February 6, 2023
Good morning! Where do I get one of those $1,000,000,000,000 platinum coins? I’m willing to trade my entire stamp collection. Imagine the thrill of that United States Air Force pilot! A curious juxtaposition: Unemployment is at historic lows, but we’re told it’s bad news.
- Premise: The edge of the crust is your favourite part of the pizza.
- Assuming the same exact area; i.e., net quantity of pizza, are you better off ordering a square, rectangular, or circular pizza?
- (Show your work.)
- I admire someone who can make a small dish of yogurt last for an hour.
- I once had regularly scheduled hour-long meetings with a man who could make his sandwich last throughout the entire meeting.
- Watching the news last week as various meteorologists were opining as to how cold it would get (twenty below and colder!).
- An expert, a talking head, was being interviewed.
- Among the many rather obvious helpful hints suggested by the expert: “Warm clothes, several layers, hat, mittens, socks, boots, hydration, stay dry, out of the wind, Etc.”
- Then she added, right there on TV, “… or the individual may freeze.” Okay…
- To party or not to party? That is the question plaguing many leaders at many organizations today.
- Whether ’tis smarter to invest the resources in promoting fun and games among employees and colleagues, OR
- Whether ’tis smarter to stick to the knitting during work hours and leave partying as a private and personal matter?
- Here at Without A Vision Consultancy we find — not judgmentally — most people confused and/or misinformed about vision…
- … what it is and what it isn’t… and that confusion about vision is followed closely by strategy, and even more so, strategic-level planning.
- When you add the ‘level’ to the term, it actually improves understanding and application lots; try it.
- Briefly and succinctly, vision is about inspiration and aspiration.
- If your vision statement doesn’t contain both, let’s work on it. Getting it right is our specialty.
- I admire and follow the fortunes of a local young entrepreneur.
- She exudes equal parts optimism, leadership, and energy — and she openly welcomes others on her journey.
- She gave a speech last week and a phrase she used grabbed me, “… epidemic of distraction and disconnection.” (speaking about – and to – her generation).
- Here is more of it in context: “We’re in an epidemic of distraction and disconnection. We’re more likely to look at our phones than into our loved one’s eyes. We’re more likely to send a message to someone on a social media platform than talk to them when they’re in the same room. Young people, in particular, are isolated by this experience of technology and social media. They’ve never experienced an alternative. Saying yes to groups like Interact (a newly-formed service club, her audience) is impactful beyond measure because it offers a pathway to real community and interpersonal connection.” (Richards, 2023)
- And, for all the focus on flatter organizations, this from MIT Sloan, 2023:
- “For all the hype and promise swirling around the idea of eliminating management to create agile, flat organizations, bosses and corporate hierarchies have remained extremely resilient. As we argued… under the right conditions, having such hierarchies in place is the best way to handle the coordination and cooperation problems that beset human interactions.
- But that doesn’t mean traditional, command-and-control organizations are right for today’s environment.
- We see the confluence of business and social trends influencing the development of new kinds of hierarchies.
- Rapid technological progress, instant communication, value creation based on knowledge rather than physical resources, globalization, and a more educated (and informed) work force require us to rethink how we wield managerial authority.
- The key challenge for designing and operating hierarchies today and tomorrow is to balance two opposing forces:
- Desire for empowerment and autonomy vs.
- the need to exercise managerial authority on a large scale.
- These are tough issues without easy solutions…” (Foss, Klein, 2023)
- How about this, from Boston Consulting Group:
- “Since 2023 began, United States technology firms have laid off more than 58,000 workers…
- Meanwhile, many companies are struggling to gain traction on their own digital transformations… because they can’t find the technology talent they need.”
- Sound like a match?
- If you have the courage, the stamina, and a strong stomach, watch Emancipation (2022).
- Powerful beyond words. This movie has within it what is possibly the most genuinely authentic depiction of a Civil War battle ever filmed (Port Hudson).
- And, on a sad note: What will we do without Peeps?!
