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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
September, 2008
In This Issue:
1. Preview
2. Executive Summary
3. From Industrial to Cultural Revolution
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
September, 2008
Dear Executive Connection Subscriber,
This month's newsletter features: From Industrial to Cultural Revolution
3. From Industrial to Cultural Revolution
"Lean and mean," is the motto of many American corporations today. Labor is cheaper in China,
Pakistan, India, and Central America, and our Fortune 500 companies are taking advantage of
cost-cutting to remain competitive in a global market. Let's look at automobiles. China is
capable of making a 12k automobile that would rival Japan's #1 car in America, Toyota, but trade
tariffs and social and political issues keep Chinese automobiles from competing with American cars
and other imports. High on the list of U.S. grievances is China's human rights violations and communist
government that allows for working children in what amounts to slave wages and incarceration in factories,
reminiscent of the garment industry in the 1900s in NYC.
Politicians are uneasy to point out that over seven billion dollars are leaving our country each year to
fund other nations in energy, manufacturing, and software design. Some of these dollars do not leave paper
trails and much of the money is wired into Swiss banks for re-distribution into foreign currencies that fare
much better than the U.S. dollar, further draining our economy. America ingenuity that defined our country
in the 60s and 70s is losing ground because small business cannot compete with the tax advantages given to
big business. Witness the latest joint Chinese-American manufacturing company, Haier, that manufactures
refrigerators in Camden, South Carolina. Although employing only 128 South Carolinians, Haier employs over
50,000 workers in 16 countries with an annual growth rate of 68% from 1985 to 2005.* Economic incentives
allowed for cheap land, low taxes, and non-secured loans to launch a business that competes with Whirlpool
and Kenmore. The payback for Americans is for low-middle income workers to continue employment and keep
their homes after the massive layoffs because of the textile industry being outsourced to China. China now
exports almost 3,000 goods to America and other countries around the world. The industrial revolution of the
1900s has given way to the Cultural Revolution in the 21st century.
This month's Fortune magazine describes a major
shakeup in our global economy by publishing the latest
figures on the "Global 500". To make this list, companies
must earn $16.7 billion in revenues which is up 12% from
last year. U.S. companies make up only 153, the fewest
in over a decade, in large part due to the declining U.S.
dollar. Brazil, Russia, and India did quite well, thanks
to oil and mining metals. China is stealing the show with
Sinopec ranked at No. 16 this year, with another 28 companies
on the 500 list. In fact, China posted as many companies
as Italy, Spain, and Australia combined (p. 161). India's
Tata Steel (No. 315) garnered $25.7 billion in sales with
a phenomenal 353% increase from last year.
The U.S. has 8 of the top 25 listings with Wal-Mart and Exxon-Mobil heading the list. China has three
(16-Sinopec, 24-State Grid, and 25_China National Petroleum). Trade agreements become critical in a global
economy and the U.S. must reverse the flow of dollars outside our borders to Europe, Asia, and South America.
The middle class is being squeezed out and American business is doing very little to reverse this trend.
Just last month Detroit gave pink slips to over 1,000 middle managers at GM. Foreclosures are up, food prices
are up, gas prices are returning just below $4 nationally from a high of $5 last quarter. One-third of Americans
cannot afford health insurance and bankruptcies have hit a record high. Yes, we have the war in Iraq and American
lives to protect, but we can't do it on the backs of middle-class Americans who have fought in at least three wars
on foreign soil and are wasting away in Veterans hospitals and nursing homes on Medicaid and federal assistance.
Yet, our Congressmen receive free health care for their family members. Ask any small business person with 50 or
fewer employees and ask what they pay for health care and the rates are drastic because there is no larger employee
pool to aggregate their health risks. That's why many who work for small businesses either go without health insurance
or pay exorbitant rates in a "high risk" pool.
It's time for "Made in America" to mean something again.
Let's not trade quality for education and training of
U.S. workers. We need to fix our educational system and
develop a vocational track for those students who wish
to enter the manufacturing workforce earlier without penalty
of losing their jobs or advancement through job incentives
to further their education. I would also ask that international
partnerships (much along the lines of Toyota) be formed
that benefit both the U.S. and foreign countries without
penalizing the U.S. It's no secret that most of our new
patents are from the United States and royalties should
accrue to those companies who produced the patents. China
has a notorious track record of stealing patents and copyright
infringement that has not been adequately addressed by
the two previous presidents.
*from www.expansionmanagement.com
Helpful Hints:
- Google "global economy" and see how many foreign countries have advanced over the last decade and increasing their GNP.
- The next time you go into an electronics store see
if you can find any U.S. companies as brand names
on TVs, computers, electronic accessories.
- Ask your next-door neighbor if he/she is better off economically than they were eight years ago.
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
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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 2008, 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
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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
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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
© 2009 The Virtual Executive Coach SM
and Keith Barton.
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