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A More Perfect Union

Thank you for the excellent "We, Incorporated" article (July). Organizations will increasingly be seen and judged in broader contexts, and their actions must be based on values and relationships. Organizations behave unethically and harmfully -- or fall short of potential -- only when the participants allow the organization to operate in a small or narrow context in which relationships are limited and the values of participants are ignored.

Ray Posch
Customer relationship manager
Cendant Corp.
Greenwood Village, Colorado

Like Doug Smith, I also believe that Buddhism's practices offer a way to live a life of purpose, balancing livelihood, learning, spirituality, community, and social justice. I am highly skeptical, though, that a corporation will step up as a moral force -- or even provide long-term employment in which personal relationships can fully develop.

So I would like to suggest a third alternative to where you work or live as a source of meaning: professional societies and associations. Volunteer work delivers personal and professional development, a sense of belonging, and the satisfaction of working on a real problem -- improving the quality of life for a large number of people. The fifth dimension -- livelihood -- is also met because when you demonstrate your competence to peers, you are building your professional reputation and ability to make a living.

Ann Oliveri
Senior VP for strategic development
ULI-The Urban Land Institute
Washington, DC

A Moving Tribute to Dad

This morning I received my copy of Fast Company and read John A. Byrne's moving "Eulogy for My Father" (July). Like him, 2004 was also my first Father's Day without my dad, as he passed away in August 2003. Like his father, mine taught me the value of hard work and rather poignantly, given the time of year, the value of family. My stepdaughter is expecting a baby sometime this month. I never wanted to father a child myself, so this is both an exciting and extremely scary time for me, but I frequently get counsel by asking myself, "What would Dad do?" He may be gone, but he continues to teach me what it means to be a man.

Nigel Gordijk
Creative director
Common Sense Design
Brighton, East Sussex, UK

The Brand Called Wow!

"The Brand You Survival Kit" (June) was a long overdue follow-up to the classic Tom Peters article from 1997. I know many people who diligently practiced what Peters preached and who, when they were downsized during the past few years, bounced back quickly. Those who had done a good job of developing a "personal brand" were usually employed much faster than those who hadn't.

Thom Singer
Business development manager
Andrews Kurth LLP
Austin, Texas

Don't Blame Companies

I agree that workplace policies are outdated, but Shoshana Zuboff makes a leap by stating women are being "squeezed" out of the workforce by current practices ("Career Taxidermy," June). Her solution? Place the responsibility squarely on corporate America's shoulders. Make "them" conform to "me." Since when do companies owe us anything? This obsolete viewpoint is dangerous. When are we going to wake up and understand what organizations have understood all along, that we're no better or worse than the guy who takes out the trash?

Jerret Turner
Analyst
Montgomery, Alabama

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