Spaghetti Happens

I learned a VERY good lesson recently—that is: “Spaghetti Happens”.

Whenever I wear a white shirt—freshly cleaned, ironed, and crisp—looking sharp…. Spaghetti happens.

When I wear such, I (for some reason) always end up having Spaghetti for lunch, and no mater how careful I am, I ALWAYS will spill some on it, thus getting the nice “Red Dalmatian” effect—Guaranteed!

So it is with life. We’re ready, we’re prepared, we have a great plan…. then… “Spaghetti” happens—stuff that we didn’t want or anticipate or even that makes a mess comes our way, no matter how careful we are.

The key isn’t to “Stop Spaghetti”, you can’t—I’ve proven that. The key is to expect it, to not be (overly) bothered by it and HAVE A PLAN TO CLEAN YOUR SHIRT (or even a new shirt) ready.

In planning parlance… have a Plan B. It isn’t prevention, but rather (your) response that is the key to a happy and productive life. 

Obviously, learn to do all you can to prevent, but after you’ve done all you can….Spaghetti (still) happens, so don’t let it kill your day… move quickly to Plan B and don’t worry.

Problem is, I still love Italian food….Here’s to lasagna

The Happiness Challenge

The old management rule to measure what matters is a good one. The problem is that the stuff that matters is always the hardest to measure, but we can't let that stop us. Let's measure up, rather than measure down.

For example, the dream of happy people contributing to a healthy planet: We have metrics for the healthy planet part, but we are still inventing how you measure OUR happiness and we are still working out how to increase it.

A recent article reported a study showing that in spite of a significant raise in their standard of living, people were no happier than they were 30 years ago, and i many cases much less.  All these "labor-saving" devices have done is increase our stress and, thus,  lower our happiness. So while we've got measures of our living standards coming out our ears, as happens so often, we seem to be pointing in the wrong direction.

Here are four factors that can help make us happier:

1) Be of service to something larger than yourself.
I often draw on a great thought from philosopher Daniel Dennett: "The secret of happiness is to find something bigger than yourself and then to devote your life to it."

2) Experience "flow," or full engagement, on a regular basis.
This is one of the fundamentals of Peak Performance. Flow happens when people are unleashed and inspired against their Dream. And what a Dream the aspiration to make the world a better place is! My friend, Professor Bruce Jackson head of the center for the Advancement of Leadership at UVU, is a expert on this--great stuff--expect his book shortly.

3) Show your gratitude to the people in your life.
Simple, direct and action-focused. If we all followed that one sentence, the self-help publishing industry could pack up and go home to look after its own friends and family. Live thankfully.

4) Have at least three people who are emotionally close enough to share your life with.
And if you're lucky, it might be more than three.

Be HAPPY

Blue Ocean Phooey

There have been a lot of discussions lately in certain circles on some latest “flavor-of-the-month” business books. And while neither bad nor destructive—as they at least get people thinking--it is fair to say that the downside to such can also be a little dangerous (or at least, sub-optimal).

Slavish adherence to such pop-culture-style tomes can be troublesome—especially as they become a part of the culture of an organization. They are, generally, far too simplistic and usually not based on the actual research or data, but rather on other's interpretations of such. They get one thinking, which is good and a start--but not deep enough. Complex problems (and most problems are complex, as if the were easy they’d be solved already and would not longer be problems right?) in life and business usually are not solved with cute phraseology, simple ideas, and clichés.

One such example of this is the recent business book “Blue Ocean Strategy”—which suggests, in simplistic terms, that a business needs to get out of the “Red Ocean” (full of competitors and “blood”) and into the “Blue Ocean” (a unique place for the organization where it can generate above-average return in some nirvana-like state). Sounds great! But it is overly simplistic on a number of levels.

For one example: Because you were "good" once, you may have some unique idea or product or service that gets you into Blue Ocean, and thus you’ll make above-average returns for a period. GREAT! But that will soon disappear—your competitors aren’t stupid (they compete with you after all). THEY WILL FIND SOME WAY TO FOLLOW YOU! Then you’re back into RED (and REALLY RED this time) Ocean.

By thinking just a little more beyond this superficial level, what you really need is not Blue Ocean, but WHAT GOT YOU INTO THE BLUE OCEAN—innovation, re-invention, newness, being ahead of the pack. This is a constantly learning (and evolving) organization. THAT IS WHAT IS REQUIRED--it's an attitude, not a "product"--it's an organization's DNA or style, not a "new thing." Then you not only can you get into "Blue Ocean", but more importantly, YOU CAN STAY THERE. You keep moving the ocean as you move—your competitors can’t keep up.

It is a continually learning (and for that matter unlearning) organization that is the key—continually growing, testing itself, reinventing itself (not afraid of itself) organization that matters, not some trendy new and ultimately arbitrage-able product, or service or idea. It is the ability to CONTINUALLY have such that is the key.

So here’s to Blue Ocean!

Don’t get me started on “The Butterfly Effect…” We can do better than that too—just got to think deeper than a veneer level of thought.

Rock on…

Hope is not Audacious!

Contrary to what some politicians would have you believe... HOPE is necessary, Hope is even a right!  There is nothing "bold" or "daring" about it.

EVERYONE needs (and should) have HOPE!

Recently (and quite rightly) management in Japan has decided to re-invest the company there under the theme of "Health, Freedom, and Hope."  This line has always stirred my soul as a mission worth investing one's-self in.  I love everything else that's been done, but this line has always held a special place for me--for it is who we are!

HEALTH, Check, we got that through our world-class products,  FREEDOM, Double check--we got that--in fact the many facets of Freedom (time, money, lifestyle etc) are all here--especially the one that I completely underestimated--only having to work with those that you WANT to.  

But HOPE, that is one that is usually ignored, and certainly underestimated, but probably the most important.

When I was growing up, the worst criticism one could make of another was that he was a "no-hope-er"--he had no hope either for himself or others in him.  What a  terrible thing to call someone, what a terrible place to be!

We all need HOPE.  Hope Springs eternal.  It drives us to do what is required.  It is a motivating force,  it is a force for good!

It is necessary, and we can deliver it!

Never underestimate HOPE.  Nothing "audacious" about it!

Traveling

I love it!  Not really, but I must confess I do really enjoy meeting new people and seeing new and different places.  But the "getting there" part and certainly being away from home is no fun.

The last week or so I have been in Phoenix, Pittsburgh and now am in Nashville. The former and later were business--working with "good people" and the middle was purely fun and family (the high school rugby team I help coach (which my two older boys are in, qualified to go to the National Championships--but all the "boys" came along)--we went and made it all the way to the championship game, but we lost--so they did well--second in the nation--and that ain't all that bad!  They did well.

What a  GREAT business we are in--we get to meet good people, only work with those we want to, have fun all the way along and also help others make their lives better (and ours also, as a consequence, in the process). 

With summer now upon us, and all the school year-end "stuff" over with, I'm taking more time for the family.  If trips are needed (and they are) I'll take one or more of my kids (or maybe even the whole family) along.  That certainly makes "business trips" much more "fun."

Anyway, have fun,... be good,... work hard.