Archive for May, 2009
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22
May
2009
Is Openness to Change Fundamental to Success?
I’ve been thinking about the tagline on my website: “Openness to change is fundamental to success.”
A Wall Street Journal article posted on May 11 by Cari Tuna says that companies are laying people off and at the same time hiring for jobs in other areas they call “growth areas” or “key investment areas”. The folks who are laid off often don’t have the skills the companies need right now and so the companies seek out those who do. Now, we can’t always gain the new-fangled skills our companies might like us to have, but as I’ve said before it’s a good idea to seek out continuous learning opportunities. Here is a link to the article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124198904713604533.html
At home people are realizing that old spending habits need to change. I’ve heard interviews on the radio with people who are raising chickens and growing vegetables in their backyards in order to save on grocery bills. I’ve noticed my own habits have changed at the grocery store - I watch for sales and often go to three different stores to get everything I need (I can save $1 on natural peanut butter and 20 cents on soymilk at Trader Joe’s!). My exterminator told me during his twice-yearly visit to my house this week that he goes to Shop N Save on Thursdays because if you buy $50 worth of groceries you receive $10 off the total price (apparently this is not every Thursday so if you’re interested, check their ads before you go).
I have friends and colleagues who say they really don’t like change - they like to know what to expect and enjoy predictability. Well, I actually like predictability sometimes, too, but I know it’s harder to find these days. And, my friends and colleagues may not like change but I’ve seen them successfully change jobs, adjust to new bosses, deal with lay-offs and divorces, move around the country, and make a myriad of other life-altering decisions.
Liking change and being willing to participate in it are two different things.
So, I’m sticking with my tag line. Whether we like it or not, change is always around the corner. We may as well do our best to embrace it and learn from it - whether we do so kicking and screaming or skipping off into the sunset and jumping for joy!
Ó Offner and Associates, LLC 2009. All rights reserved.
22
May
2009
Panel Discussion
An interesting panel discussion will take place next Thursday, May 28 at St. Louis University in the Busch Student Center.
Matthew Grawitch, Ph.D., director of the Organizational Health Initiative, will serve as moderator for the discussion. The panel is made up of local experts and “Best Places to Work” honorees from across the metropolitan area, including:
- Pete Heidelberg, vice president of global talent management, Monsanto
- Chris Heinz, operations and training manager, Westport One
- Peter Seigel, CFO, SenseCorp
- Kenneth Fleischmann, vice president of human resources, Saint Louis University
Here is a link to event information can be found at: http://www.slu.edu/x30347.xml.
15
May
2009
Baby Boomer in the 21st Century
I’m joining the 21st Century. Yes, I was born at the end of the Baby Boom but I’m embracing technological tools nevertheless.
I now have a blog on my website http://anneoffner.com/blog. Soon, I’ll be adding online chatting capability. When clients go to http://anneoffner.com they’ll have an option to chat “real time” with me. I’m excited about this because sometimes there are issues that come up and people want to discuss them right away but may not have the privacy available to talk via phone. Also the hectic workday can keep people from touching base and so I’ll be available after work hours to chat with clients about questions or hold on-line coaching chats for those who don’t have the privacy for a coaching call at work or home!
I’ll be keeping my eyes open to see what other technology I might adopt into my practice to better serve clients (I’m considering an iPhone but I admit that may be more of a selfish desire for the latest cool gadget). Got any ideas? This late-blooming end-of-the Baby Boomer would be interested in your feedback!
Ó Offner and Associates, LLC 2009. All rights reserved.
8
May
2009
Test of Time
The eleventh Star Trek movie was just released. The first TV episode aired September 8, 1966. That’s a franchise that has lasted nearly 43 years! I’m no Trekky but I admit I’ve seen most of the movies and several of the spin off TV series (okay, I guess I am a bit of a Trekky). If you’re a Barbie Doll fan, it’s probably a similar experience - Barbie just turned 50 and is still popular with doll enthusiasts of all ages (in fact, a mint boxed Barbie from 1959 sold for $3552.50 on eBay in October 2004). Star Trek had Gene Rodenberry’s genius behind it (http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/index.html) and Barbie had Ruth Handler’s vision of an adult-bodied doll for her daughter, Barbara (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbie). These franchises have inspired criticism, loyalty, and I’ll admit fanatics (I mean who really needs to know Klingon!) but they have withstood the test of time. This got me wondering, as we hear about companies going bankrupt, being sold, or completely going under; exactly what has withstood the test of time?
Houshi Onsen: founded in 718 as a Japanese spa and inn. Its 46thgeneration of family members are still welcoming guests today: http://www.ho-shi.co.jp/jiten/Houshi_E/
Emerson: founded in 1890 in St. Louis, Missouri by two brothers, Charles and Alexander Meston, as an electric fan manufacturer. Today the company is 94thon the Fortune 500 list and is a diversified global manufacturing and technology company with 140,000 employees and $25.3 billion in revenues: www.emerson.com/
Coca-Cola: invented 1886 in Atlanta, Georgia by Dr. John Pemberton, a druggist. Originally it was meant to be a pain reliever for fellow Confederate veterans. The Coca-Cola Company was founded in 1886 by Asa Griggs Candler, an American Business tycoon and former Mayor of Atlanta: http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/ourcompany/index.html
Coffee: introduced around 800 AD in Ethiopia. Introduced to the United States when tea imports were restricted by the British and came into high demand around the Civil War. And still happily imbibed around the world.
Tea: discovered in 2737 BC by the second emperor of China, Shen Nung, “when tea leaves blew into his cup of hot water or so the story goes.” In 350 AD tea is cited for the first time in a Chinese dictionary http://www.2basnob.com/tea-history-timeline.html Also still happily imbibed around the world.
And finally, a local icon, I. E. Millstone: founder Millstone Construction. Mr. Millstone was born January 6, 1907 in North St. Louis County. He paid for his education as an engineer at Washington University by working as a lifeguard in the summers. Eventually, in 1929 (the year of the Great Depression) he opened his own construction business and, following the WWII boom, went on to build highways, airports, and building projects such as Busch Stadium and the Mercantile Tower. According to news reports as recent as last year, Mr. Millstone could still be found working in his office on a regular basis. A self-proclaimed “hard-worker” his entire life, Mr. Millstone credits the success of his company with the “willingness of the company to adapt to changing times and conditions, and to seek new areas of construction work.” http://www.themillstonecompany.com/news/index.html?uid=20
It seems to me that Mr. Millstone and the Star Trek captains have a lot in common. Even during hard times, they seek out new ways of solving problems, forge ahead and seek to go “where no one has gone before”. As we forge ahead in this economy perhaps that’s a precedent to follow.
Ó Offner and Associates, LLC 2009. All rights reserved.