How much is pain worth?

  He said, "You know how we have to protect the foundation.  Sometime we have to be aggressive."  I was talking to a friend I used to work with.  He worked on a team that had an us vs. them mentality.  It created issues sometimes. They didn't always ask the questions they needed answered when they're customers approached them with a project.  Then their customer would surprise them with a last minute requirement ... one that might have been revealed with the questions that didn't get … [Read more...]

How amazing is your grace?

Familiarity breeds contempt. Spend more time with someone and you'll get jaded.  You'll  take things for granted, and get angry over smaller things.  Hot buttons will emerge.  They'll be easier to punch as time goes on. This is probably why marriage can be so hard. It's easier to forgive the waitress who screwed up your food order than it is the wife who forgot to put the cap back on the toothpaste ... again. Grace doesn't dwell well in a world of presumed outcomes. We force grace out of … [Read more...]

Where do you pledge your allegiance?

I just finished the history of the Pledge of Allegiance.  There were some interesting facts.  Some I knew. Others were new (to me).  I learned a few things. Here's what learned: the pledge was written by socialist it was written over a century after the Constitution was ratified, in 1892 it was written as a marketing campaign part of a flag giveaway promotion to increase magazine sales for The Youth's Companion it did not include any reference to God Under God was added in … [Read more...]

Are you in a compromised position?

The offer came it.  It was low. They asked for thousands in concessions on top of the low offer. I sent a counter. They held their ground. A few days later, they weakened and offered a counter. They didn't offer enough.  It wouldn't have been a compromise. I would have been compromised. A week or so later another offer came in. It was low. They asked for thousands in concessions. I sent a counter. They responded promptly. They offered more than what I asked in my counter. They asked for … [Read more...]

Service or Serve Us

Some companies charge money to perform a service they once performed for free.   Other companies create new offerings that cost more but provide value in return. Both seek the customers money.  That's what businesses do. One values the customer. Some teams, departments or individuals create processes to service their customers (inside and outside the company). They make their customers do more work to get the same result. Others create processes to better serve their customers. The … [Read more...]

How much are you worth?

Money is expensive. That new job offer that pays alot... That new promotion and raise?   How much of you are they buying? There's nothing wrong with money (It's the love of it that throws us off).  That job you were offered might be a great opportunity. It could be all you've ever wanted.  Just don't chase the money.  And don't confuse money with success.  Money isn't success. Success is success.  Money is a tool that buys things. Money isn't free. You will pay for it in some way. Time … [Read more...]

What bubble will burst next?

Bubble's burst. We've seen the real estate bubble, the internet bubble, the energy bubble, and whatever other bubbles. They over inflated until, under the the value they promised was very different than the actual value provided.  Reality reared it's ugly head.  The bubbles burst under the pressure that came from reality weighing in. It's easy and cheap to produce credibility in social media world.  Testimonials, reviews, followers ... all can be bought.   Go on Fiverr.com. You'll find … [Read more...]

Finding Hope

Tears streamed down her cheeks.  She kept reading.  She said she could not believe the words she was reading. I asked her why it was so hard to believe.  She said that no one ever believed in her.  People keep reminding her of what she's done wrong and how she's screwed up.  She was scared to believe.  She was afraid to hope. The words were an hopeful vision for her life.  She wrote a living legacy.  The way she'd like to be remembered after a long and successful life.  Her legacy was … [Read more...]

Will you let your people resume?

Some companies fire employees they catch working on their resume.   Some let people go when they find their resume on Monster or some other job posting site.  That's odd to me. Do they want employees who don't want to work for them?  What kind of service do those employees deliver?  How committed are they to the company vision?  Is that what you want? I know that the cost to acquire an employee is high.  The cost of your employees being disengaged is higher.  Fewer want to leave when more … [Read more...]

Has evolution evolved?

Life started on this planet as single cell organisms. At some point they connected, unified and evolved.  Adaptation created diversity.  Over time, consolidation would favor the stronger adapters. Corporations are people (per the U.S. Supreme Court).   People are single cell organisms. We connect, unify and emerge as corporate bodies. Corporations are the next step in the evolution of life.  Evolution favors the organism best able to adapt to and shape their environment.  Corporations seem to … [Read more...]