A Delicious Idea

The media is a buzz these days about Social media. So, I’m going to try and offer some guidance about one of the new tools. Seth Godin says one of the prime responsibilities of a leader is to make it easier for followers to communicate with one another; to tighten up the tribe so to speak. Delicious is a cool tool for allowing people to manage their own information and to share their “library” with one another.

I’ve heard the Internet and the World Wide Web described as many things over the years. The one that has stuck with me is, “The World Wide Web is like the Library of Congress with all of the books thrown onto the lobby floor and no card catalog.”

That’s what makes Delicious, so delicious. Among other things; it’s the missing card catalog.

Delicious is a self-proclaimed “social bookmarking service that allows you to tag, save, manage and share Web pages all in one place. With emphasis on the power of the community, Delicious greatly improves how people discover, remember and share on the Internet”.

Delicious has four main components: Bookmarks, People, Tags and Search.

It uses Bookmarks to archive information just like your web browser. It has a People section, like Facebook. It’s called your Network and it’s a people aggregator. It allows you to see what people you respect feel is important and provides a venue for you to share what you think is important.

It allows you to Tag articles. This is the card catalog feature. You get to attach multiple designations or categories to individual articles.

Then there’s the Search engine which allows you to search the articles you’ve tagged, those tagged by the people in your network as well as those articles tagged by everyone who uses Delicious.

When I decided I wanted to write about this I searched “Delicious” and over 9,000 articles appeared. That wasn’t helpful. So, I added “useful” to my search and the results were narrowed down to just over 2,000 articles. Now I could have continued refining my search, but after a quick scan I found an article that interested me on the first screen.

Now, there is no such thing as a free lunch. It will take a few minutes to set up your account and a little trial and error reading the very helpful Help section, but the payoff is well worth the investment. I’m sure there will be additional big things coming along any day, but in the
here and now; Delicious is our flavor de jour. You can find us on Delicious at http://delicious.com/Mindspot.

Gorilla Marketing Meets ><((">illa Marketing

Ever since I was a kid swimming around in the deep blue sea, I dreamed of coming ashore and staking my claim to fame by becoming a special kind of consultant.

How many of you, as kids, knew you wanted to be a consultant when you grew up?

Wow! It's great to see all those hands raised out there! I had a hunch it was not just me.

So, now that I have sort of grown up and am indeed a consultant equipped with my very own consultancy, I am utilizing my innate knowledge and love of the water to craft our unique, sustainable competitive advantage.

Sense we have had to market and grow our firm with more brainpower than more $$$, I want to share some of our low/no cost ><(("> style gorilla marketing strategies on how we market us. In fact, we call it ><((">illa (fishilla) marketing.
This series (which I think could make it as a reality TV show or epic movie) starts with how we created and executed an integrated ><((">illa marketing initiative to promote awareness for Catch Your Limit Consulting (catchy name, if I do say so myself) among movers and shakers in and around the State Capitol in Tallahassee, Florida.

If you are going to make a name for yourself, why not start at the top. I mean when the governor, chief financial officer or your state senator mentions you, people listen.

Since these folks are for the most part, really, really busy elected officials who are always on the go, we knew we had to do some really spectacular ><((">illa marketing to break through the clutter of their day in and day out attempts to tax us more and provide us less.

Pictured here is our first low/no cost, amazing feat.

We recruited the pledge classes of two fraternities, to construct a giant water feature on the back steps of the capitol so that no elected official, trying to sneak out of the back doors, could miss our dazzling, buzz producing ><((">illa marketing message.

I must say, the pledges idea of aluminum foil really paid off and gave the dolphins a classy shine.

The pledges built the whole thing in just one night, after watching Extreme Makeover reruns for their inspiration.

We did have one close call that could have proved fatal to the initiative.

Police arrested two of the pledges for "building an addition to the capitol without having the required permits".

When the police discovered the two pledges were red shirt freshman football players, all charges were dropped and the construction was allowed to continue.

When all was said and done, the pledges had created a masterpiece. Not only did the dolphins reinforce our Catch Your Limit brand, but our ><(("> logo was imprinted, tattoo like, on each of the mammals' tails.

You've got to agree, the ><((">illa marketing team hit this one out of the park!

But, there is a lot more to this story! I will share some of it with you now.

I know, I know ... you want it all ... but don't you fret ... this is a series after all.

So, now that everybody is seeing/talking/thinking dolphins as well as being captivated by our ><(("> logo tattoos on the dolphins' tails, we invited everyone to a Sunday event at Shell Point that would bring the fake aluminum foil dolphins in the fountain to life in a bigger-than-life way.

The vinyl banner invitation to the event was 22 stories tall and we used Velcro to attach it to the state capitol building for all to see. You better believe it go national media coverage, including camera equipped helicopter fly bys. It will go in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest invitation on a state capitol building in the world.

We invited four sororities and all their boyfriends, to round up some real live dolphins (easy since Shell Point is right on the Gulf and only 20 or so miles from Tallahassee) and cows (they are everywhere) for a genuine, one-of-kind race that would put the bovines in some unfamiliar territory ... my old stomping grounds ... the water.

The idea for the event evolved from the old expression, "like a fish out of water". So, since I started my life in the water and stepped ashore to seek my fame and fortune, I always resented that saying. That's when I thought about not changing the rules, just changing the playing field.

And, you know what, those cud chewing, land loving, moo moos held their own and even took a mind boggling early lead. However, the crowd pleasing, air breathing dolphins won the event flippers down.

But, the real winners were the invitees who not only got to witness history in the making, but got to party down with the fraternity and sorority kids like there was no tomorrow.

Everyone got a t-shirt that had First Annual Shell Point Surf & Turf Saltwater Showdown ... And That's No Bull imprinted on them, along with our ><(("> logo, of course.

While the guests were shaking their tail feathers to the music of the ever popular, Little Hobart Neville and his Gone ><((">ing Jug Band, we took our tattoo machine around and air brushed our ><(("> logo on everyone's arms, legs and even a few behinds ... including the cows.

Even while the band played on, the sorority "coaches" were training the dolphins for next year's event. Because next year, they would compete with the cows on their turf, a seaside pasture just east of Shell Point. Afterall, I had to do both and I survived.

Whether it's by a land, sea or air, Catch Your Limit ><((">illa marketing struck ><(("> and struck ><(("> and struck ><(("> and will most assuredly strike ><(("> again.

So, eat your bananas and weep, gorilla marketers. I'd go incognito, too, if I were you.

To be continued ... ><((">

Get Up & Get Back in the Game

Our greatest glory consists not in never failing, but in rising every time we fall.
- Oliver Goldsmith, 18th century English poet, novelist & playwright

I love to play. I don’t really care what the game is: sports, board games, card games, business, life, I don’t care. I just want to be able to be in the game.

James Carr wrote about Finite and Infinite games. He described finite games as those played within boundaries, for a set period of time with the goal being one team wins. Infinite games on the other hand are those games, like life, where everyone is not only supposed to play, but by engaging everyone, everyone wins. In life, whenever we exclude someone; we all lose.

There are lots of examples in this world where people are excluded, but that’s not my focus today. I’m concerned with those people who exclude themselves. Those folks who for whatever reason decide they can’t or won’t play. Those men and women who having suffered a failure or set back cannot see their way to trying something different.

I write all the time about Henry Ford’s comment to the effect that those who think they can and those who think they can’t are both right. I have lost everything several times in my life; sometimes from my own arrogance, intractability and stupidity and occasionally through happenstance.

The results every time have been the same however; me starting over. The only difference has been that after the first time, I now know I can and will survive. If our current economic situation is the first downturn you’ve experienced, relax. I’ve seen several and I’ve weathered them all. Sometimes more successfully than others, but I’m still in the game.

Let me encourage you to view our current maelstrom as the opportunity to discern where you have the ability to best serve society. It may be as a business leader, it may be as a public servant, your calling may be the ministry or social work. What you choose is up to you. All I ask is that you get up off the ground and get back in the game.

If you don’t know where to start or you need someone to bounce your options off, feel free to write to me.

Before you do, however, sit down and write to yourself. Listen to your dreams and aspirations. Look about and see where people need help. See if you can identify the places where your gifts and society’s needs mesh.

As I wrote earlier what you choose is no where near as important as that you choose. Don’t sit on the sidelines of your life. Get up and play.

I can assure you, it’s fun.

3 Reasons that I will soon be broke

Companies keep finding new creative ways to make me give them my money. It's gotten to the point where I'm almost afraid to turn on my computer for fear of falling victim to the newest super-convenient marketing campaign. How am I supposed to afford rent when my iTunes "Genius" keeps showing me a hundred new bands that they somehow correctly assumed I would love? I have to buy them, it's out of my hands!!! Sigh.

I've put together a list of some of the products and services that have pretty much ensured that I'll be filing for bankruptcy in the next few years; I'm giving you this information so you can protect yourself from their seductive convenience... I only hope that you can avoid their alluring offers better than I have.

1) The iTunes Store- This is by no means a new service, but one that has consistently found new ways to wring out my wallet. The iTunes "Genius" is a fairly new addition to the iTunes store that tracks what kind of music you buy and suggests similar artists you might enjoy. Sounds harmless, right? Well, for avid music consumers like me, it pretty much triples the amount of money I spend on tunes. Since 2006, I've spent over $600 on music and videos from the iTunes store, not including the pile of physical albums I buy from retailers. Unless I find a way to turn these iTunes songs into food or shelter, I might be in trouble.

2) The Onlive video game service- This is a brand new service that has been being developed in secret for 7 years, and was recently announced at a gaming convention to launch in Winter 2009. I'm not much of a gamer, but the groundbreaking technology involved in making this happen is astonishing enough that I already anticipate it becoming a major threat to my bank account. This video describes what the service offers, but it's a long video so I'll sum it up: Onlive is a subscription-based service that allows people to play the latest console video games from their entry-level PCs or Macs, without having to purchase the gaming console. They go into detail about the technology in the video, and if you're at all interested in gaming or online technology, it's definitely worth watching the whole thing. Though I really don't have much time to invest in games, I predict a substantial part of my paycheck is going to find its way to Onlive's pockets.

3) Best Buy Music Center- I hesitated to mention this one, because I'm not sure how many Best Buys have added a Music Center to their stores, but for those that have, it's a sight to behold. For those readers in Tallahassee, the Best Buy by Governor's Square Mall has built one, and it's definitely worth a visit. I walked in the other day planning on trying out some new guitars (in case I decided to purchase one in the near future), and was one forgotten wallet away from buying a glittery pink Fender Jazzmaster. It all happened so fast; what I hadn't taken into consideration was Best Buy's ability to undersell any competitor who dared stand against them. In fact, they offered me a price almost $500 cheaper than the deal I found at Guitar Center or online! When I asked how they were able to make such a deal, the sales rep just shrugged and said, "We're Best Buy." My finances are doomed.

Don't get me wrong, I love that marketers are stepping up to the plate during these rough economic times, but until Publisher's Clearing House shows up at my door, I've got to find a way to escape their seductive offers or I'm going to end up in the soup line.

This week's listening recommendation is "Cannibal Queen" by Miniature Tigers.

Breaking News: New Fish Toxin

Thousands of people all over the country are claiming to experience severe mood changes after ingesting a certain type of fish. None of the reports specifically explain the exact cause of the disorder; however describe those infected as: inspired, proactive, and extremely innovative.

One lady told her colleagues “When I woke up the next morning I still looked like a 40 year old woman in the mirror, but had the energy of a 10 year old. I felt young, courageous, giddy, and completely revitalized.”

Other reports, mainly from the Southeast, have begun to surface. The most extreme story made national news as it affected an entire company in Tallahassee, Florida. All the employees at an anonymous business were so heavily impacted by the toxin that they carved a statue of the fish icon and worship it every morning before work. Rumors claim that a few employees recently got tattoos of the iconic symbol to represent their passion for the fish.

Local businesses in the community have implemented extreme measures including rewards for employees who consume the most fish at work and mandatory Sunday fish outings. Although many workers have lost weight from the new diet, no reports of increased productivity have been reported.

What is this fish? Where did it come from? And why are people so addicted to it?

These are a few questions investigators are determined to find out. If they ever capture the slippery fish Florida State University Chemist Bob Nole claimed he would be “willing to help mass produce the toxin in a pill form. This fish is a natural wonder and the key to curing one America’s of most financially detrimental diseases… complacency.”

Unfortunately, no human has yet to come close to catching this enchanted amphibian. The only leads investigators have is a binary symbol found randomly drawn throughout offices of infected workers.

Enlightened Self-Interest and Its Struggle with Idiocy

In ancient Rome the highest compliment was to call someone a Citizen. Conversely, the worst insult was to call someone an Idiot. Someone who put their own short-term interests above the good of the community was seen as an Idiot.

I’m seeing some pretty idiotic behavior these days. I’ve numerous friends who are looking for work. Many of them are in sales. The trend today is to ask people to work for commission-only. No draw, no base plus, just "we’ll give you a percentage of what you bring in."

Commission-only positions are not new; the concept has been around forever. They particularly thrive in hard times. The idea is that I as a business owner am “giving” you, the salesperson, the “opportunity” to make some money. Seems Darwinian, the fittest will survive, the cream will rise to the top, the best man/woman will win.

The problem is that the relationship, if there can be said to be one, is based solely on the transaction. Close the sale and management pays. Period! The salesperson has no investment in the relationship between the company, its brand and the customer. The salesperson only gets rewarded for making the sale and then s/he is on to the next sale.

There are few businesses that don’t benefit from repeat business. And even those who offer one-time services still profit from good word of mouth. The reality is that commission-only salespeople are not rewarded for service; they have no incentive for building/nurturing sustainable relationships; they’re only paid for closing the sale.

Now, you may be thinking, I’ll monitor their behavior, I’ll make sure my customers (the reason my business exists) are looked after. Upon what evidence am I supposed to believe that? If your customers are no more valuable to you than to put them in the hands of someone you’re not willing to invest in even a subsistence salary why do you expect that person to look out for your relationship with them? After all, you don’t care enough about your salespeople to provide them with the peace of mind of knowing their basic needs are taken care of so they can concentrate on building sustainable relationships with your customers.

People only take commission-only jobs when they have no alternative. The overwhelming majority will jump ship first chance they get. And why not the company has made no investment in its “relationship” with them; why should they feel any allegiance to the company? There is one exception and that's where people are offered a piece of the business in return for the sweat equity investment they are making. Those situations are fairly rare outside of the MLM (Multi-Level Marketing) arena.

My Dad used to make some of his sub-contractors revise their estimates up. He would say, "You can’t make enough money on this job at this price. As such, you’re not going to give me the attention I need." He used to tell me it was a lot more expensive in the long run to have to keep looking for new subs than it was to pay a living wage to people he could depend upon.

The same holds true here. You depend upon your sales force to take care of the reason you’re in business, your customers. It’s only enlightened self interest to invest in your relationship with your salespeople.

Commission-only positions might look good in that you’re not risking any of your cash on hand; the only problem is you’re risking the entire enterprise’s future cash flow and that’s just pure idiocy.

Meaningful Work

In Malcolm Gladwell’s new book, Outliers, The Story of Success, he makes a few points I think we’d all benefit from recognizing.

Success is a combination of talent, hard work, and opportunity. There’s an old saying that luck is where preparation meets opportunity and in each of his stories this holds true.

Every one of the stories is about people who had an interest in something and they worked at developing their skills. In the case of the musicians, programmers and athletes; our heroes were passionate about what they were doing. Honing their skills was play.

In every case, the protagonists were doing meaningful work. Whether they were farmers, lawyers or tailors they invested time in getting good at what they did. How much time? 10,000 hours. In all of his examples Gladwell found that his heroes had worked for ten years developing their skills before opportunity knocked.

Ten years? 10,000 hours? What a daunting thought. Surprisingly not when you consider that Bill Gates was just 14 when he started playing around with a computer. What do you enjoy doing? What skills have you developed? Take some time for self reflection and inventory your skills. Pay attention to those things that your interest and hopefully passion have led you to invest your time.

Then take a look at the world today. I call it market research; you might as well, too. Look and see where your skills, those talents you’ve honed, can meet a need or better yet fulfill a desire.

You never know, you may have unconsciously been preparing for today. You may have to invest more time, but when you develop the level of proficiency we’re talking about here, putting those skills to work feels like play.

Success for all of us is within our reach, today. Assess your skills and look for the opportunity to apply them to meaningful work. A good place to start is Gladwell’s new book. Listen to it on your iPod if you can’t find time to read.

There’s meaningful work out there for all of us.

Previously posted on blog.mindspotinc.com

"Mad Money" is right...

It's not often that I get the chance to sit down in front of the TV these days, but since last week was FSU's spring break, I got to spend some much-needed quality time with my good friend Magnavox. And perfect timing too; for those of you who aren't familiar with the Jim Cramer vs. Jon Stewart feud, it came to a supernova-esque conclusion last week on Comedy Central's The Daily Show.

If you still don't know what I'm talking about, this clip brought to you by MSNBC should bring you up to speed. About a week or so into the dispute, Cramer agreed to go on Jon Stewart's show, to straighten everything out. For anyone who hasn't watched it, I don't want to ruin it, so watch the full interview here before reading on.

I'm guessing that Cramer grew up with a pool, because this man is a master of the backstroke. It's hard to believe that the Cramer in that interview is the same man spewing financial advice with goofy sound effects on Mad Money. But I have respect for him and how he handled the situation. For one thing, he took the spotlight off of MSNBC. Stewart's original comments weren't directed at Cramer personally, but instead at MSNBC; which at the time touted itself as a great financial resource. Cramer (whether acting on his own behalf or being coerced by MSNBC, it's hard to tell) responded to the accusations as if they were a personal attack, successfully throwing the scent off MSNBC's trail. Doing so was a genius PR move (not on Cramer's part, of course, but for the good of the station). It wasn't easy, as anyone watching could obviously tell, but Cramer bit the bullet.

Another reason I respect Cramer is that he took responsibility. Why anyone would agree to go on the Daily Show and have their professional reputation ripped out of their chest on national TV is beyond me, but Cramer took it on the chin like a champ. The best moment in the interview was when Jon Stewart told him that he should be running an honest, candid show that illuminates the shenanigans going on in the financial world's backrooms, and Cramer immediately responded, "What if I start doing that?"

What if he did? What if all the financial advice shows began siding with the investors? If there ever was a time for transparency, it's yesterday. It's going to be interesting to see what happens with the "new" Jim Cramer, but there's no arguing that the lesson he learned from this situation is one that the entire financial market needs to hear.

Is There Anybody Listening?

Ok, so I chose the title from an old 80’s hair band song, but it works! Name that band if you wish.

Regardless, it is a valid question. I am constantly amazed by stories of vice presidents, CEO’s, managers, department heads, etc… who are basically tyrants and dictators rather than leaders because they refuse to listen to others. Seriously, if you are going to be a leader and have a management team or executive team to whom you refuse to listen then why have them? Wouldn’t it be easier and cheaper to skip the interviews, disregard work experience and educational experience and just hire a group of people you can pay the lowest possible salary, so they can just run around and do your bidding? For some CEO’s, that is exactly what they should do. It would save a lot of time and energy and stop wasting very talented people on “leaders” who refuse to truly listen to them.

"You have to be willing sometimes to listen to some remarkable bad opinions. Because if you say to someone, 'That's the silliest thing I've ever heard; get on out of here!'—then you'll never get anything out of that person again, and you might as well have a puppet on a string or a robot."
— John Bryan

Take a friend of mine’s company. It is a very prominent company in the travel industry. They got a new CEO about one year ago and he came in with the attitude that he knew how to do everything better than everyone else and he was smarter and had more experience than everyone else on his executive team. He is obstinate and leads with his ego. That is a very, very dangerous combination because it means he will not entertain the ideas of those around him. He has some very accomplished and smart people on his team, yet he refuses to listen to their ideas, suggestions, concerns, and issues. He simply wants puppets on strings. He is very close to losing some very gifted people and he doesn’t even realize it because his ego won’t let him. It is sad, but it will be a huge coup for other companies who can gain from these very talented people.

So, what is the big deal about listening? If you don’t listen you can never learn, which means you cannot lead. Leaders who listen to those around them are well informed about decisions they need to make. They can and should rely heavily on their peers and subordinates, as they are mostly likely very well educated and/or experts in their field. Sometimes the best ideas come from the most unlikely sources, but you have to listen first.

"We should never pretend to know what we don't know, we should not feel ashamed to ask and learn from people below, and we should listen carefully to the views of the cadres at the lowest levels. Be a pupil before you become a teacher; learn from the cadres at the lower levels before you issue orders."
— Mao Tse-tung

So, leaders please put down your ego, step away slowly and listen. Listen to your management team, executive team, or whomever else you can in your organization and truly hear what they are saying. Contrary to what you think, you do not have all the answers. If you are not willing or able to do that then you are wasting their time and talent and you are certainly not being an effective leader.

Find more fabulous quotes on listening at http://www.leadershipnow.com/listeningquotes.html

Creativity vs. Stealing pt. 2

"Bad artists copy. Good artists steal." -Pablo Picasso

Every great idea comes from somewhere. Chew on that for a second... Every great idea comes from somewhere.

Sometimes when we try to force creativity, we shut our eyes and try to make something materialize from thin air. Here's a good rule of thumb: Great ideas don't come from thin air. A good friend of mine that's a writer told me that when she gets writer's block, she tries to overstimulate herself with new experiences: going somewhere she's never been, meeting new people, trying a new coffee shop, etc. Your mind subconsciously incorporates your new experiences into new avenues of thought, which, with the right creative training, can blossom into great new ideas.

Take Apple for example. Prior to the iPod, Apple's market share was relatively small. Steve Jobs (and of course, his hardware engineering staff) decided to go somewhere they'd never been before: portable mp3 players. After copious research, countless focus groups, and careful deliberation the iPod was born. Jobs and his associates had taken a previously established concept (mp3 players), added their own creative input (sleek design, simplicity, etc.), and the market rewarded them handsomely. Ain't creativity grand?

By Picasso's standard, Apple is a "good artist". No one would argue that iPod "stole" the idea of a hard-drive based audio player, yet the idea was directly conceived from pre-existing technology combined with the observation of his marketing environment. If Steve Jobs and his team had simply closed their eyes and tried to poof an idea into existence, they would have missed out on the monumental success brought by the iPod.

There are 2 simple questions that we should ask ourselves when we're developing new ideas that can not only help us avoid idea theft, but increase the profitability of your creativity at the same time:

1) Where did you get the idea?

This may seem like an arbitrary question, but it can save you a lot of unnecessary research. For example, Microsoft, after the enormous success of the iPod, created the Zune; a very similar product targeted to a very similar market. By analyzing the market's response to the iPod, Microsoft was able to include the most popular features innovated by Apple into their own design, and minus the cost of research and development! By identifying where your ideas come from, and doing a little research, you can not only save time and money, but can get inspiration to further develop your idea.

2) How does your idea differentiate itself from its source?

Now that you've recognized your source, establish what differentiates it from the original idea. For Microsoft's Zune, it was wi-fi connectivity (which Apple has since incorporated into its iPod line-up). The best creative ideas are the ones that add the most value from its source, so focus a lot of effort on making your idea unique. The bigger the fingerprint you leave on the idea the better, so put your right brain to work!

The next time you're faced with a creative decision, remember these tips to effective "stealing". Just remember: there's a big difference in being an artist and being a con-artist.

This week's listening recommendation: "Image and Able" by Damiera

Be the River

I've always admired people who seem to flow through life. They remind me of rivers. Rivers have a destination. In many cases they 'flow to the sea, to the open arms of the sea'. Their standard modus operandi is to move around obstacles. The cool thing that isn't normally noticed is that as they rub by their obstacles they wear away a bit of the resistance. Over time they erode the things that get in their way.

Now, sometimes, dams are erected to stop their progress; but rivers are patient. They wait until they either have enough resources to overflow the dam or in some cases just knock the dang things down. But generally, they just wait until their time has come.

Rivers seem to be from our point of view at their most destructive when they are unchecked. This is frequently true of people. You know the old saw, "Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely."

None the less, I want to be like a river. Instead of head-on confrontation, I'd like to get better at easing on by the obstacles in my life, gently smoothing away the edges of resistance with reason and compassion. All the while trusting that my friends and colleagues will exert sufficient inflluence to keep me and my power under control.

So, I'm practicing being flexible and fluid. Looking for ways to move to the open arms of my sea.

Joe Rector v. Cold Weather

The Plaintiff, Joe Rector is suing the defendant, Cold Weather for the amount of 12 Billion US dollars on the count of extensive emotional distress.



Cold Weather makes it difficult, and many times painful to use your hands effectively outdoors. Sometimes, individuals may loose feeling in their hands and feet all together. In extreme cases, frost bite occurs and things get cut off.

Cold Weather makes it downright dangerous to swim. Hypothermia sets in and has ruined people's days. This also eliminates the possibility of comfortably participating in recreational activities or going to the beach.

Cold Weather makes it difficult to do many sports outdoors. The amount of things one can do outside during warm weather outnumbers the amount of things one can do in cold weather 20 to 1.

Cold Weather is also deadly. Cars and planes to not take well to icy roads and conditions typical in cold weather. Cold Weather puts thousands of lives at risk on a daily basis.

Cold Weather also costs a lot of money. Damages to homes, cars, planes, business, and roads are astronomical.

Cold Weather also prohibits the growth of several key plants and animals.

Does this horse look happy to you?

Didn't think so.

I rest my case...

Want Flexibility? Give Flexibility

Right now some organizations are asking for more and more from employees. You hear things like:
"do more with less,"
"run a tight(er) ship,"
"performance counts now more than ever"
"everyone needs to buckle down"
"we're under a training/hiring/spending freeze"

Some organizations have implemented furloughs or simply eliminated perks.

All of this is fine, necessary and important for keeping organizations going.

At the same time the employee/employer relationship is in fact that, a relationship. It is a two way street and employers need to consider where they can offer flexibility on their end. As employers are feeling the economic pinch so too are their employees. Additionally, every individual has instances in their lives when things get messy, tough and sometimes nearly impossible.

By extending the same compassion and understanding that you expect from your team to employees, whatever their situation, you'll build a deeper relationship. This kind of flexibility plays a major role in employee engagement, loyalty and retaining a great employee during a tough time.