A Bad Sign

I’m just askin’, mind you, but would you consider it a bad sign if a large carrion bird sat outside your window and stared at you as if… well, as if you were their next meal?

That’s pretty much exactly what I thought the other day when I visited a coworker’s office and was greeted by this somewhat disquieting scene right outside his office window.

Me bein’ me and all, naturally a whole host of great one-liners instantly came to mind:

“I dunno; if I were you I’d check the organization chart for your name.”

“Have you, er, noticed a dramatic drop in your emails, lately?”

… not to mention,

“I see HR is using a new approach for sending out layoff notices.”

Of course, I could always do the time-honored “pull out a tape measure and start checking if all my stuff will fit in his office routine”… but that’s been done to death, don’cha think? (Get it? Carrion birds? Death? Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha! Er, sorry.)

Aw, don’t worry; I’m just kidding. I don’t really think he’s got anything to worry about. After all, with today’s economy in the shape it’s in, there’s no reason for anything but optimism, right?

Expect the Unexpected

What was really funny about the whole thing was when I moved closer to capture a good close-up. (Yes, he could see me easily, right through the heavy silvering on the outside of the glass.) As I eased my phone closer for a portrait, he reached out and started tap-tap-tapping on the glass. Good thing it was there or I’d be lunch meat!

Anyway, I just thought this was a rather, um, graphic reminder for all of us: when you’re in the midst of your plans, schemes, etc. – don’t forget to expect the unexpected. I mean, you never know, y’know? Just sayin’.

So… anything unexpected happen to YOU lately?

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You work and you work to accomplish the things you want, right? Twiddle this, jiggle that, make sure those things happen in the right order; it’s just life, y’know?

Experience, though, has taught me that, generally speaking, there’s at least one thing more you’re probably gonna need: patience!

All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go

Our return from Brazil was an exercise in mechanics. We packed up our suitcases, checked out of our hotel, ate a great breakfast, and loaded up the bus. It was time once again to head to the airport and board that big silver bird.

We were nearly the first to arrive at the terminal that morning, and so we very nearly had the entire ticketing area to ourselves. Checking in was the usual semi-controlled chaos; in spite of that it went relatively smoothly. Eventually we finally made it past ticketing and baggage check and headed for the boarding area and gate number 5.

As I approached, though, there was just one little problem. I looked out the window and – there was no plane!

My brain did a quick mental reboot as I considered the various and sundry ramifications of the situation. I mean, we’d done everything we were supposed to do, right? Tickets, luggage, boarding passes – check, check, check. It’s just that, without a plane it was all just an exercise, y’know? Sorta like a fire drill.

It’s All in the Timing

‘Course, once the initial surprise passed, I realized it wasn’t really a problem. We were just a little early, that’s all, and the plane simply hadn’t arrived yet. Still… until I saw our winged chariot waiting there for us, there was always that little niggling concern scratching away at the ol’ subconscious. What if it’s not coming? What if it’s late? What if – well, the list of worries could go on and on, couldn’t it?

The issue, you see, was in the timing. We’d done everything we were supposed to do. But now – ah, now it was out of our hands. The only thing we needed now was a little patience.

Not a bad lesson for life, wouldn’t you say? Sometimes we get so involved in getting things done we forget that not everything is under our direct control, y’know? You might as well face it: there’s times you simply have to wait for that thing you expect to happen… to happen.

The lesson, of course, is simple – have a little patience, friends! Do what you gotta do – but don’t forget to bring along that big ol’ bucket o’ patience. Chances are, you’re gonna need it.

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That Special Time of Year

One thing about the Christmas season; around our house it lasts for quite a while.

For instance, we usually put the Christmas tree up the day after Thanksgiving. And, since my birthday is at the end of January, I always beg Mrs. MZM to leave it up until after that blessed event is over. The result: we tend to celebrate Christmas around our house for a full 1/6 of the year! Yeehaw!

Then there’s all kinds of fun stuff to do, too, such as celebrating the end of hurricane season (a very big deal down here in the Gulf Coast region of the United States!), or searching for the perfect gift for Mrs. MZM (assuming the finances allow it – something that’s not always true from year to year *sigh*). Or maybe it’s cooking up sweet goodies like, um, pumpkin bread, or even making a big pile o’ delicious Christmas tamales (don’t laugh; that’s a big tradition here in Texas).

Special seasonal events abound as well: Christmas caroling, family get-togethers, and the annual “throwing out the old year’s resolutions to make brand-new ones”. And that doesn’t’ even begin to count events with religious significance as well: Christmas pageants, candlelight services, and all the rest.

But this year – ah, this year ranks right up there at the top of our Holiday experiences! I had the chance to be a king!

King for A Day

It all started when a friend asked me to help her with their school’s chapel time. “It’s easy,” she said. “All you have to do is be one of the three Kings (also known as the Wise Men) for a few minutes.”

Well, I ask ya; how could I turn such an offer down?

I mean, what’s the downside? There’s this really kingly robe to wear, I get to swap my cowboy hat for a shiny gold crown (only temporarily, of course – or maybe I could come up with a ‘Texas’ version?), and best of all, I’m already an experienced Wise Guy! (Yup; I’m a professional – please don’t try it at home!)

Unfortunately, one of the costumes was a mite too tiny to fit the fellow who volunteered (he was a bit too broad-shouldered), so we drafted my friend’s mom to stand in. (Now ordinarily, you’d think this might raise an eyebrow or two. Luckily, though, our audience was relatively indiscriminating, consisting of mainly a herd of about 25 three- and four-year-olds.)

The skit went well. We walked in singing the first verse and chorus of “We Three Kings”. Then each of us shared a little nugget about who we were (I played the second King, Melchior) and where we were from (I’m from out East – ‘waay past Louisiana). We also talked a little about the gifts we brought for the baby Jesus (mine was frankincense – and I challenge you to explain that to a three-year-old!)

I’ll tell ya; there’s nothing like the expression of wonder on a child’s face, is there? Their collective “ooh’s” and “ah’s” when we came in was well worth the effort.

I’ll tell ya; it’s good to be the King!

But Who Should Really BE the King?

Anyway, it was a lot of fun. Sadly, though, after a few minutes we trooped out and *sigh* had to return to the Real World. As I drove home, though, I reflected a bit on what it means to be a King. After all, when you get right down to it, that’s quite a job description, y’know?

Oh sure, the perks are great. Generally there’s a really nice place to live and a big staff of perennially eager beavers working and catering to every wish. There may even be hordes of devoted followers, too, hanging on the King’s every word as though they were, well, gold, frankincense or myrrh.

But bein’ a King ain’t all fun and games. After all, many a king has discovered the truism (sometimes the, um, hard way, if you get my meanin’) that along with great privilege comes great responsibility.

Sometimes, that’s the hardest lesson of all, isn’t it? That when you’re the actual leader – whether it’s of a single person or an entire country – it takes a very special individual who can truly live up to the role. Presidents and Prime Ministers, CEO’s and Supervisors, Captains and Corporals; they all bear a heavy responsibility when it comes to how they lead the folks underneath them in the org chart.

Are they worthy of the job they bear? Well, that’s the question, isn’t it? Sometimes, no matter the apparent qualifications, only time will tell.

Maybe that’s one reason Christians consider Jesus to be our King. I mean, with what we know about human nature (not to mention the not inconsiderable failings of earthly Kings and leaders of all kinds), only someone sent from God would really be qualified to do it right. Just sayin’.

Are You a Leader?

So what about you?

Are you a leader? What would you say are the main things that makes folks want to follow you? (Trust me when I say, if your followers don’t want to follow you, you ain’t a real leader no matter what the title says!) What advice would you give someone moving into a leadership role for the first time?

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And now for something a little different, y’all.

Kay Plantes asked me if I would be willing to post the following article because she felt it was “a story that needed telling”. I have to admit, it’s a pretty good account of how the power of vision can make all the difference to the tale of success. And, in an amazing display of serendipity, it also happens to fit neatly into our What I Learned From Limits groupwrite project this month! Way to go, Kay!

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Seeking: College-town of 20,000+ college students, with 10,000+ year-round residents, active nightlife and eclectic cultural tastes to locate a unique pizza restaurant

Ian Gurfield, an Amherst University college student, created this vision statement during an academic semester in Italy. Following a post-graduation cross-country trip through America’s college towns, he chose Madison, opening Frances Street Ian’s in the heart of UW’s nightlife.

Ten years later Gurfield owns multiple Madison businesses, his vision far more sophisticated, evolving due to his curiosity, willingness to experiment and tenacity. Admirably, he’s held “not knowing” until the right answers emerged.

Gurfield opened a second Ian’s on State Street to retain an ambitious business partner and capture traffic at Madison’s Capitol Square.  He discovered the challenges of multiple businesses and that a winning location is necessary but not sufficient.  By expanding the space to offer eat-in dining, Gurfield found success.  A restaurant on Chicago’s Clark Street also joined the mix.

Ian’s also grew synergistically using new products.  A local, organic frozen yogurt recently joined salads and brownies on the menus.  A staging kitchen will soon open on Willy Street, relieving stores of ingredient preparation. To speed financial payback, the kitchen will run a retail bakery modeled after Portland, Maine’s Standard Bakery.

Through all this, Gurfield struggled with Ian’s longer-term vision. Growth for the sake of growth wasn’t important, but retaining talent is, and that requires growth.  Furthermore, according to Gurfield, “Franchising wouldn’t work as we’d lose the local-owner-as-manager climate critical to creating Ian’s unique taste and experience.”

Ian’s recently completed 2020 Vision is a best-practice example of visioning for a number of reasons. The vision:

• Is specific and unique—not the generic statements so many leaders settle for.  For example, by 2020 Ian’s will have created 16 businesses, with at least 10 retail pizza restaurants, and in at least two geographic areas. A central entity, Ian’s Soul Central, will establish best practices across sites and offer marketing, financial and management services. An internal investment bank (open to employee investment) will fund expansion.
• Is inspiring—capturing what matters most (such as sustainability and good jobs) to the people who will transform reality into vision.
• Is strategic—setting a direction, not merely elusive goals. Gurfield’s vision work solved how Ian’s will grow while still retaining the individual identity and entrepreneurship vital to any one location’s success. Ian’s will be a federation of independently owned companies (at least two per city) that share knowledge and central services to help entrepreneurs overcome an otherwise lonely, challenging journey. Ian’s Soul Central will also convene a board of managing partners, each overseeing a city’s individual operator-owner companies, like State Street Ian’s Pizza that Lexy Frautschy now fully owns.
• Stretches from today. Ian’s hiring and training practices will be recognized nationally, for example.
• Yet, is rooted in the company’s DNA. Ian’s will always focus on exceptional ingredients, expertly prepared – “A business with pizzazz, not pizza” – and a rewarding environment for team players, all Gurfield core values.
• Clarifies what’s in and out. After completing the vision work, Gurfield learned that an associate’s father had unused organic farmland. Immediately he saw a fit, given Ian’s commitment to sustainable business practices and starting new businesses. Yet another federation member is born.

What does your vision statement say about your organization? If it reflects a “check the box, did that” activity, start again.  Defining your vision is at the heart of thinking and leading strategically.

Kay Plantes helps business leaders make better strategy decisions, faster. Her 20-year old firm, Plantes Company, LLC works with leaders to redefine their organization’s business model to secure higher profits and growth. The MIT-trained economist writes a weekly blog on business model innovation, http://www.plantescompany.com/blog and is author of Beyond Price: Differentiate Your Business in Ways that Really Matter (Greenleaf Bookgroup, 2009) http://www.beyondpricebook.com

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Quick question, y’all.

When you assure someone that what you say will happen is actually going to happen – does it make you a bit nervous? I mean, no matter how confident you feel, sooner or later you’re going to have to, y’know, face the music, right?

So when your confidence level prompts you to make a commitment (sound of terrified scream), does it still give you cold sweats? Perhaps a serious case of the heebie-jeebies? Yup; thought so.

But y’know; some situations require nothing less than absolute and total confidence; to state the case in no uncertain terms; to respond to a challenge with supreme fearlessness; to spit in the eye, so to speak, of the oncoming torpedo, y’know?

Give the Man a Chance

Speakin’ of torpedoes – and bein’ a guy and all – that kind of situation inevitably reminds me of a rather poignant moment from one of my favorite “guy” movies of all time, The Hunt for Red October.

The scene I’m thinkin’ of is where our intrepid hero, Jack Ryan, tries to convince the captain of the submarine USS Dallas that the captain of the Russian submarine he is closely shadowing (the Red October) actually wants to defect to the U.S.

(Now bear two things in mind; the American Captain has orders to sink the Red October, and up until this particular moment, the Russians have no idea they were being so closely tailed.)

It’s an edgy scene, to say the least. In the narrow confines of a submarine corridor, they tensely face off against each other – the Captain, because he thinks Ryan is out of his gourd for suggesting such a thing, and Ryan, supremely confident because of his own analysis of the Russian’s motivations (and because he’s the hero of this tale – and he’s never wrong).

Ryan realizes he only has one chance to make his case before being hauled off to the brig.

He finally plays his trump card by claiming he knows the Russian Captain so well he can actually predict the man’s every move – and that his next turn (called a “Crazy Ivan” in submariner’s lingo) will be to starboard. (That’s “to the right” for you landlubbers out there – and if you’re one of those who, like Mrs. MZM, can’t tell your right hand from your left, then please, move over and let ME drive!)

Suddenly, the intercom sounds…

Intercom: Conn, Sonar. Signal to noise ratio’s dropping. Possible aspect change in target. Possible target zig based on bearing rate.

Intercom: Conn, Sonar. Crazy Ivan! Captain. Captain, he’s turning!

Captain: Which way is he turning?

Intercom: To the starboard, sir.

Captain turns sharply to Ryan.

Ryan: Give the man a chance.

Captain (coming to a sudden decision): All back full.

Intercom: Captain, say again.

Captain: I said all back full!

Intercom: Back full. Aye, sir. Engines back full.

The submarine fills with noise as the propeller reverses, bringing the submarine to a sudden and noisy stop.

Intercom: We’re cavitating! He can hear us!

Captain: Conn, aye. All stop.

Intercom: All stop, aye.

Captain (smiling wryly at Ryan): All right, Mr. Ryan; we just unzipped our fly.

Here’s the thing…

At a previous job, our client once asked me to create a big poster listing 10 to 15 critical milestones for the project I’m working on. Now, ordinarily, that’s no big deal; we always had a detailed project schedule with that information available at the drop of a hat (but not my hat, mind you; that would be, y’know, wrong).

But still; there’s something about putting those milestones on a big, honkin’ poster and putting’ it up there for all to see, y’know? In a way, it’s kinda like making a list of your New Year’s resolutions – then publishing it on the front page of the New York Times. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like so much more of a, y’know, commitment that way.

Now, though, if we missed a date, it’s *ulp* right there on the wall for all to see (I could already feel little drops of sweat forming on my troubled brow…). After all, as any experienced project manager will tell you, a schedule is simply a battle plan. (And I emphasize the word plan.)

Oh, sure; we do our best to execute the plan (and no, I don’t mean – much as you’d like to – stand it against a wall, tie a blindfold on it and blow it to Kingdom Come). But still, there’s always, y’know, reality to deal with. As Field Marshall Helmuth Karl Bernhard Graf von Moltke (a bonecrusher of a name if there ever was one) once pointed out, “No battle plan survives contact with the enemy.”

Hey, I understand perfectly. The very idea of “puttin’ feets to them words”, if you get my meanin’, can make even the most confident person on Earth tremble a bit inside. Especially when there’s a fair to middlin’ chance that factors outside your control might be at work at play.

But as I said back at the beginning of this little essay, sometimes the situation requires nothing less.

So What About It?

When was the last time you had to make one of those “everything-rests-on-this” type of commitments? What brought it up? What was the result? Do you dare to share a little about it here? C’mon, go ahead; we’re all friends here. (Besides, I need some new blog material. - KIDDING!)

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Have you ever suffered a serious disappointment in life? I’m talkin’ about one of those my-ship-just-came-in sorta things that you coulda swore (if your Momma hadn’t taught you not to) was as good as, well, guaranteed.

Sure you have!

I’ll tell ya what, Bubba; those times ain’t fun, are they? In fact, they’re downright painful – to the point of excruciation.

But speaking on behalf of those of us who have endured such trepidations, we can tell you one thing for certain: No matter how badly you feel, there is life on the other side!

Tough Times

Some years ago, the engineering job market in the U.S. suffered what’cha might call a serious downturn (which is a pathetically mundane euphemism for what it really means, to wit: it tanked, Bubba!). And during that time, yours truly, along with quite a few others, went through a period of extended unemployment. For me, it lasted almost exactly 4 years to the day.

Yep; you read it right, folks! It was a rough time, to say the least. Oh sure, every business cycle has its ups and downs. But never had I experienced such complete and total ineffectiveness at job hunting (other than, you know, odd jobs of various sorts) in my chosen field.

I’m tellin’ ya, Bubba; I tried everything! Alas, all the usual sources of jobs literally dried up before my very eyes. Even though I managed to land several pretty good job interviews during this period, unfortunately they never quite converted into an actual, you know, job.

Well… except for one… (flash of lightning, crash of thunder, sound of terrified scream).

First Contact

So what made this one different? Well, here’s the thing…

First contact for this particular position came from a headhunter. Now, I don’t know about you, but in my vast years of experience in the engineering field (34 and counting), whenever that sorta thing happens, it’s usually good for a yawn or two – at best.

Why, you ask? Well, it’s because headhunters generally contact so many people it’s hard to get too excited about it. (This is not a complaint; it’s just the way it is.) And, as most job-seekers probably know, submitting a resume to a headhunter is about as useful as dropping it into a quantum black hole. (Although dropping your resume into a black hole at least gives you lots of pretty colors as it’s sucked into infinity and transforms itself into gamma ray energy.)

Anyway, at first blush the job appeared to be slightly out of my area of expertise. Oh, don’t get me wrong; I was sure I could do the job. It’s just that I’d never had that particular job description before. And, after everything was said and done, more is usually said than done that sort of thing usually translates into a dramatic, er, lack of interest on the client’s part.

But hey, I was definitely interested, so at least the possibility of a job clicked forward a notch.

Nailed It!

Well, you could have knocked me over with a feather (sound of me, being knocked over with a feather) when the headhunter actually came through and arranged a phone interview. I mean, it had been so long since anyone had indicated an interest in little ol’ me, at first I wasn’t even sure I’d know how to act!

But when it was time to make the call, Bubba, I was ready.

I followed the classic job-seekers’ manual to the letter: I put on nice clothes (even to the point of wearing a tie), stood in front of a mirror (never sit down during a phone interview!), made sure I smiled a lot (believe it or not, they can actually hear a smile over the phone) – well, you know the drill, right? I’m tellin’ ya; I was as prepared as I could possibly be.

All that preparation paid off, too, because by the end of the interview it was obvious I’d pretty much nailed it. By the end of our conversation, the fellow I spoke with (who as it turned out, was the actual hiring authority) was absolutely convinced I was the right person for the job – and said so in no uncertain terms. I was the perfect combination of experience and enthusiasm he’d been looking for (which were pretty much his exact words).

Wonder of wonders, I was hired! Yessir, things were definitely looking up!

Well, we had talked longer than originally planned, so he had to leave for a meeting. So we arranged one more call the following week to discuss particulars (you know; those minor little details like salary, compensation plan, etc.) and signed off.

As you might imagine, by this time I’m pretty much dancin’ on the ceiling. My unemployment period had lasted over two years at this point, and the industry was still not on the recovery yet. Naturally, after such a positive interview, I did what anyone would do – I started to get my hopes up.

Hold on There, Bubba!

I know by now you’re probably way ahead of me. *sigh*

To nobody’s surprise (except, of course, mine), a week went by; then two. By the third week, after trying fruitlessly to contact said hiring manager (who steadfastly refused to return my calls), I finally had to admit to myself that all was not as rosy as it had seemed such a short time before.

All during this time, I was riding an emotional roller coaster, alternating between positive optimism and bouts of despair and frustration. I hope you’ve never been there, my friends, but if you have then you know exactly what I mean. It was a horrible time.

It was, I think, about five or six weeks after that phone interview when I finally managed to contact him again. (It must have been a moment of insanity on his part because he actually, you know, answered the phone.) Well, within approximately 5.92 milliseconds, I could tell my worst fears had been realized.

That’s right; there was no job! (sound of heartfelt sobbing)

The Back Story

So what the heck happened, you ask? Well, here’s the back story.

See, in the time between the actual interview and our planned second phone call (hey, it was only a week – 7 short days – a lousy 168 hours), corporate headquarters had put a freeze on all hiring. Yep; you read it right, ladies and gentlemen: there was to be no more hiring until further notice! (more sobbing, accompanied by occasional blowing of the ol’ schnozola)

Needless to say, I was completely devastated. I mean, there I was, not only fully qualified, but had even been specifically selected for the job! Then, just as I was about to step into my new role, it evaporated right before my very eyes!

I’m tellin’ ya, Bubba; I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. I wanted to throw something. I wanted to – well, suffice it to say, I was not a happy camper. And I don’t mind admittin’ to y’all; it was probably one of the emotionally toughest things I’ve ever had to face.

Fast Forward

Ever had something like that happen to you? You know; when you were absolutely, positively SURE that ____________ (feel free to fill in the blank here) was really, really going to happen. In fact, you even saw it happening right before your eyes.

But then… it fell apart (sound of your vision shattering into a million pieces).

So, what was your reaction? Hey, if you’re anything like me (and sincere condolences if you are), then most likely you experienced, among other things, the urge to throw something, to climb to the highest tower and rage at the injustice of it all, or perhaps something equally Drama Queen-esque. Or, maybe not.

But here I am, five years later, and I can tell ya one thing for sure: I survived.

Yep; it’s true. At the time, it quite literally felt like the end of the world as I knew it. I mean, if I didn’t get this job – this perfect, wonderful job – well, I’d probably explode into a thousand pieces and turn to dust. Mrs. MZM would have had to get out the ol’ Dust Buster, collect my sorry remains, and dump me into the garden. At least my constituent elements might do the geraniums some good. (Or maybe kill ‘em; whatever.)

But to my complete surprise, I didn’t, in fact, explode. Nope; I picked myself up and, well, moved on. I didn’t know I could. I didn’t even feel like I could.

But (and here’s the amazing part) – I did.

Nothin’ to See Here

See, that’s the thing about big, traumatic disappointments. Oh, they happen, all right. And what’s more, they really, really hurt. Believe me, I understand perfectly.

But one thing I know for sure is that there is always a tomorrow. There will always, as long as we draw breath, be another chance for things to happen. It’s kinda like a big, cosmic Nothin’ to see here; keep movin’ sign up in the heavens.

What’s more; the thing you thought you couldn’t possibly ever get over – well, you may be surprised how what eventually happens can turn out to be even better than what you wished would have happened at the time. As a matter of fact, it’s always been true for me.

So what’s your experience been like? Have you ever faced a crushing disappointment in life, something that turned out totally the opposite of what you had in mind? Maybe you even, like me, had something literally snatched right out of the palm of your hand.

What did you do? How did you handle it? Have you managed to get past it yet – or are you still in the midst of one now? Let us know in the comment box, my friends; maybe even give us a chance to figuratively put our arms around your shoulders and say, “There, there; it’s gonna be all right!”

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Photo Credits:

A Bird in the Hand, by Mr. Hyde

Nuthin to See Here!, by shakti_truffle

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Just for the heck of it, instead of the usual story, I thought I’d drag out my podium and pretend to be a college professor today. (I just want a chance to prove this lump on top of my shoulders ain’t just a hat rack!) Feel free to chew gum, send text messages to your friends, or otherwise sleep while pretending to pay attention.

But I’ll begin by saying this: it’s all the fault of my friend Ellen Weber. Let me explain…

For those of you who hid under a rock during Ike’s rampage across the Texas countryside (not that there’s anything wrong with that, mind you), you may remember that September’s WILF groupwrite project was titled What I Learned From My Friends.

In Ellen Weber’s entry, Two-Footed Articles for Ten Friends, she asked me an intriguing question that I feel needs a bit more than a comment box response. (Question: Do the ten of us each represent toes? Which one am I? Uh… never mind.)

Well, it’s a month later now, so here’s my response. (OK; I admit it: I’m sloooow.) Thanks for the question, Ellen! I love the little mind prompts you’re so good at. So here’s the question:

If people were the capital in today’s business world, how would they know that in their current workplaces?

Let’s think about this a bit (sound of grinding gears). For the sake of argument, let’s define capital as existing assets used to produce further assets. Sounds a little circular, I know, but it usually refers to buildings, inventory, and other physical stuff. However, obviously there can be many other types of capital that aren’t physical, yet are extremely critical to business.

For instance, there’s knowledge. The amount of knowledge kept inside the heads of any given organization can amount to a tremendous amount of value. These days, the biggest challenge for most companies is in learning to tap into that knowledge for the good of the organization. Not an easy task, lemme tell ya!

Then there’s a little something called experience. Most businesses depend on using their accumulated experience to convince others to buy a product or be hired to do X, Y or Z. That’s a form of capital, and it’s actually tradable – mergers & acquisitions is big business for that very reason.

I could go on, but my point here is that these forms of capital can only be found in people. Thus, in a very real sense, people are capital in an organization.

So what does that mean, anyway (sound of head scratching)?

Well, lemme ask you this: What do companies do with their capital, anyway? Uh, you in the back with the moustache and the big pink fuzzy slippers on – yes, you. Hey, right you are! It’s the same thing you want your capital to do for you while it’s in the bank – make it work for you!

So, what should someone with money (the most familiar form of capital for us ordinary folk) be doing with it? Well, here’s 5 principles I came up with right off the top of my head (which is the part of me right up there under the hat):

• Protect. The first and foremost thing is to try and keep what you have. I mean, you don’t want some bozo to come along and just lift it out of your hands and run off with it, right? So it stands to reason you wouldn’t want to just leave it lying around the house, or stuffed in a mattress somewhere. No! (he said, banging his fist on the podium) You find a safe place to keep it. That means a bank or something similar where the principal will not be at risk.
• Invest. However, now the money is secured, it needs to start earning its keep. That means some sort of investment, right? Here’s where the risk-level (and the tendency towards, er, hair-pulling) really starts to matter. See, the fact is, some folks are very risk-tolerant, some aren’t. And, to make things more interesting, risk tolerance usually changes over time. Not to mention that it’s constantly influenced by external forces as well. Today’s DJIA is a case in point (sound of hysterical sobbing).
• Grow. So, what’s the point of having the money if you’re not going to do something with it? The fact is we use money as a means (and note – it’s a means, not an end) to live, grow, and prosper – eventually (hopefully) to make our lives, well, sorta ‘bigger’ than they once were, if you get my meanin’. And, if all goes well, your life tomorrow will be “larger” than it is today. Growth is implicit in, well, existence.
• Secure. Securing the future is probably one of the most common uses of money. And that doesn’t necessarily mean chunking an inexhaustible supply somewhere, a la money tree. I mean, who has that kind of resource available? (Although… having a money tree would certainly make life so much simpler, wouldn’t it? Or would it?) No, what I’m talking about here is leveraging present, well, things for future security. Like 401k accounts, for instance. Or burial plots, for that matter. Whatever you do now that makes the future more manageable and secure (in this case defined as “less hassle”).
• Transfer. Finally, once our needs are totally met, we convey the excess on to the next generation. One thing I think we can all agree on is that to date, no one has successfully figured out how to “take it with ‘em”, have they? So what’s the point of accumulating beyond reason? Passing on the surplus to the next ones to come along only makes sense. Just, er, make sure they know what to do with it!

OK, now let’s get back to Ellen’s question. What would these principles mean if you substituted the words “organization” for “someone” and “people” for “capital”? All right, Ellen, let’s do that thing, throw ‘em against the wall, and see what sticks:

• Protect. An organization does its level best to protect the investment it’s made in its people. And we’re talking about a significant sum here, folks! When folks leave, it’s like a big black hole (say, what’s that giant, sucking sound?) that can drain the vitality out of any organization. It is to be avoided whenever possible. Organizations that want to protect their place in the market will do what it takes to let workers know they are important enough to keep.
• Invest. They spend resources so employees are up to speed on job skills needed to do the work. It’s another way companies signal they are worth the extra effort. It’s a risk; sure. Sometimes upgrading employee skills opens the door for them look toward other horizons. But if the nest is safe, maybe they’ll be less likely to jump, don’t ya think?
• Grow. They look for ways to improve job processes; it helps keep the organization on a track to growth. By staying ahead of the curve, organizations can make themselves the “place to be” in their industry. Truth is, everyone likes working for a winner. (You’ve seen those “favorite places to work” lists, haven’t you? Hey, it’s a choice – and there’s a cost to it; but it’s up to the organization to be that winner.
• Secure. Giving their folks the means to secure their futures is a sure-fire way of keeping them for the long haul. Adequate healthcare, retirement and other benefits go a long way to show employees they’re worth it, and that they can be more secure where they are than with someone else.
• Transfer. This one’s a toughie. Making room at the top for new ideas, new visions, and new directions. Every day sees us closer to a brand new world; the more able to see things in new ways, the more likely an organization will still be around for long. Even down in the ranks, room for new is necessary. Cycle of life, and all that.

So the question now is, does that make sense? Does this describe your company? Is it even close? If not, then what could they do to change?

So what do you think? Am I right on track, or should I do like Robert Scoble did and go back to my old job as a crash-test dummy? Thoughts, anyone?

[Note - No actual Robert Scobles were injured during the writing of this article.]

[Further Note - No offense intended, Robert; I just couldn't resist using this silly image (found here). And by the way, I know the feeling well.]

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