Business

Don’t Be PC & Don’t Be a Dick

Don’t Be PC & Don’t Be a Dick

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By Michael Jamal Brooks & Philip L. Mckenzie

The war on language and PC culture has been waging across college campuses since the 80s and through the 90s. In the 21st century, the battlefield has shifted primarily online via social media and other online mediums. Both the political Left and Right find a leg to stand on in this ongoing debate. The Left focuses on an almost obsessive attention to the “right code” of speech; the Right in turn digs in its heels and resists any critique of the “good ol’ days”. Neither of these is particularly appealing. As a result, the internet is filled with spectacles such as #CancelColbert, the men’s rights movement, as well as finely worded but otherwise misplaced PC critique such as Jonathan Chait’s anti-political correctness essay. Battle lines are drawn and you engage at your own peril.

The almost always hilarious and almost always tasteless podcast “Race Wars” mocks the obsessive attention on speech and code words. Shock jock Anthony Cumia was rightfully taken to task for his openly racist diatribes but conversations he would have with late great comedian Patrice O’Neal were often cathartic, uncomfortable and sometimes enlightening. These conversations need a place to take place and take root in our collective consciousness.

As two dudes, who attempt (and sometimes succeed with mixed results) to treat people respectfully, act with empathy and consider power and privilege in society we have a simple rule: “Don’t be PC & Don’t Be A Dick”. In the tradition of Pope Francis we are invoking a new “golden rule” of the highest order.

Being PC & being a Dick are two shortcuts with a different nature but they are shortcuts just the same. Being PC stifles tension and debate. In short, we have to be more comfortable with being uncomfortable. Political correct tone is a short cut that leads away from discourse and the necessary complicated conversations that are needed to make genuine progress. Our complicated issues require rigor, not knee jerk reactions despite the fact that we live in a knee jerk world. It’s also not fun and turns to speech obsessive, emotionally hollow humorlessness really fast.

Being a Dick is the shortcut of wanting everything to remain the same simply because you are used to it. It is lazy and it is mean and has no place among thoughtful people who truly want to engage in serious issues. A Dick wallows in their own privilege rather than coming from a place of empathy and compassion. What is more galling is that Dicks often think they are being provocative or edgy when in actuality it is the exact opposite. There is nothing “edgy” about punching down and reinforcing racist, homophobic or misogynist views. Sadly that is as mainstream as it comes. Dicks need to grow up, reform their views and check their bullshit at the door. If Sarah Silverman can self reflect, anyone is capable of jumping off the “being a dick” shortcut.

We want a culture that is free, open, self critical, creative, empathetic uncomfortable and honest. We want comedy that is above all: funny! The two shortcuts of PC and Dick are narrowing the frames of our collective discussion and turning social media into yet another dull echo chamber focused on the petty and the small. If we want to cover everything from being entertaining to confronting massive levels of social injustice we need to be unafraid and transcend the dull shortcuts of “PC” and “Dick”.

I Am Not a Business, Man!

I Am Not a Business, Man!

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Written by Philip McKenzie and Michael Brooks

“This ain’t no tall order, this is nothin to me
Difficult takes a day, impossible takes a week
I do this in my sleep,
I sold Kilos of coke, (so?) I’m guessin’ I can sell CD’s
I’m not a businessman; I’m a business, man
Let me handle my business, damn!” – Jay-Z, Diamonds from Sierra Leone (remix)

The above quote from Jay-Z is not only a great example of the type of clever wordplay the rapper is known for; it also explains the guiding idea of our times. Jay-Z, isn’t simply a successful musician or even entrepreneur, instead he is an embodiment of business itself. This is no simply braggadocio, Jay-Z in that one line has reversed engineered what corporations have long sought to do which is have themselves classified as people. Jay-Z is a person heralding himself as a corporation. In today’s economy it isn’t just Jay-Z who is a “business, man” you are too, and with respect to Jay’s lyrically capacity this is bad news for our economy, social and ecological lives. But, first back to Jay.

Given his rags to riches story, and his extreme financial success this boast is one of pride. He has beaten the odds and achieved what few ever could. This is a very traditional American narrative wrapped in Jay-Z’s own particular charisma. But, the line goes deeper than rags to riches and points to a market philosophy that has created mass insecurity, skyrocketing inequality and forced each of us to define personal brands and identities in a competitive and complex marketplace. This philosophy and decades of Neo-liberal policy has made our existence as mini-businesses rather than human beings more and more a reality.

Corporations loom larger than ever in our national discourse. Huge multinationals dominate not only our economic reality but our social reality as well. In the past, a corporate job came with stability and benefits (healthcare, pensions). In an economy still dealing with a new corporate reality post-2008 meltdown, that stability is a thing of the past. Not only did the crisis not reign a runaway corporate sector it broadly reinforced its power.

Corporations in their current incarnation leave more and more of their workforce unprotected with no sign of that trend reversing. Our public policy discourse advocates continued dismantling of the social welfare state leaving citizens with fewer options. Even those businesses that proclaim to “disrupt” the old way of doing things are more of the same. The so-called “Sharing Economy” populated by companies such as Uber, Lyft, AirBnB and others often find themselves aligned with those whose rallying cry is de-regulation at all cost. As the marginal cost of production nears zero are these companies best equipped to provide long term viable work. And how are we defining viable? Is it merely an economic measurement i.e. minimum wage/salary or does it address the quality of our work. Are we doing work that is meaningful not only to ourselves but to the world that we live in.

Where does that leave us? How does one compete in an environment when we are all charged with becoming a business? The implication of this on our psychological, physical and financial well-being is precarious at best.

If we are to assume we are businesses, then we are in a constant state of branding and product launch. Even if that product is us. In a zero-sum capitalist model how do we collaborate if each of us is running their own going concern? The popular edict that triumphs business success over all else is problematic when applied to human beings. The same rules don’t apply, nor should they.

We should not be driven by the whims of a marketplace that favors the monied, the privileged and the powerful. After all, if a business fails we are taught a better business will take its place. But what about those of us in our society who are “failing”? Absent employment options, social services, educational opportunities we cannot merely write them off as poor corporate citizens. In order to confront increasingly daunting social realities we must not reject our humanity instead we should unapologetically embrace it. Technocrats want to reduce us to streams of data removing us from our flesh and blood selves. This too must be rejected. Adopting the language of the powerful is not by default an empowering act. We are in the midst of writing an incredible new story capturing how we see ourselves and the world around us. One of the first chapters must be to reject the notion that we, as a common humanity, are a business, man!

Why if you’re talking about ROI you’re not talking about culture

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I have been giving this quite a bit of thought over the last few years since I live firmly in the “culture space”. As the curator of a global conference, I spend most of my time attempting to understand the role that culture plays in our collective world. My attempt to do goes hand in hand with my accepting that the definition of culture stands on constantly shifting ground. Culture can mean the art and creativity of a particular community or the social conventions of an organization as well as the larger societal behavioral trends. Each of these, and more, can be relevant when discussing culture. But for simplicity, I am going to focus on culture as defined as the groundswell of music, media, and art forms that people share in a particular place or time. Institutional players, often in the form of brands (notably but not exclusively CPGs), look to gain entry into the culture space, as they believe, rightly so, it will drive consumer loyalty and engagement. Facing a wide range of options, ROI (Return on Investment) is the chosen metric most often used to assign value to a potential project. The reliance on ROI, however, to determine the value of a project is commonplace and I would argue has no place in a conversation about culture.

In my prior life, I spent years working for Goldman, Sachs. I attended business school with a focus on Finance. I left the world of Wall Street, a world filled with all sorts of arcane financial measurement including ROI, only to find myself right back in the same type of conversation in the culture space. When ROI is mentioned more frequently in a music conversation than it is on a trading desk we have a problem. ROI can be a useful measure when comparing one investment alternative (or opportunity) to another but I find it less effective when measuring cultural impact. Ultimately, this is what makes culture so damn frustrating. We intrinsically know culture is important to us but we can’t quite put a finger on why. Brands know they must be in the culture space but very rarely know how to do so effectively. Hence the reliance on co-opting financial measurements for use in a space that is at its most basic human and emotional. Its very nature defies the type of measurement that financial models rely on. So why is ROI thrown about so frequently? The answer is because it’s easy and convenient. If you can assign a measurement (even a flawed one) to a variable it makes your decision making process somewhat justifiable. The dirty secret about ROI, whether in a financial setting or not, is that it is only as good as the inputs that make up the ratio. Additionally one can modify ROI to suit your specific purposes, it all depends on what is included as return and costs. So a measurement that is held up as unassailable it actually quite subjective. Is this the most effective way we have to gauge impact for something as vital as understanding culture and how we interact with it?

Culture is messy, hit & miss, alluring and intoxicating. Culture drives our conversations and often times our passions. It encompasses music, film, visual arts, fashion and beyond. It’s easy to understand why brands would want to play a role in these multiple worlds. What is the best way to accomplish that without being perceived as an interloper? That remains the central debate but whatever the answer I know it does not involve dissecting cultural opportunities with an arbitrary method like ROI.

Diversity: Lip Service Is Not Enough

Diversity: Lip Service Is Not Enough

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Diversity is a maligned word depending on its use and context. If diversity is being used to describe a set of experiences that can potentially add value then it is almost unequivocally a good thing. Recruiters and companies are constantly touting how much they value candidates that can pull from a host of diverse experiences. Diverse life experiences are also heralded as being part of the makeup for living an “interesting life”. The individual who has climbed mountain peaks, bungee jumped & partied in exotic locales is perceived as having achieved a diverse mix of experiences that make for a potentially eclectic worldview. We can vary on degree, but the idea that this type of diversity is generally positive is clear. Switch the focus to diversity among people, whether via race, gender, sexual orientation, etc. and the slope becomes more slippery. We might agree in some vague notions diversity might be a good thing, but outside of a rainbow colored room, how “good” is it? If various groups and individuals assign a certain level of importance to the principle of diversity how does it happen so rarely? I believe, this disconnect occurs because (1) failure to highlight and promote how diversity adds measurable value in professional, academic and creative circles and (2) disingenuous “champions” of diversity whose agenda seeks to support the status quo rather than upend it.

An honest and effective commitment to diversity requires heavy lifting. It requires that individually or as an organization there is recognition that diversity is not a “numbers game” but a “values game”. If the assumption is that a diverse community makes us smarter and better then it must be part of the DNA of your organization. Values are our guiding principles, and diversity as a value must be baked into the mix of other principles that are deemed important. This will ensure that on all levels diversity is taken into account and is part of the planning, strategy, and execution vital to the success of the organization.

Many so-called proponents of diversity are actually ill equipped or disinterested in contextualizing diversity as a conversation around values rather than representation. I spent the formative years of my post-MBA career working on Wall Street at the arguably premiere firm, Goldman, Sachs. The firm aspired to a diverse workplace but like almost every Wall Street firm (and most of the Fortune 500 as well) fell well short of their ambition. These gaps only widened at the senior level. I remember as a young college student looking up the “Top 10 Blacks on Wall Street” and then my dismay at realizing almost 6 years later virtually no change in that list. The “Highlander Effect” was firmly in place and it was clear the prevailing notion was “there can only be one” when it came to diversity. Some progress has been made but not nearly enough relative to our lip service regarding the importance of diversity. Let’s be clear, Wall Street is an easy scapegoat but across almost all corporate America the story is the same, no one is above critique. Often the supporters of diversity are merely advocating for a few more seats at an exclusive table. In essence, they become a select few invited into the conversation while the underlying system remains unchanged. It would make more sense to question whether the table is worth sitting at in the first place. If the status quo is not prepared, capable or willing to have a conversation that elevates diversity then we risk more wasted energy. We have to build a new “status quo” where those who truly value diversity (in the DNA) are supported. There is evidence across the board that diversity is important if we want organizational optimization, just read here, here and here. If we accept this premise, then lip service not only falls short but also is harmful to the advancement of diversity. It reinforces the self-serving behavior of those who trumpet diversity for the many while solely interested in the diversity of the individual…themselves.

These are remarkable times; transparency and access to information allow us to know more than ever about the people and organizations we interact with. More frequently, people around the world are making values based decisions. They are looking to align their personal choices with others who share their value system. This offers an incredible incentive to advance diversity as a core value and truly move the dial for the type of inclusion that will benefit everyone.

Gatekeepers vs. Gatecrashers: Our Global Theme

Gatekeepers vs. Gatecrashers: Our Global Theme

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New York, NY – It’s a pleasure to announce the theme for our upcoming global Influencer Conference series. Developing a theme takes time, and countless fits and starts until you land on a concept that “feels right”. In order to accomplish that, the theme must be relevant to all our audience, our partners and align with our values. I think we have managed to do that and much more.

Our theme is “Gatekeepers/crashers: Thriving or Dying?” You can read our descriptive brief here:

The advent of technology and digital media was supposed to herald the end of the age of gatekeepers. The 21st century promised the democratization of communication and access.
Now, almost 15 years into a new century, it begs the question whether that has that truly been the case? Has the power and privilege of gatekeepers subsided or, has the expansion of technology actually had the opposite effect, increasing their reach and power?

For all of the talk of the democratization of the creative process, gatekeepers are more firmly entrenched than ever. How do creators of arts based culture navigate and succeed, as the gates get higher? How do well-meaning gatekeepers connect to and enhance existing cultural ecosystems? We pull the covers back and reveal the true machinations behind culture, commerce and influence by bringing gatekeepers and gatecrashers face to face…a modern day showdown between new age Visigoths and their roman emperor counterparts. 

Friction between gatekeepers/crashers lies at the center of our creative, social, and economic lives. In fact, one could argue as sector and industry designations blur it is more of a challenge to determine who serves which function. In fact, one could argue that at different times and under different circumstances organizations and individuals can wear both hats.

The recent Supreme Court decision of McCutcheon v. FEC and the F.C.C’s flagging interest in protecting net neutrality highlight how precarious the common interest are relative to corporate design. Cultural spaces are not immune as music, film, and other creative endeavors have more participants than ever giving the appearance of democratization even as they wrestle with fewer effective channels to gain traction and attention for their work. Even an artist as prolific as Kanye West feels constrained in his creativity. In an interview with radio/TV Host Sway, Mr. West details the frustration he encounters dealing with gatekeepers. The back and forth between the two men, which is sometimes contentious highlights the yin and yang between creativity, commerce and access. This brought home how important this is. If a globally relevant artist like Kanye is dealing with these issues, what about the rest of us?  In another telling quote Kanye West says this

“It’s mixing creativity with the fight like an athlete. Like it’s okay for the athletes to fight and push it, but they want the creative people to shut-up and be quiet. But these are the people with the real ideas that can actually change, can reorganize, can design cities, can restructure a curriculum, you know, can make life easier. And that’s the part of the game I want to be in: the making life more awesome.” October 28, Los Angeles’ 97.1 AMP Radio

“Creatives” are fighting to be heard, but who are they fighting against (or for), and why? Over the next few months through salons, essays, and finally our global conference we’ll confront the shifting landscape between gatekeepers/crashers across industry and creative disciplines in order to map our collective future.

Welcome to the journey.

Red Pills Unite! Good Riddance Jedi

Red Pills Unite! Good Riddance Jedi

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“Try not. Do or do not. There is no try” – Yoda

“You take the blue pill, the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you stay in wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.” – Morpheus

The Star Wars series and its accompanying mythos has become one of the most popular and referenced stories in the world. There is scarcely a place where people are not familiar with at least the basics of this world. It is the classic good versus evil story. The upstart, scrappy Jedi warriors are the defenders of all that is good, with high-minded ideals and powers that allow them to use the mystical energy of the Force. The evil, as personified by villain (and then redemptive hero) Darth Vader, use the Force as well but theirs is a twisted art popularly known as the “dark side of the Force”. Since Star Wars ascension into pop culture this language has become the metaphor of choice in describing business culture. Startup culture in particular is attracted by the rebellious, against all odds coda of the Jedi. The “new agey” nature of the Force appeals to those gurus and mystics who are seek answers in the onscreen lessons of Jedi Masters like Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi. On the surface, all of this seems harmless. What does it matter if some random entrepreneur describes himself as a Jedi, using his hard won mastery of the Force to create the next dating app? How many people have referenced the above quote by Jedi Master Yoda to focus their energies and push through boundaries? As a self-described nerd and fan of all things Star Wars, I too have been inspired by this fantastic world. I believed being a Jedi would be one of the most amazing things ever. It’s only more recently that I have come to realize I don’t want to be a Jedi. Though portrayed as the heroes in the films, the Jedi actually suffer from deep flaws that contributed to their demise and the downfall of the Republic they were sworn to protect. The Jedi were so assured of the correctness of their position they failed to realize they personified many of the problems they wished to solve. I have now come to realize that the Matrix is a better metaphor for a culture of change that is essential to solve daunting societal issues. The blue pill/red pill dynamic of the Matrix is far more relevant to those who are on the front lines advocating for change and reform in our current structure. In the Matrix, the hero Neo realizes that the entire world he has known is actually a construct of machines. The real world is long dead, the machines have taken over and keep humans in a dream like state where they live lives they believe are real. They do this in order to serve as living batteries plugged into the Matrix providing the machines with power. Very few in the Matrix sense that something is off, fewer still are identified and given the choice that Morpheus gives Neo. Take the blue pill, and remain asleep or take the red pill and enter the “real world”. Taking the red pill and unplugging from the Matrix immediately drops you into a harsh, unforgiving reality where you represent a threat to the very existence of the Matrix.

The Jedi mythology is easy, heroic and by extension seductive. Who wouldn’t want to cast themselves as enlightened monk-like warriors? But with a closer look, those before mentioned flaws are more nagging. The Jedi are the sworn protectors of the Republic. The Republic they are tasked to protect however is crumbing and corrupt. The Jedi spend little time, debating on whether the system they are fighting to protect is worth the effort or whether their considerable talent and skills should be used to build something new. Though they mean well they prop up the existing system and benefit from the status quo. Jedi are dogmatist; their belief system trumps anything else…unless of course it conflicts with their allegiance to the existing power structure. In that case, their belief system is second; maintaining the status quo always comes first.

Contrast the Jedi mythos with the liberated humans in the Matrix. The world of the Matrix is a more realistic portrayal of what life is like for those who are breaking the rules. The rules of the Matrix (the program) run on a set of presets that are meant to do one thing, control the population. Freeing yourself from the Matrix requires 1. Recognition of the existence of the Matrix (even in the abstract) 2. Commit yourself to becoming free from the Matrix (a one way decision) and 3. Commit yourself to building a new system that is wholly incompatible with the existing system. These options are not easy, nor are they glamorous. In fact, they are fraught with danger. The real world is not sexy. It’s dirty, the food is disgusting and your life is under constant threat by those who have a vested interest in keeping the Matrix intact. Sound familiar? Every great idea, every leap forward is a result of either perceiving the world in a different way or being in opposition to the status quo. It is not enough to ask questions, but one must ask the right questions in order to solve serious problems. We need more “red pills” that are committed to examining the very real structural issues of privilege, wealth inequality, gender bias and faux diversity that hold back true innovative progress that benefit all of us. So my choice is to turn away from the Temple, toss away the light saber and grab the red pill. The real world is waiting….

In Each Other We Trust

In Each Other We Trust

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When I was in business school at Duke University we didn’t talk much about the idea of trust. We emphasized teamwork a ton, and actually the “Team Fuqua” culture was a huge part of my decision to attend school at Duke and I loved every minute. One could say that the idea of a team culture implies a trusting culture. After all, can teammates work effectively if they do not trust one another? Lack of trust between teammates can make it a harder road but it won’t necessarily doom the team to failure. The reality is many teams in academia or in traditional workplace environments are hoisted upon us. We don’t make the choice to team up, so the team whether dysfunctional or not must find a way to produce “something” even if that output is not the potentially best result. My point is that even in a leading institution like Duke, with a strong culture of teamwork doesn’t directly address the concept of trust. This is not unusual as a discussion of values, whether trust, sharing, collaboration, love are not usually front and center in the “alpha-type” construct of business and its training ground, business school.

It is outside of a traditional corporate environment that trust must be one of the most important working facets of any relationship. In fact, it is likely #1. Relationships are ultimately about how we choose to transact with one another. The classic language of “give and take” is a simplistic rendering of a relationship. Beginning a relationship with a foundation of trust has the power to place into motion meaningful actions that will drive the success of that transaction. Too often we think about our transactional future in terms of devices, speed of transfer of data, or the language of contracts. Our transactional future turns most significantly on how we choose to interact with one another. That begins with whether or not we value trust as a key component in our interactions.

Trust is both the easiest and scariest thing one person can do. Trust requires you to be open. If you are open, you must be vulnerable. Our fear of being vulnerable comes from a fear of being hurt, or taken advantage of, or duped. If we confront this fear we will find we have the capacity to be comfortable within our vulnerability and draw strength from it. Trusting becomes an active choice in the faith of other human beings to not harm us. Our transactions can now come from a place of bravery rather than fear providing a much stronger foundation. The old model of transactions is fear based. We enter relationships, thinking about what we have to lose, how can we get hurt, how do we protect against the “down-side”? Trust makes us work to keep the fear at bay. Bad things can and always will happen but it shouldn’t color the way in which we treat one another. In an increasingly fragmented creative world, it should be a core operating strength that smaller organizations work together. Big organizations have the advantage of resources and scale. Smaller organizations should build coalitions of trust in order to create better work and establish better working economies for themselves. Instead smaller organizations often act like serfs toiling on the land of the corporate landowner. At a time in history when our goals have never been more aligned many are resistant to scrapping the old “fear based” ways of working and creating. If we can embrace trust as a starting point to forge a different transactional future we can go a long way toward creating a new normal that is braver than the old.