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Meryl Streep: one inspiring risk-taker

It was just a matter of time before I found a way to feature Meryl Streep here.

Full disclosure: I am a HUGE fan of this actress — not only because she is unbelievably talented, but also because she is a classy human being who has conducted her career with integrity and intelligence.

There is a great tribute to her career and her choices in the San Francisco Chronicle this week. The starting point is an appreciation for her latest, surprising work in the film musical “Mamma Mia!”

The article rightly points out something we can all learn from Ms. Streep: Don’t be afraid to take risks. For example, after her amazing work in “The Devil Wears Prada,” she acted in a few well-intentioned duds last year, such as “Dark Matter” and “Rendition.” Nevertheless “Prada” and “Mamma Mia!” were also risks, and they paid off big-time.

She is a “Super Trouper” inspiration for us all.

(For more on career risks worth taking, see this article.)

Happy Pride weekend!

This weekend is Pride weekend, with big parades in San Francisco and New York. I want to give another shout out to my employer, Yahoo!, for its support of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) employees. The company has created a special site, pride.yahoo.com, and will have a booth at San Francisco’s Pride celebration on Sunday.

Below is a photo I took as I volunteered at Yahoo!’s Pride booth last year. It exemplifies one of the most frequent thoughts I have every year as I observe some of the people enjoying Pride: “What does this person actually do for a living?”

Most inspiring commencement speech of all time?

I finally found a link to one of the most inspiring commencement speeches of all time, in my opinion. And it’s from the late Fred “It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” Rogers, delivered at Dartmouth in 2002.

What impresses me so much is one small story that can’t be repeated enough…

“We are intimately related. May we never even pretend that we are not. Have you heard my favorite story that came from the Seattle Special Olympics? Well, for the 100-yard dash there were nine contestants, all of them so-called physically or mentally disabled. All nine of them assembled at the starting line and at the sound of the gun, they took off. But not long afterward one little boy stumbled and fell and hurt his knee and began to cry. The other eight children heard him crying; they slowed down, turned around and ran back to him. Every one of them ran back to him. One little girl with Down Syndrome bent down and kissed the boy and said, “This’ll make it better.” And the little boy got up and he the rest of the runners linked their arms together and joyfully walked to the finish line. They all finished the race at the same time. And when they did, everyone in that stadium stood up and clapped and whistled and cheered for a long, long, time. People who were there are still telling the story with great delight. And you know why. Because deep down, we know that what matters in this life is more than winning for ourselves. What really matters is helping others win too. Even if it means slowing down and changing our course now and then.”

Great stuff. I’ll be looking for other great snippets from graduation speeches that can inspire all of us in our work. In the meantime, read the entire speech by Mr. Rogers.

McJobs are in the news again!

I love the whole kerfuffle over the word “McJob.”

I wrote an article on the whole definition flap last year, when McDonald’s Corp. wanted dictionaries to delete the word, and apparently the drama is continuing. Now the fast food giant is trying to make employees feel prouder of their lot. An interesting article in the paper today updates us all on the whole situation. My favorite: there are posters in McDonald’s restaurants in the UK that tout the employer’s benefits with the slogan, “Not bad for a McJob.”

As I fancy myself as somewhat a connoisseur of words, I love “McJob.” I think the company needs to loosen up.

Other Sunday articles worth calling out…

• Wall Street Exodus: Fear, Panic and Anger
• Toughest Summer Job This Year Is Finding One
• Research Your Way to a Better Job

‘Idol’ is most-discussed at work

Big surprise: “American Idol” is the most talked about television show in the workplace. The popular TV show has held the honor for three years now, according to a Spherion Workplace Shapshot survey.

 ”Dancing with the Stars” holds the second spot, followed by “Lost,” “CSI,” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” My favorite, “The Office,” is at No. 6. For the full list, see the Spherion press release.

I wouldn’t be surprised if “Idol” watchers talk more about Paula Abdul’s wackiness than any of the show’s contestants. It’s like she’s still got one foot in that cartoon world from her video “Opposites Attract.”

Aside from the singing, the show can teach viewers some interesting lessons about personal branding and self-presentation that can help a job search. Check out this helpful article on how to interview like an “Idol.”

And I’ll just say right now: If Kristi Yamaguchi doesn’t win “Dancing with the Stars,” my coworkers are going to hear about it!