Prepare for the worst AND best

I am currently immersing myself in a Bonnie Biafore, PMP, MCTS course via Lynda.com. Biafore shares a simple yet profound learning for managing risk. When anticipating and/or managing risks, we need to do it in order to reduce the probability and impact of negative events. That makes sense, right?

Additionally, we need to anticipate and/or manage risk to increase the benefit of positive events. Essentially, we need to anticipate and manage positive surprises so we are ready to meet them head on and fully benefit from them when they arise.

Sure, we prepare for the worst. Like one of Coach Neyland's seven maxims teaches, "If at first the game, or breaks, go against you, don't let up. Put on more steam." However, we also must prepare for the breaks to actually go our way so we know what to do when it happens. How many times has good fortune fallen in your lap, and due to hesitation or not knowing what to do, an opportunity slipped through your fingers? Let's all commit to not letting that happen in 2017!

Can a Divided Nation Come to the Center?

I'm a big fan of content churned out and published by Harvard Business School.  Earlier this month, HBS released Problems Unsolved and a Nation Divided.  It's a continuation of their U.S. Competitiveness Project, launched in 2011, as a "multi-year, fact-based effort to understand the disappointing performance of the American economy."  I encourage everyone to read this 70 page document (linked above).

Some of the most critical findings in the study relate to the political paralysis that is crippling our political system and henceforth, our nation.  As I read about and studied this topic, I couldn't help but think about the polarization, divisiveness, political correctness and bully-pulpits that are running rampant in the following arenas:

• Federal government (Washington D.C.)
• State and local governments
• Media (especially national)
• Social media platform discourse 
• Universities
• Corporations

The HBS authors (Michael E. Porter, Jan W. Rivkin, Mihir A. Desai, and Manjari Raman) delve into an eight-point plan for Washington, first released by HBS in 2012 (page 34).  This plan includes but is not limited to simplifying the corporate tax code, easing immigrant for highly skilled individuals, creating a sustainable federal budget, reforming entitlements, and developing America's unconventional energy advantage.  

I believe there are great ideas and intentions that can be applied to the eight-point plan.  These ideas and intentions can be gleaned from across the spectrum of political associations: liberals, conservatives, libertarians, independents, etc.  In order for gleaning from various viewpoints to occur, however, there has to be an awakening and move to radical centrism.  Such a movement would look to address reform opportunities by using pragmatic approaches that would close the ever-widening gap between emotionally driven vs. data driven discourse and solutions (The modern day skew towards emotion is odd considering we've never had better data or data Web sites at our fingertips).  

Emotions and ideals are crucial elements of our culture, but I believe the level of polarization and name-calling (stemming from emotional idealism) in our nation is choking out realistic, common sense solutions and viewpoints.   I completely realize that there will always be zealots on the far right and far left.  Additionally, some issues are inherently difficult to find common ground on simply due to the nature of the issues.  That said, immediately shutting down political opponents, university classmates or social media users due to their stances on particular issues only leads us further down a path of paralysis.  

Can our divided nation come to the center to address the issues laid out by the HBS authors?  The 2016 presidential race makes me extremely skeptical but hopefully over time, we can come together to address the glaring problems that are hurting the U.S. economy in a globalized world.  There are plenty of folks beating the drum for radical moderatism.  Just open your eyes and ears to media outlets and viewpoints that aren't far right or far left leaning.  You don't have to agree with someone 100% to learn from them.  That's a truth I try to keep top-of-mind.

Lessons learned from eating a Kit Kat

Go ahead and take a long, hard look at the above photo.  If that image of a Kit Kat bar doesn't make you crave some milk chocolate and wafer goodness, you are a stronger person than I am.  The Kit Kat bar has a fascinating and long history, and it is still one of the most popular candy bars all over the world.

Every time I bite into a "break" of Kit Kat, I always appreciate the consistent crispiness.  The crispiness of a Kit Kat bar is tasted, felt and even heard.  That crispy texture is even more amazing when you visually examine the inside of a Kit Kat.  The chocolate covering houses three very thin wafers.  How can those wafers produce such a crispy product?  What can we learn from those wafers?

After giving it considerable thought, I believe it would be impossible for a single, thin Kit Kat wafer to produce proper crispiness.  Therefore, the Kit Kat's signature attribute is achieved by three wafers working together in complete unison and harmony.  This concept can be easily applied to any organization - business, sports team, non-profit, church, etc.  As individuals, we all have our capacity bandwidth, strengths and weaknesses.  On our own, we may not produce a proper "crispiness" that leads to desired results.  However, in organizational structure, tribes and teams can be aligned in a manner for individuals to meld together to produce the desired results or at least put them in a position to achieve those results (uncontrollable factors notwithstanding).  Focused teams of talented individuals who put egos aside and pool their strengths in an effort to achieve shared goals can literally reach the stars.

The Kit Kat bar boasts a second attribute that heavily contributes to its awesomeness.  It lies in the filling between the three thin wafers.  That filling is not a special chocolate or creamy filling.  It's actually mashed up Kit Kats that basically act as glue holding it all together. (MIND BLOWN!)  Every sports team or business needs "glue guys" that hold things together.  

Draymond Green is a prime example of a "glue guy."  The Golden State Warriors forward isn't the best player on his basketball team.  That distinction would fall to Steph Curry.  He's not even the second best scorer on his team (that's Klay Thompson).  Green, rather, does all the little things such as defend all five positions, play "point forward," rebound and provide emotional leadership.  Essentially, he's the glue that holds it all together or the straw that stirs the drink.  Every team and/or organization needs team members that can do a myriad of activities well or who are willing to apply their talents in any means necessary to move the organization forward.  

Just like the mashed up Kit Kats, glue guys don't always get the same fanfare that goes to the wafers or stars, but they are crucially vital to the operation.  I work with some great glue guys (and gals) at my professional work organization.  I can also think of glue guys in other facets of my life whether it's a coach pitch baseball team, church group or my college buddies.  

Whether it's thin wafers working together to produce a proper crispy chocolate bar or mashed up pieces of that same bar working as glue to hold it all together, life and business lessons can be gleaned from a Kit Kat.  Are you working in unison with your work teammates?  Or are you a lone wolf that isn't contributing to the crispiness (success)?  Are you a "glue guy?"  If not, how can you extend yourself in order to achieve "glue guy" status?  After all, the glue guy or gal is talented, but much of their success is derived from grit and tenaciousness.  

This is all good food for thought (literally).

Churning up the Dirt with Dad

There's something therapeutic about digging into an overdue home project.  That's exactly what Shay and I did this weekend.  As part of the project, I had to till up a circular area in our yard.  All the sensory elements of running a tiller - feels, sounds, smells and heat - took me back to my childhood with my dad.

Dad always kept five or so old milk jugs full of ice in the deep freeze.  He'd take them out early in the morning and place them in the back of his Dodge Ram.  We'd hop in the cab and head up the hill to the back of our expansive property where his massive garden was nestled in a perfect area for growing a wide range of crops - corn, cucumbers, tomatoes, squash, okra, banana peppers, watermelons and more.  

I remember just how hard he would work the land and how happy it made him.  From the springtime tilling to the late spring hoeing to the summer harvesting, that smell of freshly churned dirt mixed with vegetable plants and sweat is forever etched in my memory bank.  I can still feel the cold rush of slushy water from the milk jugs after they melted a bit on the tailgate.  "Slow down, son.  You're going to make yourself sick if you drink it too fast."  That oasis of water is the coldest I've ever tasted, Yeti included.

Dad's work ethic wasn't just on display in his garden.  Back in the 1970's, he wanted to get a job at Procter and Gamble but failed the physical due to what were deemed "bad veins" in his legs.  Undaunted, he opted for a surgical procedure to correct the issue.  He showed back up to P&G, passed the interview (again) and aced the physical.  He wound up working there in a variety of roles for 15 years and ultimately retired from the company.

Sometimes the harsh elements weren't enough of a challenge for Dad.  I can still see him in the middle of sweltering July heat cutting the grass all the while wearing a large belt/wrap affixed with Velcro around his waist.  It was designed to make him ever hotter sweating out more fluids, and in his mind, keep him slim and trim.  

Once Dad hit his mid-to-late 70's, his body really started to succumb to cancer.  Once he knew he had only a couple of years left, he feverishly knocked out a myriad of home improvement projects so my Mom would be set up for success once he passed.  He was tough as nails and harder working than anyone I've ever known.

A couple of years ago, I was chatting with a childhood friend of  Dad's.  He told me my grandfather, Asa Taylor, used to tout my dad back when he (dad) was a child stating young Harry Lynn, "could outwork any man in Henderson County."  In reality, Dad had to grow up too fast, but it set in stone habits and principles that he adhered to for his entire life.

My mom and sister certainly have their share of stories they could add to this post.  He's been gone 10 years, but his life lessons live on.  Now I have a couple of young boys tugging on my cape.  I pray I'm etching memories they can cherish one day once I'm down in the dirt.