TONE AND HABIT

Will you buy my mongolian cow sour yogurt, comrade?

If, like me, you'd be fascinated by an examination of "how advertising appropriates a dominant anti-consumerist political ideology to promote consumption within China’s social and political transition,” then by all means click this link to Science Daily.

A couple of researchers looking at advertisements in the People’s Daily, China's largest daily newspaper, noted the ways that advertisers have co-opted communist symbols and messages, such as red stars and red flags, to promote color TVs, refrigerators, and everything else under the sun.

Using patriotic symbols to help sell stuff isn't exactly revolutionary (get it?), but this is an appreciable irony: Communist political propaganda being harnessed to fuel the transition to a consumer culture, itself part of a socialist strategy to modernize the world's largest economy.

Aside from that, I learned about the Mongolia Cow Sour Yogurt Super Girls.  Coming soon to Publix, we hope.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080717092100.htm

Golf, confidence and coping

These are not hypothetical questions, on the golf course or in life:  How do you cope with stress, and how does confidence affect your perception of the world?

(Also not irrelevant questions today.  I saved a brutal day at Seminole Golf Course yesterday with a sweet par on No. 18.  Solid drive, 3 wood from the fairway to get me in striking distance, a nice 8 iron onto the green about 15 feet from the pin, then a solid two putt to get out with par.  Don't ask about the other 17 ...)

Golfers who play well are more likely to see the hole as larger than their poor-playing counterparts, according to a recently released study mentioned in Science Daily.  "What athletes say about how they see the hole and how well they play is true. We found golfers who play better judge the hole to be bigger than golfers who did not play as well," said Jessica K. Witt, an assistant professor of psychological sciences at Purdue University who studies perception in athletes.

Which suggests, no surprise, that confidence in your own ability can positively affect your perception of the world.  No word on whether confidence affects your perception of conceptual challenges as well as spatial challenges, but that certainly wouldn't be a stretch.

I found that study linked to another possibly more useful, on how high level golfers successfully cope with stress.  You can find it here at Science Daily:  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/06/050617235448.htm 

A study of 18 of Ireland's best young international male golfers showed some interesting differences in times they coped well under stress, and times when they coped badly.

"In general, effective coping involved gaining a sense of control, while ineffective coping involved the golfers trying to force their play," said co-author Dr. Nick Holt, a professor of Physical Education and Recreation at the University of Alberta.

During effective coping golfers maintained a positive mindset by using positive self-talk, blocking negative thoughts, and focusing on the next shot (rather than on past shots). They stayed physically relaxed by using deep breathing exercises and stretching. Finally, they sought advice from their caddies, and were sure to follow their playing routine.

All of which are practical strategies that may find application well beyond the golf course.

The science of leadership

Leadership Tallahassee Class 26 kicks off on Tuesday, so it was timely this week to see a cover story on leadership in the latest issue of New Scientist, a very readable magazine from England that I recommend to anyone.  Evolutionary social psychologist Mark van Vugt explores the evolution of leadership from 2.5 million years ago to today -- from hunter-gatherer bands to Toyota's corporate structure, and everything in between -- but some of his most interesting insights aren't into leadership.

He also asks the question, why be a follower?  Why would you subordinate yourself when it puts you at a clear disadvantage in terms of power, status and resources?

Well, first, by observing good leaders, you prepare yourself for future leadership.  Also, the disadvantages of following can be offset by the benefits of belonging to a well-led group.

On the flip side, distributed leadership -- delegated decision making, and even letting subordinates choose their own executives -- is gaining more currency today.  Shared goals and interdependence can transform alienated and self-interested employees into "committed collectivists," van Vugt suggests.

In the end, the most useful insight may be that leadership strategies must be different based on the situation an organization faces.  It's much more like jazz than conducting a symphony sometimes.  But no matter what kind of music you're making, it is vitally important that the band leader actually listen to the band.  If not, you're just lost in the dissonance.