Linda observes: Actions have consequences.
February 09, 2015
February 05, 2015
Top of Mind Thursday February 5, 2015: A Shot of Common Sense
An epidemic is hitting America...with more and more cases diagnosed each week.
No, it's not the flu, HIV, or even the much-hyped dreaded Ebola fever. It's the measles--that childhood disease that was practically eradicated with the introduction of vaccinations nearly 50 years ago. Nearly 100 cases have been connected to exposure at Disneyland in recent weeks.
However, because of a few discredited studies that mistakenly linked the MMR vaccination with autism, too many parents are choosing not to vaccinate their kids. This is not a private choice; it becomes a public health issue because these unvaccinated kids infect younger children and those with compromised immune systems who shouldn't be exposed to a disease that may cause them serious harm.
It's time we inject some common sense into the situation. Just like travelers are free to opt out of security screenings--but they can't board an airplane, parents who opt out of mandatory vaccinations should not be allowed to send their kids to school, to camp, and especially not to places like Disneyland.
We teach our kids that decisions have consequences. It's time for those who refuse to vaccinate their kids to learn this lesson as well.
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February 02, 2015
January 29, 2015
Top of Mind Thursday January 29 2015: Snowed by the Weather
Once again this past week we had an "epic" storm forecast. Weather predictions were dire; entire states declared states of emergency before the first snowflake hit the ground.
What resulted was a pretty good sized winter snowstorm in parts of New England. Most of the rest of the northeast received only minor snowfall or very little precipitation whatsoever. However, many major transportation systems, as well as schools and businesses, closed in anticipation of what was billed to be a major catastrophic event.
This is becoming a pattern. The media need to out-do their last prediction of disaster, so they engage in even greater hyperbole to get people's attention. The problem is we are training people to expect that these calls are overblown. Like the little boy who cried wolf, will anyone react when a REAL disaster strikes?
Reasonable precautions are always prudent in these cases. Total disregard for common sense is not.
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January 27, 2015
January 22, 2015
Top of Mind Thursday January 22 2015: A Better State of Mind
In predictable fashion, the Democrats and Republicans disagree vehemently about the state of the union, following the President's speech this week.
Without getting into political rhetoric, a few things are clear. The economy is strong. The stock market is near record highs. Unemployment is down. Oil prices are at their lowest point in decades.
Instead of arguing about what's wrong, maybe it's time to focus on what's right. How is your business taking advantage of today's strong economic conditions? How can you help your customers leverage this environment?
Instead of fixating on the problems that remain, how can you move to a better state of mind?
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January 19, 2015
January 15, 2015
Top of Mind Thursday January 15, 2015: It's What Happens Next That Matters
The world has come together in shock and grief over the tragic events in Paris last week.
The terrorist attacks, which killed 12, have been denounced by a broad variety of world leaders -- including many from Arab and Muslim countries. Millions of people marched around the world in solidarity with the people of France and the staff of the Charlie Hebdo magazine.
All this is well and good, but what really matters is what happens after the initial outrage dies down. Will the tough decisions be made that can stop something like this from happening again? Will those people who marched be around to support the big policy changes needed?
It's easy to jump on a bandwagon -- particularly one that is on the side of goodness and justice. But it's what happens when the parade is long gone that will determine if the tragic lesson was really learned.
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January 12, 2015
January 08, 2015
Top of Mind Thursday January 8 2015: What Gets Measured Gets Managed
Wherever you go, it seems there are fresh new devices that provide new ways to look at, collect and analyze information.
From the Fitbits for monitoring exercise information to sensors in cars that inform you what needs to be serviced and when, we are surrounded with ways to measure our personal data.
Having all this data is not enough. We need to analyze it and make course corrections based on what we've learned. If you aren't measuring the right things to start with, how will you know what needs adjustment? But if you're measuring the wrong things, you may be wasting time and energy on variables that don't make a difference.
What kind of real-time, relevant measurement tools do you have in place for your business? Look beyond the traditional lagging indicators to make sure what you are measuring gives you the input you need to make timely decisions that matter.
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January 01, 2015
Top of Mind Thursday January 1 2015: Beginning Anew
What makes today different than yesterday? Not very much, except for the fact that it belongs to a new year, 2015.
People around the world take time at the end of each December to stop and celebrate the start of a new year. Why? Because we need the opportunity to stop our daily routines and start over again.
Whether it's business or personal, we need the perspective that comes from starting anew. It's in our nature to look for another chance, another opportunity to get it right. We aren't satisfied with blindly continuing down the wrong path.
As we begin another new year, I wish you a happy, healthy, prosperous new year...complete with the ability and the support you need to start over and achieve what's important to you.
This year, we have made a donation to the Second Harvest Food Bank in honor of our friends, colleagues and clients. Happy holidays.
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December 29, 2014
December 25, 2014
Top of Mind Thursday December 25, 2014: A Glimmer of Light
The headlines over the last few months have been quite grim: terrorist attacks around the globe, cyberattacks on major corporations, two lost Malaysian Airliners, a pattern of police shootings of unarmed Black men in the US...
And yet there have also been areas of optimism: a strong, robust US economy, a thaw in relations between the US and Cuba, the lowest oil prices in a generation, the elimination of many roadblocks to same sex marriage, a new dialogue around the complicated issues of race relations...
At the intersection of Hanukah and Christmas, it's important not only that we absorb the lessons of what went wrong this year, but also that we carry forward the light of went right.
Let's choose to build upon our strengths while continuing to address those areas where we can do better. Let's fan the flames of hope, peace, and prosperity.
This year, we have made a donation to the Second Harvest Food Bank in honor of our friends, colleagues and clients. Happy holidays.
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December 22, 2014
December 18, 2014
Top of Mind Thursday December 18, 2014: Failing the Interview
Filmmaker Sony Pictures has been scrambling to recover from a recent cyberattack, now blamed on the North Korean government.
The hack focused on the release of Sony's upcoming film, The Interview, which detailed a fictional assassination of the North Korean leader. Embarrassing emails from Sony execs about prominent celebrities have already been circulated, and the hackers appear to have gained access to much more sensitive information about Sony.
As a result of threats against movie theaters that ran the movie, the studio yesterday pulled the release of the film. It was a logical decision, given that most major theater chains had backed away from the film as a result of the threats.
Interestingly, a film that may not previously have stood out from the crowded pack of holiday offerings is now on everyone's mind and has gotten more publicity worldwide than anyone could have ever imagined.
But what kind of precedent are we setting by allowing hackers and foreign governments to control the entertainment choices in American theaters? What example are we setting for the next group of cyber thugs who holds us hostage?
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December 15, 2014
December 11, 2014
Top of Mind Thursday December 11, 2014: Shining a Light on Torture
This week Congress released a report detailing the systemic use of torture by the CIA in interrogating suspected terrorists.
The report, prepared by a Democratic-led committee, has been debunked by the Republicans as partisan politics. Yet, Republican Sen. John McCain, a former victim of torture himself as a POW, broke with party ranks to talk about the importance of bringing this situation to light.
Do the ends justify the means? Is it ever OK to use torture? Should we release reports like this that may endanger our troops out in the field? How can we call out other countries for human rights abuses when we do these things ourselves?
We don't have the answers to these questions, but what's important is that we are shining a light on what happened and we are asking the questions. There are very few countries in the world where these issues can be raised without fear of retribution or government crackdown.
That's what makes us different and that's why it's important to bring these issues to light.
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December 09, 2014
December 04, 2014
Top of Mind Thursday December 4, 2014: Something Has to Change
Twice this past week, no indictment decisions came back in incidents involving the death of African American men at the hands of white police officers.
None of us were present in Ferguson, MO or New York City when these incidents occurred. It is possible that these were nothing more than tragic incidents.
But as a consultant, I look for patterns of behavior that indicate ongoing trends. And the pattern that's developed over the last couple of years is disturbing, to say the least.
The officers involved may have felt they really had not choice but to fire their weapons. The families and friends of those killed feel their kids were unfairly targeted, and justice is not being served. And the communities feel they need to speak up and sometimes act out to draw attention to the problem.
It's time to change the dynamics so these situations don't continue to occur. Having police officers wear cameras that capture interactions with the public is one way to change behavior. But it's not enough. We need to take a good look at what can be done earlier in the process to bring about different outcomes.
Something has to change.
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December 01, 2014
November 27, 2014
Top of Mind Thursday November 27, 2014: A Pause in the Proceedings
Today is Thanksgiving, the day Americans give thanks for the many blessings we receive throughout the year.
It's also the start of the traditional holiday shopping season, which used to begin on the day AFTER Thanksgiving, known as Black Friday.
First we saw the advent of Cyber Monday. Then Small Business Saturday. Now we see pre-Black Friday sales, and in some cases, stores opening on Thanksgiving to start the shopping frenzy just a little bit ahead of the pack.
I find it highly unlikely that jumping the gun with an early sale will positively impact a store's business for the season. In particular, many consumers are consciously avoiding stores that open on Thanksgiving and force their employees to work on the holiday.
This year, let's take time for a pause in the frenzy to remember the true meaning of Thanksgiving. Holiday shopping will still proceed on Friday, but a pause to stop and reflect will do us all good.
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November 24, 2014
November 20, 2014
Top of Mind Thursday November 20, 2014: Speaking About the Unspeakable
There are no words to describe the horror and sadness at the brutal killing of four men in a Jerusalem synagogue on Tuesday.
A house of worship, whether a church, synagogue, or mosque, is a house of sanctuary--a place where people can feel safe to pray or just to escape the problems they face in their daily lives.
What happened to four men at prayer in a house of worship in Jerusalem is unspeakable. Yet if we don't speak out about this type of incident, it will continue to happen, and that in itself is unspeakable.
"Never again!" is a declaration we hear about the Holocaust, but every genocide in history started not with mass killings, but with acts of violence like this one.
It doesn't matter whether the victims are Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu or something else. We must speak out to stop this from happening again.
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November 17, 2014
November 13, 2014
Top of Mind Thursday November 13, 2014: What You Say Isn't What They Hear
This week I am at the Sonata adult piano camp in Bennington, Vermont. In addition to practice and performance, we also have classes on musical subjects.
Today's class was about musical overtones. Playing an A on the piano doesn't give you just that note, but a whole series of other tones that resonate in the background...an octave, a fifth, a third, and eventually the entire chromatic scale. We hear these other tones in the background and they change the way we hear the music.
Similarly, in your business there are likely overtones that creep into your communications: things that aren't said overtly but that influence your message. This can be everything from your brand image to employee interactions, competitive and market pressures, and even how much the listener is predisposed to be tuned in to what you're trying to say.
Stop and think about how these hidden elements may be changing your communications. How can you create a more conducive environment for getting the right messages heard?
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November 10, 2014
November 06, 2014
Top of Mind Thursday November 6, 2014: Change is in the Air
Republicans clearly trounced their Democratic rivals in Tuesday's election, putting both houses of Congress in Republican hands. This means we should be expecting significant change in Washington, right?
Well, not exactly. Historically, between 80 and 96% of incumbents are re-elected to Congress each term. That means that even though there will be some changes with a new party in charge, for the most part, we've returned the usual suspects to office.
Two weeks ago, Democratic political pundit James Carville told me no one individual can come to town and dramatically change Washington. Unfortunately, President Obama learned this the hard way.
Rather than wait for Washington to lead the way, wouldn't it make more sense for our businesses and organizations to take steps to change themselves?
I suspect, however, that in a short time, we'll see this dance play out again, and again...unless something dramatically changes.
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November 03, 2014
October 30, 2014
Top of Mind Thursday October 30, 2014: A Giant Leap Forward
They said it couldn't be done. The visiting team just doesn't win the 7th game of the World Series.
But they also said the Pittsburgh Pirates would win the Wild Card game. The Washington Nationals, with the best record in baseball, were a shoe-in for the Division Series, and the reigning National League Champion St. Louis Cardinals were bound to win the pennant.
The sports media and pundits said the Kansas City Royals were the team of destiny, and after Tuesday's game, it looked like that might be so.
But no one bothered to tell that to the San Francisco Giants. No one told them they couldn't win with a roster riddled with injuries. No one told Madison Bumgarner he couldn't throw 5 shutout innings three days after a complete game shutout. It went down to the last batter in the bottom of the ninth, but the Giants pulled it out to win their 3rd World Series in five years.
Imagine what you can do when you don't believe the naysayers. Look what you can do when you don't stop believing...when you never lose sight of the goal.
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October 28, 2014
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