When Addition Becomes Subtraction

Public education supporter Jamie Vollmer notes that during their first 260 years, public schools played a very narrow role: "they were created to teach basic reading, writing, and arithmetic skills, and to cultivate values that serve a democratic society (some history and civics implied)."

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Categories: Education | Leadership | Family

20 comments - Posted by Paul Orfalea at 7:30 AM

Contemplating the Thinkable

Many people over forty did not believe the Berlin Wall would come down in their lifetime. Of course, many people did not believe CDs would replace vinyl LPs, or that Arizona would ever go to the Super Bowl. Not only do these unthinkable things happen - they seem to happen suddenly.

For sixty years, almost no one has believed there can be peace in the Middle East, but the wheel of history is gaining momentum. As we saw with the Iron Curtain, when enough people demand change, change comes.

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Categories: Leadership | Economics | Optimism

1 comments - Posted by Paul Orfalea at 11:22 AM

The Healthcare Questions We're NOT Asking

From the White House to the Wall Street Journal to the table next to you at Starbuck's, everyone seems to be talking about healthcare. Except that they're not. What people are debating right now is how to pay for healthcare. That's a tough enough question, but society might be better served by asking some tougher questions first.

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Categories: Education | Nutrition | Finance | Leadership | Economics | Ethics | Environment

7 comments - Posted by Paul Orfalea at 9:44 PM

The Deficit Tightrope

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Categories: Finance | Leadership | Economics

1 comments - Posted by Paul Orfalea at 1:28 PM

Don't Overlook Democracy as a Management Model

An organization called WorldBlu was formed in 1997 to champion the growth of democratic organizations. Founder Traci Fenton identifies ten principles of organizational democracy, including transparency, accountability, decentralization, fairness, dignity, and choice.

Principle six on WorldBlu's list, Individual + Collective, was more or less enshrined in the Kinko's Philosophy, which stated, "...we encourage independent thinking and teamwork."  This presents one of the great challenges of a democratic workplace, and one of the greatest benefits. The advantage of balancing independent thinking and teamwork comes from the unleashing of individual creativity. The challenge is the balance itself - keeping that creativity directed toward advancement of the organization's goals.

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Categories: Corporate Culture | Customer Service | Management Skills | Leadership | Ethics | Competitive Advantage

4 comments - Posted by Paul Orfalea at 7:24 AM

GM's Big Dreams

The standout exhibit at the 1939 World's Fair belonged to none other than General Motors. Called Futurama, the display took visitors on a tour through an incredibly detailed - and mostly accurate - model of the continental United States as it would appear in the far-off future of 1960. Considering that the World's Fair took place after ten years of Depression and while Europe was descending into the madness of war, General Motors' imaginative optimism seems all the more impressive.

General Motors recognized the harsh facts in front of them, but nevertheless dreamed big dreams and worked to make them come true - they helped to create America's future. So what happened?

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Categories: Marketing | Creativity | Customer Service | Leadership | Competitive Advantage | Optimism

0 comments - Posted by Paul Orfalea at 5:35 PM

Preparing for College

Congratulations to this year's high school graduates. Those of you preparing to enter college in the fall will be investing more money than ever before for your education, so here are some thoughts on getting your dollar's worth.

1. Small talk is a big deal. College is a great place to acquire friends and ideas, and small talk starts the process. You're about to be thrust into a new environment, and your willingness to chat shows that you are interested in life and people. Project a demeanor of openness and positivity; use your idle time in the dorms or hallways to start conversations and form friendships. Of all the skills you learn or refine in college, the art of conversation may be the most valuable throughout your life.

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Categories: Creativity | Education | Leadership | Optimism

1 comments - Posted by Paul Orfalea at 9:28 AM