Tag Archives: United States

The Trouble With 5 Year Plans

Image representing comScore as depicted in Cru...

Image via CrunchBase

One of the annual fire drills in many businesses is the creation of THE FIVE YEAR PLAN. For my money, it’s one of the biggest wastes of executives’ time out there and since, as we all know, stuff rolls downhill, that loss of productivity extends to their staffs.
There was a release this morning from comScore which made me think of this. It’s their annual U.S. Digital Year in Review report and let me tell you why the rant about five year plans came to mind. Continue reading

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Homer

Homer Simpson in the Cerne Abbas

I’ve been meaning to write about a guy I met 21 years ago and with whom I’ve spent a lot of time ever since.  He’s a role model of sorts.  He loves his family even though he spends a lot of his time doing things – drinking and overeating first and foremost – that demonstrate that the primary object of his love is himself.  He doesn’t let facts get in the way of a good story and while he’s been employed at the same job for as long as I’ve known him, he hates his job, his boss, and many of his coworkers.  He’s Everyman.   He’s Homer. Continue reading

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The War To End All Wars

Veterans Day 2008

Today is Veteran’s Day here in the US, a day where we honor those who served for their love of country and willingness to sacrifice for the common good. This day became a national holiday here in honor of the end, in 1918, of  World War I when the Allies and Germany signed an armistice. Originally Armistice Day and established in honor of WWI vets, it was renamed later on to honor those who served in subsequent conflicts in Korea and WWII.  My favorite vet – my Dad – was one of those WWII airmen who flew missions in Europe, so thanks Dad and I’m glad you made in home safely (otherwise, what would these folks be reading??).

What I’ve always found interesting about WWI was that it was justified by some at the time as The War To End War after the H.G. Wells book of a similar name on the topic.  That phrase is instructive to any of us in business.  Here’s why. Continue reading

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