A Different Question: During the last five or six months, groups I meet with have been discussing what is changing due to the pandemic. Yesterday, in one of those groups, I mentioned that I thought it was time to start considering other things than just the epidemic and all the change. One of our members suggested we talk about what …
There Should Be No Gap: During a recent discussion on our economy, a friend said to me, “In fact, we are not manufacturing much in the U.S.” He wasn’t referring to the pandemic slowdown or the 2009 recession. He was trying to make the case that the U.S. has shipped manufacturing offshore, and we don’t make many products here now. …
Repeating history? I have heard it said that “those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.” I do not think that is particularly accurate. Perhaps there are overarching cycles that may repeat themselves. They are undoubtedly based on human nature and, therefore, have little chance of being changed any time soon. “Those who do not learn history …
This Is Just a Test: In a panel conversation this week, one of the panelists noted that a lot of companies, who thought they have solid emergency plans, discovered that they did not. That’s the bad news. Of course, the good news is that for many, the pandemic is a reasonably straightforward way to test our systems without real structural …
Investigate: Being skeptical of assertions made by others has served me well a majority of the time. I do my best to be polite, find out the knowledge base the person or group has, the credentials they possess in the way of expertise and then decide if I need to investigate further or if I can take them at their …
Slow Messaging When I was in the corporate world, we had an understanding that a human being would answer the phone no later than the second ring. Even when I had an executive assistant, she was to pick up the call. And, if she was not at her desk, I had to pick up the call. Those days are long …
Bumper Sticker Today I read that Thomas Friedman is making a recommendation for a political bumper sticker. Friedman admits that he got the idea from someone else, namely, Hal Harvey. Harvey wasn’t thinking about his statement as a bumper sticker; it was the closing on an email from Harvey to Friedman. When he read that closing statement at the end …
Good News and Bad News: Recently, I again heard the oft-told story about the Chinese farmer who suffered several setbacks. Each time an adverse event happened, the neighbors complained about how bad the situation was. Each time, the farmer said, “Perhaps. We must wait and see.” I know the story as “The Farmer’s Horse Ran Away.” The link will take …
Business Jargon: For several years now, the business community has been using the term “pivot.” It is certainly not the first, nor do I believe it will be the last term that the business community appropriates from other disciplines. For me, the word pivot conjures up mental images of levers and gears moving around a pin or bearing. Secondary images …
Mindset: I like that new word—“Newmal.” We know that the significant disruption of our economy means that there is no going back to normal. The new pastime is trying to predict what the new economy will be. What businesses will survive? Which will thrive? What new opportunities will there be? Business leaders have always attempted to predict what was changing …