Category Archives: What’s Going On

March 17, 2014 · 9:57 am

St. Patrick And Your Business

photo credit: Lawrence OP via photopin cc

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! This is one of the two days of the year (the other being New Year’s Eve) I like to call “amateur night.” People who rarely drink to excess seem to do so and the streets and trains are filled with people who were over served. All this in honor of the patron saint of Ireland.   As you can see from the statue, nearly every representation of him makes reference to his banishing the snakes from a country where they apparently never lived.

Patrick had the right idea even if the facts are a bit murky and that’s our business point today.  While different religions view snakes in different ways, a snake does get the blame in the Old Testament for tempting Eve in the Garden of Eden, thereby earning a reputation as a symbol of evil and plotting.  We see those kind of snakes all the time in business.  You know the ones I mean.

They might be the kind who pat you on the back and smile while they’re looking for a soft spot into which they’ll stick the knife.  Maybe they’re the ones who spread fear, uncertainty and doubt to create non-existent problems while presenting themselves as the only ones who can solve those problems.  Or maybe they’re just the people who come to work each day and are incapable of making decisions while keeping their conscience fully turned on.  They’re snakes and they need to go!

There are also systematic snakes.  The gremlins that inhabit all machines so they fail at exactly the wrong time and for which we have no back-up plan.  The process that ties up way too many people to produce way too little return on that time investment.  You probably know of quite a few of these in your business.  Why not take up St. Pat’s staff and drive all the snakes away?  Today is as good a day as any, before you have a sip of the green beer, isn’t it?

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February 17, 2014 · 10:02 am

Happy President’s Day!

Today we celebrate the birthday of George Washington and of course since the government decreed this a holiday it will never occur on his actual birthday (true!).

1795 - 1823

1795 – 1823 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In many places, the holiday also celebrates Lincoln’s birthday – these two men were born on dates only 10 days apart although separated by 70 years or so.  Since today is a holiday for many of you, I thought I’d get in the “day off” spirit by reposting something from 2009 that still is good advice – Washington’s, not mine!

It’s no surprise that almost 282 years after his birth, George Washington has some business thoughts.  Now before you click to the next blog, let’s remember that this is the man who predicted the European Union a long time ago except that he called it the “United States of Europe“.  His open letter to the American People, written as he left office, raises themes that are even more true today.  He urged Americans to unite for the good of the whole country, to avoid permanent foreign alliances, particularly in Europe, and to keep morality first and foremost in government.

Turns out he had some pretty good business advice as well although I’m not sure he intended it as such.  So, let’s follow his advice to “Let your Discourse with Men of Business be Short and Comprehensive” and look briefly at a few quotes.

Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire, called conscience.

We’ve discussed that point many times in this space.  It’s impossible to do good business while doing bad things.

My observation is that whenever one person is found adequate to the discharge of a duty… it is worse executed by two persons, and scarcely done at all if three or more are employed therein.

Right-sizing, in other words, but also giving people responsibility and the freedom to act.  I suspect that he knew a lot about conservation and deployment of resources from his time near the Delaware.

Worry is the interest paid by those who borrow trouble.

Oh boy.  Is there a better quote to sum up all that has gone down in the housing and mortgage industries?  Don’t do bad deals and you’ll sleep better!  And finally:

Associate with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for it is better to be alone than in bad company.

For whom you work and with whom you do business say a lot about YOU!  So Happy Presidents Day and let’s remember the people behind the holiday as well as what they had to say.

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January 6, 2014 · 10:56 am

No Success Without CES

The first big event of the new year is under way in Las Vegas.

Consumer Electronics Show

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It’s the annual CES which used to stand for Consumer Electronics Show but I’m told that since the show has gone way beyond consumer electronics it’s just CES.  As the Wall Street Journal wrote the show

grew up around devices like television sets and stereos sold by distributors and retailers…but it has continually morphed to add new classes of products and companies that don’t fit the classic consumer-electronics description.

“Huge” doesn’t begin to describe it.  125,000 or more people attend and hour-long waits for cabs are common while reservations at most of the better Vegas restaurants are rare.  After a few days, your feet hurt from walking the more than 1.92 million net square feet of exhibit space as does your head from the non-stop loud environment.

I used to love to go despite the drawbacks.  It was at CES I saw my first e-reader and was shown the first “connected” TV in a hush-hush meeting with one of the TV manufacturers.  While both those things are common now, they were brand spanking new business opportunities at the time and got us thinking about how we could grow our business, that of our partners, and enrich our mutual customers’ lives.  The “next big things” this year are supposed to focus on wearable, drivable and mobile-controllable technologies.  We’ll see how that all plays out.

You might be wondering why I raise this.  After all, while you might have a passing interest in CES, for the most part you and your business might have nothing at all to do with curved TV screens or wired cars or toasters that can send you a text.  Fair enough.  CES was always a chance to think out of the box.  What possibilities opened up based on what I was seeing at the show?  My point is this:  the start of the new year is a perfect time to take a step out of the routine and take a look around.  Search out a show or a conference or a meeting of your industry that will let you see something new.  Use what you see to think big thoughts.  After all, much of what is at CES was someone’s pipe dream or maybe even “impossible” not very long ago.

Even though I’m not at the show this year, I’ll read the reports and maybe even watch some of the live streaming taking place.  You can’t spell “success” without using “ces”.  This inquiring mind wants to know more.  Yours?

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