Talk with Tom
Get the dispatches from the new world of work
Ben & Jerry
I really don't want to be run out of the State of Vermont.
Your comments [in reaction to this blog] have been fabulous and stunningly thoughtful, and I will respond as the days go by. One person said he was surprised that I'd consider not speaking to B & J. I had to respond ... before I head down the driveway at my VT farm. Namely:
No! No! No!
I was simply trying to make the generic point about slippery slopes—and plastic definitions. If one is an avowed, vociferous champion for the "War on Childhood Obesity," could one in good faith speak to B & J about making the process of "marketing-megacalories-to-kids" more "excellent"?
At one level I have and will consider the nature of every institution I speak to, if for no other reason that time is in short supply and there is (praise be) an "oversupply" of opportunities. As to my examples of B & J, lawyers, and those whose service level pisses me off—the specifics were for illustrative purposes only!
(NB: I happen to be a fan of lawyers. Societies based on the Rule of Law tend to do a little better than others over time.)
Incidentally, I have had B & J problems—before they sold out to Unilever. E.g., the Holier-than Thou B & J founders bragged that no one was paid more than six (?) times as much as anybody else. "No one," that is, except Ben and Jerry and a few others who owned the company. (I don't care what their W-2s proclaimed.) Then there was the new CEO hunt based on applications submitted on ice cream container lids. How cool! Well, it didn't produce viable candidates, so B & J went to a headhunter, and after they had their man they had him fill out an ice cream lid. If you were looking for the one thing I most hate, and you said "hypocrisy"—you'd be spot on. (NB: As best I can determine, the Lid Tale is not Urban Legend.) (NB2: This case of hypocrisy would not have led me to turn down a speaking gig.)(NB3: I have not in fact, pre or post buyout, talked to B & J. "Why not?" you ask. Um ... they haven't invited me.)
Keep those comments coming!
(NB4: Why this discussion redux? Because I took a vacation pause and Susan happened to ask an "innocent" question that wasn't! It was, oddly, in reflection upon a novel she'd just finished. I think such Fundamental Noodling is imperative. I have a Catholic priest pal with a huge urban parish. I occasionally act as his de facto confessor—an apt role for a moderately lapsed Presbyterian. He often ... yes "often" ... at age 55+ ... as he puts it, "question my beliefs, and go through long troubled periods of wavering faith." He argues—and I wholeheartedly agree!—that you should never trust a religious leader who doesn't question his/her faith from time to somewhat frequent time. Among other things it leads him to greater empathy—and hence effectiveness as counselor—with the troubled among his parishioners. TP: So, too, "management gurus"!)
ARCHIVES
cheapest price for viagra- November 2011 viagra cheap australia
viagra online orderingviagra canadian pharmacy discount - April 2006
pfizer viagra india - July 2005
Before blogging became all the rage, Tom was posting book reviews and Observations (essentially early blog posts) to this site. You can find the archives below.
What Tom's Reading Archives
OBSERVATIONS ARCHIVES
discount real viagra - October 1999
right now
What we're talking about
on the front page.
Comments
I like the sound of your Priest friend. Sounds like my own supervisor Professor George Giarchi. I think humility underpins integrity and ethical practice in any profession from Vicars to Management Gurus - you have those qualities – bottle it, celebrate it, teach it and respect it.
Posted by Trevor Gay at August 25, 2006 9:41 AM
Okay - let´s choose no easy targets.
But a movement IS a movement, and I don´t believe in such things as separating personal life from work - not in the romantic, idealistic sense - I once read a corporate report that read "you have to do good to do well". Any grain of passion requires a faith that you WILL make a dent in the universe.
To believe & act otherwise is to make the wrong dent !!!!!
You can eventually be found in strange situations, but if you REALLY feel the need for the real zing, excellence, a rewarding day, week,..., then I believe there is no way but to do somenthing that you trust will be good for people, even if somewhat unpleasant. Or, if reality ultimatelly holds you from implementing the plan, let´s not throw the baby with the water and build mouse traps for people.
regards
Kind regards
Posted by Gerson Barbosa at August 25, 2006 11:55 AM
My father (a Lutheran Pastor) used to call questions like this one, "the Angels we must wrestle with." One of dad's friends was the Luthern Bishop Hans Lilje who was imprisoned by the Nazis. I remember Bishop Lilje saying that he found prison very easy in some ways because there were no great moral dilemmas. Outside there were gentle temptations and shades of gray and often choices were automatic.
Posted by Wally Bock at August 25, 2006 1:32 PM
You have been a breath of fresh air to the world of leadership, challenging, sometimes ranting, and making us think. Your passion is your life. Keep doing it. The moral dilemmas of life can become monsters if we as individuals, organizations and nations limit our communications with one another. If we stop talking our differences become insurmountable, and fear takes over. Life for all suffers. It is easy to speak and touch the lives of those that agree with you...the masters are those who speak to those who are different and change their lives.
Posted by Phil Clark at August 25, 2006 6:32 PM
The B&J thing is a tough one. I admired their desire to be a "socially responsible" company but I couldn't square that with the blatantly unhealthy product they were selling. Ice cream presents unique problems because it combines dairy, refined sugar, and ice cold temperatures, which over time can create many more problems than just obesity and heart disease. (I cut out dairy and refined sugar 20 years ago after numerous colleagues had cancer remissions primarily from going cold turkey on animal fat & sugar. I've rarely been ill since.) The B&J paradox - and this whole discussion on which companies should one consult to - is the same dilemma that makes "socially responsible" investing so vexing.
Posted by John O'Leary at August 25, 2006 9:38 PM
Has anybody, to your knowledge, ever been held at gunpoint, and forced to eat a triple carmel fudge, nut ladden, ice cream delight from B&J's?? I was kidnapped by aliens once, and forced into a McDonald's drive thru at 2 am to buy two Big Macs...other than that, it is all about P E R S O N A L R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y !! Pass the Chee-tos.....
Posted by J D Duncan at August 25, 2006 9:51 PM
In response to JD Duncan above, I rather think that quite a lot of people have been forced to eat triple carmel fudge etc etc. What's worse is that they come from a minority with no rights and no political voice. They're called kids.
Good eating habits start when you're a kid. If your parents, through ignorance, laziness or whatever else, start you off down the wrong path, it's hard to find the right one later on in life. It often needs a shock like JO'L mentions above.
I tend to take the view that if a grown up in control of his/her faculties opts to abuse his/her body, that's his/her choice. But what of the kids?
Posted by MarkJF at August 26, 2006 1:21 AM
I'm with you Mark ... and just to to add to the problem .... to whom are those kids looking to as their role models?
Posted by Trevor Gay at August 26, 2006 10:21 AM
ACLU Americans for "Civil Liberties" Union: New NAZI agenda - time to leave them off your wish list.
Posted by sean at August 26, 2006 11:30 AM
..so...we are going to go after PARENTS!!, or Ben & Jerry's...I'm confused??
Posted by J D Duncan at August 26, 2006 11:50 AM
Hi JD - both and indeed anyone else who does not take responsiblity for kids welfare and their future.
Posted by Trevor Gay at August 26, 2006 5:07 PM
Fair enough, Trevor...please add Nabisco, Kelloggs, Kraft, McDonald's, Wendy's, Chick Filet, Starbucks, Ligget Meyers, Baskin Robbins, Dairy Queen, Brinker Corp (Chili's, Macoronni Grill, etc., etc), Pepsi Co. (Friot-Lay, Pepsi, Pizza Hut, evil Taco Bell), Coca-Cola, take a breath..., P F Changs, On the Border, any "ma and pop" Mexican food joint in America, Dr. Pepper/7 Up....while we are at it, Ford, GM, Dailhmer C. (please excuse the spelling(s)), American Airlines, NWA, Southwest Air (bad peanuts, very high in fat, will give you as many bags as you want..aagghh!!, who else?? While we are at it, let's require ALL parents to have some sort of "government issued" PARENTS CERTIFICATE / LICENSE..if you see a mom / kids pulling out of Mickey D's..follow them, "what's in that bag, miss??....filet o' fish sandwich, spread em, book e'm Dan O...." Got to go, son's 21th. bday today, we are going to eat red meat, fried food, salad dressing, red wine, and bread and butter....somebody turn us in if you can find us..we will be at the table for 12 at Ruth's Chris STEAK!!! House....peace.
Posted by J D Duncan at August 26, 2006 5:30 PM
That is a terrific answer JD - I love it! I am beaten :-)
But ….. :-)
I have three grown up kids who eat and drink the 'wrong' stuff according to the book as I do myself. No one is perfect and I am not suggesting a ‘nanny state’ where parents are licensed; or a state where we do not have choice. I just ask what we are going to do about it. When I look around I definitely see more obesity than there was when I was younger. We cannot keep getting away with just blaming the kids, the educational establishments, the healthcare providers, the government, business and everyone else without looking at the responsibility parents have to at least show some sort of role model behaviour. I feel genuinely sorry for those who are obese through medical conditions but when I see as I did recently at breakfast whilst on holiday an enormous woman of probably 25/30 stone stuffing her face with 6 rounds of bread and butter in front of her petite daughter of about 7 years of age that is the sort of thing that really annoys me.
Posted by Trevor Gay at August 27, 2006 2:27 AM
MAKING it too easy for me to slip in TIRADE No. 7: Women make 90% of household consumer decisions, including their "nutrition" and "healthcare" choices = record household credit card and other debt AND radical obesity all around - blame Pepsi with its 20 Sugar-Water, Junk-Food Billion Dollar brands?
- thanks B&J Lady Madonna mindsets ...
Lady Madonna, children at your feet
Wonder how you manage to make ends meet
Who finds the money when you pay the rent
Did you think that money was heaven sent
Posted by sean at August 27, 2006 3:18 PM
Lennon and McCartney lyrics have no equals!- I wonder how sir Paul thinks now about those lyrics :-(
Posted by Trevor Gay at August 27, 2006 4:25 PM
viagra pharmacy price canada
Why do we have to think in terms of, "going after" and not in terms of, "How are we all going to agree to adapt our behaviour so that manufacturers can continue to make a living from producing an indulgence product that Joe Public consumes as part of a sensible and healthy diet?"
To my mind this, like so many other things, should start in the home but absolutley needs to be picked up (and in many cases probably started) in school. viagra canadian
And it's not just about teaching kids about wellness, math, history, chemistry, design etc. It's also about learning to question things, to ask the right questions, to take responsibility, to think about the impact of your behaviour on other people and the environment etc. Sounds idealistic? Well, what's wrong with a BHAG?
Posted by MarkJF at August 28, 2006 1:35 AM
It's all about teaching. In fact, the parents need to be accountable as well as kids and the companies profiting. Everyone is a steak holder here. Therefore everyone needs to be held accountable. Teach yourself and then those around you. Stop looking for the person/entity to blame. Responsibility is the foundation of success “Slight Edgeâ€, Jeff Olson. It’s a great book. Check it out if you haven’t already.
Posted by Frank J. Foti at August 28, 2006 8:16 AM
Good point!
Posted by hanako at August 28, 2006 9:38 AM
Just for kicks and giggles, I'll put forth my two cents worth. I'm a boomer, who was raised by a mom who didn't work, and a dad that did, and went to school when corporal punishment was still permissable, and teachers were the most influential people in my life...Now I love my mom and dad, but dad worked all the time, and mom pretty much took care of the home, and took care of my younger sisters, and as we all hit the teenage years we pretty much went our own way with minimal supervision...Between the lessons learned about respect, obedience, tolerance, common sense, and readin' writin' an 'rythmatick that I got at school, I turned out pretty good (or so I've been told), and most capable of making good decisions.
Now we have two parents working, teachers who command no respect from students, and get damed little from their admistrations, and those who do take initiative are ostrasized by their peers...With the next generations, it only gets worse.
You'd like parents to take resposibility...How can they when they were never taught it? I'm not talking about interfering with parenting, I'm talking about it becoming the rule rather than the exception, that support for teachers and administrators to bring them back to where they were when I was a kid is extended, so that the kid's have a chance to learn about making good choices in their lives because of the examples they've seen in school. I think that way too many folks forget how big of a part their school days played in the formation of their character.
Sorry to be so long winded!!!
Posted by Gary Snead at August 28, 2006 11:35 AM
Could you please tell us the name of the novel Susan had been reading?
Posted by Gideon Strauss at August 29, 2006 10:51 AM
If we only talk with or to those with whom we agree, we may feel good about ourselves and our audiences and think how wonderfully brilliant we all are, but it is unlikely we will move anyone to consider another way of thinking or encourage others or ourselves to think deeply on serious subjects.
Posted by Lewis Green at August 29, 2006 2:48 PM