"...keeping you great" Ten Minutes with the Growth Guy
HEADLINES:
Martin Seligman Defends Himself -- I didn't expect to lead with this headline, but a note from Marty's friends this morning asked me to weigh in and help spread the truth. I'm a huge fan of Seligman, author of the famous book Learned Optimism and the Optimistic Child. In a book released just this week entitled The Dark Side, it implies that Seligman helped the military develop torture techniques. Marty's reply is below under DETAILS.
Foolish Love -- this was the German translation of an HIV medication that Choice Translating caught before the mistake was made. Congrats to Vernon and Michelle Menard, co-founders, whose Charlotte-based company is featured in the July issue of FORTUNE Small Business magazine. As more companies are expanding globally, you need to make sure your product names, taglines, and company name translate properly and Choice has carved out a niche helping large and small firms, for a fixed fee of $13k, make sure their brand translates in various markets. Choice is also helping firms make sure their visual brand (colors, images) translate as well. For instance, white often represents purity in Western cultures, but in China it's the color for death and mourning. Here's a link to the article.
Peru Talent -- and the Menards were having trouble finding sufficient talent in Charlotte, so even though most of their clients are U.S. based (and much of their work comes from local firms in Charlotte), they've opened a project office in Lima, Peru where they have 15 staff vs. 7 in Charlotte. Notes Vernon in the article "It was hard to find talent in Charlotte; we were often dealing with the leftovers after the banks had their pick. In Peru we are a top-tier employer." I'm surprised by how many local firms think there's no reason to think globally because all their business is local. However, you need to look globally for resources if you want to remain competitive even in your local markets. I appreciate greatly my assistant in India!
90% of Life is Showing Up -- or at least responding to media requests -- it's the best way to get great PR. Note's Vernon Menard in a recent email to me "This article would not have been possible without you. I contacted FSB a few months ago after you forwarded a request from FSB for stories about dress code issues in small businesses. After learning more about my company, the reporter, Malika Zouhali-Worrall, decided to write a full article just about Choice Translating. See you in October!" Thank you to all my Insight readers for responding to requests from reporters I highlight in the Insights. It has garnered great PR for many of you. And if you want to learn more about Choice Translating's services or staffing in Peru, they'll be in Atlanta at the Growth Summit.
"It's a VUCA World" -- this from a quote by P&G's COO Robert McDonald. VUCA, a term borrowed from the military, stands for volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. This is the world we face (but haven't we always!). Take five minutes and read this latest FORTUNE article entitled "The New New World Order." It highlights some important statistics on global growth rates and substantiates the figure that the world's middle class will grow by over 1 billion people between now and 2020 -- by 600 million in India and 500 million in China alone -- the biggest opportunity business has ever faced. It also substantiates why there's been a 40% decline in the Indian stock market. Even if your business is local, you need to be aware of general global trends.
Gazelles' Performance-enhancing Drug -- and this cartoon forwarded to me from Dan Turner, President of TCG -- you can only view if you open today, July 17 -- I'm working to get permission from the cartoonist to permanently use this cartoon as a follow-up to my cheetah/gazelle video. We like to think that our Summits and workshops are performance-enhancing!
Join Verne in India -- he'll be leading one-day workshops Sept 5 in New Delhi; Sept 23 Mumbai; Sept 25 Bangalore -- here's a link for more information.
DETAILS:
Martin E. P. Seligman's Response to Allegations Attributed to Jane Mayer's Book, "The Dark Side" Here, with permission, is Marty's letter to his friends: July 14, 2008
The allegation that I "provided assistance in the process" of torture is completely false.
I gave a three-hour lecture sponsored by SERE (the Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape branch of the American armed forces) at the San Diego Naval Base in May 2002. My topic was how American troops and American personnel could use what is known about learned helplessness and related findings to resist torture and evade successful interrogation by their captors. I was told then that since I was (and am) a civilian with no security clearance that they could not discuss American methods of interrogation with me. I have not had contact with SERE since that meeting. I have not worked under government contract (or any other contract) on any aspect of interrogation or any aspect of torture. Mr. Mitchell and Mr. Jessen were present in the audience of about 50 others at my speech, and that was, to the best of my knowledge, the sum total of my "assisting them in the process." I have had no contact at all with the American Psychological Association about their relevant policies. As of today, I have not seen Jane Mayer's book, only the blogs. If necessary, I will comment further on its contents. Most importantly, I strongly disapprove of torture and have never and would never provide assistance in its process.
Martin Seligman