There are two things to know.
None of us is perfect.
We each have strengths and weaknesses.
No one has all the answers–despite some big egos out there!
That’s why we all need each other.
Knowledge is great, but networking magnifies your potential many times over.
These are two things you definitely want to know. 😉
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
I don’t know about you, but I am so tired about all the whining about China.
– They are stealing our intellectual property.
– They are hacking into our systems.
– They are unfairly forcing us to transfer technology to them.
– They aren’t opening up their market to us.
OMG stop the complaining already!
If you don’t like what they are doing, then do something about it.
Tariffs are a start, but just a small one.
Seriously, if you can’t incentivize them to stop the harassment and unfair trade practices by adding them to the World Trade Organization, investing in them, and partnering with them, then you need to actually compete with China.
– They steal our sh*t–you help yourself to a generous serving of theirs.
– They break into our systems–you find your way into their systems.
– They try to unfairly take away our markets and jobs–you take away theirs big time.
Everyone knows that to deal with bully, you must fight back!
The more we are scared into inaction, the worse it gets.
This doesn’t mean that we should get into a military exchange with China, but we do need to get into a confrontation over what economic and global partnership should mean and look like.
China is an old and truly great nation and their people should be highly respected.
However, the USA should also be treated right, and if that means it’s time for a heart to heart and some evening up of the playing field then that is what has to happen.
We have to restore respect to America, not by becoming bullies ourselves, but by standing up to them when we are being taken advantage of. 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
So I liked this saying from a colleague of mine at work:
We succeed or fail as a team.
It’s not me.
It’s not you.
It’s not him.
It’s not her.
It’s us!
No one can do it alone.
– If we fail, we fail as a team.
– If we succeed, we succeed as a team.
So let’s come together and be a team and give it our best shot! 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
So we recently took on a new function at work.
With that came a new group of employees.
Today, we had a wonderful breakfast as a meet and greet for everyone to get to know each other.
There was a tremendous spread of food laid out everything from bagels and smear, granola and yogurt, free fruit and vegetable salad, donut and muffins, and more.
There was enough food to feed a small army.
Aside from the group joining us, we had people come from other departments that support the process they are involved in–so folks from finance, legal, and even the front office.
The new lead assigned for the group that came over even gave out envelopes to thank their new team and 2 big boxes of gourmet coffee for them to share.
How nice this all was done and the investment that was made to bring the new team on board was really amazing to me.
I saw all the goodwill that was being built up from this event and the niceties put into it to recognize the people and make everyone comfortable together as a team.
I learned that an investment upfront like this in people and function can have tremendous benefits downstream in building a team and performing services that everyone can be proud of who is apart of this.
Invest not only in things, but also most importantly in people and relationships! 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Awesome day today with my team at work.
We had a half-day team building.
Started off with a Play-Doh exercise where we had to answer things like what we’d like to accomplish as a team in the new year.
This was my representation with a S-cubed for the new program implementing process improvements and enterprise service management using:
– Strategy
– Structure
– (Customer) Service
We followed up with a great team luncheon and then a game of Monster Mini Golf.
We broke into two teams and one team came in “first place” and the other team were the “winners.”
I suppose whenever we genuinely come together as a team to appreciate each other and work collaboratively as a unified whole–greater than the sum of our parts–then we truly all come out as first place winners! 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Amazon has upended so many industries–and you can basically buy almost anything there.
And yes, what you can’t buy today, you will be able to buy tomorrow.
What started as books and DVDs is now virtually synonymous with e-Commerce itself!
Next up for Amazon is pharmaceuticals!
Some people may think that Whole Foods gives Amazon the footprint it needs to sell these and dominate.
But what people aren’t considering is that Amazon can sell the pharmaceuticals online.
Amazon can do what other online drug distributors can’t.
Why?
Because Amazon has the most unbelievable distribution network in the world.
Currently, people can order drugs through the mail, but these tend to be for regular reoccurring prescriptions that have lead time.
However, Amazon can outdo these mail order pharma companies, because they can get you the drugs you need when and where you need it.
– You don’t feel well and can’t make it to CVS, Amazon will deliver to your door.
– Need same-day delivery, no problem.
– Plus do all your shopping together in one fell timesaving swoop.
My prediction:
Amazon the low cost, efficient online seller of everything to everywhere is going to partner with Teva Pharmaceuticals, the #1 world leader in low cost generic drugs.
Teva already produces 120 billion tablets and capsules every year, operates in 80 countries, and currently fills 1 in 6 generic prescriptions in the U.S.
Together, Amazon and Teva can make beautiful music, that is medicine + money!
Who needs CVS when pharmaceuticals perhaps soon can be gotten at Whole Foods or at your Trusty Amazon.com.
One more time, I see some radical disruption–and this time it will bring you cheaper and more convenient drugs–make a l’chaim to your health. 😉
(Source Graphic: Andy Blumenthal)
(Endnote: I am a big fan + investor in Teva, and of course, all opinions here are my own.)
These were three beautiful Jewish things that I saw in Florida in 24 hours.
The first was a billboard touting the wonderful America-Israel friendship and partnership.
“Frontline in the global war on terror.
Best friend and ally of the US.
Providing religious freedom and liberty.
Thank you Israel for sharing American values.”
The second were about 20 cans (“pushkas”) for collecting charity for the poor in a local kosher Pita Plus restaurant.
Have a great shawarma plater (with mounds of meat) and give back to others in need and hungry.
The third was a sign in a discount beachy clothing store with the holy Jewish blessing of Shema Israel.
“Hear O Israel:
The L-rd is our G-d.
The L-rd is One.”
There is definitely more than sun and surf and vacation here…
There is a feeling of G-d and faith, of charity and giving, and of special partnership between friends and allies, USA-Israel.
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Widely reported now in the media is this notion of a shadow government.
There is a difference between a true shadow government and the way our government is set up with two types of leadership.
– Career civil service are the regular public sector (government) employees.
– Political appointees are the people installed upon a new President by the winning party, and they are the most powerful leaders and policymakers in the government.
In a sense, the “winner takes all” and the political appointees become the heads of all the executive branch agencies–viola, that is power!
The vast majority are people of the utmost integrity and deserving of our respect and gratitude for their leadership and what they do for our country.
There are about 7,000 Senior Executive Service (SES) positions in the federal government, and about 90% are regular career civil service, and the remaining 10% are non-career political appointees.
Aside from SES political appointees, there are another 3,000 other presidential and confidential (Schedule C) appointees (for a total of 4,000 presidential appointees running the government).
In a normal situation, this works just fine and civil service and politicals work hand-in-hand to advance the interests of this great nations.
But when a nation becomes highly divided or an election looms and power is “up for grabs,” then the leadership can diverge over the issues and perhaps some may even resort to extreme measures.
If you’re a political appointee (and maybe even one confirmed by the Senate), you still sort of by definition represent the interests of one party and their leadership over another–that’s the two party system.
And if your civil service, while you may have your personal leanings, as a professional, you’re really there to do the best you can overall, that’s your job!
What happens if the run-of-the-mill career civil service leaders have a hypothetical clash with political appointee leaders (such as before an extremely divisive election)?
Ah, that can be some of the worst of politics and bureaucracy!
On one hand, you could get told (i.e. ordered) to do one thing, but on the other hand, what if partisanship would be getting in the way of function?
While most of the time, “more is better”–like with the 3 branches of government and a 2 party system that serve as healthy checks and balances–in this unique situation, 2 may be dysfunctional at best. 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
The people of the United Kingdom voted in referendum yesterday for Brexit (British exit) or independence from the European Union (EU).
Unity is a wonderful thing when values and vision is widely shared and the burden and benefits are more or less evenly distributed.
But in the case of the UK in the EU, the vote for independence was anchored in the unsettling issues of mass immigration from the Arab Spring, the debt crisis of many of the poorer Southern EU states (e.g. Greece, Spain, Portugal, etc.), the decision of the UK to maintain their own currency (not accepting the Euro), and culturally (and language-wise), even though they all interact with each other, the UK has more in common with the US and Australia, then they ever had with Germany, France, and the rest of Europe.
It is really very understandable that the UK doesn’t want to lose their identity and sovereignty and just be another EU state–rather than be a unique, independent, and dominant entity of it’s own, charting their own course and driving their own fate.
While it’s great to a part of something bigger, sometimes being yourself is more important, and you can still interact with the rest.
No people should be forced to become a shadow of themselves, and if the call is for independence, then that is noble call even if it is inconvenient for those who would rather call themselves the EU.
Unity may best be by alliance rather than strict integration…one for all and all for each and every one. 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Just want to wish my lovely wife a very happy Mother’s Day.
My wife is a big feminist!
She doesn’t like to do too much cooking, cleaning, laundry etc.
More for good ‘ol hubby–me–to do.
For example, today I am painting my daughter’s room.
I did the heavy lifting on this.
Now my wife and daughter and doing the corners and touch up.
Hey, it’s all in a day’s work for a modern-day husband.
But I love my wife and family.
Even if there’s a little more for me to share in. 😉
(Source Photo: Michelle Blumenthal)
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