Flat (2005) I Was Intrigued

¶ … Flat (2005) I was intrigued by the ongoing debates regarding globalization and its effects on both westernized and 3rd world nations. Specifically looking at it from the clash of cultures in the nations where many of the routine and mundane working is ending u, the curiosity of how two widely divergent cultures are managing to work together. Thomas Friedman has created a classic in this book by showing how westernized nations attempt to bridge the gap with India and other nations where labor is inexpensive today on the one hand, and how these nations are reacting to the massive influx of westerners and the overwhelming need they feel to fit it. He specifically notes that call center employees in India are taking voice training and diction courses to deliberately sound more westernized to inbound callers from the U.S., U.K., Canada and other English-speaking nations. Experiences of call center representatives who have gone through this training indicate that higher levels of customer satisfaction are achieved and less derogatory comments made about outsourcing in general occur when callers think they are more westernized. Just one of many examples of the dynamics of the Indian culture being influenced by western values and cultural norms, the ongoing training of Indians to sound more like westerners casts an unflattering light on the entire aspect of globalization. The elimination of regional differences in culture to "fit in" globally also highlights how strong ethnocentric behavior influences others, even half a world away, in a matter of minutes on a telephone call. This reaction to the world shrinking in terms of who each of us interact with every day to get things done personally and professionally is driving changes in behavior no government, organization or company can dictate.

In the book Good to Great (2001) by Jim Collins I found many useful and insightful analyses and frameworks based on an analysis of the top performing companies that his group of graduate students and he studied over several years. I was drawn to read this book by the insights I've seen Jim Collins deliver in articles and interviews on television. Jim Collins;' insights into what makes companies great is fascinating. What I liked most about this book was the thoroughness of the analysis of factors that specifically lift companies from being merely "good" at their respective performance both financially and from a market standpoint to being outstanding or great. While Collins does not quantify greatness, it is implied that the staying power of a company over many decades of overcoming product, selling, distribution, and internal management inertia and a general complacency of companies in the face of much needed change makes this book worth re-reading. The chapter on good being the enemy of great is one that can relate both to companies and individually, and I got a lot out of th4e chapter in terms of not standing for mediocrity in areas of my life I know I need to improve. The Hedgehog concept that focuses on burrowing down and determining what a company or individual is best at in the word, determines what drives the economic engine of the company or individual and determine what you as a company or individual are truly passionate about is an unbeatable set of concepts to keep in mind both for companies considering moving into a new business or for a person choosing a career. There is so much to like about this book, yet IU think another of my favorite sections is in the area of the "flywheel" versus the doom loop. The flywheel is a great concept to keep in mind when making decisions on a personal level as well, because the focus on accentuating those decisions that make the flywheel spin at the highest velocity possible leads to the greatest results possible.