This is my first communication with you as the President of 80-20
Educational Foundation. I'm no longer the President of 80-20 PAC. The
focus of my messages will shift from political actions to educational
endeavors. However, the goal will be the same -- urging AsAms to strive
on and become an equal partner in the shaping of the American Dream.
See if you approve of my first attempt below. Post your feedback by
visiting http://www.80-20educationalfoundation.org/posterboard.html.
It will help me and be read by other 80-20 supporters.
For today, let's talk about "How Do You Measure Your Career Success?"
Most of us are smart, well educated, and have good work-ethics. How
come statistically AsAms still face a very low glass ceiling at work? So few
AsAm Federal and State judges? Our kids face a higher admission bar?
The apparent reason is that we lack political maturity and unity. The
real reason is that we use the WRONG STANDARD to measure our career
success. Let me illustrate.
Something in our culture has induced most of us to measure our
career success by a RELATIVE STANDARD. We compare our own
career achievement with those of our best friends, closest relatives,
classmates and colleagues. With such a standard, when some of them are
more successful than us, we feel like failures in comparison. With that
frame of mind, can we ever succeed in networking? No way. We will not
help "them," because we will be failures in comparison. Naturally then,
"they" will not help us.
Do you agree that climbing ladders in America depends heavily on net-
working? Do you agree that the best persons to network with will be your
best friends, closest relatives, former classmates and former/current
colleagues?
We need to adopt an ABSOLUTE standard of measuring our career
success -- a standard adopted by most Americans of non-Asian extraction.
What is the absolute standard? How would that help?
In an absolute standard of measuring career success, one sets a goal e.g.
"within x years I want to achieve a particular career goal." One then
joins or establishes a network while sharing one's career ambition with
members of the network asking for help and helping back. In such a
relationship, the successes of one's friends/relatives/colleagues become
one's own power base to achieve career goals. The more successful they
are, the more they are in a position to help YOU succeed.
When AsAms switch from a relative to an absolute standard of
measuring career success, we, as AsAm individuals, will begin to work
together. If AsAm organizations begin to set absolute standard for its
organizational achievement, AsAm organizations will begin to work
together, which will lead to unity within our community. UNITY IS POWER.
Power is what we need to eliminate the glass ceiling and higher admission
bar.
Post your feedback & comments please. It's time that Asian Americans
discuss openly our stupid relative standard of measuring success. The
price for it is a splintered community, meekly and helplessly accepting a
low glass ceiling for ourselves and a higher admission standard for our
kids.
In addition, a relative standard is a self-imposed limitation on one's
own career. An absolute standard frees you from that limitation and
the consuming jealousy.
PREVIEW for next email: "How to switch to an absolute standard & win."
ANNOUNCEMENT: S. B. Woo will keynote an AAJA/NAAAP banquet on
May 19 in Philadelphia. Topic: Group Political Clout. Email
aajaphilly@yahoo.com for more information.
