Fiddling while Rome burns.

We may be approaching the point at which oil consumption exceeds the production of oil. We could be running out of food for a world population which is still growing. As global warming continues, floods and droughts will make living more difficult for most people. On a more parochial level, the US faces a worsening balance of payments deficit, a falling dollar, more people without health-care, fewer people who can afford a college education, and less and less mutual understanding between people.

Yet, many people just cannot internalize the issues. So those who can postpone the day of reckoning are doing so by not facing the facts.

Ford listening to Customers? Now read this...

Today's New York Times carried a story in which the following statement occurred:"In January, Mr. Farley brought dozens of Ford dealers to Michigan for an experiment. He split them into groups of five and had them discuss Ford’s marketing challenges while Mr. Farley and his managers watched from behind a one-way mirror."

What is so amazing is that listening to the market seems to be such a new idea. One of the most basic elements of a successful business is to listen to end-users and distribution channels. Find out what they think, though be very wary when a customer tells you what an end-user/consumer thinks or does. Sadly, many companies do not listen to consumers or customers. The successful ones do not always do what customers ask, but they always use market input as the key driver for their businesses.

Do "the good times" depend on which nation you are from?

In the USA, the good old days tend to center on the 50s and 60s. Those were the "Happy Days." TV programs and movies, from "Mad Men" to "American Graffiti" are frequently about those days. In England, it often goes back to WW II and the years before - the 50s and 60s were rather grim. In France, it goes back several hundred years. Each country has a different version of the "good old days." We need to be aware of these differences as we travel or do business.

Cellphones have restructured thinking

"Just in time" has hit the world. We do not have to plan ahead any more. My undergraduate son, if he wants to get involved in something social, just steps out and starts calling friends to see who is available and what they want to do. When I was a student, we had to arrange meetings and activities in advance. Even if you decide you want to go somewhere new, a GPS capability lets you find it.
Now with the new generation used to this, how will it affect business meetings, when someone can set up a meeting on the fly as they walk, and much prefers to do that.

Confrontation - rarely the best way

Frequently, the first reaction when faced with behavior we do not like, whether it is in nations, corporations or individuals, is to confront. If we feel we have power, we may try to bludgeon the other into better behavior, yet we rarely consider how we would react to such pressure. While clearly it should be available as a last resort, humans tend to believe that they can force others to behave better, whether it is an occupying army, or a government which is behaving immorally. Sadly, we react badly to others who try to force us to behave differently. So unless you are prepared to invade or use extreme force, threats may well backfire.

What are the implications of an out of office message?

To be able to access email wherever you go is the norm these days. With "smart phones," near universal wireless broadband access, and other options, What does an "out of offfice" notice imply. Now if you are on vacation, it may mean you are taking a well-earned break. However, traveling on business may not be seen as a legitimate excuse and a pure generator of unwanted email.