April 8, 2024
Good morning!
These mornings are alive with the songs of spring birds.
The siren sounds of gentle rain beckon from the furthest depths of sleep.
Given the erratic starts and stops to spring, are we having two runs — or three runs — or a perpetual maple sap run this year?
If so, can Canada please be spared the tragedy it announced a month or more ago?
With apologies to Rachel Carson, we might be experiencing Perpetual Spring!
- If you are a student of celestial phenomena, or even if you’re not, suspend your agenda today between 1 PM and 3 PM CDT to witness the vanishing — and returning — sun.
- The human body is like an old car needing repairs… as soon as you start on one malady, a dozen more present themselves.
- Probably better to not get started; it runs just fine… put in some more oil and motor on.
- We continue to ponder the perplexing juxtaposition of 3.8% unemployment, a robust stock market, and groceries costing double what they did five years ago.
- More thoughts on that 83% graduation rate — or, if you prefer, the 17% not graduating rate.
- You could probably add another 17% to those data to account for those who just barely made it.
- And then what you have is one-third of the population without basic functional literacy or citizenship.
- Should we care?
- One hundred years ago, probably not, because each of those kids could have worked on the farm, apprenticed at a trade, joined the army, started a business — and probably have been successful, some very successful. (Yes, a few still will be today.)
- The difference today is, for the most part, we don’t have those options available.
- And, let’s not forget, the #1 most important reason for education: The preservation of (cogent) democracy.
- Considering the quarter just ended, it was a great time to have been invested in raw cocoa (+132%), oranges, cotton, or sugar.
- On the other hand, you probably regret going long on soybeans and wheat.
- Are you ready for that $5 Snickers bar?
- We don’t write much about management in these pages, but we probably should.
- Our focus at Without A Vision Consultancy is on leadership, the CEO, C-Suite People, and Boards.
- But, management is where things actually get done… and we should never underestimate the vital importance of these people.
- Which is the point.
- The big breakdown from vision to operations is often a failure to fully communicate — and to teach, and to listen, and to re-communicate, and to listen, and to teach…
- The behaviour of your managers, their sense of self-worth and importance, and their ownership of the (shared) vision cannot be overstated.
- The following is informed by M.I.T. Sloan Management, 2024:
- Be sure employees know how, where, when, and if they can advance, develop, improve, and get promoted — and with whom they can visit about it.
- Establish and track short-term goals and celebrate the wins (opposite of strategic level stuff).
- It’s impossible to communicate perfectly, but keep trying, keep trying; face-to-face is always best.
- Create context, even if it doesn’t make sense at the moment.
- Ensure your employees know what benefits are available and know how to access them.
- Be your team’s biggest fan and its most persistent advocate. Know how to say “No!” for them.
- Life is a never-ending relay, one generation to the next; you run your leg and then you hand-off having done the best you can.
- Like Caitlin…
- There was a day Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing (3M) was admired and emulated; the best of the best companies.
- Nothing is forever.
- The rise and fall of this company will be studied in business schools for decades.
- To grow, it acquired 77 other businesses — and at the rate of 3,000 per year, holds 130,000 patents.
- Like the old GE, it made everything from soup to nuts, A to Z, its culture was, “try anything, try everything, don’t worry about mistakes.”
- Workers loved it, stockholders loved it, many millionaires were made.
- Without a Vision Consultancy’s question: Where was the Board? Could it have better predicted the risks, seen the future? Known about the poisons? We will never know.
- It’s happening. Slowly but surely young people are turning to vocational careers as some of those entry level jobs approach six figure$.
- We predicted it would be even more than this:
- Sixty percent of jobs people do today didn’t exist in 1940 (U.S. Census data, 2020)
- Number one in the United States: According to Pete, Iowa has the most number of bridges needing repair compared to all 50 states.
- Iowa has the most number of defunct bridges; when you think of Iowa do you think of rivers and water?
- From a different perspective, West Virginia has the greatest percentage of its bridges in poor condition, 20%.
- Probably because Minnesota had its very own internationally televised bridge disaster 17 years ago, it has addressed the dangers a bit more aggressively than most.
- The current television show on the 12-days search for Lincoln’s assassin should grab me and not let go, but it doesn’t.
- Stanton is miscast… the young, swashbuckling actor looks nothing like the real life 1860s Sec’y of War and future Supreme Court Justice.
- Trivia question (1 point): Who was the only U.S. Supreme Court Justice nominated and confirmed, but never showed up for a single day of work?
- It’s that old wisdom: Teach your people HOW to think and to solve problems and you won’t be burdened with as much of the day-to-day stuff.
