Today I want to share with you a little story that has powerful, long term implications in our personal lives, our relationships, in customer and employee relations, marketing, branding... everything we do.
According to the Life of Francis d'Assisi, Francis once invited a young monk to join him on a trip to the local village to preach. Honored to be asked and excited to learn from the master, the monk readily accepted.
All day long he and Francis walked through the streets, byways, and alleys caring for the needs of the poor and helpless along the way. They rubbed shoulders with hundreds of people. At day's end, the two headed back home. Not even once had Francis addressed the gathered crowds, nor had he talked to anyone about the gospel. Greatly disappointed, his young companion said "I thought we were going into town to preach." Francis responded, "My son, we did preach. We were preaching while we were walking. We were watched by many and our behavior was closely observed. It is of no use to walk anywhere to preach unless we preach everywhere as we walk!"
So often we want to convince our teenage kids to adopt good habits or avoid bad ones; to get a coworker to act in better ways toward customers and clients; to make a spouse or significant other understand why something they do bothers us so much; to convince someone to do business with us based on what we tell them. We want to do it with words and we want it to take root immediately.
We must develop the patience to close our mouths at times and just "Be the change we wish to see in the world," as Gandhi stated it. If we want to convince others of the merits of what we are trying to say, perhaps we should stop "preaching" it for a while and just start "doing" it and "living" it.
If you haven't seen it already, I encourage you to watch the following video, which I hope demonstrates these ideas better than I can merely talk about them.
Have an Excellent day!
Dan
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Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
How You Can Add Value to Social Networking and the New Media
Everywhere we turn -- the internet, television, radio, magazines, even discussions among friends -- we hear lots of talk about how things like social networking and YouTube are changing the world. Isn't it ironic, though, that most of the discussion that is taking place is not about changing the world or making it a better place -- it's about, well, the discussion itself.
Look at all the debates and all the statistics being thrown around about whether Twitter or watching video online is now more popular than social networking; whether Twitter is now a better tool for business promotion than Facebook; all the talk is about the talking methods but not about the content or context.
Why?
I think it's because we're too busy focusing on the "what" (the technology and tools) and we've lost focus on the "why" (what it is we want these tools to actually do for us.) The way we do things is no doubt changing. How we communicate and interact. We're all rushing to adopt the newest toys. Actually, we usually feel like we're running just to catch up. There's so much change.
The real stressor, however, is that despite all these new gadgets and toys, our fundamental problems aren't getting solved. We're still eager to find more customers. People are still homeless. People are still hungry. Too many are obese. Too few have health insurance or access to health care. The economy is still awful. We still have to work just to make ends meet (if we're among the fortunate who are actually working.) In a nutshell, despite all these new ways of doing things, we still face the same issues and problems in our daily lives as before.
I challenge us all to think about how we can actually use all this new technology to actually make life better for others and ourselves. Not just in fun, diversionary ways, but real, deep, fundamental, lasting ways.
Today, do at least one small thing using this new technology to make at least a tiny difference for at least one person.
Write a friend an encouraging email (don't just forward someone else's -- actually speak your own words.) Write a blog or a comment on Facebook or MySpace giving a shout-out for someone who has done something good. Go online and use your credit card to make even a small $5 or $10 donation to an organization you really care about. Whatever you do, just do something that actually makes a difference for somebody.
If we're all going to be this hooked-up, wired-up, and fired up, why not have it make a positive difference for someone else? You can. So go do it. Today. Now. That's change we can all live (better) with.
Have a wonderful day!
Dan
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Look at all the debates and all the statistics being thrown around about whether Twitter or watching video online is now more popular than social networking; whether Twitter is now a better tool for business promotion than Facebook; all the talk is about the talking methods but not about the content or context.
Why?
I think it's because we're too busy focusing on the "what" (the technology and tools) and we've lost focus on the "why" (what it is we want these tools to actually do for us.) The way we do things is no doubt changing. How we communicate and interact. We're all rushing to adopt the newest toys. Actually, we usually feel like we're running just to catch up. There's so much change.
The real stressor, however, is that despite all these new gadgets and toys, our fundamental problems aren't getting solved. We're still eager to find more customers. People are still homeless. People are still hungry. Too many are obese. Too few have health insurance or access to health care. The economy is still awful. We still have to work just to make ends meet (if we're among the fortunate who are actually working.) In a nutshell, despite all these new ways of doing things, we still face the same issues and problems in our daily lives as before.
I challenge us all to think about how we can actually use all this new technology to actually make life better for others and ourselves. Not just in fun, diversionary ways, but real, deep, fundamental, lasting ways.
Today, do at least one small thing using this new technology to make at least a tiny difference for at least one person.
Write a friend an encouraging email (don't just forward someone else's -- actually speak your own words.) Write a blog or a comment on Facebook or MySpace giving a shout-out for someone who has done something good. Go online and use your credit card to make even a small $5 or $10 donation to an organization you really care about. Whatever you do, just do something that actually makes a difference for somebody.
If we're all going to be this hooked-up, wired-up, and fired up, why not have it make a positive difference for someone else? You can. So go do it. Today. Now. That's change we can all live (better) with.
Have a wonderful day!
Dan
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Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Get Your Foot Off the Brake -- July 29, 2009
Do you ever drive your car with one foot pressing the gas pedal while the other foot is pressing down on the brake pedal? Of course you don't do that. It would be patently foolish. Not only would it wear out your nerves, your legs, your engine, and your brakes -- it would most likely keep you from getting anywhere at all.
So, are you doing that in life? In your work?
Quite often, the major hindrance to achieving that exciting and worthy objective we have in mind is not interference by other people or environmental, situational, or financial hurdles -- it's the limitations we place on ourselves. Consciously, or perhaps subconsciously, we indulge thoughts such as "Well, nothing ever really works out like I want it to, so this won't turn out any different." By doing so, we create a self-fulfilling prophecy and, sure enough... we go nowhere. Another disappointment to use as our own evidence to further bog down our thinking, motivation, and inspiration for the next goal that we won't push to achieve.
Listen to your own thoughts. Ask yourself "What would I achieve if I knew I absolutely could not fail?" Don't interrupt your answer to that question with "BUT, I always fail..." thoughts.
John Maxwell put it this way: "Many intelligent adults are restrained in thoughts, actions, and results. They never move further than the boundaries of their self-imposed limitations."
Starting today, take your foot off the brake of your life, your work, and your relationships. Not only will the destination be worth the trip, but the scenery and events along the way will add meaning and memories to the journey.
I trust you are having an Excellent week!
Dan
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So, are you doing that in life? In your work?
Quite often, the major hindrance to achieving that exciting and worthy objective we have in mind is not interference by other people or environmental, situational, or financial hurdles -- it's the limitations we place on ourselves. Consciously, or perhaps subconsciously, we indulge thoughts such as "Well, nothing ever really works out like I want it to, so this won't turn out any different." By doing so, we create a self-fulfilling prophecy and, sure enough... we go nowhere. Another disappointment to use as our own evidence to further bog down our thinking, motivation, and inspiration for the next goal that we won't push to achieve.
Listen to your own thoughts. Ask yourself "What would I achieve if I knew I absolutely could not fail?" Don't interrupt your answer to that question with "BUT, I always fail..." thoughts.
John Maxwell put it this way: "Many intelligent adults are restrained in thoughts, actions, and results. They never move further than the boundaries of their self-imposed limitations."
Starting today, take your foot off the brake of your life, your work, and your relationships. Not only will the destination be worth the trip, but the scenery and events along the way will add meaning and memories to the journey.
I trust you are having an Excellent week!
Dan
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Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Learners vs. Nonlearners
Today I find myself thinking about lifelong learning. How easily we think that education stops when we're handed that diploma or that degree. Truly wise people -- people who lead the successful lives we want so much to emulate -- know that life itself is a continual learning process.
Benjamin Barber stated it well, when he said "I don't divide the world into the weak and the strong, or the successes and the failures, those who make it or those who don't. I divide the world into learners and nonlearners.
"There are people who learn, who are open to what happens around them, who listen, who hear the lessons. When they do something stupid, they don't do it again. And when they do something that works a little bit, they do it even better and harder the next time. The question to ask is not whether you are a success or a failure, but whether you are a learner or a nonlearner."
As you navigate your way through this day, be a learner. Seek more than knowledge. Be a lifelong learner.
"We are drowning in information but starved for knowledge." -- John Naisbitt.
Have an Excellent day!
Dan
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Benjamin Barber stated it well, when he said "I don't divide the world into the weak and the strong, or the successes and the failures, those who make it or those who don't. I divide the world into learners and nonlearners.
"There are people who learn, who are open to what happens around them, who listen, who hear the lessons. When they do something stupid, they don't do it again. And when they do something that works a little bit, they do it even better and harder the next time. The question to ask is not whether you are a success or a failure, but whether you are a learner or a nonlearner."
As you navigate your way through this day, be a learner. Seek more than knowledge. Be a lifelong learner.
"We are drowning in information but starved for knowledge." -- John Naisbitt.
Have an Excellent day!
Dan
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Monday, July 27, 2009
Today, be a Person of "Action" -- July 27, 2009
I hope everyone had a terrific weekend. Here it is Monday -- the day so many dread. Don't be one of those people with the mindset that Mondays are impossible and unbearable. Instead, set out to make today a day of action. And that is precisely my challenge to all of us today. Start today determined to make something cool, something positive, something powerful happen. Today, be a person of action. It's not enough to wish it, hope it, or merely intend it. Get your feet and hands in sync with your mind and do it.
"Apply yourself. Get all the education you can, but then, by God, do something. Don't just stand there, make it happen." -- Lee Iacocca.
And have a terrific Monday!
Dan
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"Apply yourself. Get all the education you can, but then, by God, do something. Don't just stand there, make it happen." -- Lee Iacocca.
And have a terrific Monday!
Dan
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Friday, July 24, 2009
Weekend Challenge: Paint Life Beautifully
Here it is, Friday. The day so many of us start perking up and getting all excited. Another workweek behind us. Time to escape or to get out and enjoy ourselves. With that in mind, I am offering a different sort of challenge to all of us today. It is one for the weekend. We have the entire weekend to do it, so that should make it easier.
I am going to issue today's challenge a bit differently, by sharing someone else's words and letting you figure out how to best apply them. Remember you have three days to work on this one, so make really good use of it. Here it is:
"Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can." -- Danny Kaye.
So, what colors will you choose?
Have a great weekend!
Dan
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I am going to issue today's challenge a bit differently, by sharing someone else's words and letting you figure out how to best apply them. Remember you have three days to work on this one, so make really good use of it. Here it is:
"Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can." -- Danny Kaye.
So, what colors will you choose?
Have a great weekend!
Dan
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Thursday, July 23, 2009
Raising the Bar of Excellence
Thoughts for Thursday, July 23, 2009.
Today I want to challenge myself and all of you to raise the bar of Excellence. That project I'm working on for a client... am I reaching for true Excellence that will make them feel good about their decision to use my services, or just trying to make it good enough to satisfy them and their minimum requirements?
It has been said that the problem is not that we set our goals too high and fail to reach them. Rather, the fear is that we set them too low and achieve them. The difference between these two possibilities is a matter of still achieving a "Wow!" outcome in the former, and a "That'll do" outcome in the latter.
Aim high. Reach like hell for the highest of goals. I hope you achieve them, but if you fall a bit short, you still stand head and shoulders above average.
"I would rather perform at 90 percent of an excellence standard than 110 percent of an adequacy standard." -- Don Beveridge.
Have an Excellent day!
Dan
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Today I want to challenge myself and all of you to raise the bar of Excellence. That project I'm working on for a client... am I reaching for true Excellence that will make them feel good about their decision to use my services, or just trying to make it good enough to satisfy them and their minimum requirements?
It has been said that the problem is not that we set our goals too high and fail to reach them. Rather, the fear is that we set them too low and achieve them. The difference between these two possibilities is a matter of still achieving a "Wow!" outcome in the former, and a "That'll do" outcome in the latter.
Aim high. Reach like hell for the highest of goals. I hope you achieve them, but if you fall a bit short, you still stand head and shoulders above average.
"I would rather perform at 90 percent of an excellence standard than 110 percent of an adequacy standard." -- Don Beveridge.
Have an Excellent day!
Dan
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Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Today I Will Seek to Assist Others
I hope everyone is having a fantastic week. Today, I encourage you to think about assisting others in the pursuit of their goals, dreams, and passions. So often we get caught up in "Me," "What I need," What I want," or other thoughts of the things WE want for ourselves -- things we think will make us feel happy and fulfilled. Yet when we get them or achieve them, we still feel as though something is missing.
The reason we often feel empty and incomplete even after attaining some high personal goal or acquiring the things we thought would make us feel complete is that we are not here merely for ourselves. We are all here for the benefit of humanity and to accomplish things that far transcend our own goals.
Many people are familiar with Abraham Maslow's "Hierarchy of Needs." In ascending order of importance, he listed: physical, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization. That's the version most of us were taught. What many people are not aware of is that before his death, Maslow realized this was incomplete. Many people appear to be fully self-actualized, yet they are still reaching for something else. If Maslow's original hierarchy of needs had been right, one could conjecture that once "self-actualization" had been achieved, a person had no reason to keep reaching higher. What Maslow came to realize was that there was one need greater than that of self-actualization. That need is "transcendence" -- the need to contribute to something that goes above and beyond ourselves.
So the question is, what can you do today to help others? It might be to assist a friend, family member, or a coworker in need. Perhaps it will be giving a little time to a group that serves challenged teens in your area. Maybe you will offer to take a little of the daily stress off someone's shoulders at work or at home. The opportunities and possibilities are only limited by your ability to look around you and find opportunities to serve others.
"Everybody can be great... because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve... You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love." -- Martin Luther King, Jr.
Today, try approaching life with a serving spirit. And have a blessed day.
Dan Gunter
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The reason we often feel empty and incomplete even after attaining some high personal goal or acquiring the things we thought would make us feel complete is that we are not here merely for ourselves. We are all here for the benefit of humanity and to accomplish things that far transcend our own goals.
Many people are familiar with Abraham Maslow's "Hierarchy of Needs." In ascending order of importance, he listed: physical, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization. That's the version most of us were taught. What many people are not aware of is that before his death, Maslow realized this was incomplete. Many people appear to be fully self-actualized, yet they are still reaching for something else. If Maslow's original hierarchy of needs had been right, one could conjecture that once "self-actualization" had been achieved, a person had no reason to keep reaching higher. What Maslow came to realize was that there was one need greater than that of self-actualization. That need is "transcendence" -- the need to contribute to something that goes above and beyond ourselves.
So the question is, what can you do today to help others? It might be to assist a friend, family member, or a coworker in need. Perhaps it will be giving a little time to a group that serves challenged teens in your area. Maybe you will offer to take a little of the daily stress off someone's shoulders at work or at home. The opportunities and possibilities are only limited by your ability to look around you and find opportunities to serve others.
"Everybody can be great... because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve... You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love." -- Martin Luther King, Jr.
Today, try approaching life with a serving spirit. And have a blessed day.
Dan Gunter
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Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Who Have You Encouraged Today?
My challenge to myself and all of you for today:
Encourage at least one person. A family member. A coworker. A friend. There are people all around us who feel as though they are facing challenges too great to overcome. You can make all the difference in the world to one of those people if you will simply invest the time and words to help them break through the barrier of negative thinking. Make the tiniest crack in that wall for them, and the whole thing can crumble and open up a world of new possibilities for them -- and perhaps for you, too, as a result.
"Few things in the world are more powerful than a positive push. A smile. A word of optimism and hope. A 'You can do it' then things are tough." -- Richard M. DeVos.
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Encourage at least one person. A family member. A coworker. A friend. There are people all around us who feel as though they are facing challenges too great to overcome. You can make all the difference in the world to one of those people if you will simply invest the time and words to help them break through the barrier of negative thinking. Make the tiniest crack in that wall for them, and the whole thing can crumble and open up a world of new possibilities for them -- and perhaps for you, too, as a result.
"Few things in the world are more powerful than a positive push. A smile. A word of optimism and hope. A 'You can do it' then things are tough." -- Richard M. DeVos.
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Monday, July 20, 2009
Would you like to have a terrific week?
I'm issuing everyone a challenge this beautiful Monday morning: have a terrific week. It doesn't matter how many deadlines or seemingly insurmountable obstacles you see listed in your planner for this week. It doesn't matter how many wildfires you have to put out. What does matter is your frame of mind -- whether you INTEND to have a good week.
Paul Harvey once said "I hope someday to have so much of what the world calls success, that people will ask me, 'What's your secret?' and I will tell them, 'I just get up again when I fall down'."
So, start this week determined that if you fall down (or even if you get knocked down) you'll just pop back up with a grin on your face and keep moving forward. That's the only way the things we call "miracles" ever occur.
Dan Gunter
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Paul Harvey once said "I hope someday to have so much of what the world calls success, that people will ask me, 'What's your secret?' and I will tell them, 'I just get up again when I fall down'."
So, start this week determined that if you fall down (or even if you get knocked down) you'll just pop back up with a grin on your face and keep moving forward. That's the only way the things we call "miracles" ever occur.
Dan Gunter
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Monday, July 13, 2009
Rest in peace, faithful friend
A little before 3 a.m. today, we lost a very dear and very faithful friend. Andy, our 15 year old dog, passed away. We called him "Bubba" as often as we called him 
"Andy," but we hope he hears our hearts calling out to him this morning. He certainly touched ours and always in a big way.
Andy was Sandy's faithful companion from the time he was a few weeks old. Sandy sometimes called him her "WalMart dog." She adopted him as a barely weaned pup 15 years ago from someone sitting in front of a WalMart store with the litter, offering them free to good homes. She didn't grab him up at first, but he had sure grabbed onto her. She went on in to shop and while doing so decided that if those puppies were still there when she went back out she'd take one home. As she left the store, there was one pup left. She named him Andy because of Dolly Pardon's song "Me and Little Andy" (you may recall it's about a little girl named Sandy and her little dog, Andy.)
Sandy and Andy came into my life in the last three years. Andy was not friendly with strangers. For the first three months we were together, he was determined to let me know it. He even broke his cable one day and made his marks on me. But within a few weeks of that day, we became buddies. From that day forward, you would have thought we had been lifelong friends. He was still very much "Mama's baby boy," always elated when she was within eyesight of him, but he always tried to let me know in his own ways that he was a "Daddy's boy," too.
I find myself thinking about my friend Andy Andrews' comments about their dalmation, Lucy, who passed not very long ago. I think about him figuring out once that if he'd treat his wife as good as the dog treated his wife, maybe his wife would treat him as good as she did the dog. Thinking about that makes me laugh on one hand, and very sad now on the other, as I know how faithful and loving a companion Andy has been to Sandy. I made little Andy a promise a long time ago that I would take very good care of his human mommy. I think that's partly why we made such good friends -- much to the surprise of a lot of people. Dogs have a sense about such things. I also reminded him of that promise in the wee hours of this, Andy's last morning with us. Perhaps that let him go in peace, knowing that I want to be no less faithful a companion to Sandy for the rest of our time on this Earth.
Bubba, thank you for the love you showed us all. I will never forget our adventures. The first time you stole your mama's sweet, iced tea -- which she didn't even know until then that you would drink. The first time you jumped up in the swing to your mommy's surprise. Seeing you lounging on top of the picnic table on muggy Summer
nights, trying to catch a little breeze. Discovering that you'd dug up the topsoil and grass seeds (again, and again) faster than I could fill the hole and start over. Seeing you play with the water in your kiddy pool, splashing the water out of it so that you could chase the little stream across the yard. Then managing to flip the pool over once you'd emptied it and seeing a blue, plastic pool moving around the yard with four black feet sticking out from underneath like a big, blue, headless turtle.
It's time for you to have even more adventures now. Without arthritis, tether cables, or even fences. You are free. You deserve to be playing like a healthy young pup again. You deserve an eternity filled with joy and happiness -- the very things you so faithfully gave us without judgment or conditions.
Andy, you are possibly the greatest example of love we have ever seen. You will live on in our hearts and memories for eternity. You are already missed, as our tears and pain no doubt speak for themselves.
With love,
The family that loves and misses you with all our hearts.
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"Andy," but we hope he hears our hearts calling out to him this morning. He certainly touched ours and always in a big way. Andy was Sandy's faithful companion from the time he was a few weeks old. Sandy sometimes called him her "WalMart dog." She adopted him as a barely weaned pup 15 years ago from someone sitting in front of a WalMart store with the litter, offering them free to good homes. She didn't grab him up at first, but he had sure grabbed onto her. She went on in to shop and while doing so decided that if those puppies were still there when she went back out she'd take one home. As she left the store, there was one pup left. She named him Andy because of Dolly Pardon's song "Me and Little Andy" (you may recall it's about a little girl named Sandy and her little dog, Andy.)
Sandy and Andy came into my life in the last three years. Andy was not friendly with strangers. For the first three months we were together, he was determined to let me know it. He even broke his cable one day and made his marks on me. But within a few weeks of that day, we became buddies. From that day forward, you would have thought we had been lifelong friends. He was still very much "Mama's baby boy," always elated when she was within eyesight of him, but he always tried to let me know in his own ways that he was a "Daddy's boy," too.I find myself thinking about my friend Andy Andrews' comments about their dalmation, Lucy, who passed not very long ago. I think about him figuring out once that if he'd treat his wife as good as the dog treated his wife, maybe his wife would treat him as good as she did the dog. Thinking about that makes me laugh on one hand, and very sad now on the other, as I know how faithful and loving a companion Andy has been to Sandy. I made little Andy a promise a long time ago that I would take very good care of his human mommy. I think that's partly why we made such good friends -- much to the surprise of a lot of people. Dogs have a sense about such things. I also reminded him of that promise in the wee hours of this, Andy's last morning with us. Perhaps that let him go in peace, knowing that I want to be no less faithful a companion to Sandy for the rest of our time on this Earth.
Bubba, thank you for the love you showed us all. I will never forget our adventures. The first time you stole your mama's sweet, iced tea -- which she didn't even know until then that you would drink. The first time you jumped up in the swing to your mommy's surprise. Seeing you lounging on top of the picnic table on muggy Summer
nights, trying to catch a little breeze. Discovering that you'd dug up the topsoil and grass seeds (again, and again) faster than I could fill the hole and start over. Seeing you play with the water in your kiddy pool, splashing the water out of it so that you could chase the little stream across the yard. Then managing to flip the pool over once you'd emptied it and seeing a blue, plastic pool moving around the yard with four black feet sticking out from underneath like a big, blue, headless turtle.It's time for you to have even more adventures now. Without arthritis, tether cables, or even fences. You are free. You deserve to be playing like a healthy young pup again. You deserve an eternity filled with joy and happiness -- the very things you so faithfully gave us without judgment or conditions.
Andy, you are possibly the greatest example of love we have ever seen. You will live on in our hearts and memories for eternity. You are already missed, as our tears and pain no doubt speak for themselves.
With love,
The family that loves and misses you with all our hearts.
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Friday, July 10, 2009
Follow the Leader
On the heels of some dialog I've been involved in over the past couple of days, I thought I'd share with all of you a little video I recently put together. Just click on the video below to watch it. The video -- Part of the "Journey to Excellence" series -- demonstrates the importance of what we do, and what happens when our words and deeds don't match. This video is meant to be interactive. I encourage you to follow the instructions in the video as you watch it the first time. You will need a sheet of 8-1/2" x 11" paper and a pair of scizzors to do the exercise.
This is also a great exercise to use with teams, classes, and clients.
Have fun!
Dan
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This is also a great exercise to use with teams, classes, and clients.
Have fun!
Dan
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Thursday, July 9, 2009
"Give me a beverage strong enough..."
Introductory info: A few of us recently got into a discussion on Tom Peters' website and blogs regarding (first) Lorenz's "Butterfly Effect" (also known as the law of "Sensitive dependence upon initial conditions") which states that a butterfly flapping its wings in the rain forest on one side of the world moves molecules of air, which in turn move other molecules of air... eventually causing a hurricane on the other side of the world. There has also been a lot of commenting on Tom's site regarding banks, financial institutions, and their contribution to the current economic crisis by means of subprime and careless lending practices.
Then, discussion ensued regarding "The beer game," which originated at M.I.T. The game demonstrates very vividly how wild fluctuations can occur in markets and supply chains due to system delays and the assumptions and overreactions on the part of the "players" (members of the supply chain.) I lightheartedly proposed that the consumption of real beer be added during the execution of the beer game. The following is a bit of dialog which got some fun reactions, and let to one of my very own mottos (an obvious twist on Archimedes' quote about "Give me a lever long enough..."
I'll let you read the rest for yourself. Here it is, copied from Tom's site, per the suggestion of a fellow blogger:
John, it is truly one of the greatest tools I've seen for showing folks how our "best thinking" is more often than not exactly what creates our worst problems. "The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them." -- Einstein.
Stephen, I would add the "wings" of the consumer. Our demand for ways to buy homes and cars and things we cannot realistically afford is a demand that someone is bound to try to capitalize on -- namely "lending institutions." As they say, be careful what you ask for "flap, flap" because you just might get it... "flap, flap"... and end up with a foreclosure and bankruptcy... "splat"...
"Honey, was that a butterfly that just hit the windshield?"
It ain't all the lenders' fault. If someone makes a faulty product and we naively keep buying it, we should question ourselves instead of shouting "How the hell are they allowed to do that and stay in business? Look at all the mess they made." But we DO buy what they're peddling.
It's sad, but true, that had there been this much discussion and complaining about the nature of what they were doing when they started doing it, the situation might be different today.
We want cheap credit, lenient credit, and indeed end up overextending ourselves. They see that as an opportunity and facilitate it, overextending THEMSELVES in the process. We -- the consumers -- are just as guilty as they are in this mess. True, they "sell" us on doing the same foolish things over and over, but we're just as guilty of "selling" to them by unwittingly demanding it of them.
Not long after he took office, I heard that Obama was instituting steps to encourage credit card companies and auto finance companies to offer more credit to consumers. "HELLO? Is anybody awake out there?" Bankruptcies hit all time highs while credit defaults are causing banks and lending institutions to fail. I was totally flabbergasted that President Obama was even suggesting that what we needed was more of the same.
PaulH, the consumer position is good. Enough cold beers and the game would have more entertainment value... and the economy might start looking less dreary. While we're playing the consumer role in the game, we should paint our bodies, wear clown wigs, wave pom poms, and root for one of the other players in the game... "Watch this y'all, Chuck's playing the part of the warehouse guy. Betcha he punches ol' Robert in the nose before the game's over. He damn near pulled out his .357 in the parking lot on Bill after the last game. GO CHUCK, GO CHUCK... come on everybody... let's get a wave going..."
A wave... one person starts it, and soon 80,000 people in the stadium are doing something that's seen on televisions all over the country. Hmmm... good example of the butterfly effect right there.
Amazing what one too many beers can lead to.
Posted by Dan Gunter at July 9, 2009 8:27 AM
Maybe I just found my new motto: "Give me a beverage strong enough, and singlehandedly I can move the world's economy." -- Dan Gunter, circa this moment. LOL.
Why NOT? Everything else to do with the economy has pretty much wound up in the toilet.
Posted by Dan Gunter at July 9, 2009 8:28 AM
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Then, discussion ensued regarding "The beer game," which originated at M.I.T. The game demonstrates very vividly how wild fluctuations can occur in markets and supply chains due to system delays and the assumptions and overreactions on the part of the "players" (members of the supply chain.) I lightheartedly proposed that the consumption of real beer be added during the execution of the beer game. The following is a bit of dialog which got some fun reactions, and let to one of my very own mottos (an obvious twist on Archimedes' quote about "Give me a lever long enough..."
I'll let you read the rest for yourself. Here it is, copied from Tom's site, per the suggestion of a fellow blogger:
John, it is truly one of the greatest tools I've seen for showing folks how our "best thinking" is more often than not exactly what creates our worst problems. "The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them." -- Einstein.
Stephen, I would add the "wings" of the consumer. Our demand for ways to buy homes and cars and things we cannot realistically afford is a demand that someone is bound to try to capitalize on -- namely "lending institutions." As they say, be careful what you ask for "flap, flap" because you just might get it... "flap, flap"... and end up with a foreclosure and bankruptcy... "splat"...
"Honey, was that a butterfly that just hit the windshield?"
It ain't all the lenders' fault. If someone makes a faulty product and we naively keep buying it, we should question ourselves instead of shouting "How the hell are they allowed to do that and stay in business? Look at all the mess they made." But we DO buy what they're peddling.
It's sad, but true, that had there been this much discussion and complaining about the nature of what they were doing when they started doing it, the situation might be different today.
We want cheap credit, lenient credit, and indeed end up overextending ourselves. They see that as an opportunity and facilitate it, overextending THEMSELVES in the process. We -- the consumers -- are just as guilty as they are in this mess. True, they "sell" us on doing the same foolish things over and over, but we're just as guilty of "selling" to them by unwittingly demanding it of them.
Not long after he took office, I heard that Obama was instituting steps to encourage credit card companies and auto finance companies to offer more credit to consumers. "HELLO? Is anybody awake out there?" Bankruptcies hit all time highs while credit defaults are causing banks and lending institutions to fail. I was totally flabbergasted that President Obama was even suggesting that what we needed was more of the same.
PaulH, the consumer position is good. Enough cold beers and the game would have more entertainment value... and the economy might start looking less dreary. While we're playing the consumer role in the game, we should paint our bodies, wear clown wigs, wave pom poms, and root for one of the other players in the game... "Watch this y'all, Chuck's playing the part of the warehouse guy. Betcha he punches ol' Robert in the nose before the game's over. He damn near pulled out his .357 in the parking lot on Bill after the last game. GO CHUCK, GO CHUCK... come on everybody... let's get a wave going..."
A wave... one person starts it, and soon 80,000 people in the stadium are doing something that's seen on televisions all over the country. Hmmm... good example of the butterfly effect right there.
Amazing what one too many beers can lead to.
Posted by Dan Gunter at July 9, 2009 8:27 AM
Maybe I just found my new motto: "Give me a beverage strong enough, and singlehandedly I can move the world's economy." -- Dan Gunter, circa this moment. LOL.
Why NOT? Everything else to do with the economy has pretty much wound up in the toilet.
Posted by Dan Gunter at July 9, 2009 8:28 AM
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