We all know these have been some very very hard economic times, and we have seen the duplicity, blatant unethical and immoral behavior from Wall Street to Main Street.  These are the brazen acts that make the headlines.   But, given the precariousness of jobs, the fear of losing a job, from the C-Suite to the line, how many good people have felt their ethics and values  compromised? 

While Mary Gentile has been doing her research on Giving Voice to Values for several years,  it may be most pertinent now.  Her recent article in HBR (March issue) provides some practical ways to handle increasingly challenging situations at work.  I was very blessed to have only had 1 significant challenge to my values while at AT&T,  and management that supported me.  But that was 20yrs ago.

We are living in a uncertain, changing, exciting, demanding, and for some, scary times.  Holding our ground remains critical, but not easy.

To Russia with Love - French style -Medvedev is in Paris , trading natural gas for a highly advanced warship.  What was most interesting was the way Sarkozy pandered to Medvedev - calling Russia a partner.  So Dictatorship is ok if you can sell ships.  France is naive if they think this solidifies a relationship with Russia - Sarkozy was the one who helped negotiate the cease-fire between Georgia & Russia which Russia breaks virtually daily.  Ah, commerce matters more.  I can't believe Sarkozy actually thinks that this makes it a love fest with Putin and Medvedev.  Russia uses France to Russia's advantage and if that becomes a disadvantage, that's it.

The centuries old entanglement and love-hate relationship between the 2 countries continues.

As many of you know, I have a keen interest in Turkey and recent events are quite disconcerting.  Last week,  Islamic-leaning Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrested 49 of Turkey's high-ranking military officers for an alleged coup plot in 2003.  This is unprecedented.  The Turkish military has instigated 4 coups in Turkey's modern history - all to restore Ataturk's policy of democracy.  Erdogan has been trying to reduce the influence and power of the military to appease the EU (which will deny entry anyway, what a farce), and oh by the way, help lead the country down a more Islamic path.  

Regardless of what may be stated (you should read the Iranian press on this one, praising Erdogan), Erdogan has been trying to move the country to be more Islamic (remember April 2007 when Erdogan tried to get Abdullah Gul elected as Turkey's President - mostly a ceremonial post, but still significant - especially given Gul's blatant pro-Islamic stance).  The military has protected the secularism of Turkey, which is now at risk, especially with these recent moves by the government.Opposition parties are calling for early elections, which Erdogan has refused. 

Keep an eye on this - especially with what is also going on in Iran...this is not trivial and has very profound implications for the Middle East.

Yesterday was Cleveland's first TEDx event and it was incredible.  Organized by  Hallie Bram and Eric Kogelschatz,  the event was a total success - despite the snow that closed down virtually every school system in NE Ohio and snarled roads.  Check out the event and the speakers.  On a gray snowy day, it was one of the most uplifting, exciting, encouraging events in Cleveland in a long time - there is so much passion and creativity,  invention and innovation going on that you would wonder why someone is paying the press (Forbes??) to give us such bad 'press'!  The range of speakers talking about what they are doing in CLE - from healthcare innovation to design and fashion to urban renewal to advanced energy and electric vehicle s to hi-tech/art to cooking to finding unique ways to give back (by lawyers no less!) shows the depth and breadth of talent, knowledge and opportunity here.  Who knew that outside of NYC, CLE was the fashion mecca decades ago?

So, please, take a look at the TEDxCLE site (www.tedxcle.com ) and make sure you can get to it next year because it will be sold out again.  And keep an eye on Cleveland, very very cool things are happening...on the North Coast. 

This morning, on Marketplace Radio (NPR) , I heard about Alice.com (named after the Brady Bunch maid, Alice).  You can buy your household ‘staples' (e.g., detergent, shampoo, toothpaste, TP, etc.) online and have them delivered - FREE! And without mark-ups that you get at the store (e.g., 10oz bottle of Aveeno shampoo is 25¢ less than at Target (didn't mention Wal*Mart).  They say they let the manufacturers (Consumer Product Goods - CPGs) sell directly to consumers (but actually it's thru a distributor cuz the CPGs aren't stupid - they don't want to tick off their retailers and lose shelf space!)

So what's the business model (cuz if these guys are for real, I will use them and want them around!) - because Alice says it doesn't make money off handling the transaction and the shipping (which it does)?

• Alice makes $$ (or will) off the ads! (no, you don't say!) - they'll offer manufacturers ad space on the site
• Alice makes $$ off the data they collect (The CPGs get great consumer information -in the aggregate since I don't think Alice will sell individual names/addresses if it wants business).
• Alice will be the "Switzerland" between the CPG and the consumer

For now, membership is free.  That could be another source of revenue.  Reminds me a bit of the wholesale clubs - like Sams & Costco.  Costco's revenue comes from the membership dues (several levels)...stay tuned.