The Politics of Work

Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama addressed thousands of media professionals at the convention I attended on August 9 and 10, respectively, in Las Vegas. The Democratic presidential candidates spoke about issues of importance to the working class, from having access to education to overhauling the health care system. While both senators engaged me with their words, they also left me cold with their vague solutions to these problems.
The defining trait of a good manager (or, in this case, leader) is getting employees with different viewpoints to focus on the task at hand. If successful, they keep sensible ideas from being derailed by competing agendas (or, in this case, partisan politics). Clinton's plan to help at-risk children will remain a pipe dream unless she can rally members of Congress -- especially from the Republican Party -- to support her idea. Likewise, Obama's pledge to bridge the gap between Wall Street and Main Street won't be fulfilled without help from opposing lawmakers.
Like corporate America, navigating office politics in Washington, D.C., is about "playing the game." The senators said all the right things about ending the war in Iraq and rebuilding the Gulf Coast, but didn't offer specifics on how these goals would be met. Successful executives use transparent methods to achieve tangible results. Not only that, but they involve various groups to reach a consensus about its long-term impact.
Clinton and Obama impressed me with their promises. However, just like in the boardroom, talk is cheap.

Survival of the Fittest?

Las Vegas is more than just the perfect setting to indulge in bad behavior -- it's also the ideal location to make business contacts.
From now until August 12, I'm networking with my peers at our annual convention, which is taking place this year in Sin City. Between attending workshops all day and going to parties every night, I don't know how I'll find time to sleep ... but I do know that my agenda is about business, not pleasure.
Over the years, I've traveled thousands of miles and spent thousands of dollars on seminars to enhance my skills and advance my career. The profession I work in is undergoing a transition that's left me with the choice of adaptation or extinction. I have unwavering faith in my abilities, even when I question my sanity for pursuing my passion. More important, though, I can't see myself doing anything else: I've never worked in retail, and I'm not interested in joining the corporate world.
Change is a part of life, and I have no problem adjusting to new (or different) ways of doing my job. However, I can't help but worry that having such an outlook isn't enough to survive in today's workplace.