Bear with me......I promise this will all be tied together after what seem like random thoughts.
I went to a concert this past Saturday evening. The featured performer was an internationally known romantic-music pianist. Appearing with him were three other performers - two vocalists and one violinist. The violinist, who was obviously highly talented, had wild, crazy and frizzy hair. His instrument, a hybrid, custom-made six-string violin was electronically amplified and had the capability of producing percussive, bass and distortion-type sounds. He could make the violin sound every bit as if the late, great Jimi Hendrix was performing right in front of you. The audience, who was made up of mostly grey-hairs, applauded enthusiastically each time he soloed. After the concert, I wondered aloud if the audience adoration would have been the same if the violinist had, instead, looked the same but been playing an electric guitar, ala Jimi Hendrix. Did the violin give the audience an impression of gentility rather than radicalism?
I fall into the trap of labeling another person when I do not know them. How do I do this? By appearance. Granted, over the last ten years, I am much less apt to do so, learning first-hand that the old adage, "You cannot judge a book by its cover." is true.
Musical stereotypes are abundant. Classical music lovers are squares. Jazz aficionados are left-wing liberals. Hard rock enthusiasts are wild and unruly. Country music fans are hicks. The list could go on and on. The truth is that you cannot equate the way a person looks, votes, talks, walks, sits, or cooks with the genre of music that he or she likes best.
A business article about the Eastman Kodak Company caught my eye today. According to the article, Eastman Kodak has not turned a profit since 1997 and is rumored to be on its way "out". Kodak's HR (human resources) policy, while perhaps having not directly affected its bottom line, had to have influenced it over the decades. Every new employee that Kodak hired was "slotted" into a Big Book of employees. Much like the public school practice of "tracking" that I was part of (A student was identified as either "college prep" or not. One or the other.), each Kodak employee was given a "label" and placed on a scale that would directly effect the promotion rate and wage-earning possibilities.....for the length of the employee's tenure with the company. A close friend of Capt. Cook's went to work for Kodak right out of college. An intelligent and motivated fellow, he left Kodak when he discovered where he was placed in the book-to-end-all-books. He went on to greatness at another corporation.
How many excellent employees did Kodak lose over the years because management pre-labeled people before the employees' gifts and talents were identified and discovered? How many great people have I missed the opportunity to know because I "judged the book by its cover"? Conversely, have people not sought me out because of pre-conceived notions regarding me, my thoughts, perferences, habits, and ideas?
I have identified another goal for this new year. Be more receptive to new people, new ideas, new practices, and new preferences. I do not want to be stuck on page 215 of someone else's book.
Bow tied.
Ancora imparo
