Good morning, Leaders! It’s Friday!

Last week I heard a speaker talk about three things that are changing drastically and will change the future for everyone.

His name is Peter Zeihan. His opinions are highly sought after, his conclusions are based on facts which make them hard to refute and he has studied these areas long enough to be considered a foremost expert on what the combination of all of this global intelligence means.

The areas he believes are changing the future are:
1. Geopolitics -the reassertion of, as the rules by which the world operates compared to the free trade we’ve enjoyed over the last 70 years.
2. Demographic Inversion that will change the capital structure of the planet.
3. Shale energy is creating energy independence for the United States.

Areas most deeply affected by these changes are:
•Finance
•Manufacturing
•Agribusiness

So, is this boring, is it too much to absorb or is it so scary that people don’t want to hear it?

Recently quoted facts:

Regarding geopolitics,
•The US has over 16,000 miles of navigable inland waters and since it costs only ~8% of what it takes to transport goods by land, the US is able to transport goods very inexpensively.

Regarding demographics,
•Most consumption comes from people in their 20’s and 30’s – buying cars, homes, goods, etc. When a country’s population ages, the economies slow and it takes at least 25 years to reverse the trend. For instance, China, in November of 2013, came out with a policy that states it’s ok to have two children rather than one, under the right circumstances. (It will take decades to reverse the trend created by the former, one child policy).

Regarding Shale (oil and gas) production impacts,
•New York City has converted a considerable amount of fuel oil consumption over to natural gas recently. The city now consumes more than the country of Belgium, exceeding 9 Billion cubic meters. Imagine not having to occupy Middle East countries or feeling like we have to referee centuries old wars just to buy “cheap” oil.

So, geography plays a big part in our quality of life. More than you think and probably more than you can possibly imagine.

Leaders – elevate your position, change your perspective, look at the bigger picture and take action.

Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, Leaders! It’s Friday!

For the past seven years, I’ve been traveling to Arizona for a visit to the Mayo clinic. They have an executive program that consolidates all necessary visits into a tight time frame that respects busy schedules but it provides ample time to listen and consult with top notch doctors at one of the most renown health care facilities on the planet.

•Here is where I learned about diet. They advocate for the Mediterranean diet where my doctor said “Meat is a treat”…(I grew up believing it was a staple).
•Here is where I learned my hearing is failing fast. At age 45, I was told I had the ears of a 60 year old farmer. Last year the new audio technician shared that the frequencies I now hear the least happen to be the typical female voice frequency…recipe for relational angst. Hearing aids are in my near future and I can thank my contractor background where crushing concrete and working around loud machinery with no hearing protection likely accelerated my hearing damage.
•Here is where I’ve been told (more than once) that my liver function is sub par and doesn’t process sugar or alcohol well.

Sleep, exercise, diet…all pillars of health I slowly started taking for granted.

Question: Why do I raise the issue?
Answer: My ignorance toward physical fitness and how it relates to being in a leadership role coupled with my desire to pay it forward.

I used to think it was completely cerebral. Why would physical and mental health cross each other’s path? Studies are actually revealing a connection between the heart and the brain we never anticipated. Google neurocardiology or HeartMath for more information. Not to mention the obvious stamina related to being mentally available for long periods of time.

Leadership is stressful and you’ll need all your resources to function at a high level the way your Team expects you should.

There are few excuses for me being overweight or ignorant today.
-Smart phone apps help calorie and step counting,
-I can (and have) Skype(d) with a virtual nutritionist,
-Healthy food choices abound-even at McDonalds.

Now all I need is the discipline to follow through.
Where did I set that down again?

Have a blessed weekend.

Good morning, Leaders! It’s Friday!

According to a Google web search, candor is defined as…

can·dor
ˈkandər/
noun
the quality of being open and honest in expression; frankness.
“a man of refreshing candor”
synonyms:

frankness, openness, honesty, candidness, truthfulness, sincerity, forthrightness, directness, plain-spokenness, bluntness, straightforwardness, outspokenness;informal-telling it like it is
“I’m not sure he appreciated my candor”

I often tell people “I prefer candor” because it sets the stage for an efficient, two-way conversation. No bull, no wasted words, just the facts.

As an example, in an effort to placate me regarding a tough work issue, one day my former CIO spent fifteen minutes dancing around what he really wanted to say which brought my snarky sense of humor to a head and I said, “You just wasted the last fifteen minutes of my life! What the hell?! Tell it like it is. Don’t beat around the bush.” Needless to say, after that our conversations were more blunt, and we got to know each other better because he became more open.

Unfortunately, those with a diplomatic preference might consider candor unnecessary honesty and concerning those currently in the political dog show (we are all being subjected to lately) we’re getting bombarded with verbose, infantile, shrill and braggadocios commentary that resonates with the anger of the body politic but…where are the issues, what groundbreaking policy or substantial solution has come from any candidate?

Candor is not spewing garbage when someone happens to be listening, it’s:
•straightforward
•unbiased
•without platform
It is the unadulterated and refreshing truth.

I also found out on multiple occasions it is NOT going to win any popularity contests. So,

•Choose your audience wisely.

•Ease them into your communication preferences.

•Be aware.

•Apologize when you’ve inadvertently offended someone.

In summary, aim for ‘Direct, respectful, but not mean.’

Have a blessed weekend.

Good morning, Leaders! It’s Friday!

Monday of this week was the funeral service for Jason Moszer, Fargo police officer who ended his watch while protecting his community. It was the first officer lost on duty in over 100 years on this police force and moved thousands of people to the service. People came from as far North as Alaska and as far South as Texas.

As I heard some of the pastor’s words during the service, this was a “senseless act of violence” where officer Moszer lost his life and the shooter ultimately lost his as well.

The funeral service lasted 2 hours and the processional took another 2 hours where the people in the local geographic community as well as the law enforcement community honored one who fell in the line of duty but also took the time to honor the service we rely on and often forget to thank.

This local community that I grew up in has changed dramatically in the past half century. Technology, increased traffic, economic forces, gangs, drugs, and so many other contributing factors have influenced the landscape of what crime looks like today in our area. Fighting crime, restoring order, maintaining the peace and establishing a sense of security is an incredibly tall order and we are blessed to have so many committed, loyal and talented law enforcement working hard to do the right thing every…single…day.

What can we take away from a tragedy like this?

In the advent of cameras in squad cars, body cameras being added to the amount of equipment strapped to our protectors, weak political support as demonstrated in New York, this served as a reminder to me that not all communities disrespect law enforcement.

In my travels, when I share where I am from, people joke about Fargo as if the Coen brothers rendition is more accurate than my own memories. The display of support from the community is one more reason why I am so proud of where I come from, who I honed my values against and why it will always have a special place in my heart.

Special thanks for those who serve not in the light of recognition but behind the scenes. Planning events like this so people can properly emote and move on with their lives knowing this painful loss was not in vain. I salute the men and women who dedicate their lives to improving the safety and security of the world we live and work in.

Thank you.

Have a blessed weekend.

 

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

I’m in Denver, just another stop in my travels and despite the wind, the weather is gorgeous! 76 record breaking degrees yesterday yet the snow cap mountains provides beauty that feeds the soul.

The blog is a little late, perhaps to make todays point in a demonstrative way. As one close men-tee used to say, “I’m not slow, I’m just an hour behind.” Colorado is known for many things including their fondness for cannabis. The hotel I was staying at provided a waft or two that made it clear to me that more than one were imbibing. Not I. No tats, no dope, no messing around … but the straight and narrow, with head buried and nose to the grindstone may be taking things a bit far.

As an engineer, we find genuine comfort in the fact that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. In business, efficiency is lauded, if not required. The reinforcement to stick to a straight line has been relentless and I have respected the laws of physics, complied with the expectations of commerce and perhaps missed some of the joy in the process.

After 51 years of obediently minding the straight line amid constant reminders of smelling roses, drinking a second cup of coffee, and nurturing my spirit, you’d think an educated man could convert compelling cajoling into practice more easily.

My wife is smirking at this point and saying to herself, I’ve been telling you that for 30 years! Disconnect, pay attention to the people around you, put your feet up and lay in that hammock instead of just looking at it.

Nature demonstrates the need for buffers, transition, cartilage (to keep bone from rubbing on bone). We are compelled to lift our heads, take in the expanse of God’s beauty and … enjoy the journey.

Enjoy this blessed weekend!

 

Good morning, Leaders! It’s Friday!

I heard a tremendous speaker this week!!
Bret Pyle talked to [one of the executive groups I’m blessed to belong to] about significance.

He prompted our thinking by asking about our interpretation of success…was it indirectly considered profit, absent conscience?

He quoted Twain who said “The two most important days of our lives are:
1. The day we are born and
2. The day we figure out why”

He asked us to consider who we need to forgive? (This assumes everyone has someone they need to forgive). From my observations, I think he’s right.

He suggested that the first half of our life is spent figuring things out and the second half is/should be spent helping others (children, coworkers, friends) figure it out as well. Bob Buford writes about this in his book, Half Time.

He told a story about “parenting to perfection” citing his father’s propensity to review his chores and catch everything not done well. He cursed his father under his breath and found himself duplicating the error to a higher degree as a father and shared how he worked to break the cycle. This one sounded like he was talking directly to me. {Kids, I owe you a sincere apology not knowing how to process the disdain I had for my father and as I have spent decades digesting the forgiveness formula for my dad, I unknowingly behaved just as he did. God teaches us to honor our father and mother and I took certain exceptions to this that I ought not have.}

He talked about Viktor Frankl who wrote “Man’s Search for Meaning” (a book my lovely daughter Aarika gave me to read this past Summer while I was adrift and trying to bridge the chasm between striving for success and seeking significance).

We were reminded of salient points through several clips from the movie “Dead Poet’s society”.
-Carpe’ Diem!
-Make your lives extraordinary!
-Find your own voice!

We plotted a graph of the year we were born and the year we think we’ll die…uh huh. Sobering. What year would you pick? Based on what? Once you pick a date, what does that do to your outlook? Perhaps create a sense of urgency? I only have x number of years to __________.

It also inspires inner questions like;
•What do people (who’s opinion I truly value) honestly think about me?
•How do I WANT to be remembered?
(I suggest you google and read about the Alfred Nobel story who one day in Paris around 1888 read his own unflattering Merchant of Death obituary.)
•Why am I here and did I recognize, realize and accomplish my mission?

So, inundated with high caliber data points and thought provoking questions, I began to ruminate over Bret’s presentation and decided to pay the favor forward.

Challenge: take an hour and contemplate what you would have to do: ideas, actions and behaviors, from this point forward in your life for your legacy to be mostly positive. In other words, What would your eulogy sound like?

•He helped me in a difficult time.
•She listened to my concerns when I didn’t think anyone cared.
•He was proactive and kept me out of trouble.
•She saw the big picture and relentlessly compelled me to think big until I finally got it.
•He stretched me to be considerably more than I would have been otherwise.

What are you going to do TODAY and this point forward to help someone else become better?

Have a blessed weekend.

A white space story

Good morning, Team!  It’s Friday!

Carole and I chose to raise the kids in a small town. The one she grew up in. I was far from metropolitan but I learned that “the good thing about living in a small town is everyone knows your business. The bad thing about a small town is…everybody knows your business.”

Carole’s Dad had the snowmobile bug too (I knew there was something special about this chick). A couple of Polaris sleds, well kept, perhaps this was my dowry? (Just kidding, folks).

When snow returned to the plains in 1997, the next generation wanted to go sledding and fired up the dusty rustys. Except for the damn banker. He loved ’em too and decided it was time to invest in new technology. Even worse, he allowed everyone to try out the new ride and every one of us who felt their elbows being pulled out of their sockets on the vintage snow scooters now had to have a new one, too. It was like riding on air, it had hand warmers, the suspension absorbed bumps so your back didn’t have to. It was heavenly.

If you haven’t lived in a small rural community, you haven’t experienced keeping up with the Joneses. If someone else had something nice, we all wanted it, wanted to pay a nickel less and get it a week newer. I was not immune.

I broke the bank and picked up two “hold over” sleds (previous year’s models still in the crate) from the local dealer who nearly crapped his pants when I came back after the Goldie locks incident.

Goldie locks:
I brought the two sleds home, proudly displaying to mamma what I had purchased with our hard earned pennies. She took one quick look and said “but…where’s mine?” “This one’s too big and this one’s too small. What am I supposed to ride?”

So I go back to the dealer the next day and find the kid who ran my credit and told him I needed another, preferably with a second seat. He wasn’t worried about his additional commission check, he was wondering if my credit could take another hit. We found it, borrowed against it and hauled it home.

Eventually, I realized with a family of five, anything less than five sleds was a temporary situation. No one likes riding two up…even if the sled is made for it. Or so it was in my house. I fostered the environment and so I followed through and made sure we had licenses, helmets, boots, gloves, bibs, coats and of course a sled for every but(t).

My Kindergarten teacher said, “If you’re going to bring treats, make sure you bring enough for everybody.”

Have a blessed weekend!
Ride hard and be safe, powder hounds.

Good morning, Leaders! It’s Friday!

Does anyone remember the line in City Slickers when Curly (Jack Palance) counsels Mitch (Billy Crystal)? Noooooo, not the “I crap bigger than you” line. The other line- here’s the set up…”you all come up here about the same time. You spend 50 weeks a year getting knots in your rope and you think you can spend a couple of weeks up here and untie ’em. … What’s your one thing?”

•You gotta figure out what your one thing is.

I have searched all over trying to figure this conundrum out. It’s personal. It’s a quest. Mine has reached a Milestone. My one thing is – Improving.

When it comes to ones self,
•Doctors claim to have originated the concept of continuous learning.

When it comes to business,
•LEAN processes, famous at Toyota, are founded on continuous improvement.

When it comes to helping others,
•Mentoring is often the term used. Maslow referred to this in his later work as helping others achieve self-actualization.

After we stumble our way through life and finally figure out who we are, what we’re good at and what we’re not good at, we make a conscious decision if that’s going to be good enough or not. Do we want to be content with the point we’ve reached in life when we lifted our head long enough to observe our surroundings? Or do we want to be … better?

Do you want to be better in terms of health?
Do we want to be a better human, spouse, parent, sibling, coworker, patient, leader, player, or performer?

I saw a video some time ago where a hulking high school football player was challenged to crawl down field with his coach on his back. The coach blindfolded him to remove the barriers the player would have put on himself. While riding on his back, the coach encouraged him to push beyond what his body was telling his brain. As you might guess, the player went considerably further than anyone anticipated he could. The coach replaced the messages telling the player what he couldn’t do and replaced them with what he could.

Imagine how much easier it is to crawl “down field” without having to carry a sweaty old man on your back. Imagine having that voice in your head pushing you to get better. Imagine changing out the tired looped recording playing in your head telling you all the stuff you can’t do with one that says “Yes, you can!”
You can do more.
You can make a difference.
You can lose that 20 pounds.
You can solve that critical problem, raise a family on a single income, get that promotion, pull the company out of bankruptcy, …prove every last one of those negative voices wrong.

You can be better and no one but you is stopping you.

Once you get there, start showing others how to get there, too.

Have a blessed weekend.

Good morning, Leaders! It’s Friday!

On the front page of the local paper, at least the way it shows up on my phone, was an article about the cost of a recently selected attorney; $1,000/ hour to save $ Millions on a $ Billion + project.

These are numbers we can’t fathom, both psychologically and from a day-to-day pragmatic perspective. We buy cars that are in the thousands or tens of thousands a few to several times in our lives. We buy homes that are probably in the hundreds of thousands on average a couple times in our lives.

Millions and Billions don’t really register.

If you have to dig a ditch:
•Would you use a spoon because you own one? Probably not.
•Would you buy a shovel? Depends on the size of ditch, right?
•Would you rent a backhoe? Might depend on your ability to operate or your confidence of what’s under the surface.
•Would you hire a large general contractor who has the equipment, operators, expertise, reputation and bonding? If it’s a major project-and a $Billion scope qualifies as major in my book-this is the most likely avenue.

The right tool for the right job.

When is a professional service provider the “right tool”?
Whether it is an accountant preparing financial documents (i.e. tax forms), an engineer preparing bidding documents (i.e. plans and specifications) or an attorney preparing legal documents (deeds, contracts, easements, formalized agreements between entities) and the advice of when to say yes and when to say no…professional services, often times looked at as an expense, might best be considered an investment.

There are new television commercials about a certain tax software that doesn’t require a genius. They are clever, humorous and they imply that all tax filings are made simple by the use of this particular software. My guess is that under most individual filings where they are uncomplicated, you may get by with a software tool. There are also circumstances where you may pay a small fee and miss a big deduction and not even know you left money on the table.

The point? Professional services fees are hardly front page news. You (typically) get what you pay for. Big, complicated issues require special solutions to get it right the first time so you don’t have to do it over or make it more difficult than it should ever have to be.

Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

My latest white space/ guilt-free, off the grid time will include a couple of days snowmobiling. If you’re Canadian, you may say “snow machining” or “sledding, eh” but I call it snowmobiling and so it shall be.

My snowmobile roots go WAY back to 1964. I’m on my mamma’s lap in the family pick up as a new born while dads got big sis and big bro on the brand new ski-doo on the Red River of the North-enter the proverbial thin ice and pop dumps it. Saves the kids, apparently gets the sled out too but likely not wearing Gore-Tex back then. I’m guessing Car-hart coveralls from the old Nodak store and Red Wing Wellington boots. Can you say hypothermia?

Turns out Dad’s love affair goes back to HIS childhood walking to a country school in a far north North Dakota town wishing there was a “magic carpet” instead of walking (7 miles up hill each way in a foot of snow- pardon the embellishment, it’s my story) to school – so when Gjervold motors stocks a yellow, one lung sled, it’s destiny.

I took that same soaked sled for a joy ride around the house years later and while looking backwards at big bro and big sis not so politely encouraging me to get off, I straddled the clothes line post between our house and the neighbors. Simultaneously putting my unprotected melon through the plexiglass windshield. Oops! I would have heard tweety birds chirping were it not for the claims of “Wait until your Dad gets home and sees this!” and “You’re gonna get it.” I failed to realize Dad was trying to sell it and needless to say the buyer that came over that evening…was no longer interested due to the body modifications I had just completed.

I’ve rationalized over the years that the primary reason I LOVE to snowmobile is the past time/sport/expensive hobby is one of the only circumstances I have experienced where you can get yourself OUT of trouble by grabbing a hand full of gas. Yee-Haw! As opposed to a number of other times where I began a quick downward spiral predicated by “watch this!” and punching whatever I was driving. More gas meant more trouble.

We have trekked many thousands of miles and spent a good hundred thousand dollars (hurts to even type that) in search of the perfect powder experience where we’ve sought to justify the enormous time and money spent to squeeze a few more horse power and better handling designed to tackle taller obstacles and replicate that initial snowmobile high. I wouldn’t want to calculate the cost per mile but I can tell you, some of the most memorable times I’ve had on this planet were on a snowmobile with buddies, family or even by myself.

I have a Reader’s digest worthy story I could recount, and some day might before I forget it all. It involves sugar snow, elk fajitas and two guys out of nine who were both nick named “cave man”, the town tweeker and a $900 bill I was more than happy to pay.

Remember, this is a white space story so even I can’t tie this one to leadership. It’s meant to demonstrate that even the most tenacious need a breather.

Have a blessed weekend. Go make some memories!