Arthur Miller Quote

“One can’t stand forever on the shore. At some point, filled with indecision, skepticism, reservation and doubt, you either jump in or concede that life is forever elsewhere” – Arthur Miller

Gossip Stoppers

My friend April Callis just published a nice spiral-bound book entitled “Gossip Stoppers: 101 Insights to Stop Gossip.”  Although I don’t think it is available yet for purchase, I wanted to share two of the quotes.

Half the world is composed of people who have something to say but can’t, and the other half of people who have nothing to say and keep on saying it. – Robert Frost

Great minds discuss ideas.  Average minds discuss events.  Small minds discuss people. – Eleanor Roosevelt

Therefore, have great ideas – and share them with the world.  We need less gossip (and reality TV shows) and more creative thinking.

Is Your Organization Anorexic?

The President of a $1 billion company once asked me to describe his organization in one word. My response?

“Anorexic.”

The Vice Presidents who sat around the table nodded in agreement.  They assumed that I meant there was no fat left to cut.  That is not what I meant.

Anorexics often have relatively “high” body fat percentages because their lean body mass erodes along with the fat.

This is what many organizations have done.  An an effort to cut costs, in addition to cutting fat, they also cut large amounts of lean body mass.

Are you thinking of further cost cutting?  If so, what are you eliminating?  Fat?  Bone?  Muscle?  Vital organs?  No company in history has ever “cut” its way to long-term success.

Exercise grows muscle while burning fat.

Innovation is exercise for businesses.  It helps grows the organization while also enabling cost efficiencies.

During the depression, Henry Ford said, “A man who stops advertising to save money is like a man who stops a clock to save time.”

The same is true for innovation.  Although cost cutting may be a necessary short-term tactic, it is NEVER a strategy.  If you are in cost-cutting mode, make sure that your cuts target fat and not lean body mass.  In addition, be sure to exercise your organization,  Invest in innovation now and you will be prepared for long-term growth and success.

P.S. I like this photo. It nicely depicts the obsession that many companies have with measuring everything in sight, yet in the end not measuring anything of value.

Jefferson Loved Books Not Banks

Here is something courtesy of Barry Kibrick, host of the PBS TV show, “Between the Lines.”  I was on his show a few years ago with my Goal-Free Living book.  Barry is one of the best interviewers on television.

200 years ago today (March 3), Thomas Jefferson spent his last day in office as President. On that day he issued a special report to the Treasury focused on the Bank of the United States. It was a dismal report, for the nation at that time was in desperate financial straits due to an embargo that was hurting all aspects of the economy.

As most of us know, President Jefferson was no fan of the banks, big business, or of big government intervention, but he was a fan of books and the “capital” they provide. So, on that note I leave you with these words by our 3rd President.

“Books constitute capital. A library book lasts as long as a house, for hundreds of years. It is not, then, an article of mere consumption but fairly of capital, and often in the case of professional men, setting out in life, it is their only capital.” Thomas Jefferson – President of the United States, 1801-1809

Thanks Barry.

Do Your Innovation Efforts Work?

Sometimes the question you ask is more important than the actions you take.

During President Obama’s inauguration speech, he said…

“The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works – whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified.”

This is brilliant in its simplicity.  The same thought applies to innovation.

The question you need to ask is not whether you are developing creative products, processes or business ideas, but whether your innovation efforts work – whether they serve your customers, serve your employees, and ultimately serve your shareholders.

Innovation is not about change for change sake.  It is about purposeful change that creates value that reduces costs, increases sales, or improves cash flow.

In these troubling times, asking the right question is more important than ever.  Do your innovation efforts work?

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