here to download a tip sheet on writing a summer grant proposal.


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The house located at 1 Willow Place in the Iselin section of Woodbridge is set for an open house today from noon to 3 pm. The property is listed at $285,000.
The Cape Cod style home features three bedrooms, one full bath and one partial bath. Complete with a family room addition, spacious living room and updated kitchen, this house packs a big punch at a pricetag of only $285,000.
Built in 1950, the Willow Place property also features many modern upgrades including central air-conditioning, vinyl siding and a fabulous deck in the yard. The eat-in kitchen includes stainless steel appliances and a great view of the outdoors.
There is also a partially finished basement which includes a laundry room. In addition, the house has a second floor den and a one-car garage. The property has been expertly landscaped and is, by far, one of the most stunning homes in the neighborhood. Convenient to the Metro Park Train Station, major highways and shopping, this house is a must see by prospective homebuyers.
Courtesy of Choice Realty Co.; Robert Kolar, Listing Agent.
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COMANCHE COUNTY, Okla _The two Moore Elementary Schools devastated by Monday's tornado left many parents questioning the safety of their child's school.
In Lawton and surrounding communities, many of the schools are older and lack safe rooms or underground shelters. That causes students to have to take cover in bathrooms or hallways if the school were in the path of a storm.
We spoke with experts in architecture and construction to learn more about current policies and structures and how safe they keep our students.
In the wake of devastation, people begin to question current policies and procedures. Yet we learned Thursday that there are no hard and fast solutions, and many of the things that schools are already doing to protect their students still provide their best chance of survival.
If you went to a school without a shelter, you probably remember the drill. Students file into the hallway. Get down onto their knees and cover their head. Some may take cover in bathrooms and any other small spaces that do not have windows. But after two schools in Moore took direct hits from an EF 5 tornado and at least 200 mile per winds, people began to question the safety of that practice.
An engineer and architect told us that every school building is different, so there's no single safety plan that works for every building. While safe rooms or a shelter are the preferred option, in a school with neither, the hallway or a small space is the safest place for a student to be. That's the case for most of the schools in Lawton, many of which were built before 1970.
The age of the building and the type of materials used also play a role in the safety of a building if a tornado were to hit. But, even current Oklahoma building codes don't require safe rooms in schools.
Lack of financial resources make it hard for the state to mandate such shelters. Oklahoma's weather is incredibly unpredictable. For schools funding, safe rooms can easily add hundreds of thousands of dollars, even millions to the cost. It's a challenge to convince voters to pay higher property taxes to protect against something that might never happen to their school.
Currently, very few schools in Oklahoma have safe rooms and Alabama is the only state to require safe zones in all new school buildings.


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Plan "H" ITEP-Junior Concentration Sheets
In order to view the forms and handouts on this page you will need to install Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have the latest Adobe Acrobat Reader installed, click here to download it from the Adobe website.
- American Sign Language
- Art
- Creative Writing
- Ethnic Studies
- Ethnic Studies (SPED)
- Gender Studies
- General Science
- History
- Human Development
- Humanities/Philosophy/Religion
- Language and Diversity
- Literacy Scholars for the future of Los Angeles (LSLA)
- Literature
- Mathematics
- Music
- Social Science
- Spanish (Track A)
- Spanish (Track B)
- Theatre