The Cynical Girl: Jim Valvano, White Guys and Diversity |  |
| Jim Valvano, White Guys and Diversity Posted: 22 May 2013 03:45 AM PDT
Yeah, I know. It’s complicated. I hang out with a great group of guys who talk sports and HR — two things I absolutely hate. And they treat me with so much sexless, unemotional disdain that I wonder: Are these guys my soulmates? And sometimes I find myself in a Waffle House with one of these dudes (because none of them are big drinkers and they like to eat bacon) and we talk about sports. Apparently, I live in a historic part of the country. College basketball is a big deal. And people around here still talk about the 1983 NC State Wolfpack team. When I asked one of those guys about Jim Valvano, the former Wolfpack coach, I was told that Jimmy V wasn’t a typical guy. He was emotional, optimistic and loving. He liked to have fun. “He told his players he loved them. He meant it.” I was sorta shocked. I see Mike Krzyzewski on TV all of the time. Isn’t college basketball all about looking cranky? So I watched the SURVIVE AND ADVANCE and learned a little more about my hometown team. They had an amazing run up to the NCAA championship. It was truly impressive. But the story gets a little sad. Several years later, Jim Valvano came down with cancer. He fought it hard. Eight weeks before he died, he gave a famous speech. He said, “Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.” If you watch this speech, you might be moved to tears. Working in Human Resources, I always hung out with frumpy ladies and never really hung out with dudes who talked about sports. But at this point in my life, I am glad to know a group of white guys who can teach me things about leadership, teamwork and friendship. And through this weird friendship, I learned about my adopted hometown and my local history. To me, that’s priceless.
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| Posted: 21 May 2013 03:45 AM PDT
Hold on, I can explain myself. I am not looking for a job. I don’t want to see you humblebrag on your career. I am just on LinkedIn to spy on you. But I am different than you. You work in Human Resources (or whatever) and you need to take your professional career seriously. I like that LinkedIn offers an effective and efficient spoke-hub distribution paradigm for the corporate professional.
Does LinkedIn work as a strategy for job seekers? Heck yes. So does networking, looking on corporate websites and seeking out employee referrals. This isn’t a zero-sum game. Can I find passive candidates on LinkedIn? If you meet someone in life who isn’t looking for a job and isn’t open to a new and better opportunity, keep looking. Passive candidates are so 1997. In a few years, half of the workforce will be contingent. The rise of the portfolio worker is here. Talented people will flock to a system where it’s easy to discern real opportunities (and real recruiters) from fake ones. That talent marketplace is probably LinkedIn. Although it could be something else. Spending time on LinkedIn now will help you prepare for the future. Is LinkedIn — and social networking — a distraction and a waste of time? Sure, yeah. But life is a distraction if you are Buddhist or a Jesuit. Very few of us are as strategic as we think we are. You should participate on a site like LinkedIn to understand its power and its limitations. In fact, this is why Jennifer McClure and I travel all over the globe and preach social media awareness to Human Resources professionals. If you are too busy to pay attention to current trends, the future will sweep you out to sea. (I’ll see you there, I guess.)         |
I am a girl’s girl. There is no doubt about it. I am 100% hoes before bros. But I have fallen into a relationship with five men who are the brothers I never wanted.
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