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February 2023
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FAILURE TO LAUNCH7/30/2019 My family went to an antique festival the other week and met some interesting people. One of that was the balloon lady who was hired to provide balloon entertainment to children.
I had a conversation with her briefly because she was prolific in what she was doing. Apparently with one masters, it didn't work for me so she is taking another masters which this particular job is paying for. Two masters and you can't get a decent job in your line of profession is tragic. It speaks about how education is not in-line with the needs of the economy and how young people are victimized by this thinking that when you get a higher education, you automatically are good for life! I asked her with all the knowledge that she had (knowledge is power right?) she can build a business and say no to a 9-5 routine and get herself established. She said, "but I love living in a student dorm." I understand the love for learning if this is your thing but clearly, this is the case of failure-to-launch, staying for the comfort of the educational system and fearing to venture out in the unknown and flexing your muscles or bruising your body to a certain extent to get to what you want. I have met some people who stayed in universities for the longest time they want because out-there is too disorganized and chaotic. In life and business, to stay where you are is never an option. You need to step boldly into the what constitutes the next feasible and achievable progress for your personal and professional development. Failure to try to win is an abominable state of affairs. Knowledge alone is not power. The creative and innovative use of knowledge is power. This is not textbook knowledge but application of knowledge for human progress is powerful. This is no wonder, that she can't get past how the university hockey players she is tutoring were amazed that there were textbooks for the tutorial. Well, these varsities are living their dream, though.
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WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO LOSE?7/25/2019 I was at the Lacombe Field Day yesterday learning about different crop varieties and the beauty and challenges of raising the "next best" variety that farmers and producers can use. The climate, time of planting, the "best use" are some of the variables that interplay in the selection of the variety that will correspond to the specific needs of the industry, whether they are farmers, processors, investors, seed growers, and end users. Agronomy is not for the faint of heart.
Surrounded by scientists, agronomists, farmers, students, and industry leaders, one session leader asked, "you want high yield, high protein content, maturity, stability, good disease package, then, you want it all. You can't have it all. What are you willing to lose? We can't have it all, although pop culture, movies, songs, and fiction books parade a cornucopia of pipe dreams that are only good for watching. There is no such thing as a spectator in life and business. There are clear choices and options you must make. What are your musts and what are your wishes? Learn to distinguish them in your important negotiations and decisions.
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YOU WANNA BUY ME A JOB?7/23/2019 The recent local headline shocked me today. A city is complaining that another bigger city had stolen jobs from them by giving millions of money to a Corporation so that the Corporation can create more jobs in their city.
Well, this is the case of dumb management. I thought the municipality is responsible for job creation through enabling the economic environment to actually become the best environment to get, hold, and maintain jobs and employment for all citizens. Now what is happening is the worst case of identity crisis and totally misunderstood mandate. Governments should not manipulate the market to create jobs for people. The bureaucracy is already a big employer in itself. Cities, town, and municipalities should get their hands off the companies and corporations who are more than willing to receive the taxpayer's monies for any reason. So this "you want to buy me a job so that I can get a job" is distorting the market, colluding with corporate entities, and imposing enormous risks for citizens. There is no limit to stupid ideas being peddled as innovations or new ideas. What is obvious is the lack of creativity, innovation, and ingenuity of our current municipal leaders to think that by 'throwing more monies, you can let things appear just like that.' No way Jose! Job creation is a complex results of systems integration of market forces that encourage entrepreneurialism and risk-taking in the atmosphere of favorable business environment. Sans that, small businesses who are the top job creators end up being squeezed to death even before they can launch successfully. Who is the one laughing its way to the bank now? All Rights Reserved. GSC 2019
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STOP ADAPTING7/17/2019 The hot topic nowadays is being adaptive-adaptive thinking, adaptive leadership, adaptive processes, adaptive-whatsoever.
Heeding the call for being adaptive runs the risk of being on the passive, reactive, reactionary, and totally clueless side of the equation. Your buttons are always on 'fire' adapting to changes in circumstances, events, and external forces beyond your control or imagination. With a leak on the roof, you can be adaptive by getting a bucket to catch the leak. But with proper roof inspection and monitoring, you know that you can even be ahead of the game and prevent it from occurring. Strategic thinking trumps the safety net of adaptation. It clarifies the problems/challenges that needed to be addressed, increases the intelligence about solutions and opportunities, and looks out for effective mechanisms/vehicles to reach the intended objectives. Don't confuse strategy with planning as plans do not survive at the end of the planning day. It is the strategic work that should help you and your organizations design your next best move given the environmental changes and forces detrimental to your success. Adaptation cannot mine opportunities, it relies on present capacities and analysis and current problem-solving, only with the best strategy can bring out the innovation in organizations and individuals. Start innovating and stop adapting.
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CHANGE WHEN YOU WANT IT7/15/2019 It's good to learn from a client that they want to improve, change for the better, reach the next stars, and continuously innovate. But when pressed on specific issues that needed to be dealt with, they get tongue-tied.
Change is only a mantra when people do not want to change, whether this is for individuals, groups, or organizations. They think disruption is the 'new name' for change. Yet, before you can disrupt you have to improve the way business is done in the first place. Some of them do not want any help. Some of them live in quiet desperation trying to do everything they are not equipped and not supposed to be doing. Some of them try to do things ending in disastrous results. If you are not ready for change, face the mirror and be honest about it. No one can force you to change if you don't want it. Not in a million years with million-dollar coaches!
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WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO LOSE?7/15/2019 I was at the Lacombe Field Day yesterday learning about different crop varieties and the beauty and challenges of raising the "next best" variety that farmers and producers can use. The climate, time of planting, the "best use" are some of the variables that interplay in the selection of the variety that will correspond to the specific needs of the industry, whether they are farmers, processors, investors, seed growers, and end users. Agronomy is not for the faint of heart.
Surrounded by scientists, agronomists, farmers, students, and industry leaders, one session leader asked, "you want high yield, high protein content, maturity, stability, good disease package, then, you want it all. You can't have it all. What are you willing to lose? We can't have it all, although pop culture, movies, songs, and fiction books parade a cornucopia of pipe dreams that are only good for watching. There is no such thing as a spectator in life and business. There are clear choices and options you must make. What are your musts and what are your wishes? Learn to distinguish them in your important negotiations and decisions.
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PRESS ZERO FOR INTELLIGENCE7/9/2019 I called the bank one day hoping to speak to a banker about my lack of access to my online account.
I called the toll number and I got these options: Press 1: For banking hours and locations Press 2: Credit card questions Press 3: For loans, insurance Press 4: for other products Press 5: for loss of card, etc. Press 6: For online banking I pressed 6 I got led to a number of options Please dial your number Please dial your birth date followed by a # key Oopps, sorry I didn't get your number, try again. I tried again and then the line went dead. Can we just talk to another sane human being who has a moderate level of intelligence, can understand our frustrations, and can handle our issues adequately? Enough of these robocalls!
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SHOW ME THE MONEY7/8/2019 Remember this famous line from the movie "Jerry Maguire" where the character of Cuba Gooding said, "show me the money!"
In collaboration and partnership, the true test where there is partnership and collaboration is the mandate/project. Collaboration for collaboration's sake is nonsense. There is no collaboration or promise of collaboration where there is no single uniting focus of where the collaboration will be. Promises are never guaranteed, unless we are talking of real, tangible benefits and rewards and the "work" that needed to get done by all the collaborators. It is not just 'tit for tat'- it is more than that. It is about collaborating on a specific mandate that is too good to leave on the table and yet to powerful to be done by one organization or entity alone. Show me the money (or in some instances -the mandate) and I will show you how we can partner together.
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THINK WELL7/3/2019 'If you think you can do a thing, or you think you can't do a thing, you're always right.'
Henry Ford If you think you are beaten, you are. If you think you dare not, you don't. If you'd like to win but you think you can't, it's almost a cinch you wont. For out in the world you'll find success begins with a persons will. It's all in the state of Mind. Think big, and your deeds will grow; Think small and you fall behind. Think that you can, and you will. It's all in your state of mind. If you think you are outclassed, you are. You've got to think high to rise. You've got to be sure of yourself before you can ever win a prize. Life's battle doesn't always go to the stronger or faster one; But sooner or later, the one who wins is the person who thinks they can. Author Unknown |
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