Tag Archives: management

Foolish Consistency

It’s Foodie Friday so let’s begin with one of my favorite quotes from Emerson – a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.  While Emerson was talking about a fear to change one’s views based on new information, I thought of it in the context of a review of Shake Shack in the NY Times Dining section this week.  The reviewer had mostly good things to say about the chain but his primary complaint was the subhead of the article – Shake Shack struggles with inconsistency.

Ralph Waldo Emerson Deutsch: Ralph Waldo Emers...

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You see, in the food business, consistency is never foolish – the quality of the food served and of the service delivered needs to be at the same standard each and every time.  In this case, some of the burgers were perfect while others were “cooked to the color of wet newsprint, inside and out, and salted so meekly that eating it was as satisfying as hearing a friend talk about a burger his cousin ate.”

What does this have to do with your business? Continue reading

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Skiing For Your Supper

We’re headed back to an old standby this Foodie Friday: Top Chef. I’m not sure if you’re a frequent viewer.  I am although I’m questioning that habit after this week’s episode. We’re down to the final four cheftestants and this week’s episode took place all over Whistler Mountain and some Olympic venues near Vancouver. One might wonder about the kitchen facilities in those place but as it turned out, no facilities required.

Panorama of the Whistler Blackcomb resort, the...

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The cooking took place aboard a moving ski gondola or outside in two of the three instances.  Two of the contestants had to cross-country ski and shoot at targets (biathlon for you winter sport aficionados) before they cooked.  This left me wondering, as the descriptions might leave you, what the hell this has to do with cooking, and of course that’s the business point as well. Continue reading

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Beating Up The Straw Man

I think we’ve all met The Straw Man somewhere along our business journey. No, he isn’t a person. He’s the distorted version of something that moves the argument away from the real issues. I say that Bill has a great idea to improve something. Bill’s idea involves changes in your area and so you say Bill is constantly late for work. We then spend time discussing if Bill is a valuable employee rather than if Bill’s idea can improve our business. Meet The Straw Man.

Straumaa or Straw man, one of the Bärzeli figures

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To venture into the land of politics, given that it’s an election year, The Straw Man will be making hourly appearances on TV.  No matter what your political beliefs if you listen carefully much of the discussion is not about how to solve real problems (here is my plan) but about side issues, quotes out of context, and the character of the other side.  Guess who just joined the conversation?

While I’m not sure we can do much Straw Men on the political front, we sure can in business and here is how. Continue reading

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