Is there something Australia should learn from the USA's experience.
In the wake of tightening visa regulations, many international graduates are forced to leave before they could find a job in Australia. We have seen the crunch on reducing the number of foreign students and therefore the lucrative earnings from our education services sector. We are already feeling the pinch. Now restrictions will be extended to be imposed on the number of foreign skilled workers trained in Australia as well. The bite will sink in a matter of time. Are we still thinking of stimulus and growth or getting modest and withdrawn to savour our past glories?
Quote :
At a time when our economy is stagnating, some American political leaders are working to keep the world’s best and brightest out. They mistakenly believe that skilled immigrants take American jobs away. The opposite is true: skilled immigrants start the majority of Silicon Valley startups; they create jobs.
Meanwhile, entrepreneurship is booming in countries that compete with us. And more than half a million doctors, scientists, researchers, and engineers in the U.S. are stuck in “immigration limbo”. They are on temporary work visas and are waiting for permanent-resident visas, which are in extremely short supply. These workers can’t start companies, justify buying houses, or grow deep roots in their communities. Once they get in line for a visa, they can’t even accept a promotion or change jobs. They could be required to leave the U.S. immediately—without notice—if their employer lays them off. Rather than live in constant fear and stagnate in their careers, many are returning home.
American immigration officials are also clueless. They do everything they can to make life miserable for immigrants who want to make the U.S. more competitive and create U.S. jobs. As I noted in this piece about the Startup Visa, they interpret rules and regulations as restrictively as possible.
Unlike a lot of problems facing our country, this one is easy to fix. We just need to increase the numbers of permanent-resident visas available for those trapped in “immigration limbo”. And we should create a Startup Visa that is more inclusive than the VC/Super Angel bill that is being proposed. This may give the economy a significant boost at no cost to taxpayers.
http://techcrunch.com/2011/03/06/why-silicon-valley-immigrant-entrepreneurs-are-returning-home/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29&utm_content=FaceBook
Monday, March 7, 2011
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Curry Favouring Bootlickers thrive among us
Curry Favour means : "to attempt to gain favour or ingratiate oneself, by officious courtesy or flattery."
More examples : "back-scratch, bootlick, brownnose, cajole, court, dance attendance on, fall all over, fawn over, flatter, kiss up to, pay court to, suck up to, sweet-talk, toady to, win over."
http://thesaurus.com/browse/curry+favor
You may like to read about the origin and evolution of his phrase / idiom here :
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/curry-favour.html
It never fails to amuse, appall and irritate me whenever some people are willing and able to go out of their way, bend backwards, dissolve their pride and degrade others' reasoning power, in order to please another.
They shamelessly and undiscerningly echo the views of their boss, teacher, mentor, superior, friends, wealthy relatives and people they need help to get ahead in their career and life.
This is the safest bet and earn them brownie points. It can't go very wrong. There's a world of difference is between a suave and subtle diplomat and a crude bootlicker. But somehow, suckupers always get away with it. On the other hand, detractors and whistle blowers are a misunderstood lot who are often chided and penalised.
Human beings have ego (some larger than their size) which sometimes need a little lifting, lubrication and massage. The reality is that men and women are likely to be influenced and would generally respond favourably to such aggressively positive gestures. Some cautious and guarded people may see through the ploy and play along. The smart targets may be aware of the effusive and artificial niceities but tend not to disrupt things. It's a good feeling! This is a free world but is there really level playing field for the honest, meek, humble and sincere folks?
Don't get me wrong. There's nothing unethical about being genuinely polite, diplomatic, deferential and agreeable. However, to plan, scheme, deliberate, meditate all the time on how to get into the good books of another is pitiful and despicable. Curry favourers are also likely to be arrogant and enjoy bragging about their achievements and putting others down. Yes, sadly, these audacious parasites live and thrive among us. You can't help but notice their overpowering presence and intrusion. But fortunately some of us will never know what boots taste like.
More examples : "back-scratch, bootlick, brownnose, cajole, court, dance attendance on, fall all over, fawn over, flatter, kiss up to, pay court to, suck up to, sweet-talk, toady to, win over."
http://thesaurus.com/browse/curry+favor
You may like to read about the origin and evolution of his phrase / idiom here :
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/curry-favour.html
It never fails to amuse, appall and irritate me whenever some people are willing and able to go out of their way, bend backwards, dissolve their pride and degrade others' reasoning power, in order to please another.
They shamelessly and undiscerningly echo the views of their boss, teacher, mentor, superior, friends, wealthy relatives and people they need help to get ahead in their career and life.
This is the safest bet and earn them brownie points. It can't go very wrong. There's a world of difference is between a suave and subtle diplomat and a crude bootlicker. But somehow, suckupers always get away with it. On the other hand, detractors and whistle blowers are a misunderstood lot who are often chided and penalised.
Human beings have ego (some larger than their size) which sometimes need a little lifting, lubrication and massage. The reality is that men and women are likely to be influenced and would generally respond favourably to such aggressively positive gestures. Some cautious and guarded people may see through the ploy and play along. The smart targets may be aware of the effusive and artificial niceities but tend not to disrupt things. It's a good feeling! This is a free world but is there really level playing field for the honest, meek, humble and sincere folks?
Don't get me wrong. There's nothing unethical about being genuinely polite, diplomatic, deferential and agreeable. However, to plan, scheme, deliberate, meditate all the time on how to get into the good books of another is pitiful and despicable. Curry favourers are also likely to be arrogant and enjoy bragging about their achievements and putting others down. Yes, sadly, these audacious parasites live and thrive among us. You can't help but notice their overpowering presence and intrusion. But fortunately some of us will never know what boots taste like.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Cover your ass work attitude- a liability for companies and sign of regressive culture
"Cover your ass" is more pervasive in private corporations than you think.
Not limited to high profile politicians, bank loan approving officers, reporters and public service personnel, managers and bureaucrats are guilty of this safe approach to work.
You won't get into trouble, won't get fired, neither would you produce remarkably good service and results.
Just to cite a recent personal encounter with chronic bottlenecks, unbalanced delivery and interim shortages which could be easily addressed through better coordination and information dissemination.So just that you know not to expect too much. Suggestions and feedback fall on deaf ears, and are discarded, disregarded, or scoffed at most of the time. They are frowned upon instead of being utilised as inputs for improvements.
As long as the person(s) responsible have done the minimum to cover himself / herself / themselves, they would be safe. One only needs some documentary proof in writing or time log to show that they had taken certain preventive and informative steps or disclosures. No worries if they failed to achieve the targeted numbers, destinations, audience, beneficiaries.
Count your lucky stars and blessings if you have colleagues and service providers who are cooperative and willing to listen and share with each other. Some not so fortunate ones have to put up with feet dragging, concealment, defensiveness, buck passing and blaming others for their problems.
Ultimately, the company's interests are at stake. The clientele, productivity and reputation will suffer; so will the bottomline and profitability. It will go back to the management and employees collectively for the lackadaisical and irresponsible work ethics of a few.
As mentioned time and again in earlier notes on this blog, it does not pay to be whistleblowers, initiators and revolutionaries. Most of us in society are too comfortable in our respective walled zones to care or want to lift a finger to do great things for others.
Where and since when have the battler spirit gone?
No longer do we take pride in our work from end-to-end. Our responsibilities may not be clearly defined by the job description but by the results of our work.
A highly litigatious society may have fostered such safety first attitudes.
Somewhere, something has gone very wrong. We are supposed to have progressed. Blame the environment and everyone if you like and think it would make you feel better.
When more of us learn to take some risks, stick our necks out, and be courageous to take responsibility for our ideas and actions, go an extra mile to deliver our best, then would Australian workplace culture shine brightly.
- c.g.
Not limited to high profile politicians, bank loan approving officers, reporters and public service personnel, managers and bureaucrats are guilty of this safe approach to work.
You won't get into trouble, won't get fired, neither would you produce remarkably good service and results.
Just to cite a recent personal encounter with chronic bottlenecks, unbalanced delivery and interim shortages which could be easily addressed through better coordination and information dissemination.So just that you know not to expect too much. Suggestions and feedback fall on deaf ears, and are discarded, disregarded, or scoffed at most of the time. They are frowned upon instead of being utilised as inputs for improvements.
As long as the person(s) responsible have done the minimum to cover himself / herself / themselves, they would be safe. One only needs some documentary proof in writing or time log to show that they had taken certain preventive and informative steps or disclosures. No worries if they failed to achieve the targeted numbers, destinations, audience, beneficiaries.
Count your lucky stars and blessings if you have colleagues and service providers who are cooperative and willing to listen and share with each other. Some not so fortunate ones have to put up with feet dragging, concealment, defensiveness, buck passing and blaming others for their problems.
Ultimately, the company's interests are at stake. The clientele, productivity and reputation will suffer; so will the bottomline and profitability. It will go back to the management and employees collectively for the lackadaisical and irresponsible work ethics of a few.
As mentioned time and again in earlier notes on this blog, it does not pay to be whistleblowers, initiators and revolutionaries. Most of us in society are too comfortable in our respective walled zones to care or want to lift a finger to do great things for others.
Where and since when have the battler spirit gone?
No longer do we take pride in our work from end-to-end. Our responsibilities may not be clearly defined by the job description but by the results of our work.
A highly litigatious society may have fostered such safety first attitudes.
Somewhere, something has gone very wrong. We are supposed to have progressed. Blame the environment and everyone if you like and think it would make you feel better.
When more of us learn to take some risks, stick our necks out, and be courageous to take responsibility for our ideas and actions, go an extra mile to deliver our best, then would Australian workplace culture shine brightly.
- c.g.
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