I love this post from Seth Godin about picking yourself. I have been stuck this last year in thinking I have to find a way back in. It's caused me plenty of stress, not to mention lots of medical bills, and hasn't led to any jobs (yet). I need a company to pick me because I need health insurance, financial security, and what about the kids? Without a job, I'd be flying without a net. But would I be flying at all?
The truth is that I don't have a job and probably won't be getting one soon. So there is no point in dwelling on the hypothetical. I'm moving on, discovering how to pick myself.
What Godin says isn't new. What makes him such a great marketer is his ability to see what is right in front of him. He's that kid calling out the naked emperor. We could all work on that ability. It's true we all have to adapt, but the hardest part is letting go of what we think we are supposed to see.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Novartis and Hooters
I've been keeping up on the US Justice Department's suit against Novartis for its alleged violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute from 2002-2011. Novartis allegedly hosted educational events--events hosted by drug companies, usually at a restaurant or the like, where certain doctors or Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) are supposedly paid a fair market value for their time to speak about the data-based merits of the company's drugs. This is common acceptable practice within the industry. These types of events generate extremely high return on investment as
doctors who are paid to attend these events will in turn increase the
number of prescriptions they write for the company's drugs.
The difference in this case is that there was little evidence that any credible scientific data were shared as some of these events occurred on fishing trips off the Florida coast or at Hooters with no slide decks. Novartis' mistake was not in paying off the doctors, but in paying them off without the formality of a slide deck. Had the sales reps simply reported the use of a Powerpoint presentation, there would be no issue. So perhaps the real crime here is in the reps' inattentive record keeping.
Of course, Novartis is just doing what everybody else in the industry is doing to be competitive. Altogether, in the past 10 years, pharmas have paid more than $11 billion for their marketing tactics; they say "data" and "educational programs", Justice department says "false claims" and "kickbacks".
The difference in this case is that there was little evidence that any credible scientific data were shared as some of these events occurred on fishing trips off the Florida coast or at Hooters with no slide decks. Novartis' mistake was not in paying off the doctors, but in paying them off without the formality of a slide deck. Had the sales reps simply reported the use of a Powerpoint presentation, there would be no issue. So perhaps the real crime here is in the reps' inattentive record keeping.
Of course, Novartis is just doing what everybody else in the industry is doing to be competitive. Altogether, in the past 10 years, pharmas have paid more than $11 billion for their marketing tactics; they say "data" and "educational programs", Justice department says "false claims" and "kickbacks".
Monday, April 22, 2013
The New Normal
I don't worry about money or health insurance or fear losing our home. These thoughts are not useful and in fact, quite harmful. As much as you will hear about how H. pylori causes gastric ulcers, most people with H. pylori do not have ulcers. Ulcers can be treated with antibiotics, but we all know the truth: stress causes gastric ulcers.
I am trying to not think about uncertainty. Rather, I am focusing on what is in front of me: my kids.
Homeschooling has been a challenge and as much as I want to espouse the noble goal of creating a confident, independent, and curious thinker, I have come to believe that none of that happens if kids don't learn how to acquire and synthesize information outside of their heads, ie., reading and writing.
We pulled Blur from kindergarten last year because he came home each week with a pile of sight words to learn. This makes no sense for 5-6 year-olds. I came across some words recently and still bristle at the ridiculousness of having a kindergartner learn "loft". Sure some kids are able to, but for us, practicing sight words was creating a painful association with learning.
That said, I love flashcards. Always have. Without flashcards, I never would have made it through Organic Chemistry. But we needed to put our time with our kindergartener to better use. Now that Blur is 7, things are different...just something about the age. He's less ansy and better able to communicate. Basically, he's ready to learn to read and write.
Since I've been home, I've been reading with him and collecting words he doesn't know on to flashcards. This way there is some context to the words. Then I am having him write something, anything everyday because use makes mastery.
The best part is I see improvement, very much unlike my job search. So I think that maybe it is time to stop dwelling on my own career goals and focus on my kids' futures. Kids are a better investment.
In terms of what I am doing for my job search, I am networking more and doing fewer online applications. I had an interview for a position back at the Company a couple weeks ago, but since they are still interviewing candidates as of today, I won't hold my breath. Today I will figure out what to do with my 401K.
I am having trouble finding focus in this job search. What I thought I could do, I don't have experience in, and what I have experience in I don't want to do (and the needs change so much in technology that my skills are probably no longer relevant).
At the Company, I really thought I would be able to use my internal connections to find a new position, but nothing has materialized (yet). Everyday I read of more layoffs within my industry as it contracts and "finds efficiencies". That means more and more over-qualified and eager applicants for every open position.
So I have been focusing on networking, it's much more rewarding than blindly applying to jobs. I've been getting excellent tips from my contacts. First came from an old colleague. He told me to show my face at the Company. It's a campaign and I need to be there in their hearts and minds. Another came from a new contact who recently started a new positions after 8 months away. She has three goals for each day: 1. make one new connection, 2. follow up on an old one, 3. apply for a job. Applying for jobs is the hardest; I've applied to all the ones I want.
If I let it, I am paralyzed by questions of who I really am and who I want to be. That's what I need to address when I apply for jobs. But if I focus on what's in front of me, those questions don't matter. I am what I do. That's what life was like when I had a job; it's what it's like when I am being a mom.
Searching for what I will do next, which is different from who I am now, is confusing stuff. That's my new normal.
I am trying to not think about uncertainty. Rather, I am focusing on what is in front of me: my kids.
Homeschooling has been a challenge and as much as I want to espouse the noble goal of creating a confident, independent, and curious thinker, I have come to believe that none of that happens if kids don't learn how to acquire and synthesize information outside of their heads, ie., reading and writing.
We pulled Blur from kindergarten last year because he came home each week with a pile of sight words to learn. This makes no sense for 5-6 year-olds. I came across some words recently and still bristle at the ridiculousness of having a kindergartner learn "loft". Sure some kids are able to, but for us, practicing sight words was creating a painful association with learning.
That said, I love flashcards. Always have. Without flashcards, I never would have made it through Organic Chemistry. But we needed to put our time with our kindergartener to better use. Now that Blur is 7, things are different...just something about the age. He's less ansy and better able to communicate. Basically, he's ready to learn to read and write.
Since I've been home, I've been reading with him and collecting words he doesn't know on to flashcards. This way there is some context to the words. Then I am having him write something, anything everyday because use makes mastery.
The best part is I see improvement, very much unlike my job search. So I think that maybe it is time to stop dwelling on my own career goals and focus on my kids' futures. Kids are a better investment.
In terms of what I am doing for my job search, I am networking more and doing fewer online applications. I had an interview for a position back at the Company a couple weeks ago, but since they are still interviewing candidates as of today, I won't hold my breath. Today I will figure out what to do with my 401K.
I am having trouble finding focus in this job search. What I thought I could do, I don't have experience in, and what I have experience in I don't want to do (and the needs change so much in technology that my skills are probably no longer relevant).
At the Company, I really thought I would be able to use my internal connections to find a new position, but nothing has materialized (yet). Everyday I read of more layoffs within my industry as it contracts and "finds efficiencies". That means more and more over-qualified and eager applicants for every open position.
So I have been focusing on networking, it's much more rewarding than blindly applying to jobs. I've been getting excellent tips from my contacts. First came from an old colleague. He told me to show my face at the Company. It's a campaign and I need to be there in their hearts and minds. Another came from a new contact who recently started a new positions after 8 months away. She has three goals for each day: 1. make one new connection, 2. follow up on an old one, 3. apply for a job. Applying for jobs is the hardest; I've applied to all the ones I want.
If I let it, I am paralyzed by questions of who I really am and who I want to be. That's what I need to address when I apply for jobs. But if I focus on what's in front of me, those questions don't matter. I am what I do. That's what life was like when I had a job; it's what it's like when I am being a mom.
Searching for what I will do next, which is different from who I am now, is confusing stuff. That's my new normal.
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