This list is a compilation of my favorite things that I consider to be must haves for any Calgary business woman. They will save you from being late, you’ll be more comfortable in the snow, commuting will be easier and your office will be so much more comfortable!
Sometimes I read books full of stories and ideas that are far from my concepts of reality including enchanted forests, detective fiction or mystical creatures. This time I am reading about real life events that feel a lot closer to home. “[Christine Bader, author of] When Girl Meets Oil: The Evolution of a Corporate Idealist goes beyond recounting [her] ups and downs in a decade at BP to offer deep insight into the central importance of morality in any job, company or life” – Dan Etsy, Hillhouse Professor, Yale University; author, Green to Gold.
During my time in University and to this day I struggle with my views on environmental, geopolitical and regulatory risk and their influence on the energy industry. Torn between optimism and pessimism I found myself asking more questions and changing my moral points of view each time a different speaker came to our lecture. I have become intrigued to expand my knowledge on Corporate Social Responsibility and keep an open mind while doing so. Since, I have come to the conclusion that CSR can only add value through proactive action inspired by company culture ingrained in core decision making. CSR does not add true value by simply meeting the standards set by industry peers.
Unfortunately, there is no step by step guide for managing environmental, geopolitical or regulatory risk because these are emerging risks forging a new landscape. Christine Bader, in When Girl Meets Oil: The Evolution of a Corporate Idealist, tells her personal story of working towards the management of these risks on behalf of BP. Stories of the risk management failures and successes of energy companies are so often told from a biased perspective. Christine Bader writes from the perspective of an insider motivated by corporate idealism. She rejects the notion of the “ostrich’s head in the sand approach to risk management” and promotes transparent and accountable corporate social responsibility. I find her journey of moral exploration as it relates to her work easy to relate to and highly insightful.
HBO’s GIRLS has captivated my attention entirely. The show provides commentary on the millennial generation in a unique way and surprises me with themes that often are not discussed in my world outside of close personal friendships. I choose to watch the show because it allows me to form my own opinions around the definition of reality, forcing me to think and draw conclusions. Too often I am finding that today’s television is mind numbing and does not force the viewer to think critically as they consume the entertainment. Now I find myself diving into GIRLS AND PHILOSOPHY which is comprised of several philosophical critiques of the show and would like to share some of my own thoughts on HBO’s GIRLS and GIRLS AND PHILOSOPHY because contrary to popular belief I don’t think that Hannah Horvath or Lena Dunham is the voice of our generation or even a generation.
Hannah Horvath is so consumed by her own personal experience that she believes that her experience could speak for the experiences of an entire generation. Yes, many of her experiences are easy to relate to, but I think that is it is so self absorbed for Hannah to believe that her individual experiences formed in her world could speak on behalf of the experiences of an entire generation. It does not sit well with me that Hannah does not consider individuality. I recently had a conversation with someone close to me and he
pointed out the necessity of respecting everyone’s problems no matter the size of their problem, as everything in this regard is relative. Hannah emphasizes how relative problems are when she exclaims, “you should be grateful I am not a drug dealer” to her parents when she doesn’t get her way. Sympathy should not be owed only to those whom you have deemed worthy of your sympathy. I believe that someone truly sympathetic is sympathetic to all and not only sympathetic to those who have struggles that relate to their world because they understand those struggles or those whom they have deemed worthy of their sympathy. There is no sympathy in Lena’s writing for others (only sympathy towards herself) and it bothers me that Hannah seems proud to portray the millennial generation as extremely entitled and self absorbed. I have been working really hard in my world in an attempt to fight these stereotypes.
I do however, appreciate Lena for her writing and her fearlessness to write shamelessly. As previously mentioned, I truly did enjoy both HBO’s GIRLS and GIRLS AND PHILOSOPHY. I just caution viewers to take the content in this show with a grain of salt and consider that Hannah’s experiences do not speak for an entire generation but are rather just a depiction of her personal experiences in her world.
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