The Job of Work

It Can Get Better

2012-02-12T22:00:00.000-08:00

We have two things for you this week. And, no, one of them is not a Valentine's Day reminder. You're on your own there. Another is not the Clint Eastwood-Chrysler Super Bowl halftime commercial. We loved it. Just something else that separates us from Karl Rove.

This week, we have an appeal for involving employees in the economic recovery and a salute to, of all organizations, the San Francisco Police Department.

Accelerating the Recovery

As the economy continues to improve, we thought it an ideal time to poll 50 randomly-selected non-management workers from throughout the country in a variety of industries to collect their views of their company's future. Their observations?

1. Our company is on the mend, but we're missing opportunities to improve.

2. Let us help!

Yes, it was only 50 people. And, yes, it's hardly a representative sample. Even so, our bet is that we could talk with 50,000 people and get about the same results. Because, as we've written so often, most workers are proud of where they work and are eager to help their organization thrive.

The problem: Only a small minority of companies allow their employees to get involved in a meaningful way. Show up on time and do your job. Help? Nah, we've got that covered.

Too bad, too, since not enlisting workers in the pursuit of performance improvements has two critical costs:

1. Significant opportunities for immediate and on-going improvement are missed. Indeed, data we've collected over more than 20 years of consulting from thousands of employees clearly indicate that much of the low-hanging fruit, so to speak, is left untouched. Broader, even more potentially powerful gains are also unrealized. Talk about those proverbial dollars that might drop directly to the bottom line -- but don't! Your employees hear a great deal about those mythical dollars. Why not let them help you find them? Why not, indeed.

2. Employee commitment is weakened. Electing not to involve employees in fixing the organization sends the message, whether intended or not, that they're not truly an important, valued part of the enterprise. And once this message is communicated, again whether purposefully or not, it's a long road back for any employer concerned about employee engagement and retaining key contributors, high potential individuals, or anyone else they'd hate to lose. Our suggestion: Do not, under any circumstances, send this message. It will cost you. (Actually, it probably already is.)

We agree with the 50 we spoke with last week: Let them help! And here's how.

The Schnur Consulting Group has developed a controlled, skillfully-facilitated, employee-driven process that unleashes creative ideas and leads to the development of bold recommendations to achieve dramatic and sustainable bottom-line gains.

A process we call FUSION.

FUSION taps the knowledge, insight and expertise that exist within every organization. It is a contained, step-wise reaction requiring an exacting process and expert facilitation. A quantum leap from typical OD processes, FUSION demands unparalleled objectivity, authenticity and a keen understanding of business processes only a very few can bring. (Remember, after all, that we're licensed professionals.)

And the challenges our clients' FUSION teams have tackled -- and achieved? Amazing ones:

Growing revenue by 20% to $1.0 billion within 2 years while reducing costs by $2.5 million
Reducing time to market by 25%
Improving customer service ratings by 20%
Eliminating two weeks from the year-end books closing process
Reducing voluntary turnover among top performers and high potential employees by 25%
Increasing market share by 15% in 2 years
Decreasing the time required to fill job vacancies successfully by 50%
Decreasing the learning curve among new hires by 50%
Becoming a Fortune Top 100 Places to Work company within 2 years

As some might say, not too shabby. Not too shabby, indeed.

There's more. FUSION not only has the power to improve performance substantially, it also has the power -- by design -- to change an organization's culture, its very fabric, in profound and sustainable ways. For FUSION creates a climate where on-going performance enhancement is expected. A continual search for new ideas and new ways to do things to help the organization win becomes what we do here, how we operate. Thus, once in place, FUSION continues to pay back the organization for years.

We hope our enthusiasm for this process shows. It's exciting. It's a game-changer. And it produces dazzling results. Give us a call and we'll show you how FUSION might be able to help your company find those dollars just waiting to fall to the bottom line. And restore your employees' belief that your organization is the place to be.

A Shout-out to the San Francisco Police Department

Following in the footsteps of the San Francisco Giants, the first professional sports team to produce and air an anti-bullying public service announcement for the It Gets Better Project, the San Francisco Police Department has created one of its own. The SFPD is, notably the first law enforcement agency in the country to do so. In many ways, it's an amazing public service announcement and worth, at the very least, a few minutes to review. And as you do, consider that the spokespeople are police. As appropriate, consider forwarding it to anyone in need, regardless of sexual orientation. The Giants' PSA is also included. Both provide support to our steadfast belief that, given the opportunity, people will and do step up to help those in need around them. Cops and ball players included.

Makes one proud to live in the San Francisco Bay Area. More importantly, makes life wonderful, no?

One last thing: Pitchers and Catchers report this week. The long wait is nearly over.

Four Questions

2012-02-05T22:00:00.000-08:00

This week we ask you, our dear, loyal readers, for guidance. We have questions without answers. Help us by clarifying what we can't seem to grasp.

1. Who are the 'Anyone But Obama' people? We've met them. We've talked with them. We've tried our very best to understand them. Really, we have. And yet we fail to see beyond their stubborn belief that President Obama is an evil, a true evil, requiring eradication. The primary concern -- at least the one they'll admit to -- is that Obama is unequipped to deal with the economy. To that we ask:

Did anyone have successful, hands-on experience resurrecting an economy that was in the state of ours when Obama was elected? The economy he inherited was, arguably, the second-worst economy in our nation's history and it took World War II to improve the #1 most horrible economy our country has ever faced. Thus, we argue that no one has ever had to address the economic issues of this magnitude -- and live to tell about it.

We now have five -- count 'em, 5 -- months of consecutive declines in unemployment. Might this be a trend? And, if so, how many months of declines will it take for his detractors to admit that Obama may be on the right path? Six? Sixteen?

But, of course, actual evidence of economic improvement means nothing to those who choose to be blind, deaf and dumb. Because it's not about nation healing or getting people back to work. It is, instead, about getting that Muslim, non-American, Socialist out of office. Right?

And while this may sound pro-Obama, it is not intended to be. It is, instead, about understanding those who can't see beyond their own predispositions.

Please, help us understand.

2. Why do we close so many doors? Why is it that we spend much of our lives closing doors, eliminating possibilities? Children -- us, years ago -- saw endless possibilities. We could aspire to become a rock 'n roller, a doctor, an astronaut, a firefighter, a ball player -- all in the course of a week. (Okay, we were stupid, but that's beside the point.) As we grew, we systematically nixed options, citing a lack of desire, questionable talent, the need to live in Houston (to be an astronaut). All reasonable and reality-based. Yet, we wonder why closing doors seems so much easier than opening doors. Are we, as a species, predisposed to a fear of failure? Are we excessively unadventurous? Do we prefer to dream rather than do? Are we more concerned about how we might look rather than how we might feel? Do we listen too closely to those who tell us not to try, not to reach, not to climb? Is it somehow dangerous to explore? Are we simply lazy?

Help us, for we do not understand.

3. What's up with promises made, promises not kept? What is it about executives who make clear, public commitments to their employees and then either do not follow-through or, worse, renege -- and then are baffled when performance of their company suffers? Who are these people? Don't they know that the very essence of leadership is trust? That trust is a requirement of a strong, vibrant company (assuming, of course, that the company is filled with humans as opposed, say, to machines). That employees make choices every day about how they perform their jobs and that those choices are based on their views of leadership? That trust in leadership can either strength or weaken one's emotional commitment to work? That lack of trust kills companies?

Unfortunately, this is a more commonplace occurrence than one might think. Sad, but true. Just ask your friends and family who work in other companies.

Help us, for we do not understand.

4. JC Penney? For those who find these things fascinating, JC Penney, the once venerable, all-but-done, stuck-woefully-in-the-60's, wouldn't-be-caught-dead-in chain is working hard -- and creatively -- to change its image and, in the process, claim a piece of our heart.

Quietly, JC Penney has become jcp. They are 'praising fresh air', as in their own need for. Especially after 110 years. They're promoting treating people 'fair and square'. They claim to 'keep dreaming up new ways to make you love shopping again'. Why? Because 'we want to be your favorite store'.

Wait, there's more.

Their latest Sunday newspaper advertisement insert was, according to those in the know, hip and, shockingly, cool. Yes, cool. Their merchandise -- and how they present it -- is fun, remarkably current. The text is engaging. The font and print colors are inviting. The models are a cross between Gap, Banana Republic and United Colors of Benetton (but in a good way). As one acclaimed shopper noted, 'They're out-Targeting Target.' Apparently, high praise indeed.

And that astute shopper is right. The new image jcp is attempting to create is that of a cool, hip, young, honest friend. Somebody you can trust. Someone who is dedicated to being your good friend. Someone who will always treat you fairly. To whit: jcp is telling anyone who will listen that they have only 3 price categories: 'Everyday prices (great prices everyday)', 'month-long values (best stuff of the month on sale for the entire month)', and 'best prices (discounts every 1st and 3rd Friday)'.

[Full disclosure: The Job of Work has no professional relationship with JC Penney. TJOW or The Schnur Consulting Group -- which has absolutely no legal connection to this blog, nor approves of or even claims awareness of, the ideas, concepts or points of view of this blog -- is currently not engaged with or has any contracts pending with the JC Penney Company. Not that we wouldn't like to, but largely because we haven't been asked.]

Might jcp replace Gap? Might it out-Target Target? First things first, though. Might jcp get even a few more people to walk through those wouldn't'-be-caught-dead-in doors?

It's a story worth watching.

(We know, that last question wasn't really a question. Deal with it.)

Have a good week.

We Are What We Are -- Or Are We?

2012-01-29T22:00:00.000-08:00

There's an old story about a man who, while hiking, comes across a wounded snake. The man gently carries the snake home and over the course of a number of months nurses the snake back to full health.

Soon afterward, the snake bites the man.

While dying of the venomous bite, the man asks the snake, "Why did you do this? Didn't I save you from certain death in the wild? Didn't I heal your wounds?"

"Yes," says the snake. "But didn't you realize that I was a snake?"

The story's lesson? Once a snake, always a snake.

We at The Job of Work wonder if this is indeed true. At our core, are we who we are with no room for significant growth? Are we predisposed -- possibly before birth -- to become what we are regardless of the people who touch our lives, the events we experience as we age? Are we each locked into a complex set of behaviors that defines us -- and are those behaviors impervious to observable change?

Said another way, are we stuck being us?

The simple answer, based on a growing body of research, is, fortunately or unfortunately, yes. Our personality appears remarkably resistant to change. We can learn new words and concepts, memorize capitols of the world, know which is the salad fork, and master new skills, but our temperament and dispositions -- our basic cognitive and emotional foundations -- are likely set in stone very early, possibly soon after conception. According to the research, there's room for 'growth', as behavior change is often referred, but not much. Even our maturation process (for those lucky enough to mature as they age, me apparently not among them) is predictable. We all have the strength of DNA to thank for this.

So, if it sucks being you, count on it to continue to suck being you.

Unless, of course, you're willing to do something about it. Something serious.

Our true belief: People are capable of significant change. We've seen many make huge progress in their attempts -- their quest -- to become someone new, someone they consider to be better. We've seen it at work where, for example, the most unlikely become outstanding leaders. We've seen it outside of work where, with guidance and support, some find their way to become the person they want to be.

It's a fight, to be sure, but a winnable one. And, importantly, an amazingly satisfying one.

But it doesn't come easily. The necessary ingredients -- the price of admission, so to speak -- are not negotiable:

An unwavering desire to change
Courage to admit it
Strength to pursue it
Stamina to endure the climb, and
Someone to guide and support your assent.

In other words, you really have to want it.

If you or someone you know is up to the challenge, we're your firm. It's a great and important journey, one definitely worth taking. You won't be sorry. Indeed, when we're done you'll be able to look back and see that you're no longer a snake. And you certainly won't allow yourself to get bit.

Letters

2012-01-22T22:00:00.000-08:00

Recent unanswered letters to The Job of Work...

Dear TJOW: I've been with my current company going on 10 years. I've been promoted a number of times but I am now close to the top of this division. My manager will be retiring in the next couple of years and I want to position myself as his replacement. What brilliant suggestions do you have?

Ambitious in New York

Dear Ambitious: Brilliant suggestions? Us? Haven't you been reading this blog? Brilliant is a stretch, don't you think?

Self-deprecation aside, we do have a number of suggestions for you. None brilliant; all practical.

1. Produce outstanding results in your job. Do not settle for good or even great. Blow through your goals and demonstrate that you are a terrific performer. If you can't do this, no need to read any further.

2. Become a thought leader in an area essential to your organization. As an example, if improving product quality is essential to your division's future success, become fluent in how successful companies have increased product quality, how they've measured these gains, sustained their gains, and develop ideas about how to improve it where you are.

3. Act the part. If your company has a set of defined values and/or behaviors, live them. More importantly, demonstrate them daily. Be the person who everyone sees, especially your boss's boss, as the logical successor to your manager.

4. Have your successor in place. Identifying your replacement and having that person fully ready to step into your job now will make it easier for you to be promoted when your manager retires.

5. Dress for the part. It's a useful idea to dress for the job you aspire to, not the job you have. How does your boss and his or her peers dress? While we don't subscribe to the notion that you can tell a book by its cover, or that conformity is the key to success, we do support you to look like the executive you hope to become.

6. Stay cool. Few admire and fewer like those who jockey for promotion. Be enthusiastic about your current job and consider the brilliant suggestions above. If you're worthy, your day will come.

Dear TJOW: I have a decent job and work for a company with its heart in the right place. My problem is with my manager. She is a stickler for time. 'Judy' insists we be at our desks at precisely 8:30 every morning and never leave work until 5:00 at the end of the day, even though we're salaried employees and do not punch a time clock. What 'Judy' doesn't realize is that this is encouraging me to spread my work over the entire day, rather than try to get it done faster. She is also encouraging me to think about finding another job, since she's making me feel like I'm in grade school again. Any suggestions?

Irked in Arizona

Dear Irked: Yes, we suggest three things:

1. Show up on time and stay until 5:00. Since thems the rules, we suggest you follow them. You might even think about showing up a bit before 8:30 to demonstrate how very responsible you are.

2. Depending on the relationship you have with 'Judy', you might consider asking her about her time demands. She's bound to tell you that punctuality and working a full day are essential to the success of the department, especially in these demanding times. Try to explain how this makes you feel less like a trusted adult and more like a child. Having the conversation may help you understand her motives and help her understand how her actions impact you. Don't expect her to change her tune.

3. If you get your work done before 5:00 p.m., ask 'Judy' or your peers if there is more you can do. You're being paid for a full day's work. Might as well do it.

Dear TJOW: I'm part of a leadership team, or so I'm told, that isn't given much chance to lead. The typical pattern is for the team to be presented with a pressing business issue by our boss and, in the same breath, the solution to that issue. No discussion, no involvement, no consideration of options or alternatives. Worse, no one on the team says a dissenting word -- even if the solution seems headed for failure. What's a guy to do?

Disgruntled in Atlanta

Dear Disgruntled: Our first best suggestion is to talk about it. Begin by asking your peers about their experience on the team, if only to determine if your views are shared. If they are, you might ask your peers why no one broaches the topic during team meetings. If your views are not shared, you might consider monitoring the situation a bit longer to determine if your observations about non-involvement are sound. Assuming they are, consider approaching your boss and sharing what you have shared with us. Positioning the conversation as 'a way to improve the effectiveness of the leadership team' might go along way to helping make the discussion productive and not a personal affront to the leader's style.

Dear TJOW: Our department of 45 people is a complete mess. We have no real standards -- except to get the job done. Decisions are made but are almost never carried out. We rarely talk about the problems we're having. Our last customer survey showed that their satisfaction is at an all-time low, but nothing is being done about it. I've talked with HR but they don't have any good suggestions about how to fix things. I feel like a failure. Help!

At My Wits Ends in Boston

Dear At My Wits Ends: You are clearly living in a difficult and damaging workplace. Issues widely experienced but not acknowledged or discussed is, at its core, what defines dysfunction. Worse, this dysfunction appears to be taking its toll on you -- as it usually does, diabolically so. Your feelings of failure are a direct and unfortunate outcome.

We suggest the following:

1. Attempt to convince yourself that this situation is not of your making. This is not about you. This is about what is happening at work. You are in it, but you are not causing it.

2. Approach your manager to discuss the situation. Depending on the relationship you have, try to have this conversation outside the office, perhaps over coffee or lunch, to allow for a more relaxed discussion. When you do, consider outlining your observations in the context of 'difficulties I am having at work' so as not to appear to blame your manager for the problems. Try to determine if your manager is similarly frustrated.

3. If you can, encourage your manager to contact HR for support in addressing the issues the department is facing. If HR is able to help, great. If not, consider outside support.

4. If you get nowhere with your manager and the problems persist, consider seeking work elsewhere. Dysfunction has a nasty way of undermining one's sense of self-worth. A poor-performing department is one thing; being damaged personally by work-place dysfunction is another thing entirely.

Dear TJOW: (In response to last week's blog about humor) Amen.

Laughing in Palo Alto

Dear Laughing: We couldn't have said it better had we tried. (And we did!) Thank you!

(Just About) Better Than Anything

2012-01-15T22:00:00.000-08:00

That's how we at The Job of Work consider laughter: It's just about better than anything.

It's certainly better than getting poked in the eye with a sharp stick. (Or a dull one, for that matter.) It's better than stubbing your toe. It's better than watching the Republican presidential debates (though, one must admit, they have been entertaining). It's better than taking your car in for a smog check or fighting a traffic ticket in court. It's better than most days at work. It's way better than paying taxes.

When you think about it, laughter is among the greatest of our involuntary reflexes. It's right up there with breathing and that cool thing your leg does when you're hit below the knee in just the right spot.

Laughter produces, too. Worthy things like:

Euphoria, if only momentary

Reducing stress

Diminishes pain

Builds great abs (with far less pain than doing crunches, or so I'm told)

Prevents and fights disease

Helps us face the challenges and woes of daily life

Laughter also produces happiness. Mustn't forget that.

And that's just for starters.

We'll try to cooperate fully with the IRS because, as citizens, we feel a strong patriotic duty not to go to jail. Dave Barry

You've got to be honest. If you can fake that, you've got it made. George Burns

I've had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn't it. Groucho Marx

Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. That's relativity. Albert Einstein

I'm writing a book. I've got the page numbers done. Steven Wright

A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore. Yogi Berra

So if it's so good for us and feels terrific besides, why don't we do it more often? And why don't we help others laugh?

Might it be that many consider laughter be an inappropriate adult behavior? That it's somehow too childish? Or, worse, immature? That the things we do as adults are simply too serious to allow us room to laugh? Or, horrors of horrors, that we outgrow the ability to laugh?

We at TJOW beg to differ. No doubt, life is serious. Poverty, war, natural disasters, hatred, injustice, unemployment, aging parents, teenagers. It can be difficult to see one's way through the morass to a place where humor is possible. But see our way through we must. And when we get to that other side, there must be humor. Our belief -- and we have scientific fact to confirm it -- is that there simply are not enough truly funny people.

If love is the answer, could you please rephrase the question? Lily Tomlin

I was so naive as a kid. I used to sneak behind the barn and do nothing. Johnny Carson

Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint. Mark Twain

The Republicans are the party that says government doesn't work and then gets elected and proves it. P. J. O'Rourke

Be thankful we're not getting all the government we're paying for. Will Rogers

I am free of all prejudices. I hate everyone equally. W. C. Fields

Too bad, too, because laughter is one of the greatest of human behaviors. The younger we are, the better we laugh. There's nothing quite like a child laughing hard, with total abandon. That uncontrollable, completely honest, explosion of joyousness. No self-consciousness, no concern for what's 'right'. Just a big, gut-shaking, cheeks-lifting, hard-to-breathe laugh. It's even better if the child is eating, or better yet, drinking milk while laughing. That milk out the nose thing is one of life's true miracles.

Admit it: Laughter is infectious.

Some guy hit my fender the other day and I said unto him, 'Be fruitful and multiply.' But not in those exact words. Woody Allen

My views of birth control are somewhat distorted by the fact that I was the seventh of nine children. Robert F. Kennedy

It goes without saying that you should never have more children than you have car windows. Erma Bombeck

Before a man speaks, it is always safe to assume that he is a fool. After he speaks it is seldom necessary to assume. H. L. Mencken

I have terrible luck. Last week my chauffeur ran off without my wife. Henny Youngman

When choosing between two evils I always like to try the one I've never tried before. Mae West

It's so core to our species that to not laugh is akin to not fully living. And if that's true (and who's to say we're wrong?) then the corollary is also true: The less you laugh, the less you're truly alive.

With that in mind, when was the last time you had a good laugh? A really good laugh. The kind that makes you cry? The kind where your cheeks don't come down? The kind where you need a few minutes to catch your breath and straighten your hair and clothes afterward? The kind that feels fantastic?

If it's been over a week, it's been too long. Trust us. We're trained professionals.

Neurotics build castles in the air, psychotics live in them. My mother cleans them. Rita Rudner

I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts. Will Rogers

A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject. Winston Churchill

I haven't a particle of confidence in a man who has no redeeming petty vices. Mark Twain

I know a man who gave up smoking, drinking, sex and rich food. He was healthy right up to the day he killed himself. Johnny Carson

Reality is a crutch for people who can't handle drugs. Lily Tomlin

Think of laughter as sex for your brain. From a biological standpoint, there more similarities than you might imagine. But laughter has a distinct advantage: You can do it out in the open, with as many people as you'd like, and have absolutely no concern about the age or gender of the people you're laughing with. You can do it on-line, without anyone wondering what you're up to behind that computer of yours. You can do it on the first date without fear of rumors. And there's no wet spot, unless you laughed really hard.

I never forget a face. But in your case I'll be glad to make an exception. Groucho Marx

I'm not a member of any organized political party. I'm a Democrat. Will Rogers

I'm not going to buy my kids an encyclopedia. Let them walk to school like I did. Yogi Berra

If at first you don't succeed, try again. Then quit. There's no use being a damn fool about it. W. C. Fields

What is it about death that bothers me so much? Probably the hours. Woody Allen

Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one. Albert Einstein

Life is serious. But not as serious as we make it. As Mel Brooks once said, 'Humor is just another defense against the universe.' And since we need all the defense we can get, given the state of our world, we urge you to find a way to laugh. With any luck, the guy next to you will start laughing too. And then the woman next to him will join in and then her friend will laugh and a movement will have begun. We'll call the movement 'High Cheeks'. Our slogan: 'Keep 'em high!'

It'll be our little joke.

New Ideas For a New Year

2012-01-08T22:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the first full work week of 2012. We hope the cobwebs have cleared and that you're back in the swing of things. And, of course, already thinking about Valentine's Day, which is fast approaching. (Sorry. Just trying to watch your back.)

Speaking of new ideas for a new year, we would like to present two we think are compelling and worthy of your attention. We believe both concepts are essential to any organization's ability to sustain profitable growth and to the people within it -- that's you -- crafting a successful and rewarding career.

No surprise, by the way, that a company's growth and the growth of its people are inextricably linked. They are. Show us an organization that takes career growth seriously -- and is good at it -- and we'll show you a company that attracts and retains the best and outperforms the competition. Or, said more colloquially, show us a company that grows its people and we'll show you a company that kicks some serious butt.

So, to those concepts:

1. Two Hats Are Better Than One. Not two heads, two hats. As in two jobs or key responsibilities at work. We propose that the successful workplace of the future will give anyone who's willing and able the opportunity to have two different roles. A primary role and a secondary role. Like a major and a minor. Working in Sales, for example, and being involved, say, in product development or HR.

We advocate this for two important reasons:

It's great for the company. Having people wear two hats helps to eliminate those dreaded silos, enables more cross-functional thinking and collaboration, more fully utilizes the skills and abilities of its people, increases efficiencies, and produces more powerful outcomes. It also helps build a capable bench, as well as strengthens the company long-term by creating flexibility and scalability. Think of a baseball team with players who are skilled at both a primary and secondary position. A catcher who can play the field, for example, increases the team's resilience and likelihood of success over the long run.

It's great for the individual. Wearing two hats gives people that much more of an opportunity to make a significant difference at work, something many yearn for -- and is central to one's level of engagement in and commitment to an organization. Wearing two hats also provides an opportunity for the individual to develop a broader, more diverse set of skills. Indeed, the concept of being only in Sales, for instance, is so traditional, so last century. Being in Sales and having some responsibility for product development or HR, for that matter, will make for a more talented, well-rounded performer. Yes, having major and minor roles at work is more demanding but ever so rewarding.

We think all good companies will embrace this approach within the next 5 years.

2. What's Your App?™ Our second new concept for the new year is about the skills and abilities you bring to work and how you define them. Specifically, what expertise do you provide your company and what does that expertise produce? If an app is a specialized process that results in something tangible, what app or apps would represent you? How much demand would there be for your app(s)? Said another way, how often would your app(s) be downloaded? And at what price?

Creating and packaging yourself -- defining your value proposition, we consultants would say, with an emphasis on producing a tangible, valuable outcome -- will be essential in the new and emerging world of work. This will be especially true as companies move to allow many to have multiple roles at work. Thus, you may need at least two apps to define you, two clusters of skills that each produce real and valued outcomes. Regardless, clarity, specificity and reliable, outstanding performance will be key. We'll talk much more about this in the weeks ahead. In the meantime, what are your apps?

Have a good week. With or without those cobwebs.

A Joyous 2012

2012-01-01T22:00:00.000-08:00

To a healthy, extraordinarily happy and fabulous New Year!

Some celebrations from around the world:

SydneyLondon
Paris
Vancouver
Rio De JaneiroBrisbane
Hong Kong
My City By The Bay

Our New Year's wish: Make this your best year ever, with a strong emphasis on 'make'. Learn a new language. Make new friends. Find old ones. Listen compassionately. Bring more passion to your work. Get in better shape. Sing and dance with abandon. Play something; play anything. Lead with your heart. Infect others with joy.

No resolutions. No false promises. Just do it. Start today. We'll love you even more for it.

See you next week when our ability to write longer sentences will hopefully return.

Happy 2012!

The (Truly) Best and Worst of 2011

2011-12-25T22:00:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year when anyone capable of typing -- and many who can't -- amass and promote their 'best of' lists. Not wanting to conform -- but not wanting to fall behind either -- we at TJOW have combed our collective memories (2.7 minutes), thoroughly scanned the Internet (35.5 minutes), interviewed a guy on the street (more aptly, a guy lying on the sidewalk) (4.5 minutes), and conducted a comprehensive, in-depth survey of historians, political scientists, sociologists, academicians and others who know more than we about the truly important stories from this past year (18.0 minutes). This intense and incredibly time-consuming and energy-sapping research has yielded what we, humbly, believe to be the definitive best-of list for this nearly-complete year of 2011. And given that this intense project kept us from watching meaningless college football bowl games was an added plus. At least for us.

So, sit back and relax. Suspend judgment and anything resembling logic. Give yourself 1 point for every item on the list you would have selected. Subtract 2 points for every item you don't find worthy. We'll provide the scoring key later, toward the end of 2012 when we offer our next list filled with questionable and completely unworthy selections. Trust us; we'll remember to do so.

Ten Events That Defined The Year That Just Was

1. The rescue of the Chilean miners. Although this took place in 2010, this is still the best uplifting story of 2011. Which, of course, speaks volumes about the amazing rescue of the 33 miners and, sadly, about the dearth of heartwarming stories in 2011. Unfortunately, now a year after their rescue, many of the miners are suffering from depression, a sense of isolation and poverty. Just like the rest of us.

2. The Goldman Sachs Economy. So, it is still completely legal to deceive purposefully one's own customers, wreak havoc on the nation's economy, put millions of people out of work, create a domino effect that has nearly toppled Europe, and make billions of dollars in the process. Who said crime doesn't pay? In comparison, executives of La Polar, a large department store chain in Chile, are currently in jail during their trial for possibly deceiving their investors by posting artificially high profits. Why in jail? Because they have been deemed to be, get ready for it, 'a danger to society'. Let that sink in: White collar criminals considered a danger to society. Hmm. Maybe we have something to learn from our friends in South America.

3. Occupy Wall St. A terrific, galvanizing idea of a movement without, unfortunately, a true, galvanizing focus. Since when has the vast majority of Americans agreed with a protest movement even while that movement failed to develop a useful, productive rallying cry? Talk about the need for Michael Moore or a good marketing firm. Almost a great story. But maybe that is the story, especially for 2011: I'm mad as hell but don't have the first clue what to do about it.

4. The Get-Obama-Out-of-Office-At-All-Costs Movement. That cost? No united job creation effort, no measures to prevent another near-collapse of the economy, no funding of some rather important concerns, including, say, education and a crumbling infrastructure. But, at least, we know that Obama was born in the United States. (A concern born in racism, to be sure. And, yes, an intended pun.) A hearty thanks to all who have devoted the year to displace one worker rather than put the American people first and create jobs. May you all be forced to look for work yourselves in 2012. And may you not find any, just like the unemployed millions you've been overlooking.

5. Sex. Who could have ever predicted in 2010 that men's collegiate sports programs -- namely Penn St.'s football and Syracuse basketball -- would displace the attention on the Catholic Church as the #1 abuser of young boys? And that the mighty would fall? (Sorry, Joe. You simply didn't do enough.) Horrific. And we probably haven't seen the end of it. While we're on the topic of sex, let's not forget Dominique Strauss-Kahn and Herman Cain. While we're on the topic of sex, that is.

6. Unfathomable destruction globally.

Australia: Floods, 37 dead, 9 missing
Brazil: Landslide, 916 dead, 345 missing
Burma: Earthquake, 75+ dead, 110+ injured
Japan: Earthquake and tsunami, 10,000+ dead, 17,000 missing
New Zealand: Earthquake, 166 dead
Philippines: Floods, 75+ dead, and typhoon, 650+ dead, over 800 displaced
South Africa: Floods, 91 dead, 321 injured
Sri Lanka: Floods, 62 dead, 1.1 million displaced
Thailand: Floods, 250+ dead, 2.5 million displaced
Turkey: Earthquake, 400+ dead
United States: Tornadoes, 460+ dead, over 8,000 homes destroyed

Think someone is trying to tell us something? And do you think that something is climate change? Another question: Will we get any smarter in 2012 about the need to deal with this?

7. The story all too few are discussing: The drought in eastern Africa. Tens of thousands have already died and an estimated 13.3 million people are threatened by a severe food crisis caused by the worst drought in 60 years in eastern Africa. We're talking famine of biblical proportions and this story is nowhere to be found. That the drought is being attributed to climate change is one thing; that we -- the collective, global 'we' -- aren't working feverishly to provide help is quite another. Why has this devastation not captured our attention? Why haven't we acted more decisively, more effectively? Could it be that we simply don't care about Africa? Might it be because those starving are black? These people are starving to death and we're not even watching.

8. Twitter revolutions. The Middle East and North Africa will never be the same. Revolutionaries, armed with social media to organize protests, overthrew governments in Tunis, Egypt and Libya and forced out the president of Yemen. Unrest continues in Syria, Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Morocco, Jorgan, Algeria, and Iraq. Tawakel Karman was one of three awarded the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize for his contribution to what has become known as Arab Spring. Others beware: Dictatorships, government corruption, human rights violations, economic decline, unemployment, and poverty won't be tolerated. Not as long as The People have Twitter.

9. Ends and beginnings. 2011 marked a number of important ends: The (illegal) war in Iraq, Osama bin Laden, Muammar Gaddafi, Kim Jong-il, Vaclav Havel, Andy Rooney, Sidney Lumet, Steve Jobs. Other ends: Oprah, All My Children. Ends, as they always do, mark new beginnings. How will we move forward? To what good will we devote the money we spent each month in Iraq? What improvements will result from the ends of some truly bad guys? Who will become our next big voices? How soon will we have an iPad that folds?

10. The end that wasn't. And the best non-story of the year? Rapture, Harold Lamping's latest inaccurate prediction about the end of the world. I, for one, am grateful that he blew it. Again.

So as we kiss 2011 goodbye and face 2012, I'd suggest we following San Francisco journalist Scoop Nisker's admonition: 'If you don't like the news, go out and make some of your own.'

Just do us all a favor, please. Make some good news.

On Passion

2011-12-18T22:00:00.000-08:00

A wise man once told me that you cannot buy passion. That combination of drive, desire and commitment that expresses itself as a powerful, compelling emotion is something that is found only rarely in nature. No classes, he told me, can teach it. No amount of money can create it. Passion, I was told, either exists in the individual or it does not. And more often than not it does not exist, he lamented. But, if it does exist, if there is that flame -- even a spark -- one can nurture it, shape it, and channel it to produce amazing results.

That, he explained, is true competitive advantage. A workforce passionate about a cause and sufficiently focused to unleash it every single day is an enterprise that cannot be beat. Find me passionate people, he instructed, and we can change the world.

And we did. At least the world of wine.

The sage? Robert Mondavi.

His words came back to me in a rush last week while attending the finals of La Copa de Sudamerica in Santiago, Chile. La Copa is South America's equivalent of our Super Bowl, but without the pregame flyover or, for that matter, reserved seating. In this case, the final match was played in the home of one of the finalists: La Universidad de Chile, which, despite its name, is a professional soccer club based in Santiago and affectionately know as 'La U'. La U had never won La Copa in its 84-year history. (Yes, Cal fans, there is hope.) So, imagine its fan base. Their excitement, their anticipation. Their frenzy. Now magnify that by, oh, a thousand and you'll begin to approximate what it felt like to be among them.

Talk about passion! The fans, 50,000 strong, began singing in unison more than an hour before game time and continued non-stop throughout the contest -- including during half time. Turn up your speakers and check out the fans before the match even began. The flares, fires (yes, fires) and fire workers are La U fans' doings and, apparently, their trademark.

While the video provides some illustration of the scene, the sound captures only a hint of the emotion. Imagine 50,000 hearts singing as one. For nearly 4 hours. The other team didn't stand a chance, which is precisely what La U fans had in mind.

Thankfully, La U won handily. Most believed the stadium and, possibly, the city would not have survived a loss. Such is the power of passion.

Say what you will, but I believe there is a vital, central role for emotion at work. Work should be important and people should care deeply about what they do at work and how they do it. And regardless of industry, it should be about achieving greatness. Because anything less is, well, boring.

I believe further that passion is the emotion that differentiates the best from the rest. This is not to overlook the importance of talent, of course. Show me a company filled with talented people who are passionate about what they do and I'll show you a winner. As a result, I have devoted a career to devising ways to infuse individuals, teams and entire companies with this freight train of all emotions. It is, without doubt, my passion.

So regardless of your interest in sports and/or South American soccer fans (!Felicitaciones, Clemente!), do consider the added value passion would bring to your organization. And then get in touch. We can show you how to go well beyond the singing-from-the-same-hymnal thing. We can get your people to sing in unison from their hearts and use that passion to drive significant performance improvement.

Your competition won't stand a chance. Which is precisely what you had in mind.

The Second Call

2011-12-11T22:00:00.000-08:00

'Your appointment scheduled for tomorrow has been cancelled. You are now scheduled to see a neurologist at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, March 5, 2012.'

You read about the first call last week. This was the second.

March 5th? March!?! This is early December. A near three-month wait?

'We're sorry', we were told politely. 'There simply aren't any available appointments before then. We'll contact you if anything opens up.'

March. Given what's in the balance, how can we possibly wait until March?

Oh, how slow do the wheels of the healthcare system turn. Certainly without concern for those concerned. Those really concerned. Like scared to death.

That's when it struck me: We need selective, temporary amnesia. More specifically, I need selected, temporary amnesia. For three months, I need to forget about this one, very specific thing. Forget about the situation, the possibilities. Forget the anxiety, the fear. Until March 4. Then it can all come flooding back, just in time for the appointment.

How sweet would that be? To be able to forget this one thing for three months. Completely.

Let your imagination roam. Ours has.

Introducing ForgetAboutIt!, the simple device that helps you control memories you'd just love to forget -- at least for awhile. And it's so simple to use! Just place your thumb on the bioscanner, review the list of memories shown on the easy-to-read 3" diagonal monitor, select the memory you care to repress, choose the 'Memory Return Date' and press 'Enter'. ForgetAboutIt! does the rest. Within 15 seconds, all selected memories have been pushed to your subconscious, not to rear their ugly heads until the memory return date you selected. And that's it! (Prototype shown.)

Said the wrong thing last night at dinner? Swore during that big presentation at work? Asked a non-pregnant coworker when her baby is due? Dreading an upcoming performance review? Have a court date or a doctor's appointment you fear? Maybe a date with a dentist's drill?

ForgetAboutIt! is your ticket to peace and serenity. At least temporarily.

ForgetAboutIt! surrounds those pesky memories with the very latest in neuro-inhibitors, completely preventing recall until the date you've chosen. Our patent-pending nano technology is immune to hypnosis and other memory enhancement methods and is guaranteed to be fully effective, or your money back. (If, of course, you remember purchasing ForgetAboutIt! in the first place!)

Possible side effects include: headache, nausea, stomach upset, insomnia, persistent belief that you've forgotten something, loss of appetite. In some cases, users develop a phobic fear of snakes and alcohol addiction. In rare cases, some users experience delusional thinking and intense mood swings. Should either occur, contact your physician immediately.

Available without a prescription in drug stores everywhere. Batteries not included.

I'll risk the fear of snakes. Sign me up, please. I don't know how I'll make it to March 5 without it.

The Call

2011-12-04T22:00:00.000-08:00

The older you become, the more likely it's going to happen. Each passing day brings that much greater likelihood, that much greater probability. Because as you age, so do your parents. And if you're lucky enough to have both still alive, the probability of this event occurring doubles.

There's no getting around it: It will happen. There is absolutely no avoiding it. Because that's what aging is all about.

Get older, thankfully have two parents still alive, and that call will come. It is inevitable as many of you already know.

For me, that call came this week. A call, the call, that instantly changes everything. That call that signals the beginning of heavy involvement within the health care system. The call that indicates that you and your siblings had best get a good plan in place. Soon. The call that, in our case, gives us an opportunity to discuss and agree on a path forward -- through terrain where we've luckily never been and eventually through a landscape no one ever wants to visit, much less explore -- but one we now know we will need to.

That call. For me, my first call.

The voice on the other end of the phone said it all in one word: Alzheimer's. Additional details provided context: Difficulty shaping thoughts, slurred speech, 'loss' of an hour while on errands, inability to remember common details.

(Yes, but has his sense of humor been effected? No, I was told, it's as bad as ever. He says now he'll have a ready-made excuse for when he gets caught in his neighbor's bed.)

The voice also said: More tests are needed. There's the possibility he's suffered a series of small strokes.

Yes, that call.

The call in which you begin to wonder which of two really bad things might be better: A series of small strokes or Alzheimer's?

The call in which you search your own mind's data base for studies and statistics on Alzheimer's, new drug therapies, and anything else you've read about the disease. And, of course, you remember nothing.

The call in which part of your consciousness attempts to convince you that this is not happening or that the caller is inaccurate or somehow not a credible source of information.

The call in which another part of your brain is telling you, clearly and with calm, 'This is your dad. He's 87. He's making risque jokes about the advantages of a poor memory. He'll be okay.'

The call during which you wonder how this might change our lives as we support our father through this.

The call in which you quickly move from diagnosis to rapid decline to assisted living to residential living to complete loss of reality. To death.

The call in which you begin to think about how much this all might cost.

That call.

And, no, it wasn't a long conversation. I did my best to struggle through what couldn't have been more than 5 minutes. Amazing the thoughts that scream through your head at such a time. I'm comforted by some, embarrassed by others. Just like I won't forget the call, I certainly won't forget my initial reactions.

A short, matter of fact call that changed everything. Mostly, of course, for my dad, who now knows the end is in sight.

That call.

Thanks Giving

2011-11-27T22:00:00.000-08:00

We ate, we drank. We hugged, we kissed. We enjoyed family and friends (or, at least, tried hard to). We watched a little football or maybe tossed one around. We strolled the neighborhood. And we ate and drank some more.

We took a break from the race, slept in, and celebrated the quintessential American holiday.

But did we do what the holiday is designed for? And, no, we're not talking about being thankful. That's too inwardly focused; far too passive.

Instead, we ask whether we gave thanks? Truly gave thanks? You know, that heartfelt, soulful, unabashed, eyeball-to-eyeball, really-mean-it thank you? The thank you that is followed by a handshake, kiss and/or warm hug? An emotional thank you for health, support, and guidance. To those who give us work. To those who make us laugh. To those who help us listen. To those who cause us to think. To those who inspire. To those who make us better. To those we love.

No, you say? Somehow you made it through the day without stopping to give real thanks? Join the party, because you're apparently not alone.

We're here to tell you that it's not too late. The holiday may be behind us, but the opportunity to give thanks abounds. Seize it! Reach out and thank someone. Truly thank someone for his or her influence on your life. Make a call, write an e-mail, give that hug -- the form isn't nearly as important as the heartfelt gesture (though it's hard to beat a hug).

And then do it again. And again. Until you've thanked everyone significant in your life. You know who they are -- but do they know how important they are to you? Tell them. Tell them all. In the process, you'll make hearts soar. Yours included.

As we urged a few weeks ago in honor of 11/11/11 (November 13 blog), live loud. This is how.

Disorders for a New Century

2011-11-20T22:00:00.000-08:00

Have you noticed how we've been overrun, suddenly, with trained psychologists and psychiatrists? How just about everyone can diagnose a behavioral or emotional disorder without the benefit of education, training, testing or, for that matter, any interaction with the individual? And do so on the spot with little -- or any -- real evidence? With complete confidence?

What skill! What insight! What brilliant powers of observation!

What a crock.

Hear of a child who keeps his room very neat? Must be OCD. (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder for the few non-psychologists/psychiatrists among us.) Because, after all, what other kind of kid is tidy?

Or someone who is highly organized and prides him or herself on being punctual? OCD, again. Being organized -- once a prized attribute -- is now, according to many, the symptom of a serious emotional problem.

Or what about a student who daydreams and bores easily in class? A clear case of Attention Deficit Disorder, the dreaded ADD. I mean, really. What type of student could possibly allow his or her mind to wander while in class? Or get bored in school? Couldn't possibly be because school might be dull, could it? No way. Must be ADD.

Or a 'bright' child who doesn't do her homework and would rather play video games. Without doubt, the famed ADD. Indeed, it could only be a serious disorder that would drive a 'bright' child to avoid homework in favor of video games. Couldn't possibly be that the child may not be quite so 'bright' or that playing video games is more fun than doing homework? No, it's simply not possible. Not today. Must be a disorder. Must be ADD.

Or an overweight person who eats when not hungry? Of course, an eating disorder. Because only someone with an eating disorder eats when he or she is not hungry. At least now we understand why obesity runs rampant in our country: Eating disorders abound. Can't be because many of us aren't able control the hand-to-mouth-with-soda-or-cookies-in-it action, could it? No. It's much easier to blame a disorder than ourselves. It's not me, it's this damned disorder!

Actually, this quick-to-diagnose reflex may be a disorder unto itself. Ah, a topic for another day.

In response to the uneducated, untrained, unlicensed among us who are eager to diagnose serious emotional and behavioral disorders -- and OCD, ADD and eater disorders are certainly in that category, especially when they inhibit normal, healthy behavior -- I say this: Cease and desist! For two substantial reasons:

1. It's irresponsible.

2. You are likely wrong.

You don't go around diagnosing cancer whenever you see a mole, do you? Or any other medical malady whenever you hear of a pain. So why do you so readily and wantonly ascribe a disorder to what might be a normal set of behaviors or, in the very least, a set of behaviors that can be attributed to something other than a disorder?

Might that kid who's highly organized be just that: Highly organized. (By the way, remember when that a good thing?)

Or what about the student who bores easily in class? Maybe the teach is dull, or the subject matter is uninteresting, or the student has other things on his or her mind?

Or the person who eats to excess? Maybe, just maybe, that person isn't afflicted with a disorder at all. Maybe that person just likes to eat. A lot.

If this sounds a bit emotional, forgive me. It's just that labeling people, without the benefit of a rigorous process, is potentially harmful in itself.

But I understand the need many of us have to attribute behavior to a psychological disorder. (It's one of the reasons I chose this profession.) To that end, I offer two new disorders. Both have yet to be fully documented, so we, together, are on the leading edge of understanding, recognizing and diagnosing each of them. Join me in welcoming two new disorders for the 21st century, currently running rampant throughout our society.

Smartphone Dependence Disorder (SDD). This significant and debilitating behavioral and emotional disorder manifests itself in a continuous and ceaseless connection to and interaction with a PDA. Symptoms of SDD include:

Frequent holding, fondling, caressing and/or cleaning of the device
On-going, surreptitious reference to the device, often in one's lap, just below table or desk level
A belief that the interaction with the PDA is, indeed, secret and not observable by anyone (Hey, if no eye contact is made, how can anyone see what I'm doing?)
The continuous, invasive thought that some new, exciting, and/or time-critical e-mail may have just been received that requires instant response; and,
That life as we know it is simply not worth living without constant access to e-mail, texting, Facebook or the Internet.

Therapies to deal with SDD are typically unsuccessful. To date, the only actions seen to be effective in preventing the behaviors associated with the disorder, at least temporarily, include:

1. Physical separation of the device from the owner. A minimum of 5 miles is required.

2. Destruction of the device. Throwing the phone into a large body of water, preferably from a substantial height, has proven to be the most successful approach, although tossing the device onto rocks is also effective. In both cases, it is essential that the person suffering from SDD witness the device's complete destruction. (Note: Mere breakage is not sufficient.)

While the brand of PDA is irrelevant, SDD is more often seen in owners of iPhones. For obvious reasons. That said, they don't call it a Crackberry for nothing.

Bloodless Heart Syndrome. This serious malady appears to be abundant early in the 21st century and, as a result, can be observed widely. It manifests itself with the following fervent beliefs:

That the poor and others without substantial means/resources should be left to their own devices
That the poor are poor because they choose to be
That leaving poverty is within everyone's grasp, requiring only an effort to find a well-paying job
That taking care of oneself is just that: The need to take care of oneself -- and not rely on government to do so
That taxing everyone fairly is an outdated, inappropriate concept that's so last century
That if 2/3 of the world's billionaires are self-made, anyone can do it; and,
That the best healthcare insurance is to stay healthy.

BHS -- not to be confused with Berkeley High School (Go Jackets!) -- strikes Republicans and Tea Party members with high frequency. Actually, BHS may be a requirement for party membership.

To date, only one treatment has proven effective: Becoming poor. Losing one's home accelerates recovery, especially if that home was bought with a subprime loan.

So, as we head into Thanksgiving, I ask two things:

1. Enough already with the knee-jerk diagnoses of what are serious behavioral and emotional disorders. Leave that to trained professionals.

2. Instead, focus on two readily observable disorders for the 21st century. They have yet to find their way into the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV, so both are fair game. Go at it! Find the sufferers of SDD and BHS among us.

Have a very happy Thanksgiving. Leave your PDAs at home and eat too much. And don't let anyone accuse you of having a bloodless heart.

Living Loud

2011-11-13T22:00:00.000-08:00

In honor of Veteran's Day, this year falling on the perfectly symmetrical date of November 11, 2011 -- you know, 11/11/11 -- we at The Job of Work, along with many of you, can't help but be reminded of that precious scene from Rob Reiner's brilliant 1984 mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap in which band member Nigel Tufnel explains to Rob why his amp has the ability to play louder than any others. Check it out.

Hey, if you want your band to be the loudest, you better have amps that go beyond what was previously thought possible, right? Makes sense to us. In a kind of a Nigel Tufnel way, that is.

But maybe Nigel was trying to tell us something. Something important.

Maybe we should all try to live loud, louder than others.

No, we don't mean at the top of our lungs. Not that kind of loud. We mean living loud: With honesty, immediacy, excitement. Authentically. Being truly present. In the moment, in every moment. With awe. With joy.

As if today was our very first day. That's living loud.

(Not as if it were our last day, as many urge. I don't know about you, but if I were to live each day as if it was my last, I'd be watching the clock constantly, concerned with each passing second. I'd also be wondering what I would get for my last meal and whether I should have the curly fries or the mashed potatoes. Pie or cake? I'd also be thinking that there's no need to attend to work since I won't be around tomorrow to deal with the repercussions. No, living each day as if it were our last seems shortsighted, in more ways than one.)

Instead, we hope you live each day as if it's your first. With unbridled curiosity. Like that first day when everything was new. When everything was interesting, full of color and complexity. When you didn't know where the roads led or the planes landed. Where everything was a wide-eyed wonder. Where there was splendor at every turn. When each new day was truly that: Utterly, completely new.

When you asked questions, many questions, most beginning with 'Why?' When each answer led to another question. And another. So open you were to learning, so hungry you were for information, for reason.

When mysteries abounded. When being smart meant you sought answers rather than having them. Where being inquisitive was the ideal. When you could go out and play and, indeed, play. For hours.

That's what we mean by living loud.

So, in honor of 11/11/11 and Nigel, turn it up to 11. Don't hesitate and don't be afraid. You already know how to do it. Give it a try. And here's a thought: Take someone along with you. It might take some 'splainin', as Ricky might say, but it will be worth it. And when you make it, when you're living loud, write to us to tell us what it's like. About how brilliant the images, how wonderful the sounds, how fragrant the aromas, how each new encounter is a universe unto itself.

And after you've been living loud, after you've turned it up to 11, ask yourself this:

Is there any better way to live?

Thanks, Nigel.

Getting America Back to Work, One Person At a Time

2011-11-06T22:00:00.000-08:00

The job search we'd love to see:

Wanted:

Leader of Occupy Wall St., an Emerging Class Revolution. (Exact job title, if there is to be one, to be negotiated with the successful candidate.)

Duties/Responsibilities:

Create a successful, sustainable socio-political-economic movement
Provide overall strategic and tactical direction for Occupy Wall St. movement
Define tangible goals for the movement and gain widespread support for them
Organize efforts in 25+ cities domestically and 30+ cities worldwide
Generate press coverage (i.e., print, television, digital) to communicate/market movement's agenda and accomplishments
Capture the hearts and minds of current participants
Attract a significant number of new participants from both the 99% and 1% population segment, growing the movement significantly to achieve the movement's goals
Additional duties and responsibilities to be set following the successful incumbent's first year on the job

Skills/Abilities:

Unparalleled leadership/motivational skills
Outstanding strategic planning and execution skills
Thorough knowledge of the current economic climate, U.S. tax codes, unemployment trends, and both U.S. and global politics
Strong verbal and writing skills
Compelling media presence (i.e., strong on-camera persona, ability to converse fluidly with Rachel Maddow, Chris Matthews, Keith Olbermann, Michael Moore, CNN, the BBC, and NPR)
Ability to converse fluidly with Fox News optional, given that coverage 0n that network likely won't occur
Excellent marketing/sales abilities
Must be able to distinguish clearly the movement's 99% reference from Herman Cain's 9-9-9 plan
Negotiating skills are desired but may not required (unsure if negotiating will occur)
Conversational Spanish highly desired
Must possess thick skin, mind of a successful business leader, soul of a revolutionary (though no requirement to wear a beret)
Ability to work afternoons and nights, as little happens in the morning in a revolution
Willingness to live and sleep outdoors for extended periods
Proven track record of leading a diverse population in a revolutionary cause desired but not required

Extensive travel is anticipated.

Compensation:

The position pays $0 and does not include health benefits or personal time off. All living and travel expenses are the responsibility of the successful applicant. Book deal certain to follow the achievement of the movement's objectives. Television mini-series and/or full-length motion picture also possible. Political office is a distinct possibility (where special interest lobbyists will keep you very well cared for).

Applicant beware: Becoming a member of the 1%, while likely, is to be avoided (or, at least, denied publicly).

To apply:

Send cover letter, bio and photo to this blog. Reference 'occupywallst leader'. Materials must be received by November 30, 2011.

Occupy Wall St. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Things Never to Say at Work

2011-10-29T22:00:00.000-07:00

On October 19, CBS MoneyWatch.com posted an enthralling column about the 7 phrases never, ever to use at work (or anywhere else). It had its points, to be sure, but it largely missed the barn. By a wide margin. Said another way: Not close enough for horseshoes or even hand grenades. Said one other way: Lame.

Not to cast aspersions on CBS MoneyWatch.com, but we think their 7 phrases was a big swing and a miss. And we should know, right? I mean who swings and misses more often than we at TJOW? When it comes to swings and misses, we are the market leader. (You'll give us that, won't you?)

At any rate, CBS MoneyWatch.com would have you never use these phrases:

When
Someday
Willpower
Want/Wish/Hope
Not good enough
I don't have time, and
It's not the right time.

Their main points: It's in your control and now is the time.

Nice sentiments. But, as it turns out, none are really about work. We wish they were. (Oops. Sorry. They said to never use the word 'wish'. Don't tell the good folks at CBSMoneyWatch.com who, by the way, ought to be watching money rather than telling us what not to think or say. That's our job.)

So, as a public service we offer TJOW's 7 expressions never, ever to think or say at work.

Here we go:

1. Your crisis is not my concern. Ever notice those at work who bring things to a crashing halt? Those who operate at a different pace, soon to be referred to widely as the Prius Pace? (Ever driven behind a Prius? You know of what we speak. Can't these people drive the speed limit while watching the monitor that shows that they are getting a million miles per gallon? I guess not.) Coworkers who don't have the same level of urgency or simply don't share your concern for delivering quickly? These people should find a new place to play. There are plenty of mediocre companies out there where they'll feel right at home.

2. I'm too old to learn anything new. Without doubt, a bad thing to think and a worse thing to say at work. Many use this as a defense, others as a rationalization. For some, it may be truth. Regardless, you're never too old to learn. It might take you longer to get it, it might involve technology (which is getting easier and more intuitive by the minute) but as long as blood is flowing to your brain, you have the capacity to cram a bit more information into it. Trust us. We know.

3. Remember when? That rear-view-mirror approach to work is a waste, as wistful thinking about how wonderful the past was gets you nowhere. Those days are gone. Get over it. Turn your head in the direction your company is driving. Your neck will feel better almost immediately.

4. We don't need all of our customers. How many times have we heard this one! Especially from those who serve the public daily. Think: Flight attendants, sales reps, customer service staff, bank tellers (or those who used to be called 'tellers'), even executives. Those people who can make or break a company based on the service they provide. Every company should be on the lookout for this potentially profit-killing sentiment and the behaviors that come with it.

5. The feedback can wait until the annual review. Another common thought -- and practice -- in companies everywhere. Why help someone improve their ability to deliver top quality work? Said that way, you'd think honest feedback would be provided as the opportunity arises. But, no. Apparently, giving feedback -- nearly always negative -- is too difficult, takes too much energy, and is something to be avoided. What a shame, because many are missing the chance to up the game of others. And, of course, company performance suffers. Avoid this one like The Plague.

6. You're paying me too much. We at TJOW doubt that this has ever crossed anyone's mind at work. Certainly not today. Not with excessively lean organizations and the heavy work loads of those who still have jobs. Not with many working longer hours just to keep their heads above water. So while we doubt that this thought even comes to mind, we urge you never to think it. Certainly don't say it.

The last expression is probably the most common and, without doubt, in our way of thinking about the workplace, the one thought that has undermined the performance of countless companies. It is the one belief that has prevented sports teams -- teams filled with outstanding talent -- from winning. The concept and the behaviors that result are insidious and make the workplace anything but the collegial, team-oriented, winning place most of us desire.

7. It's not my job. Variations on this theme: That's beneath me. I get paid to do more important things. That's below my pay grade. To be fair, we've all likely thought this from time to time. Even so, it's a bad cognition and the behaviors that emerge are even worse. The concept speaks to hierarchy, seniority, condescension and other nasty, odoriferous dynamics that prevent top performance in functions and entire organizations. It's also a difficult belief to change. Thank goodness for clever, creative consulting firms that know how to transform behavior. (I'm thinking of one rather brilliant consulting firm in particular. It's initials: SCG.)

Those are our 7. Avoid them at all cost. And, of course, if you're seeing evidence of any of them at work, give a call. We can help.

Enjoy the week.

Current Events

2011-10-23T22:00:00.000-07:00

What a week that was! Head-spinning events around the world and around town. If things weren't so bad, we might consider this one of the greatest times to be alive. If things weren't so bad.

To wit:

Another bad guy bites the dust, hard. Moammar Khadafy, fashionista and oppressor, is yet another Middle East despot to be killed by his own people. Nothing says, 'We love you and will miss you' like publicly displaying his half-naked, bloody, bullet-strewn body in a freezer in a shopping mall. Talk about a reason not to kill your own people! That said, a word of advice to other dictators on the run: Stay out of holes. They don't seem to be a good place to hide. I'm talking to you, Syrian President Bashar Assad and you, Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Stay away from holes. Because, you know, you're not the most popular guys around. And remember: What goes around, comes around.

At long last, an end to a war. So, we're finally leaving Iraq. To our way of thinking, it's 4,478 U.S. deaths and a trillion dollars too late, not to mention the untold death and destruction in Iraq. At least we got the weapons of mass destruction we came for. Not. Yet another worthless, prolonged conflict. But at least it's over. One down, two to go. (By the way, have the spin doctors -- those creative minds behind the scenes who help shape messaging so we, the ignorant, uneducated commoners, can embrace whatever they're selling -- ever been as brilliant as the day they came up with 'weapons of mass destruction'? We think not. WMDs are now part of our lexicon -- and part of our fear. Too bad we bought it -- that there were WMDs in Iraq and that WMDs are somehow a valid reason to invade a country illegally. Thanks, George. Nice going.)

Another war brewing, one far more serious. Are we witnessing the beginning of a class war within our country and possibly around the world? It certainly seems so. The Occupy Wall St. movement appears to be growing in intensity and purpose, as thousands of protesters are encamped in hundreds of cities worldwide. A recent Associated Press-GfK poll (October 22) revealed that the movement has 37% support among U.S. voters. More revealing is that the same poll demonstrated that 58% of those voters are 'furious about American politics'. While the protests lack a spokesperson (where are you, Michael Moore?) and a unifying remedy, it's only a matter of time before this situation escalates. Why? Because widespread, prolonged unemployment + strong corporate earnings + highly publicized, enormous bonuses paid to money fund managers + a government unable/unwilling to act = a recipe for revolution. Said more simply, beware when many people do not have money for a prolonged period of time. This has the potential to get much worse before it gets better. Stay tuned.

Still no jobs program. Meanwhile, with quiet efficiency, our elected officials in Washington have rejected all attempts to put a sizable number of people back to work. Whether it be teachers, police, and/or firefighters, the Senate -- with an amazing confluence of Republican obstinacy and Democrat disorganization -- has killed yet another part of the Obama plan to create jobs. At least we're paying them for not delivering what's most needed. Wouldn't want them to have to suffer like those out of work. We wouldn't want that, now would we? No, of course not. Not having money is a bad thing and something we would never wish on anyone, much less those working on the Hill. A word of advice to Congress: Beware when many people do not have money for a prolonged period of time. How soon might you become the focus of the Occupy Wall Street movement? I'm just saying.

Speaking of fear, last week we postulated that religion might not exist -- at least in its current forms -- if we lived forever. Indeed, what need would we have for a belief and faith system that has, as its defining feature, the promise of eternal life in an idyllic place? Or the threat of an eternal life in a place of untold horror? We wouldn't. Instead, we might focus on how best to live this life honestly, honorably, and with grace. Peacefully, with others who have different customs, social mores and values. We might find a way to live without fear.

Ah, if only we lived forever. Which, by the way, we do.

Quien es Mas Macho?

2011-10-16T22:00:00.000-07:00

Quick: What was the #1 album in the country 45 years ago this week? If you said anything but Cheap Thrills by San Francisco's own Big Brother & the Holding Company, with a certain Janis Joplin on lead vocals, you clearly aren't the music fan you proclaim to be. You also aren't much for huge clues either, but that's a topic for another day.

What, can't remember anything about 1966? Not to worry. If you did the '60s, so to speak, you won't be able to remember them.

Speaking of taking another little piece of my heart, let's ruminate -- with a strong leaning toward venting -- on a number of recent events. Warning for the weak-stomached among us: Politics, religion and sports are involved in this 4-part blog. Reader be forewarned. Reader definitely beware.

1. Quien es mas macho? While the country continues to suffer through the worst economic climate nearly anyone under the age of 65 can remember (for those of you who can remember what you had for breakfast yesterday), NOTHING is being done at the Federal level to deal with the continued high level of unemployment. Obama talks -- and is finally beginning to rant -- but to date has not produced a jobs program. In the meantime, the Republicans are fully intent on keeping millions unemployed with the sole purpose of adding one more African-American man to the unemployment rolls following the next election. Is this not beyond comprehension? Who are these people and how do they live with themselves? This blatant, self-serving neglect for the American people borders on the criminal. I hope you, too, are keeping a list of every elected official in Washington who refuses to act to get people back to work.

Meanwhile, the Republican presidential candidates are attempting to differentiate themselves. Their debate is not how to right the economy, deal with our three wars, or resolve any of the other myriad issues we face. No, their debate is twofold:

Who is most conservative, and
Who is most Christian.

Amazing.

In the midst of this, Herman Cain is sounding more and more like the pizza marketeer he is with his 9-9-9 plan. Michele Bachmann sees the devil in this ('Looks like 666 to me!'), while many think 999 is the price of a pizza. Whatever. Cain, like just about every Republican candidate, has clearly not mastered high school math because it's going to be a bitch to support three wars on a flat tax of 9%. Unless, of course, it's only war he'll pay for.

Stay tuned, as it's certain to get even more ludicrous. (Wait until the talk about Planned Parenthood reaches its crescendo. That will be fun, but in a bad way.)

2. Why No Other Apples? Thank you for your notes about Steve Jobs following last week's column. I agree, of course. A huge loss. Even so, many wonder why there aren't other companies like Apple. There is an abundance of talent, with many highly creative, motivated people eager to push the proverbial envelope. And there are many passionate about melding functionality and art, regardless of industry. So why aren't there more Apples?

There are two possibilities:

1. Few know how to create a workplace where the freedom to be creative can coexist with discipline and productivity.

2. Few want to create a work place where the freedom to be creative can coexist with discipline.

Sadly, our research indicates that both are true. Many executives operate within 'traditional parameters', precluding their ability to create a special environment, one in which creativity can flourish. Others all too often scoff at the idea that freedom of thought and action are conducive to a productive and highly profitable workplace. We vehemently disagree! In fact our data indicate that the opposite is true: Control and long-term profitability are inversely proportional. Said more plainly: Increase control and long-term profitability suffers. The evidence is indisputable.

Think about it another way: Why didn't Microsoft invent the iPhone? The reason: They couldn't. Not that their people aren't as smart and as creative as those at Apple. No, Microsoft's environment -- their culture -- wasn't capable of supporting breakthrough thinking. This isn't a slam on Microsoft; it's simply the state of affairs there and in the vast majority of companies worldwide.

Hey, you know of what I speak. You live it every day.

In the wake of Steve's death, much will be made of his approach to leadership. Don't wait for the books, several of which are in the offing. Call us now and we'll help you get ahead of the curve. Somebody has to lead; why not your organization?

3. Abandon Football, Cal. A plea to Sandy Barbour, Athletic Director at the University of California at Berkeley:

Dear Sandy:

As a passionate alumni of Berkeley (B.A. and Ph.D.) and ex-faculty member (Department of Psychology), I politely ask that you disband the football program. Immediately. It's simply wrong on so many levels and does not reflect Berkeley in any way.

But let me count the ways:

1. Cal has not won the Pac-8 or Pac-10 since 1959. There's something about not being able to finish ahead of 7 and then 9 teams over the course of 52 years that takes futility to a level only surpassed by the Chicago Cubs. Now in the newly-formed Pac-12 we have 11 other teams to outplay. Like that will ever happen.

2. The team's coach, Jeff Tedford, is the highest paid employee of the State of California. Title aside, Jeff is a glorified gym teacher. That he is paid more than any of Berkeley's Nobel laureates is unspeakable.

3. Speaking of the Nobel prize, one of our guys just brought in another for the school. Saul Perlmutter won one in Physics. Two other 2011 winners had direct ties to Berkeley. This is what we're good at and what we should be investing in.

4. Cal has become a whore to TV money. Case in point: Not one ticket to any 2011 home game had the game time printed on it. Why? Because you wait until the last minute to pick which network is going to broadcast the game. Sandy, Saturday afternoon is college football. Period, done. Anything else is an abuse of our (waning) relationship. And, please, no more national broadcasts. Far too many can see for themselves how miserable we are at football.

5. Cal football is not representative of the creativity, inventiveness and diversity of the Berkeley campus. The game played by Cal is indistinguishable from hundreds of other colleges. Why haven't you gotten any of the school's 22 Nobel laureates involved in helping make Cal football unique?

6. What is 'American Studies'? Apparently, it's the official major of the majority of Cal football players. While it might be rigorous (right), it screams of junior college. Worse, it strongly suggests that our players aren't the students that, say, Stanford players are. Yet another embarrassment.

7. White helmets, Sandy? What were you thinking?

In sum, it's time to call it quits. Take the money you'll save and invest it in any number of other programs in the department. The hundreds of students participating in the shadow of football will thank you. And know that many will cheer your courage when you announce that the 2011 season of Cal football will be its last. I, for one, will be happy to have my Thursday night, Saturday afternoon or Saturday evening open again.

Go Bears! Please.

Respectfully yours,

A Season Ticket Holder since 1981 (Just call me Dr. Fool or Stupidly Optimistic or both.)

4. One Last Question. If there was no death -- if we lived forever -- would there be religion? I think not. We'll discuss this and other curious topics next week.

Commit an act of random kindness. You and someone else will feel great you did.

Who Does That?

2011-10-09T22:00:00.000-07:00

After years of using PCs, years I've since fully repressed, I ventured to the dark side and bought an iMac for the house when they were first introduced in 1999. Unlike my previous computers, the hardest part of the iMac purchase decision was in the color selection. Was it to be blueberry, grape, lime, strawberry or tangerine? (What, no biege?) Of course I wondered whether any fruit-colored computer would actually perform the myriad complex tasks I required of it. I mean, really, how could a whimsical strawberry computer named after a fruit no less measure up to my serious, black IBM ThinkPad? No way could it.

And then I got it home. Plug in the keyboard and the mouse. Plug in the power cable. Turn it on. Installation complete. No C: prompt. (Remember those?) No software to install. Just plug and play. Total time: Three minutes.

But, all things considered, none of this is what caught my attention about my first Mac. Stopping me in my tracks was the power cable. I was used to industrial power cords. Black, heavy-duty, and unremarkable. After all, its role was to provide the juice to the machine and its place would be to sit sight unseen behind the computer. But Apple thought otherwise. The iMac's power cord was translucent, with the three cables within it visible and, amazingly, enshrouded in colorful plastic. All for a power cable that no one would likely ever see.

Who does that? Who even thinks that a power cable should be attractive, much less interesting and, possibly, artistic?

Steve did.

Whether it was his idea or not is immaterial. Steve's company delivered the coolest power cable ever. And if the power cable is creative, imagine the computer it powers. That's Apple.

That first iMac and the lovely power cord were just the beginning. What was a foray into Apple became a passion. After my IBM ThinkPad and, later, my Dell laptop became bothersome (and boring), I took the leap and bought my first MacBook. An amazing machine, one that made just about everything colorful and interesting. Even the packaging it came in -- an attache-like box with a handle -- was cool.

But that's not what struck me about the computer. Again, it was the power cord. As any MacBook user knows, the cord doesn't actually plug into the computer. It's attached via a magnet, allowing me, and many others like me, to trip over it repeatedly without endangering the computer (as I have so often). A magnetic connection. One allowing a quick and non-lethal disconnection. Beyond clever.

Who does that? Who thinks that a power cable should attach to a laptop in such a way that might prevent a klutz from destroying his computer?

Steve did.

Was it his idea? It matters not. What does matter is that the product represented the highest level of innovation, the most creative, most thorough thinking of the time. If the power cable was this cleverly designed, imagine what the computer itself might be able to do. That's Apple.

Speaking of brilliance, let's talk iPhone. No early adopter me, I visited the Apple Store several times before buying my first. Aside from the wonderment of this incredible device, what caught my attention was Contacts. As anyone who owns an iPhone knows, the Contacts function operates much like an electronic Rolodex. One can move through the directory with a flick of a finger, the faster the flick, the faster the directory moves. But what was amazing to me was that the directory did not stop instantly after the flick of the finger. That would have been so Microsoft. Instead, the directory slowed and eventually came to a gentle stop. Like how it would work if it was physical rather then digital. I remember laughing like a kid with a cool new toy the first few times I played with Contacts. I still marvel.

Who does this? Who spends the time, effort and money to get an electronic contacts directory to respond to a sweep of a finger and then, amazingly, to slow and eventually come to a smooth stop? It couldn't have been easy and what value does it add, you might ask, beside delight? Who creates an environment where this level of elegance is expected?

Steve did.

Whether his idea or not, the iPhone's Contacts function is just one of many that typifies an amazing device. The brilliant fusion of creativity and functionality. That's Apple.

The examples are nearly endless. The way in which the icons on any Mac reflect off of the dock. How the Map function of the iPhone shows the back of the map when curled up. How you turn a page of a book or magazine on the iPad. (No buttons. That would have been too simple and far too inelegant. By Apple's standards, crude.)

Who does this? Who creates a company filled with passionate people, each willing to take creativity and functionality to entirely new levels? Who makes products many are willing to stand in long lines to buy? Who brings art to machines, makes them completely intuitive and beautiful and enriches our lives in the process?

Steve did.

There are too few companies like Apple. Too few companies have employees filling the official job title of Evangelist. Too few have the courage to create their own path, to do things their own way. Far too few seek to change the lives of their customers. Even fewer have as their purpose to change the world.

There are too few Apples because there are too few Steves. And now there's one less. Dude, you'll be missed.

You Call This Evolution?

2011-10-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

I used to have more hair.

There are two things that truly bother me about this fact:

First, that I used to have more hair and now I have less. That's definitely bothersome.

A distant second, that I don't understand how hair loss figures in when one considers Darwin's Theory of Evolution.

Having less hair is disadvantageous, genetically speaking. So, you'd expect (read: I'd expect) that folliclely-challenged individuals would have evolved physical and/or cognitive traits to counter-balance this deficiency and, as a result, improve their ability to survive. Either that, or you wouldn't find an abundance of people with little or no hair on their heads.

On a related point, it seems only fair, don't you think? If you can't grow hair, you should be able to do something better in exchange. I mean, really.

Okay, the assumption here is that having less hair is, indeed, an evolutionary disadvantage. Argue as you might, I say that it is. Which is only appropriate, because I'm the expert of me.

This is how I figure it: Having little or no hair on one's head significantly decreases one's chances to procreate. If given the choice, all things being completely equal, there is absolutely no doubt that women would choose the thick-haired version of the dude over the 'egg-shell blonde' version of that same guy. I know I would. And that's what counts.

Unless that guy is Sean Connery. Hair or no hair, Sean's got it going.

Given this logic, I'm lucky that my sons were conceived while hair was still a significant part of my scalp. Otherwise, they'd be toast.

One might say -- certainly not me -- that having less hair won't impair your ability to live longer. I say, in retort, life might just seem longer. You try looking hip and cool with less hair. It's a bitch.

Back to evolution. According to my reading of Darwin, I should have developed some skills or abilities to counteract the effect of my diminished hair-growing prowess. Makes perfect sense to me. So I ask: Where are these powers?

My memory hasn't improved. I can't run faster or longer. I can't shoot a crossbow any better than I used to (having never actually touched one is beside the point). I'm not funnier (assuming I even qualify as 'funny') or taller or stronger or a better dancer. I can't play trombone or the piano more melodically. I can't throw or hit a baseball farther. I have developed the ability to gain weight much more readily, possibly because I can eat heartily and drink to near-excess while rationalizing brilliantly the avoidance of exercise. But I don't put that in the 'increased survival abilities' column. I put that in the 'You Are Such An Idiot' category.

And, no, wearing a hat full-time is not a viable option, nor is the comb over. Ever.

So while my hair-growing abilities have dwindled, sadly I have nothing new to show for it. Nothing that would make having less hair even somewhat palatable.

This is terribly disappointing. And, frankly, totally unfair.

Just ask anyone attempting to deal with the same thing.

Anyone, that is, except Sean.

(Note to Tea Partiers and others who can't quite grasp the notion that both evolution and God can coexist: In your next life, try avoiding extended periods of oxygen deprivation. Just a thought.)

Letters

2011-09-25T22:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Fall or, for those of us whose calendars are defined by baseball, welcome to The Off Season. Too bad it's come so early and will last so long.

A bit of explanation. The year, for baseball fans, is divided into 4 distinct seasons:

Spring Training
Baseball Season
The Post Season
The Off Season

Spring Training, where hope does, indeed, spring eternal, is mid-February through March. Baseball Season begins in early April. Its length depends on the prowess of one's team. For most, Baseball Season lasts into August or, if lucky, into September. If very lucky, it lasts to the end of September. For Cubs fans, it ends sometime in May. For Giants fans, it ended this year on September 24.

Then begins The Post Season, defined by October playoffs and Fox TV's insipid Joe Buck and the network's infuriating belief that a baseball game can be shown with a long string of closeups of fans praying. The Post Season culminates with the World Series.

If disgusted, a fan can move directly from Baseball Season to The Off Season. That's where I find myself. Sad, drained and wondering what-if.

Such is life of the baseball fan.

Speaking of letters from our readers (a whiplash-causing segue, to be sure), we offer the following:

Thank you for your column about 9/11. Being a New Yorker who saw the events first-hand, the photos you showed captured the day perfectly. I could almost smell the dust.

One part of 9/11 that I won't ever forget is how we slowly came back to reality. This shot of Mike Piazza says it all.

Thanks for keeping the memories alive.

Phil, New York

Your blog about companies trying to buy love was so true! My company does a lot of things to show us they care. We have all-staff meetings, company picnics, and holiday parties. But what matters most to many people here is when we get a personal note from our boss saying how much he appreciates what we're doing. It might only have a sentence or two, but it's hand-written. Nothing says 'I care about you' more than one of those notes.

Sarah, London

Here's something to share with your readers. (Do you actually have readers or am I the only one?) I work in an airport. I'm one of those people you might see in the terminal ready to help a traveler get from one place to another. My manager does a great thing. If she notices something any of us has done to really help a customer, she makes note of it and shares the story with our entire staff at our weekly staff meeting. Getting this recognition from her is more important (almost!) than getting a raise. (Don't tell her that. I need a raise!)

Jenny, Atlanta

Your blog about love at work was great! You are right about how important it is to be valued by your company. I work in a company in Santiago de Chile and it's the same here. I guess people are people wherever we live.

Pablo, Santiago

My manager doesn't have the first clue about how to make people feel valued. He's nice enough, but doesn't know how hard our jobs are. He also doesn't know why we struggle to get the work done. And then he's surprised when people leave.

David, Seattle

I would love to work for a real leader! You write about a leader having passion and having a vision. I've worked in banking for more than 20 years and have not yet seen a Real Leader. Can you please send us one?

Elizabeth, Boston

Our company has been floundering for the last few years. The economy is part of the reason. Our lack of leadership is another. We spend months planning. We're the best planners around! If there was an award for planning, we'd win it every year. Our problem is that we don't do a damn thing with our plans. We never start anything. No one ever says 'Go!' I hate it.

Michele, Toronto

You're a consultant, right? So you don't actually do anything, do you? Have you ever had to run a company? Make big bets and risk your reputation? Decide to invest in something you're not completely sure of? Lay people off?

Okay, so you have. Your bio says you've run businesses. Maybe you know what you're talking about. But let me make this clear: Leading is tough. Very, very tough.

Jim, Chicago

Let me get this out of the way: I'm an HR professional. I love what I do. I also agree with you about HR. It's not doing what it could or should do to help a company win, as you put it. Soon, there will be an app for most of what we do in HR. There will be an app to update your employee information, an app to select benefits, an app to provide feedback, even an app to begin the recruiting process. We have got to change HR so it can provide strategy about how people can, in your words, drive performance. We better do it soon, too, otherwise there will be an app for us.

Toni, Los Angeles

Your blogs are great! I don't always agree with them, especially when you write about politics. But what you have to say about what goes on at work makes a lot of sense. I finally know what you mean about 'the job' of work. It is a job! It doesn't have to be, but it is. Making work more meaningful -- even if you sweep floors or are the CEO (ha!) -- would be fantastic. Think of how much more successful every company could be if all of their people truly cared.

Kim, New Orleans

You Americans are crazy! It's just a job! You don't have to like it. You just have to do it. Then you can go home and do anything you want. What do you say to people who worry about the wrong things? Get a life? Okay, get a life!

Franco, Rome

Shana tova. May it be a sweet and healthy year and may your Off Season be short. See you next week.

Can't Buy My Love

2011-09-18T22:00:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed that The Beatles are back? Apple Records (no relation to our Apple), at long last, released The Beatles’ complete catalog to iTunes and we’re now in the midst of a rebirth of this great band.

[Note to anyone under the age of 50: The Beatles were the hottest band on the planet if not the galaxy in the mid-1960s to the early 1970s. They defined what was known as the British Invasion: A wave of rock bands from the U.K., including The Rolling Stones, The Who and The Kinks, among others, that become hugely popular in the States. The Beatles had their own sound, their own hairstyle, their own sense of humor and, without doubt, a near-universal sex appeal. (YouTube ‘beatles ed sullivan’ and watch the reaction of the women in the audience.) They had a zillion hits, made a number of brilliant albums (Rubber Soul, Revolver, St. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, The White Album) and what many consider to be a breakthrough movie and a precursor to MTV (A Hard Day’s Night), a reasonably lame but fun movie (Help!), and the soundtrack for a full-length cartoon (Yellow Submarine). They created a phenomenon known simply as Beatlemania and may, indeed, have been more popular than Jesus. (Google ‘john lennon jesus’.) They were one of the greatest, most successful bands ever. And then came Yoko and it all went to shit.]

But the lads from Liverpool are back and again reminding us that you can’t buy me love. Advice, curiously, most companies should heed. For while some organizations and many managers try to buy our love – in a somewhat misguided way to increase productivity and retention – our love is not for sale. More importantly, it’s not our love they should try to buy. If it’s performance and retention they’re interested in, there’s something far more important. But we’ll get to that in a bit.

Yet, oh how they try to buy our love! Any of these sound familiar?

Subsidized – or free – cafeteria food
Abundant and ever-present snacks
Espresso bar, complete with barista
On-site exercise facilities
Concierge services (like dry cleaning and on-site oil changes)
Holiday parties, some including families
Halloween parties – complete with costume competition and Trick or Treating for children (a Towers Perrin tradition and an absolute favorite of my sons)
Offsite bonding ‘meetings’
Free company gear (i.e., logo t-shirt, fleece, hoody, vest)
Office décor that’s elegant/stylish/hip/cool, depending on industry

(On a side note, whenever a company provides a well-stocked snack cabinet, dry cleaning services, and/or has an espresso bar I immediately think: Someone expects you to be here very late, very often!)

I’m not implying that these things aren’t appreciated or undesired. They’re all great things and indicate the desire on someone’s part to make the workplace as enjoyable and as sensitive to the needs of employees as possible. But, do these things buy love? Commitment? Longevity? I think not and our data confirm it.

Don’t believe me? Ask any employee.

If it’s commitment you want, if it’s an ability to retain your top and high potential people you need, and if improved business performance is what you absolutely have to have, go beyond trying to buy love. Instead, involve your employees in meaningful ways to drive the growth of your business and, in the process, demonstrate that you value their contributions. For nothing enhances bottom-line performance and increases retention rates better than involvement and being valued.

Don’t believe me? Ask any employee.

There are two essential elements to this equation: Involvement in meaningful ways to drive business growth, and ensuring that contributions are valued. Do this and you’ll prove to your people that they are essential to the success of the organization.

And that, my friends, is more powerful and more meaningful than love. At least at work.

So, provide free food and drink. Give out nice company gear. (Who can’t use yet another fleece?) Have good parties. Include families. And while you’re doing that, go beyond love. Involve your people in growing the business and make damn sure they know they’re valued. Your organization will flourish and your best people will stay with you for years.

And when word gets out that this is how your company runs – that you give people meaningful opportunities to drive the business and value them for it – you’ll find yourself in the envious position of attracting top talent to your doorstep. Remember: The best performers have choices, even in this economic climate. They’ll choose organizations that allow them to grow and flourish. Is your company on their list?

Need help creating a workplace where employees are given a real voice and have accountability for performance growth? Get in touch with us. This is what we do. Brilliantly, I might add.

In the meantime, enjoy The Beatles’ Can’t Buy Me Love from A Hard Day’s Night. Word has it they’re back.

Ten Years After

2011-09-11T22:00:00.000-07:00

In many ways, it seems like just yesterday...

Do you remember how you felt as the events unfolded and, especially, in the days and weeks immediately afterward? Loss, despair, fear, anger, compassion, love. A concern for others. A willingness and readiness to help people around you. A connection, a real connection to, come to think of it, everyone. The tragedy brought us together.

Still feel that way? I doubt it.

It's been 10 years and I wonder what we've learned. A respect for first-responders. An appreciation for those whose business -- and passion -- is rescue. That we can rebuild (buildings, anyway).

New skyscrapers are rising at Ground Zero. A magnificent memorial honors the dead. Lower Manhattan will again balance the city's skyline with elegance and gravitas.

But, has any of the compassion that existed immediately following the attack remained? Have we come together as a people, as a society? Have we rallied to support those in need here and abroad? Have we become more sensitive, more responsive? Are we stronger? Are we a better nation?

I wonder.

Instead, we remain a country divided. Blue states, red states. Democrats, Republicans. The Tea Party. Christians, Muslims, Jews. North, South. Employed, unemployed. Ethnicity. Healthcare. The right to marry.

Too bad we've missed the opportunity, thus far, to learn the most important 9/11 lesson of them all: That we are better together. Stronger, more resilient, more resourceful. Better. Together.

It's not too late to learn. Say it with me, "Better together."

Good. That's a start.

This is NOT Leadership

2011-09-04T22:00:00.000-07:00

Warning: Political commentary. Intense frustration, bordering on abject futility in the face of lunacy. Lack of respect for elected officials.
Reader beware.

So, let me get this straight.

The President of the United States, the most powerful person in the Western World and, possibly, on the planet (beside, of course, my mother), writes a letter to John Boehner, Speaker of the House, requesting a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, September 7, to outline his approach to job creation.

The letter is protocol. In the entire 235-year history of our country, the Speaker has honored the President's request for a joint session of Congress every single time. Probably out of respect. Possibly because the President might have something useful to say.

Until now.

Boehner, in a move that can only be described as incredibly audacious -- the utter lack of respect kind of audacious -- responded to the President that Wednesday night won't work, as it isn't really a convenient time. We're busy doing other things, he said.

Like what, washing your hair?

If that didn't take the cake, the President's response certainly did. His reply: Okay, no problemo. Let's do it Thursday. Thursday good for you?

Am I alone in this, or is this completely beyond c-o-m-p-r-e-h-e-n-s-i-o-n? Something a bull might leave behind?

Let's consider how:

1. Unemployment is beyond 10.0% nationally. (The latest figure of 9.1% is soft, in that it does not include those who have given up looking for work.)

2. The stock market has been in a tizzy since Congress's shenanigans led directly to Standard & Poor's downgrading of our debt. And rightfully so, citing a lack of confidence in the existence of leadership to ensure the repayment of the trillions we owe.

3. The economy is anything but robust. Companies have not begun rehiring in earnest, as the jobs report of September 2 attests. Just about every index shows lackluster growth. Even people who are gainfully employed have pulled back on spending.

4. The threat of recession -- as if we need that -- is real and looms as long as unemployment remains high and buying slows.

5. The decline in the stock market has effected anyone who has any retirement money tied to it. Which means just about everyone.

So, while Boehner is too busy to talk jobs and the President is willing to let the issues we're facing exist another day, we suffer. They bicker, we persevere. They play politics, our savings dwindle. They joust, we look for work. And the kicker? They work for us. We pay their salaries.

Said inelegantly, this totally sucks.

Where is the leadership? Where is the concern for the populace, for the customers? We know the Republican party -- especially the radical Tea Party faction -- is devoted to the demise of the President -- even if it means that we languish in this awful economy. But where is the President's backbone?

Here's how we wish it would have gone down. Listen in on the phone conversation we would have hoped for following Boehner's refusal:

Obama: Speaker Boehner, as I mentioned in my letter to you, I'd like to address a joint session of Congress next Wednesday evening to outline an approach to job creation.

Boehner: Ah, gee, Mr. President. I don't know. (Flipping pages, maybe of his calendar.) Wednesday might be difficult. We're just coming back from a long vacation, there's a Republican presidential candidate debate that night, and we might have to vote on some other stuff. You said Wednesday, right? Did I mention that it's our first day back from a long vacation?

Obama: With all due respect, John, I'm the President of the United States. It's Wednesday that I'll speak before Congress.

Boehner: I just don't know, Mr. President. We're awfully busy.

Obama: Your call, John. If you can't swing it, I'll make the nationwide address from the Oval Office. Be sure to listen in. Your name will be used often. If I can help it -- and you know I can -- you and your party will become synonymous with unemployment. You do know what 'synonymous' means, don't you, John?

Boehner: You don't have to be mean about it, Mr. President. Let me make a few calls and see what I can do.

Obama: No, John. Decide now. Unemployment is more than 10%. Our people can't wait.

Boehner: A few calls, Mr. President. I'll get back to you later today.

Obama: Don't bother. The Oval Office will work perfectly. You and your obstructionist pals have had your day in the sun. Too many of our people are out of work. It's time for action, John. You're either for putting people back to work or you're against it. I think you're against it and, beginning Wednesday night, I will make it my mission to teach every person in this country that you and your buddies would rather play politics than create jobs.

Boehner: (A muffled sob.) Okay, okay. If it means so much to you, you can talk Wednesday night.

Obama: Thank you, John. Oh, and one more thing. Either get on board with our job creation plan or find another profession.

Boehner: Is that a threat, Mr. President?

Obama: No, John. It's not a threat. It's a promise. Remember, I am the President of the United States.

Too bad it didn't happen this way. It might have, had there been more than one spine between them.

Mojo, Part II

2011-08-28T22:00:00.000-07:00

Given the era we're slogging through, it's not surprising that a good number of people are feeling less than successful these days. Put more bluntly, many capable, accomplished, highly-resourceful people are feeling at this very moment as if they are failing. Or, possibly, that they have failed. Hard times have that debilitating effect. Not only does our savings account take a hit during bad economic times, our psyche often gets crushed too.

It's hard not to personalize a layoff, repeated rejections, and the inability to find a good job. It's hard not to think it's something you said, something you didn't say, something you should have done. It's hard not to think you're simply not capable. That you're not good enough. That you'll never be good enough.

But, and we have it on very good authority, it is not you. It's the economy. It's corporations unwilling to hire (despite having gobs of cash in the bank). It's far too few jobs for far to many applicants.

It is not you.

That said, there may be something you are doing to contribute to the situation. Something you could do to increase your chances of overcoming any odds you face in regaining the success you enjoyed before all of this started. Something that will separate you from everyone else.

Mojo.

That bounce in the step, sparkle in the eye, confidence in the voice that motivates, strengthens and emboldens us to act with determination, with the belief that one will be successful. That magic charm that raises valleys, lowers mountain tops, that makes even the most audacious goals seem somehow possible, attainable. That energy that quells doubts, calms nerves, that inspires us to dream of what can be. The can-do spirit. The power of hope.

Yes, that mojo.

Where has it gone?

It has gone nowhere. We're just not using it.

Why we're not using it is easy to explain. The magic we refer to is dampened by uncertainty and fear. The uncertainty that accompanies a poor economy. The fear that is the product of depressed corporate earnings, little or no revenue growth, on-going reorganizations, job eliminations, high unemployment. Budget crises in cities and states. Lowered giving to non-profits. The talk that the economy may yet turn south again. The prognostications that growth may continue at a snail's pace. That we'll be in this for years.

Indeed, it's hard to be up-beat, enthusiastic, optimistic in the face of the doom and gloom that we've been hammered with the last few years. How not to be affected by the months of negativity? How not to be slowed by memories of struggle and failure? How not to lose one's verve, one's determination, one's passion? How not to lose confidence after experiencing repeated disappointment?

Too bad we remember so much. Too bad we remember only the negative.

So, it's easy to explain the loss of mojo. The question now is: How to regain it?

We strongly recommend the following:

1. Believe! The magic exists! Your magic lives. Feel it, touch it, smell it (to steal a good line from The Producers). It's right where you left it, ready for use.

2. Start small. Let yourself feel a bit of optimism about something, anything. That this week will be better than the last. That a good thing will happen. That today will be better than yesterday. That there's reason to hope. That you've been far more successful over the course of your life than you give yourself credit for.

3. Build. Small gains beget larger gains. Allow the simple act of feeling optimistic warm your soul. Look carefully about you and you'll see that there is reason to be positive, to be confident. A child's smile might do it. A good laugh. A favorite song. The belief that life can be good again. Knowledge that you are capable, resourceful, smart.

4. Expand. As your confidence returns and the magic again flows, find a cause, a purpose. (What, you thought this was only about you? You're not alone in this. The magic is wasted unless you use it for a greater good.) Have a favorite charity, an organization that needs help? Cool. Get more involved. Find one before the week is out, make the call, and seek a specific way to help. (We've got a list of dozens of wonderful organizations that would love your involvement.)

5. Share. Magic is more powerful when it can be shared. Amazing but true, our magic produces more when we help others feel it. There's nothing quite like bolstering a sense of optimism in someone. Try it this week. There's no reason to wait.

6. Maintain. Magic takes work. You've got to fight for it. Once you have it back, you've got to use it -- or lose it. Using it daily is easier than losing it and starting over again. Find reasons to be optimistic and use that magic to invigorate others. Together, we can recharge the souls -- the mojo -- of thousands.

It's one thing to talk about it, another completely to do it. Some may need support. If you are one who could use a bit of help, or know someone who does, don't be shy about getting in touch with two brilliant coaches. Juls Snowden and Steve Lundeen have been guiding the effective come-backs of people for years. Contact them. You won't be sorry. They'll help you find the magic.

Rekindle optimism. Find your mojo. Help yourself by helping others.

Start today.

What Is Hip?

2011-08-21T22:00:00.000-07:00

What is hip? For some, the eternal question. For others, a perpetual concern. For yet others, an obsession.

As much as some of us desperately need to know what, indeed, is hip, this week's offering isn't about clothing, hair style, restaurants, cars, food, wine and anything else of a material nature.

No, this week we will, as a public service to our vast readership (you both know who you are), we will provide the definitive answer to a question that has eluded, perplexed, and confounded the masses for entire eras. In a few moments we will answer a question that a certain Oakland soul band has been posing for almost 44 years. What is, indeed, hip?

And given the lofty stature of this blog, please know that what follows is not conjecture, hypotheses or guess-work. Instead, what follows is truth. So deal with it.

Question #1: What is hip? (Tell me, tell me if you think you know.)

Loving music is hip.

Helping friends become family is hip.

Getting married on a deck overlooking a yacht harbor is amazingly hip. (Way to go, Mark and Anne!)

Playing politics with the nation's economy, leaving it in near- shambles, and then going on vacation is definitely NOT hip. (We will remember.)

Allowing members of Congress to go on vacation rather than forcing them to correct the crisis they created is not hip. (We will remember, Mr. President.)

12% unemployment is not in any way hip. (Instead, it's disgusting.)

Anyone suggesting that seceding from the nation might be an option -- and then questioning the patriotism of the President -- is absolutely not hip.

Marrying for love is hip.

Preventing anyone to marry is not hip.

Imposing a religion's values on others is absolutely not hip.

Finding a way to hire someone is hip.

Helping someone do the job better is completely hip.

Allowing people at work to make a real difference is wonderfully hip.

Treating people with dignity and respect, both at work and elsewhere, is hipness personified. (credit Robert Mondavi for this important lesson)

Responding to e-mail within a day is hip.

Not responding to e-mail is so not hip.

Spreading joy is big-time hip.

Asking for help is very hip.

Honoring ideas -- even if they are contentious -- is hip.

Finding solutions, rather than bemoaning the current situation, is hip.

Being honest is at the core of hip.

Losing dozens of pounds of weight, without bringing any attention to oneself, is remarkably hip.

Contacting a long-lost friend is hip (and beautiful).

Touching the heart of someone is beautiful (and hip).

Volunteering is hip.

Giving is hip.

Helping someone get a job is as hip as hip gets.

Any company willing to sacrifice some profit so as to hire a few more people is so hip it hurts.

Hipness is having a greater concern for others than oneself. For this reason, the Tea Party is not anywhere close to hip, nor is the Republican party. The Democratic party is inept and, therefore, not hip.

Demonstrating a concern for the well-being of employees is cool and hip.

Leading is hip.

Thinking you're hip is completely not hip. On the other hand, caring more for others than for yourself is the definition of hip.

Question #2: Are you hip?

We'll leave this answer to you.

In the meantime, the events of the last few weeks have, without doubt, been beyond frustrating, infuriating, and, more accurately, completely maddening. Never have so many felt so helpless. Emotions are low, happiness is threatened, and joie de vivre has been a no-show. For that reason, we at The Job of Work believe some positive, uplifting, mood-altering activities are in order. (No, not those mood-altering activities.)

As a public service, then, we leave you with a video clip guaranteed to raise your spirits. We challenge you to watch it in its entirety and not smile, not sing along, not feel better. (And don't let the mistyped title detract from your enjoyment. It should read 'Ferris Bueler's Day Off'.)

Enjoy and see you next week.

Is It Really So Difficult?

2011-08-14T22:00:00.000-07:00

An economy teetering on the edge. A fragmented, dysfunctional Congress, seemingly more concerned with bickering and how not to stimulate growth than it is about job creation. A stock market that makes the most harrowing roller coaster seem tame by comparison. Consumer confidence at a 3-decade low. No plan – actually, not even talk of a plan. So much for providing some confidence. So much for providing even a modicum of hope.

Feels for all the world like we’re on our own.

So we ask yet again: Where is leadership?

Talk about a teaching moment. Too bad it’s come at such a high price.

Let’s start at the beginning. What is leadership and what does it look like? We have our point of view about leadership – and there’s been only, what, a thousand books written on the topic? Of course, it's one thing to write about it and another thing altogether to doing it. (Which, of course, reminds me instantly of Woody Allen’s classic line: “Those who can, do. Those who can’t do, teach. Those who can’t teach, teach gym.”) Even so, how do real people define leadership?

Since we didn’t know, we asked. Last week, on the streets of Berkeley, Costa Mesa, Danville, Huntington Beach, Los Angeles, Napa, Newport Beach, Oakland and San Francisco. (Yes, another Southwest Airlines week for me.) Not a terribly scientific sample, but fascinating nevertheless.

We asked one question: What’s it take to lead?

On a tangential note: When was the last time you tried to have a conversation with a stranger on the street? Not the easiest thing to do, as it turns out. Such paranoia! Such a need for privacy! I wasn’t asking for money, for a petition to be signed, for anything but to talk for a few minutes. Sadly, my ‘hit’ rate was only about 25%. Go figure.

So, what did we learn?

This Thing Called Leadership

Our sample of 75 teens, adults and seniors had a few choice things to say about leadership. When asked ‘What does it take to lead?’, we were told, in no uncertain terms:

Courage. Internal strength, fortitude, with frequent references to three parts of the anatomy, one distinctly male (hint: backbone and guts were two; you know the third);

Charisma. Because you have to get others to follow;

A big idea. Something that you want to see accomplished;

Responsibility. A belief that it’s up to you to get it done;

A calling. Something that drives you, compels you to move to the front;

Thick skin. Because you’re bound to upset some people, maybe a lot of people, along the way; and

Stamina. Because nothing worthwhile happens quickly.

A rather insightful, opinionated group from 22 states and 9 foreign countries. (Ah, tourist season in California.)

In many ways, they’ve provided a useful shortcut to understanding leadership. It is about courage. It is about having an idea that you believe to be worthy. It is about you deciding to get it done. It is about being compelled to move to the front of the pack. It is about having a thick skin to weather the criticism and the stamina to see it through to fruition. And, of course, it is about having the wherewithal to motivate others to do what they didn’t think possible.

Not surprisingly, these behaviors are precisely what we teach in our leadership programs. Sure, we consider theories, research and case studies. But, more importantly, our focus goes beyond the academic and is on making participants in our programs look and act like leaders. Because getting something worthwhile done is what leadership is about. And there’s plenty of worthwhile things to get done in just about every organization on this planet.

A critical point here: Leadership is not theoretical, academic, or philosophical. Leadership is about getting something done, something others wouldn’t have thought possible. Leadership, therefore, is a set of behaviors. A set of complex behaviors, to be sure, but behaviors that are tangible and observable.

Leadership is also a set of emotions that help manifest the essential behaviors. In many ways, leadership is about connecting the 18 inches between the head and the heart and using both in tandem to get something meaningful done. (Thank you, again, Joey Loudermilk of Aflac fame, for this lasting and compelling image.)

If you have a few minutes – and all too little leadership in your organization – you might give us a call. We can show you how to change that situation. We can show you how to develop and hone the behaviors essential to effective leadership. You and your organization will reap the rewards for years to come.

In the meantime, we need leadership now. Wherever you are, whatever your job, it’s time to step up if you have an idea to help your organization or your country. There’s no shortage of need. There is, though, a terrible shortage of bold ideas to accelerate growth. And as we’ve seen all too clearly in these last few months, there are far too few people willing and able to assume that critical and essential leadership role.

It just might be your time. Or ours.

Try Not To Look

2011-08-07T22:00:00.000-07:00

What a disappointing week.

Let's start with a story heard by few but one with enormous implications. Physicists at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology reported last week that time travel is, brace yourself, impossible. They have demonstrated that Einstein -- himself likely a time traveler from the future -- was right when he postulated that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light. The research team, led by Du Shengwang, said they had proved that a single photon 'obeys the traffic law of the universe' by not being able to travel faster than light. As a result, they postulated, nothing or no one can move forward or backward in time.

Clearly, these physicists have not followed Star Trek, know nothing about the space-time continuum or, for that matter, the flux capacitor. And they've probably never driven a DeLorean.

Even so, I'm bummed. Because if there was ever a time period to leave and seek one better, it's this nightmare of a time we're slogging through now.

Our inability to travel through time -- except in our current forward motion, one-day-at-a-time manner -- wasn't the only disappointment of the week.

How about the performance of the 'leaders' of this great country of ours? (The term 'leaders' is used here incredibly loosely and, frankly, in a thoroughly mocking fashion.)

A good week for them and for us, no?

Oh, the things they did and the things we got! A new debt ceiling agreement that will cut rather than invest in our future. No new revenue. The need to cut more than $2 trillion from spending over the next 10 years. Absolutely no talk, much less a plan, to create jobs. And, if that wasn't enough, the first-ever downgrading of our debt from AAA to AA+ by Standard & Poor's, an event likely to have huge and far-reaching implications. Not to worry, though, as those effected by the downgrade will likely only be those who need a job, need companies to invest, need to borrow to buy a home or finance a business, have money tied up in the stock market, are thinking of retiring in this lifetime or, perhaps, breathe air.

(Yes, one firm downgrading our debt does not lead necessarily to higher borrowing rates. That takes two. But watch how the world reacts to the downgrading this week. It won't be pretty.)

And then there was the dreaded jobs report. Better-than-predicted growth, but a continuing lack of widespread hiring. An unemployment rate that dropped from 9.2 to 9.1. Millions still out of work -- and countless others opting to end their job search. But at least we have a new debt ceiling.

On another front, let's not overlook the fun Congress put the FAA through last week. Their political games caused 4,000 FAA employees to be put temporarily out of work, forced airport and airline safety inspectors to work without pay and fund their own travel, sidelined up to 70,000 construction workers and prevented the collection of airport fees totally $200 million per week. Like this is something we can afford. At least the FAA is now back to work. At least that.

After such a magnificent week, what did Congress then do? Yes! They went on vacation.

Actually, members of Congress going on vacation might have been the single best thing they could have done for the country. It's hard to destroy an economy, jeopardize air travel safety, and kill hopes for a job and retirement while tanning.

Ah, but Congress did pay a price, of sorts, for their inability to run the country anywhere but straight into the ground: A whopping 82% disapproval rate, as reported by The New York Times. The highest disapproval rating since The Times began asking the question in 1977.

Too bad that's the only consequence of their actions. Too bad someone can't change the locks on Congress -- and the White House, for that matter -- before everyone returns. A bit of unemployment for politicians might go a long way to creating some empathy, some sensitivity for what much of this country is experiencing. Too bad they'll eventually come back from vacation. Can't wait to see what they next have planned.

For weeks, we at TJOW have been bemoaning the lack of leadership in Washington. We have put forward plan after plan to employ millions. We've implored Washington to step up and do what is desperately needed: Create jobs. We have looked for even the smallest hint that our government would take bold action to lower the unemployment rate, to give people hope, to infuse the economy with an urgency and a purpose.

Sadly, we may have been aiming too high. Now, we wonder about the lack of empathy, the lack of sensitivity, the lack of concern for the plight of the vast majority of this country's population. We wonder if Congress and the White House are even aware of our daily existence. We wonder if they care.

So much for leadership. And too bad time travel is impossible.

Where Have All The Real Leaders Gone?

2011-07-31T22:00:00.000-07:00

As the deadline of Tuesday looms large, and the possibility -- remote as it likely is -- of the country defaulting on its bills continues to exist (at least as of press time for TJOW), I have several thoughts, each more angry than the next.

1. Who are these people in Washington and what do they think they're doing with our money and our lives?

2. How much pain and suffering will more than a trillion dollars of cuts cause in an economy that is stagnate and fraught with high unemployment? (By the way, for those uncertain, this is a trillion dollars: $1,000,000,000,000. That's an awful lot of zeroes to have to cut from the budget.)

3. Did anyone in the House or the Senate study -- and pass -- arithmetic as a child? Asked another way, does anyone there know how to add? Since when does less income + less spending = more jobs? Maybe math works differently based on political party affiliation. You know, like science.

4. So, Social Security -- something we've all been forced to pay into our entire working lives -- is now considered an entitlement? Please.

5. Why is NO ONE talking about job creation?

6. So, this is what being held hostage feels like?

7. Is there a way to disband government and start fresh? How much does it cost to have Congress? Probably less than a trillion dollars, but not much.

8. Lastly, and most importantly, where have all the real leaders gone?

What we and the entire world are watching, live and in living color, is a train wreck. A train wreck of magnificent proportions. A train wreck of such staggering power that it will likely prevent significant economic growth for years.

And, no, we're not talking politics here (as much as I'd love to, especially since I believe we're watching the emergence of a third political party). Instead, this is about leadership. Or, in this case, the complete and utter absence of sound, effective, decisive leadership.

Where have all the real leaders gone?

You know of what I speak: The leader who defines an ambitious goal, engages people in the pursuit of that goal, and works tirelessly to achieve it. The leader who lets nothing and no one prevent achievement of that goal. The leader who captures our attention, our imagination, our admiration and, often, our heart. The leader who, with support from others, gets it done.

In this train-wreck of a situation, there's not a leader to be found. Instead, all we have is carnage.

Mr. President, this blog is for you.

Mr. President, you had a wonderful chance last week. There, before the nation (or anyone not watching Dancing With The Stars or whatever was on during your brief address), you could have explained the situation with brutal clarity and defined in a no-nonsense, take-no-prisoners way what you believed must happen to resolve this mess. To some degree, you did the first part. But on the second, Mr President, you whiffed. By a mile.

We know what you wanted to say. We could see it in your eyes: Increase the debt ceiling. No budget cuts while the economy is still struggling to right itself. (Actually, our vote is to increase spending to stimulate the economy, but that's somewhat beside the point.) No tax cuts. You could have explained why this is the best solution, even if it's contentious to many.

See, that's what real leaders do. They live by their convictions, not by the convictions of others. They do what they believe to be right. Even if unpopular.

And then, Mr. President, you could have done something truly remarkable. Something that would have captured our imagination, to be sure. Something bold, something honorable. Something a real leader would do. (And something suggested to me by that great political thinker and man about town, Jean-Paul Gressieux.) Mr. President, you could have then offered to not run for reelection had your proposal been passed by Congress.

A selfless act of courageous leadership. Standing by and for your convictions, by what you believe to be right for the country. Assuming, of course, that you do have convictions when it comes to the economy.

You could have changed the entire conversation. Instead of the debate being political -- with the Republicans and Tea Partiers eager to see you dethroned -- you could have made it a discussion about growing the economy. Imagine that.

You could have put the well-being of your people ahead of everything. You could have short-circuited the rhetoric of your adversaries. You could have changed the game.

That's leadership.

This, on the other hand, is a train wreck.

Cool Thoughts

2011-07-24T22:00:00.000-07:00

New York City. TJOW comes to you this week from the amazingly warm city of New York. And when we say 'amazingly warm', we really mean hot beyond human comprehension. Friggin' hot. Heat that takes your breath away. Heat that enshrouds you, invades your pores, and saps every bit of energy. Heat that disrupts brain cell activity. Heat to make you cry.

How hot? 104 degrees in Central Park with, because someone has a sardonic sense of humor, high humidity. Weather you can swim in. Weather, we're told, that feels like 113. Like we have the capacity to feel the difference between 104 and 113. Maybe some can. To me, it's simply brutally oppressive.

I don't know about you, but once the temperature passes, say, 95, it moves into that range I refer to as Way Beyond Reason, or You've Got To Be Kidding, or, Why Did I Shower?, or, more aptly, Just Shoot Me, Please. Uncivilized heat.

New York is not alone, of course, as much of the nation has been sweltering and more for the last week. Newark, New Jersey, set an all-time high of 108, Washington, D.C., set a record for a peak heat index of 121 degrees, Philadelphia set a daily record of 103, Portland, Maine, reached 102 degrees. (Portland, Maine.) At that's just in the East. In some mid-west regions, around Oklahoma City for one, the temperature hovered at 100 degrees at midnight. That's just wrong.

To put this in some perspective, Phoenix was 103. In the summer. In the desert.

Have you tried cooking an egg on a sidewalk? Apparently, this is all the rage in many parts of the country. If you do, keep in mind that the same thing that's happening to that egg is happening to you. Be sure to wear sunscreen. We recommend an SPF rating of at least 2,000. Wear a hat. And, to play it safe, cover yourself with aluminum foil. (Shiny side out.)

So, as a public service to those suffering through what meteorologists have been referring to as 'a massive heat dome', 'an intense inversion layer' or 'extreme heat' (insert wisecrack here) -- and what we refer to as 'really atrocious weather' -- this week we offer Cool Thoughts. Not necessarily thoughts that will keep you cool, mind you, but thoughts we hope you find cool. You know, not cool -- but cool (a la the Craw, not the craw! for you Get Smart fans). But, who knows, maybe ideas can be both cool and cool. You decide.

Doing more with more (see last week's blog) is more than a clever line. It's a concept to help improve performance, one designed to enhance quality and service. It's an approach to sustaining growth. And if you read last week's blog (we know who you are), you know that the second 'more' does not mean more people, more resources or more time. It means more engagement, more commitment, more mentoring, more enthusiasm, more fun. Our experience suggests strongly that your people have ideas about what to do. They need to be given the opportunity to explore those ideas in a structured way, refine them, and to be shown how to implement them effectively. That's where we come in. Literally.

Working harder isn't the answer. Given that most equate 'working hard' with 'putting in way too much time', our clients tell us that many of their people have peaked or will soon do so. More effort is not the ticket to improved performance, nor is working smarter (whatever that is). What is viable is working differently. Creative, dare we say, elegant solutions come when leadership requests new ways to get things done. It's the 'new' in that statement that can drive breakthrough ideas -- and breakthrough performance.

Behavior change -- real, lasting behavior change -- can happen while you watch. We've heard all of the rumors about change being cumbersome, difficult, and painful. There's undoubtedly some truth to these rumors, but we haven't experienced these problems. Our data is clear: People will change their behavior if there is a compelling reason to do so. And, given a compelling reason and effective change processes, they'll do it quickly. As a result, our approach to change is significantly different from others and, according to our clients, more effective. Check out Shiftpoint. It's an example of one of the highly effective behavior change tools in our quiver.

Will the real leaders please stand up? If there was ever a time for leadership, this is it. I'm not referring to managers who simply call themselves leaders. I'm referring to bold individuals who set an ambitious, visionary goal, instruct her or his people to develop a plan to achieve it, and, once approved, empower (I can't believe I just used that word) people to implement that plan. With precision and speed. An individual who makes things happen with and through her or his people. An individual who leads change, who seeks and finds different, better ways to get things done. That's a real-deal leader. They can and should exist throughout your organization, not just at the top. And we can show you how to build them.

Cool thoughts. Maybe it will lead to a cooler week ahead.

Do More With More

2011-07-17T22:00:00.000-07:00

As the economy stumbles along and our elected officials continue to squabble over how best to right our floundering ship from afar (There is a right answer, Mr. President!), the pressure on many at work continues to grow steadily. There's less of everything -- coworkers, assistance, support, resources, mentoring, time, fun -- and in many organizations, the decline continues. It's sad, but true. Meanwhile, increased productivity and greater results are essential. Sink in shark-infested waters, or swim to land -- where there roam hungry, carnivorous predators of all sizes and shapes. Either way, you're lifespan is severely threatened.

It's not a pretty picture, to be sure. (But there's undoubtedly a movie in it, because there's always a movie in it. Working titles for our script: "I'm Toast", "The Joy of Eating", "My Teeth Are That Into You", or "Eat, Love and Eat More".)

No, it's not a pretty picture, when the 'we-must-do-more-with-less' mantra is trotted out repeatedly. But of course, you say, welcome to my life: Longer hours (for the salaried employees among us), higher goals (for nearly everyone), a need to be connected to work 24/7, furlough days, salary cuts, a bonus a thing of the past, stock options underwater (for those 'lucky' enough to have retirement funded by company stock), frequent restructuring eliminating any chance of advancement, retirement only a dream.

At least I have a job, you say. And medical insurance. At least that.

We're here to say there's a better way. Doing more with less is so short-sighted, so last century. Instead, there's a way to increase profitability and, in the process, create a highly-productive, highly-engaging work environment that can sustain growth and, importantly, is a blast to work in. An environment that attracts top performers, retains the best, develops leaders and outperforms the industry. All said, a new way to compete.

We say, how about doing more with more?

The first 'more' in that question refers to more service, more quality, more performance, and more profit. The second 'more' refers to more engagement, more commitment, more mentoring, more enthusiasm, more fun. Definitely not more cost. Not necessarily more people, either. (But you'll need more people as your business grows and flourishes. And we promise that it will. Flourish, that is.)

The key? It's two-fold:

Live each day as if it's your first.
Get in touch with us. Now. While there's still time.

Our mission at The Schnur Consulting Group is to help you do more with more. To make your company incredibly successful -- through your people -- and to help you outpace the industry. In the process, we'll help you make your company a formidable competitor for years to come.

Isn't that what business is all about? Sustaining growth and profitability for the long-term? Outperforming the industry? Kicking ass?

We say it is. Losing is for losers. Winning is for those with intelligence, clever strategy, stamina, backbone, and a pile of people who will willingly and eagerly go to the mat for and with you.

Getting there is the challenge. And the fun. It's like living each day as if it's your first.

Call us; we'll explain.

They Got It Wrong

2011-07-10T22:00:00.000-07:00

For years, we've been told that to enjoy life to the fullest, we should live each day as if it was our last.

The logic is simple: By choosing to live each day as if we have only one to live, we're bound to live that day more enthusiastically, more passionately, more thankfully. Overlooking the trivial -- which, not surprisingly, often accounts for a huge portion of the typical day -- and focusing instead on the truly important things will, the theory goes, help us live large.

It's a useful concept, a good one even, one that might motivate us to see beyond the minutiae, beyond the many aggravations that often prevent happiness and fulfillment and help us enjoy this life we're living.

But we are here to say that the idea of living each day as if it was our last is a shortsighted one. Backwards, actually. Because they -- whoever 'they' are -- picked the wrong day.

We at TJOW have a better idea. We believe that it would be a far better approach to live each day as if it were our first.

And, no, not Life: Day One. For many of us, that's too far back, with no useful memory of it. Being a newborn again is not what we had in mind. (But, come to think of it, being swaddled, kept warm by loving arms, and fed every few hours -- with absolutely no other responsibilities -- has its allure. Sounds like an idea for a new type of spa. Or a Woody Allen movie.)

No, not that first day. The other really special, memorable first days. The first day of kindergarten. The first day owning a bicycle. For many, that first Christmas. The day you learned to swim. That first sleep-over. The first day in Disneyland. Going to your first professional ball game (especially, for me, if it was at night). The first day of high school. The first day of driving a car on your own. The first day of college. That first big trip. The first day living in your own place. The first day meeting your sweetheart. The day you knew he or she was The One. The first day on that sought-after new job. The first day after getting the promotion. The first day being a parent.

There have been so many great first days.

Remember your first days? The anticipation, the fear? The mystery of the unknown? Not sleeping the night before, your mind filled with ideas too many to sort through? The electricity charging your every synapse, heightening the sensation at every nerve ending? How time seemed to stop, or at least, how it slowed to a crawl? Remember the excitement, the passion? Remember the joy?

That's being alive. That's living large.

First days are terrific in so many ways. The newness, the unknowing, the extent to which it's all so foreign, so amazingly new. Your senses are set in Overdrive. The colors seem brighter, the smells sweeter, the sounds more crisp. You notice everything. The stimulation envelops you, ensnares you. You become a very part of the moment, a very part of the place. You might forget to breathe, it's so exciting.

That's being alive. That's living large.

First days, by definition, are days of questions, of learning. Who are these people? What are these things? Why do things happen this way here? Where did all of this come from? When do I get to be a part of it? How can I make this a part of me? So much to assimilate, so many options.

That's being alive. That's living large.

The excitement, coupled with the learning, is what makes a first day, well, a first day. For that's what being alive, truly alive, is all about: Seeing for the first time, adding experiences, incorporating new ideas, exploring new concepts, feeling our way through a new world, becoming a part of it, and loving every minute of it.

(Tangentially, it's what we who spend our time as consultants do every day. It's one of the things that makes this line of work so very special. More on that next week.)

So, this week, live each day as if it's your first. Because there's nothing as exciting, as invigorating, as alive as that first day.

You Look Mahvelous

2011-07-03T22:00:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday, country. You don't always get it right, but you get it right far more than not. And you always look good doing it.

For your viewing -- and patriotic -- pleasure, we bring you a few of our favorite things about this great country of ours, from east to west. Consider it a birthday card. And if a picture is worth a thousand words, here are 21,000 of them.

See you next week.

An Era for the Ages

2011-06-26T22:00:00.000-07:00

Years from now historians will look back on this time -- this wild, amazing, perplexing, infuriating time we live in -- and wonder what in the world we were up to. Others, like yours truly, wonder every day about the state of our sanity. For it truly is a time defined by brilliance and, unfortunately, idiocy and lunacy. The problem, however, is that for those of us scoring at home, idiocy and lunacy have a HUGE lead over anything resembling brilliance. Possibly an insurmountable lead. Indeed, if our scoring is correct -- and who's to say it isn't? -- it might take years to even things out.

So, let us count.

On the brilliance side, we've got:

Mind-boggling technology. Smart phones that do just about everything but wash our clothes, pads that rival those on Star Trek, cars you can talk to and that park themselves, an ability to connect to just about anyone on the planet at nearly the speed of light. Wires will soon be a thing of the past. Watch TV on a television? How gauche. Machines that can watch our brain think and that can almost see our thoughts. Software that types what you say. Dick Tracy watches that allow you to see who you're talking to? Been there, done that.

Fuel-efficient transportation. Not quite alternative fuel automobiles, but we're getting there. Hybrids and, finally, electric cars offer viable options to fossil fuel-powered cars. The door is open and the rush is on. Even Detroit -- yes, Detroit! -- is producing reasonably cool hybrids and electric vehicles. At very long last.

Advances in medicine. Surgery without scalpels. Diseases fatal just 10 years ago can now be managed long-term; some are even curable. Researchers on the cusp of developing treatment and cures for the most deadly of diseases. As a result, we're living longer and better. Many of us, anyway. Too bad health care is prohibitively expensive and millions don't have access to it. Too bad others are working hard to prevent access to those who aren't able to pay. So much for being the wealthiest country on the planet.

That's the good side. It's a short list, but try as I might, nothing else qualifies. Tell me I'm wrong.

On the idiocy, lunacy, what-were-they-thinking? side, the list is long. Here are just some:

A greed-inspired economic disaster. A near global economic meltdown caused, in no small part, by the machinations of a select few who were then handsomely and grotesquely rewarded for their efforts by our government. Thank you, Goldman Sachs, thank you U.S. Treasury Department, thank you U.S. Congress. Millions out of work, tens of thousands forced out of their homes. Millions more unable to retire in the foreseeable future. This disaster has had such widespread and long-term effects that the merits of home ownership, a foundation of our economy, are now in question. While a very few are too big to fail, the rest of us are not. Thanks, again, to those of you who became wealthy beyond reason at the expense of all of us.

Global warming: What's to worry? Speaking of meltdown, our widespread complacency regarding climate change makes the list. Amazing that we're able to overlook the data and continue nearly as normal. Read Al Gore's article in this week's Rolling Stone magazine or, better, yet, Mark Hertsgaard's terrific book, Hot. Both will anger you and inspire you. And while the recent multitude of natural disasters may not be directly connected to global warming, don't you think someone is trying hard to send us a message? Something akin to 'Wake up and smell your planet changing -- before it's too late.'

Costly wars abroad vs. 'nation-building' at home. Even as we wage expensive and illegal wars -- now Libya? -- at a combined cost of roughly $10 billion per month, community after community throughout the country is forced to lay off police and teachers. Might our priorities be a bit askew? Just asking.

Religion trumps science. Not unlike the Dark Ages, faith is being used by many to debunk long-standing scientific findings. Creationism and 'intelligent design' are taught side-by-side with evolution in school classrooms in a variety of states. Mark Twain said it best in 1897: "In the first place God made idiots. This was for practice. Then he made school boards." Do some also hold fast to the notion, despite enormous evidence to the contrary, that the sun revolves around the earth? Undoubtedly.

When church crushed state. Remember how church and state were to exist separately in this country? Ha! Members of Congress who represent one segment of one religion are able to dictate to everyone what is and what is not an 'appropriate' lifestyle. And, in the process, define marriage -- which we erroneously thought was a religious concept. Even so, way to go, New York! You've now joined Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Iowa (Iowa!), and Washington, D.C. as states allowing all people, regardless of sexual orientation, to marry. Nice.

The other side of each story. News that's not really 'news'? Ever have doubts about Fox News, especially when study after study shows their viewers to be the most misinformed? Check out an interesting interview between Chris Wallace and Jon Stewart. Aside from Wallace's attempts to equate Comedy Central and Jon Stewart with news, listen for Wallace's views as to what Fox News does. Hint: It's about providing the 'other side' of news stories -- despite the network's mantra of being 'fair and balanced'. The interview is nearly 15 minutes, but worth the time.

A loss of perspective. As technology connects us like never before, our ability to remain disconnected is as strong as ever. How else to explain famine and disease throughout the world that go unaided? Where's the hue and cry? Will history look back on us as a civilization that could have but elected not to?

Is this the best of times, the worst of times? Possibly. But, based on our scoring, it's leaning heavily to the worst of times. Maybe it's time we each stepped in and did something about it. Just sayin'.

Have a good week.

Dear Mr. President (yet again)

2011-06-19T22:00:00.000-07:00

Dear President Obama:

I hope you enjoyed a very happy Father's Day with your daughters.

Based on the number of e-mails you've been sending me personally of late, we must be entering that sporting season of all sporting seasons: The Presidential Campaign Season. Now that basketball and hockey seasons are finally over, and with football fans still being held hostage by wealthy, pampered, egocentric men who have never really had to work for a living, I thought the only game in town was baseball. How very short-sighted of me! Nothing says say-one-thing-and-do-another like a Presidential Campaign Season, now does it.

And how about those e-mails, Mr. President! In the last three weeks alone, you've asked me to:

Donate $25 today
Donate $190 to have the opportunity to win a dinner with you (Is wine included?)
Contribute $250 to the Democratic National Committee
Host a party at my home
Register voters in Oakland
Donate $350 today
'Tap' a friend on the shoulder so he/she can donate to your campaign
Donate an amount -- would $250 work for you? -- to be used as a matching contribution

And that's just the last three weeks. I can't wait to see what you ask for in the next three weeks.

I'm touched, Mr. President, that you would write to me as often as you have of late. Touched, but not pleased. Especially since you have yet to respond to either of our job-creation ideas. Been too busy looking for cash?

If you recall, Sir, our first proposal on August 8, 2010 outlined a plan to put 5 million people to work upgrading every public school in this country. The second proposal published on August 29, 2010 urged you to employ another 5 million people to repair 100,000 playgrounds throughout the country and to introduce a physical fitness program for young and old alike a la John Kennedy. Each proposal was at a cost of $50 billion plus change. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) that's about the cost of 5 months of our 'involvement' in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Maybe it's time to end the wars and put 10 million unemployed people to work. Just a thought.

And, sir, that's precisely our thought on this Father's Day: It's time to put people back to work any way we can. While politicians squabble across the aisle over the role of the Federal government, millions remain unemployed. Companies have cut to the bone and, in many cases, into the bone. Most are hesitant to hire -- despite strong balance sheets -- given the slow-growing and shaky economy. As a result, work loads continue to grow, quality suffers, and ennui abounds. Meanwhile, those lucky enough to have jobs are hesitant to spend money for fear that they, too, could soon be in search of work. No wonder it's impossible to find seating during the day at coffee houses across the country.

It's not a pretty picture, Sir. Not a pretty picture at all, especially when our economy is based on spending.

We need you to act boldly. Now.

Make job creation your #1 priority. Set a target of employing 10 million by Father's Day 2012. Assemble forward-thinking, creative business leaders from a wide range of industries and give them a month to help create a plan. (The Schnur Consulting Group's FUSION process is ideal for this, Sir.) Allow a group from the private sector to oversee the execution of the plan. (We, of course, would recommend us.) Have that group report directly to you. Report progress monthly to the American people.

For your information, Sir, in recent years FUSION has produced some rather amazing business results in a number of the country's leading companies, including:

Growing revenue to $1.0 billion within 2 years (20% growth) while reducing costs by $2.5 million
Reducing time to market by 25%
Increasing customer service ratings by 20%
Eliminating 2 weeks from the year-end closing process
Reducing voluntary turnover among top performers and high potentials by 25% or more
Increasing market share by 15% in 2 years
Decreasing the time required to fill job vacancies with successful candidates by 50%, and
Decreasing the learning curve among new hires by 50%.

If FUSION can produce these significant business gains, it can certainly help develop a plan to employ 10 million people. All things considered, employing 10 million people will be a cake-walk when compared with cutting 2 weeks from the year-end closing process. Just ask any CFO.

You can do this, Mr. President. You can find work for 10 million people by this time next year. It's bold, it's aggressive, it's visionary. It's perfect for Father's Day. Most importantly, it's what's needed. And we can help.

Man up, Sir. Don't let anyone -- or any party, including your own -- get in your way. The jobs of 10 million people -- and one other, if you know what I mean and I'm sure you do -- hang in the balance. Fathers (and mothers) everywhere will thank you.

And if you want that re-election campaign donation, Mr. President, do call or write. Operators are standing by.

Bad Signs

2011-06-12T22:00:00.000-07:00

It's our birthday!

A mere 104 weeks ago, The Job of Work burst onto the blogosphere with our very first offering, So You Think You Can Dance, a rant about how the generations are far more similar than different and how 'strategic HR' and 'airline service' might be oxymoronic. A blog that was read by a whopping 28 people -- unless, of course, some visited the sight more than once, a rather sobering thought on a number of levels.

For this reason, 'burst onto the scene' may be a bit of a self-indulgent exaggeration. 'Added to the clutter in a completely underwhelming way' may be a far more apt description.

But begin we did two long years ago this very week. History, of sorts, in the making, at least for us. Indeed, during our run a far-reaching revolution began in the Middle East, natural disasters of epic proportions occurred all too frequently around the globe, and our economy continued to grow if only slightly. "Sus papeles, por favor." and "Your birth certificate, Mr. President?" were likely the two most insidious expressions heard repeatedly over the last two years. Rapture didn't happen, many greats died, and, among many other things, a certain San Francisco-based ball club won the World Series.

To those of you who have been with TJOW every step of the way, we deeply and throughly apologize. Oh, the things you could have been doing instead! Come to think of it, oh, the things we could have been doing instead. But, hey, there's nothing quite like sitting alone in front of a blank screen on the weekend -- 104 of them -- wondering what to write while the rest of the world plays. Or, lately, while the rest of the world sends photos of their genitalia to new-found Internet friends, an act that takes flashing to an entirely new and so 21st century level. And then says that treatment is needed. No kidding.

(That Brett Favre and Kayne West did it is one thing, but this guy's name is Weiner! You simply can't make this stuff up. And it just goes to show: Stupidity transcends political affiliation.)

I can't wait to see how the psychology world, of which I am a part, responds. Because, hey, there's got to be a therapy for that. How soon will we see specialized treatment for Erotic Texting Disorder, or, better yet, Dysfunctional Interpersonal Cyberism, to become known as DIC Syndrome? Regardless, this type of texting is definitely prohibited while driving a motor vehicle.

Speaking of symptoms that indicate serious problems, let's talk about bad signs in the workplace. The kind of signs that require careful scrutiny unless one is to miss their true meaning. Signs that reveal issues capable of taking down a company. Signs of real trouble. Big, ugly, sinister trouble.

Let's start at the top.

1. Your Board always agrees with you. While to some this may sound close to nirvana, in reality a Board in constant agreement with leadership is often a symptom of larger significant issues. Boards are designed to provide independent, objective and expert guidance. By definition, Boards and leadership should disagree at times, if only to force greater analysis, understanding and clarity. Boards that rubber stamp are not performing their fiduciary duty nor are they adding value. Boards that agree constantly either haven't done their homework, aren't interested in learning, are afraid to disagree with leadership and/or each other (an all too common finding, by the way), or may be in it sorely for the honorarium. They look left, even though the need is to look right. Regardless, it's trouble.

2. The leadership team plays nice, acts nice. Beware if your executive managers, when together, fail to confront key issues, overlook difficult topics, or skate past nagging problems. Be concerned if voices are never raised, emotions are always held in check, and disagreements are rare. Be afraid, be very afraid, if playing nice is more valued than being honest. This isn't about not being polite. Au contraire. This is about identifying problems, developing plans to address them, executing those plans and monitoring progress. Done well, there will be different points of view and disagreements. Which is exactly what's needed to succeed, as there's never just one way.

3. Decisions are made but are not supported. The ever sinister "I-know-that's-what-we-decide-to-do-but-no-way-am-I-going-to-do-it" dynamic. The first step toward anarchy and, if played out, bankruptcy. I doubt you would be surprised how often we see this dynamic alive and well in corporations throughout this country. Just about any company unable to perform to expectations likely has this dynamic to thank, in part, for its under-performance. This is a silent but amazingly effective killer.

4. Long-standing business issues remain long-standing business issues. Imagine having made two lists of key business issues facing your organization or department. One you made two years ago after having read the first TJOW entry. The other you made this morning. How would those two lists compare? If the majority of issues is the same across both lists, you've got bigger problems. Failure to address and solve business issues typically suggests inadequate leadership, an inability or unwillingness to discuss issues openly or productively, low creativity/resourcefulness, insufficient backbone, lack of accountability, poor execution, and/or simple laziness. It also screams the fact that mediocrity is acceptable. If this is your organization, good luck. Because those who want to win will go elsewhere.

5. The time to fill open positions is taking longer than before. While this could be the sign of an inefficient or non-strategic HR Staffing function, it could also be that your organization is not seen to be a worthy place to pursue a career. Don't fool yourself, especially in this current economic climate where unemployed talent is abundant. (Thanks Goldman Sachs!) What was once a 'sexy' industry -- film and television, for example -- may now be an industry considered more appropriate for 'mature' individuals (read: old). (A study we conducted confirmed this.) Also, being among the 100 best companies to work for plays well within the organization but may be meaningless to those seeking careers -- especially to those elusive high potential individuals who are out to change the world. (This, too, was confirmed in a study we conducted.) All in all, if it's getting harder, costing more and taking longer to put talented butts in your seats, you've got a problem. The longer you delay in addressing it, the bigger the issue you'll face. Especially since your choices may be limited to less desirable talent. Like, for example, zombies.

All bad signs, all with the power to take a huge bite out of a bottom line.

Importantly, though, there is an effective solution for each. If you're ready to deal with your bad signs, let's talk. Together we can solve them.

Have a good week. And, again, happy birthday, TJOW.

Creating a Culture of Winning

2011-06-05T22:00:00.000-07:00

As we mentioned last week, among the many mysteries of the universe that exist we find one inexplicable. And, no, this has nothing whatsoever to do with black holes, quantum mechanics, why mass increases to infinity as it approaches the speed of light, the curious attraction people have for Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann (shouldn't a President be intelligent?), the influence the religious right is having on the Republican party, why certain Goldman Sachs executives are not in jail, or why some believe that continued or even greater tax credits for the wealthy will help us dig out of our economic malaise.

Instead, we're perplexed about this mystery of the universe:

The vast majority of organizations -- even those in competitive sectors -- elect not to focus on winning, much less create a culture of winning.

This, despite the fact that:

Performance at work improves markedly when people are given a chance to compete

Competition tends to increase significantly one's engagement in and commitment to their job and to their company -- outcomes many companies claim to desire

Most of us love to win

Top performers and high potential employees typically seek employment in organizations where they can, indeed, win

Nearly all of us want our company to be a winner, to be considered a market leader, to be among the very best, and, critically

Most companies would benefit from a measurable boost in performance -- as would all of us. (Doubt us? Check your latest 401(k) statement and tell us which of the companies you've invested in is performing to your expectations. Are there any?)

Which, of course, makes us wonder why remarkably few companies take steps to inspire their people to outperform the competition. And why even fewer discuss winning.

Asked a different way, why don't more companies engage their people in a truly meaningful way to increase performance? Is leadership unaware of the connection between competition and performance improvement? Might leadership not know how to use our very human competitive nature to their best advantage? And/or, is leadership hesitant or even reluctant to allow their organizations to truly compete -- for fear of losing?

Regardless, most companies are missing an absolutely golden opportunity. For whatever reasons -- and we believe it's directly related to leadership's trepidation about allowing true competition to exist within their walls -- most organizations are consciously electing not to use the power of competition. And, as a result, they are putting enhanced employee engagement, increased efficiency, faster time-to-market, improved customer service, elevated quality, and, of course, improved profitability at risk.

Might it be that we've grown comfortable with mediocrity?

We can't afford business as usual. It's time for a change. Our economy demands it. (Again, name one company -- especially the one you work for -- that wouldn't benefit from a significant boost in performance.) It's time to put our competitive juices to work at work. Now is the time to create a culture of winning.

We can show you how to transform your organization into one capable of sustained growth and, potentially, market leadership. We can show you how you can mobilize your people to increase efficiency, reduce costs and elevate service quality. We can show you how to capture the hearts of your employees and inspire them to perform to entirely new levels. We can show you how to develop and deploy metrics to enable real-time, on-the-fly performance gains. We can show you how to win.

Give us an hour. Your people -- and your stockholders -- will be glad you did.

Still Here

2011-05-29T22:00:00.000-07:00

Looks like we've made it through Rapture. Turns out, sadly, that May 21 wasn't The Day after all. Reverend Camping, flabbergasted as he says he was, tells us that we now have until October 21. This means, of course, that some of us won't see the World Series.

Is it just me, or do you think by now that the math would be a bit more accurate? Camping had 7,000 years to get this right and he's whiffed twice. (His original prediction: October 21, 1994.) Regardless, you've got to hand it to the good Reverend. When he blows it he blows it big, for the entire world to see.

Let's hope that the third time is the charm.

We could use a good cleansing, especially since we're talking about the religious right. The impending Rapture will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the upcoming race for President as Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann, both about to announce their candidacy, will certainly be among those saved. We'll miss their intelligence, compassion and open-mindedness, their grasp of complex issues, their global views, and their deep concern for the rights of others.

If we're lucky, Rapture will also effect those who nearly single-handedly caused the economic climate we're living through. We're talking about a few from Goldman Sachs who created toxic investment products and sold them to their customers while, simultaneously, betting heavily against them. We're also talking about everyone who helped deregulate the banking industry. You know who you are. Millions lost their job, hundreds of thousands lost their home, municipalities and schools struggle everywhere, and we're not out of the woods yet. Did you make enough money? Just askin'.

Judgment Day awaits. Please let it happen this time.

But there's still time, people. October 21 is a ways off. Plenty of time to get your affairs in order, flip off that evil boss, say your good-byes, and prepare for eternity. For those of you who are sure you'll be leaving us, please forward the keys to your house and car, as well as bank account information. Passwords too, please. You won't be needing them where you'll be going. We have it on very good authority that transportation is free and that you'll be given everything you could possibly need. Including what's referred to by people in the know as Heaven Whites. (Note that the shoes are comfortable but lack style. Also, no accessories. Plan accordingly.) By the way, Apple just released a white iPhone. Coincidence? You be the judge.

Speaking of mysteries of the universe, here's one we find perplexing:

People perform better at work -- and are significantly more engaged -- when given a chance to compete

Most of us love to win and want our company to be a winner, to be among the very best

The vast majority of companies claim to be in a competitive business and could certainly use a measurable boost in performance, yet -- and here's the kicker

Remarkably few companies create a culture of winning, where people are inspired to outperform the competition.

When was the last time the workforce in this country was given the opportunity to go for the brass ring? Do we even know what winning looks like at work?

Sales organizations are, of course, the exception, as often are Marketing functions. But when was the last time anyone in IT, Finance, HR, Manufacturing, R&D, Customer Service, or any other segment of a company was driven to win -- even encouraged to win? With purpose, in a planned fashion? With knowledge of the competition, with systems and processes to allow for on-going performance improvement, with support of leadership to change on the fly to increase their ability to compete? With metrics to define success?

The answer: Competing is rarely encouraged. Winning isn't even discussed.

Curious, don't you think? More importantly, might this explain why mediocre performance plagues so many organizations?

Why the conundrum? Are companies missing a terrific opportunity to engage their people in a truly meaningful way to increase performance? Is there a fix, one that produces significant, sustained gains?

Can you spell The Schnur Consulting Group? Transforming a culture to one where winning is essential is one of our passions and one of our specialties.

Come back next week. We'll talk.

Rapture or Just Bad Weather

2011-05-22T22:00:00.000-07:00

I'm just not sure how much time and energy I should put into this week's blog. I mean, after all, no one might be around during the week to read it. Not with this Rapture thing hanging over our heads.

According to 'brother' Harold Camping, the leader of Family Radio Worldwide, the independent Christian broadcast ministry, the end of the world as we know it begins on May 21. The Rapture. Five months of hell on earth. Beginning by time zone on the 21st until the entire world is encompassed, the few saved by God will ascend to heaven while the rest of us will be left to suffer and die. Judgment Day.

[Question 1: Will it be like when we change the clocks? But, instead, do we forget the Spring forward and Fall back stuff and go straight to Apocalypse Now Global Standard Time (ANGST)?]

It's a fair assumption that I won't be among those saved. And not just because Jews aren't 'saved'. It's likely due to that thing that happened in college. Or any number of other things that make me unworthy in the eyes of Family Radio Worldwide. Like writing about them. So, I'm pretty sure I'll be around. I just don't know how many of you will be here with me.

Why is this happening now, you ask? Because it's the 7,000th anniversary of Noah's flood. (Not on your calendar? Probably way past time for you to sync.) According to brother Harold, God has been angered by our sins, like, among many others, the growing acceptance of homosexuality. And same-sex marriage. Fundamentalist Christians seem to have a great number of ways to sin. And, sadly, 'interfering in the lives of others' is not one of them.

So after 7,000 blissful years, here we are. Their website says it all, ominously: 00 days left. The Bible guarantees it.

[Question 2: Whose Bible guarantees it? Mine says nothing about Judgment Day. But since I don't speak Biblical Hebrew, I have to rely on the translation so I don't know for sure. I guess I should have paid more attention in Hebrew School and less attention to Debbie K.]

What do we, the unworthy, those who will be left behind, have to look forward to? Aside from less traffic, those not ascending to Heaven (that's probably you, pal) will face devastating earthquakes that unearth bodies of previously dead sinners, followed by a series of monumental calamities. Until October 21 when, wait for it, the Earth will be obliterated.

Didn't we already see that movie?

You've undoubtedly driven past the billboards. They're hard to miss, given that there are 5,500 of them worldwide. You also might have received one of the 100 million pamphlets printed in 61 languages warning us of The End.

Brother Harold, a spry 89, clearly doesn't mess around. Indeed, his ministry had an annual budget of $36.7 million in 2009 (the most recent IRS figures). That's an awful lot of people who are looking for a stairway to Heaven. (Sorry, I couldn't help myself. You'll stop hearing the song in your head in a day or so.) His brilliant fundraising skills aside, brother Harold did err by predicting this wrongly once before, claiming his September 1994 prediction to have been 'flawed'. (A pre-Senior moment, no doubt.)

And, get this, he graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, my alma mater, and broadcasts from Oakland, California. I have got to move.

[Question 3: Did you got the e-mail from the ministry? The one with packing instructions? I didn't. Must be a problem with my server.]

Please note: According to Family Radio Worldwide, readers of this blog are not automatically disqualified from being saved, but rest assured that you're definitely not helping your chances any. But there may still be time. Check their website for ways to donate.

[Question 4: Is there a dress code for Heaven? And, if so, can one wear white shoes after Labor Day?]

Some are afraid (apparently this includes many children). Some scoff. Some wonder if they'll be among those who leave this planet for a far, far better place. Some, like my friend Jean-Paul, look forward to having more available parking.

And while others fear the end, I say: Bring it on! It's about time!

It's long overdue that the 'pure', the fundamentalists, the 'true believers' found their way to Heaven -- or, for that matter, anywhere else. All things considered, I don't care where you go, just leave us! Or, at the very least, leave us to live our lives as we choose. Don't like homosexuality or same-sex marriage? Fine. You're entitled to your own beliefs, homophobic as they may be. But don't foist your ideology on us. Or your fear. In other words: Stay out of our face. Find your Heaven and let us enjoy ours.

Assuming, of course, you're still around this week. In which case we'll still be hunting for parking.

One Hundred

2011-05-15T22:00:00.000-07:00

They said it couldn't be done.

Many said it shouldn't be done.

Most said it wouldn't last.

We've heard a lot of things, but no one on this lovely planet of ours said The Job of Work would see its 100th edition.

Yet, after 99 straight weeks of blogs (yes, we've counted) -- ranging from the banal (probably more often than not) to the sublime (or so we're told) -- here we are.

Our 100th consecutive post.

Makes one pause. One hundred blog posts. We've written them. You've read them. My, how we hope it's been worth it.

And the places we've been!

From our first blog, our first rant:

Generations only differ in age. Enough with the Baby Boomer, Gen X, Millennial differences already! This thing about generational differences in the workplace just doesn’t fly, no matter how hard the researchers work at it. The experiences of the different age groups varies – my grandparents, for example, would never have considered traveling by air, especially if snacks were an added cost – but our basic desires about work are largely the same. Who among us, regardless of age, doesn’t want meaningful work, a chance to do our job in our own style, have opportunities to grow, receive recognition for performance, get paid commensurate with our contributions, have the ability to help our company win, and, critically, to be treated with dignity and respect? Maybe we should focus on creating workplaces where our basic needs can be met, rather than debating the differences between the age groups. Maybe then more people would stop counting the days to retirement and companies could flourish.

From November 16, 2009, in which we proposed new iPhone apps:

Corporate-speak (Icon: Man laughing hard) App translates memos and other corporate communication pieces into English. An initiative is underway to explore the potential efficiency gains of a shared services model. becomes You and your job are toast. (Non-English versions soon to be available.)

From December 26, 2010, one of a series of predictions for 2011:

9. Unemployment will subside. 2011 will be the year of job creation. As confidence returns to the business world, companies will begin to hire in earnest. Look for solid growth in the tech, manufacturing, health care and financial services sectors. As a result, consumer spending will increase and despite some bumps in the road, the light at the end of this economic tunnel we've been in will be in full view.

From July 11, 2010, in the third of a 4-part discussion about the 21 century organization, we define a new way to structure companies, this being a sampling:

We humbly submit, then, that the successful, highly-profitable 21st century organization will be one characterized by:

The key operating unit: The team. Humans want to belong and a team is a great thing to be a part of. Teams imply unity and, importantly, competition. Teams are also dynamic and, dare we say it?, fun. 'Departments' and 'functions' are far less appealing and, truth be told, are boring. Organize teams and give each the authority to govern themselves as they see fit. This will have an important effect of allowing far more people to have a significant role in the quest for the vision. Which is good, because we all want to have a meaningful role at work.

On August 8, 2010, we proposed a $50 billion plan to President Obama to put 5 million people back to work updating schools and serving as classroom teachers and aides. No reply.

Later that month, on August 29, 2010, we proposed another plan to the President to upgrade 100,000 playgrounds and sports field while introducing a fitness program for youth. Again, no reply.

On August 22, 2010, we posted your responses to our blog about tolerance:

As a public service and to champion the concept of tolerance, here, then, is your list of uncivilized, uncouth, boorish people and behaviors that require active, aggressive intolerance. These include:
Those drivers who wait until the very last opportunity to merge into slow traffic, thus causing an even longer back-up
Anyone who refers to him or herself in the 3rd person
Cigarette smokers who consider Earth their ashtray
Anyone who uses 'moral imperative' or 'moral majority' to prevent others from enjoying rights these people already have
Racists
Rude people
Stupid people ("Or at least anyone less intelligent than me." someone wrote.)
People who don't return phone calls or e-mails -- but expect you to and complain when you don't
Anyone talking on their mobile phone in a theater, bathroom, or airplane
Anyone who is unable to drive the #*%#*@ speed limit while on their phone or in a Prius, and, of course,
Intolerant people.

We've written about the soundtrack of our life and things that warm our hearts. We've urged you to sing in public, to spread joy.

We provided a defining list of 10 warnings signs of an organization's inability or unwillingness to improve. Here's the first:

"We've always done it this way." Possibly the #1 excuse for not seeking new possibilities, new solutions. Suggests that our way is the best way or, worse, the only way. Probably heard often in typewriter manufacturers and other companies which preferred death to change.

Check out the other nine.

We've written about the job of work. We've proposed deliberate acts of kindness. We've urged companies to consider an entirely new way to assess performance.

We said good-bye to Ted Kennedy, Walter Cronkite and Robert Mondavi.

And, among many other posts, we've bucked Fortune in our December 7, 2009 blog about leadership and again on April 17, 2011, Getting Your Strategy Right: A Rebuttal.

At The Job of Work, no one is too big or too powerful to be taken on. Just ask Glenn Beck.

You've been there every step of the way. We thank you for joining us on this strange, strange trip.

To the next 100.

The Pursuit of Dreams

2011-05-08T22:00:00.000-07:00

In the midst of an eventful week, dominated by news of events in Pakistan, the results of a remarkable science experiment were released. The findings, the product of an amazing experiment, 52 years in the making, confirm the validity of two key elements of Einstein's Theory of Relativity.

No, this week's blog is not about the nature of revenge, the manner in which to react to the death of an adversary, or the contributions of mothers. (Happy Mother's Day, Mom!) No politics this week. Instead, we'll consider something more ethereal: The pursuit of dreams.

But before we do, a little context. In 1916, Albert Einstein published his theory of general relativity, which described how light, gravity, space and time are governed by the movement of planets and the universe. Since then, scientists have attempted to evaluate the many applications of his theory. One aspect of relativity theory states that the revolving mass of something large like, say, Earth, imperceptibly bends and twists the very fabric of space and time in two ways. Earth distorts space-time much like a heavy person sitting on a couch. And, as the Earth revolves, it literally drags space-time around with it. (The grid in the illustration represents space-time.)

Hard to get your head around that? Too Star Trek for you? Try this: Think of an apple on a stick. Put it in a bowl of caramel and the shape of the caramel changes. Then, as you turn the apple, the caramel begins to turn too. The longer you turn the apple, more of the caramel comes along for the ride, so to speak. Now, replace the apple with Earth and the caramel with space-time and you're there. In a stickier and sweeter universe.

(One of the most complex aspects in all of astrophysics equated with an apple being dipped and rotated in caramel. That's what we do here at The Job of Work: Make the most difficult concepts approachable. Delicious, even. It's just our way of giving back.)

To test this wild notion (who was Einstein anyway and what was he smoking?), scientists were required to create breakthrough ideas and overcome technological challenges at nearly every turn along the 52-year path of this work. The researchers -- Leonard Schiff, William Fairbank and Robert Cannon of Stanford University -- elected to use four incredibly exacting gyroscopes to measure how the Earth's mass distorts space-time and pulls at objectives orbiting the planet (the 'dragging' part). At the core of the research was a set of spinning crystal balls -- part of the most precise gyroscopes ever made. One million times more sensitive than any others at the time, each one was a super-chilled orb of quartz crystal the size of a ping-pong ball polished to within 40 atomic layers of a perfect sphere. (Don't try that at home, kids.) The Guinness Book of World Records cites them as the most perfectly round objects ever made. Yes, even more round than a baseball.

Once put in orbit, the gyroscopes were first aligned perfectly with a distant 'guide' star in the constellation Pegasus. If Einstein's theory was correct, the spinning gyroscopes would tilt and wobble ever so slightly as they were dragged by the vortex of space-time stirred by Earth.

You with me so far? Good. My faith in you remains unbounded.

So, what did they find? After 52 years, budget fights, seven federal investigations, launch delays, engineering failures, and solar flares on the guide star, the researchers found that the Earth, all of its 24,900-mile circumference, indeed distorts and drags space-time. By 1.1 inches. An absolutely remarkable outcome, when it's space and time we're talking about being distorted and dragged. Einstein was proven correct and three researchers, who spent the better part of their lives in pursuit of truth, could finally rest knowing that they had done something others could only dream of doing -- and one rather important person actually thought to be impossible.

And therein lies a wonderful teaching moment. What began 52 years ago -- and experienced more twists and turns than space-time itself -- ended this past week in success. Talk about persistence and ingenuity. Talk about passion, about the drive to realize a dream. And the person who thought it was impossible to assess? Einstein himself. In 1953, Einstein, shown here at Cal Tech in Pasadena, wrote that the magnitude of the distortion and dragging was so small as to render the concept "impossible to measure". He got the theory right -- we'll give him credit for that -- but was wrong about the ability to measure the effect. Three scientists from Stanford proved that nothing is impossible -- even the measurement of Earth's impact on space-time.

Sufficient passion fuels determination which drives breakthrough thinking which, in turn, can result in the overcoming of the most impossible of odds. Even by Einstein's standards.

What this means, of course, is that you can, indeed, do it. Whatever it is, whatever you're dreaming of, you can do it. If you're passionate enough -- and you have a dream to pursue -- you can do it. Tell us we're wrong.

Way to go, Albert. Very nicely done, Leonard, William and Robert. May you serve as an inspiration to us all.

One last thing before you go: A huge shout-out to our favorite horn player, Mic Gillette (shown here with his lovely daughter, Megan), who turned 60 over the weekend. Keep blowin', Mic. Loud.

Now go find that caramel apple. You know you want one.

See you next week for our 100th edition of TJOW.

FUSION: Unleashing the Power and Passion to Change

2011-05-01T22:00:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago (Getting Your Strategy Right: A Rebuttal, April 17), we outlined the Schnur Consulting Group's approach to executing a strategic plan in an effective, sustainable way. If you recall -- and we certainly hope you do -- SCG's five recommendations include:

1. Play to win it all. Aim for the stars; your people want to be part of a winner.

2. Engage your people. Challenge them to develop recommendations to improve speed, efficiency, service, decision-making, quality.

3. Let others execute. Significant and sustained performance improvement comes from within -- not from the top. (You're kidding yourself if you think otherwise.)

4. Solicit input. Create an on-going dialogue with key stakeholders and never stop talking and listening.

5. Measure, measure, measure. Track statistically, because that which is measured has a chance of being achieved.

For most organizations, the SCG approach is a radical departure from the top-down, hierarchy-driven, inefficient and largely ineffective method used by most to execute a strategic plan. No surprise, then, that the vast majority of strategic plans fail to achieve the short- and longer-term gains they seek. And, of course, it's absolutely no wonder that most strategic plans end up gathering dust on someone's shelf. Too bad, too, because they likely hold such promise.

The key to our success in helping organizations implement strategic plans? A controlled, skillfully-facilitated, employee-driven process that unleashes ideas, passion and creative energy, a process that develops bold recommendations to achieve dramatic and sustainable bottom-line gains.

A process we call FUSION.

FUSION taps the knowledge, insight and expertise that exist within every organization. It is a contained, step-wise reaction requiring an exacting process and expert facilitation. A quantum leap from typical OD processes, FUSION demands unparalleled objectivity, authenticity and integrity only highly skilled facilitators can bring.

Here's how FUSION works at a high level:

A specific challenge -- grow revenue by 20% in the next two years, say -- is put forward to the entire company by executive management.
Individuals from throughout the organization -- from mid-managers to front-line employees -- have an opportunity to apply to become part of a special team to achieve that challenge. Required traits: Passion for the business, a creative/innovative bent, a bias for action, and expertise of the subject.
A cross-function team is selected by company leadership with SCG guidance.
The FUSION team is given its charge and an aggressive timeline by executive management and begins its work with SCG's facilitators.
Within the allotted time -- typically 2-3 months -- the FUSION team develops a set of recommendations and a business plan to achieve the challenge established by executive management.
The FUSION team presents its recommendations and business plan, complete with performance metrics, to executive management, who provide feedback to the team within a week.
The FUSION team refines its plan, as necessary, gains final approval and begins execution of the plan.

And the challenges our clients' FUSION teams have tackled -- and achieved? Amazing ones:

Growing revenue to $1.0 billion within 2 years (20% growth) while reducing costs by $2.5 million
Reducing time to market by 25%
Improving customer service ratings by 20%
Eliminating two weeks from the year-end books closing process
Reducing voluntary turnover among top performers and high potentials by 25%
Increasing market share by 15% in 2 years
Decreasing the time required to fill job vacancies successfully by 50%
Decreasing the learning curve among new hires by 50%
Reducing 'administrivia' by 25%
Becoming a Fortune Top 100 Places to Work company within 2 years

As some might say, not too shabby.

But, there's more. FUSION not only has the power to improve performance substantially, it also has the power -- by design -- to change an organization's culture, its very fabric, in profound and sustainable ways. For FUSION creates a climate where on-going performance enhancement is expected, participative, and transparent. A continual search for new ideas and new ways to do things to help the organization win becomes what we do here, how we operate.

Why?, you ask. Because FUSION:

Creates an ideal climate for idea generation and big-time problem-solving
Encourages, motivates and teaches truly talented individuals to produce breakthrough ideas -- regardless of corporate culture, politics, and/or history -- in a short period of time
Enables creativity -- and involves, in a highly meaningful way, those who most want to create a winning organization
Teaches participants to master a new, innovative approach to addressing business issues successfully, and
Seeks bold and aggressive solutions -- not perfect solutions (which tend to be elusive, time-consuming, nearly impossible to develop, and in many organizations, an excuse not to act).

Ask a FUSION participant about the experience and you're bound to hear that it was the most exciting, challenging, meaningful thing they've ever done at work. Helping your organization perform better has that effect.

But while FUSION has enormous power, it's not for everyone. It's only for those who want to improve dramatically by involving their people in the solution. The hierarchical, traditional also-rans need not apply.

Does your organization need to improve? Have a strategic plan that's going nowhere? Think your people might have the answers? Believe you can benefit from the excitement of unleashing the creativity and passion of your people?

Good. Get in touch.

Who Rocks Your World?

2011-04-24T22:00:00.000-07:00

Every year at this time, Time publishes its list of 100 most influential people in the world. Always an eclectic group, the list includes: artists, activists, reformers, researchers, heads of state, captains of industry, entertainers and a host of others. According to Time, these people 'spark dialogue and dissent and sometimes even revolution'. Barack and Michelle Obama, Oprah, Hillary, General David Petraeus, Joe Biden, Julian Assange, Prince William and Kate Middleton, Gabrielle Giffords, Amy Poehler, Mark Zuckerberg, Amy 'Tiger Mom' Chua, Michele Bachmann, Sting, Patti Smith, Rain, Colin Firth, Jonathan Franzen, a teary John Boehner, Chris Colfer (Glee is huge), and Justin Bieber. (Yes, Justin Bieber.)

Nowhere to be found: Glenn Beck, a certain ex-Governor of Alaska, Charlie Sheen.

Also nowhere to be found: People who have truly influenced me. And, likely, those who have influenced you.

For while Time's 100 may be newsworthy, including many powerful and some even truly influential people in the lives of millions, the question this week is one far more personal: Who in your life has had the ability to effect your character, impact your development, alter your behavior?

Asked another way, who rocks -- or has rocked -- your world?

Who are the people who have been a significant influence in your life? Who has helped shape who you are, provided guidance, been a motivator, a role model, an inspiration? Who has lifted your spirit, filled your heart, opened doors to new possibilities?

When you accept the award for The Best You Of All Time, who do you thank? (Will the music begin before you've completed thanking everyone?)

If you were an actual work of art -- and who isn't? -- what signatures would appear at the bottom of your canvas?

Might your 100 most influential people include: parents, siblings, offspring, friends, teachers, coaches, managers, colleagues, employees, mentors, religious leaders, authors, entertainers, artists, athletes, politicians, musicians, and/or a playwrights? A parent demanding excellence? A homeless person you pass each morning who smiles and wishes you a good day? A co-worker who gets it done with never a complaint? A manager who has taught you how to work, how to excel? Your bus driver who hums show tunes? That disabled guy at your gym who can out-lift nearly everyone? A friend who has returned to college at night to complete a degree? A teacher from years ago who lit a fire where no fire had burned before, who pushed you without mercy? An author whose character was you -- or could be you? A band that makes your heart soar? A woman who once said 'yes'? A man who once said 'no'?

Who are your influencers? Can you name them? Can you describe how they've changed your life? Equally important, do they know they're on your list?

Take a few minutes to create your list of top influencers. Be discerning, including only those who did, indeed, help define you. Since no one will see your list, avoid including politically-correct names. And no worries if you can't find 100 people; few of us can or will. Ten true influencers is a good list.

[Insert music to think by here and, please, not Jeopardy.]

Finding this difficult? Many undoubtedly will. We typically don't take the time to consider important topics of this ilk often. No muscle memory, so to speak. Don't let that deter you. Let your mind go; the names and experiences will appear.

Once your list is complete, consider these questions:

1 Does your list include a teacher? If so, why?
2. Does your list include anyone from work (past or present)? If so, who and why?

On a related note, ask yourself:

3. Might you be on someone's list? If so, why?

By definition, those on your list provided you powerful support, guidance and, likely, inspiration. Each person, in his or her own way, gave you direction and hope. Each taught you in some way how to approach the world, how to aspire to something great. Each taught you how to express who you truly are, how to be who you truly are, how to realize your dreams. Some may have even helped you dream. All helped you live large.

Your homework for this week, class, has two parts: First, complete your list. Take the time to get it right, to include everyone who has helped shape you. Then, and this is very important, honor those who are on your list by telling them the role they've played in your life.

We know this may be a difficult assignment. Even so, admit it, it's a worthy one. Especially when you consider the joy you will provide when talking with those who have done so much in your life. And who knows? Maybe someone will tell you about the value you've provided. Imagine how that might fill your heart.

Next week: An introduction to something quite cool, something we call FUSION.

Getting Your Strategy Right: A Rebuttal

2011-04-17T22:00:00.000-07:00

In the recent edition of Fortune (April 11, 2011, page 42), Verne Harnish, CEO of Gazelles Inc., outlines five ways to ensure that a company's strategic plan is effective. His five guidelines:

Play to win
Ask customers for ideas...
...But know which customer ideas to ignore
Involve middle management
Set fewer priorities

Nice, simple, safe, ideas. Yes, of course play to win. Yes, of course involve your customers. And, yes, of course limit the number of priorities you establish. But, Verne, don't you think these guidelines are a tad old-school, a bit myopic, and, possibly, fatally incomplete? More importantly, are they really the keys to driving sustained performance gains -- which, at its heart, is the ultimate purpose of a strategic plan?

We think not.

As a rebuttal, we offer the following set of requirements to ensure that a strategic plan has a fighting chance of successfully improving performance on both a short- and longer-term basis. Each is essential. To think otherwise is an error that can cost a company market share and limit its ability to compete effectively. To think otherwise may also cost a company a segment of its top talent -- a loss that can be extraordinarily expensive in so many ways.

So, as a public service, we offer our requirements for developing and executing a strategic plan with verve, efficiency and success. We call it, humbly, The Schnur Consulting Group's Keys to Strategic Plan Success.

The Schnur Consulting Group's Keys to Strategic Plan Success

1. Play to win it all. It's one thing to win, it's something much more compelling to strive to win it all, to be the best, to be the industry leader, to be the firm that all others compare themselves to. Aiming for anything less is aiming too low. An effective strategic plan sets a high, aspirational bar. Shooting for the stars can make winners. Don't take our (learned) word for it; ask the shareholders, management, employees and customers of any B-level company. They'll tell you that lower goals make for lower performance.

2. Engage your people. Assuming you've set a number of lofty goals for the next year or two, bring together a cross-functional group of your resident experts -- your management and non-management employees -- and ask them to define how best to accomplish the goals of the strategic plan. More than that, seek specific recommendations from them for performance improvement throughout your company, including:

Faster ways to market
Better customer service
Enhanced efficiencies
Process improvement
Speed of decision-making

and any other areas that can make things easier, more streamlined, while elevating productivity and quality.

Engaging your people has a number of valuable by-products. You'll get highly useful options, avoid the huge cost of an army of consultants, and will accelerate the change process needed to achieve significant performance improvement. And you won't be surprised to learn that we have a terrific process to make this happen. We call it FUSION.

3. Let others execute. Do you need to have complete control? Must you hold all of the reins? Drive a wagon. Instead, if you want significant and sustained performance improvement, give at least part of the plan to your people to execute. Indeed, if you desire -- require -- an organization capable of sustained growth, allow others to execute. In many organizations, given the rigors associated with executing a plan and the limited opportunities to do so, this involves some training. Execution training is part of FUSION and results in a cross-functional group of people able to conceive and develop comprehensive project plans, track progress statistically, report effectively, and revise as necessary to achieve and ultimately surpass objectives. An important byproduct: The development of a group of people capable of assuming leadership roles.

4. Solicit input. Start talking to your key stakeholders and don't stop. Ever. It's the dialogue that's critical. Make sure no stakeholder group is overlooked, including your employees. Continually seek ideas about how to improve, about how to enhance the experience of working with or for your firm. Find ways to share findings and use them to inform, to improve.

5. Measure, measure, measure. Whatever your goals, track them statistically. If you can't or won't assess numerically, don't include them as a goal -- because that which isn't measured won't likely happen. And here's a novel idea: Form a team of cross-functional employees to collect, analyze and report findings directly to you and your leadership team and, subsequently, communicate them to all stakeholder groups. This will broaden buy-in, hasten performance improvement, and drive growth. Just ask any company that's used FUSION.

There you have it. Our five essentials to an effective strategic plan. Thanks, Verne, for your thoughts and to Fortune for publishing them. And thanks to all of you for being able to identify brilliance when you see it (assuming, of course, that you find this to be brilliant).

One last thing: FUSION is an amazing process. Get in touch and we'll show you what it can do.

When Conversation Ends

2011-04-10T22:00:00.000-07:00

April 12 marks the 150th anniversary of the beginning of our Civil War. On this day in 1861, Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter, a military installation flying the flag of the United States in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina, a state that was the first to secede from the Union. The bombardment lasted until April 14, when the fort surrendered. It was the first victory for the Confederate army and the beginning of the most devastating conflict this continent has ever know.

The war between the states would involve over 10,000 battles -- the largest and most deadly being three days at Gettysburg, resulting in 46,000 - 51,000 casualties -- and would last nearly four years, ending on April 9, 1865. Casualties for the war totaled nearly 1,030,000, representing roughly 3% of the population. Approximately 620,000 were killed. The Civil War accounted for nearly as many deaths as in all American-fought wars combined.

On April 14, 1865, a final casualty was recorded: President Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth, a Southern sympathizer, and died the following day.

For those who fear that this will be a detailed history lesson with midterm and final to follow, let me put your mind at ease. This is not about the Civil War (though I'm still considering the idea of a final, so do pay close attention). Nor is it about the horror of war or a discussion of the causes of the Civil War. (Regardless of what you read, don't look beyond the obvious: Slavery.) Nor is this week's blog about the debate regarding the relative power of a centralized national government versus decentralized state governments. No, as compelling as these topics might be, we'll leave them for another time.

Instead, we'll consider what happens when people on two sides of an emotional issue stop talking. More specifically, we'll explore something even more debilitating: The deliberate, calculated and, sadly, increasingly successful attempt to prevent debate about our most pressing issues. This diabolical effort to inhibit meaningful dialogue is, in our opinion, creating a civil war of an entirely different, but no less dangerous sort. (Hello Sarah Palin. Hello Michele Bachmann. Hello and good-bye, Glenn Beck.)

Attempts to short-circuit debate

When conversation ends, bad things nearly always result. Not always in war, involving death and destruction -- like the one we're commemorating this week -- but in the creation of significant, powerful barriers between people. Barriers that, in turn, promote ignorance and hostility and segment entire populations. And all too often, especially of late, it appears that these barriers are being erected for the sole purpose of fermenting a dangerous division in our society, not unlike that which led to our civil war.

Of what do I speak? I'm glad you asked.

Let's begin with the highly emotional inference -- promoted by high-ranking Republicans and many in the Tea Party -- that President Obama was not born in this country and is not Christian. When was the last time a sitting president's nationality was questioned? When was the last time his religion was questioned? When was the last time this country had an African American president? Think there's any relationship between these questions? (Think four questions -- now five -- in a row is excessive?) Of course there's a relationship. Questioning the president's birthplace is a deliberate attempt to undermine his credibility, to promote anger, to rouse opposition. To suggest also that he is Muslim is designed specifically to alienate and undermine even further. This is all done to prevent Obama from being part of the discussion about the direction of this country. To create factions. To divide. Racist tactics have that effect.

That Obama's birthplace was ever questioned in the first place is amazing. That his birthplace is still a topic is more amazing. That House Speaker John Boehner can say, in regards to Obama's birthplace, "It's not my job to tell the American people what to think. The American people have the right to think what they want." is beyond amazing. That Boehner -- and many others -- can get away with it is simply astounding.

But consider this: In a recent poll reported in the Los Angeles Times (February 16, 2011), 51% of likely Republican primary voters believe that Obama was born outside the United States. More than 80% of the likely voters with a favorable impression of Sarah Palin do not believe the president is a citizen. Think the numbers for supports of Michele Bachmann are even more skewed, given her vitriol? Probably.

By the way, Winston Churchill once described fanatics as those who "can't change their mind and won't change the subject." Seems apt, no?

Let's consider another example of an emotional topic with insufficient discussion, one dividing us: Global warming. The scientific data is overwhelming and indicates two clear, incontrovertible truths:

1. Global warming is real and is happening.
2. Humans are to blame.

For a great many, though, overlooking science is an option. A steadfast belief that global warming is a cause célèbre of the Leftist tree-huggers, as some would describe them, is preventing us from discussing this serious issue productively. And while we avoid the debate in this country -- especially the options we have to slow the effects of global warming -- the planet's climate continues to change. (Interested in a very good read? Try Mark Hertsgaard's Hot.) Such is the impact of electing to ignore data and, in the process, inhibiting dialogue.

A more emotional example of data being ignored and dialogue prevented: Evolution. Try to have a conversation about evolution and you'll likely find yourself on one side of a huge wall, regardless of your religious views. You'll also find yourself labeled and assigned, unfairly, to an undesirable segment of the population: Those who do not believe, those who do not care, those who do not feel. All unfair and all designed to eliminate a good, healthy conversation about our origins.

Yet another example of a deliberate method to curtail if not fully prevent discussion is seen in the workplace in the form of the oft-heard and innovation-killing mantra, "But we've always done it this way." What a conversation stopper! What a motivation squelcher! What a terrific way to prevent growth! And, without doubt, a brilliant way to create factions -- those who defend the tried and true versus those who seek to create new traditions -- and doom an organization to long-term mediocrity. (Ah, but this is can be remedied and we can help.)

Our message: Beware those who would prevent discussion. Identify those who alienate, create factions, and work to divide us, for they are, without doubt, suppressors of freedom. Open, honest dialogue is our raison d'être, our guiding principle, our core value. Question the motives of those who would undermine the conversation, for their heart is dark and mind suspect. We are one people with many viewpoints. And should our ability to debate be taken from us by others within this land, have fear for our future as the end of conversation inevitably leads to bad things. Keep this squarely in mind as we remember the war that was fought on this continent 150 years ago.

* * * * * *

That said, let's hope you were paying close attention.

The Final Exam

1. On what fort did the Confederacy fire, marking the beginning of the Civil War?

A. Fort Sutter
B. Fort Night
C. Fort Sumter
D. Fort Lauderdale
E. Fort Knox

2. On what day did the Civil War end?

A. April 9, 1965
B. April 9, 1856
C. April 9, 1865
D. April 9, 1855
E. April 9, 1857

3. Which state was the first to secede from the Union?

A. New York
B. Virginia
C. Tennessee
D. Georgia
E. South Carolina

4. What was the primary difference in belief between the northern and southern states that led to the Civil War?

A. Slavery
B. Slavery
C. Slavery
D. Slavery
E. All of the above

5. At the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, on January 1, 1863, approximately how many slaves existed in both the North (yes, there were slaves in the north, even in New York) and South?

A. 4,000,000
B. I didn't know this was going to be on the test
C. This is unfair to ask since you didn't cover this in your blog
D. Hard to know, but I bet a lot
E. Damn. I should have watched Ken Burn's brilliant documentary The Civil War

Scroll down for answers.

1. C, 2. C, 3. E, 4. E, 5, A (but do seek out Burns' The Civil War)

See you next week.

The Presentation: A Play in Two Acts

2011-04-03T22:00:00.000-07:00

ACT I

Curtain rises, lights come up. A ubiquitous corporate conference room. Sally and Mark, mid-level managers and colleagues, prepare for a presentation to their executive management team. They sit together, reviewing their material and obsessing about what's soon to come.

Sally

(Seeking assurance.) We're ready, right? This recommendation is perfect. It's right in our wheel house, exactly our sweet spot. We're good, no?

Mark

Yes, we're ready. That said, you never know what kind of curve ball they're bound to throw at us. You know they will. They love that game, that intimidation game.

Sally

That's what I'm afraid of. No way can we strike out on this. There's simply too much riding on it.

Mark

Agreed. After all, this is the major leagues. Solid hits are expected.

Sally

I know, I know. This isn't the minors. (Flipping to a new page in the presentation.) Our line-up is very strong and our bench is deep. We've certainly got the resources we need to deliver.

Mark

Yes, with Ed we have a proven lead-off hitter. Theresa can always be counted on to deliver in the clutch and Jose is a terrific slugger. No way we get shut out.

Sally

So why do I feel like we're about to approach the plate without a bat?

Mark

(Laughing.) That's what's great about you, Sally: You're one of the most feared hitters in the game and, despite your track record of perfect games, you act like a rookie who's just been called up from Des Moines. (After a pause.) You're the ideal person to make this pitch and to lead this team. We'll win this, Sally. After all, it's our World Series.

Sally

(Visibly relieved.) Thanks, Mark. I don't think I've ever had a more supportive teammate. Let's knock their socks off.

Mark

My thought exactly.

Unnamed Assistant

(Opening conference room door.) They're ready for you. (Quietly, to Mark.) I hope you're ready for them.

Mark

(With concern, while gathering materials and standing.) What do you mean by that?

Unnamed Assistant

Just to warn you: They're in a foul mood. The presentation before you did not go well. That team got no-hit. Worse than that, really. They never even got to first base.

Mark

(Leaving conference room, to Sally:) Sounds like me in high school! (Sally snickers.) But, seriously, it's all the better for us. We've got our A-game. We'll blow them away.

Sally

(Again looking tense.) I hope you're right, Mark. Let's hit this one out of the park.

Mark

(As they enter the adjoining conference room, with sounds of voices in the background.) If you insist, Sally. If you insist.

Male Voice From Inside Executive Conference Room

So, you're up next?

Lights dim, curtain falls.

ACT II

Curtain rises, lights come up. Executive conference room after a lengthy meeting. Water bottles, coffee cups, and papers litter the large, elegant table. Twelve high-backed leather chairs are at all angles, its occupants having left them askew. A screen covers a far wall. Sally and Mark sit at one end of the table, each holding a partially-filled water bottle. Both appear spent.

Mark

(Slowing shaking his head.) Well, that happened.

Sally

(Dejectedly.) Yes, that certainly did.

Mark

What was up with Sam? We're not 3 minutes into this and he throws a high fastball right at your head.

Sally

I don't have a clue. I have no idea why he'd do that. I'm not even sure if it was a message pitch. That bean ball completely surprised me. But, I must say, Mark, you saved the day. What an amazing diving catch you made! It was gorgeous!

Mark

Don't know about that, but no way was I going to let his backdoor slider effect our approach at the plate. No way was I going to let him mess with our timing or balance. We were ready for his squeeze play.

Sally

Well, you were an all-star, Mark. I always knew you were a great fielder, but I had no idea you were that fast. Dude, you played that one like a hall of famer! (Conspiratorially, in a whisper.) You been doing 'roids? Again?

Mark

(Laughing, striking a body-builder pose.) Why, does it look it? Is my head bigger?

Sally

After this meeting, it just might be. Sam throws that pitch and is clearly expecting you to swing right through it, get no wood on the ball, maybe, if you're lucky, foul it off into the stands. But what do you do? You, our Babe Ruth, our Ichiro, you smack it right back up the middle, right through the box. You're standing on second before he even knows what's happened --

Mark

-- and then you drove me in with that home run of a comment about winning the division, making the playoffs, and kicking ass in the postseason. They absolutely loved it!

Sally

(Allowing herself to smile.) They did, didn't they. You scored standing up (quickly holds up a hand to Mark) -- and no cracks about high school! -- and that was the ballgame. That was all she wrote.

Mark

You're right. No way they could come back from that. It was a no-doubt-about-it grand slam. It won the game for us, Sally. It probably also put Sam back in the bullpen. Hard to imagine him being a trusted starter in that rotation anytime soon.

Sally

Fine by me. I've always liked Sam, but he's got some nasty stuff and has his own ways of forcing errors. I've seen him reduce veteran ballplayers to Single-A journeymen with just one inside fastball. The man knows how to play the game.

Mark

You're right. I've seen that happen. One heater, some high cheese, and your knees are buckling and then you're throwing balls into the stands.

Sally

But, not us. Not today. We came into their ballpark, quieted the crowd, and swept 'em.

Mark

Swept 'em at home. That's got a nice ring to it. Let's see how long the good feeling lasts.

Sally

Let's enjoy it now. But, remember, we have another game tomorrow.

Mark

Fair enough. Not to worry. I'll be ready, coach.

Sally

Hey, speaking of having a game tomorrow, I have tickets to the ball game tomorrow night. Good seats. Any interest?

Mark

Baseball? Sweet of you to offer, Sally. But I hate baseball. I don't know a thing about it.

Sally gives Mark a shocked look as the lights fade and curtain falls.

Deliberate Acts of Kindness

2011-03-27T22:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the last week of March, the first days of April, the beginning of baseball and, of course, our favorite time of year: The season of Deliberate Acts of Kindness.

What, you haven't heard of the season of Deliberate Acts of Kindness? Say it ain't so! How could this possibly be? Have you been living under a rock for the last six months? Been floating aimlessly on a raft in the middle of the ocean with no WiFi? Only watching DVDs or movies online? Avoiding any opportunity to hear news of the world? (If so, you've missed Japan, Egypt, Elizabeth, a new war, gas price gouging, the Giants winning the World Series, to name a few.) Following The Dance too closely (if that's possible) and obsessing about not taking the obvious picks of VCU and Butler to make the Final Four? Been hibernating?

Regardless, you clearly missed the declaration that the season of Deliberate Acts of Kindness begins this year on March 28 at your sunrise. Which means, of course, that the season has begun. So, welcome to the best season of the year!

What is the season of Deliberate Acts of Kindness you ask? Our initial response: Must we explain everything? (Sorry. That wasn't terribly kind. In the spirit of the season, please forgive us. We'll try again.)

The season of Deliberate Acts of Kindness is that time of the year when we are all called upon to seek opportunities to demonstrate friendliness and generosity continuously. Key concepts include:

Finding opportunities to be friendly, generous and/or considerate
Demonstrating friendliness, generosity and/or consideration for others, and
Repeating steps 1 and 2 until the end of the season.

The list of possible deliberate acts of kindness is endless. But, since it's the season let us provide 20 useful ideas to get you going:

Holding doors for others (heard this from us before?)
Helping those less mobile cross the street (Way to go Alonzo Mourning!)
Thanking those who work with you for all they do
Reconnecting with a long-lost friend
Donating to a charity, any charity
Slowing down to allow someone to merge into traffic (If you're the recipient, remember to wave!)
Sending flowers to your mother (she'll love it)
Sending flowers to your father (he'll dig it)
Calling a member of your extended family just to say 'hi' (Call us old school, but texting does NOT qualify here as an act of kindness!)
Giving your car and the Earth a break by taking alternate modes of transportation a day or two each week
Planting a garden
Bringing coffee or tea to a stressed co-worker or, yes, even your boss
Being polite to telemarketers (They're people too. Really.)
Greeting people with genuine warmth and a hug
Giving that guy you avoid eye contact with every day on the street on your way to work a buck or two
Calling or hugging your kid(s), just because
Joining a museum
Volunteering even if only for an hour
Call that friend who you know needs help and offer support, even if only emotional
Be polite to Dodger fans (Like telemarketers, they, too, are people.)

That's just 20 possibilities. Add your own flair, your own creativity. Find ways to help and support others, to make people around you feel better, to honor the contributions of those with whom you work, to add a bit more joy to the lives of friends, family and, given the season, strangers. Find ways to relieve the burden on the environment. Provide assistance -- time and/or money -- to organizations striving to feed, educate or inspire others. Be genuinely polite, even warm and appreciative, to those who have impossible jobs.

The season of Deliberate Acts of Kindness has begun! Start today to spread happiness with verve, determination, and passion. Remember, with any luck what goes around comes around.

One last point. No end date for the season has been set. We wouldn't have it any other way.

The Job of Work

2011-03-20T22:00:00.000-07:00

A sampling of recent e-mails:

I love your blog! It makes me laugh and cry, sometimes at the same time. It makes me think, too, but I won't hold that against you. But what in the world does 'the job of work' mean? Sandy, Nebraska

Thanks for writing about work. It's hard to work where I do. It's not the job that's hard, it's the people, especially my boss. Actually, I really like what I do. I just don't like how hard they make it. Please keep writing. David, Florida

Your blog is usually good but sometimes it sucks. But I have to admit (please don't tell anyone!) that I look forward to reading it every Monday. I like when you write about what it's like at work. It's like you can read my mind! My manager can be a jerk. Her manager IS a jerk. Together, they can make my job miserable. Help them, please! Karen, Georgia

My friends and I read your blog every week. It helps us laugh at the things that happen where we work. There's a lot to laugh at, which is too bad. We've got some wonderful people here and some others who make things very difficult. Sadly, they make working here harder than it should be. John, Washington

Things here are not much different than they are where you are. (That wasn't a very good sentence, was it?) I really like what I do and I like the people I work with. I even like my supervisor. He's fair, which is all I can ask. But the company hardly ever tells us the real truth. We know there redundancies, as we call them here, and that there are going to be layoffs, so why don't they tell us? What's so hard about being honest? Don't they know how hard they're making it for us? Evan, United Kingdom

I used to love my job. I used to love my company. I used to look forward to coming to work. I used to care. But, over time, the people who run this place have made it harder and harder. We had layoffs, a pay freeze, a hiring freeze, and a cut to our benefits. I didn't like it, but I know why they had to do those things. What I don't understand is why they can't be honest with us about our situation, or why they don't let us help. We have ideas and no one's even asking. Susan, Texas

It must be a small world! What you write about is very true here in Chile. Our job is to give good service to our customers. We want them to like working with us. We also want them to like our company. But, the politics inside our company are very big and powerful. They make us guess all of the time. We try to do what is correct, but we do not always know what that is. Do companies in your country also make work so hard? Pablo, Chile

I don't care for everything you write (sorry!), but you usually make me think about how I want to live my life and how I want to do my job. I try really hard at work to do what I think they want me to do. It would be a whole lot easier if they didn't make me guess. Please keep writing your blog. Maybe someone here who can do something about our situation will read it. Jennifer, California

Your blogs are wonderful! You write beautifully and the topics you choose are always timely. I've learned so much! Thank you! (And remember to be nice to unions!) Your mother, Oakland

I've worked here for nearly 20 years. I started as a Customer Service Rep and have moved up the ladder to my current position. Many people report to me in a large geography. Your blog has helped me think about how I manage and lead people. I know it's important to be as honest as possible and to treat people as I would like to be treated. Your blog is like holding up a mirror because it gives me the chance to compare what I do to what you write about. Thank you for that. But just once can you please say that withholding truth is a good thing? Just once? (I had to ask!) Jim, New York

My job should be a lot easier than it is right now. There are rumors everywhere and no one is sure what's going to happen. Are we going to be sold? Are we going to buy another company? Are we going to 'centralize', whatever that is? Are they going to bring in consultants to eliminate jobs like in Office Space? (Sorry, I know you're a consultant. At least your name isn't Bob.) It's nearly impossible to get anything done with all of the rumors. Help! Bill, Arizona

I've worked hard to get this job and I absolutely love it! I actually help people and it feels good. Our company is doing better now, too. But we could be doing so much more to strengthen the company. If only our managers listened to the ideas we have. I don't expect that they would approve all of them, but why don't they even listen? In many ways it's sad and makes me wonder if this is the best place for me. Robin, California

Thanks for writing every week! I especially like your rants. (I promise NEVER to write another annual letter!) I also like how you understand how hard it is to work these days -- especially in my company! You're right, it's a job to work. The memos, the town hall meetings, the half-truths, the conflicting messages, the politics (the politics!!) -- all of it makes us crazy. It's worse than that, though, because now we're not sure what any of the bosses want. Should we come in even earlier and stay even later, even if all of our work is done? Should we help each other or should we hope someone else messes up? Should we worry about our job or should we believe what we're being told? Sorry for all of the questions. It should be so much easier, right? Debbie, New Jersey

I bet I spend at least 25% of my time at work trying to deal with the 'stuff' that comes down from on high. Between rumors, politics and mixed messages, it's like having another job on top of the one I already have! We should be trying to make things easier at work, not harder. Please call the people who run this company and tell them, okay? Tell them they're making my job way too hard. Scott, Colorado

If you didn't before, do you get the title of this blog now? Thought so.

See you next week.

The Joy of Meaningless Baseball

2011-03-13T22:00:00.000-07:00

Revolution in the Middle East. An earthquake of incomprehensible power in Japan wreaking vast destruction -- including seriously jeopardizing a number of nuclear power plants -- and actually moving the country's main island an astounding 2.4 meters and shifting the axis of the entire planet 25 centimeters. (Carole King was right: The Earth did move under our feet.) Ongoing economic struggles throughout the world. Gasoline prices passing the $4.00/gallon mark. Charlie Sheen.

In the midst of such turmoil, will we at TJOW, mature, committed journalists and consultants interested in world events, devote our attention to the significant impact these events are having on the world of work, those who work in traditional workplaces, or how best to cope during times of intense change? Alas, no. Instead, this week we focus our attention on a work environment of a much different sort. One defined by diamonds.

No, not those kind of diamonds. Baseball diamonds.

This week we turn our back, at least momentarily, on the pressures of work and the events of recent days and turn our attention to the charm, beauty and tranquility of meaningless baseball -- which, by the way, is not redundant! -- played in the desert of Arizona.

Yes, this week we take an all-too-brief trip to Spring Training.

[A TJOW shout-out to Bob Kakiuchi, our Spring Training partner for 15 years, for the above introduction and for playing the role of Muse so effectively. Keep dictating, Bob!]

There's nothing quite like Spring Training in the Cactus League. Fifteen teams playing in ten small, intimate, one-more-gorgeous-than-the-next ball parks scattered around Phoenix, all within an hour's drive of each other. Happy, friendly baseball fans from throughout the country, enjoying 85-degree sunshine, bedecked in their team's colors, sitting side-by-side those who desperately love the opposing team -- and no one caring a lick about the outcome of the game. For these are exhibitions, practice games, in preparation for the real deal season beginning later this month.

All in all, there's much more concern about having applied sufficient sunscreen and where to have dinner than for what actually occurs on the field. Who might we see at dinner tonight? (This year: Willie Mays, Bud Selig, Frank Robinson, Buster Posey.) Will it be the full chicken at Don & Charlie's? And much, much more importantly: Will I tan evenly? Critical Spring Training questions, to be sure.

The games of Spring Training are markedly different than regular season games. Here, starters play maybe 4 or 5 innings and then do their post-game running on the warning track during the game. Players with long-shot hopes of making the major league team -- denoted by being assigned uniforms with non-baseball numbers in the 70s and 80s -- play the remaining innings, often brilliantly. Children of all ages -- many in their 60s and 70s -- carry baseballs and pens in the hopes of snagging an autograph of their favorite players -- and usually getting them.

The biggest cheer at Spring Training? When the public address announcer provides a weather report from the cities of the two teams. 'While it's 85 degrees and sunny here, it's currently 21 degrees and snowing in Milwaukee. And it's raining and 47 degrees in Seattle at this very moment. Welcome to Peoria!'

Wonderfully, players in Spring Training actually interact with fans. Case in point: At one game a number of years ago, Jeff Kent, while with the Giants, starting in deep right field and working his way to the dugout, signed autographs for an hour during the later innings of a game. Another notable case in point: Julian Tavares, a relief pitcher for the Giants, declined to give a TJOW son an autograph before a Spring Training game, instead ruffling his hair. Julian was cut from the team a couple of months later. Coincidence? Not a chance.

Truth be known, Spring Training is not even about the games. The ball yards themselves are the attraction. The photo above is of the main diamond at the Peoria Sports Complex, home of the San Diego Padres and the Seattle Mariners. Seats behind home plate are $23, parking $5, beer $6.25 (still a rip), a capacity of about 9,000, and the friendliest staff to be found in baseball.

The photo just above is the newest park in the Cactus League and one with arguably the single best name of any sports venue in the United States: Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Is that not fantastic? Built on land owned by the Pima-Maricopa Indians and home of the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies, the park honors the history of these two Native American communities and is, to our eye, an absolutely beautiful place for baseball. Dispensers on the concourse offer complimentary sunscreen. Volunteers continually welcome you to the park. Signs throughout the park are in English and in the languages of the Pimas and Maricopas. Very cool.

The park at right is in Surprise and home to the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers. Modeled after Churchill Downs, the park is beyond charming. Seats from this vantage point are $18 and, remarkably, parking in their lots is free. Yes, free. In a rematch of the 2010 World Series, the Giants outlasted the Rangers on Sunday 11-8. But, really, who cares?

Not that Spring Training is all peaches and cream (or, more aptly, fried food and starch). There are issues, important issues. Bermuda shorts -- in every conceivable plaid -- are everywhere and are often worn with calf-length black socks and, shocking but true, dress shoes. Clothing two sizes too small are a constant occurrence -- often worn by those who shouldn't, if you know what we mean and we're sure you do. And, after all, it is Arizona. Carry your papers if you know what's good for you.

Spring Training happens for a month annually. If you've been, you know of what we speak. If you haven't, we strongly recommend it. But only if you enjoy sunshine, friendly people, charming ball yards, the optimism Spring brings, and meaningless baseball. And the chance to escape, if only for a weekend. Hey, you never know: You might be having dinner next to Bud Selig. But don't let that dissuade you. It's still worth the trip.

On Laughter

2011-03-06T22:00:00.000-08:00

Laughter. An amazing behavior, one we demonstrate well before we learn to speak. There are thousands of languages and tens of thousands of dialects we humans speak. Even so, we all laugh nearly the same way. And while we're not alone -- chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, dogs and even rats laugh -- laughter is one of the most endearing ways to communicate pure human emotion.

Never have more children than you have car windows. Erma Bombeck

Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public. H. L. Mencken

The day I made that statement, about inventing the Internet, I was tired because I'd been up all night inventing the Camcorder. Al Gore

Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die. Mel Brooks

Laughter is a powerful drug. It can reduce pain, increase hopefulness (both due, in part, to the release of endorphins), create friendships, disarm adversaries, reduce tension, increase joy, and when experienced for an extended period of time, tighten one's abs not unlike an extended workout in the gym. Without the need for special clothing or a monthly membership fee.

Any girl can be glamorous. All you have to do is stand still and look stupid. Hedy Lamarr

Behind every successful man is a surprised woman. Maryon Pearson

Between two evils, I always pick the one I never tried before. Mae West

I love to go to Washington -- if only to be near my money. Bob Hope

Freud theorized that laughter releases tension and psychic energy and, in turn, promotes health. John Morreall, the philosopher, believed that human laughter may have its biological origins as a kind of shared expression of relief at the passing of danger. Nietzsche, though, considered laughter to be a reaction to the sense of existential loneliness and mortality that only humans feel. Think Nietzsche knew Charlie Sheen?

Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died. Anonymous

Cleanliness becomes more important when godliness is unlikely. P. J. O'Rourke

Cross country skiing is great if you live in a small country. Steven Wright

People always ask me, 'Were you funny as a child?' Well, no, I was an accountant. Ellen DeGeneres

Regardless, it feels good to laugh. Actually, it can feel great to laugh. Releasing, exhausting, uplifting. The true outcome of a good laugh: Happiness, even euphoria, at least temporarily. And don't forget those tightened abs!

After 12 years of therapy, my psychologist said something that brought tears to my eyes, 'No hablo ingles.' Anonymous

I am not afraid of death, I just don't want to be there when it happens. Woody Allen

I bought some batteries, but they weren't included. Steve Wright

I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food. W.C. Fields

Indeed, there's nothing quite like a really good, from-the-soul, tears-in-the-eyes, nose-leaking, can't-quite-catch-one's-breath, belly-aching, hang-on-for-dear-life laugh. Laughter that comes when you truly let go of all inhibitions, not worrying about what's right and what's proper or how you look. Laughter that has you reaching to touch someone -- to connect to someone -- to share the sheer joy of the moment. Or to avoid falling. Laughter that's contagious, that causes others to go there with you. Laughter that's so good it hurts.

Yes, that kind of laughter.

I don't have a bank account because I don't know my mother's maiden name. Paula Poundstone

I don't think anyone should write their autobiography until after they're dead. Samuel Goldwyn

I have a new philosophy. I'm only going to dread one day at a time. Charles M. Schulz

I intend to live forever. So far, so good. Steven Wright

The problem, as we see it, is that we laugh -- really laugh -- far too infrequently.

I knew I was an unwanted baby when I saw that my bath toys were a toaster and a radio. Joan Rivers

If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular? Anonymous

I never said most of the things I said. Yogi Berra

It is even harder for the average ape to believe that he has descended from man. H. L. Mencken

If true, why? Might it be that we've been taught, as we grow, that laughter is somehow unrefined, signifying a simplistic and, possibly, crude reaction to life? That laughter is childish and, worse, immature? That to laugh in anything but a controlled, 'dignified' manner is inappropriate? That laughing can be wrong, given the context or setting? That one must think before one laughs so as to be sensitive to others? That one shouldn't laugh at someone but with someone? That there is nothing to laugh at, especially during these turbulent times?

All possible reasons. And all garbage.

We say laugh! Laugh hard. Laugh often. Laugh alone. Laugh with others. Laugh while showering. Laugh in the car, on the bus, on the train. Laugh at work -- especially at work. Laugh while cooking. Laugh while eating with a mouthful of food. Laugh until you cry. Laugh until you cause laughter in others. And then laugh some more.

Two things are infinite: The universe and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe. Albert Einstein

How many roads must a man walk down before he admits he's lost? Anonymous

I used to eat a lot of natural foods until I learned that most people die of natural causes. Anonymous

Just remember, if the world didn't suck, we'd all fall off. Anonymous

Consider laughter -- real laughter -- an essential part of your daily diet. It's as important as air, water and stuffed cabbage. You'll live, sleep and love better. And, importantly, it will revitalize your soul and tighten your abs. No therapist or personal trainer required.

He who laughs last didn't get it. Anonymous

Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway. Anonymous

Right.