Taylor Can Save the World All by Herself

October 16, 2023

Good morning! Along with Taylor Swift, people over the age of 65 in the United States are catalysts for keeping the economy strong. The percentage of total consumer spending by that age group is now approaching 26%, up from  20% two decades ago.  (U.S. Department of Labor) Observation:  These data might be circular in that the 65+ age demographic group is also increasing dramatically, so wouldn’t spending follow proportionately? Still, Taylor can’t save the world all by herself, one wouldn’t think, and so we’re grateful for those who also help along the way.

• It’s fascinating to think the same solar storms giving us the spectacular Aurora Borealis could instantly disable all of Earth’s technology.  (Mims)
• It would have been smarter to have purchased a pair of the shoes instead of shares of the stock — or socks for that matter.
  • The hippie-esque village shoemaker from Germany, now in cahoots with Louis Vuitton, has sold out its small shop vibe to seek further fortunes on Wall Street.
  • If you would’ve purchased 100 shares of the IPO last week you would have already lost $1,000 — more than enough to have owned a pair of the iconic cork sandals instead.
  • A tangible asset vs. one a bit stressed and non-performing; e.g., you could be wearing the shoes at least.
• A high-level executive last week used the phrase, “What’s the next big problem?” as one important subpart of vision.
  • That question should probably be addressed in most Board Rooms and/or executive suites, organizations big and small, on a routine basis, or, What’s our next big challenge?
  • Or, What does the future hold and we haven’t yet seen it?
  • Or, What aren’t we seeing on the dark side of the moon?  Something along those lines.
    • And then, along came this article from M.I.T. Sloan Management, How Ghost Scenarios Haunt Strategy Execution, (Lang, Ramierz, 2023)
    • Worth a read.
    • “Executives engaged in strategic (big picture) planning typically have a blind spot.
    • They focus almost exclusively on possible courses of action and pay little attention to the future socioeconomic and environmental context in which those actions will play out.
    • Underpinning every ghost scenario is a small set of implicit trends that leaders project into the future without questioning whether they might change.
    • Consider the ways in which dramatic changes in climate have come to haunt rail services in Great Britain.
    • In July 2022, temperatures above 104 degrees (F) were recorded in the country for the first time.
    • These high temperatures heated the rails to slightly over 143 degrees (F), causing them to bend.
    • The rail tracks had been engineered for a future in which the air temperatures did not exceed 80 degrees (F).
    • An implicit assumption had been made… historical climate trends would continue unchanged…”
    • That’s no way to run a railroad!
    • Assumptions hide in plain sight.
• More economics, or maybe parlor games:
  • If you would have purchased a large supply of Forever stamps from the United States Postal Service back in 2007 when they were forty-one cents ($.41) each and if you were using that inventory of stamps today instead of purchasing them at today’s prices, it would be reaping the rewards of a pretty good investment yielding an annualized 4.6% return.
• From Eades on leadership:
  • Too often, our anxiety is tied to our need to control.
    • Anxiety is the anticipation of a threat that is feared.
  • Anxiety is the overestimation of danger and the underestimation of our ability to cope with that danger.
    • Anxiety is experiencing failure in advance… get in the habit of saying, What if it all works out?
  • Stress can cripple you, or it can make you stronger; you get to choose which one.
    • Lean into stress by looking at the causes as opportunities to overcome.
• Book:  There’s Nothing Micro About a Billion Women (Iskenderian, 2022)
• And, just for fun:  Need to Know (Cleveland, 2018 — her first book, a few unique twists and turns!)

Onomatopoeia

©2022 Michael A. Mullin

One word, please,

for the sound of autumn leaves rustling in the wind, swirling about, kissing your feet, crinkling.

One word.

No time to waste with winter on its way, geese overhead.

One word.

The utterance ignites tingly sensations, peaceful smiles, perfect contentment.

The sound, the sight, the smell, the amorous ambience of the leaves as they rustle, eddy, and waft

mixed with cinnamony apple pie fresh from the oven.

Such joy!

Fizz, sizzle, buzz, kerplunk –

perfect for soda, steak, bees, and a rock dropped from the bridge into the center of the pond.

Why no word for autumn leaves?

Just one word – please.

Let’s get this done.