Gorsh you guys. I couldn’t post yesterday because? I had freakin’ homework. Reading case studies on global organizations and how they’re structured, and why product alignment works for some, but country alignment works for others, and the problem with matrixed organizations is, and….and (stop snoring!)…..anyway - that’s where I was Monday, and yesterday and today.

But, today, after scarfing down lunch, I hurried back to the classroom to take advantage of the (shhhhhhhhh) University of Michigan’s [ugh, it sooooo pains me to admit that] wireless internet to say Hi! to you all. That’s pretty much it, because I haven’t had much of a chance to read anything (like…blogs) except case studies and I haven’t been at the office to find out what those lunatics are up to. (Although I’m very scared to go back tomorrow, because, y’know, three days away? Someone may have been funny and I wasn’t there to report it.)

The crowd in this course in kind of interesting though. There are 12 of us, from lots of different industries and lots of areas of the country. (There’s even a man from Wales and one from British Columbia.) But, y’all, can you believe that I am the most outspoken of the group? No, really! I understand you’re all sitting there going:

“Not our shy little Hotfessional - no way. How is she taking over the discussions when she’s soooooooo shy and retiring? ”

Well, my darlings, I just don’t know. [Snort! Hee hee. Okay, so even I lost it at that picture!]

Seriously though, there are three people in here that haven’t said a word over the past three days. Another couple only started speaking today. I am trying to come up with a theory here concerning their reticence.

1. Others (um, who would that be?) are so loud that it’s unnerving for them to speak up?
2. They have nothing to add even though their companies spent thousands of dollars for them to attend. - or -
3. They’re just using this as an excuse to get away from the office for 3 days.

I figure if I can get to the bottom of it, I can use my gentle ways to bring them out of their shell. (Shut up. I can!)

Humans are such interesting creatures. Sometimes I think that I went into the wrong field and sociology or psychology would have fit me better. Although, really, I guess that in a way, that’s exactly what I’m doing nowdays - trying to figure out how to keep people satisfied working in what is essentially an organization that has already told them that they’re going to be out of a job in a few months. Doesn’t that take understanding an individual’s motivation and psyche? Understanding the dynamics of a group of people whose morale is sinking more quickly than Venice?

Now you’re all like: “Okay Hotfessional, you’re getting a little too cerebral on us again!” So, how about a little factoid that you may not have known? In Germany, Proctor & Gamble sells Dawn dishwashing detergent, but it’s not Dawn. It’s “Fairy”. And when they tried to change the branding to match what they sold in the U.S. - uh, no. It wouldn’t fly! (snort. get it? it wouldn’t fly! - Fairy dish detergent! hee hee snort.)

Alright - more tomorrow!

—- Don’t forget! Save the Boobies. —-

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