Finding the Hot Roll

    The last two years have created an unusual culture mostly due to economic conditions. Whether one is a conservative or liberal, it is time to acknowledge that perhaps, at least to an extent, the valued stimulus money given to individuals, families, organizations, and businesses has contributed to a shock to our economy and resulted in inflation, interest rate increases, lack of employees, loss of goods, and a significant decline in customer service. We have all seen and experienced the lack of employees at restaurants, service organizations, and retail. While the business pressures continue, the weak labor market creates confusion, stress, and a loss of consumer confidence. 

     Recently, a reputable auto shop in the community called me to tell me my "seal" had arrived and I needed to bring my vehicle in for the repair. I informed the caller that my vehicle had been repaired two months ago and seemed to be working fine; however, if I need a new seal, I will be glad to bring my vehicle to the shop. The caller became confused and said the VIN was not available. I said I could get that to her if it made a difference. The caller then said my work order had not been cleared and wondered who told me my vehicle was fixed two months ago. Not remembering the name, I mentioned a gentleman with dark hair and a small beard wearing a work shirt and jeans. The caller then hesitated and said that pretty well described everybody in the shop. I gave up on the call and said thank you but I think my seal is fine now. 

    This conversation is not that unusual anymore in our society. Poor management and a lack of employees has resulted in terrible customer service and managerial confusion. This then leads to a drop of returning customers, adding further shock to businesses that are scrambling to keep margins high and meet customer demands. Good managers understand that it is all about customer service and having good systems in place to meet demand. 

    Years ago, I noticed a local restaurant had a large and consistent following. While the environment was pleasant, the food always consistently good, they also had a "magic" method of ensuring satisfied customers. While eating, an elderly gentleman came around with hot rolls and butter and offered these to all those in the restaurant. I later learned the gentleman was the owner. His decision to serve "free" rolls contributed greatly to satisfied customers. These customers then returned, often with friends and family. 

    It is time to take a page out of that success and transfer it everywhere. Regardless of the nature of the business, retail, service, business to business or industry, customer service is king. Managers need to identify what will cause customers to return and emphasize that every time. What is the "hot roll" you can provide for your customers? It could be excellence in quality, or efficiency in record-keeping, or simply a complementary good, or an environment that is clean, safe, and comfortable. Find your "hot roll" for your business and keep those customers coming back for more. 

The Hidden Leaders

 

Just read a quote on LinkedIn that said, “I feel like 95% of high performers have a former boss who ignored their obvious potential.” Of course, this is not quantifiable and may fall into an anecdotal trap of stories without foundation. Yet, there is something to this, and it has to do with two possibilities in the workplace. One, sometimes leadership lacks in perception about people and their potential for success; and two, often leaders do not create an environment for individual achievement. Related to this is the lack of systems that encourage initiative or creative solutions to problems.

            Despite the wealth of resources available for increasing leadership abilities or addressing leadership in some way (a search for “leadership” on Amazon revealed 40,000 results), leaders often select team members who do not live up to expectations. Even worse, they may have overlooked the ideal candidate either through a poor search process or a lack of perception of potential. Further, it seems to be the norm where management systems and tight operational controls actually inhibit initiative and creativity. While this may be driven by a desire to prevent mistakes or keep people on task, it is also rather arrogant and myopic thinking for leadership to assume their superior ability to make the best decisions.

            Again, these comments are not quantifiable, and I have no doubt there are many exceptions to this problem of not recognizing potential in people. As a former Dean of Fine Arts and now a Dean of Business and Professional Studies, I am sincerely appreciative of having supervisors who gave me an opportunity to succeed. In turn, I continue to stay attuned to those with potential, with creative ideas, with energy to make things happen. Knowing the tendency for leaders to overlook what someone has to offer, I work to take a deeper study by watching, reading materials, talking, and mostly listening. Open to new ideas, I often seek the views of other people and encourage new thinking and initiative.

            Having been rejected for higher leadership positions, it is not really satisfying to learn later that those employed over me resulted in failure sometimes rather quickly. It does, however, make me suspect that the process is flawed. While committees may be able to overcome some of the poor decisions, often committees are subject to groupthink or wrong assumptions. It is likely in my own leadership over searches, I have overlooked the ideal candidate due to something small or insignificant.

            The problem is both complex and simple. Not everyone can be an effective leader and, unfortunately, it is hard to predict the outcome when leaders are selected. While there are many traits of a leader that can be identified and expressed, perhaps the greatest characteristic is humility combined with a willingness to listen to people and try new approaches. This type of leader is one who searches for potential. One who seeks out creativity, and one who gives people an opportunity for growth.

            I often wonder how many great leaders have been passed over due to biases, prejudices, or simply wrong impressions. How many organizations are failing or struggling when a different leader might have resulted in great success? Are there people in your organization that are quiet, unassuming, yet have tremendous potential to make a positive difference if they were given an opportunity? Is it possible, or even likely, that a great idea that quickly found its way to the circular file (trash can) might have made all the difference for the organization had it been accepted?

            There are no easy answers to leadership but many an organization has found itself mired in old methods that are no longer acceptable. As our world becomes more and more regulated and subject to litigation over small matters, we may be seeing fewer creative solutions to problems. This is certainly understandable since doing less is always easier than doing more. Yet a call to action is a call to service, a call to leadership, a call to reach out to people and find their potential. That special person with remarkable abilities may be the one to change the future, the one to make all the difference in the organization. Seek out and find the leaders among you and listen to them. You just might be surprised.

           

Amsterdam and Culture

As an amateur cultural anthropologist, I am curious about cultural practices and what led to those through history. Spending a few days in Amsterdam, I enjoyed the culture, the pride, and mostly social environment. Admittedly there are a few things that I am not completely sure about and a few practices that on the surface seem problematic but somehow work in this marvelous city. One thing to remember is that what may work in one place, may not necessarily work in another.

Most familiar with American culture and especially Texas, I am also familiar with British culture and particularly London. Lifestyle differences between Texas, London, and Amsterdam are striking and imposing one culture on another would likely be a dismal failure. In Texas we drive. We drive everywhere and walk very little. Not that we don't walk at all, for you can find people walking around neighborhoods or walking in malls or walking from the parking space to the store, but, in general, we drive and we drive big vehicles with many exceptions of course. Danger occurs on highways and occasionally in the city from poor driving. In London, the public transportation system is advanced with buses and tubes going all through the city. But you will not escape walking in London. Large footpaths designed for walking. Danger points are mainly intersections where buses, motorcycles, and taxis move quickly without regard for the masses of people waiting to get across. Londoners move quickly across streets while tourists, wisely, wait for the green light (figure of a person) before crossing.

In Amsterdam, the people ride bicycles. Some walking and quite a few motorcycles also adorn the paths but most transport is with a bicycle. There are trams and buses but not everywhere and only used if you don't have a bicycle. There are some cars, mostly small, but they are careful around bicycles and walkers. There are very few accidents in Amsterdam. There are not many accidents in London although the potential is always there. One only hears 6 or 7 sirens per day in London!

The bike riding in Amsterdam contributes to a quiet environment without many cars and very few sirens ever. The culture provides riding paths and roads that tend to give way to bicycles when needed. My time in Amsterdam was rewarding and makes me long for a different approach to our lives and our culture where we could safely ride bikes. Doing so would promote exercise, outdoor activities, a quieter environment, and, mostly, safety from road accidents. 

Teaching to the Ages

 The ambiguity of the title of this post is deliberate and references my long and varied experiences at teaching to all ages of students. Having worked with children, preteens, teens, and college-aged students, I am now spending time with adults in a doctoral program. Children, of course, require hands-on, active learning. As children mature, so does their ability to focus, albeit limited, and learn through other means. Yet, rather than replacing the style of learning, we layer the experiences in a type of iterative approach to pedagogy. Granted, as we grow and mature so does our ability to learn abstractly and begin to process and project time and future goals. 

Admittedly, learning styles are varied and with over 7 billion people on the planet, so too are there multiple learning styles and abilities. With this in mind, there are some general approaches to each age group that will help teachers deal with their students. Focusing at this time on the adult learner, perhaps the biggest change from younger students is the ability to manage time. This ability as well as persistence are motivations to succeed and complete the task. 

Not dissimilar to the variety of learning styles, adults have multiple reasons for why they are in college, seeking knowledge, a credential, and/or a degree. For some, they may have avoided college in the first place for any number of reasons while others may have started, dropped out, and are returning. Many are anxious, allocating personal resources to receive an education, and questioning their own reasons. Additionally, they may experience anxiety over their preparation and ability for college work. Some are overachievers, wanting to excel in all facets of the courseworks. Others, however, are recognize the challenges in taking classes and are willing to accept their own position and reason for attending college. 

Jugggling through family finances, children, home and work responsibilities while attending classes and completing work is extremely difficult for adult learners. The myriad of potential interruptions to classes is palpable and real, often resulting in increased anxiety and priortization of needs. Another challenge not often articulated is the problem of advanced technology. Since many adult learners did not grow up with the kind of technologies currently in use, learning new software and systems is yet another level of difficulty not usually addressed. 

These and more mean that colleges and universities should not expect nor treat adult learners in the same way as traditional college aged students. The ultimate goal is completion for these learners and helping them become contributing citizens through employment opportunities not always available to those without a college degree. To this end, instruction may require specialized training and understanding of adult learners. In some cases, this could mean increased patience, more time for projects, and supplemental material to aid in learning. 

Despite these many challenges, there are great opportunities available for adult learners and for colleges seeking to increase enrollment. But it requires different approaches and systems to ensure these students have a strong chance to succeed. The rewards, however, are high both for society and for institutions. As in all great endeavors, it is our opportunity for a win-win scenario where the community, the students, and the institutions gain. 

Why do we sing the National Anthem?

 As a member of the Rotary Club, I look forward to Fridays where I join with other Rotarians to hear information of interest to the members that often has a message of optimism and community spirit. In this group of women and men, are lawyers, accountants, bankers, social workers, leaders, doctors, and business owners, academicians, and every kind of profession between. Each Friday we begin with a prayer, followed by the singing of the National Anthem, and the pledge. We then give "sunshine" moments and play a little game of drawing a card to receive a pot of money. 

I enjoy singing the National Anthem despite its difficulty. The anthem has a large vocal range, wide melodic leaps, harmonic changes, and a complexity of words that makes it difficult to memorize. The range alone seems to prevent many people from singing the notes accurately. Yet, on certain days, I will admit to a surging of emotion that must be a form a pride in my country. The National Anthem reminds me of the battles for freedom and the inherent joy of living in America. In that respect, the weekly routine is a good one that I hope always remains. 

Yet, sometimes I wonder about the true benefits of this. We sing it at sports events, concerts, public gatherings, and various types of celebrations. We rarely sing it in small groups and I do not recall ever singing it at any of the thousands of meetings I have attended. I have heard wonderful performances of it from trumpet players, to pop singers, opera singers, and still occasionally listen to the amazing performance of master guitarist Jimi Hendrix. Sadly, I have also heard terrible performances including children, poor singers, overly ornamented, odd approaches, and mixed up words. Who can forget the funny although a little offensive performance of Leslie Nielsen in Naked Gun! 

Now we have this kneeling situation at sports events and are including other anthems. Baseball games include God Bless America in the 7th inning stretch. Symphony Orchestra concerts often begin with the Anthem but in a rather formal way (no clapping or yelling afterward). The other morning before a group run, around 50 of us stood still and listened to a recording of the National Anthem before we took off on our 9.11k run. 

I suppose the obvious reason we sing this is for unification and patriotism. At a competition, the National Anthem starts us all together without anger and bitterness toward the rival team. I do appreciate the respect that is applied and it is rewarding and unusual to see 50,000 people or more stand very still. What would happen if we did not sing it? Would we be overrun with anger at the opposing team? Would the concert be less interesting or would the run not be as rewarding? 

While I acknowledge right of players to kneel at the game, I do wonder why this has become a social and/or political opportunity to express a position? After all, it is simply a game and not even all that complex of a game at that. Why are we even patriotic at all at sporting events? 

Perhaps it is time to relegate the National Anthem to concerts or strictly patriotic events? Would this further divide and polarize a nation that struggles with unity? Or would this allow for personal freedom from coerced patriotism at games? 

As I write this post that asks more questions than provides answers, I wonder if my thoughts are somewhat subversive and un-American? Certainly, that is not my intent, but I do think we should examine our motives and goals in everything we do. 

In the end, I must say that I sincerely enjoy singing the National Anthem and find it a challenge to sing it accurately. It is the challenge itself that gives me satisfaction and I look forward to those moments at all events. Being patriotic is just part of the story. The song itself is a toughie, but rewarding when sung well. 

Revisiting Louis L'Amour

It began in 1971 when I was in 5th grade in El Paso, Texas. My father and I went to a TG&Y for some household goods. I cannot recall what else we purchased, but we stopped by the paperback rack to look through the books. This was not an uncommon practice having grown up around books with weekly trips to the public library and a love for reading that has not disappeared to this day. Still loving the smell of books, my pulse quickens when I enter a library or a used book store. Having long ago closed my online bookstore and donated my thousands of books to various libraries, I remain a book lover and find myself collecting once again. 

The world was both different and the same in 1971. No computers, cell phones, flat screen televisions, or devices all over the house. It was a time of the turntable, 3 channels on the tv which was located in a nice piece of furniture. Yes, we had an unusual oil lamp with a statue of a nude woman showering in the oil, but that is another story! What was the same was the love of family that remains today and even though I later resisted, deep down I loved being with my remarkable and different Dad, a man who loved his family, music, books, church, people, building things, fixing things, laughing, singing, and being the life of the party. 

As we looked at the paperbacks, I saw the book called Tucker by someone named Louis L'Amour. Curious about it, Dad bought it for me. I read it and enjoyed it although I normally did not read westerns much. That changed with Tucker and Dad and I soon devoured every L'Amour book we could find. I realize now that my father enjoyed sharing the experience with me, his oldest son, of reading the same books. We would discuss them, analyze them, and quote them at every opportunity. How many times did we remind each other that you could "hide an army out on those plains." And be sure to avoid staring into the campfire since it would temporarily blind you if you had to fight. Oh...and drink as much water as you can since you never know when you could run out. And save the last bullet for yourself so the Indians cannot capture you. He and I shared other books including David Morrell, Taylor Caldwell, Kenneth Roberts, John D. MacDonald, Matt Helm books, James Bond, Elmer Kelton, and Larry McMurtry, but it was L'Amour that we quoted and discussed the most. 

Life moved on and with it came my own family, several jobs, moves, and lots of experiences. My father passed away in 1999 at age 60 and I still feel a void in my life when I think of him...almost every day. He gave me a love of great stories, books, travels, and multiple experiences. A brilliant man, he never allowed the challenges of life to negatively affect his eclectic interests, his desire to make a difference, and his sheer joy and optimism. Even a few weeks before he died, he was at an elementary school playing guitar and singing songs for children. One week before he died, he and I were out hunting deer. 

Now at age 61, I feel a desire to return to the books that shaped me so profoundly. Books by Steinbeck, Morrell, Victor Hugo, Thomas Hardy, Larry McMurtry, James Michener, and yes, Louis L'Amour. Some books don't age well and feel rather dated. Some of L'Amour comes across at times as sort of basic and even primitive in style. Many of the plots are similar and the hero in the story often seems larger than life while the bad guys always lose in the end. Yet, there is something special in Louis L'Amour books. The descriptions of the environment are accurate and expressive and the people, although rather one dimensional, are clear in their values. The stories move with energy and the building tension causes page-turning all the way to the satisfying conclusion. 

And so I am revisiting Louis L'Amour books and enjoying them. Perhaps, however, I am really revisiting my time with my father, a time I treasure in my memories, and a time of growing up into manhood. 

Corona Virus and Odd Time

It is an odd time for all of us and the Tucker family is no exception. Too much television although I am also getting in some exercise, proper eating, and research. Still working on my dissertation but am quite tired of my topic. If I am named Dean of Business and Professional Studies at Hardin-Simmons University, then I will dive full force into finishing the dissertation. If not, I may spend my time learning to play the pipe organ and starting a business in mergers and acquisitions. I have an LLC now which means that extra expenditures for the business are tax deductible.

Am experiencing great anxiety primarily over the stock market and the economy. We are comfortable in our home but we still owe money on it. In other words, we do not own it completely. Were I to lose my job, I would have no way to pay the mortgage. But, it is true, that Joel has money and could purchase the home with his money. So I suppose this allows us a certain degree of financial freedom. Truth is that we are in better shape than many people and for that I feel blessed. Delivering meals on wheels reminds me of the condition of people in need and the multiple challenges facing those without extra resources.

But this is also a time to learn new concepts in both music and finance. My knowledge of discounted future cash flows is a little weak and I need to learn how to apply the financial formulas and ratios to valuing companies. Also I enjoy learning new ratios and formulas plus the idea of integrating science, math, finance, and the arts is exciting to me.

Enjoying following the news of the virus. Overall, I believe we as a society are overreacting but time will tell the real story. Can we really shut down all of culture and events as we know them? The economy is based on people spending money to improve and enjoy their lives. Staying indoors and spending only for essentials results in a societal shutdown and an economic disaster. Is this what the government wants? Is the aim to increase governmental power and greater reliance on governmental welfare programs? It looks that way to me.

Experiencing fairly significant anxiety about my future, my dissertation, my career, and all the students who feel displaced and not well-directed. Every now and then I find myself having funny moments of anxiety including shortness of breath, nervousness, fast heart rate and a general lack of motivation. Almost as though my blood pressure jumps way up in reaction to the stress. But then I suddenly feel better and believe all will be well over time.

More thoughts later.

Run your business like a symphony orchestra concert, except...

In a symphony orchestra concert, the players have individually prepared for the collective experience of accomplishing the musical goal of excellence. They desire to perform the required music to the best of their ability and to interpret the music to please the conductor who works to adhere to the composer's music. The performers are unswervingly committed to exceptional performance and come together for the purpose of accomplishing a musical goal. They are willing to follow the conductor's leadership and accept instruction and correction from the conductor. Although the conductor is governed, to an extent, by a board, he or she has absolute power over the players and the music. If the individual musicians produce high quality individually, then the music comes together collectively under the guidance of the conductor, resulting in a high quality performance. Economics aside, many people with specialized skills work collectively under the guidance of one person to produce a quality product that was initially designed by someone else. This is an excellent business model, except...it is not efficient.

Unlike a business whose goals are profitability, the symphony orchestra is concerned with emotional expression and artistic excellence. Are these goals incompatible with profitability? Yes, due to the personnel expense problem. Symphony orchestras are financially inefficient and cannot function on ticket sales without donors, grants, and sponsorships. Customers enjoy the product and are willing to pay for the experience, but the revenue from the ticket paying customers does not support the expenses to produce the event. No business can operate in this way. Revenue must outpace expenses and dependence on donations is not a workable solution, although in the non-profit sector it is a reality. Advertising revenue, however, is a strong business model but difficult in certain kinds of limited markets with narrow demographic customers.

Given that symphony orchestras serve a public good, they are generally non-profit enterprises relying on goodwill for their sustenance. But for-profit businesses can benefit from the principles that make symphony orchestras special and unique...the never-ending quest for artistic perfection combined with the power of emotional expression. Another way to look at this is to have a relentless goal of making the music appealing to the listeners, for those in attendance who are customers of the orchestra.

Regardless of whether the business makes hamburgers, tacos, computers, clothes, cars, toys, perfume, or virtually any item or service such as mowing the lawn, building a skyscraper, cleaning houses, pet grooming, or preparing taxes, it must have customers and those customers must be pleased with what they receive for their money. Returning customers and new customers encourage sponsorships and advertising. This makes excellence and quality the primary goal of a symphony orchestra and one that it hopes brings in the customers.

Aside from the problem of personnel expenses, a symphony orchestra embodies the ideal business goals by striving for an experience that is greater than the cost. If the orchestra can figure out how to provide the product without the personnel costs, it will have the solved the business goals for profitability as a result of excellence. What would happen if the players were paid a percentage of the ticket sales? Would they desire a voice in programming, in collective preparation, in management, advertising? Likely, yes. Would such an approach be healthy for the organization or would it augur against all that it represents?

Meals on Wheels and Dogfood

Once again helping my wife deliver meals on wheels, we arrived at the main location to pick up the meals for the clients. Quite a system organized by type of food, dietary restrictions and preferences, all designed to serve people unable to provide for themselves. There are different reasons for the need including but not limited to poverty, health problems, old age, general weaknesses, and, for some, most likely poor decisions. The meals are not free but they are substantially reduced. Most of the funding comes from state support through grants, gifts, donations, and local sponsorships. The program is remarkably successful, serious, and serves a public good by providing meals for those who are unable to provide for themselves. It is totally dependent on volunteers, people who give of their time and energy to deliver meals to the indigent.

Delivering meals provides a welcome relief from the stresses of work and, yes, life. It is an opportunity to do the right thing, to serve those less fortunate, to put aside one's disappointments and make sacrifices for others. Just when your self-reflection reaches the limits of emotional stability, then you reach out to others, put aside your selfishness and become benevolent, charitable, giving. We drive around the neighborhood of small houses most of which are slightly more than shacks, knocking on doors and handing people their lunch. Most are very appreciative and most seem eager for the balanced meal.

But today we had a different experience. We delivered dog food to one house. Not sure how to react to this. Tax dollars, donations, charitable contributions and volunteers came together to deliver dog food to a house. Not a lot, just one fairly large bag. A large plaque stands in the main hall where we pick up the food to deliver. And on this plaque are the names of the founders of Meals on Wheels and the many initial contributors. Someone or several people had a dream of providing meals for those in need in the community and that dream was fulfilled in a glorious charitable organization making a positive difference in the lives of those who cannot take care of themselves. Did the founders envision providing meals for dogs?

Dogs were domesticated over 30,000 years ago and continue to be ideal pets for millions of households. No one can resist a puppy and dogs are trained to help with emotional support, comfort, protection, prevention of crime, care for the elderly, security, and many other highly beneficial activities. For someone alone, a dog provides companionship and even purpose while giving someone needed emotional support. Of course dogs can eat people food and anyone is welcome to share food with a dog, but the preferred food is designed for a dog and helps with keeping teeth clean and a good digestion system.

Yet even as I write these words, I question our tax dollars supporting dogs who support the indigent. When we deliver meals, inevitably the door opens to loud barking and someone fighting to keep the dog inside. Many times the home has a terrible odor and a quick glance shows poor hygiene, clutter, and general messiness. This is not always true, of course, and sometimes the dog is mannerly, calm, and seems to be a part of the home. But it is not unusual to find two or three large dogs inside a small home wreaking havoc on the household. Owners frequently correct the behaviors with a "stop it Bucky" or "settle down, Ranger" or even something more conversational such as, "Ginger, it's okay, they are just delivering our food."

Risking great criticism from pet owners, I have to question the practice of providing food through a charitable organization for dogs, and I further question the practice of keeping pets in a household that cannot afford even the basic necessities. Does the pet inadvertently contribute to the perpetuation of poverty? Maybe. Yes, it is their choice and for many it is a good choice. For others, however, it is not a good decision to keep a pet and our providing dog food seems to be enabling what may not ultimately be beneficial.