Day: September 26, 2013

“While it may be somewhat more challenging to address cultural issues in a higher education context that includes U.S. students, there are a number of practices an effective teacher can implement in order to raise awareness of hidden assumptions, expectations and biases.” This article focuses on “self-awareness”, “awareness of difference” and “practice corrective feedback approaches that take linguistic and cultural factors into consideration.”

“This magazine, in a cover article by Lisa Belkin, called the phenomenon of their leaving work the “Opt-Out Revolution,” and other coverage followed: a Time magazine cover story on “The Case for Staying Home” and a “60 Minutes” segment devoted to a group of former mega-achievers who were, as the anchor Lesley Stahl put it, “giving up money, success and big futures” to be home with their children.” The stories of the women indicate women staying home longer than they expected, losing self-confidence and the challenges of returning to the workforce.” Also, the perils of leaving the work force were counterbalanced by the pleasures of being able to experience motherhood on their own terms.”

“Among nearly 66,00 undergrads at 318 universities surveyed by employer branding firm Universum in 2013, women expected to receive an entry-level salary of $49, 248 (or $4, 104 each month). The guys in their cohort told Universum they anticipated paychecks of $4,745 every month for an annual take-home of $56,947.” This article not only points out low expectations as an indicator for low salaries but also being an entry-level employee not negotiating for a higher salary.

“The “Gen Y Workplace Expectations” study, by American Express and Gen Y research firm Millennial Branding, finds that Gen Y workers have an overall positive view of their managers, believing they can provide experience (59%) and wisdom (41%). On the other hand, managers have an overall negative view of their young workers, saying Gen Y-ers have unrealistic compensation expectations (51%), a poor work ethic (47%), and are easily distracted (46%).” The article explains what managers are looking for in the “Gen Y” worker: soft skills and what both managers and millennial employees can do to work with each other.

“In the real world leaders are handed a set of keys, pointed toward a bus full of people, and told, “Drive.” Such is the lot of Major League Baseball managers who (like many leaders) have some, but not complete, control over the composition of their teams.” The article uses the metaphor of baseball to offer leaders some suggestions regarding high expectations such as “distribute the expectations”, “set the cultural standard” and “adjust your own expectations.”