(Which leads to inflation for everybody!)…
(Will Wall Street win out or Main street?)
Recently, I just learned that the U.S. is NOT printing money. (which is inflationary) It is printing I.O.U.’s (bonds) that the government is selling to foreign nations and on which the U.S will have to pay the interest. (Indirectly, this does add to the National Debt”. This way the U.S. presses can run forever! There is no inflation or crash anticipated by the U.S. government as long as foreigners are willing to buy the U.S. paper. The only thing that stops the presses is when the foreign nations do not think the U.S. economy is strong enough to make the interest payments or the collateral value of the whole of the U.S. is insufficient. (How much is a ten year old, concrete, four lane highway worth? …etc. The whole idea of the value of U.S. collateral defies logic!)
(By the way; now the foreign nations are in more serious trouble than the U.S.!
By the bye, where has the money gone?
It has gone to save the financial institutions. They were unwilling to extend this loan as part of a package to lend to the consumers. They shored up their existing financial statements with the supposed “bailout” money. Does “mainstream” America gain? Do the homeowners benefit?
All we’ll get is more congressional hearings, more rhetoric, more and more talk!
But that’s what the majority voted for! So what if the policies change? Could the rhetoric give a clue to a change in policy? Do the former associations give a clue as to what was really on “his” mind? Not to a non-thinking majority! All this is now in the past. Will we have the wherewithal to survive?
So now, all you’re gonna’ get is “talk, discourse and rhetoric”!
The government doesn’t know what to do!…. Despite the committee hearings and their unique “special panel”
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
Personal - #501 - #80 - How to avoid economic recession - At SCHOOL
How to avoid an economic recession – at SCHOOL……Reasonable question?
“Go to school now, pay for it now!”..... or get a loan at an interest that you can afford now and later when things are not so rosy. Get terms that you like and can understand. You’re the one that’s going to pay!
You must understand the written contract before you sign it!
A “Student Loan Document” is a written document You and your collateral (i.e. your future income) is bound by the terms of this contract.
“Now and Later” are not idle terms. They mean in times of depression, recession, divorce, death, and all the negative things you can think about! “Get a loan with terms you can cope” in good times and bad times. The paper you signed, the Student Loan, will be all controlling! You will not be able to change it unless there is a separate clause in it which shall also “control” your actions. Understand, understand!!!!
“Go to school now…pay later!” We have been hoodwinked into a belief system. It’s a system which is unsustainable. It is a system that no one else in the world uses. It is a system that is both dangerous and unfair. How can you use something that isn’t yours?
It is time the word “CREDIT” is introduced. “Credit” is what someone with money gives someone without money to “USE something NOW!” (that you do not now own). In order to profit from this transaction, the party “with the money” charges interest and demands a collateral for the money to be leant. The terms and conditions are in writing. Remember “In good times and bad”! You have signed a Contract. This Contract will control your behavior. The collateral (i.e. your future income) may be disposed of if you do not act according to the terms of the Contract you just signed. (In which, by the way, you have also promised to abide by its terms and conditions.) This is the meaning of a signed CONRACT.
If, in the meantime, you haven’t the ability to “pay as you go”, so you use “credit” so you can “go to school” even though you can’t quite “pay for it now”. Someone, with money, will offer you “credit”. Be aware that this party offering “credit’ does so he can make a profit and be sure he has title to the asset (collateral) offered at a price he is willing to take. In any case the price will be established in the “Contract”. Understand, understand the terms!
“Go To School NOW and PAY LATER”.is what we have become accustomed too. The use of “credit cards”, “Mortgages’ and “CREDIT” of all kinds is the system we have become used to!
“BEWARE!!!”
“Go to school now, pay for it now!”..... or get a loan at an interest that you can afford now and later when things are not so rosy. Get terms that you like and can understand. You’re the one that’s going to pay!
You must understand the written contract before you sign it!
A “Student Loan Document” is a written document You and your collateral (i.e. your future income) is bound by the terms of this contract.
“Now and Later” are not idle terms. They mean in times of depression, recession, divorce, death, and all the negative things you can think about! “Get a loan with terms you can cope” in good times and bad times. The paper you signed, the Student Loan, will be all controlling! You will not be able to change it unless there is a separate clause in it which shall also “control” your actions. Understand, understand!!!!
“Go to school now…pay later!” We have been hoodwinked into a belief system. It’s a system which is unsustainable. It is a system that no one else in the world uses. It is a system that is both dangerous and unfair. How can you use something that isn’t yours?
It is time the word “CREDIT” is introduced. “Credit” is what someone with money gives someone without money to “USE something NOW!” (that you do not now own). In order to profit from this transaction, the party “with the money” charges interest and demands a collateral for the money to be leant. The terms and conditions are in writing. Remember “In good times and bad”! You have signed a Contract. This Contract will control your behavior. The collateral (i.e. your future income) may be disposed of if you do not act according to the terms of the Contract you just signed. (In which, by the way, you have also promised to abide by its terms and conditions.) This is the meaning of a signed CONRACT.
If, in the meantime, you haven’t the ability to “pay as you go”, so you use “credit” so you can “go to school” even though you can’t quite “pay for it now”. Someone, with money, will offer you “credit”. Be aware that this party offering “credit’ does so he can make a profit and be sure he has title to the asset (collateral) offered at a price he is willing to take. In any case the price will be established in the “Contract”. Understand, understand the terms!
“Go To School NOW and PAY LATER”.is what we have become accustomed too. The use of “credit cards”, “Mortgages’ and “CREDIT” of all kinds is the system we have become used to!
“BEWARE!!!”
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Personal - #501 - #79 - How to avoid economic recession – At HOME!
How to avoid economic recession – At HOME!...... Reasonable question?
“Use it now, pay for it now!”..... or get a loan at an interest that you can afford now and later when things are not so rosy. Get terms that you like and can understand. You’re the one that’s going to pay!
You must understand the written contract before you sign it!
A “Home Mortgage” is a written contract. You and your collateral (i.e. your home) is bound by the terms of this contract.
“Now and Later” are not idle terms. They mean in times of depression, recession, divorce, death, and all the negative things you can think about! “Get a loan with terms you can cope” in good times and bad times. The paper you signed, the Home Mortgage, will be all controlling! You will not be able to change it unless there is a separate clause in it which shall also “control” your actions. Understand, understand!!!!
“Use it now…pay later!” We have been hoodwinked into a belief system. It’s a system which is unsustainable. It is a system that no one else in the world uses. It is a system that is both dangerous and unfair. How can you use something that isn’t yours?
It is time the word “CREDIT” is introduced. “Credit” is what someone with money gives someone without money to “USE something NOW!” (that you do not now own). In order to profit from this transaction, the party “with the money” charges interest and demands a collateral for the money to be leant. The terms and conditions are in writing. Remember “In good times and bad”! You have signed a Contract. This Contract will control your behavior. The collateral (i.e. your home) may be disposed of if you do not act according to the terms of the Contract you just signed. (In which, by the way, you have also promised to abide by its terms and conditions.) This is the meaning of a signed CONRACT.
If, in the meantime, you haven’t the ability to “pay as you go”, you use “credit” so you can “use now” what you can’t quite “pay for now”. Someone, with money, will offer you “credit”. Be aware that this party offering “credit’ does so he can make a profit and be sure he has title to the asset (collateral) offered at a price he is willing to take. Note that the price he is willing to take is not what you offered! If he expects the collateral to go up in price he will offer more. If he expects the price to go down he will need a “cushion” for his investment. In any case the price will be established in the “Contract”.... Understand, understand the terms!
“USE IT NOW and PAY LATER”.is what we have become accustomed too. The use of “credit cards”, “Mortgages’ and “CREDIT” of all kinds is the system we have become used to!
“BEWARE!!!”
“Use it now, pay for it now!”..... or get a loan at an interest that you can afford now and later when things are not so rosy. Get terms that you like and can understand. You’re the one that’s going to pay!
You must understand the written contract before you sign it!
A “Home Mortgage” is a written contract. You and your collateral (i.e. your home) is bound by the terms of this contract.
“Now and Later” are not idle terms. They mean in times of depression, recession, divorce, death, and all the negative things you can think about! “Get a loan with terms you can cope” in good times and bad times. The paper you signed, the Home Mortgage, will be all controlling! You will not be able to change it unless there is a separate clause in it which shall also “control” your actions. Understand, understand!!!!
“Use it now…pay later!” We have been hoodwinked into a belief system. It’s a system which is unsustainable. It is a system that no one else in the world uses. It is a system that is both dangerous and unfair. How can you use something that isn’t yours?
It is time the word “CREDIT” is introduced. “Credit” is what someone with money gives someone without money to “USE something NOW!” (that you do not now own). In order to profit from this transaction, the party “with the money” charges interest and demands a collateral for the money to be leant. The terms and conditions are in writing. Remember “In good times and bad”! You have signed a Contract. This Contract will control your behavior. The collateral (i.e. your home) may be disposed of if you do not act according to the terms of the Contract you just signed. (In which, by the way, you have also promised to abide by its terms and conditions.) This is the meaning of a signed CONRACT.
If, in the meantime, you haven’t the ability to “pay as you go”, you use “credit” so you can “use now” what you can’t quite “pay for now”. Someone, with money, will offer you “credit”. Be aware that this party offering “credit’ does so he can make a profit and be sure he has title to the asset (collateral) offered at a price he is willing to take. Note that the price he is willing to take is not what you offered! If he expects the collateral to go up in price he will offer more. If he expects the price to go down he will need a “cushion” for his investment. In any case the price will be established in the “Contract”.... Understand, understand the terms!
“USE IT NOW and PAY LATER”.is what we have become accustomed too. The use of “credit cards”, “Mortgages’ and “CREDIT” of all kinds is the system we have become used to!
“BEWARE!!!”
Monday, October 13, 2008
Personal - #501 - #78- Credit Generation vs. Pay as you go……
Where does this “bailout” start?
It's NOT Freddie Mac or Fanny Mae....
It’s the use of anything “now” but “pay later!
It’s the use of the “payment plan”!
Buy and use it now; but pay later!
A clever group of entrepreneurs began to see the use of “interest rates”. Then came the “credit card” bunch. Then a group created various ways to start a business of selling these items in “bunches” and calling them such names as “Mortgage Securities”, “Credit Rate Swaps”, “Interest only”, and “no docs”, etc.
If you had a debt which cost you $2 and you agreed to pay the basic item at 5% and someone agreed to this arrangement and along came a guy who was willing to pay you 3 years of interest rate at 5% and a special bonus payment of ,say, $4.00. Then he collected 10 of these arrangements and went to someone else with the proposition of selling 10 of these packages for a sum equal to 3 years of 5% interest rates plus $4.00 for a new total of $5.00 and he would throw in a kind of judgment from a “reliable” rating agency who said the loans were reliable and beside the collateral would go up in the next few years to the point where the increase in the collateral would be equal to the original interest cost of the 3 years. And the buyer of this new arrangement relied on the agency’s judgments. A sale was made. Bear in mind that the original makers of these arrangements had the collateral in their hands, but now the collateral was no longer in their hands and the new buyer felt that 5x the yearly interest was good enough as collateral for the 10 loans.
And this arrangement was made over and over again. Each new buyer held a decreasing amount as collateral for these loans. But the real estate market collapsed and the collateral for these loans no longer covered the cost of the then held “collateral”. The new owner was “over leveraged”! That is…. he did not have enough collateral!
This is where we are now!
Do we give the institutions enough money so they have enough collateral?
The banks don’t trust each other to know precisely how much they owe already. They don’t know what is “enough”!
Do we renogiate the piece of paper behind the loans even if we could locate the original which has been turned to “saleable pieces of paper” called everything from “negotiable instruments” to “Secondary loans”, “Credit swaps”, etc. This could mean that there was no instrument in writing that could not be “renogtiated”…..impossible!
Do we give enough credit money so the banks begin to trust each other? How much will that be?
Pay now, use later vs. Pay later, use now!
It all became US!
It's NOT Freddie Mac or Fanny Mae....
It’s the use of anything “now” but “pay later!
It’s the use of the “payment plan”!
Buy and use it now; but pay later!
A clever group of entrepreneurs began to see the use of “interest rates”. Then came the “credit card” bunch. Then a group created various ways to start a business of selling these items in “bunches” and calling them such names as “Mortgage Securities”, “Credit Rate Swaps”, “Interest only”, and “no docs”, etc.
If you had a debt which cost you $2 and you agreed to pay the basic item at 5% and someone agreed to this arrangement and along came a guy who was willing to pay you 3 years of interest rate at 5% and a special bonus payment of ,say, $4.00. Then he collected 10 of these arrangements and went to someone else with the proposition of selling 10 of these packages for a sum equal to 3 years of 5% interest rates plus $4.00 for a new total of $5.00 and he would throw in a kind of judgment from a “reliable” rating agency who said the loans were reliable and beside the collateral would go up in the next few years to the point where the increase in the collateral would be equal to the original interest cost of the 3 years. And the buyer of this new arrangement relied on the agency’s judgments. A sale was made. Bear in mind that the original makers of these arrangements had the collateral in their hands, but now the collateral was no longer in their hands and the new buyer felt that 5x the yearly interest was good enough as collateral for the 10 loans.
And this arrangement was made over and over again. Each new buyer held a decreasing amount as collateral for these loans. But the real estate market collapsed and the collateral for these loans no longer covered the cost of the then held “collateral”. The new owner was “over leveraged”! That is…. he did not have enough collateral!
This is where we are now!
Do we give the institutions enough money so they have enough collateral?
The banks don’t trust each other to know precisely how much they owe already. They don’t know what is “enough”!
Do we renogiate the piece of paper behind the loans even if we could locate the original which has been turned to “saleable pieces of paper” called everything from “negotiable instruments” to “Secondary loans”, “Credit swaps”, etc. This could mean that there was no instrument in writing that could not be “renogtiated”…..impossible!
Do we give enough credit money so the banks begin to trust each other? How much will that be?
Pay now, use later vs. Pay later, use now!
It all became US!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Personal - #501 - #77 - Can “Democracy” give everything to everybody?
The U.S. hasn’t enough treasury to give everyone a new house and a new standard of living. The clever few, who became educated and motivated to improve their standard of living, did just that. The many, lazy and unmotivated people left it to the government to “give” them their unearned “boost” in their standard of living. It just doesn’t work that way!
For the “unmotivated and unlearned” this may be news!
But “Democracy” can give you the unlimited “opportunity” to acquire these things. That’s why everyone wants to come here! …… It’s the “opportunity”!
On longer does station at birth, title, or anything else; stand in the way of “opportunity”!
It is a stroke of genius or luck, that this country has achieved this state, so far.
But “opportunity” does not mean “giving”. To change our ways to “giving” means the end of “opportunity”. So many now believe in the “giving” that our land is close to the end! First a house, then welfare, then medicare, then who knows what. “Democracy” hasn’t the treasury to “give” everything to the world. (Just “opportunity”!)
The “bailout” program attempts to create the politicians’ “old” policy of “giving” to the unmotivated rather than having them “earn” it! …..T’aint possible!
The “bailout” tries to give an unknown, automatic $700,000,000 to create “juice” for the credit lines we have become so used too. To buy a car, to finance furniture, yes, even to gain the title to a house; we have become use to credit, the ability to pay in the future what we wish to use now!
Another part to the “bailout” is the unknown and untried ability to renegotiate a fixed contract. (now known as a “mortgage”!)
We still want to “give”!
We haven’t the treasure to do it all!
Because as we said “Democracy CAN”T give you everything!
If we still attempt to “give”, we could easily change this into a 3rd world country!
(Of course. “to the world” is impossible and, in many cases, “unwarranted”. But to try to just “give” to the U.S.A. without the world is also impossible. What about “globalization, etc.”?)
Are you ready to live in a 3rd world country?
For the “unmotivated and unlearned” this may be news!
But “Democracy” can give you the unlimited “opportunity” to acquire these things. That’s why everyone wants to come here! …… It’s the “opportunity”!
On longer does station at birth, title, or anything else; stand in the way of “opportunity”!
It is a stroke of genius or luck, that this country has achieved this state, so far.
But “opportunity” does not mean “giving”. To change our ways to “giving” means the end of “opportunity”. So many now believe in the “giving” that our land is close to the end! First a house, then welfare, then medicare, then who knows what. “Democracy” hasn’t the treasury to “give” everything to the world. (Just “opportunity”!)
The “bailout” program attempts to create the politicians’ “old” policy of “giving” to the unmotivated rather than having them “earn” it! …..T’aint possible!
The “bailout” tries to give an unknown, automatic $700,000,000 to create “juice” for the credit lines we have become so used too. To buy a car, to finance furniture, yes, even to gain the title to a house; we have become use to credit, the ability to pay in the future what we wish to use now!
Another part to the “bailout” is the unknown and untried ability to renegotiate a fixed contract. (now known as a “mortgage”!)
We still want to “give”!
We haven’t the treasure to do it all!
Because as we said “Democracy CAN”T give you everything!
If we still attempt to “give”, we could easily change this into a 3rd world country!
(Of course. “to the world” is impossible and, in many cases, “unwarranted”. But to try to just “give” to the U.S.A. without the world is also impossible. What about “globalization, etc.”?)
Are you ready to live in a 3rd world country?
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Definition - #301 – #38 - How can I interest you ?
How can I “interest” you to explore?
How can I “interest” you to have an adventure?
How can I “interest” you in other ways to handle things which can cause you unnecessary grief and discomfort?
All this comes under the heading of “sharing experiences”.
No…it’s not to “tell” you anything! It’s just to “share”!
There is little that’s right or wrong. But to “share” experiences or explanations doesn’t mean to “tell” you anything. Think what you will but please let me share ideas with you.
Some of these ideas you may want to adopt, some you may disagree with; but please let me share with you.
“Sharing” is not threatening you in any way. You remain the same person you always were. True, you may reject or accept some new ideas. But that is always up to you. It’s always your choice!
You may accept or reject what you’ve heard on T.V., but please let me share what I’ve heard.
You may have your own ideas of what this country stands for, but please let me share what I’ve heard.
You may have your own ideas of what’s really important, but please let me share what I’ve heard.
Again, you may have your own ideas, but please let me share what I’ve heard.
Before you disagree or demonstrate try hearing different points of view. Without research or investigation you may be only partially informed. Experience can be a teacher. History can be a teacher. New information can be a teacher. Your desire to be informed may change your desires to argue all the time or to “demonstrate”. Isn’t it better to seek further understanding than it is to constantly state your own opinion? After all, you already know what your own opinion is! There’s nothing new in that!
Before you reject all this…. What, really, is a “successful alternative”?
“To learn”, “to teach”, “to share” are all ways to become more informed. It is in the “how” it’s being presented. Suppose you accept all the ways something is being “presented” as a way of “sharing”; there would be no threat, no arguments, no demonstrations! Life could be more “pleasant”!
How can I “interest” you to have an adventure?
How can I “interest” you in other ways to handle things which can cause you unnecessary grief and discomfort?
All this comes under the heading of “sharing experiences”.
No…it’s not to “tell” you anything! It’s just to “share”!
There is little that’s right or wrong. But to “share” experiences or explanations doesn’t mean to “tell” you anything. Think what you will but please let me share ideas with you.
Some of these ideas you may want to adopt, some you may disagree with; but please let me share with you.
“Sharing” is not threatening you in any way. You remain the same person you always were. True, you may reject or accept some new ideas. But that is always up to you. It’s always your choice!
You may accept or reject what you’ve heard on T.V., but please let me share what I’ve heard.
You may have your own ideas of what this country stands for, but please let me share what I’ve heard.
You may have your own ideas of what’s really important, but please let me share what I’ve heard.
Again, you may have your own ideas, but please let me share what I’ve heard.
Before you disagree or demonstrate try hearing different points of view. Without research or investigation you may be only partially informed. Experience can be a teacher. History can be a teacher. New information can be a teacher. Your desire to be informed may change your desires to argue all the time or to “demonstrate”. Isn’t it better to seek further understanding than it is to constantly state your own opinion? After all, you already know what your own opinion is! There’s nothing new in that!
Before you reject all this…. What, really, is a “successful alternative”?
“To learn”, “to teach”, “to share” are all ways to become more informed. It is in the “how” it’s being presented. Suppose you accept all the ways something is being “presented” as a way of “sharing”; there would be no threat, no arguments, no demonstrations! Life could be more “pleasant”!
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Family - #401 - #14 - Character Counts – By Michael Josephson
“ PLANNED ABANDONMENT” ( # 280:1)
Management guru Peter Drucker advocates a practice he calls planned abandonment. He stresses how important it is that managers develop the wisdom and courage to regularly review what the organization is doing and determine whether it's worth doing. He urges executives to note and resist the systemic and emotional forces that make it difficult to abandon activities that drain resources, detract from central goals, or otherwise impede progress.
Professor Drucker's insights about abandonment seem equally applicable to the management of our lives. Many of us continue to pursue unrealistic career goals or stay in unhealthy or non constructive relationships that ought to be abandoned because they keep us from moving upward and forward toward core life goals.
It makes no sense to settle for relationships that lessen rather than enlarge us, that diminish rather than develop our values and character. Thus, we should summon the courage and integrity to abandon dead-end personal or work relationships. We need to recognize how murky notions of loyalty can blind us to simple realities and how unrealistic hopes that things will change can prevent us from achieving our higher potential.
Toxic relationships not only make us unhappy; they corrupt our attitudes and dispositions in ways that undermine healthier relationships and blur our vision of what is possible. It's never easy to change, but nothing gets better without change.
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SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF QUALITY IMPROVEMENT (280:2)
I recently met with hundreds of quality improvement specialists at the California State University system. That's right, there are people whose job it is to make things better. As I prepared, it struck me how similar quality improvement is to character development. Here are seven principles:
1. You don't have to be sick to get better. Every system or process, every person, can be improved.
2. Good enough, isn't. The "if it's not broke, don't fix it mentality" promotes mediocrity that evolves to inferiority. If you're not getting better, you're probably getting worse. Systems that do not adapt to changing circumstances not only become obsolete, often they become counter-productive.
3. There can be no improvement without change and change is scary.
4. All change involves risk, but failure to change involves greater risk.
5. No system is more powerful than the people who create or manage it. Systems, like belief patterns, are created by the human mind and they can always be modified or abandoned by choice.
6. The quality of service cannot exceed the quality of the systems through which it is delivered. Bad processes, confusing, irrational or out-of-date policies will yield bad products and services; bad values yield bad choices.
7. Changing systems even slightly can be costly; not every improvement is worth the cost.
(This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.)
TEN TRUTHS FOR THE BOSS (280.3)
Why is it that most employees think their bosses are at least a little out of touch? Probably because they are. Even those who worked their way to the top lose some credibility and effectiveness because they don't recognize what I call Ten Truths for the Boss:
1. The more certain you are that "it can't happen here," the more likely it is that it will. Be careful about overconfidence and complacency.
2. There are lots of things you don't know, and lots of people who hope you don't find out. Hardly anybody tells you the whole truth anymore. Information is filtered through the fears and career aspirations of subordinates, and many employees believe you will "kill the messenger" if they deliver bad news so they tell you what they think you want to hear.
3. To those who want to please you, your whisper is a yell and your comments are commands. Be careful, people may do foolish things to please you.
4. What you allow, you encourage.
5. There's never just one bad employee; there's the employee and the manager who keeps him.
6. At least someone who works for you is "gaming" the system so they appear to reach their business objectives with smoke and mirrors rather than real achievement.
7. According to the law of big numbers, if you have lots of employees, you probably have a few crooks and psychopaths working for you.
8. Few people think as highly of your ethics as you do.
9. No matter how many good things you do, you will be judged by your last worst act.
10. No matter what your job description says, what matters most is how you manage relationships and people.
**********************************
THE CHALK BOARD (280.4)
When his son was just learning to write, Paul Halpern gave him a small chalkboard so they could write notes to each other. One evening while Paul was in the living room his son called out from the bedroom, "How do you spell 'best'?" A few minutes after Paul answered, his son yelled again: "How do you spell 'kid'?" Paul yelled back, "k-i-d" And then, for a third time his son asked, "How do you spell 'ever'?"
When Paul went into the child's room to view the board, he expected to see a note saying, "I am the best kid ever," but he was totally surprised when his son presented him a different message: "You are the best dad a kid can ever have."
Paul told his son he would have to buy him another chalkboard because he wanted to save this one. Many years later, it still hang's on Paul's wall.
Most people struggle hard for approval at work with the hope of getting acknowledgment, a raise or a promotion. And these forms of recognition can give real pleasure. Yet if you could choose between winning your child's "best dad a kid can ever have" award and being named the best employee, which would you choose?
The point is not to belittle the pursuit of recognition and success in your business life, but to remind you how much closer, more personally meaningful and easier it is to find an enduring sense of pride and pleasure in the earned appreciation of your own children.
**********************************
TAKING CHARGE OF THE BALLOON ( 280.5)
A man in a hot air balloon, realizing he was lost, lowered it to shout to a fellow on the ground: "The wind's blown me off course, can you tell me where I am?" The man replied, "Sure. You're hovering about 60 feet over this wheat field." "You must be an engineer," the balloonist yelled. "I am. How did you know?" the man replied. "Well, everything you told me is technically correct but of absolutely no use." The engineer retorted, "You're an executive, right?" " "How did you know?" the balloonist responded. "Well, you were drifting in no particular direction before you asked my help and you're still lost but now it's my fault."
The balloon is a good metaphor for our lives. At first, all we want to do is rise as high as we can in terms of money, position and prestige. Yet as we rise wind currents push us sideways. Eventually, many of us discover that we're on a very different course than we intended, a long way from the spot we took off from or hoped to end up at. So we blame the wind or anything else.
What we have to realize is that our power of choice is a steering mechanism that lets us respond to each breeze and gust. We can drift with or go against the current. Like haphazard wind currents, unplanned events beyond our control affect the direction of our lives. But, in the end, what we do and become is determined by our choices. The key is to be attentive, to look around to be sure we are going where we want to go.
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NOTE:
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Josephson Institute of Ethics
4640 Admiralty Way Suite 1001
Marina del Rey, CA 90292-6610
(310) 306-1868 / (800) 711-2670
Management guru Peter Drucker advocates a practice he calls planned abandonment. He stresses how important it is that managers develop the wisdom and courage to regularly review what the organization is doing and determine whether it's worth doing. He urges executives to note and resist the systemic and emotional forces that make it difficult to abandon activities that drain resources, detract from central goals, or otherwise impede progress.
Professor Drucker's insights about abandonment seem equally applicable to the management of our lives. Many of us continue to pursue unrealistic career goals or stay in unhealthy or non constructive relationships that ought to be abandoned because they keep us from moving upward and forward toward core life goals.
It makes no sense to settle for relationships that lessen rather than enlarge us, that diminish rather than develop our values and character. Thus, we should summon the courage and integrity to abandon dead-end personal or work relationships. We need to recognize how murky notions of loyalty can blind us to simple realities and how unrealistic hopes that things will change can prevent us from achieving our higher potential.
Toxic relationships not only make us unhappy; they corrupt our attitudes and dispositions in ways that undermine healthier relationships and blur our vision of what is possible. It's never easy to change, but nothing gets better without change.
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SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF QUALITY IMPROVEMENT (280:2)
I recently met with hundreds of quality improvement specialists at the California State University system. That's right, there are people whose job it is to make things better. As I prepared, it struck me how similar quality improvement is to character development. Here are seven principles:
1. You don't have to be sick to get better. Every system or process, every person, can be improved.
2. Good enough, isn't. The "if it's not broke, don't fix it mentality" promotes mediocrity that evolves to inferiority. If you're not getting better, you're probably getting worse. Systems that do not adapt to changing circumstances not only become obsolete, often they become counter-productive.
3. There can be no improvement without change and change is scary.
4. All change involves risk, but failure to change involves greater risk.
5. No system is more powerful than the people who create or manage it. Systems, like belief patterns, are created by the human mind and they can always be modified or abandoned by choice.
6. The quality of service cannot exceed the quality of the systems through which it is delivered. Bad processes, confusing, irrational or out-of-date policies will yield bad products and services; bad values yield bad choices.
7. Changing systems even slightly can be costly; not every improvement is worth the cost.
(This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.)
TEN TRUTHS FOR THE BOSS (280.3)
Why is it that most employees think their bosses are at least a little out of touch? Probably because they are. Even those who worked their way to the top lose some credibility and effectiveness because they don't recognize what I call Ten Truths for the Boss:
1. The more certain you are that "it can't happen here," the more likely it is that it will. Be careful about overconfidence and complacency.
2. There are lots of things you don't know, and lots of people who hope you don't find out. Hardly anybody tells you the whole truth anymore. Information is filtered through the fears and career aspirations of subordinates, and many employees believe you will "kill the messenger" if they deliver bad news so they tell you what they think you want to hear.
3. To those who want to please you, your whisper is a yell and your comments are commands. Be careful, people may do foolish things to please you.
4. What you allow, you encourage.
5. There's never just one bad employee; there's the employee and the manager who keeps him.
6. At least someone who works for you is "gaming" the system so they appear to reach their business objectives with smoke and mirrors rather than real achievement.
7. According to the law of big numbers, if you have lots of employees, you probably have a few crooks and psychopaths working for you.
8. Few people think as highly of your ethics as you do.
9. No matter how many good things you do, you will be judged by your last worst act.
10. No matter what your job description says, what matters most is how you manage relationships and people.
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THE CHALK BOARD (280.4)
When his son was just learning to write, Paul Halpern gave him a small chalkboard so they could write notes to each other. One evening while Paul was in the living room his son called out from the bedroom, "How do you spell 'best'?" A few minutes after Paul answered, his son yelled again: "How do you spell 'kid'?" Paul yelled back, "k-i-d" And then, for a third time his son asked, "How do you spell 'ever'?"
When Paul went into the child's room to view the board, he expected to see a note saying, "I am the best kid ever," but he was totally surprised when his son presented him a different message: "You are the best dad a kid can ever have."
Paul told his son he would have to buy him another chalkboard because he wanted to save this one. Many years later, it still hang's on Paul's wall.
Most people struggle hard for approval at work with the hope of getting acknowledgment, a raise or a promotion. And these forms of recognition can give real pleasure. Yet if you could choose between winning your child's "best dad a kid can ever have" award and being named the best employee, which would you choose?
The point is not to belittle the pursuit of recognition and success in your business life, but to remind you how much closer, more personally meaningful and easier it is to find an enduring sense of pride and pleasure in the earned appreciation of your own children.
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TAKING CHARGE OF THE BALLOON ( 280.5)
A man in a hot air balloon, realizing he was lost, lowered it to shout to a fellow on the ground: "The wind's blown me off course, can you tell me where I am?" The man replied, "Sure. You're hovering about 60 feet over this wheat field." "You must be an engineer," the balloonist yelled. "I am. How did you know?" the man replied. "Well, everything you told me is technically correct but of absolutely no use." The engineer retorted, "You're an executive, right?" " "How did you know?" the balloonist responded. "Well, you were drifting in no particular direction before you asked my help and you're still lost but now it's my fault."
The balloon is a good metaphor for our lives. At first, all we want to do is rise as high as we can in terms of money, position and prestige. Yet as we rise wind currents push us sideways. Eventually, many of us discover that we're on a very different course than we intended, a long way from the spot we took off from or hoped to end up at. So we blame the wind or anything else.
What we have to realize is that our power of choice is a steering mechanism that lets us respond to each breeze and gust. We can drift with or go against the current. Like haphazard wind currents, unplanned events beyond our control affect the direction of our lives. But, in the end, what we do and become is determined by our choices. The key is to be attentive, to look around to be sure we are going where we want to go.
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NOTE:
For an archive of commentaries, including audio files, visit:http://www.charactercounts.org/knxtoc.htm
To become a new subscriber, reply to Commentary@jiethics.org with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.
Share your thoughts on any of these commentaries in the CHARACTER COUNTS! Discussion Forum:
http://www.charactercounts.org/discus/messages/board-topics.html
Please forward this e-newsletter to others and let us know if you have any problems viewing it.
Josephson Institute of Ethics
4640 Admiralty Way Suite 1001
Marina del Rey, CA 90292-6610
(310) 306-1868 / (800) 711-2670
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