Business
A New Low in American Pop Culture
The 2020 Superbowl half-time show is an exercise in depravity
The forthcoming Superbowl half-time show will exhibit the bottomless pit of American pop culture. The National Football League (NFL) has succumbed to gutter music by booking Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Dre, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar. Many wokesters and jubilant progressives regard this news as a landmark event highlighting aspects of black culture. However, is this even remotely the case?
Collectively, these individuals have racked up long rap sheets, including weapons charges, domestic violence charges, felony drug possession, assault charges, street gang activity, and racketeering, and have been accused of murder, attempted murder, and mayhem.
Their works are laced with words such as bitc*, pimp, motherf*****, ho, and the N-word in its various forms, but you can bet the prime time versions will be sanitized or said so fast that the typical viewer won’t know what was said.
Far From a Great Moment
When did rhymes which highlight violence, greed, hate, bullying, narcissism, and hedonism take center stage in the American music scene? When did the NFL shift from its previous standard of conservatism and family? “The opportunity to perform at the Super Bowl Halftime show, and to do it in my own backyard, will be one of the biggest thrills of my career,” Dre proclaimed. The ensemble half-time show will be an “unforgettable cultural moment.”
It might well be an unforgettable ‘cultural’ moment, but it is not an admirable moment for the National Football League or the United States of America. Even with the introduction of deaf rappers, the show is an unmistakable sign of social and cultural rot; the triumph of depravity.
Actually, the NFL long ago caved to the Left. Still, the situation is heartbreaking as 7, 8, and 9 year-olds across America and around the world will be watching. One can only imagine the long term impact on children and on society of having such garbage socially sanctioned by one of the nation’s most prominent institutions, and on display to the world’s largest TV viewing audience.
The Sordid Effects
Rap has a pronounced ill effect on children who listen to it. Consider the findings published in Pediatrics from the American Academy of Pediatrics: “The effect that popular music has on children’s and adolescents’ behavior and emotions is of paramount concern.”
“Lyrics have become more explicit in their references to drugs, sex, and violence over the years, particularly in certain genres… exposure to violence, sexual messages, sexual stereotypes, and use of substances of abuse in music videos might produce significant changes in behaviors and attitudes of young viewers.”
Here’s the message for parents: it is rational to believe that listening to rap ‘music’ will increase a youngster’s propensity to engage in violence or at least desensitize him to the effects of violence. As parents, can we allow this to happen to our kids? Why let an industry that does this to our children continue to flourish?
Hum that Tune?
Consider your own adolescent and teen age years. Many people can associate songs with a boyfriend or girlfriend from decades ago. They can remember what they were doing at the time a song was popular. Now imagine listening to lyrics laced with profanity, or that glorify misogyny or violence.
What level of viciousness is necessary to write, record, produce, and distribute such products? Beyond being crude, vulgar, and non-melodious, rap doesn’t help engender memories.
When you were in grade school, high school, or college, the tunes you listened to served as memory hooks – emotional markers that highlighted the times of your life. You likely can recall a favorite song, if not several, from your school years, recite the verses, and engender distant, pleasant recollections. Tuneful, melodic songs can evoke powerful memories.
What will today’s kids have to recall, musically, as they proceed through the decades ahead? Clever, lowbred lines from DaBaby, Polo G, or Lil Uzi Vert? Will anybody hum those tunes? Will such tunes play at anyone’s wedding?
Bereft and Barren
Are two friends, who meet in 30 or 40 years hence, going to reminisce over a rap ‘song’? Are the clamorous, pounding, obnoxious verses going to invoke memories worth carrying to the end of one’s days?
Make no mistake, the NFL is legitimizing lyrical pornography, shoving it at us and essentially saying, we’re hip, we’re cool, we’re progressive, and you should be too.
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Business
Work-Life Balance in Your Life
It the ability to experience a sense of control and to stay productive and competitive at work while maintaining a happy, healthy home-life
Work-life balance (WLB) is the ability to experience a sense of control and to stay productive and competitive at work while maintaining a happy, healthy home-life with sufficient leisure. WLB, also referred to by some as work-life harmony, work-life shift, work-life blend, work-life effectiveness, or work-life integration, requires focus and awareness despite seemingly endless tasks and activities competing for our time and attention.
Work-life balance entails having what I call “breathing space” for yourself each day, feeling a sense of accomplishment while not being consumed by work, and having an enjoyable domestic life without short-changing career obligations. WLB is rooted in whatever fulfillment means to you within the course of a day and a week, and however many years you have left in your life.
Supporting Disciplines
Several disciplines support work-life balance though, individually, none are synonymous with work-life balance:
1) Self Management
Sufficiently managing one’s self can be challenging, particularly in getting proper sleep, exercise, and nutrition. Self-management is the recognition that effectively using the spaces in our lives is vital, and that life, time, and available resources are finite. It means becoming captain of our own ship; no one is coming to steer for us.
2) Time Management
Effective time management involves making optimal use of your day and the supporting resources that can be summoned – you can only keep pace when your resources match your challenges. Time management is enhanced through appropriate goals and discerning what is both important and urgent, versus important OR urgent. It entails understanding what you do best and when, and assembling the appropriate tools to accomplish specific tasks.
3) Stress Management
By nature, societies tend to become more complex over time. In the face of increasing complexity, stress on the individual is inevitable. More people, noise, and distractions, independent of one’s individual circumstances, require each of us to become more adept at maintaining tranquility and being able to work ourselves out of pressure-filled situations. Most forms of multi-tasking ultimately increase our stress, while focusing on one thing at a time helps decrease stress.
4) Change Management
In our fast-paced world, change is virtually the only constant. Continually adopting new methods, adapting old, and re-adapting all methods is vital to a successful career and a happy home life. Effective change management involves offering periodic and concerted efforts so that the volume and rate of change at work and at home does not overwhelm or defeat you.
5) Technology Management
Effectively managing technology requires ensuring that technology serves you, rather than abuses you. Technology has always been with us, since the first walking stick, spear, flint, and wheel. Today, the rate of technological change is accelerating, brought on by vendors seeking expanding market share. Often you have no choice but to keep up with the technological Joneses, but rule technology, don’t let it rule you.
6) Leisure Management
The most overlooked of the work-life balance supporting disciplines, leisure management acknowledges 1) the importance of rest and relaxation, 2) that “time off” is a vital component of the human experience, and 3) that one can’t indefinitely short-change leisure without repercussions. Curiously, too much of the same leisure activity, however enjoyable, can lead to monotony. Thus, effective leisure management requires varying one’s activities.
Entirely Achievable
Achieving work-life balance does not require radical changes in what you do. It is about developing fresh perspectives and sensible, actionable solutions that are appropriate for you. It is fully engaging in life with what you have, right where you are, smack dab in the ever-changing dynamics of your existence.
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Business
Work-life Balance: The Enduring Quest
Organizations today recognize the importance of supporting employees’ well-being while maintaining productivity
Thank goodness that organizations today increasingly recognize the importance of supporting employees’ well-being while maintaining productivity. As such, the corporate quest for work-life balance, harmony, and integration has gained great prominence.
Key Aspects
Here are 12 key aspects of this pursuit gleaned from a variety of programs:
1. Offer Flexible Work Arrangements: Offering flexible work schedules, remote work options, and part-time opportunities allows employees to better balance their professional and personal lives.
2. Have Clear Policies: Establishing clear policies and guidelines regarding work hours, overtime, and expectations helps employees manage their time effectively.
3. Support Mental Health: Providing access to mental health resources, counseling, and stress management programs can address employees’ emotional well-being.
4. Give Leave: Offering generous paid time off, including vacation, sick leave, and parental leave, allows employees to address personal and family needs without fear of repercussions.
5. Prevent Burnout: Encouraging employees to disconnect from work-related technology after hours helps prevent burnout and supports work-life separation.
6. Support Workload Management: Ensuring that employees have manageable workloads and realistic deadlines prevents excessive stress and long working hours.
7. Provide Wellness Programs: Implementing wellness initiatives, such as fitness facilities, nutrition programs, and health screenings, promotes a healthier work-life balance.
8. Enable Employee Assistance Programs: Such programs provide confidential counseling and support services for employees facing personal challenges.
9. Promote a Culture of Balance: Company culture plays a significant role in work-life balance. Leaders should model a balanced lifestyle, and the organization should celebrate accomplishments beyond work.
10. Maintain Continuous Communication: Engaging in open dialogues with employees about their needs and concerns regarding work-life balance fosters a supportive and responsive corporate culture.
11. Empower Workers with Training and Education: Providing training on time management, stress reduction, and resilience equips employees with the skills to better balance their lives.
12. Leverage Remote Work Policies: Crafting clear remote work policies and expectations ensures that remote employees have a structured work-life balance.
Bringing in the Hired Gun
As the world’s only holder of the title, “The Work-Life Balance Expert®,” as issued by the USPTO, I am often summoned by organizations to enhance work-life balance for their troops. In all, I’ve delivered programs and spoken to 960 groups. Below depicts an encounter with a company who shall remain nameless for reasons of confidentiality. See if this squares up with your experience in your organization.
The following responses were derived as a result of my sending a questionnaire to the conference meeting planner where I was to be their keynote speaker. I requested the names of 10 people who would be in the audience. I called each of them to discuss their current challenges. Here are their actual replies to three of my questions:
1) If you could magically resolve a work-life balance issue, what would it be?
* Have more breathing room between high-level projects.
* Accomplish more during the workday and leave mentally free.
* Hire more staff!
* Take vacations and time off with no big pile ups when returning.
* Be allowed to take some Fridays off and catch up on much needed appointments.
* Reduce the number of pop-up requests and questions flying at me all day long so that I could ACTUALLY do what I need to do each day.
* Be approved to work from home or adjust my hours. My personal time isn’t respected.
2) What do you seek to derive from attending a session such as mine?
* Manage my time more effectively.
* Gain tools to embrace life while living it
* Develop stronger skills.
* Make work-life balance a reality in our company’s work-first culture.
* Acquire strategies, tips, or ideas to re-think my approach.
* Learn to change my focus, to be more productive, balanced, and focused.
* Be able to balance the few things that I do control during my day.
* Discover tips for keeping my staff in balance.
* Gain a realistic expectation of what we can achieve or experience.
* Develop a more positive outlook for the group.
3) Are there any observations you could offer?
* Work-life balance is a huge topic organization-wide. We are high performers who want to do a good job. We compromise our personal lives to meet work demands. We have to keep pace with the leaders and teams we support. If we don’t, we’ll be deemed unresponsive.
* A frenetic pace seems to be inherent in this company. Our team does a good job of emphasizing work-life balance; the problem lies with the surrounding divisions that thrive on working all the time, for no good reason. Yes, we are in a global space, working in different time zones, but some of these people are beyond the pale.
* What I love about this organization are the people. They are dedicated to the cause and truly want to deliver reliable, affordable, dynamic, and versatile solutions to our customers. However, our frenetic pace isn’t necessary. Not every project is the most vital. Not every problem is an emergency. Not every request has to be filled now.
* If in charge, I’d implement a more efficient, logical pace organization-wide. If we all took a breath and reevaluated how we work, in a more focused environment, we might find that we could produce better results with less stress.
Resonates Strongly
As you can see, the topic of work-life balance resonates strongly among today’s career professionals. Going forward, may more organization recognize and acknowledge the critical role that employee wellness and work-life balance has on the organization’s overall effectiveness.
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