Hasta La Gadget!

Leonard Nimoy, who played Spock on Star Trek passed away today. The show debuted on NBC the year I was born, plus I lived in India (where all western entertainment experienced a delay), so needless to say, I didn’t watch my first episode until many years later. But when I finally did, I recall being most drawn to the remarkably elementary, yet logical arguments by the character. Perhaps, the first seeds of pursuing Mathematics as a discipline were planted in my subconscious then. I also recall being surprised by the implication that being logical would have to necessarily mean that any display of emotion would be supplanted for stoic demeanor. I understand that the character may have needed to do so for the sake of contrast, but in life, being logical is hardly a prescription for being emotionless. In fact, it should and is quite to the contrary.

When I first embarked on a journey to also cook professionally, the decision was rooted in emotion, pride and what I’ve now termed a “professional midlife crisis.” Since the beginning of that journey, I’ve been passionate about sourcing the best possible ingredients I can afford to buy. They often come from local farmers and nearby waters, because I know that it will logically lead to delicious food. If I didn’t care about the well-being of the individuals who help provide me with the ingredients I use to nurture my culinary creativity and business goals, then it would be illogical for me to be perplexed and disappointed (emotional) when my business fails. Celebrating the bounty of one’s region makes logical sense because the food is fresher, shipping costs are minimized and diners find comfort in familiar ingredients, to name just a few reasons.

As a teacher, my job is not just to teach students concepts and methods, but to also be the source of some stress in their lives. When they enter the workforce, they will undoubtedly face some stress and very often, one’s success in the workplace and beyond depends as much on one’s ability to handle adversity as it is to solve problems. To think critically (and logically) sometimes hinges on the ability to handle the stress of the moment. And thinking logically, solves problems.

I love my wife with everything I have. Naturally, she reciprocates the same to me. Logically, we are as happy as we can be because of it. Living long affords a level of prosperity. Because longevity logically allows us more time in our lives to be passionate about the things we care about. And we have Mr. Nimoy to thank for that observation and wish for half of his character’s species. But to be prosperous, one doesn’t have to live long because a conditional statement is not logically equivalent to its converse. And that is why I live each moment as if it may be my last.

As a satirist I struggle to compete with reality. Last week, after declaring that, “There were mistakes made in Iraq,” and “I am my own man” Jeb Bush announced that Paul Wolfowitz was one of his foreign policy advisers. I immediately ceased drafting a blog about Jeb Bush’s cabinet. How could Secretary Treasury Bernie Madoff, Secretary of Health and Human Services Lindsay Lohan, and Attorney General Venero “Benny Eggs” Mangano, a Genovese capo, compete with Secretary of State Paul Wolfowitz?

Last week the Sarbanes-Oxley act of 2002 was again in the news. I can’t compete with Sarbanes-Oxley. I can’t make up stuff this good.

In response to the Enron scandal, Congress, in one of its more cockamamie acts (a very high hurdle), approved the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Having colluded in the Enron fraud, the accounting profession generously offered a solution: more auditing. Section 404 of Sarbanes-Oxley act requires a company’s external auditor to audit and opine on the company’s system of internal controls. This enabled accounting firms to double their audit fees.

Enron did not go bust because its accounts payable system lacked proper internal controls. Enron went bust because it committed fraud while its external auditors conspired with the fraudsters. But why should such facts interfere with legislation that shifts billions of dollars from shareholders to accounting firms?

Aside from doubling audit fees, section 404 accomplished nothing. As Lehman Brothers went bankrupt in 2008 and triggered the great recession, Lehman’s external auditors were signing off on scams such as “repo 105” and special investment vehicles (SIVs) that magically moved billions of debt off Lehman’s balance sheet on quarterly reporting dates. Looking on the bright side, I believe Lehman did exercise adequate internal controls over its accounts payable system as it precipitated the financial meltdown.

Sarbanes-Oxley also imposes a maximum sentence of 20 years for the destruction of “any record, document, or tangible abject” to obstruct an investigation. Federal authorities applied this provision to a heinous crime: a fisherman tossed undersize grouper into the Gulf of Mexico.

Though not a single greedster above the level of janitor, who originated, packaged, rated, or sold sub-prime debt, thereby nearly destroying the world’s financial system, has been charged with a crime, Sarbanes-Oxley penalizes undersize grouper tossing.

Try to write a blog as ironic as that.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s (D-Hawaii) new chief of staff — a business owner with no government experience — is raising eyebrows in the state.

Gabbard’s announcement on Tuesday that she had named Kainoa Ramananda Penaroza, 30, to the influential job “baffles political insiders” because of Penaroza’s thin political resume, wrote local political news site Honolulu Civil Beat.

Penaroza has no government experience and his political exposure has been limited to volunteer and coordinator work on Gabbard’s campaigns.

Gabbard’s office said in a statement that Penaroza “brings to the office a unique, down-to-earth, and results-driven style of leadership.”

For the past five years, Penaroza has been a sales manager for his family’s health-food business. He also owns an eco-friendly clothing company that provides products to Whole Foods.

According to Civil Beat, “The news of Penaroza’s appointment was met with varying sense of amusement, surprise and disbelief by Hawaii’s political insiders — including staffers among Hawaii’s congressional delegation — but most of them were not willing to speak on the record.”

Local news channel Hawaii News Now reports that Gabbard, 33, and Penaroza have known each other for more than 20 years.

In a statement, Gabbard said: “I’ve known Kainoa for many years. I’ve found him to be dependable, energetic, and smart. Most importantly, he shares my love for Hawaii, and my enthusiasm to be of service to the people of Hawaii and our nation.”

While Gabbard is frequently referred to as a “rising star” in the Democratic party, she has made waves for her frequent appearances on Fox News and her criticisms of President Barack Obama for his refusal to use the term “Islamic extremism.”

Hawaii News Now notes that Gabbard has “appeared in at least eight live interviews on CNN, FOX and MSNBC networks this month so far.”

The national publicity doesn’t always sit well with constituents in Hawaii, and Gabbard’s newest staff member is causing further unease.

“The way to really be an important member of Congress is grinding out the details and the stuff that Sen. [Dan] Inouye used to do,” Colin Moore, a University of Hawaii political science professor, told Hawaii News Now. “And to do that, you need a staff member who really has a lot of experience at working in this institution.”

Penaroza is the third person to hold the position of chief of staff in the two years Gabbard has represented Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District. Jessica Vanden Berg, Penaroza’s predecessor, left shortly before the 2014 election.

1. Be Genuine

The human mind was created with the sole purpose of perceiving danger. The mind’s main objective for the past thousands of years has been keeping us alive. Even though we do not have saber tooth tigers hunting us anymore, our fear sensing abilities, also known as, intuition is still in prime form. People can sense the disingenuous person miles away. We have that “gut” feeling which, while we cannot explain it, can sway us one way or another — to do business, be friends or get into a relationship with someone or not. It does not matter what business you are in, the number one way to be an effective communicator and build lasting relationships is to be genuine. Bottom line: This is as simple as not playing games, making sure your actions match your words and above all keep your conversations on the up-and-up, do not bash another company to try and get a client — it will never work. When in doubt ask yourself “What is in it for them?”

2. Stop Multi-Tasking – Be Present

So often I find myself engaged in a conversation and I know the person is not paying attention to me. They are either surveying the room for someone “better” to talk to, they are checking their phone and half listening or the worst offenders are the ones who are just waiting to get back their turn to talk and command the conversation. I blame technology for playing into our human fear of missing out. It takes awareness to realize that by being distracted and multi-tasking you are in fact missing out, however, not in the way you may think. When you are not present you are absolutely being disrespectful, yet more than that, you are missing an opportunity to connect with someone who may be of value to you in the future. It takes less than 7 seconds to make a first impression so make the most of it, a firm handshake, a smile and eye contact if you are in person, a smile and clear articulation if you are on the phone.
Bottom line: You will make infinitely more long withstanding relationships, close more deals and have a bigger, stronger, more supportive network by simply being present when you are interacting with someone!

3. Ask Questions

It is proven that the subject people like to discuss the most are themselves. Why not use that to your advantage and be a detective. Whether you are meeting a new friend or a new client the fact still remains, to effectively communicate, one must listen more than they talk. By asking questions, you make it about them and give them an avenue to share with you what they are all about. If you listen and ask the right questions they will tell you exactly what you need to know — from what their struggles are, what solutions they are looking for, to what way they want to move forward. Do not underestimate the power of questions as a way to build rock solid connections, both personal and professional. If you want to brush up on your skills I recommend Power Questions: Build Relationships, Win New Business, and Influence Others
by Andrew Sobel or The Fine Art of Small Talk: How To Start a Conversation, Keep It Going, Build Networking Skills — and Leave a Positive Impression! by Debra Fine.
Bottom line: If you have a big deal coming up, want to secure a new client or if you want to get better at your job, ask more questions!

4. Build Trust

If you go into networking events or meetings picturing dollar signs on people’s heads, we have a problem and you should read Bob Burgs The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea tonight. As I mentioned before, effective communicators are the people who listen more than they talk, but really what makes an effective communicator is trust. The most effective way to build trust is to offer something before you take something. It could be as simple as introducing them to someone at the event that they would like to meet, it could be sending them an article they might find value in or it could be sending clients their way before they even fully understand what you do. Building trust is like building a fire — you have to start with kindling — the initial contact, then you can add a bigger piece of wood – a coffee meeting or telephone call, then a few more pieces of wood — an interesting article, an email, a referral for them, then you can add the big piece of wood that will smolder all night — the ask, the close, the business deal, the relationship. So often I see people extinguish what could have been a very mutually beneficial relationship because they want instant gratification — they want the business now, they want the relationship now; they made it about them! Some of the best and most lucrative relationships I have created were nurtured over years before I reaped the benefits. Relish the slow burn, reward yourself for patience and for goodness sake make more connections in the meantime so you don’t fixate! Reach out every now and again, add value to them, and you’ll be amazed with the dividends you receive.
Bottom line: The magic is in the nurturing, the patience and the follow up. Hold the vision and trust the process.

5. Call Instead of Relying on Written Communication

I have found with many of my clients that almost all of the conflict they stress over could have been avoided by simply picking up the phone. So often in our busy lives we rely on text, email or various other messaging applications to communicate. While this is an easy way to get answers and communicate, it lacks two very critical components to effectively communicate — tone and context. Just think about it, how often have you received a text and perceived something that was never intended by the person who sent it? Suddenly you go from happy to sad, stressed and maybe even angry over something that was just a simple misunderstanding. My advice is if you get a message that makes your blood pressure rise, gives you a twinge in your stomach or makes you just go “huh?” pick up the phone and ask for clarification. Bottom line: There is nothing that can substitute for old-fashioned, voice-to-voice or belly-to-belly communication.

Despite a number of exciting (and novel) announcements related to battery technology, the sad fact is that our smartphones still need to be frequently charged. One thing that hasn’t helped in prolonging the lives of our devices is a trend toward ever…