September 18, 2023
Good morning! How about Coco Gauff?! Who would’ve known a tiny patch of native prairie plants would result in such joy?! Speaking of which, it’s time to plant those tulips if you want to enjoy them next spring. If you missed it yesterday morning, google-up the discussion between John Dickerson and Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook.
- You’ve got three hours to wait at the Anchorage airport between flights.
- You could:
- A) Visit Ted Stevens;
- B) Get your photog taken with a moose;
- C) read a book;
- D) sit in a saloon; or
- E) phone a friend, hike a mountain, eat a trail lunch, and watch the Eagles soar (thanks, Keith!)
- On the impossibility of perfect communication:
- Two different people can speak or write the exact same words and have them interpreted by a listener/ reader as polar opposite messages
- Of all the sports involving a ball in motion, which sport features the ball moving at the greatest velocity when propelled by the best players?
- Does the answer differ if we were to compare average players, or beginners?
- Here at Without A Vision Consultancy we’ve worked with dozens of leaders and organizations interested in planning and growth.
- Our conclusion: The single most important predictor of success is the degree to which you really WANT to go through the process.
- Without persistence, and patience, best intentions — and wants and wishes — will fall flat.
- At a place we frequent on the North Atlantic there is a small detachment of about 200 Canada Geese who share their environment with us.
- Their seemingly idyllic lives are punctuated by short flights or swims between favourite feasting locations where they enjoy the functions of their alimentary canals.
- They are usually collegial, cooperative, collaborative, and captivating — often enthusiastically honking their arrivals and departures.
- On one recent occasion, during low tide and a dense fog, the honking started and the gaggle started swimming from directly in front of us toward the north.
- Three very determined geese with a different vision voiced opposition and started swimming south.
- Those three clearly wanted the others to turn and go in their direction; they asserted repeatedly.
- Honking from the three in the minority grew louder and more insistent; the majority kept swimming decidedly north.
- After a short time, the three geese in the minority, without further protest, turned and headed north, working to catch up.
- They had tried their gambit, failed, and would perhaps try again, but keeping the flock together was more important.
- Are you a growth leader?
- The seven beliefs and behaviours growth leaders share:
- I’m all in. Always put growth first.
- I am willing to fail. Make plenty of bets; back the risk takers.
- I know my customer as a person, not as a data point. Take the customer’s side.
- I favour action over perfection. Put yourself on the line, act on good enough insights, face the facts.
- I fight for growth. Avoid short-termism, break down internal barriers.
- I have a growth story I tell all the time. Infuse the business with purposes… Communicate — Communicate — Communicate.
- (If this isn’t the greatest challenge, not sure what is!)
- I give control to others. Build people’s growth muscles, give power to the front line, go outside to get what’s needed. (McKinsey, 2019)
- From Without A Vision: All of this said, growth isn’t always the best path for everyone all of the time, but staying exactly the same as you always were is near-impossible.
- The seven beliefs and behaviours growth leaders share:
- Are you keeping up with the Zumba craze?
- We were enjoying an al fresco meal when suddenly a flash mob featuring dozens of people started doing the Zumbas.
- Even saw it advertised in a small village.
Coffee
By Michael A. Mullin
Freshly roasted, ground, and brewed coffee
as dawn is breaking is about as necessary and wonderful
a pleasure as a perfectly chilled and properly proportioned
martini at four o’clock in the afternoon enjoyed with
a good friend and a salty potato chip or two.
©2017 Michael A. Mullin
