April 10, 2023
Good morning! The Robins are in full voice; more than fifty of them are gathered in our yard, anticipating worms. Are you an over-the-shoulder investor? Orange juice. Another of the giants has fallen. Frank Brown was 94, though he could have passed for 64 on his worst of days. An inquisitive youngster at heart, he was in perpetual awe of the world around him, especially of his family and anything having to do with nature. Though we never compared notes on this topic, my Dad and he would have grown up just miles apart on fertile farm land just south of Mankato, MN. Frank was a distinguished surgeon, a faithful husband (Alice) of 67 years, father, grandfather, great grandfather, and pillar of the community. He was a trusted friend and a chin-scratching co-philosopher for more than 50 years. I’ll miss him.
- Remember this slogan of the United States Postal Service?
- “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”
- Apparently it has never been the motto or the slogan or anything related to the U.S. Postal Service, Ben Franklin included.
- Credit history’s own Herodotus with another of the great aphorisms.
- He wrote it as a descriptor for the Persian empire’s equivalent of the Pony Express.
- And so, we will accordingly lower our expectations for the mail while being grateful for the times when it does arrive.
- Book: The Correspondents… (Mackrell, 2021) You won’t be able to put it down.
- Finland is in the news once again.
- And, not only for joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, but for its perennial position atop the Happiest Place in the World competition.
- But wait, they might have chosen the wrong descriptor; contentment might be more accurate than happiness.
- “It turns out even the happiest people in the world aren’t that happy. But they are something more like content.
- Finns derive satisfaction from leading sustainable lives and perceive financial success as being able to identify and meet basic needs…
- …In other words, when you know what is enough, you are happy.” (Salonen, NYT)
- This from our friends at Farmers and Merchants State Bank of Pierz (and Sauk Rapids and Eden Valley):
- Community banks account for thirteen percent (13%) of banking industry assets…
- … and they hold forty-two percent (42%) of the industry’s small business loans.
- We know from many sources that small businesses — and especially entrepreneurs — are at the heart of the economy.
- Or, as King Banaian might put it, where would we be without innovation?
- Is having a sense of purpose the most important ingredient in employee happiness?
- Does it have to be — or is there room for the person who just wants a job?
- “We believe workplaces comprise three types of employees: the job-oriented, the career-oriented, and the purpose-oriented.
- Just as important as recognizing that not everyone is purpose-oriented is knowing and accepting that it’s OK for employees to not share in the organization’s purpose; they can still make meaningful contributions.
- This approach requires a massive shift in our thoughts on purpose, because although it is always worth trying to help people buy into an organization’s purpose, it is equally important to understand when they simply want a job or a career. (McAllister and Odom, 2023)
- Reminds us of our good friend, John, a very successful banker, who non-pejoratively reminds us there is nothing wrong with Thursday night bowling being the highlight of the week.
- A few other thoughts on coaching: (Eades, 2023)
- Someone’s success tomorrow requires your best coaching today;
- A lack of coaching is the leading cause of underperformance in the work place;
- The positive results of your coaching might not manifest until further down the road.
- According to the International Business Machines Corp. (IBM), seventy-seven percent (77%) of industry is either already using artificial intelligence or is getting ready to use it.
- Have you used the new ChatGPT?
- Hal, did someone let you out of your cage?
- Get ahead of the curve: Plan now how you will approach the 25-minutes wait time when refueling your electric vehicle.
- A whole new industry and millions of opportunities are just on the horizon.
