(some of) MY FAVORITE ADDS.......enjoy!

This always gets me misty. If you serverd then you understand!

You want some old man????

KRS-One...say no more!

The power of fries!



HORRIBLE ADVERTISING......enjoy!

Does this add make you want to change you breakfast?

Does this add make you want to buy new shoes?

Does this make you want to buy a new car?

Does this make you want to workout?

And I am sure this makes you want to buy banannas



Honne (本音^?) refers to a person's true feelings and desires. These may be contrary to what is expected by society or what is required according to one's position and circumstances, and they are often kept hidden, except with one's closest friends.
Tatemae (建前^?), literally "façade," is the behavior and opinions one displays in public. Tatemae is what is expected by society and required according to one's position and circumstances, and these may or may not match one's honne.
                                                                                                                 -Courtesy of Wikipedia


If you were not familiar with the terms before, Honne and Tatemae have been an intrical part of Japaneese culture for many years. As I am a westerner, I was never raised with these concepts so clearly defined and labeled. And even when I visited Japan I was unaware of these underlying concepts that basically drives the Japanese culture. I was always under the impression that the Japanese were modest, hardworking, and polite because thats how they were raised. What I failed to ask and ultimately realized was it went deeper than that.

In many situations companies as a whole have to manage their image and corporate interests while taking into consideration these two concepts. After reading several articles posted on the web about Honne and Tatemae I have come to realize that Tatemae hold a much larger influence over the PR aspect of a company than Honne does. When a company is pitching a marketing campaign to change or maintain their image it is very rare that they will want to express their true Honne. I mean, would it make sense to hear or see an add that says "buy my product because if we don't sell enough xxxx then well will have to borrow more money to stay afloat"(Honne). We will hear, "this is a fantastic deal and we are SLASHING prices to give you the best deal possible"(Tatemae).

I feel that these two words have more of an impact on interpersonal relationships and interactions than they do on a corporate level. In one article I read it referenced how you could work with someone for years and years while they treated you very nice and polite (Tatemae) and you go out to have a drink with then years later and they inform you that you were very rude and they never liked you (Honne). In the Japanese culture you would be honored you were trusted enough to tell you the truth? Not me, I would have been frustrated and offended that they "lied" to me that whole time. And that ultimately is the conflict that westerners have with trying to understand part of the Japanese culture. It is strange how in one country that is considered honorable and in another offensive. I guess in a way this method of Honne and Tatemae are conflict avoidance tactics. If you are to never really share you displease with another coworker or the job they are doing (Tatemae) then you will never have to worry about conflict in the workplace. Everyone else is comfortable putting on a "face" to make the day go by smoother. I can see this being self sacrifice for the greater good but very confusing if you are not aware and unassuming.

I think on some level businesses have to incorporate these two philosophies in their company to some degree to make sure the correct message is getting across to the consumer and the workers. We could all use a little Tatemae once and a while. When someone ask's "how are you doing?", instead of saying you are a little down because of the weather or use that opportunity to complain about something it would be better for everyone if you just said "I am doing great, thanks" and moved on.


-Berggren

A somber story 10 years in the making

         Today is Feb 9, that means I am 10 years removed from the most trajic day of my life. Due to the Confidential nature of some of the details I will keep this fairly broad.
        
         After a day of entertaining VIP's on our 1 day cruise it was time for the shining star of all VIP cruises on a US Submarine, the Emergency Blow training evolution. I was in the front part of the ship monitoring my equipment. At the peak of the accent the was a bang, then a strong grinding sound that rattled the 6,000 ton ship. What had caused the noise and that none of us could see was that the rudder (pictured below after the accident) had cut through the hull of the 200 ft boat in the Ehme Maru. What would follow would be a blur. What I do recall vividly was watching the ship sink via a screen hooked up to an intergrated L.A.N. system that I had installed on the ship. I could see what the periscope could see. Shortly after I was the 1st man through the top of the sail to see the wreckage first hand. My eyes burned from the diesel fuel-oil slick, there were parts of the ship floating every where.
        
         Eventually all survivers we rescued by the Coast Guard. Our sub was unable to really assist in the rescue as sub's are not designed for open ocean rescue.There were many people to blame but I will not point fingers. I will say Cmdr. Waddell was and is a great man. This was a tough day for all of us: The crew members who endured the accident, the VIP's that witnessed and were involved, those who had to appologized for the accident, the survivors who were rescued, and mostly the families of those who were lost. 
        
         I am sharing this story not to ask for sympathy as I am far removed from my emotional recovery from this event. I am sharing this because there are Soilder's, Sailor's, Marine's, and Airman have experienced much worse and continue to have trouble sharing their emotions reciprocating from their service time. Employers, frineds, and families need to have layers of compasion for all of those who have exprerienced some level of trama in the military. For those who have never served, you will never completely understand. Just know that if you are friends with, know, or love a Vet, know that they did what they did for you.

                            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ehime_Maru_and_USS_Greeneville_collision

Here is the article from last year marking the 10th anniversary: http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/Cermony_marks_10th_anniversary_of_Ehime_Maru_sinking_observed.html?id=115679949

What to do?

Due to a growing trend of employees not utilizing all of their given vacation time and it is called Shrinking Vacation-Syndrome. Employees feel tied down and cash strapped so the 2 week vacation is now more a thing of the past then it is something to look forward to. The truth is 25% of Americans do not receive paid vacation according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. And most Americans will now only take 1 weeks’ worth of vacation at a time. To get ahead of the issue, the accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) has begun shutting down the company for short periods of time 2 times a year for vacation breaks.  This allows the employees to relax with a clear conscience and leave behind the digital leash of emails and conference calls that so many Americans have to endure. By any corporate standard this is a VERY bold move. But if you put aside the numbers, bottom lines, and spread sheets this seem like a very reasonable. But is this idea very thoughtful or deviously calculated? 

      

Have we as Americas become so work-centric that we are physically unable to separate ass from seat and ear from phone without a stamped, notarized, and mass-distributed directive? I personally have never fallen into this category and I hope to never feel that sense of obligation to the company I work for.....or until my name is in the title. I am happy with either option!   

But I digress; this was a very calculated move by PWC. As i gave this greater thought I started to realize that this may not have been just an act of kindness from PWC but a stabilization device for the company. Of course you should see employee satisfaction rise and moral increase because everyone gets Christmas and 4th of July off. But just for a second think about the rest of the year? PWC did not release any information on company vacation policies beyond this time of "shut-down". Although employees may still receive more vacation, it would I’m sure be limited. 

So now let me paint you a picture. Instead of PNC having employees take vacation’s spread randomly throughout the year, they have an absolute concentration of vacations for 2 short periods of time. That means the rest of the year the company is at 100% strength minus the obvious sick calls. So beyond the idea that happy people work better, you have MORE people on staff and crunching numbers on a more consistent basis with less distractions than any other company with standard vacation policies. So does this make the company overall more efficient while still turning the key and shutting down for 2 weeks out of the year? Then compound that with perception that employees are now happier because ALL of them are taking at least 2 vacations every year?

I find it hard to believe the only reason PWC made this move based on employee wellness and to stay ahead of the Shrinking Vacation-Syndrome. But I am a cynic so whatever. I would say that I am happy to see that a major corporation has taken an initiative to helped the mental health of it’s’ employees. Every day we hear of cutbacks and layoffs, working overtime to cover the simple costs of life. I like knowing that companies are will to say “go, leave, have fun and don’t worry about work at all” and mean it………and still want you back!

-Berggren