Is it ever 'Business as Usual"?

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This morning I attended a presentation put on by the Family Business Alliance.  I was prepared for a program that was informative and well done, but what I observed was something much more than that. I typically avoid attending programs that cover the usual “hot topics”.  I find it is often difficult to get as much value from them as I should, primarily because it is difficult to put their ideas into the context of what my clients urgently need.  The end result is that after a few hours and more so, after a few days, I’ve generally forgotten most of the salient points discussed.


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Sometimes the best value is the indirect impact

However, today I was impressed in that the critical points were ones that can provide great value to an organization over time and therefore are worth revisiting on a regular basis. Although, the audience today was made up primarily of family owned businesses, and the discussion revolved in that realm, the truths seemed to have application to most organizations.

The speaker was Greg McCann, author, professor, and business owner. Throughout his presentation he would say, “If you are taking notes, write this down.” and so we would.  One such item I liked a lot: Culture will defeat strategy every time.  I also heard some wise insights mentioned by the audience. One of those that I thought highly insightful concerned why a member attended the various events. He said, “It was not so much about what he learned, but that such events usually got him thinking.” To me this was very notable.  So many of us just want someone to give us the answer and so we seek out the “Hot Topic” discussion.

Change is Upon Us.

A few years ago, I started keeping a list each January describing what I perceived as change over the prior year. Although interesting to me, I’ve discovered how inadequate my practice is. During todays program we viewed a You-Tube clip to emphasize the “exponential” change that is surrounding us.  Watch this and you’ll see why I may have to revamp my practice.

What YOU Must Do

The real point about the video is that we have to be visionary about our businesses, where we are going and how we are going to get there. Without a plan we will be sitting on the sidelines much sooner than we ever dreamed and it has nothing to do with the recession. A strategic plan is an absolute necessity. As part of that plan you have to identify your strategic advantage,  who is responsible to look after and manage the advantage and also the plan itself.

And remember that culture trumps strategy, so they have to be aligned. Communication and actions are the keys to management of culture. So, if you see today as getting back to business as usual, you are what they call 'Dead Meat'.
 

POSITIVE ATTITUDE by Ardon Schambers

 
POSITIVE OUTCOMES

We often see statements like ‘half of being successful is showing up’, or ‘get back on the horse if you fall off’, or ‘get up when you fall down’.  They center on perseverance being the key to success.  Even many of the Hollywood stars only begin to be viewed as successful after they have been around a long time. They just keep doing things that make them visible.

There is one item that I believe indirectly is a critical factor in success; a factor that is often seen but perhaps not recognized for its important contribution. That factor is a positive attitude.  If you don’t have it, ‘getting back up’, or ‘staying the course for the long haul’ is pretty difficult. A negative attitude by contrast achieves a failed outcome very rapidly. So, is there an underlying personality trait that supports a positive attitude? Something that is shaped over an extended period of time and therefore difficult for everyone to achieve? I don’t think so! It just takes a little effort to think of, and look for the positive outcome.

NEGATIVE IS EASY

The problem is we get bombarded constantly about the negative events of the day. Because that gets people’s attention. It sells newspapers and gets people watching television.  Even political campaigns seem to get better attention when the focus is negative. The number of good things in relation to bad things that are reported is pretty small.  Consequently, having a negative approach to life is pretty easy.  We report the number of people unemployed and even speculate on who no longer is looking for work so the number is higher. Why not focus on how many people are employed which is a concrete number usually in the 90% plus. Economists even recognize that consumer confidence has remarkable impact on the economy, so why not emphasize the good things that are happening? Even medical studies show that happy and positive people live longer.

NEGATIVE  LIFESTYLE

It makes no sense to focus on the negative results, but we do it constantly. Some people say it’s a way to identify opportunities to improve things. I’ve even heard it said that if I have low expectations, I’m not disappointed as often.  That seems like an awful waste of life to live with the expected black or gray cloud over your head. 

YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW

I’m for random acts of kindness, smiling at people for no reason, believing the outcome tomorrow will be better if only in a small way. Self-fulfilling prophesies happen. The upbeat sales person is always more successful than the one that isn’t. People shy away from those who are down.  Change is tough, but if you look for the positive outcome you will find it, if only a little at a time.

    Author

    Ardon Schambers has 39 years of professional HR experience and is a Principal of P3HR Consulting & Services, LLC

    Mike Blake has over 15 years of safety and leadership experience in industry with extensive transportation expertise.

    Jim Kohmescher worked in both the private and public sectors in human resource management positions. He has a Master's degree and served as an adjunct college instructor.

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