Rubio, Christianity, Tariffs, Consumers, & Coaching
RWL #443
Greetings from The University of New Hampshire![i] TLW and I went out for a walk on Sunday morning. It was almost 60 degrees. I wore shorts and a t-shirt. As we headed down Mill Rd toward campus, I pointed to the scrub bushes along the road that had the first small, wet leaves bursting forth from buds. Six months of gray is coming to an end. The daffodils broke out into visual song this weekend as well (pic above from the backyard at the LHH).
We’re less than two weeks from the end of spring semester classes, and less than a month till graduation. I have one last student to lock into an internship. I’m pretty sure it’s a done deal, but I’m waiting for final confirmation. That’s the way it goes. Maybe next year I’ll get them all placed by Spring Break. Hope springs eternal!
OK – to the links. As usual, willing good for all of you!
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Read
What: HBR, Most Managers Don’t Know How to Coach People. But They Can Learn.
https://hbr.org/2018/08/most-managers-dont-know-how-to-coach-people-but-they-can-learn
Why: OK, from the article:
The biggest takeaway was the fact that, when initially asked to coach, many managers instead demonstrated a form of consulting. Essentially, they simply provided the other person with advice or a solution. We regularly heard comments like, “First you do this” or “Why don’t you do this?”
This kind of micromanaging-as-coaching was initially reinforced as good coaching practice by other research participants as well.
This is, I hate to admit it, very much me. It’s probably why I wanted to be a teacher. So I could tell everyone how they should be. But coaching requires the coached person finding their own way.
Short article for those of you who think you are coaching.
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What: University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers.
https://www.sca.isr.umich.edu/
Why: Just take a quick glance at the numbers. Not much else to look at. Consumer sentiment has tanked by about a third since last year. Why do we care? Consumption is the largest part of GDP (national income). When consumers get anxious, they stop buying stuff. When they stop buying stuff, stores start to fail. When stores start to fail, factories start to fail. It’s a negative chain reaction that can lead to a recession. The whole economy is a connected web. It’s why all boats can rise together and its why all boats tend to sink together.
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Watch
What: Peter Zeihan, Of Tariffs, Manufacturing and PSAs (6 min)
Why: If you’ve been reading my FITW newsletter for the last few weeks, you know I’m not a fan of the Trump tariffs. I always listen to Zeihan when it comes to global issues. He’s not as negative on Trump’s goals as I am. But he presents an interesting perspective on the idea of “China + 1” for production and now, courtesy of Trump’s policies, “America + 1” for consumption. It’s a short video – watch to understand what that means. (Punchline: we’re going to be poorer for a long time)
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Listen
What: EconTalk, Why Christianity Needs to Help Save Democracy (with Jonathan Rauch) (80 min)
(link)
Why: The guest is author and analyst Jonathan Rauch, who, notably, is Jewish homosexual atheist. If you’re missing the significance of his identity, read the title of the podcast again.
His argument is that Christianity is foundational to the American project (again, as a Jewish homosexual atheist) and that Christianity has been significantly corrupted by political forces, and that this corruption is damaging a metaphorical load bearing wall of American political life.
One of the things he mentions is that the most common phrase in the Bible is some variation of “don’t be afraid”. I did not know that, but one of my favorite Bible verses is a variation of this theme, Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.”
Shortly after the second Trump election, I tried to invoke my Stoicism and wrote the following:
“Organizing the world into the things you can control (not very much), things you can influence (quite a bit), and things you cannot influence or control (most), is useful for having healthy responses to life. Confusing these things, things you can control and things you cannot, is a formula for failure.”
I think this is the spirit of Psalm 46:10. It is the serenity prayer. Be still. There are the things you can control and the things you cannot. Know the difference. The things you cannot control you should not let upset you.
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What: Honestly, Marco Rubio on Iran, Deportations and the State Dept. Shake-Up (37 min)
(link)
Why: I don’t particularly like Marco Rubio, nor do I like what the Trump State Department is doing. But this is a fair and measured interview. The Sec State is 4th in line to the presidency. He also controls one of the two critical externally-focused departments of the Federal government. If you’ve not paid him much attention, this is a good starting point. You don’t have to support the Trump administration. But you should engage with those whom you disagree with and not simply ignore them, especially when they hold positions of power. Worth your time.
[i] It occurred to me, after nearly 10 years of writing this newsletter, that when I write my “greetings from UNH" that people might think I am speaking on behalf of the institution. That is very funny. I’m not sure that the UNH president could pick me out in a line up. So please understand that all opinions expressed here are my own, and do not represent the institutional positions of UNH. It’s akin to me writing, Greetings from America! And someone saying I am writing on behalf of the US government. As much as I might want it to be so, no one of reasonable judgement is going to believe it to be so.