CarusoBlog

Improvements Often Hide in Plain Sight

Composed in Orlando, Florida-

As I travel to deliver keynote speeches and visit with consulting clients I've noticed that the Transporation and Safety Administration (TSA) has continued to make significant and impressive improvements in airport security procedures.

Potential improvements often hide in plain sight.  This was the case involving how you and I walk through the metal detector after placing our carry-on bags on the conveyor belt.  The bottle neck in the process has always been taking off coats, shoes, heavy jewelry.  These tasks, along with removing liquids, sprays, gels and our laptop computer take a lot of time. 

Walking through the metal detector only takes a second.  So why did each lane have its own expensive metal detector and TSA agent?

Improvements are easy to see once they are pointed out, but somebody at TSA deserves a raise for suggesting that security lines could share the same metal detector.  This saves money because fewer equipment is needed, fewer employees are needed and the overall plan uses a smaller footprint. 

Can you think of a potential improvement at your company that would save money and resources? 

What's keeping the company from acting on your good idea?

Carlin's "Stuff" Has Gotten Us Into Trouble

Composed in Royal Oak, Michigan-

George Carlin, the Lenny Bruce of my generation, has left us.  Carlin first got noticed with his riff on "the seven words you can't say on television."  It was no where near the strongest of his material, but it got him arrested, which got him noticed and his career took off.

Lenny Bruce's career had a similar albeit shorter arc.  Bruce was also arrested early in his career for using what lawmakers thought was inappropriate language.  Like Carlin, Bruce rather enjoyed using insightful commentary to get under peoples' skin. 

Carlin's star burned bright and long.  He starred in 18 HBO specials.  By contrast, Jerry Seinfeld has had two. 

Lenny Bruce died young of a drug overdose.  He never achieved major stardom, but became a cult hero and a frontrunner to comedians such as Carlin and Richard Pryor.

One of Carlin's best routines was a bit about how we like our possessions and how we are defined by our "stuff."   The routine is about 25 years old, but it was a harbinger of things to come.

The mortgage crisis is about buying houses that we can't afford so that we can live in places large enough to keep our stuff.  A record number of foreclosures will force people to lose their homes and sell possessions so they have enough money to eat.

The impending credit crisis comes about because we use credit cards to spend money we really don't have so that we can have more stuff.

Do you have more stuff than you need?

Would You Do It All Over Again?

Posted from Royal Oak, Michigan-

German philosopher Frederick Nietzche posed the question of perpetual recurrence.

If you had the option of living your life over and over again, would you do it?  Of course, you would experience all the good stuff such as the happy moments, the successes and the good times.  But perpetual recurrence would also mean living through your pain, suffering and failures. 

Thinking through this question will essentially have you deciding whether your life is worthwhile.  This is a good question to answer while you're still alive, especially since almost everyone still has time to improve themself as a person.

If you had the option of living your life over and over again, would you do it?

The Older I Get, the Less I Know

Posted from Royal Oak, Michigan-

If you want to be good at problem-solving, always be on the lookout for ways to improve processes.  It's okay to slightly resist the new idea.  Be cynical enough to test it.  But don't be a dope when finding out you're wrong.

I recently read an article on marathons that recommended tips for improving running, biking and swimming times.  One of the swimming tips almost made me fall off my chair.  

I swam a little in junior high school and continue to practice on vacations.  When swimming freestyle, I've always cupped my hands and kept my fingers together.  This seemed to make sense as the best way to establish the most resistance and get a good "pull."

Well, the article suggested keeping your hands flat and separating your fingers by a quarter-of-an-inch. I couldn't believe I had been so wrong for so long so I called Ed Marsh, a friend and swimming enthusiast to corroborate what I read. 

"It's true," said Marsh, who runs the Night Cry Graphics company with his wife Angie.  "You actually get a better pull when your fingers are spread apart a bit." 

Finding problems with your work process may be a bit embarrassing, but it can save thousands of dollars.  So, keep an open mind and keep reading and thinking.

Did you know about this swimming technique?

Should You Trust Strangers?

Composed in Los Angeles, California-

As the story goes, someone once asked Albert Einstein what he thought the most important question is.  This is intriguing, but not just because most people asked Einstein for answers, rather than questions.

Einstein insisted that the most important question that each individual should answer is whether the universe is a friendly place.  He explained that a person's answer to this question would determine much about that person's future.

For example, if a person considers the universe friendly, she might be more likely to leave the home more and have a variety of experiences.  That person is likely to meet lots of people, try new things and be open to all life has to offer.

On the other hand, a person who thinks the universe is unfriendly is more likely to lead a more careful life.  This person might make conservative decisions, take few chances and be less trusting of strangers.

The unknown value of strangers is a fascinating concept.  It's easy to think of family members and friends in terms of the value they offer.  That value is, in many cases well known, albeit limited.  You know this is true if someone you know has ever let you down.  

That's why I continue to network like crazy.  I'm speaking here at the Los Angeles Convention Center and making as many new friends as I can.

The value of strangers may be unknown, but the people you have yet to meet have great value.  The younger you are, the more this is true. 

Network as if the quality of your life depends on it.

Meanwhile, do you think the universe is a safe place?

Always Be Where the Action Is

Composed in Los Angeles, California-

I always find myself where the action is.  I think I learned this life skill from my buddy Dan Drotar.  Dan is like the guy Carly Simon sings about in the lyric, "You're where you should be all the time."

I'm in the City of Angels to keynote a leadership conference.  There are over 20,000 people in attendance, but the real hot spot is next door to the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Fifty yards from our event, the Los Angeles Lakers are literally holding court for the 2008 basketball championship.  Last night was the biggest upset in b'ball championship history as the Lakers blew a game-long, 20-point lead to the gritty Boston Celtics.

As usual, the LA home game was well populated with Hollywood celebrities.  I burned out my camera battery snapping celebs as they entered the arena a few years ago when the Detroit Pistons played the Lakers for all the marbles. 

I've included some photos here.  From top to bottom, you're looking at Chris Tucker, Dyan Cannon and Steven Spielberg.  By the way, Spielberg's latest and probably last Indiana Jones movie is quite good.  Indy is another guy who is always where the action is.

Please comment on Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, if you've seen it. Two thumbs up?

Building Trust at Work Isn't Easy, But It's Worth It

Posted from Royal Oak, Michigan-

We have a serious trust issue.

The New York Times reports that some 4,500 drug tests will be performed in Beijing at the 2008 Olympics.  This is about 25 percent more than at the 2004 Olympics.  Why?  We don't trust our athletes.  At airports all across the country, Transportation and Safety Administration employees screen passengers essentially because the government doesn't trust its citizens. 

Come to think of it, many citizens don't trust the government, either.

Trust is a serious issue in the corporate world, too.  Many high-profile corporations like Enron, Worldcom and most recently Dell have been caught doing bad things to their customers or shareholders.  These trust issues are usually the result of disparate agendas.

As a business consultant, I can't have any real success until the client's corporate culture exhibits trust, so I work hard at helping workers appreciate and trust each other.  I do this to give my client values, but I also do this so I can get paid.  I guarantee results, so in order to earn money, I've got to get the trust thing going on. 

In many instances, I have to work slower than I would like because my clients' employees have trust issues.   I've seen it all:  workers who don't trust their managers, managers who don't trust the executive team, market research that shows customers who don't trust my client.  Sometimes the people I'm trying to help don't trust me. 

I'm listening to The Teaching Company's audio series on the great thinkers and am studying the philosopher Hegel.  Hegel wrote about "undifferentiated unity," a concept that reminds me of the lack of trust in our society today. 

An example of undifferentiated unity is the nuclear family, which is the kind of environment most of my clients would like to achieve at work.  

Differentiated disunity describes a work environment where individuals and departments have different and often compteting agendas.     

Do you have a family environment at your place of employment?

Is such a scenario even possible?

The Best Fundraising Events Are Beneficial to All Concerned

Composed in Van Wert, Ohio-

Who's your favorite charity? 

For years, I have belonged to two service organizations:  the Optimists and Rotary.  These are my preferred charities, but I do much more for them than just write checks.  I am committed to my charities.

Have you heard the funny aphorism about the chicken and the pig?  The chicken is involved with the egg, but the pig is committed to the bacon.

 The Rotary Club of Van Wert, Ohio represents a small town of about 10,000 people.  Raising money in a small community can be a challenge, but these clever folks may have executed the best fundraiser ever. 

Last month they put 500 people in Marsh Auditorium for a program called "Lead and Succeed," charging folks $25 each for admission. 

This was a fundraiser for Rotary, so I didn't even talk to them about my regular speaking fee.  The sponsors graciously allowed me to sell my books and audio programs in the lobby. 

Rotary's "Four Way Test" dictates that what we say and do must be "beneficial to all concerned."  This afternoon seminar was definitely beneficial for all concerned.  

We had a ball at the Van Wert event.  I was still receiving e-mails two weeks later.  Silent auctions and other typical fundraisers are fun, but this fundraising seminar helped people become better at their jobs. 

Staycation? Nah, This Traveler Prefers the "Western White House"

Composed in Bedford Springs Resort, Pennsylvania-

Many of our country's first resorts were established on the premise and promise of natural springs and their "healing powers." 

Well, the healing powers weren't all they were cracked up to be, but people still come to places like the Bedford Springs Resort (BSR) to feel good.

This beautiful facility has recently enjoyed a $200,000,000 renovation and it is a sight to behold.  I'm here to keynote a leadership conference and the committee has thoughtfully put me up in a  very nice room. 

Note to future employers:  I speak better when I sleep in a nice room. 

Many United States Presidents have stayed at the BSR.  President James Buchannan stayed here so often the place was referred to as the "Western White House."

As you may know, I work the room pretty well at these conferences.  Here, I met two gentlemen who had something extraordinary in common.  Each of them has had dinner with Warren Buffett, the richest man in the world.  Forbes reports Buffet to be worth around $62 billion.

My two new friends hadn't met each other until I put them together for the photograph above.  That's Dr. Thomas Roberts on the right.

The Best Habit of All

Composed in Springfield, Illinois-

For some years, I've been teaching people how to develop success habits. 

I'm in Springfield to deliver a keynote speech for a leadership conference.  The man who invited me is Dr. Richard Passmore. 

Some years ago, Dr. Passmore crashed a private airplane in a field.  His medical doctors said he wouldn't live, but Richard wouldn't give up.  They said he would never walk again, but Richard wouldn't give up.  They said he would never practice dentistry again, but Richard wouldn't give up.

The best success habit of all may be to never quit the Game of Life.  Dr. Passmore has limited use of his left hand, but he still earns a living as a darn good dentist.  

More importantly, he's a terrific person and a role model for us all.