Monthly Archives: December 2012

December 11, 2012 · 10:16 am

The Fog

It was foggy all day yesterday and that resonated with me.

Fog

(Photo credit: rchughtai)

Maybe because it was the start of another week and like an old car I’m getting harder to start and was a little foggy, or maybe because all I keep hearing about is the uncertainty of financial markets, the economy, and lots of other things that are near and dear but not very clear.  Either way, a December day that was warm and foggy was unusual enough to give me cause to reflect.  Of course, it prompted some business thinking I’d like to share.  Let me digress, however, for a minute.

I like playing golf in the fog (no I did not play yesterday).  I know – “you like playing golf period.”  True enough.  But playing in the fog has a unique set of challenges, the most obvious being that tracking the ball once it leaves your club face is impossible.  Because of that, I find I have an increased awareness of all the things that tell me what shape the shot took – where on the face did I strike the ball, was it solid contact, was the face open or shut, my swing path – and where I might go find it.  I can see it go off in a general direction but without an awareness of if I hit it to bend right or left or how far it might have gone, finding the ball is almost impossible.  I pay more attention to what I’m doing in the here and now.

Back to business.  Like golf on a foggy day, the business landscape can be obscured.  Ask anyone in digital for a five-year outlook and you’ll get a lot of shrugged shoulders.  Maybe five months is clear, like the first 50 yards of the golf shot.  After that?  Who knows.  Then again, as with golf, the uncertainty makes us focus very clearly on every little aspect of what’s going on now, since there are a hundred things that can affect where the ball – and the business – ends up.  Rather than complaining about an obscured future, our job is to examine what we’re doing now that will bring about the possibilities that future holds.

While I liked the foggy day, I much prefer the sun.  We can’t, however, control the weather.  Business is another matter.

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December 10, 2012 · 11:36 am

Got FOMO? Get A Life.

I was catching up with a business associate the other day.

Image representing Facebook as depicted in Cru...

Image via CrunchBase

He recently split up with his significant other, which took me by surprise and made me sad.  The reason was a case of terminal FOMO.  She couldn’t be “there” even when she was.  If you don’t know that term, it’s been used of late to describe Fear Of Missing Out .  I think the term began with people missing parties or other great events but is now commonly used with respect to the never-ending stream of electronic communications that flood our daily lives.  Emails, Facebook updates, texts, tweets, Instagram photos – you know the drill.  Many of us can’t turn away from the stream.  As this article noted:

(FOMO) is a very real feeling that’s starting to permeate through our social relationships. The question is — will we ever settle for what we have, rather than cling to the fear that we may be missing out on something better? Social media like Facebook and Twitter are making this increasingly more difficult.

I’d expand that notion to business emails as well.  I’ve written before about how we all have some form of digitally induced ADD.  We’re so concerned about missing out on something in our screen-based worlds that we ignore the important stuff right in front of us.  Conversations (the oral kind) with friends and family.  Enjoying a beautiful sunset or a musical performance without worrying about if the shot you’re taking to post is in focus or composed nicely.  I wonder about the effect of social networking and texting on the development of emotional and social intelligence. A whole generation has grown up thinking it’s normal to not be particularly present during a face to face conversation.  I can’t get used to people checking their phones in a meeting, much less at dinner.

I’m old school enough to remember the world pre-email, much less pre-social media.  There seemed to me enough time to think about things carefully as well as to enjoy the conversations (in person or via the telephone) and the quiet in between.  Obviously I appreciate the things all these technologies bring to us – efficiency, real marketing engagement, immediacy among them – but like ice cream and wine, too much isn’t so good for you.

If there’s a business point today, it’s to encourage those with whom you work to be a little less connected digitally and a lot more connected IRL – in real life.  Try it yourself.  As this recent piece asks – is it time to wean yourself off the smartphone?  Maybe for a little while each day?  What do you think?

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December 7, 2012 · 10:55 am

Eating In Silence

It’s Foodie Friday time, and since it’s also Pearl Harbor Day I have Japan on my mind.

Tonkotsu ramen

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It’s interesting how in the 71 years since that infamous day so many things Japanese have become a part of our American culture.  One of these is ramen, the diet staple of so many college students and budding entrepreneurs   We’re used to pre-packaged noodles and overly salty broth.  In Japan, it’s another food altogether  and ramen culture is a big deal.  There are festivals to celebrate the various styles of ramen and if you ever have the opportunity to visit a restaurant where fresh ramen of various types is served, go.  I’d recommend finding a place that specializes in the dish and not just a Japanese place that serves ramen along with other types of Japanese food.

There is a place outside of Tokyo called 69 ‘N Roll One that specializes in the dish.  What makes it an interesting subject today is that the owner has a few rules, the biggest of which is that you must eat in total silence.  Don’t talk to someone you’re with (you probably won’t be sitting next to them anyway – it’s first come first served at counter seating).  Don’t use your phone. Don’t even read.  You’ll be eating ramen in total silence.  According to people who’ve eaten there, what is at first an extremely weird experience becomes contemplative as you become intensely focused on every bite.  Which is the business point today.

How often do we clear our mind of distractions and really focus on something?  We’re always wondering if there’s new email.  Our other projects are dancing around in the back of our minds.  Maybe we have music on as we work.  We’re all so used to multitasking that calming our minds – shutting down the other windows that are open on our mental desktops – is a rarity these days.  Maybe it’s something we need to try more often?  Just as with this bowl of ramen, the subtleties hidden by the distractions get a chance to come out.  The quick, often superficial thoughts we have on things give way to more complex impressions.  Can that be a bad thing?

Try it tonight while you’re eating.  Turn off the TV, turn down the music, and don’t speak.  How does the food taste?   Maybe it’s something you can try in the office too?  Then let us know your impressions.

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