Success Post Covid-19 - "The Hustle"

"If you don't have a crisis, create one". That was a suggestion by one of the TQM gurus in the 80s to American businesses who had lost market share and lost revenue because they'd become lazy and complacent in how they ran their business. The strategy behind uttering  such a statement, of course, was to create a sense of urgency to cause action, facilitate behavior change among the timid or indecisive.

“Out of Crisis" was written by Dr. Edward Deming in 1982. Deming was considered the father of the quality movement along with other organizational and business thinkers like Juran, Crosby, Feigenbaum who introduced systems, philosophies, and techniques which was the nexus for  "change management". This movement grew in the ’80s and 90s because American business became desperate to regain market share and quality they had forfeited to other countries, primarily Japan.

In 2020, businesses and individuals do not need to create a crisis, we have been living one for the past 2 months. We have been confronted in the past 8 weeks with Illness, death, fear, loss of freedom, loss of relationships loss of income loss of identity, and yes, loss of businesses.

As the world prepares to re-open for business, each of us will be presented with unique opportunities and challenges going forward. While news reports continue to peddle daily gloom and doom, the dynamics created by this crisis will require careful observation and preparation for those organizations and individuals who want to navigate successfully through a new reality. Since I began my career in the Change Management arena I've described to my clients the 3 types of people who make up every organization...i.e. Those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wondered what happened.

Observe going forward those trends that we have/are experiencing which will be the basis for ongoing change that will require you or your business to become increasingly nimble personally and professionally. Leaders, pay close attention to the following as it will impact your business.

Ø  We’ve experienced this fact, governments can totally control a population with “fear”.

Ø   That communication through the internet or cable TV can persuade people to action or inaction based on their political point of view. 

Ø  That dancing with the devil (the Chinese Communist government) will lead to a destructive outcome.

Ø  Lawsuits will run rampant by opportunist

Ø  Buying “cheap” is a false economy

Ø  Living for today is a terrible long term plan

                               Some harsh realities going forward from this pandemic.

1.     There will be many who will live in fear until there is a vaccine or the news and social media outlets tells them it's ok to go outside and live life again.

2.     Businesses and people who have not managed their money, resources, or life properly may never recover.

3.   A new psyche will develop by some who will expect the government or organization to take care of them. They will demand that they are paid to stay at home until it’s safe. This will lead to new government regulations and an increased burden on business.

4.     Inflation will accelerate in the coming years. Printing money by governments and shortages have and will create monetary difficulties in the days ahead.

5.     Some jobs will never come back. A recent study suggests as many as 40% of jobs will be lost forever.

6.     We will all learn what “essential” jobs are.  You can be replaced or eliminated.

7. New partnerships will emerge because of devastating supply chain breakdowns or breakups.

                                       So, where are the opportunities?

Some of the greatest examples of wealth and growth came during the great depression and there will be again. In a short phrase "It's all about the hustle!"

This is not an exhaustive list, but some for your consideration.

1.  The Hustle...Pay close attention to the negative items listed above. Adjust strategies as you observe movement in any of them.

2. The Hustle... Weak balance sheets and lack of financial discipline of the past will drive many out of business. Be prepared to fill the void. Acquire new companies, start a new business to meet the changing demand. This is a great opportunity for starting that business you've always wanted to start!

3. The Hustle...Develop a tireless "entrepreneurial" mindset, in yourself and those employees whom you choose to keep and partner with you. Entrepreneurs are "risk-takers" and will be more important in our present world filled with those who are risk-averse.

4. The Hustle..This is no time to go soft. For years I've talked of building an organization with employees who "add value".  The crisis we are experiencing will force businesses to eliminate former HR thinking. Having people on the payroll because they have "seniority" will be a thing of the past. Elimination and amalgamation of the workforce will be the strategy in the new business reality.

5. The Hustle... Be positive in everything you do. We've all been tirelessly bombarded with negativity for 8 weeks. Whether your a waitress or restaurant owner, you must instill a cheerful positive approach to your job, your business, and your customers. Work harder than you've ever worked before with a pleasant outlook. You're lucky to have a job, demonstrate that with humility and gratitude.

6. The Hustle...Develop and foster new relationships that will support your business with the same values, mindset, and hustle you have. For my international readers,(especially those in former soviet block nations) this is a golden opportunity to become dependable and reliable suppliers to business in Western markets. The supply chain for the future will change..Get ready for it. It will require getting your act together locally by shunning the old bureaucratic practices of the past. Engage with your local business, government, and political leaders to take advantage of some tremendous opportunities that will soon be just around the corner. Places like India, Vietnam, etc. have a head start on you, but you can make inroads if you hustle now.

Who would have thought we would pine for the “good ole days” referring to 2019? Parts of the good ole days may come back eventually, but not all of it and certainly not the way we approach business, customers, and relationships.

Dust off your old change management books, find a person who can guide you through the new reality.. Keep your head up, be positive, display a sense of urgency (not panic), and…

Finish Well

So, Think You're Free? In Control?

23 years ago things were going well in my life. I had begun my business several years prior and things were moving along nicely.  I was preparing to take another overseas business trip, this time to Pakistan, my bank account was growing and I felt I was beginning to make a difference as an international business consultant. I had life pretty well under control and I was free.

Then, I had a heart attack.

Suddenly, without warning, my life was at a standstill. My life seemed out of my control. I had never experienced a health issue of this magnitude and had no comprehension of what my future was going to look like should I survive. Sitting in the ER I was bewildered by my circumstances as I watched health professionals working fervently on my behalf to keep me alive. Lying helplessly on the gurney which they wheeled me into the room on, I was poked with needles, tubes inserted and wires strategically attached to my body. I do, however, have a vivid recall of two thoughts racing through my mind during this terrifying event which had invaded my body and was altering my life without my permission.

1.     There is nothing I can do to remedy this situation. No amount of positive thinking, money, influence, title or sheer personal will is going to keep me alive if this is my day to die.

2.     When I close my eyes as they transfer me to the operating room, the next time I open them I may be face to face with the creator of the universe. I ask myself "am I ready for that?" What would be my answer?

Fast forward April 2020. Today along with you, my life has been altered again by circumstances that are completely out of my control. Like you, I'm at a standstill. Our freedom to move around has been restricted, government officials instruct us on how close we can stand from each other, when (or if) they permit us to leave our homes, how many people we can meet with at any given time. Our economies are being shattered, people are without jobs, bank accounts and 401K's are decimated and we have no comprehension of what the future holds. At this point, we don't have a picture of when this will end and what life, finances or our business will look like should we survive. We grieve for those who have lost loved ones to this deadly virus and scared of death it's self as we consider our mortality. We do know one thing, life will never be the same again.

Generally, I'm a positive guy and do believe there are freedoms we still have, which you hear repeated day after day i.e. protect yourself, be kind to others and watch out for others, get some exercise, don't eat or drink too much, wash your hands cover your mouth blah, blah, blah blah. I do appreciate the encouraging words that tell us we'll come out of this stronger than ever. These are good and proper warnings, but I’ve learned not to hypnotize myself with Pollyannish platitudes. As I've mentioned in my recent blog articles, we are living during times that require serious reflections.

In our western culture, we have always been inspired by and have celebrated self-reliance and a "can do" attitude. This spirit of individualism is wonderful and there is nothing wrong with that mindset unless you let a good thing become the ultimate thing. During my sessions on personal behavior and leadership styles, I refer to the fact that "a strength overused becomes a weakness". Too often our self-programming can travel from self-improvement to self-centeredness and can morph into if you will, creating a self god.  I offer the following examples of the programming we are exposed to. Hear the pronouns that make my point.

> William Ernest Henley said in his poem Invictus (meaning unconquerable), “It matters not how strait the gate, how charged with punishments the scroll. I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.” Being the captain of your soul is the ultimate goal in life.

> Thousands of little girls sing with passion along with Elsa in the movie Frozen, the refrain "Let it Go" which includes the line "No right, no wrong, no rules for me I'm free!"

> Or, like Frank Sinatra who thumbed his nose and said: "I did it my way".

>Consider also the pious so-called religious leaders who make millions of dollars in book sales by telling us that the key to being successful, becoming wealthy and happy is all a product of your thinking. It's about you! Discover how wonderful YOU are!

To my shame and embarrassment, too often in my life, I have succumbed to those voices of the world and to their programming messages. Most people don't really think they are selfish or self-absorbed, but we are. In our private thoughts, we know we are, but unwilling to acknowledge it to our selves and certainly not to others.

 Just two years prior to my heart attack, I experienced a different life circumstances which left me totally and completely out of control. I discovered that just about everything I thought important such as family, friends, wealth, health, position, titles, pleasures, hobbies, religion were just "stuff"which could never fulfill me. I had made good things, ultimate things. I also discovered those objects vying for my attention (which at the time appeared so necessary) would at some point in my life leave me or disappoint me.

However, by the Grace of God my life was truly interrupted. I had been a marginal churchgoer and believed in this person called Jesus, but the fact is, I was an "unconverted believer". Now some skeptics reading this will say "Oh, he got religion". But I'm not talking religion. Organized religion was (is) often rituals, rules, and regulations.  What I got, was a person and with that person a different mind-set when He invaded my body. No longer was "me" the center of my desires, but Him.

"The Lord says: Let not the wise man bask in his wisdom, nor the mighty man in his might, nor the rich man in his riches. Let them boast in this alone: That they truly know me, and understand that I am the Lord of justice and righteousness whose Love is steadfast: and that I love to be this way."Jeremiah 9:23-24 Living Bible (TLB)

I understand this is a business blog. But as a leader and a business professional can I separate the core of who and what I am from my business life? C.S. Lewis said, “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” I've personally found this to be the case as now I see business, finances, family and yes COVID-19 through a different lens. As a famous guy said, "I once was blind but now I see".

I know some really good professionals, who are really nice people, but they are missing the mark. They sense that something isn't right.

So, as is my custom in these blog articles, let me offer a few suggestions for your consideration while you are isolated from your routine and you have some time to fill.

A)    Think..........This is what they call Holy week. What does that mean to you? What actually took place on Good Friday and why? What is the purpose of Easter Sunday? Little bunnies and eggs or something different? What relevance does Good Friday have on your life?

B)     What do you have in your life that if taken away, would almost destroy you? What is the most important thing to you in life?

C)    This is a great opportunity to read the book of John (yes the whole book) in the New Testament. As you read, consider the implication of those words to you personally. As you read, look for you in the chapters and then look at how God delivers good news in the midst of life circumstances.

So, let's end this little article where we began.

Do you have freedom?.....Yes! it's called Free Choice...Choose wisely

"What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?" Matthew 16:26 NIV

We will emerge from this pandemic someday..Soon I hope... and when we do I pray we all

Finish Well

This Too Shall Pass

 This was a favorite saying of my dad's. He told me it was from the Bible, but it wasn't. Its origin has been traced to the works of Persian poets. My father was a child of the "great depression", a member of the hoards of people migrating from the South to the West Coast as in the "grapes of wrath", a POW in Germany during WWII and he raised a family with meager existence on a small poor man's  farm in Arkansas. He saw the best of times and certainly the worst of times. When he had reached the end of his life at 91, he had a confident assurance that whether he was in the midst of troubling circumstances or living large "this too shall pass". 

The world is presently in the throes of a pandemic that we've never experienced before. Our lives have been altered dramatically with shutdowns and now we are shut-ins. It's a prison sentence for a while, but my father would tell you "this too shall pass". A contributing factor to the anguish of this event is the non-stop, 24-hour discussion about the same subject on social media and cable TV. My brother shared a website where you can get real-time incident numbers and body counts graphically displayed for every State in the U.S. or country in the world. It's kinda like the debt clock. 

Like the rest of you, I'm sequestered in my home doing the best I can to stay occupied. I am blessed to live on 5 acres on top of a mountain in the Ozarks. There aren't many humans up here, but lots of wildlife. I exercise in my little home gym, hike in the forest and do my daily chores. I also do plenty to keep my mind occupied with meaningful information. Information to enhance my knowledge and feed my soul. I'm often up before 4 am and it has become the best hours of my day.

Recently I've been doing a study following the work of Dr. Tim Keller. This recent study has taken me to a favorite leadership/personal mantra of mine i.e. "knowing my purpose".

As you may recall from my discussions during lectures or in my writings, that many years ago I penned a purpose statement for my marriage, my business, and my life. At the core of each discipline is the desire to honor God in everything I do. The apostle Paul said: "I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now, as always, Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death". Phillippians1:20 NIV. This focused determination has sustained me through the past  8 months which have the been the toughest I ever thought I would experience in this thing called "life".

Celebrated Austrian psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl is best-known for his 1946 psychological memoir Man's Search for Meaning a meditation on what the gruesome experience of Auschwitz taught him about the primary purpose of life: the quest for meaning, which sustained those who survived. He talks about the observation of prisoners in the same circumstance and their reaction. They fell into basically three categories....

 1) those who became bitter which lead some to evil

 2) those who just gave up and died in despair 

 3)  those who became brave, helpful and seemed to flourish amid harsh circumstances. 

The key for those in the third category was that they had a sense of "meaning" or "purpose" in their lives. Knowing your purpose can guide your attitude. During our Leadership Conferences, we often discuss the attitude we will embrace every day.

Frankl said, “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” Again I quote Paul who said, " I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or want".

With this in mind, for me, here are the things I choose for the coming days (maybe weeks) during this pandemic.

1. To be thankful each day for what I do have. Good health, family and friends, a roof over my head, food in the pantry. (and for some of you, LOTS of toilet paper)

2. Attention to the growth of my personal development: Mental, Physical and Spiritual

3. Turning off the TV

4. Staying in touch with family and friends for companionship and encouragement.

5. Revisit my "purpose" for when we come out on the other side of this world event. What do I want to be...to.my family, my community, my profession and to my God the giver of life it's self?

These are amazing times, but this too shall pass and as Frankl observed

"Every day, every hour, offered the opportunity to make a decision, a decision which determined whether you would or would not submit to those powers which threatened to rob you of your very self, your inner freedom; which determined whether or not you would become the plaything of circumstance, renouncing freedom and dignity to become molded into the form of the typical inmate."

Be blessed, be encouraged ----- Finish Well

HOPE - 2020

As we begin another year, many resolutions will be made and people will HOPE they will be able to accomplish those resolutions. HOPE is an interesting word depending on usage or content. Our English word of HOPE projects more of a sense of wishful thinking, i.e. "I hope it doesn't rain today." So, under that definition, let me say upfront, I HOPE for you and your organization the very best during the coming New Year!

However, I like the Greek word for HOPE (Elpízo) because it expresses a “confident or strong expectation”.

Dr. Tim Keller was helpful in my thinking process as I transitioned from"The Death of 2019" (my last blog post) to HOPE - 2020. He suggests that there are two components to HOPE "Desire" and "Expectation." He says we all have desires but most often people are confused with who, what or how those desires will be satisfied. In other words, where does our hope come from?

 RL Goodall, is CEO of a great company on the East Coast of the U.S, DVCC Inc.  They are a former client of mine and he is a guy I consider a true friend. Among a number of his admirable characteristics, I know him to be a thoughtful person and a great leader. 

When his children were little, he began the day by asking two important questions of them.

 Question #1 "What kind of day are we going to have kids?"(Desire) the answer, "it's going to be a great day". Question #2 "Who's going to make it that way?" answer (Expectation) "We are!"

As he tells the story, this was a daily event. This constant reminder set the course of the day for his children. Besides, it began their individual growth "thinking" to be positive and self-reliant.

In contrast, in today's "victim" society, or at the very least self-centered society, too many people, are looking somewhere else, something else or someone else to fill their HOPE i.e. the boss, government, spouse, a new love, money, title, status, etc. They are looking for satisfaction in "stuff".  C.S. Lewis describes this magic thing for happiness sought by people as the "It" that evades us. The "It," even when acquired seldom satisfies.

In the pages of the book "The Real American Dream: The meditation of Hope" by professor Andrew Delbanco, he describes the evolution of the American cultural focus from God, to Nation to Self since the 18th century. The main HOPE that American culture holds out now, is you need to decide what will be a fulfilling life for YOU. What matters is not our nation, our people, not God, What matters is that you are happy and that you are making a difference. The latter part of the 20th and into the 21st century has become prominently "self" focused.

As leaders, we must understand and come to grips with this reality and recognize the problems, challenges and yes HOPE we have going into 2020. For over 30 years I've implemented and coached a planned "process" in organizations around the world to prepare them by engaging all stakeholders. It was a methodology that served the business well in the past but may have more relevance today.

> People must feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves and be assured they're not just going through the motions to a meaningless end. Leaders, I implore you, cast a vision, describe the "purpose". Give people a reason to get up every morning and enthusiastically do what they do.

> Show them (don't just tell them) that they are making a difference because of the uniqueness provided by the individual contribution to the whole.

> Restore the hope in them that as a valuable member of the team the overall goal or cause can not be successful without their involvement and commitment to the process.

> Share the rewards i.e. money, recognition, growth opportunities, etc.

>Give away the credit for success to others. Be a hero maker.

> Educate them. And I don't mean training programs. Provide information about customers, financial acumen, civic lessons, entrepreneurial principles, etc. Make them partners in the business.

> BE REAL and HONEST in your communication and actions which will instill HOPE in those under your charge.

For me personally and professionally, the HOPE for 2020, is not Methodology but an understanding of Theology.  As the apostle, Paul said, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13 (emphasis added) This is a strong expectation!

Because I understand the role and qualification for true leadership, and, I understand where strong expectation comes from, my HOPE for you is that you will experience that same truth in 2020 as we all strive to

FINISH WELL

Happy New Year!!!

The Death Of 2019

Definition of death: a permanent cessation of all vital functions:

Whatever you think of this year that’s about to pass it’s almost over. You may have experienced great joy, happiness, victories personally and professionally. On the other hand, because of disappointments, failures, unfortunate circumstances 2019 can’t end soon enough. But regardless of which end of the spectrum you’re on, 2019 is about to die.

At the outset, you may be thinking this is going to be a dark read. But it won’t. Be patient. Stay with me this is an honest look at the past that will propel us into the future days of 2020.

In the definition written above the key word is “permanent”. In life you don't get do-overs, or re-dues regardless of how grand it was or how terribly painful 2019 might have been, it’s gone forever.

Psychologist identify the 3 greatest sources of stress or anxiety

1.    Divorce

2.    Death of a loved one

3.    Loss of a job

What do all three of these have in common?

 A loss of a relationship(s).

 For some it may also include the loss of “identity.” With these losses there is an absence of what once existed as good but is now dead. During 2019 I have known people who have been deeply hurt because they experienced one of the top three listed. A man who cherished the love of his life experiences great loss through death.  A divorced woman suffers the death of a relationship once so sweet and promising.  Persons who were so connected and committed to their work stood helpless as they were told they weren’t wanted anymore. It’s over!

In contrast there are some who found 2019 the best ever. New job, greater personal wealth, a new or strengthened relationship personally and/or professionally. I’ve watched some exciting events unfold in the lives of friends, family and associates. I’ve read of people who have “made it” to the top in sports, financially, physically and spiritually. But these great moments in 2019 will also die at midnight December 31, 2019.

 Be it a good or bad 2019 you may experience some carry over into the New Year and possibly beyond. But how should we view going forward by what was left behind?

Ø Nothing last forever. I believe that in my own life, God has allowed enough victories to keep me encouraged, and enough defeats to keep me humble. He wants me to depend on Him in every category of my life.

Ø Savor the sweet fragrance of the good memories, let go of those cancerous thoughts that will damage the soul or relationships.

  >  Be thankful in all things and adjust going forward. 

Ø In all your defeats and victories, review the actions, words, circumstances, people to determine who or what to continue or avoid in your life.

Ø  Live Today and Finish Well

“Today, I will live today.
Yesterday is past.
Tomorrow is not yet.
I’m left with today.

So, today, I will live today.

Relive yesterday? No.
I will learn from it.
I will seek mercy for it.
I will take joy in it.
But I won’t live in it.

The sun has set on yesterday.

The sun has yet to rise on tomorrow.
Worry about the future? To what gain?
It deserves a glance, nothing more.
I can’t change tomorrow until tomorrow.

Today I will live today.
I will face today’s challenges with today’s strength.
I will dance today’s waltz with today’s music.
I will celebrate today’s opportunities with today’s hope.

Today.
May I laugh, listen, learn, and love today.
And, tomorrow, if it comes, may I do so again.”

Max Lucado

Trying To Managing Life and Business Without Real Purpose?

"The tragedy of life is not death,  but rather, it’s living without purpose! "

                                                                                                                                                             Myles Munroe

Like so many people, I’ve read good books and heard great speakers talk about the importance of  “purpose” - “vision” and “mission” statements necessary for business and personal guidance for the journey through life. And like most, I had good intentions but never got around to actually writing it down.  Oh I had ideas floating around in my head about how I envisioned the way my work life and personal life should look, but never really focused my thinking until one night on a very long overseas flight back home.

For several hours on that plane, I wrote, re-wrote, thought, mediated on the direction I wanted my life to go and contemplated the real “reason” I exist on this earth and the purpose of my life and business. On that night, I put pen to paper and wrote 3 separate purpose statements for My Business, My Marriage and for My Life. Although I have it committed to memory, on occasion I will pull out the original hand written paper to check on my progress, get re-focused, or make needed adjustments.

So why is having a Purpose Statement so important? Forgive me, but I have two very personal examples, in which I make my argument practical and relevant,

1.     This discipline has proven invaluable to me in the past year, as I made certain I was on the right track during turbulent life challenges. Just 14 months ago my wife was diagnosed with a life threating disease.  As I walked along side of her through the treatments e.g. the good days and bad days associated with cancer, I often returned to my purpose statement as a reminder of the commitment I made and my purpose as a husband to my precious wife. I can’t adequately describe how these steadfast statements focused me on my purpose as her husband and my responsibility in marriage as we battled together in the midst of those difficult days. I loved her deeply and miss her greatly.

2.     Gina lost the battle with cancer, but she was victorious in life because she knew her purpose. On this earth Gina was not well known by the masses. But she was known by many in her circle of influence and had a powerful impact on those who knew her best.  Especially me. Gina had “purpose” and knew who she was in this world and her purpose while living accompanied with the comforting certainty of her eternal destination at death. Until her last days I witnessed her live out the answer to the Westminster Shorter Catechism question, i.e. “What is the chief end of man?” Answer.. “To

glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.”

 Gina would agree with the apostle Paul and his proclamation while writing a letter to Timothy during his own pending death……

“ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day: and not to me only, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:7

As for me, I will continue to live out, with God’s help and in accordance to His will, the “purpose statement” I have written for my life and my business. If you want to see what a simple but well thought out “Purpose Statement” looks like, let me know, I’ll be happy to share with you.

As I have consulted hundreds and hundreds of students and business professionals over the years, I implore you, don’t sleep walk through life. You have a purpose on this earth. I don’t believe God put you on this earth to merely suck up air and then die. What is the purpose of your organization? Is it just to make money? I don’t think so. Mature, serious adults and leaders will contemplate then answer these questions.  So, What is it? Write it down and then live it out as we all strive to…

Finish Well