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2010 Executive Tidbits
IBM, P&G, General Mills, McKinsey, and McDonald's have the best manager training programs according to Fortune 2009. |
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Check out Keith's other site:
Virtual Writing Coach |
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The Executive Connection SM
a publication of The Virtual Executive Coach SM
"Vision + Accountability = Success!"
www.virtualexecutivecoach.com
October, 2007
In This Issue:
1. Preview
2. Executive Summary
3. The Luxury Generation
4. Helpful Hints
1. Preview
The Executive Connection explores the creative and analytical process of business development,
team-building, and executive development.
We are an interactive community of executives and small business owners who desire to network
with like-minded high-performance executives
to enhance our knowledge, skills, and aptitudes in the competitive business world.
Published monthly, the Newsletter offers coaching suggestions around the topics of: business development, financing, marketing, networking,
incorporations, mergers, human resources, governmental regulations, and tax laws.
Topics are presented from the perspective of Keith Barton and represent only his ideas on creating and running your business.
Because we are an interactive community of executives and business owners, other viewpoints are welcomed and may be printed in future monthly
newsletters with permission from Keith Barton.
2. Executive Summary
October, 2007
Dear Executive Connection Subscriber,
This month's newsletter features information on The Luxury Generation.
3. The Luxury Generation
The “me” generation of the 60s has given way to the “Luxury Generation” as Boomers today flock
to exclusive brands to define them as a generation apart from earlier generations. True we didn’t
grow up in the depression of the 30s. True our parents were part of the Greatest Generation as
Tom Brokaw wrote about two years ago. True we are more self-reliant than our parents who depended
on neighbors to help when times were tough. True we spoiled our children rotten with every
conceivable gadget that now produces not only exclusivity but solitude, social retardation, and
obesity. To say gauche to this month’s Fortune magazine would be an understatement. Suitcases that
start at 5k in white leather that would tear easily if handled by a commercial airline.
A brief history of “classploitation” as coined by Peter Gumbel in this month’s issue of Fortune includes:
Pierre Cardin in 1960 with licensing of his ready to wear outfits for women
Cartier launches the gold lighter in 1968 that became the standard for the rich and famous
Louis Vuitton in 1987 with the merger with Moet Hennessy into LVMH
Gucci injects sex appeal into clothing design in 1990
Calvin Klein uses scantily clad teens to display his unisex underwear in 1992
Dior brands handbags displayed by celebrities, including Princess Diana in 1995
Courvoisier opens as a movie in a SNL spoof in 2000
Karl Lagerfeld becomes the first big name producer of a Swedish retailer H&M in 2004
Oprah Winfrey announces she’ll never buy Hermes after refused entry at closing in 2005
Prada introduces its designer cell phone in 2007
Where do you think our kids get the idea for Abercrombie and Fitch, Hollister, and other name
brands? In the 50s The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit described the dress code for a generation
of men who worked away from home. Advertising and branding are big business that has propelled
Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) to the pinnacle of their corporations to perpetuate excess to
define a generation of exclusivity and snobbery. Turn on the radio and one hears Jim Nance talk
about Rolexes, buy that $220k Vuitton Tourbillon watch and your company will place your zodiac
sign on it, or you can have a limited edition of 100 bottles of cognac at $200k a bottle.
I’m afraid I don’t understand this “luxury” business. Why the compulsion to define who we are
by what we wear, drink, drive, and vacation? The Noveau Riche must make their mark on a world
that is defined by the “haves and have-nots.”
My other pet peeve is the global warming advocates who count “carbon footprints” like one would
DNA sequences; yet, they continue to live in 10k square foot homes, consuming gas and electricity
at alarming rates, as they lecture the masses who can barely pay their electric bills for their
sub-prime mortgage first homes. The 21st Century has elevated snobbery to a sordid level of greed
and entitlement. In an age of “spiritual enlightenment” where 82% of Americans state they believe
in God, we also have the highest poverty rates of any industrialized nation. Despite the shining
examples of Warren Buffet and Bill and Melinda Gates, corporate sleaze has sunk to new lows as
evidenced by the Enron debacle in 2000. Other nations view us as gluttons, egomaniacs, and
voracious consumers of precious limited resources. It’s time to not buy into the myth that “excess
is better.” If we are to gain any credibility with our neighboring nations, then we must shift the
spending paradigm to “frugality is not for the foolish.” Our nation is not a nation of “savers”
but “spenders.” The bumper sticker that we are spending our children’s inheritances sadly depicts
the “me” generation today. Our parents would truly be disappointed in our lack of stewardship.
Helpful Hints:
- Check out the ads in any magazine and notice that money buys distinction.
- Why has the leisure industry prospered and look to whom they market? We’ve gone from
weeks to points; from gold to platinum to diamond credit cards: from conservation to propagation
of our excessive need to define ourselves by material possessions.
- Explain why charitable contributions continue to decline in an age of prosperity.
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
The Executive Connection SM is a free publication. If you want to continue to receive this Newsletter, you can
SUBSCRIBE by clicking here or by sending a blank email message to
keith_barton@att.net
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Be assured your name and email address are confidential. We do not sell, rent or share our mailing list with anyone.
Contact Information:
Keith Barton, Ph.D.
Voice: 281-583-5005
Fax: 281-583-5008
Web: http://www.virtualexecutivecoach.com
E-Mail:
keith_barton@att.net
(c) Copyright 2010,
Virtual Executive Coach SM and A. Keith Barton, Ph.D.
All rights reserved.
Distribution Rights:
The Executive Connection SM is copyrighted, but you may retransmit or
distribute it to whomever you wish as long as not a single word is changed, added, or deleted, including the contact information. However, you may not copy
it to a web site.
Republication of The Executive Connection SM in paper media is encouraged and permitted by individuals, organizations and associations, as long
as the issue is reprinted in its entirety, without change, and includes the contact information.
With advance permission, we are happy to edit an issue to fit your space requirements. Republication also is encouraged under other circumstances.
However, the advance permission of
A. Keith Barton, Ph.D. must be obtained in the event that changes in the text are desired.
The Executive Connection SM Mission:
The Executive Connection SM is dedicated to helping first-time business owners and executives to recognize resistance to change, while they create
and manage their own businesses. My goal is to help you transform your vision into a successful business venture with the addition of accountability structures
and silent partner.
The Executive Connection SM is a publication of The Virtual Executive Coach SM and Keith Barton, Ph.D.
We would like The Executive Connection SM to be as interactive as possible. If you have feedback, comments, topics you would like addressed, or can
suggest additional resources to benefit us all, please email us at any time. Send your e-mail to
keith_barton@att.net
.
Please forward this issue to anyone you think would find The Executive Connection SM interesting and beneficial. Your recommendation helps us
keep growing, and ensures an excellent exchange of information and techniques.
Archives:
You can read previous issues of The Executive Connection SM in our archive section.
About Keith Barton, Ph.D
Dr. Barton received his Ph.D. in 1972 from the University of Texas at Austin and has been a practicing therapist for over thirty years. He is a graduate of
MentorCoach and is accepting new clients.
He has been an adjunct professor at the University of
South Carolina, consultant to Fortune 500 companies in
executive development, founded and managed Texas Community
Living Ventures, Inc., in 1986 for providing group home
services to persons with mental retardation. Keith founded
and has been running a clinical practice in Northwest Houston since 1990.
He writes part-time with the goal of completing one novel a year. His desire to coach others derives from his passionate interest in helping others become
attuned to their creative powers of storytelling.
Dr. Barton has training in coaching, cognitive and family therapy and health psychology. He has published articles, made presentations and conducted workshops about:
Small Business Development
Employee Wellness Programs
Anxiety and achievement
Stress management
Self-esteem
Communication skills
Leadership styles
Core values in the workplace
Executive Development
High-performance groups
Physician support groups
Writer support groups
© 2010
The Virtual Executive Coach SM and Keith Barton.
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