Implementation of a Plan

June 24, 2024

Good morning! The Say Hey! kid is dead… Long live the (next) Say Hey! Kid. Willie Mays transcended innumerable barriers to be admired and embraced by many — but would they have invited him to dinner?He didn’t solve race, or civil rights, but he contributed more than most. Is an infectious personality acquired or simply a gift you’re born with?

• Brutally anecdotal:  The big-city afternoon rush hour is back with a vengeance.
  • Might be worse than pre-plague.
  • The four-years reprieve was nice while it lasted; the crazy, dangerous drivers are back — and plenty of them.
• To change or not to change?
  • You don’t want your favourite restaurant to change — nor your Mom’s potato salad recipe, but…
  • How about your airplane ride?
• As if baseball doesn’t already get a bad enough rap for being boring, you can now purchase radio broadcasts guaranteed to put you to sleep, just like counting sheep.
  • Users of the sleep aid report not lasting beyond the first inning before dozing off.
  • The broadcasts of hypothetical minor league games drone on for hours reminiscent of hot summer afternoons while puttering around the garage or working in the fields.
  • Minnesotans will recognize Wally McCarthy, a legendary car dealer who spent $million$ on advertising, as the fictional name of the producer/ announcer.
  • There are even rain delays and occasional incidents of fan shenanigans — all described in a mundane, monotone voice.  (Chin, Minneapolis Tribune)
• Because it is now summer in the Northern Hemisphere by any definition, please consider FOUR books, different genres:
  • The Boy Who Promised Me Horses, Charpentier, 2024 (See if you can find me written into the story!)
  • The Anxious Generation, Haidt, 2024
  • Kings of the Yukon, Weymouth, 2018  (Travel virtually with the Chinook/ King Salmon for their 2,000 miles journey; amazing!)
  • The Best Place in Town to Spend Tuesday Noon, Mullin, 2015
• We scoured this article from Bloomberg News hoping to find some sort of silver bullet, but alas…
  • … as with almost everything in life — and in business — there is no panacea, just focused, consistent work following the right vision and strategic imperatives.
  • At Swedish retail giant, IKEA, workers were quitting to the tune of 33% (62,000 employees) of the work force each year.
  • Each turnover cost the company and estimated $5,000 in hard costs — with no way to accurately measure the innumerable soft costs.
  • What did IKEA do?
  • Pay increases, flexibility for workers, clear & empathetic communication, and deploying technology to improve working conditions and the customer experience.
  • The results were dramatic in just one year:  From 33% to 25% quit rate in the U.S. — and from 22.4% to 17.5% globally.  (Boyle)
  • Problem solved?  No, of course not, but a good beginning?  Yes.  Keep it going.
  • Your business might benefit from a similar analysis — and then the implementation of a plan — and then sustainability.
    • “You cannot be a great place to shop if you’re not a great place to work.”  (Moscoso)
    • “Small things make a big difference.”  (Taylor, IKEA)
• Just realized, all — or at least most — Viet Nam war veterans are in their 70s or 80s!
  • How did that happen?!  In my brain they’re still in their 20s and 30s.
• Planning a trip somewhere this summer?
  • If you are among the majority, you will go wherever you’re going based on recommendations from family and friends.
  • And, if you don’t want to take their advice, you will likely conduct research on your computer screen.  (State of Travel, 2024)
  • Singapore might be a good destination if you are sympathetic about having a net-positive impact on your host’s environment, culture, economy, and infrasture.
• Let’s talk about the complex and powerful force that shapes organizational performance.
  • Leaders can create, convey, and manage energy throughout an organization, making a huge difference…
  • By energy, we do not mean personality, passion, charisma, extroversion, cheerleading, or any of those other traits commonly mistaken for it.
  • Energy is more about transferring alignment, conviction, and capacity, and belief to others in the organization.
    • Energy starts at the top.  (And, we would add, it must be consistent with VISION.)
  • It operates as a two-way current that travels throughout an organization.
  • It reaches all the way to the front line — and even beyond, to outside stakeholders — through a series of face-to-face (and increasingly virtual) transmissions.
  • Energy is how leaders receive feedback from both within and outside the organization.
  • It is the byproduct of connectivity, preparation, intent, and self-awareness.  (Torres, Etc., et al., BCG)