RWL Newsletter #133
Greetings from the University of New Hampshire! The first day of the fall semester is one month from today. That sounds like a lot of time, but I have so much to do! I’m going to need to win the day (see Listen below) to make that time count, because I know it’s going to fly by.
Picture above is from Provincetown, MA, which is on the very tip of Cape Cod. My wife and I spent the weekend there enjoying the beaches and the community. A unique and friendly town - definitely recommend.
Enjoy the weekend and let me know what you think of the links!
Read
What: the HR capitali$t, How to Respond to Negative Glassdoor Reviews...
https://www.hrcapitalist.com/2019/07/how-to-respond-to-negative-glassdoor-reviews.html
Why: While it is probably important to know how to respond to negative reviews on Glassdoor if you are in fact an HR director, I thought this article actually was an interesting lesson in thinking about how to respond to criticism. First, there might actually be value in the criticism, even if it is nasty. Not to wallow in it (I always have sleepless nights after I get a particularly nasty student eval comment - I’d like to pretend I don’t, but in fact I do).
Watch
What: Rainbow Connection by Kermit the Frog from The Muppet Movie
Why: This article from Linda Holmes at NPR popped up in my socials yesterday celebrating the 40th anniversary of The Muppet Movie. If you’re a GenXer, then your mom or dad probably took you to see the Muppet Movie in the theater. My mom took me and my best friend from 2nd grade, Greg, to see it. I loved that movie. Forty years later, it is still one of my favorite movies of all time because like some of the movies from Pixar, there are layers of meaning and entertainment in it. There’s funny talking animals (which my family knows I still have a weakness for), slapstick comedy, and bad dad jokes, but also an underlying belief that the universe is fundamentally good. I started re-watching the movie for the upteenth time last night and was moved right from the beginning as Kermit gives an early glimmering that he is going to be a transformational servant leader. In case you’ve forgotten, after an initial prelude, the movie opens with Kermit sitting alone in his swamp, playing his banjo. A lost Hollywood agent stumbles upon him, recognizes his talent and suggests he come to Hollywood where he can be rich and famous. Kermit’s reply is he’s happy where he is. The agent then says, “You could make millions of people happy” (and then gets chased by an alligator). It’s not the promise of fame and wealth that moves Kermit to leave his swamp, but instead the desire and perhaps sense of duty, to make other people happy. The rest of the movie is basically a journey during which Kermit collects a following of previously failed entertainers by sharing his vision of going to Hollywood to make other people happy. Not to spoil the ending (but seriously, you’ve had 40 years to see this), together, united by his vision, they succeed in making something inspiring, inclusive, and beautiful.
Holmes talks about the Rainbow Connection, which is the unifying musical theme of the movie in a way I had never really thought about it before, though it is also one of my favorite songs:
You probably know all this, but The Muppet Movie is a musical, and "Rainbow Connection" is what musical theater people would call its "I Want" song. It's an unusual one. Often, characters who want things in a musical, even if they're ultimately on a quest of self-discovery, express a desire for adventure and exploration (The Little Mermaid's "Part of Your World") or greatness (Hamilton's "My Shot") or comfort (My Fair Lady's "Wouldn't It Be Loverly"). At their most philosophical, they tend toward restless searches for freedom from other people's expectations (Pippin's "Corner of the Sky")... [Kermit’s] "I Want" is not just for his own dreams to come true. It's for those who believe in the enchanting myths that we've all written together to be proved right. Someday, he hopes, we will find a thread that makes all this make sense. You know. Life. It's almost a "We Want" song. (emphasis added)
Like a true transformational servant leader, right from the beginning he is not spinning a vision for his own success, but for everyone’s collective success. The ending stanza, “I've heard it too many times to ignore it / It's something that i'm supposed to be” is Campbell’s call to adventure, which is also the call to be something greater than we are, sitting alone in our swamp. I’d share the whole movie, but it’s still behind a paywall. You’ll have to rent or buy it if you want to watch it again. Try watching it with the lens of transformational and servant leadership. I think it will be fresh for you once again.
Listen
What: #ThePlaybook, Andy Frisella: CEO of 1st Phorm
https://www.entrepreneur.com/listen/playbook/335789
Why: This interview focuses on the importance of finding a purpose, “systemizing” your life, and living morally and honorably. I was told about this interview by a former student of CH, a colleague I sometimes collaborate with. At about 18:30 Frisella talks about a behavior modification tool he calls Win the Day. Win the Day consists of making a list of five critical tasks that he needs to accomplish during the course of the day for the day to count as a “win”. Not all of the tasks are business-related - they could include something about diet or working out. The key is that the tasks have to be realistic and possible to complete in one day. I think a lot of successful people follow something like this method - where they don’t just have to-do lists, but they break down larger goals into smaller tasks that can be accomplished sequentially, and they do that everyday. Something to think on.
(Fair warning - there’s quite a bit of casual cursing in the interview, so if that kind of language bothers you, skip this one.)
Thanks for reading and see you next week! If you come across any interesting stories, won't you send them my way? I'd love to hear what you think of these suggestions, and I'd love to get suggestions from you. Feel free to drop me a line by e-mail, or you can tweet to me at @mbonica .
Also, if you find these links interesting, won’t you tell a friend? They can subscribe here: https://tinyletter.com/markbonica
Have a great weekend and do amazing things!
Mark
Mark J. Bonica, Ph.D., MBA, MS
Assistant Professor
Department of Health Management and Policy
University of New Hampshire
(603) 862-0598
mark.bonica@unh.edu
Health Leader Forge Podcast: http://healthleaderforge.org
"I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavor." - Henry David Thoreau