The Wisdom of Scar Tissue

A Conflict of Interest

2010-04-21T18:47:00.000-07:00

From Wikipedia (April 21, 2010 – 4:14 a.m.) –

A conflict of interest (COI) occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other.

Evolution is the change in the inherited traits of a population of organisms through successive generations.

A revolution (from the Latin revolutio, "a turn around") is a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively short period of time. Aristotle described two types of political revolution:

1. Complete change from one constitution to another
2. Modification of an existing constitution.

The Encyclopædia Britannica (Latin for "British Encyclopaedia") is a general English-language encyclopaedia published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., a privately held company. Articles are aimed at educated adults, and written by about 100 full-time editors and more than 4,000 expert contributors. It is regarded as the most scholarly of encyclopaedias.

With no more science or knowledge than my personal “safety net” of being “often wrong but never in doubt” I offer the following observation on the revolution that is today’s marketplace and it’s conflict with the slow evolution from the individual comfort zone of each participant in that the workplace.

In the post-WWII work place people were told what to do. The beauty of that system was the lack of risk – the lack of personal responsibility. If you did as you were told you would do fine. There was no risk except in “thinking out of the box” - doing different than you were told.

Today we, because of the evil twins change / competition and technology, must think. Remember the first computers were called “electronic brains.” The conflict of interest within this transition is that people that are told what to do – do not learn how to think. The next conflict is that people who “bossed the doers” do not know how to “direct the thinkers.” When you think on your own, you must take a risk. If the “boss of old” screams every time something goes wrong, folks will quit thinking. Remember the turtle. He only makes progress by sticking his neck out. When chaos arises or he gets scared – he retreats into the safety of his shell and all progress stops.

Tomorrow will be a “big bang of change” driven by the technology of today – much more advanced than the “electronic brains” that got us here. Tomorrow we will be revolutionary as we race from a place of thinkers to a world of workplace artists – creators. It is a greater leap from thinker to creator than from doer to thinker. Doers focused on the boss. Thinkers focus on the work. Creators focus on outside of the work – most innovation in an industry comes from outside of the status quo. Do something about this now – think about it – create your own future. Revolutionize your life and your world.

Don’t believe me? Remember that the Britannica was written by people paid to do it –Wikipedia was created for free by workplace and marketplace artists. The revolution is coming. Are you ready?

Copyright (April 2010) - Michael G. Manes

Jason’s New Unicycle – Balance and Progress

2010-03-31T19:26:00.000-07:00

Preface:

These two postings are the story of me and my growth from angst to acuatlization and the son of a dear friend who is commencing the same journey. He is me at 20 or I was him at 20. At the age of 20 we were both "crippled" by our potential and ignoring our possibilities. I've made the transition from worrying about why I can't to a new excitment of discovering that more often than not - YES I CAN!

Jason, I believe, is takikng the first steps in his journey to maturity. He'll do fine. He's intelligent, passionate, and finally committed to a new world, a new life, and new possibilities - unlimited possibilities.

I encourage you to scroll down to the preceding artilce - read "Poppa's Got a Brand New Bag" first and this post second.

Enjoy - reach out to someone who is struggling - you'll grow from the experience.

Godspeed! Thank you.

MGM

In my last post to this Blog – I talked about Jason’s “new bag” – his commitment to a new and better lifestyle and future for himself. His commitment started with nothing more than a realization that his status quo is no longer working – his pain and frustration with today are too significant to ignore and the opportunity of tomorrow is now worth the risk. This is progress. “Change is not progress – change is the price we pay for progress.” (I read this somewhere – I just don’t remember who said it].)

My commitment was to help Jason with his journey – now that he has agreed – I must honor my part of the bargain. What advice and direction can I offer a young man who is just like me when I was 20? I know the “part” – it is just such a new stage, a new world and it’s been so long ago for me. What is the one tool I can offer to help Jason’s journey into tomorrow to be positive, exhilarating, and meaningful?
Many years ago I taught graduating seniors at LSU about life – it was done under the guise of a Risk Management class. If you can’t make the connection, let me explain.

Risk is uncertainty. Uncertainty is the difference between good things happening and bad things happening in your life. Good things are your dreams, goals, and assets (once you achieve a dream or goal it is an asset). Bad things are perils and contingencies that interfere with your achievement of a dream or a goal or that destroy an asset. Management is control. Risk Management is the control of uncertainty. The purpose of Risk Management is to maximize good and minimize bad (or mitigate the impact of the bad) in your life. Got it? You’d get an A in my class. Most students did.

Two of the instructional tools I’d use were the Wheel of Life and the Balance Matrix. The Balance Matrix was shown to me and a group of men at a retreat many years ago. The retreat master explained that most of the men there were seen by the outside world as very successful – rich, prominent, respected, powerful, etc. They had many, many assets. He also explained that most of these same men met with him to discuss their “failures” and their “spiritual poverty” – many were unhappy, frustrated, angry, addicted (to something – alcohol, drugs, sex, etc.), spiritually lost, etc. They were not fulfilled.

His answer to our problem was simple. He said that the “asset” that matters most in life is “peace of mind.” To obtain peace of mind you need BALANCE. He then drew a simple cross (intersecting lines) on the board and in each quadrant he placed one of the following words – Faith, Love, Work, and Play. He said that in life we need spiritual guidance – a higher power, people (friends and family to love), work (a vocation) and play (an avocation). He then explained that if we keep these in balance – we will have Peace of Mind.

Someone suggested that you can’t have too much Faith or too much Love. Father Tom corrected them – explaining that too much faith can lead to Jim Jones and David Koresh (Jason’s too young to know these guys but a trip to the Internet will help him discover what “unbalanced” can do) type disasters and too much love today we call stalkers. We all understood without explanation “over work” and “over play” – plenty of good examples were in the Chapel and we knew who we were. To reinforce this thought – he also reminded us that “too much” in anyone element diminishes another element. Balance – it’s about balance. Try it - draw your own matrix. It’s simple and powerful.

Often I’d also draw the Wheel of Life on the board. I don’t remember who introduced me to this concept but it is (in my opinion) effective. You start with a small circle – this is you, “as you be” not in terms of what you “do.” Today we spend too much time defining ourselves by what we do and not enough time and thought addressing who we “be” – what’s in our heart, mind, and soul. Establishing our identity is maybe the most important thing a person can do. As defined by my friend, Carter Featherston, “Identity is your deepest conviction of your own personal value, goodness, and power.”

Off of this hub, draw eight equal length spokes. Each of these spokes is about the “doings” in your life – the how, what, when, and where of our existence. These can be categorized as you like – I’d suggest:

• Family and friends (social / people issues)
• Work (profession / vocation)
• Fiscal / Financial
• Play (hobbies / recreation)
• Physical (health / wellness)
• Emotional (mental health / fulfillment)
• Faith and Spirituality
• Passion and Vision

The outer perimeter of this wheel is “where our rubber meets the road.” As an ideal these spokes must all be of equal length. A perfectly round wheel assures a smooth the ride. As a practical matter our “current reality” is never the future ideal. So score (mark) each spoke as to where you think you are in that aspect of your life. Remember if you are where you want to be mark at the end of the spoke – anything “short” of that ideal will be marked closer to the hub. Be honest – be real in your markings.

In the short term your challenge is to make the wheel “round.” In the long term the challenge is to make the wheel “big and round.” Remember the bigger the wheel the easier is the pedaling and the faster you can go! This is a process not an event – you’re going to fix your wheel as you go along.

So for Jason I’m going to strap a seat and pedals on this wheel and offer a unicycle that he can ride into his tomorrow. Here are observations as he mounts for the first time. Just start pedaling – back up, go forward, look to the horizon, don’t look down, don’t panic, and when you fall pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again. If the road seems rough – your wheel has gotten out of shape – fix it – align the spokes. When things go wrong – don’t feel like a victim – don’t make excuses. Just get back on the unicycle and ride – you’ll then be a survivor! Life is not a destination – life is a journey. Remember you are on one wheel so stay balanced. Look, listen, love, and live every moment – it will be exhilarating. Jason, this is your time – don’t just spend it – INVEST IT WISELY! Godspeed, Jason.

“Poppa’s Got a Brand New Bag”

2010-03-31T18:40:00.000-07:00

If you’re near my age you know the song – you can visualize the explosion of energy, electricity, and emotion that was James Brown. Research for this title took about 30 seconds on the Internet. From Songfacts I learned that, “A ‘bag’ is slang for a way of doing something or a kind of lifestyle. In this song, Brown is singing about how he's come up with something new.” This article is about a new “bag” – me and my “new bag” and Jason who is just starting to design his new “bag” – our new lives and lifestyles.

The story that is this article has been about 50 years in the learning, three hours in its discovery and 30 minutes at this keyboard. I’ll try to explain. I grew up lucky – very lucky. I was born into a good family – an Ozzie and Harriet world. Although I didn’t know it at the time, we were better off than probably 98% of the population. We lacked financial wealth but we were very rich. We had our dysfunction but compared to others – we were a Norman Rockwell portrait of normal. My childhood was happy, safe, secure, faith filled, and positive. Life was good. (Maybe on reflection – that wasn’t the norm.)

At about age 12 when I stepped out of my tree house of innocence called my back yard and into a world of the new – I struggled. On reflection and with the luxury of 50 years of hindsight, I realize my “problem” wasn’t the world and it wasn’t me – it was how in my mind’s eye I saw me and the world. People would talk to me about all my potential – my gifts. I was gifted with a loving family, reasonably good intelligence, above average appearance, a safe neighborhood, great education, good friends, and innocence. Compared to the world I now understand – I lived in a “bubble.”

Unfortunately when you’re 12 years old and being held hostage by hormones, puberty’s onset, lack of confidence, and perceptions of reality substantially different from the real – potential is a terrible burden. The tendency is to compare yourself to others – not as they are but as you think they and you to be. This is the “grass is always greener” syndrome. It is also the admonition in Desiderata, “If you compare yourselves with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.”

After 62 years – I’ve finally discovered that happiness and significance - my greatest success and fulfillment - come not from what I “do” but rather from who I “be.” After all this time – I’ve learned that my challenge is to “be” the best Mike Manes I can. On the 24th of March 1971 I was drafted. This began my transformation from the poster boy for anxiety to a self-actualized adult – totally comfortable in my own skin. From a boy at 12 who feared everything; to an older guy that believes that, “Yes, I can.”

On the 39th anniversary of my induction to the Army, I met Jason. His Momma asked me to visit with him because he was struggling. We met and talked for 3 hours. In his own words Jason was, “anxious, frustrated, isolated, scared, and concerned.” In my own words – he was me. Jason was a mirror allowing me to see the Mike I was as a child. We talked – I reached out to him and he connected with me. He’ll be fine- I know it because I’ve lived it. I and others will stand with him until he embraces the possibilities that are him and his world. It will take longer than I’d like but it will be quicker than Jason can imagine. With a little help – “Jason’s gonna’ get a brand new bag.” He’ll be a Great Jason!

Copyright Michael Manes (March 30, 2010)

Pacifiers or Breast Feeding - Are you a manager or a leader?

2010-03-10T15:21:00.000-08:00

I raised two boys or maybe, more correctly, they raised me. I was lucky – at the end of the process I have “two sons” that make me proud and I love dearly. I was unprepared to be a parent when I became one but through trial and error, the grace of God, and some blind luck I survived. As I reflect back on the experience – I also, in the process, got a “Ph.D.” in management and leadership. I now realize that parenting, like business, gives the organizational “parent” the opportunity to react to behavior or proactively influence the growth, development, and maturation of the child.

As I ponder the process of change and growth in the marketplace and in organizations that serve this global economy, I see parallels. Change is the transition from today through tomorrows. How we address this determines the success – ours and our organization and its members. Will we react and manage the behavior of our followers and the change that comes at us or will we be a leader and “architect” the future we want and grow, develop, and mature the people that are our organization. (People are the most important asset we have even though balance sheets don’t include them).

In a conversation with Beau (he’s twice the parent I am – he and Kaci are raising four children and doing a great job) we concluded that the world of parenting is a great laboratory for management and leadership issues. Consider babies and their crying as a metaphor for the people in your organization.

Babies cry when they are hungry, wet, or have some other “discomfort” that needs fixing. They can’t effectively articulate their “issue” but they can manipulate us as the caregiver (manager / leader) through their whining until we solve their problems or find a means to solve ours – to quiet them. Let’s compare our two options - pacifiers and breastfeeding.

Wikipedia explains, “There is a long history of parents giving their children something to suck on in order to comfort them.” Pacifiers have no nutritional value and left to pacifiers alone a child will literally starve to death. (In some countries a pacifier is called a “dummy.” Think about that.)

Breastfeeding, on the other hand, is recognized as the safest, best, and most natural means of nurturing a child. Breast milk alone can sustain a child in their first six months of life. Breast milk and breast feeding are about growing together – a most intimate linkage between the parent and child – it is not about quieting a child but about developing that child. It is a living system. It is the best.

As the head of your own organization – change happens. It makes you tired, sometimes overwhelmed, and causes great discomfort in the people you call your “team” or “family.” Do you manage the change by handing each “whiner” a pacifier just so they’ll shut up and get back to work and leave you alone? Do you accept the responsibility of leadership and do what needs to be done to “architect tomorrow?” Do you take the time to grow each team member – to quiet them through intimacy and nourishment – to make them better prepared for tomorrow? Remember a pacifier alone will assure their starving and “breastfeeding” will guarantee their growth. Think about it.

Copyright (March 2010) - Square One Consulting / Michael G. Manes

Carpe Mañana!

2010-03-04T06:45:00.000-08:00

Seize tomorrow – if you are reading this article as the leader of your organization continue to do so – this is your job and should be your passion. If you are being consumed by the moment – the urgent - Carpe Diem – seize today - you may be a great manager but your leadership role is being neglected or ignored. Leadership is about Vision – the future – tomorrow!

From a recent Dale Dauten column (The Corporate Curmudgeon - www.daledauten.com) we learn, “However, a smoothly functioning operation is a victory for management, not leadership. Looking down and around – making sure there’s parking and that the toilets flush and that there’s someone to take customers’ money – that’s management. Being the place where people want to be, being different while being the same – that is leadership. It’s the leader’s job to climb to the top of the mountain with binoculars – to see the future and get there.”

Peter Drucker observed the same phenomenon but simply used different words to describe the process. He said, “Efficient is doing things right (Management)” and “Effective is doing the right things (Leadership).” Drucker also commented – “One of the biggest mistakes I have made during my career was coining the term profit center, around 1945. The truth is that inside the business, there are only cost centers. The only profit center is a customer whose check hasn’t bounced.”

If my interpretation is correct – Drucker recognized that “profit center” was a management moment and knowing, embracing, and creating an intimacy with the customer and the marketplace was the role of the leader.

In May of 1961, John F. Kennedy announced the “goal” (Vision) “of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth before the decade was out.” Obviously this wasn’t a Carpe Diem experience – this was pure Carpe Mañana. This “tomorrow” was 9 years out. His managers, I’m sure from their perspective of that day could only shake their heads in disbelief. As a fact, the science did not exist in May of 1961 to do what Kennedy had just stated we would do.

I suspect in the back offices of the White House some of Kennedy’s best managers wanted to “Carpe (seize) the Net” and carry JFK off for treatment since obviously he was off of his meds… If that day Kennedy had looked down instead of looking out to the horizon of the earth (not just DC), we would not have our position of dominance in the world, Tang, Velcro, and probably the Internet. Remember before the grand adventure of our Space Program – we used TV antennae and “tin foil on rabbit ears” to capture radio and television signals.

What if JFK had organized a committee to create a Vision for the future, would consensus have been developed for a trip to the moon? What if a management process had commenced without a clearly articulated Vision from a committed leader – would this process have evolved us to the moon? Or as Dale Dauten writes, “The manager makes sure that customers get what they pay for, whereas the true leader – Carpe Mañana – makes sure that customers someday will pay for what they don’t yet know they’re going to want!" Lead on – lead on – lead on!

Copyright - Square One Consulting / Michael G. Manes (March 2010)

Outsourcing my bragging!

2010-02-18T17:31:00.000-08:00

Preface: As an amateur in many aspects of my life - I've learned it's often best to bring in a professional help when it is needed. As an entrepreneur and self-employed consultant I am dependent upon shameless self promotion. This posting allows me to shamelessly self promote while simultaneously outsourcing to a professional writer (and my favorite columnist even in advance of this fabulous column). I hope you enjoy!

THE CORPORATE CURMUDGEON - By Dale Dauten

MAKING SURE CUSTOMERS WILL PAY FOR WHAT THEY DON’T YET WANT

"Just because everything is different doesn't mean anything has changed.”
Irene Peter

When things go wrong, there is something about drawing up a list of Reasons Why that is… so... so... reasonable. There’s comfort in understanding. However, once you have a list of Reasons, it can be useful to cross out the word “Reasons” and write “Excuses” in its place, just to see how it fits.

What got me thinking about reasons versus excuses was doing research for a talk at a conference for an industry in long, slow decline. Doing my background work, the executives had plenty of reasons for the steady drop. I recounted this list during my talk, got everyone nodding, then announced that these were just excuses to cover-up the real problem: a failure of leadership. This came as a surprise, but only to the leaders.

It wasn’t that they weren’t working hard. Many of them spoke proudly of how well their businesses were serving customers. However, a smoothly functioning operation is a victory for management, not leadership. Looking down and around -- making sure there’s parking and that the toilets flush, and someone to take customers’ money – that’s management. Being the place that people want to be, being different while being the same, that is leadership. It's the leader's job to climb to the top of the mountain with the binoculars -- to see the future and get there.

Speaking of getting to the future, I’ve been following the work of Michael Manes of Square One Consulting in New Iberia, Louisiana, who, after years of referring to himself as a Change Agent, has changed his title – he’s now a Change Architect.

(Let’s take a minute to consider the issue of job titles. Sure, there are some that make my eyes roll, like Director of Wow! But there are others that make me smile, and offer insight into how the company sees itself – for instance, Director of Talent Development. And while you and I might disagree over the usefulness of clever job titles, I have only to pass along one title to convince you that the wrong one can be have an effect worse than making your eyes roll; it can make your eyes glaze over. This is an actual title of a guy from a national research company: North American Stakeholder Management Practice Leader. Just typing that, my fingers went numb.)

But back to Michael Manes. He’s a man of many insights, one of those whose name on my e-mail list starts me smiling even before I can open the message. He sent me a pair of quotes to illustrate the difference between Change Management and Change Architecture.

Jack Welch: "Those who embrace change will be the winners, those who will resist it will be the losers."

Peter Drucker: "The best way to predict the future is to create it."

Even more telling, he summarized the difference between his old and new titles this way: The Change Manager believes in Carpe Diem! -- Seize the day! -- whereas the Change Architect believes in Carpe Mañana! -- Seize tomorrow!

In that pair, Manes has gotten to the difference between management and leadership. The manager makes sure that customers get what they pay for, whereas, the true leader – Carpe Manana! -- makes sure that customers will some day pay for what they don’t yet know they’re going to want.

Dale Dauten is co-founder of AgreementHouse.com, a company resolving business disputes. A paperback edition of his book “The Laughing Warriors” has recently been released. Please write to him in care of King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th ST, 15th Fl, New York, NY 10019, or at dale@dauten.com.

2010 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

FROM KING FEATURES, 300 E. 57th ST, 15th Fl, NEW YORK, NY 10019
FOR RELEASE WEEK OF FEB. 7, 2010

Miracles are real - Believe!

2010-02-06T17:11:00.000-08:00

Preface:

I have two sons, Slade and Seth. Seth is my youngest (age 28). Slade is 30. Seth made parenting easy. Slade on the other hand caused us some angst during the process (I hope this public statement doesn't shock him).

About a month ago Seth called and asked, "Do you want the good news or the bad?" I answered, "The Bad." He laughed and said, "I have a tattoo." Seth isn't in the Navy so this revelation shocked me. After a moment he explained that he had, "Who dat?, a Fleur de Lis, and Superbowl XLIV Champions" tattooed on his upper arm.

After an initial reaction that I'll keep to myself, I thought through the person and the process that are this son. Seth is a "Saints Fanatic" and a true believer. The Saints are one of his passions. Being an entrepeneur who follows his heart more than his head - I can relate to Passion. Having been young once and having done stupid things as recently as earlier today, my feelings quickly changed from disappointment to a slight sense of pride. I'll now convert this family moment to Food for Thought on this Eve of History. I offer now the following Jambalaya of Emotions for your consumption. Enjoy!

Rarely do we understand the full significance of a moment in history in advance. A retrospective focus is always more accurate than the prospective glance to the horizon. I’m sure the anticipation of the troops preparing for Normandy was great but they probably did not fully realize the "blood, sweat, and tears" that they would invest in order “to deliver us from evil” on that “longest day.”

I think that most of us on May 25, 1961 doubted our ability to “put a man on the moon” more than we believed JFK’s Vision that we would do it. In August 2005 the euphoria in New Orleans that accompanied “dodging the big one” as Katrina devastated Mississippi was actually the bliss of ignorance of the catastrophe that was yet to follow.

On a note of personal history, George Gros and I attended the first Saint’s game in Tulane Stadium in 1967 against the Los Angeles Rams. We cheered wildly with thousands of other delusional fans as John Gilliam ran back the opening kickoff for a 94 yard touchdown. We were oblivious to the reality of life and our lives.

Little did we know at the time that greatness was not in that play but was a mere 43 years away. In my own mind, I could not have foreseen how long 43 years is when measured one heartbreaking loss at a time and how short it is measured in each of our lives. I would not and could not have believed that 43 years later, I’m here to witness Redemption and George is not. I miss him.

Tomorrow will be historic in the annals of Sports and in the history of “comebacks.” It is a story of faith, endurance, resilience, and belief. It will be a Miracle played out on TV. Earlier Miracles have occurred including the 1969 Mets and the 1980 US Hockey team. These remain notable stories in the history of competitive sports and underdogs.

Both were significant to their fans and the followers that bought into the emotion of the moment. It is sometimes forgotten that the Miracle on Ice was not about a gold medal but was merely for the right to play for the gold. The game was not about Hockey as much as it was about salvation of the spirit of us and U.S. – at a time when we desperately needed good news.

Tomorrow is about Karma – bad luck losers turned inside out – through hard work, great coaching, some lucky breaks (gifts from God – after all we are the Saints!), and a commitment to a city and a people – followers that have earned it. This is about passion focused, emotion leveraged, and energy managed. It’s about liberation in the eyes of the world (for once when all the world is “pulling for us” instead of questioning "what's wrong with those folks in Louisiana?") and more importantly it is about recovery in the eyes of ourselves – we believe again – we are True Believers – we can recover – we can be winners. Change is good.

43 years from now – we won’t remember the score, the players, or even a touchdown on the opening kickoff – our deliverance is not in a series of plays or even the outcome – our redemption is in the Passion of the people and their belief in their team and more importantly in an understanding that YES WE CAN – even against all odds we can and will prevail.

Are we crazy? Yes – but remember “fan” is not just a device for cooling the room – fan is short for fanatic. May this game be a metaphor for our futures – may we always “wake with passion, grow in wisdom, and rest in peace!”

Geaux Saints…

A Primer for Tomorrow!

2010-02-05T14:59:00.000-08:00

One man’s opinion (Mike Manes) -

Change is… so leadership must be.

Change is the transition from today through tomorrows.

Without change death occurs; with change growth continues.

Today, without change, can never become tomorrow.

In the comfort zone change has no Advocate; in the marketplace change enjoys
a mandate

Individuals “can” change; but the “will” is needed to make it happen.

The Wisdom of the ages -

“Different isn’t always better but better is always different.” Dale Dauten

“The first role of the leader is to define reality.” Max DePree

“The task of the leader is to get people from where they are to where they have not been.” Henry Kissinger

“If you start to take Vienna, take Vienna.” Napoleon Bonaparte

“If you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” Henry Ford

“Insanity is to continue to do what you’ve always done and expect a different result.” Einstein

“The significant problems we have cannot be solved at the same level of thinking with which we created them.” Einstein

“Imagination is more important than knowledge.” Einstein

“Everyone thinks of changing the world but no one thinks of changing themselves.” Tolstoy

“Every man takes the limits of his own field of vision for the limits of the world.” Arthur Schopenhauer

“If you have an idea you want to nurture, don’t plant it with the forest of the status quo; place it in a fresh field, away from the old growth. Give it a new group or try it in an experimental store, surrounded by people who want it there, who want it to thrive.” Dale Dauten

“Only when someone grabs hold of innovation and puts it at the top of the list does it happen…So how much innovation will you have next year?” Dale Dauten

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (02 05 10)

What's really important?

2010-01-28T05:09:00.000-08:00

I’m back. I departed this keyboard for a few weeks merely because of business distractions and sometimes I just run out of words. As some of you know, in November of 2008 one of my dearest friends, George Gros, was dying waiting for a match for his bone marrow. If a match had been found and transplant completed George would probably be alive today. He died on December 20, 2008.

In an effort to “do something” some of George’s closest friend organized an effort to register prospective donors. We held an event on December 17, 2008 and were able to register 121 folks. Last night, we held an Appreciation Reception to thank everyone that was involved - whether volunteer, financial backer or prospective donor. It was a fun event and simultaneously a somber moment to consider - “What’s really important?” What follows are brief comments about Donor # 121.

“To say this is ironic is over simplifying the message. More correctly this speaks volumes to our naiveté of our vulnerability in life. We believe in ‘seizing the moment’ but maybe don’t truly appreciate how special each moment is. What follows is a true story that spotlights how quickly we can move from helping others to needing help ourselves.

Mid-afternoon on December 17, 2008 a young professional here in town walked to the Sliman to do his civic duty – to do the “Christian” thing – to support a friend in need. He was the last person to qualify as a Bone Marrow Donor at our first event.

Only a few months later – this donor discovered that he has cancer – cancer that might be treated with a Bone Marrow Transplant. He entered as a donor – a benefactor. He became a potential beneficiary. We all have the power to give. We all face the vulnerability to a condition that is life threatening. We are not in control of our destiny. We are in control of our contributions.

All of us here tonight can help – as a volunteer, Donor registrant, or financial contributor. Do what you can. Be selfish – do this for yourself, for your family, for your friends. Also be gracious - do this because it is the right thing to do…

May God bless our last donor in 2008, the same donor that today needs our prayers, and the next one in this room to move from the warm feeling of giving to the terror of having this life threatening condition. Thank you.”

To take time to understand this donor’s goodness and simultaneously realize his and our own vulnerability and the precious nature of life - is important. To hear two sisters talk about their shared Marrow donation experience - one giving and one receiving and 19 years of life as the gift - is important. Finally to hear a father with a son being treated for cancer and preparing for a marrow transplant is important. To hear him say we can’t just try to survive cancer we must CONQUER IT - is really important. Do something important today. (www.bethematch.org).

Back to the Future - This I Resolve!

2010-01-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

As you ponder your Resolutions for the New Year consider these two quotes:

”The first role of the leader is to define reality.” Max DePree

“To thine own self be true, and it must follow as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.” William Shakespeare

Remember in terms of your own life - you are the leader. I encourage you to tell the truth but if you do lie at least never lie to yourself. I believe everyone lies (if you say you don’t lie, you’re doing it again). The damage caused by our lies to ourselves is greatest because it begins a process of delusion. We will no longer know the truth when we see it. This is the same fraud or denial that allows an addict to perpetuate his / her addiction. I encourage you to ponder this… now… really… truthfully…

What triggered this discussion on lying, delusions, and the trip Back to the Future was the listing in Friday’s paper of local leaders and their New Year’s Resolutions. Hope is good - grounded hope that is acted upon is better. A process to achieve the resolved goal is best. Resolutions achieved are great but rare. Most are delusions.

Although not shaped in the form of a New Year’s Resolution, my favorite all time hope was expressed by a Miss America finalist when asked about what she wanted for the future. She answered, “World peace and getting my own apartment.”

Of the list I read on Monday, the two most reasonable were from my friend Michael (a local Sheriff), “Till more soil, plant more seeds, pull more weeds, savor the harvest (both literally and figuratively).” Michael is a philosopher operating incognito as a politician. He’ll truly work on this. Good luck, Michael.

Teri, a hospital CEO, said simply, “Be more patient.” In her role, I’m sure patience is needed. As a no non-sense leader, I’m sure she’ll try.

For 10 years I taught risk and insurance at LSU. Every semester at the start of class, I surveyed the students to determine their priorities for life - for the future. Each year without exception success and security were the top two picks. The order of these choices often changed but they were always either # 1 or #2.

When I’d ask the students to define success - they’d just stare at me with a “deer in the headlights look.” They were committing their life to a pursuit of something they could not define. My simple suggestion to them then and you now is make a Resolution. Once you have made this important choice - define success, structure a plan and build a process. Follow the process and when you fall, stand back up.

When the students requested my definition of success, I responded - “Wake with passion, grow in wisdom, and rest in peace.” My delusion for 2010 is not to lose weight because I’ve tried that and have failed. In 2010, I resolve to grow taller.

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (January 3, 2009)

The Concept of Innovation in Concrete Terms!

2009-12-27T07:43:00.000-08:00

What follows is a 346 word consultant’s report to a client that converts the concept of innovation into concrete terms that can be applied to daily operations. If this client chooses to implement this commitment to the new - INNOVATION WILL HAVE OCCURRED. If they don’t, next year efforts will deliver the same results as always. Doesn’t that sound insane? Mr. Einstein - you’re a genius!

As you move from the challenges of 2009 to the opportunities that are in every New Year - start by reading today's Dale Dauten column in the Advocate - Companies have as much innovation as leader demands. From the article are the two sentences that might change your future, "Only when someone grabs hold of innovation and puts it at the top of the list does it happen." and "So how much innovation will you have next year?" Below is wisdom of the ages:

"There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all." Peter Drucker (1909 - 2006)

"Every man takes the limits of his own field of vision for the limits of the world."
Arthur Schopenhauer

"Quality in a product or service is not what the producer puts in. It is what the customer gets out and is willing to pay for. A product is not quality because it is hard to make and costs a lot of money, as manufacturers typically believe. This is incompetence. Customers pay only for what is of use to them and gives that value. Nothing else constitutes quality."

"The only sound way to price is to start out with what the market is
willing to pay." Peter Drucker

"Quite simply, culture is created by what is tolerated."

".your current processes are perfectly designed to get the results they are already getting." Davis Balestracci - Quality Digest Magazine as reported by Dale Dauten (Advocate November 15, 2009)

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

"The significant problems we have cannot be solved at the same level of thinking with which we created them. Einstein

"Imagination is more important than knowledge." Einstein

“With leadership anything is possible!” (MGM)

"I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth."
John F. Kennedy (5 / 25 / 61)

Happy New Year!

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (December 27, 2009)

This Christmas - I'm Blessed!

2009-12-24T07:46:00.000-08:00

It’s not that in past Christmases I haven’t been blessed; it’s just that this Christmas is “Blessed” on steroids. I know Jesus is the reason for the season. I understand and participate in the commercialization of Christmas. I’m familiar with gifts, the return policy of retailers, and the new craze of “re-gifting.”

I have Christmas memories. One Christmas I so wanted a horse and a horse wasn’t in the budget so my Daddy wrapped up a “road apple” (for you city folks - that’s a horse dropping) and told me the horse had gotten away. I remember Christmas at Fort Polk - with my Yankee friends amazed at the 80 degree weather. I remember Christmas Eve night in 1971 when I had to rush Miss Mickey to the same ER where her son and my best friend had died only months before. It was sad - so sad.

I remember Christmases with our children - Slade and Seth, playing Santa at nursing homes, the first Christmas in each of our homes as we evolved from our starter home to where we live now - our “finish” home (as in I hope when my time on earth is finished, I’ll still be in this home). I remember as a young boy the anticipation of Christmas - finding hidden packages, wetting the wrapping to see what was inside, or unwrapping a gift and rewrapping it to be sure Momma got it right. Memories…

My life has been blessed with gifts of growing up poor and the work ethic and appreciation of life that accompanies that experience, great memories, a good family, a great wife, work I love, close friends, and circumstances better than most.

The greatest gift received to date however is my children. I have two sons - Seth is home grown and Slade is hand-picked. A friend said once, “I love my kids, I wouldn’t take a million dollars for either of them but I wouldn’t pay a dime for another just like them.” I agree.

As a child I obsessed about presents - toys, candy, money, bikes, clothes, and all the other things that are important in and to our youth. Today I realize that “presents” are not important - “presence” is. This Christmas, Sheila and I will be gifted with the presence of both of our families and the next generations of each. The folks coming aren’t perfect but for us they are the perfect people to be with at Christmas.

At a more intimate level, Slade arrived Tuesday night with his intended - a beautiful, friendly, and delightful young lady named Danielle. Inside of her body and in our collective souls she is carrying the next generation of our clan. Now I realize that we must “re-gift” to her the son that is so important to us and he and Danielle will in turn will provide us with another gift - our first grandchild. On Friday a.m. Seth arrives to join his brother, Danielle, and the rest of us - to celebrate a most or more correctly, the most memorable holiday to date. Ain’t Christmas grand?

Welcome home Slade and Seth and welcome Danielle to our family. Our only return policy is - please do - as often as possible. Did I mention - I’m blessed?

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (December 2009)

Innovation - Incubator or Graveyard?

2009-12-15T03:38:00.000-08:00

Dale Dauten in his Sunday column got me thinking with the closing statements: “If you have an idea you want to nurture, don’t plant it with the forest of the status quo; place it in a fresh field, away from the old growth. Give it a new group or try it in an experimental store, surrounded by people who want it there, who want it to thrive” and “Which brings us to an IBP (Important Business Principle) with a lovely Zen weightless heft: It’s easier to change people than to change people.”

Dale is right on both counts. My question is: “Can you and your company innovate?” Before you say yes - remember Casual Friday is not innovation! Does your organizational culture embrace the new - innovation, or is the status quo your lover? To quote Davis Balestracci (Quality Digest Magazine), “Quite simply, culture is created by what is tolerated.”

Here’s the test. You find someone intentionally destroying a computer in your office. It costs $600.00. What do you do? Ignore them? Fire them? Have them arrested? Send them to counseling? I’m guessing you don’t ignore them?

Here’s a second test. You introduce a great idea / innovation at your next management meeting and the first comment to follow is “Great idea but the devil’s in the detail.” More alarming is that all the heads are bobbing in agreement - “Yea - the devil’s in the detail.” Guess what - it’s time to change the sheets in the bed because you’ve been sleeping with the status quo (devil) too long. Michelangelo said, “God is in the detail.” The devil’s work will be done - innovation killed.

Time and space do not permit a thorough examination of all the reasons (a.k.a. excuses) you still believe you and your company are innovators. I’ll just offer the following two explanations of why this (“devil’s in the detail”) is the reaction. If you agree - do something about it, INNOVATE. If you disagree - quit reading you’re not going to change anyway! At least you’ll die in the arms of your lover.

Draw your organizational chart - now frame the perimeter. It’s a pyramid. You’re at the top and your managers / supervisors rest near the pinnacle. The worker bees and the trainees (worker bees in incubation) stand between you and the marketplace - your customers. If you innovate it will require flattening the organization - that’s not going to happen since your managers / supervisors have spent years clawing their way to the top and you want to do what - flatten the system? NO WAY!

Now superimpose a bell curve on the pyramid. At the front end are 20% of the folks willing to embrace the new. They are enthusiastic but will burn out quickly without change. On the back end are 20% who are retired in place. You send them a check each week in spite of the fact that they quit working for you years ago. The remaining 60% aren’t bad people - they are bad innovators. They kill ideas to protect you from yourself - you mean well but “the devil’s in the detail.” They’ve done it before - they’ll do it again. It’s what’s best. See IBP in paragraph # 1!

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (December 2009)

The Status Quo Can Kill You

2009-11-29T06:56:00.000-08:00

Years ago I read a mini-book called "The Portable Do It." It was a short version of the book, "Just get off your butt and do it." An underlying theme was that your “comfort zone” is the most dangerous place to be. In today’s world that is changing at warp speed, this premise has never been truer. Today with contribution of some smart folks - I’ll reinforce this theory.

Danny would always say, “If you’re on a plane headed in the wrong direction the best thing you can do is get off quickly.” Today - if you’re hunkered down in your status quo - you just as soon be going backwards.

Bob talked in 1975 of “paradigm thinking” and its potential to kill you. His parable was about a young lady speeding down the highway in her convertible. As she came out of the curve, she saw a state policeman going in the opposite direction and yelled - “Pig, Pig.” The cop was infuriated - he turned on his lights and siren and looked for a quick turn around. He ran into a pig on the highway and was killed.

Today I read an article from the New Yorker (12 / 06 / 04) titled "The Bell Curve." Don Berwick with the Institute for Health Care Improvement is quoted in the article. The excerpt follows.

“He began his speech with a gripping story about a 1949 Montana forest fire that engulfed a parachute brigade of firefighters. Panicking, they ran, trying to make it up a seventy-six-per-cent grade and over a crest to safety. But their commander, a man named Wag Dodge, saw that it wasn’t going to work. So he stopped, took out some matches, and set the tall dry grass ahead of him on fire. The new blaze caught and rapidly spread up the slope. He stepped into the middle of the burned-out area it left behind, lay down, and called out to his crew to join him. He had invented what came to be called an “escape fire,” and it later became a standard part of Forest Service fire training. His men, however, either thought he was crazy or never heard his calls, and they ran past him. All but two were caught by the inferno and perished. Inside his escape fire, Dodge survived virtually unharmed.

As Berwick explained, the organization had unraveled. The men had lost their ability to think coherently, to act together, to recognize that a lifesaving idea might be possible. This is what happens to all flawed organizations in a disaster, and, he argued, that’s what is happening in modern health care.”

Finally a true story to prove my theory and that of others - the status quo (your comfort zone) is dangerous and in times of turmoil, if you choose to "hunker down” in that dangerous place - you can be killed. Think about it.

Copyright - Michael G. Manes
All rights reserved

Harry and Ann, Rush and Nancy!

2009-11-22T03:48:00.000-08:00

When the Health Care Reform debate began, no one - I repeat no one - would have believed this. Today at this historic signing of the Choice Health Care Plan - that passed unanimously - the vitriolic debate, the Tea Parties, the town hall meetings all seem surreal. Harry Reid and Ann Coulter are dancing in the Rose Garden - Nancy and Rush are holding hands as tears of joy are shed. What a country?

A simple suggestion from a Senate page started it. She said, “You have two groups that can never be reconciled - so why don’t you give each side what they want? Both groups will be happy and the vote will be unanimous.

Here’s the idea. Consider the real divide in America and then allow each of these market segments to enjoy the plan of their choice. The first group wants and will embrace a public plan. The remaining folks don’t want, won’t tolerate, and will not accept such a plan. Give the first group a “Medicare” type plan and give the second bunch a Federal Employee Health Benefit Plan like Congress enjoys. The first group wants to be taken care of and the other half seeks self-sufficiency without the burden of carrying the first group. There is already enough money to do this.”

The two market segments are based upon “Locus of Control.” One group believes that they are victims of their environment, that what happens is not their fault or their doing and not in their control. The second believes that with hard work, freedom and opportunity they can create the environment they want. They recognize “stuff happens” but as survivors - if they fall they will get back up.

The Victims are by nature dependent. They want a public plan. They want the government to take care of them and others. For efficiency it might be prudent to “roll” all the existing laws - Medicare, Medicaid, ER Access, SCHIP, mandates, illegal immigrants, etc. into one plan. This plan would only be required to pay for the care used by the Victims enrolled. Onerous regulations and the significant bureaucracy could continue - that’s the culture of Victims. Sameness is good.

Survivors by nature are independent. They tend to be generous but they have their limits. They see a past system that “robbed Peter to pay Paul” so of course this had the support of Paul. They believe they are the “Peters” and they have had enough. They want choice - to think and act and be free. They’ll live with the consequences.

A fire wall of choice would permanently separate these groups. As the silence became deafening - Harry and Nancy became overwhelmed. Then in a fit of enthusiasm, Nancy suggested that this model could work for all services not just Health Care. Mitch McConnell quickly offered to give broken California to the Victims as a pilot project. Other Survivors quickly agreed on the condition that the pilot be self-sustaining by the Victims and that these Victims would stay out of Survivor’s markets and wallets. Senator McConnell offered to take Iowa as a good pilot for the Survivors since culturally these folks seem self-sufficient. All agreed.

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (November 2009)
All rights reserved

Would it be malpractice if?

2009-11-06T04:45:00.000-08:00

Would it be malpractice if a doctor examined a patient, discovered cancer and a head cold and only treated the head cold? What if the doctor didn’t tell the patient about the cancer or told the patient that he’d take care of the cancer later? What if the doctor told the patient that curing the head cold would fix the cancer?

What if the doctor did this because treating a cold is easy and dealing with cancer is less pleasant? With cancer there is the cost, the time consuming nature of treatment, the emotion, and less chance for a permanent cure.

I’m guessing your answer to the question - “Would it be malpractice?” - would be yes and I’ll further speculate that you’d volunteer to be on the jury, just so you could be sure that justice is done? Am I right?

Here’s the reality of the Health Care and Health Care Financing Reform initiative being addressed in Washington. Our elected leaders - the President and Congress, the lobbyists that fund them, the special interests that elect them, and the Political Parties that exist to support them are - IN MY OPINION - guilty of malpractice.

They are telling us - the American people - that we’ve got a problem. They have correctly diagnosed the problem to be the cost, quality, and accessibility of Health Care. Unfortunately after that, their priorities, diagnosis, and prognosis are at best misunderstood, their efforts misdirected, and intentions self serving - they are being negligent or worse. At worst they are ignoring what they know needs to be done.

Here are the facts - our current health care system is great for some, limited in effectiveness for others, and not available too many. Its current cost is over $7,500 for every man, woman, and child and trending at a level that will double this cost in 6 - 8 years. Our current system is not sustainable. Our system is “infected” with two diseases of cost - one is the financing (insurance / Medicare /etc.) and the other is the delivery of care. Financing is our “cold” - the cost of delivery is the “cancer.”

Our elected officials are all focusing on the “financing” because (in their words) “insurance companies are evil (dishonest)” - the insurance industry is an easy “dog to kick.” The reality is that the cost of delivering care dictates the cost of insurance. For every premium dollar you spend 15 - 25% goes to the insurance company, while 75 - 85% goes to doctors, hospital companies, pharmaceuticals, etc.

If we cure the cold by eliminating insurance companies - we wouldn’t even save the quarter since some other payment mechanism would have to be developed. As a practical matter if we discontinued those evil insurance companies - our costs for Medicaid and Medicare would instantly go up because right now the federal government in the Medicare system and the state and federal government in the Medicaid program intentionally under fund the providers (doctors, hospitals, etc.) knowing that these costs will be paid by / shifted to the insurance companies.
What if we first chose to treat the cancer - the cost of care in our country? What if we not only acknowledged that the quality of our care could be better but that even the best care can’t make us well if WE CHOOSE TO BE SICK? What if we acted on what we know? Diet and exercise will fix obesity quicker, cheaper and longer than will gastric bypass surgery and pills that are temporary solutions at best.

What if we recognized that all of us are individuals made up of mind, body, and spirit and our ideal condition is “wellness” not sickness yet our Health Care System is built upon a “body” focus and a treatment of “sickness?” Add wellness and fitness diagnoses / protocols to the ICD 9 Codes. Pay doctors for these outcomes.

What if we acknowledged that the simple aspirin is the most effective medicine in Health Care today? What if we acknowledged that there are better answers than a prescription drug for every disease - every time - all the time?

What if we recognized that the most inefficient, costly, limited tool in our medical bag is the ink pen? Its usage has caused malpractice claims, creates massive problems with HIPAA, storage of documents, copies, etc. Left unchecked it encourages redundancy and waste. In the hands of the wrong player it can lead to fraud. What if we did in HC what every other segment of the economy has done - leverage technology to reduce paper, enhance efficiency, and improve effectiveness?

What if we chose to leverage technology not just for better care but for enhanced administration of care? What if we embraced a system that captures all information about our diagnoses, protocols established, and outcomes achieved? What if we used this to determine best practices and best of class procedures?

What if we used this technology to take us paperless, make regulation less onerous (eliminating over a hundred thousand pages of regulation that exist today)? What if we made lawyers the least utilized “specialist” in our system? What if we only allowed lawsuits for gross negligence or criminal acts and created a “no fault” (workers comp type) system to compensate patients for other bad results.

What if we acknowledged that there is and will be well into the future a significant shortage of physicians and other health care providers and leveraged technology (telemedicine) to create integrated care delivery teams that can deliver quality care that is readily available and affordable? What if we used licensing laws to assure all practitioners were qualified inside the context of their profession not to protect turf?

What if we redefined hospitals to the needs of their communities and recognized centers of excellence can do work better and less expensively and we used these centers for the most costly, high risk procedures? What if added incentives and disincentives to encourage individuals to eat better, exercise more, seek most appropriate care? What if we focused first on the cancer then on the cold?

What if Congress “treated” the cost of care first and financing second? What if?

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (November 6, 2009)
All rights reserved

The Delcambre Canal - A Health Care Reform Model

2009-10-23T04:56:00.000-07:00

What follows is a brief factual recap of a disaster and an “assumption” that might be the model needed for Health Care Reform. The Delcambre Canal is 1.2 miles south of Lake Peigneur. The Delcambre Canal forever had “flowed” water from the Lake to Vermillion Bay. The Delcambre Canal was an outlet for Lake Peigneur.

The facts are - (Wikipedia) November 20, 1980 a 14 inch drill bit from a Texaco oil rig penetrated the roof of the Diamond Crystal Salt Mine at Jefferson Island Louisiana. “This turned an almost 10-foot deep freshwater lake into a saltwater lake with a deep hole… So much water drained into those caverns that flow of the Delcambre Canal that usually empties the lake into Vermillion Bay was reversed, making the canal a temporary inlet.” These are facts… Now the assumption:

Somewhere along the Delcambre Canal there was a Cajun who has spent his entire life in a suspended animation - created by consumption of vast amounts of alcohol. On that November day when the Canal reversed itself, our Cajun friend had taken Old Crow from his pocket for his next drink. I’m assuming he looked down saw the change in water flow, poured out the remaining liquor, asked forgiveness from the good Lord, and changed is life forever - now he’s dry, prayerful, and better.

The Miracle of the Delcambre Canal was not that it reversed its flow - the Miracle is that our Cajun Friend changed his life - he became a new, better person - dry, thoughtful, prayerful, and productive. This is our hope for Health Care Reform.

Most agree that the “birth” of today’s health insurance system was in 1929 at Baylor University when teachers were guaranteed 21 days of hospital care for $6 a year. The insurance system created began the flow of dollars to providers as reimbursement for the care they provided and simultaneously began the intoxication of the patient / consumer to spend other peoples’ money (OPM). Now 80 years later - we none know or understand the cost of the care we demand, or utilize. We’ve gone from premiums of $6 a year per individual to over $3,000.

Like our Cajun Friend we, as the users of and payers for health care, need a life changing experience. We need to realize the problem is not just the dollars flowing into the system but the health of the population, the care provided, and waste, fraud, and inefficiency that overwhelm the system. All of us - consumers that use care, those that pay for it, those that provide it, and those that impact the system in any way - must become more responsible, thoughtful, accountable, and practical.

We must eat less and better, exercise more, seek care only when needed and demand quality for the care provided. Payment systems must “incent” better results for less cost. Regulation, paperwork, lawsuits, and defensive medicine must be reduced. Wellness, research, preventive care, etc. must be enhanced. We must spend less on facilities and more on results - less on advertising designer drugs and more to reduce use of prescriptions. We must all be responsible. We must all change…

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (October 2009)
All rights reserved

Health Care Financing is like a pipeline

2009-10-18T05:54:00.000-07:00

Health Care Financing is like a pipeline. On one side of the line - dollars flow in. On the other side of the line dollars flow out. Looking a little closer we learn that the dollars flowing in are premium dollars, tax dollars, and out of pocket expenses provided by individual consumers. On the opposite end of the line dollars flow out to pay the cost of health care, the administrative cost of delivering care, the cost of the legal / defensive medicine systems, and the cost of funding the care.

The ownership of this pipeline is shared. For profit insurance companies, not for profit companies, and the government are all invested in the line. For profits want extra dollars out to reward their stockholders, not-for-profit companies need extra dollars as reserves, and governments must have equal dollars in and out to avoid a deficit. If dollars in and dollars out don’t match up - the pipeline could collapse.

The problems we face today are not in the design, construction, or operation of the pipeline. The problem is simple - we the people want to use the legislative, regulatory, and consumer advocacy process to tighten the “valve” on the “dollars in” end of the line. We also want to use this same political, regulatory, and advocacy process to open the “valve” on the “dollars out” - payment end of the line.

All of us want to put in as few (premium, tax, and out of pocket) dollars as possible and simultaneously pay out maximum dollars for the “sick” folks. To make matters worse - the government (federal [Medicare] / state and federal [Medicaid]) chooses not to put in adequate dollars to cover the care they provide to their constituents so the private payers (insurance companies) must put in more than they really owe.

As an example - in 2007 in Louisiana insurance companies paid 133% more for the actual care utilized by their policyholders. This was necessary because the state’s Medicaid program was under funded by 12% and the Medicare program shorted the providers by 9%. (Adapted from the AHA and Avalere Health TrendWatch Chartbook 2007: Trends Affecting Hospitals and Health Systems)

Today - all agree that the pipeline is broken. The vast majority of our population that pays the premiums and taxes to fund this line has said, “ENOUGH!” Magnifying this problem is that most of the folks funding this adventure are not big users of the care they are funding. Most of the population is chronically well.

The average family that is insured is paying over $13,000.00 a year in premiums and other dollars in taxes and only recovering a small percentage of their contribution in claims. Now “reformers” are promising to add more users to the line.

The line is broken. To fix it we can’t focus only on the end of the line that flows dollars in - we must address the end that flows dollars out. We each must accept some responsibility for our individual health, exercise, diet, and utilization of care. We the people are part of the problem and must become part of the solution.

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (October 2009)
All rights reserved

Racism - Lemons and Lemonade

2009-10-04T06:49:00.000-07:00

If the seven deadly sins (lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride) were being updated today, it is possible that Racism might be added or maybe hate would be added and racism would be included as an example in the definition. If a committee was formed to update this Top 7 List of Sins, I am certain there would be special interest groups to lobby for the inclusion of racism.

Racism is. It’s a bitter lemon in life - so is hate. Some might consider the 7 deadly sins life’s lemons as well. My observation is that the 7 sins as written are lemons we consume or that consume us. Racism and hate (most don’t see themselves as Racists or haters) are lemons that others consume and that we let make us sick. We can control 7 sins. We can’t control Racism (since we’re not racists / haters).

Jimmy Carter blamed significant numbers of Racists for the challenges that President Obama faces as he moves his agenda forward. Since Carter’s comments the media is consumed by discussions of the topic. Racism is the new Swine Flu.

In the name of full disclosure - I’m a “pink” American from the South. I’ve been a Democrat and Republican twice each. Nixon made me a Democrat and Carter made me a Republican. My history includes Native American blood, Cajuns exiled from Nova Scotia, mental illness, leprosy (Hansen’s Disease), and poverty. We all have problems and history. We never owned slaves. The “N” word was not allowed in our home. Two of the women that most influenced my childhood were black.

I believe some white people hate other folks because they are “colored” and I believe some black and brown people hate white folks because they aren’t. I believe there are “nuts” on the two ends of the Bell Curve we call America. In the middle you have the group that makes this country work. I believe most of us just want independence, jobs, opportunity, and progress - a better life for us and our kids.

If Ronald Reagan was black, would liberals and academics be demonstrating in Washington D.C.? If Thomas Sowell or Colin Powell was President today and was pursuing a right of center agenda, would there be as many people upset? Is today’s issue RACE or POLITICS? If Carter is right - Racists elected the President.

Henry Ford said, “If you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right.” I agree. I believe for some folks of color - Racism is motivation to work harder to succeed. For others it’s an excuse why they can’t. If liberals, democrats, and the Als and Jesses of the world dropped the “R” word for one year and focused all their efforts on teaching that personal growth can come through adversity - where would we be in 2011? What if every parent started showing their children how they can succeed versus saying why they can’t, what would happen? If the Great Society had “incented” personal responsibility versus “entitlement,” where would we be today?

Is it time to turn our lemons into lemonade? I think it is. Want some lemonade?

Copyright - Michael G. Manes
All rights reserved

What would Maslow say?

2009-09-29T16:04:00.000-07:00

Ambraham Maslow (1908 - 1970) was a psychologist and theorist and a leader in the humanistic school of psychology. He is noted for his “hierarch of needs” - a theory presenting human needs (survival, security, social, self-esteem, and self-actualization) as rungs on a ladder. The belief was that unmet needs motivate.

Theorists “think” more than they “do” so it might be interesting to hear Maslow's thoughts today. He now has the background of decades of history and can compare his theory to actual behavior. Here’s what I believe he might say.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, thanks for inviting me here today. I’ll be brief. With the benefit of an eternal prospective and a background of current civilization (I use the term lightly) I’ll offer the following retrospective on my theory.

I developed my “ladder” in the “hope of tomorrow.” I believed that was the secret to mental health and human potential. I focused on the self-actualization of individuals - those who had found professional and personal success and fulfillment. The rungs on the ladder to me represented working through unmet needs and the achievement of the pinnacle by accomplishment of this process.

Unfortunately at some point in time the practice of “entitlement” distracted us into believing that the government, our parents, or others could deliver achievement to us without our working for it. Self-actualization is being happy in your own skin but it assumed obtaining scar tissue on that skin. So much for assuming…

Self-esteem is earned success. Again I failed to realize that parents (and sometimes government and others as surrogate parents) with good intentions would protect children from falling physically, emotionally, financially, etc. and in so doing would create a “right or guarantee” to happiness versus a “right” to opportunity and the pursuit of happiness. You can’t give success - it must be earned.

With my past including the great depression and two world wars, I could not have foreseen modern society that has so much and its citizens being so disadvantaged by it. Maybe I was distracted by the Ozzie and Harriet world of the 1950s but I didn’t or couldn’t predict the family dysfunction that has occurred and the crack created in our melting pot society. We are no longer being assimilated into one culture but have hyphenated ourselves into a world of diversity - a house divided - by entitlements and opinions but not bound by shared values. We’re not one society.

If I was creating my ladder today - the survival rung would include love and respect as necessities to our development. I never thought the family structure would have disintegrated as it has. I anticipated killings over food and water but never because someone “dissed me.” As night follows day - this disintegration of family makes necessary a new meaning for security - we need to take back our streets / our neighborhoods. Climbing the ladder builds strength that doesn’t come for free.”

Copyright - Michael G. Manes
All rights reserved

Truth or Lies in Politics and Health Care Reform - Who knows?

2009-09-16T10:45:00.000-07:00

Lying in politics is generally accepted in our country today. Calling down a politician as a liar is awkward. Calling the President a liar is more uncomfortable. Calling the President a liar while he’s speaking to the Congress is a break with tradition, rude, and by some folks’ belief outrageous.

I’d like to know… was Joe Wilson rude or wrong? More importantly was President Obama lying, telling the truth, making assumptions that he hoped were true or performing a miracle before our very eyes. I don’t know. Time will tell. I’ll offer the following and each of us can draw his / her own conclusions.

At one extreme, we have the benchmark for honesty provided by the legend of George Washington. This is the simple and unambiguous statement, “I cannot tell a lie - I cut down the Cherry tree.” At the other extreme we have (choose your Party) - Richard Nixon (R) proclaiming, “I am not a crook” and Bill Clinton (D) declaring, “I did not have sex with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.”

The most outrageous statement I’ve personally ever heard was made by Senator Chris Dodd, “Lobbyists’ dollars do not influence Congress.” I’ll say it - “Senator Dodd, you’re a liar, crazy, or too innocent to represent the American People.” The good news is that Mr. Clinton later provided us the legal framework to allow for review of ambiguity and lies with, “It depends upon what your definition of is, is.”

If I heard President Obama correctly he said that his plan would not add one cent to the federal deficit and would not increase our costs. He further indicated that he would veto a bill that increased costs or raised the deficit. Unfortunately I believe the laws of economics will dictate that costs go up or benefits are reduced.

The President said that pre-existing conditions will be outlawed as an underwriting tool. Therefore people who are “sick” can now buy coverage. When “sick” people enter the insurance pool, more claims are paid. This will raise costs. He said there will no longer be limits on the amount of coverage available (either annually or in a lifetime) in a health insurance policy. Coverage without limits will cost more than coverage with limits.

He promised that coverage will now be provided for health screenings and more preventive medicine (mammograms, colonoscopies, etc.). These procedures cost money - lots of money. Some studies indicate that catching diseases / conditions earlier raises the total cost for the population - it does not lower it.

President Obama pledged out of pocket costs will be capped. Deductibles, co-payments, and co-insurance lower premiums. Limiting the use of these tools will raise premiums and / or the cost of claims.

President Obama can sell - my question is, “What are we buying, a fix or fantasy?”

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (September 2009)
All rights reserved

The End - Are we there yet?

2009-09-12T04:50:00.000-07:00

As a little boy, Claire and I often rode with our parents to Baton Rouge. At ages 5 and 7 our patience was limited and we’d begin the interrogation of Momma and Daddy with the refrain “Are we there yet?” When we were within half an hour of the city, Momma would encourage us to watch for the State Capitol Building. When it was in sight she’d explain, “We aren’t there yet, but you can see it from here!”

The thirty four story Capitol Building was the vision of Governor Huey P. Long (nicknamed Kingfish). It was completed in 1934 and it was the site of Mr. Long’s assassination in 1935. Long was a radical populist who rode the program of “Share our Wealth” and the mantra “Every man a King” to the Governor’s mansion, the
U. S. Senate, and some believed it would ultimately carry him to the White House.

Long advocated “wealth redistribution” and encouraged federal spending on public works, public education, old age pensions, and other social programs. His popularity among his cronies and most poor and working folks was unparalleled. His opponents were concerned about his dictatorial tendencies and near total control of state government. Some here believe he was assassinated by supporters of FDR that were threatened by Long’s popularity. As a young boy going into rural grocery stores I remember often seeing over a door a crucifix and a picture of Long.

Huey may have given the “title” to entitlements. Looking at the debt of the U.S. and government’s overreach into our lives I’m reminded of the following quote:

A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves from the Public Treasury. From that moment on the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the Public Treasury with a result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy always followed by dictatorship. The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations has been 200 years. These nations have progressed through the following sequence:

From bondage to spiritual faith;
From spiritual faith to great courage;
From courage to liberty;
From liberty to abundance;
From abundance to selfishness;
From selfishness to complacency;
From complacency to apathy;
From apathy to dependency;
From dependency back into bondage.

Alexander Fraser Tytler

Now I must ask myself, could this be the end of the greatest country, economy, and super power that has ever existed in the history of the world? Considering the aforementioned quote - it‘s not the end but I believe “we can see it from here!” Pray for U.S.

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (August 2009)
All rights reserved

Health Care Reform - Keep It Simple, Sir (K.I.S.S.)!

2009-08-30T05:22:00.000-07:00

The pending Health Care Reform Legislation is one of the most contentious pieces of legalese ever introduced. It includes over 1,000 pages that have not been read by many and not understood by most that will ultimately vote on it. Most question if it will work and wonder how we will pay for it. What follows is a two page outline that will work and will save money. Let’s just “Keep it simple, sir!”

Here are the parameters on this reform model. Everyone must be covered and all must have the same choices. With everyone insured, pre-existing conditions, portability, and loss of coverage (except for non-payment) will no longer be a concern. The delivery model utilized will the same one currently enjoyed by our members of Congress, the president, and all federal employees and retirees.

Funding will be within our existing budget. We currently spend $7,500 for every man, woman, and child in America for womb to tomb care. Using the Federal Employee Health Benefit Program (FEHBP) model we can all buy the best of the best coverage for no more than $4,000 a person for Health Care and another $1,500 for Long Term Care (nursing home, assisted living, etc.)

Medicare, Medicaid, and VA beneficiaries will receive vouchers for the benefit plan of their choosing. Private payers (group insurance buyers and individual policy buyers) will continue to pay for their own coverage but they will be able to shop from the FEHBP “buffet line” of approved plans. Uninsureds will be required to have coverage with subsidies available based upon their income / need.

The resulting $2,000 per person savings ($600 billion recurring annually) will be committed to creating the necessary “connectivity” between all payers (premium payers, government vouchers, etc.) and providers (doctors, hospitals, etc.). This “information superhighway / grid” will result in efficiencies in the long term that will offset any increased costs of Health Care for decades into the future.

The additional saving resulting from the efficiencies created by this large group model, the end of cost shifting, and uncompensated care will also be “earmarked” to this fund. Once fully functional this “paperless / virtual information superhighway / grid” will increase effectiveness of care with better case and disease management, tort reform, and administrative efficiencies. Savings will be significant with hundreds of thousands of pages of regulation eliminated. Technology will assure virtual regulation of routine transactions and manual oversight on exceptions only.

As this transition is complete hundreds of thousands of employees in government Medicare, Medicaid, VA and other systems with valuable skills can be absorbed into the private sector and the rest can be retrained for “green jobs.” This will further reduce our national expenditures on Health Care and it’s financing. This in turn will be reflected in lower rates. This same “information grid” will expose fraud, waste, and inefficiencies and thus will assure more savings.
As these annual savings accumulate, we should isolate a percentage of these funds for increased research and as “X prizes” to stimulate innovation (in Health Care delivery, administrative efficiencies, technology, etc.) that entrepreneurs do so well.

The data collected will become usable information and ultimately actionable knowledge. The natural evolution of this process is incentives being built into the system and a compensation structure to encourage better outcomes and quality of care. Existing technology will be enhanced and can be leveraged to assure that Health Care teams (nurses, physician assistants, dentists, etc.) can access MDs and NDs for oversight or encouragement via telemedicine. These teams can meet the needs of the underserved and / or those preferring such team care. This will greatly reduce problems and challenges created by the real shortage of HC professionals.

Telemedicine and the resulting teams will make more practical the redefinition of rural and community hospitals to meet the needs of their markets. No longer will rural hospitals waste money on a traditional facility with a daily occupancy rate of 1 or 2. These facilities can be redefined to meet the specialty needs of their constituencies. Again more savings will be delivered.

With the actionable knowledge developed in this information grid medical malpractice and defensive medicine reforms can be initiated. This system will result in identification of protocols proven to work with specific diagnostic codes. A no-fault system (similar to the workers compensation model) can be used to reimburse patients with less than satisfactory results in routine care. Traditional tort claims / lawsuits would be limited to gross negligence, practitioners practicing drug or alcohol impaired, or other exceptions to standards of care.

With the threat of lawsuits greatly reduced the need for and cost of defensive medicine is much less. This model will also result in a better monitoring of practitioners for drug and alcohol abuse or patterns of negative results (too many legitimate claims), or other unacceptable or questionable behavior.

With the new HC and HC financing world of savings, actionable knowledge, efficiency of administration, and effectiveness of results we can focus on the real challenges of our future - obesity, sedentary lifestyles, chronic diseases, aging, etc.

Today there are great programs available and existing information sources to address each of these issues. Unfortunately there is no mechanism for the easy delivery of these products / services to each individual citizen or to the hundreds of thousands of communities where the people with needs live.

This new model will assure that “The Road to Well®” runs throughout our country. This system will tailor / package programs, activities, information, volunteers, etc. and deliver these to where the people are. Let’s go “Back to the Future.” Let’s learn from President Eisenhower. Let the government build the information “superhighway” and then let our free enterprise system add what’s needed. K.I.S.S.

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (August 29, 2009)
All rights reserved

The Berkeley Moccasins

2009-08-24T17:35:00.000-07:00

“Mr. Boudreaux, I am Smartr Thanu, the Director of Diversity and Fairness for the City of Berkeley, California. My associate, Ms. Ure Rong, the city’s Happiness Coordinator and I have been given a very unpleasant task. Our city’s lakes and streams are overrun with Water Moccasins. We must rid the city of these fellow creatures who cause an interruption in our community’s pursuit of its goals of Happiness, Fairness, and Justice. Your name was given to me by a friend.

Briefly let me explain the problem. Many years ago, in an era our enlightened citizens call the ‘Dark Ages,’ we still had competitive sports teams in our schools. Our local high school previously known as the ‘Indians’ changed their name to the Moccasins and an alumnus gave two of these snakes to the school as mascots.

It just so happened that about the same time PETA had successfully petitioned our city council for an ordinance giving all creatures equal status under the law. The ACLU then filed suit on behalf of these two “citizen snakes” (a legal term developed for this case) to seek immediate release. The good news is that the courts properly held on behalf of these plaintiffs. The bad news is that these ungrateful victors in this case chose not to adhere to the free counseling provided by our local Planned Parenthood Chapter. They have proceeded to reproduce like Rabbits. I’m almost embarrassed to use such a stereotype in this explanation.

Today we have thousands of snake citizens in the community. We considered soliciting assistance from the military, but these folks have recently been banned from the County. Our gun laws and community culture prohibit hunting snakes, and our citywide no violence zone makes the legal and financial risk too great for our Citizens to take matters into their own hands. Mr. Boudreaux - I love all the creatures that have evolved from the ‘Big Bang’ but I must be honest, snake citizens are the groups that I love the least. Mr. Boudreaux, we need help!”

Boudreaux thanked Ms. Thanu and then asked, “I’m assuming you want me to help get these snakes out of your County? Is that correct? I’ve been told you people have different rules so tell me what I can and can’t do. Also from what I know of Berkeley and this problem my fee will be $1,000,000.00 - results guaranteed.”

“Mr. Boudreaux, you correctly defined the problem. In terms of the scope of the engagement - we require that no chemicals be used that are not fit for human consumption. Obviously no harm can be done to the snake citizens and no guns of any type may be brought into the County. The fee seems high but we are very anxious to facilitate the movement of these aggressive citizen snakes out of our County. A 10% retainer will be sent tomorrow. If you will tell us what is needed, I can have it ready for your arrival. I’ll need to know the length of this engagement. We realize the unique ordinances in this community will require a creative solution, so I’ll need a reference, examples of your creativity / innovation, and a list of supplies. Sooner, rather than later, is important to us all.”

“My supply list is simple - I’ll need 100 pounds of Viagra tablets and 4 doctors at the worksite for the entire length of the project. I can be here on Wednesday. We can start the process at 8:00 a.m. and if all goes well I should be out of town with the snake citizens by 5:00 p.m. Make your check payable to T-Boy Boudreaux Creative Solutions and Snake Whisperer. In terms of a reference, I know a couple named Adam and Eve that had a major snake problem and I know what fixed that for them but they’re hard to reach directly. I’m assuming you’ll waive the reference.

In terms of innovation that works I’ll provide two of my success stories. Right after Hurricane Katrina young Bubba was terrified of ‘Boogey men’ under his bed. Medication didn’t work, therapy didn’t work, and whippings failed. I solved the problem by cutting the legs off the bed. His fears are gone.

My second example involved a huge red fish I caught while fishing alone. My back was hurt so I couldn’t lift the fish into the boat. I simply removed the plug in the boat, let it sink to the level of the water’s surface, pulled the fish in, and started the motor and rapidly drove off to drain the boat - problem solved.”

”I’ll waive the reference requirement and we’ll see you Wednesday.”

On Wednesday Boudreaux quickly paddles his pirogue upstream in the river and dumps 50 pounds of Viagra. He takes the remaining 50 pounds and throws them in the lakes. As you might expect, the snakes quickly become very rigid and float to the surface. Boudreaux gathers these in bundles of 100 and secures them with Duct Tape. As the final bundle is loaded on his truck Mr. Boudreaux thanks Ms. Smartr Thanu, folds the check into his wallet, and starts the engine.

The grateful team of Smartr Thanu and Ure Rong interrupt his departure. “Mr. Boudreaux in our rush to solve this challenge we forgot to mention a most important aspect of this assignment. We need assurance that your relocation of these snake citizens will not be forced and they will embrace their new home. We don’t want to delay your departure but in the name of equal rights, we must receive your assurance on this final condition.”

Boudreaux walked to the rear of the truck and quietly focuses on his collective passengers. After a brief period - he explains, “Ms. Thanu and Ms. Rong, as I mentioned in our first conversation, I’m a snake whisperer. I’ve just engaged with these fellow travelers and they individually and collectively told me that they would much rather return to Louisiana with our heat, humid, guns, pollution, Cajuns, Red Necks, and Brothers. They like the challenge of the survival model there more than the culture of victim that is here. They said they’ll be fine - they want to leave now.”

“Mr. Boudreaux 2 quick questions, Why such a high fee and why the doctors?”

“That’s simple - to get the snakes out cost only $50,000. I wouldn’t come here for less than $950,000. The doctors were here for erections lasting more than 4 hours.”

Copyright (August 24, 2009) - Michael G. Manes
All rights reserved

Innovation - A Tale of Two Boudreauxs

2009-08-21T04:14:00.000-07:00

Innovation - 1. the act or process of innovating 2. something newly introduced; new method, custom, device, etc. ; change in the way of doing things

Today’s dynamic global economy requires innovation. Change is. Plans are important - successful implementation an absolute. Tales of two Boudreauxs follow - one is true and one is not. “It was the best of plans; it was the worst of plans.”

Boudreaux # 1 wanted to solve a problem. The problem was his wife’s - not his own. His incentive was getting his wife off of his case so he could get back to sleep - to his comfort zone. He wanted to get the job done - quickly and easily.

No one would have been fearful of addressing the problem Boudreaux # 1 faced - some may have differed in their approach. Some may have done better - some may have done worse but the reality is that all could have tried and most would have done as well. The risk was small and the reward, if successful, immediate.

Boudreaux # 1 didn’t spend time planning his plan and was less diligent in its execution. It was more of a multiple choice approach to problem solving. A few options were obvious - he chose one and acted upon it.

Boudreaux # 2 wanted to solve a problem. The problem was his and his alone. Had he not been successful no one could have figured out what created the problem or what went wrong. This Boudreaux was alone in his dilemma, isolated in his planning, fearless in its execution, and successful in the outcome. If others had seen the problem, heard the plan, and witnessed the process they would have second guessed him or called him “crazy” or intervened to stop him. The risk was huge.

Boudreaux # 2 took a more creative approach. His was an “essay answer” on problem solving. Traditional thinking wouldn’t work - he had to write a new script. It required true innovation and the risk that accompanies it. His was a transformational process - high risk - much faith - high hopes - a great result.

Boudreaux # 1 was sleeping when Marie woke him “to do something about the neighbor’s dog, since its barking is keeping me up.” Boudreaux went outside for a few minutes, came back in got into the bed, and pulled the covers up. Much to their collective chagrin the dog started barking again. Marie demanded an explanation. Boudreaux explained, “I put their dog into our yard so they’d see how we feel.”

Boudreaux # 2 is a fishing fanatic in his mid 80s alone in his boat in the middle of the bay. The good news is he’s hooked a huge redfish. The bad news he no longer has the strength or agility to lift it into the boat. He’d die before he let’s this fish get away. His innovation was simple. He pulled the plug in the boat and allowed it to fill with water. He then jerked the fish into the sinking boat, started the engine, and accelerated to quickly drain the vessel. Mission accomplished - true innovation!

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (August 21, 2009)
All rights reserved

Health Care Reform - Aspirins, Ink Pens, and Deep Breathing

2009-08-16T18:34:00.000-07:00

Health Care (HC) is the delivery of medicine / medical treatments. Health Care Financing (HCF) is the delivery of money to pay for the care. Health Care Reform is a necessary idea that has turned into a “political war.” A solution must be found. This won’t result from both sides screaming at each other - so take a deep breath.

To prove how simple and effective care can be consider the baby aspirin. There is probably no better return on investment than the daily aspirin regimen for those of us with hearts that have been repaired or need to be repaired now or in the future.

On the other hand the greatest inefficiencies result from the ink pen. Consider that 16% of the US economy is still for the most part dependent upon the written (or scribbled) word. Much of the fraud, waste, inefficiency, malpractice claims, redundancy etc. result from ink on paper and could be reduced or eliminated by an “e” system - data converted to information and translated to actionable knowledge.

I don’t have the answers to what needs to be done but I’ll offer the following questions and answers as a starting point for dialogue - take a deep breath.

• Is the problem real? Yes - We spend more on HC than any other industrialized nation and our results are only average. Our average premium for a family of four is over $12,000.00 a year and at current trends these premiums will double in 6 - 8 years.

• What systems do we now have? What’s working? What’s not?

o Medicare is a federal government financed plan that most experts agree is not sustainable financially in the long term at current rates.
o Medicaid is a government (state / federal) financed plan that, like Medicare, is not sustainable.
o The Veterans Administration system is the government delivering care - it has problems and is not available to all veterans.
o Private system - this is the free market of doctors, hospitals, and insurance companies. It’s not “free” but most people express some comfort in this known world.
o Federal Employee Health Benefit Plan is the group benefits for federal employees / retirees. It is outsourced to the “free market” and is well received by the vast majority of its beneficiaries.
o Uninsured population - these are folks (choose not to buy it, illegal aliens, those that can’t afford it, uninsurable, etc.) without insurance but can get care - often in the Emergency Room. It is a hassle for them and expensive for us since the cost of this care is shifted to the private payers. Your premiums are higher because of this cost.

• What are the major drivers of costs? On the care side one study shows that 1% of the population utilizes 30% of the costs of care. 80% of costs are driven by 10% of the population. All agree that obesity, sedentary lifestyles, our aging population, chronic conditions and diseases (that can be managed effectively) also drive costs.

On the administrative side the paper burden, defensive medicine, and malpractice claims are significant problems.

• What do we know and what don’t we know?

o Medicine is more art than science. Care differs more based upon geography, community standards, and doctor preferences than it does based upon known protocols and outcomes studies. (An “e” world of care changes this - science becomes better.)

o Information is power and there is no single source or single “connection” between sources that allows the analysis necessary to create efficiency of administration and assure effectiveness of care.

o Regulation is a problem - with hundreds of thousands of pages of direct regulation and tens of millions of pages of legal documents around this regulation - efficiency is impossible.

• What one proven thing could be done that would deliver most “bang” for the buck? Provide access to a Federal Employee Health Benefit type program for all people - insureds, uninsureds, and Medicare, Medicaid, and VA beneficiaries. The government would fund the people they now fund. The rest of us would merely enjoy more choices and better prices. This would be less expensive that the “dueling” systems that now exist.

• What one innovation could deliver the biggest “bang” for the buck? Connectivity and creation of an “e” system of data exchange. This would save billions of dollars in administration, provide the actionable knowledge needed to assure care, allow analysis of process and analysis of results, reduce the regulatory burden and streamline payments.

• Will this work politically? I believe it would since Congress would be in the same “plan” with everyone else. They’d be thanked versus criticized.

Computers, technology, the Internet, and the virtual world are tomorrow. HC and HCF must be the state of the art in this “e” world. If the HC and HCF systems knew their payers / patients as well as Casinos know their “players” the system would work better and be less expensive - much less expensive.

If you agree, take a deep breath - call your Representative and politely suggest this.

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (August 16, 2009)
All rights reserved

Health Care Reform - What would Dr.T, Rube, Peter, and Maynard do?

2009-08-12T01:41:00.000-07:00

Preface - Please read the preceding posting - What would Solomon do? first.

As we search for a solution to the Health Care and Health Care Financing crises, I believe it is an appropriate to seek advice from others. An earlier article considered the Wisdom of Solomon. Today we solicit direction of a more contemporary group of experts. (See earlier article @ www.thewisdomofscartissue.blogspot.com)

The introductions will be brief. Maynard G. Krebs was the first “beatnik” to gain celebrity on TV. He was an advisor to the “Skipper” and Dobie Gillis. His contribution to society was to immortalize a single word as a lifestyle - “WORK!” If you don’t remember him ask your Momma or Grandmother.

Dr. Timmons was a most respected and beloved professor at the LSU School of Business and a nationally recognized consultant to the Financial Services industry. Rube Goldberg is a name many don’t know but his designs are famous - he created machines as “complex devices that perform simple tasks in indirect and convoluted ways.” Our last panelist - is the most respected thinker, business consultant, and writer - Peter Drucker. He’s seen by many as the father of modern management.

“Let’s get started - first, Mr. Krebs what do you think about the changes planned to our Health Care and Health Care Financing systems.” “Change!” “Mr. Krebs - would you like to add anything else?” “Change!” “Thank you Mr. Krebs.”

“Mr. Goldberg what do you think?” “I’m in awe. I spent a lifetime creating complexity to service simplicity. My designs are world renown. I stand in humility when I consider the bureaucracy, complexity, insanity, ineffectiveness and inefficiencies that exist in these systems. I’d like to say more but I’m speechless.”

“Dr. Timmons, you look anxious - like you must say something. Please share your thoughts.” “This is a textbook example of mechanical growth. It can’t be restructured or refined. Simply stated - these systems must be bulldozed and we must start anew. We must plant the seed of innovation and let it grow organically.”

“Our time is short so Mr. Drucker - please close this up with your best suggestion.” “I wrote a column many years ago for the Wall Street Journal (10 / 21 / 1993) that discussed the Five Deadly Business Sins. This included an explanation of cost driven pricing of the past and the need in the future for ‘price driven costing.’ It appears to me the crisis of today will prove the theories mentioned above.

Understand the current systems are cost driven models. This is a process that leads to a result and unfortunately the result is the status quo and the status quo is not sustainable. On the other hand the future belongs to ‘price driven costing.’

‘Price driven costing’ is the marketplace drawing a line in the sand saying ‘this is what we are willing to pay and the quality demand we require.’ Price driven costing requires innovation of process to meet this price and quality demand.” “Change!”

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (August 2009)
All rights reserved

Health Care Reform - What would Solomon do?

2009-08-09T06:04:00.000-07:00

“May I call you King? We have a problem and need help. I’m here on behalf of the American people. We have these two systems - one is called Health Care and it’s about delivering medicine to sick people. The other is called Health Care Financing and it’s about paying for delivery of medicine to sick people. Both are broke (need more money than is available) and broken (not getting satisfactory results.) Costs are predicted to double in the next 6 - 8 years and we can’t fix people as fast as obesity, sedentary lifestyles, and diabetes make them sick. We need help, now!”

Could Solomon solve the problem? I doubt it. He is recognized as the paragon of wisdom but I’m not sure he’s up to this task. You see he earned his reputation on one case. The facts were simple. There was one baby and two “alleged” mommas. He merely had to determine which “mother” was lying. I admire the clever process he created to determine the truth.

Unfortunately Health Care and Health Care Financing Reform is much more complex. First there are way too many “mothers” with “babies” to protect. Many of these “mothers” are lying, some are telling the truth as they know it to be, some are handling the truth a little recklessly, some are presenting opinions and feelings as facts, and some don’t care what they do or say - they just want their “baby” to be taken care of. Oh, did I mention that all of these “mothers” have attorneys and lobbyists and PACs, and constituencies with blanket e-mail capability.

”Are you all right, King? You look like you’re confused?” Do you see the problem?

Add to the explanation presented to the King the reality that there is no factual data base, single source of information that can be trusted, and no one or no group with actionable knowledge of all aspects of the problem so a workable, positive, affordable solution is not possible. WE CAN’T GET THERE FROM HERE!

What if we had Solomon’s sword (not to fall upon in despair) to slice off one piece of this giant “elephant of pending disaster” and we started “digesting” that?

Let’s roll the clock back to happier times. Let’s take a lesson from the Eisenhower administration. Ike (I like Ike) saw the need for hope and change. He chose to connect the country with an interstate highway system. He didn’t want to own or operate the communities, gas stations, hotels, businesses, etc. He just wanted to create an opportunity for the people and entrepreneurs to build their future.

What if the President and Congress chose to build the “information” superhighway connecting all aspects of and stakeholders in the HC and HC Financing Systems? What if it was agreed that this single source would give us the data, useable information and actionable knowledge necessary to fix these crises? What if we agreed that all stakeholders would be accountable to the facts as these developed? What if we then reformed the system based upon knowledge - not emotion / politics?

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (August 2009)
All rights reserved

The Celebrity of Affliction and the Affliction of Celebrity!

2009-08-06T02:38:00.000-07:00

Momma was a great teacher and for me personally she is the most significant and formative force in my life. One of her guiding principles is, “Play the cards life deals you.” She also often says that “Fools names and fools faces are often seen in public places.” She believes “You don’t air your dirty laundry in public.”

St. Francis of Assisi is quoted as saying “Preach the gospel everyday, when necessary use words.” I believe St. Francis could have been defining Momma. Add this definition to her own quotes and you know Momma. What follows is my opinion but I’d bet if she could still “connect the dots” she’d nod in agreement.

My opinion is simple - I believe this country is facing two challenges that must be addressed. These are The Affliction of Celebrity and The Celebrity of Affliction. In an effort to quantify / qualify my observations, I offer these definitions:

Celebrity - 1 : the state of being celebrated 2 : a celebrated person

Celebrated - widely known and often referred to syn see FAMOUS

Affliction - 1 : the state of being afflicted 2 a : the cause of persistent pain or distress b : great suffering

In terms of The Celebrity of Affliction - I recognize that all of us face hardships, disappointments, challenges, and handicaps. Some of these are serious - life threatening or life ending and others are inconvenient. My heart goes out to those who suffer serious afflictions - bravely and silently. I admire these SURVIVORS.

My concern and sometimes contempt results from those who have challenges but seek first to be “celebrated” as victims - versus working to solve the problems and be as productive survivors in spite of their issues. They - in my words - want a cause not a cure. Understand it’s their life so they can do this - I just think it’s counterproductive for them and destructive to us as a society for them to do so.

The Affliction of Celebrity on the other hand is the most bizarre thing I’ve ever seen. Walk past a magazine rack and you’ll see the world that I’m trying to describe - Angelina / Brad, Brad / Jen, Paris, Lindsay, Brittany, Michael Jackson36, the “Octomom,” etc. On TV we see Jerry Springer and Judges Judy, Brown, etc. Participants are invited for their affliction and participate in hope of celebrity.

Long ago and far away the survivors of the great depression, WWI, WWII, and Korea worked hard to make a living and meet their responsibilities. If they got good - they’d be considered successful. If they were great, they become celebrities and might even become wealthy because of this success. Today for too many in practice and more in waiting celebrity is the goal with work / success / achievement an afterthought. Something’s wrong with this picture.

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (July 2009)
All rights reserved

The Owl and the Centipede - Health Care Reform in Concept

2009-07-29T17:52:00.000-07:00

Preface:

What follows is a 2 page attempt to solve the Health Care and Health Care Financing Crisis. Before you dismiss the style and substance of this report, let me suggest that it is not complete but it is understandable. It is short so the American people can read it. It is apolitical so maybe it is motivated by what's best for patients that use care and tax and premium payers that fund it. Finally I'll suggest without a hint of humility that this has a substantially greater chance of working than does the current document being written in our Capitol. I'd encourage you to refine as neeeded. Remember you can add 998 pages and still be shorter and more understandable than the "work in progress" being prepared by professionals... Be well!

One day as the centipede limped along, he noticed an owl carefully observing his progress. “My feet hurt” yelled the centipede. “You’re wise Mr. Owl can you offer me any help?” “Certainly” said the owl. “Simply walk with your feet about 1 inch above the ground.” The centipede responded, “Great idea but how do I do that?” The owl answered, “I don’t know; I only deal in concept.”

Inspired by the wisdom of the owl, I’ll now offer the solution to the Health Care (HC) and Health Care Financing (HCF) Crisis and the Health Care Reform Process - “remove the politics.” Before you ask - let me remind you that like the owl - “I only deal in concept but I assure you it will work.”

Here’s the good news - we currently have the best HC system in the world. The bad news is that it is unaffordable to many, unsustainable as a system, and not accessible to millions. To bracket the bad news in good news - let me offer one more positive observation. We currently have enough money in the systems (HC / HCF) to pay for care or coverage for every man, woman, and child in our country. Our problem is not dollars - it’s the dysfunction in our processes - manifested as waste, irresponsibility, duplication, friction, fraud, inefficiency and lack of efficacy.

To prove this point - I’ll throw out these numbers without verification and trust that if a skeptic or an economist tries to discredit me they will find I’m right. Today in America we spend over $7,500.00 annually for every man woman and child for their care - from womb to tomb.

With universal coverage (versus universal care) our costs would be no more than $5,500 per capita and that’s before savings from consolidation of systems and the efficiency that follows, leveraging technology, enhanced focus on wellness / preventive care, effective regulation, and cost-shifting (15 - 20 % of insurance premiums are from Medicare / Medicaid under funding and uncompensated care).

If we have the Political will to also require institutional and personal responsibility and choices accompanied by consequences (in lieu of the “victimhood” mentality and entitlements that exist today) - the additional savings will be enormous.

To prove my numbers I offer the following - a family of four in a large group can be insured with “Cadillac” coverage for well under $16,000.00 annually. Thus $4,000.00 per person is an aggressive allowance. In a similar large group - Long Term Care (LTC or care in the long term - home care, assisted living, and nursing home coverage) would be less than $1,500.00 annually. Add these together and you get the $5,500.00 number presented.

Now I urge each of you who are enthused to see this concept develop in concrete terms - work diligently to get the politics out of the reform process. To incent each of you in your efforts - I’ll offer the following concrete ideas on what might work.
If we want to respect the “democratic” history of our country - I’ll merely suggest a process for reform. To begin the process establish the Mission of providing excellence in care or coverage to every man, woman, and child in this country that is readily accessible and affordable and sustainable to us as a system.

(Before you “poo-poo” this ideas as undoable - remember we’ve already walked on the moon. Also understand that when JFK proposed that goal [May 25, 1961] the science did not exist to do what he proposed. It was impossible.)

Once the Mission is established select a design and implementation team of no more than 20 people - the best and brightest from each of the major stakeholders in the current systems. This would include representatives from consumers (patients, taxpayers, premium payers [individuals and business owners]), providers (physicians [MDs, NDs, ODs], home health agencies, hospitals, etc.) regulators, insurance companies (including brokers, Third Party Administrators, etc.), pharmaceutical companies, the media, the legal community, etc.

Once the group is assembled - have them identify their existing “special interest” (MD, hospital administrator, etc.) and thank and honor them for their knowledge and expertise and passion from the past and charge them with a new “special interest” for the future. In other words the designee from Hospitals might be charged with representing the interest of pharmaceutical companies, pharmaceutical companies might represent the legal community, and the legal community may be responsible for the needs of physicians. Get the picture?

This would be the ultimate “reality” show - Survival. If you do not focus all of your energies on the Mission and an enthusiastic and effective representation of your “newly assigned” special interest you’ll be voted off the reform panel (Island).

Place parameters on the process - a universal budget (number of dollars per capita for care or coverage), the number of days for the process to be completed, and access to researchers to determine reality so that this process is built on fact not anecdote. Then let them get to work - get out of their way.

If at the halfway point in the process results aren’t developing - lengthen the work days, if progress doesn’t improved turn off the heat or cooling, if progress remains limited - move the event outside. Discomfort is a better motivator than is comfort.

If the democratic process does not appeal to you I can be named King. With unlimited power - I’d create a base of actionable knowledge and standards based regulation. The government would fund the needed “information” superhighway to connect all players. All citizens would access coverage through private plans in a Federal Employee Benefits model - the government would pay for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. Regulation would be virtual, transaction monitored, and adjudicated by exception. The private sector would then compete with great rewards or severe consequences. This plan has only 2 pages and is understandable.

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (July 29, 2009)
All rights reserved

Aretha was right - Maslow was wrong!

2009-07-28T02:56:00.000-07:00

Since this is an opinion only - let me explain.

Aretha not only celebrated “it,” I believe she linked her personal and professional brand to “it.” Maslow on the other hand didn’t ignore "it" but he did not prioritize "it" as maybe he could or should. The “it” I’m talking about is RESPECT.

One definition: Respect - 1 a: to consider worthy of high regard: Esteem b: to refrain from interfering with 2: to have reference to: Concern

The vast majority of the American people that see Aretha Franklin’s name juxtaposed to the term “respect” will start their toe tapping and singing to themselves - “R-E-S-P-E-C-T - What you want Baby, I got…”

Abraham Maslow on the other hand understood better than Aretha and me the science of respect. I believe in his most recognized work he did not prioritize Respect properly - it was found later rather than sooner in his Hierarchy of Needs. Maslow’s Hierarchy is often outlined in a pyramid including 5 levels of Needs - survival (air, food, water, etc.), security, social, self-esteem, and self-actualization. His underlying premise is that unmet needs motivate.

The social and self-esteem rungs of this hierarchy by their nature require respect from and to ourselves and from and to others. My reason for challenging his placement is that in today’s America we see more people fighting and killing for “respect” than I believe we do for “air, food, and water.” Nearly every night on local news is a big city you see a “street kid” responding “he dissed me” when asked why he gunned down his friend, his neighbor, or an unknown individual. I can’t remember the last time I heard of a murder over air, food, or water. If we will kill because it is not given or is taken away - it is (in my opinion) a survival need.

One example of this term (respect) in action is from a quote by Carl Rodgers (Psychologist), “We get through to people to the extent that we have unconditional regard for them as human beings.” I agree with this premise - I believe that each of us as human beings (Children of God) deserves and simultaneously must show to others respect and acknowledgement - this level of respect is an entitlement.

Any respect beyond this most basic level must be earned and cannot (successfully) be demanded in a free country, where free people, have unlimited options - in friends, relationships, jobs, ideas, attitudes, and thought. In the world that is not free power does allow the powerful to demand respect and it will be “feigned” by their followers. I have to laugh at anyone demanding respect - it can’t be done.

Family legend tells of the young niece of a deceased man with Hansen’s Disease (leprosy) being lifted to his coffin to see him so she’d know “that no matter what anyone would ever tell her - he was human in the coffin.” That’s respect defined.

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (July 2009)
All rights reserved

Planning is like making a jigsaw puzzle!

2009-07-20T08:02:00.000-07:00

Preface:

What follows were the introductory notes for a Workbook on stategic planning developed many years ago. It still has practical application today. I discovered this while searching through the "dust bins" of my computer a few days ago.

Enjoy!

The leaders of many organizations and the members of those organizations do not understand the Process of Planning. For this and other reasons (too busy, no urgent need, status quo is working, etc.) formal plans are not developed.

Today the pace of change, increased competition, and the need for organizational focus has motivated many leaders to consider establishing a formal strategic plan for their organization. This Workbook is designed to facilitate that endeavor.

Typically I use the Workbook in conjunction with a facilitated planning retreat. This includes selecting a planning team (all members of small organizations or representatives of the various groups / departments in large organizations), creating a willingness (motivation) and an ability (understanding of planning) to work through the process, and providing a document to be the framework of this process.

The script below is the introduction used at the outset of the retreat.

With this introduction and the Workbook attached your organization can create a “self service” planning process. I encourage you to obtain Workbooks for all members of the organization that will participate in the planning process, allow them time to study the Workbook and encourage them to “rough” out their ideas on the various worksheets in advance of the formal planning sessions.

People think in different depths and speeds and articulate their thoughts with varying degrees of confidence. The aforementioned process will facilitate better participation by all. Encourage all participants to be prepared – able and willing to share their thoughts and feelings. To quote a friend of mine, Dr. Daniel “Stormy” Johnson, “The quality of the outcome is directly related to the diversity of the input!”
________________________________________________________________________

Good Morning!

Perhaps the best metaphor for the planning process is a jigsaw puzzle.

What follows is the script of an actual presentation I use with groups to explain the planning process –

“My wife is a first grade teacher; she loves to make jigsaw puzzles. At a relaxed pace this puzzle (100 pieces) takes her about 26 minutes to complete. What process does she use?”

After several attempts the group will agree with the following:

• She looks at the finished picture – they even suggest that she probably places the box cover (the finished picture) where she can view it during the process
• She spreads out the pieces, turns them right side up, sorts by color and finds the corners and border pieces
• She makes the border
• She fills in the puzzle with the remaining pieces

I then challenge the group – “can they work as a team to beat my wife’s best time?” They agree they have the ability. I sometimes tease them with the offer of a financial reward to motivate them – stimulate their willingness. In reality there is no reason why a team of people shouldn’t be able to complete a jigsaw puzzle faster than an individual.

Then I qualify the process they can use in this new challenge. What if –

• I don’t show them the finished picture
• I don’t give them the border pieces until the rest of the picture is complete
• I don’t let them spread out the pieces on the table but rather give them each a share of the pieces that they must match up with those held by others before pieces can be placed on the table

(See sidebar - below)

... can they beat my wives time?

All agree – “Of course they can’t!”

The reality is that most organizations enter into the planning process with similar roadblocks built into their efforts. In this metaphor – the jigsaw puzzle of an organization - the finished picture is the Mission and Vision of the organization.

The border determines the size and shape of the picture and includes the commitment of the leadership, the willingness and ability of the team members, capital, technology, and the Market Service Area served (the psychographics and demographics of the customer / prospect base).

The pieces of the puzzle that complete the picture are the people in the team and the functions they perform defined as the RESULTS needed.

In the setting of a planning retreat, more often than not as the group gathers to complete the puzzle most, if not all participants, don’t have a clue as to what the finished picture looks like or what the border is.

The good news is that each person brings a few pieces to the meeting – their pieces.

The bad news is that there is a reluctance to share these pieces. The pieces are themselves – their experience, personality style, values, prejudices, “turf to be protected”, insecurities, etc.

Since most of us as human animals are insecure and reluctant to be vulnerable – we won’t voluntarily “show” our pieces. If we do or if the facilitator encourages us to share, the tendency is for us to only share our “pieces” with those that think and act like us. There is no risk with people like us.

When two “think alikes” start sharing, the “think differents” become concerned. What are those “two” doing or conspiring to do?

The “think differents” are forced to gather to protect their beliefs. The group polarizes and consensus, dialogue and Vision become secondary to the safety of the status quo. Chaos reigns and the only way to restore order is to embrace the “same old, same old” which threatens no one. Planning is over without being completed!

Ideally the planning process is about “painting the finished picture” - the future ideal, and clearly identifying and analyzing the border. The team members need to be involved in the process because this involvement is necessary to obtain their commitment. Commitment will assure that they enroll in the implementation of the new plan. Without this commitment they will defend the status quo and sabotage your plans.

Involvement can be reinforced, and commitment guaranteed by clearly defining the Desired Results and then letting the members of the organization design strategies, action steps, and contingencies needed to assure successful accomplishment of these -in effect completing the picture.” (As the leader you can oversee or manage the process that follows by merely reviewing their “planning” and implementation efforts.)

(Side bar)

I have presented this planning concept including the jigsaw puzzle metaphor dozens of times to hundreds of people. Most, if not all, participants accept the analogy and agree with the process. NO ONE HAS EVER CHALLENGED THE STEPS SHOWN OR THE PRIORITY ORDER OF THESE STEPS.

The reality is that the first and most important step is not included in the list shown. When a decision is made to work on a puzzle, you must first find a flat, level, and sturdy surface to work on. You can’t make a jigsaw puzzle in your lap.

In the world of planning – this most important first step – the work surface, the foundation is the Organization’s VALUES. Those absolutes that define the organization and empower its outreach while focusing and directing the activities.

The Values of the organization are equivalent to the Constitution and the X Commandments. These must and will stand the test of time and provide an “authority” that reasonable minds can accept when disputes arise. Tough (near impossible) decisions can be addressed by simply asking – “what does the Constitution (our Values) say.”

Lead on!

Copyright Michael G. Manes (July 2009) -
All rights reserved

"Like Sand through an Hourglass..."

2009-07-09T17:54:00.000-07:00

With apologies to all of you soap opera lovers - “Like sand through an hourglass so are the days of Health Care Reform.” Since 1994 I’ve used the hour glass as a metaphor for our Health Care (HC) and HC Financing (HCF) systems.

In the next few months the TV lobbying / advertising drama (being played out in one minute snippets by the reformers and the status quo advocates) will resemble soap operas. So like the days our lives - will be the days of Health Care Reform.

Experience indicates that most people believe we have two health care systems - one for the poor, underserved, aged, and needy and the other for the folks with individual and / or group insurance coverage - this is the rich, the employed, and folks with “resources” and / or good luck. I disagree - I believe ours is one system.

Visualize an hourglass. Equalize the sand on both sides and then lay the hour glass on its side. In this metaphor the sand is people and dollars. On one side is the “public sector” - Medicare, Medicaid, the VA, state / charity hospital systems, etc. On this side the costs of care provided are paid by taxes and out of pocket monies.

On the other end of the hourglass is the private sector. This is the insured population - those individuals that have bought their own policies or have been provided coverage (and sometimes premium subsidies) through their employers, association, or other group mechanism. On this side of the equation costs of care are paid by premium dollars and out of pocket monies.

Now before you scream that my visual is as flawed as the current systems since I have ignored 40 - 50 million people who are uninsured, I encourage you to hear “the rest of the story.” The uninsured can get care - they don’t get insurance.

When individuals in the public sector and the uninsured use services that are not covered by a public or government plans, these folks run to the private side - where they obtain services needed at their own cost or they use the private sector on a “free” (to them) and uncompensated (to the provider) basis.

When the government does not adequately compensate providers - the share of uncompensated costs are shifted to private side resulting in premium increases - in effect a “tax” on these plans (some project this cost to be 15 - 20% of premiums). When the public sector offers increasing services or demand for services increase - the hourglass is flipped over and tax dollars flow from the private to the public side.

It is a fact that Medicare and Medicaid are now underfunded in the short term to providers and unsustainable in the long term. A public plan that pays full costs for services will not be competitive and a public plan that does not pay full costs will force the private sector plans into a non-competitive position and ultimately bankruptcy. So as you can see - Health Care Reform is like “sand in an hourglass.”

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (July 2009)
All rights reserved

Look Before You Leap.Measure Twice Cut Once.A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned

2009-07-01T06:51:00.000-07:00

Health Care (HC) and Health Care Financing (HCF) should be and will be reformed in the near future. This is necessary since our current systems cannot be sustained because of their existing costs and inevitable trends of inflation. Before we act however, we should consider the wisdom of the ages offered above.

On Saturday February 22, 1997 I lay on a gurney in the Emergency Room at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital in the process of a heart attack. My blood pressure was 180 / 120 and my pulse rate was over 100. I was scared, angry, frustrated, and anxious - I thought I was going to die. My emotions were working overtime and my “rational side” was on vacation. Finally Dr. Carl Luikart held my hand, looked into my eyes, touched my soul and said, “Mike, you’re not going to die.”

Reason returned. He and I agreed on a process that would fix the immediate problem and than agreed on life changes - new responsibilities necessary to sustain the fix. It worked - 12 years later I’m healthier at 61 than I was at 49.

As I listen to all sides of the HC and HCF debate “rage” on about what’s wrong and what must be done - I hear “scared, angry, frustrated, and anxious.” That’s the bad news - the good news is that the “near death experience” of these systems provides us a once in a lifetime chance to change behavior. All stakeholders are motivated to “stay alive.” Now let’s assure that the changes needed work and “stick.”

As background understand that Health Care is the delivery of medicine and Health Care Financing is the funding of this medicine. The government is already the dominant force in the system. Also understand that when we speak of the consumers of HC - we must consider the needs of the patients (users), the tax and premium payers (funders), and the providers (doctors, hospitals, etc.) of this care.

The Government is a Health Care Financer through the Medicare and Medicaid systems. Both are acknowledged to soon be bankrupt. The Government is a direct provider of care through the VA system - which though well intentioned has been shown to be very ineffective in the care provided and the number of Vets served. As an aside - Social Security is another system where Uncle Sugar provides the service - it too is known to be headed into bankruptcy. These systems are not role models.

The one true success story in Government provided health care and its financing is The Federal Employees Health Benefit Program (FEHBP). The secret to this success is that they “outsource” the service to private sector insurance companies.

As “we the people” consider reform - let’s take a deep breath - know we’re not going to die and understand that all stakeholders must change our lifestyles in order to assure a healthy future for ourselves and our progeny. Before we add another “public” plan - to the “trifecta of failure” that are government run systems - let’s measure twice and cut once, look before we leap, and earn a penny by saving one.

Copyright Michael G. Manes (July 2009)
All rights reserved

Remind me again - What does the "G" stand for?

2009-06-14T08:03:00.000-07:00

Preface - This blog originated through dialogue with Rolfe McCollister, Publisher of the Baton Rouge Business Report. Some of the ideas below were mentioned in his column in the June 2, 2009 edition of his Journal.

In 1978 I was the Southwest Louisiana representative for the GM (General Motors) sponsored FAMEX Insurance Program. I sold workers compensation, dealers open lot, garage and garage keepers insurance, etc. With a representative of GM or MIC I visited each of the General Motors dealers in my territory. Insurance was of interest but it was not a major concern. Government intervention was the issue.

In 1978 what kept GM and her dealers “up at night” was their concern that if GM obtained 65% market share Uncle Sam would step in and break up the family - General Motors, Inc. would become Pontiac, Inc., Chevrolet, Inc. etc. (similar to what was later done to “Ma Bell”). Fast forward 31 years. Today’s headlines read, “GM likely to seek Bankruptcy.” NPR predicted that soon 70% of General Motors will owned by U. S. - General Motors is going to be Government Motors. Dealers in 1978 were so right in their concerns yet so wrong about the timing and outcome.

Reasons cited for the collapse of GM are numerous - poor management, shoddy workmanship / poor quality, legacy costs / unions, failing to anticipate needs of the marketplace, and foreign competitors. The bottom line is that GM didn’t make profits. Now “Uncle Sugar” is going to fix that. Here’s what has me confused.

If poor management is the problem, how is putting government in charge going to fix it? Government failed in its job to regulate the Financial Services Industry which just collapsed. How is a government (except for the military) not noted for quality of service or effective management going to bring GM “from the ashes?”

If unions and legacy costs are the issue, how is government the answer? Government has civil service, public unions and unfunded liabilities (legacy costs) far greater than those at GM. Consider Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, under funded benefit and retirement plans for their own government employees, etc.
Remind me again how is government going to show GM the way? I’m confused.

If failing to anticipate needs (wants) of the marketplace is the problem what history of “visionary” leadership has modern day government provided? Did the “fed” see the economic collapse coming or did it catch U.S. more by surprise than did VW, Toyota, and Honda surprise GM in the 1970s? Did FEMA and other agencies adequately anticipate and prepare for 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, etc.? I’m confused.

If the problem is profits - how is the ultimate operator in and owner of losses, debts, and deficits going to lead GM from the darkness of Chapter 11. Unless the Government can show GM and her dealers how to print money and give it to prospective customers to buy their cars - how can they make this work? I realize that past performance is not always a good indicator of the future - or is it?

The “G” once stood for GENERAL - now I believe it stands for GOVERNMENT - Unfortunately it will soon mean GONE - the great company and our tax dollars!

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (June 2009)
All rights reserved

Training Wheels - A development tool or a lifestyle?

2009-06-11T12:34:00.000-07:00

Technically we are first cousins but in fact we grew up more like brothers. We’re both tall. He’s thin and I’m more full bodied. He’s very smart and analytical; I’m emotional and have more scar tissue. He’s worked in the security of government (civil service, pensions, etc.) I live in the world of entrepreneurs with the freedom, opportunity, exhilaration, and “terror” accompanying the risks I take everyday.

His father and my mother were brother and sister. Our home environments and culture were near identical. We’re just more than a year apart in age and yet worlds apart in politics and the philosophy of living. If you lined all the socially acceptable political philosophies up against a wall Martin would be standing on the far left and I’d be on the far right.

When he visits we spend much time in discussions that some would call debates, Sheila (my wife) calls madness, Martin I suspect considers needed indoctrination of the ignorant and I call my best effort to shake some sense into him.

On Friday evening after some delicious Shrimp Creole - Martin, Joe, and I discussed the world today - what’s wrong, what’s right, and what needs fixing. Joe and I came down on the side of the marketplace, individual freedom, risk, capitalism, hard work, and personal responsibility. Martin’s position, to me, appeared to be more on the side of government intervention, “spreading the wealth,” understanding the plight of others, helping and fixing, and socialism.

I tried to capture these two opposing viewpoints in a metaphor that can be explained in one page. I struggled. Then I flashed back to Christmas of 1981. My oldest son was two. A candle was burning on the table and he kept reaching for the flame. I’d stop his hand each time he got close. Then I realized I wouldn’t always be there to protect him - so this was a teachable moment. I let him touch the flame. Suffice it to say Slade has never touched fire again.

Here’s my best effort to explain away the difference in our beliefs. I believe choices have consequences - we learn by falling down and getting back up. Scar tissue is a better teacher than brain tissue. I think Martin believes that consequences can be managed by regulation and limiting choices - fewer choices - fewer consequences.

I became reinforced on the rightness of this metaphor - when listening to recent broadcasts on NPR. One discussed behavioral economics (raising gas prices to $6.00 to discourage driving), one discussed the criminalization of garbage in San Francisco (penalties for not composting), and two others reported on Financial Services and FAA regulators blaming the regulated for their failure to comply.

Here’s the metaphor - “training wheels.” I see training wheels as a temporary development tool to assist learning / independence. Martin wants government to permanently affix training wheels on our lives - to protect us from ourselves.

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (June 11, 2009)
All rights reserved

The Noise You Hear...

2009-06-01T09:10:00.000-07:00

The noise you hear is the deceased members of the greatest generation rolling over in their graves. I suspect they’ve been stirring for awhile. I think GM’s bankruptcy today was more than they can take lying down. The bailouts, the Madoff scandal, the collapse of Wall Street and its icons, and the new Government intervention into our capitalist society started the wake up process and today GM finished it.

Friday’s USA Today (May 28, 2009) had two simple charts that provided a snapshot of the chaos that is our tomorrow. The front page pie chart stated, “What we owe - Federal obligations for benefit programs and the national debt soared $6.8 trillion in 2008 to $63.8 trillion or a cost per household of $546,668.

On page 6A another chart titled “Double Trouble” showed health care spending in this decade soaring from $1.4 trillion in 2000 to $2.4 trillion in 2008. The second half of this chart shows the average cost of a family health insurance plan increasing in from $6,438 in 2000 to $12,680 in 2008. This of course is before “Uncle Sugar” intervenes with more benefits for more people with more dollars that we don’t have.

I failed Economics 101 at USL but I’m smart enough to know what USA Today described can’t be sustained. I don’t know if the quote that follows is accurate or if I’ve attributed it to the proper author but I am sure that the Greatest Generation would say “right on” if they read it when they were alive or today or tomorrow.

“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves from the Public Treasury. From that moment on the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the Public Treasury with a result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy always followed by dictatorship.” (Alexander Fraser Tytler – 1748 – 1813)

Here’s our problem - the Greatest Generation helped build this country and the excesses we enjoy today. Most lived through the Great Depression. Most had nothing and appreciated everything. They did not know privilege but accepted sacrifice. Work was not an option; it was a part of life - everyday life.

All were impacted by World War II. The costs in terms of lives, dollars, and “blood, sweat, and tears” can never be repaid. They fought for their beliefs and paid a terrible price in battle. The only “entitlement” they expected was an opportunity. The only “payback” they sought was a better life for their families - their children and grand children. They gave and did not count the cost.

The succeeding generations now have everything and too often (in the stereotype) appreciate nothing. Entitlements are in our language and our lives. We are the beneficiaries of the sacrifices of our predecessors but may not be up to accepting the sacrifices needed to sustain the “better life” we’ve been given. I pray I’m wrong. I hope U. S. and the Greatest Generation after this brief wake up can Rest in Peace!

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (June 1, 2009)
All rights reserved

Warning - Political Correctness can be Harmful to U. S.

2009-05-31T14:51:00.000-07:00

Max DePree an expert on leadership states that, “the first role of the leader is to define reality.” I believe Mr. DePree is suggesting that no matter where you are going; you must first know where you are to be effective in your journey.

From Wikipedia - Political correctness (adjectivally, politically correct; both forms commonly abbreviated to PC) is a term applied to language, ideas, policies, or behavior seen by some[who?] as seeking to minimize offense to gender, racial, cultural, disabled, aged or other identity groups. Conversely, the term "politically incorrect" is used to refer to language or ideas that may cause offense or that are unconstrained by orthodoxy…

From Webster - correct - 1. to make right; change from wrong to right; remove errors from. From Political Science 101 at USL (1967) - Politics is the art of compromise. From this author - political correct is a compromise of what is right or correct. Farfetched - you decide.

I believe the greatest threat to us as living individuals is the belief that we are victims not survivors. In my opinion the victim give all his / her power to the condition, person, or circumstance that challenges them. To declare ourselves survivors - we take the power back.

I believe the greatest threat to us / U. S. collectively is political correctness since it diminishes our ability to define reality. If you can’t define a problem you can’t solve it. I’m not encouraging hate speech, rudeness, or offensive language but I also don’t believe denial of or spinning of facts helps in effective problem solving.

In our world we often hear - perception is reality. To that I offer the following: Reality is the facts. Perception is how we view the facts. To change reality we must intervene with resources - money, time, physical force, energy, etc. To change perceptions we merely have to change our point of view – how we look at the facts. As an example - tell me the color of an apple. Slice it and tell me the color again. Our perception of an apple is it is red or green, or golden. The fact is that no matter how you slice an apple the dominant color is white.

Today - if a person or group isn’t blessed with the facts to support their position and they lack the skills needed to win people over based upon their persuasiveness then the best they can hope to do is to constrain the effectiveness of the opposition. Political correctness allows such a control on expression of thought.

Need an example - today, we’re told that Evolution is science and science is about facts. Intelligent design or God may make us feel good but Evolution is where it’s at. Many of these same scientists will, however, go to extreme lengths to protect an endangered species that by nature evolves in and out of the world. As an aside - put most of these same scientists in a foxhole and they’ll pray… Reality or perception?

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (May 30, 2009)
All rights reserved

On Memorial Day - Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!

2009-05-25T06:02:00.000-07:00

Daddy was in the Navy, Uncle Booz was a fighter pilot in the South Pacific, Geronimo fought in World War II and Korea, and Leroy dropped from the heavens over Normandy into hell on the beaches. Thank you.

The Greatest Generation didn’t seek fame or this moniker but had it thrust upon them because of the timing of their birth and the world they grew up and too many died in. The Veterans and the families that loved and often buried them made sacrifices that are incomprehensible to those of us that followed.

Their children were the baby boomers - “the hippies” - the “me” generation. We were the beneficiaries of their sacrifice and hard work. We grew up in an Ozzie and Harriet world - that in no way paralleled the trauma they suffered. As we grew older we learned of the inner turmoil that followed many of these Veterans for their lifetime in a post war world. War is hell and it is not turned off by a peace treaty.

When our time came to serve - we, in the stereotype, did not enthusiastically follow in the steps of our fathers. Many of us served as volunteers other were reluctant warriors as draftees. Most struggled with our options - many went, some ran. War is never good - Vietnam was controversial at best, political and maybe even unnecessary at worst. War is hell. Thank you.

Today wars continue on two major fronts - Iraq and Afghanistan. With an all volunteer force it is now a choice more than an obligation. Thank God and the individual Marine, Sailor, Soldier, Air Man or Woman, or Coast Guard Member for the sacrifices they choose to make. War is still hell. Thank you.

As for the future - there will always be war. It will always be hell. The good news for me and the news I want to spread today is that you need not fear about the future of our military. Worry about politics and the political leadership if you must but be comforted in the fact that our Armed Forces are not just good but are great.

In June of 2006, I was honored to participate in the U. S. Army War College National Security Seminar in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. I’d define the War College as Graduate School for the future leadership of the country’s military. During the last week of their year 200 civilians are integrated into their classrooms and lives to provide a civilian’s perspective on life and for us as civilians to learn and be awed by the substance of these young (relative to me) warriors and peacemakers.

Nothing in my life has given me more comfort in the future of our country, our world, and our individual lives than getting to know and appreciate the quality of leadership that permeates all branches of our military. For five days I met the brightest, hardest working, best educated, and most disciplined individuals assembled on any campus anywhere. Our past has been paid for - our future is being written and the writers, the leaders, and the future are bright. Thank you!

MGM

A Change in Perspective

2009-05-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

According to Mr. Webster perspective is - 4. a) a specific point of view in understanding things or events , esp. one that shows them in their true relations to one another b) the ability to see things in a true relationship. For most of my life I might have defined perspective as simply a “point of view.” Now in terms of my life - a change in perspective means - “reorganizing priorities.”

April 20th was another Monday in the work world. My mental to do list included a few urgent items and several important issues - a meeting to discuss the future of Health Care (HC) in Louisiana, a business trip on Tuesday to New Orleans, checking on Momma at the nursing home, putting Momma’s house up for sale by May 1, addressing problems between two cousins in a family business, cash flow (a perpetual concern), following up on the test results, new clients, catching up, etc.

The morning meeting on Health Care went well. As I was leaving town I stopped to visit Fred at his office. We visited about life, a specific technical issue, and the insurance industry. As I walked out of the door my cell phone rang, “Mike, this is Dr. Patout. Your test results are in - Mike, you have a malignant melanoma.”

I remember saying, “that’s the one I don’ want - right?” She responded, “Yes - Mike we think we got it all but you need to go to Dr. Walker as soon as possible.” My mind didn’t race - time actually slowed. My reaction was much different than I would have expected it to be. Cancer was not something I thought about much less obsessed over since no one in my immediate family ever had it.

Don - a dear friend, mentor, recovering addict, and very wise man - was down the street. I went to his office. He asked about the mark on my face - “had Sheila finally hit me?” I explained - Don, that’s a malignant melanoma. He summed it up quickly as he is wont to do. “Mike go back and read Tuesdays with Morrie. If this is a worst case - having time to say good bye has its advantages.” This shook me back to my current reality. Tim, David, Paul, and others left the world without warning. George, Phil, Will, and “Meats” had time to put their books in order.

“Mike, if they got it. You’ll do fine. Keep this in perspective. Pray the Serenity Prayer.” I walked to the car. I had more questions than answers - Should I tell Sheila now or should I wait until I know for sure? I decided quickly - I’ll wait. I worry better alone. Momma won’t be told at all. What about Slade and Seth? What about my business? What about tomorrow? What about eternity?

I called John - because if this was a worst case he and Deidre would be the link for my sons from their stable childhood to this new reality of uncertainty. I / we had been blessed with minimal crises in life to test our mettle or to make us stronger.

On May 11th, I got the news, “we got it all.” My priorities are reorganized - forever. I still address the urgent, now however, I celebrate the important. Thank God!

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (May 18, 2009)
All rights reserved

Democracy's Viability

2009-05-06T12:48:00.000-07:00

The quote that follows and the accompanying attribution were provided to me many years ago by a friend. I've never researched its accuracy because it is merely one person's opinion that I believe is "on spot."

If its properly quoted, I believe we should ponder the wisdom of Mr. Tytler. If Mr. Tytler is not the source or if the content is not as originally presented - the wisdom (in my opinion) is still profound.

Enjoy!

A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves from the Public Treasury. From that moment on the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the Public Treasury with a result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy always followed by dictatorship. The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations has been 200 years. These nations have progressed through the following sequence:

From bondage to spiritual faith;
From spiritual faith to great courage;
From courage to liberty;
From liberty to abundance;
From abundance to selfishness;
From selfishness to complacency;
From complacency to apathy;
From apathy to dependency;
From dependency back into bondage.

Alexander Fraser Tytler – 1748 – 1813
“The Decline and Fall of the Athenian Republic”

Peer Pressure, White Privilege, and American Exceptionalism

2009-04-30T19:50:00.000-07:00

Of all the gifts God gave me, my Momma is the best. She is an exceptionally good and wise person, a teacher, a great parent, and a wonderful role model. While raising me Momma, to the best of my knowledge, didn’t obsess about Peer Pressure; she managed it. She would not point out the flaws of my friends but rather she would celebrate their strengths, successes, and exceptionalism. She used the positives of my friends to challenge me and to “raise the bar” for her expectations of me and for my expectations of myself. She taught me to be a survivor - not a victim.

About five years ago, I was in conversation with Dr. B (Ph.D) a successful professional, African American woman. Her first question caught me by surprise - “What do you think of the term white privilege?” I answered, “Dr. B. I can define white and privilege but candidly I’ve never heard the term before. If you’re asking me to apologize for being white I’m not going to do it. That was the way God made me. I had nothing to do with it. If I was privileged, it was that my family was not as dysfunctional as many today, my parents loved me, and I received a good education.” I was never allowed to be a victim - I was taught to be a survivor.

Fast forward to today. White privilege, victimhood, and now American Exceptionalism are in the news. In my opinion, white privilege is used to deny the unfairness of life and explain away hard times or less than stellar performance or to mitigate the success, education, parenting, and hard work of others. Momma taught me that life’s not fair and you must play the cards you are dealt - so play to win.

American exceptionalism (as defined by Wikipedia) refers to the theory that the United States occupies a special niche among developed nations in terms of national credo, historical evolution, political and religious institutions and unique origins… Alexis de Tocqueville noted that the U.S. held a special place among nations because it was a country of immigrants and the first modern democracy.

Now some say that exceptionalism is less than good and should be diminished. TO THIS I SAY BULL! Should we search for mediocrity in lieu of excellence? Should Michael Jordan have played worse to be fair to lesser athletes? Should Michael Phelps give back some of his medals? Should the dotcom entrepreneurs have worked on their cars in their now famous garages in lieu of the innovations they created? Should Medical Schools lower standards? Should our military train less so our enemies have a better chance? When I fall should I not get up or expect others to fall and comfort me? Help others grow but don’t stop exceptionalism.

Today many in our country are embracing a victim mentality. Some hope to “rob Peter to pay Paul.” This is possible as long as we create more “Peters.” Unfortunately the diminishment of American Exceptionalism “weakens” the Peters and doesn’t help the “Pauls.” Muhammmed Ali said “I am the greatest” and “It ain’t bragging if you can do it.” We should raise the bar for the world, not lower it for U.S. We can have a multi-cultural world and be respectful of our differences.

The Tyranny of the Maybe

2009-04-24T03:56:00.000-07:00

Years ago I was given a booklet titled – The Tyranny of the Urgent written by Charles E. Hummel. Buy a copy and read it regularly. The premise is simple – we spend too much time distracted by the urgent and too little time on the important.

Stephen Covey created a matrix to help us understand and manage this dilemma. He charted the urgent and the important. I believe it was his book that also drew the analogy of the goose and the golden egg. We all want golden eggs but we all too often neglect the goose. Our fascination with the immediate and short terms blinds us to the real potential and success that are the long term.

These guys are successful, their ideas relevant, and they should be listened to and their gospels embraced. I would however like to add one more “Tyranny” that must be considered in a business with intense competition. This is the Tyranny of Maybe.

Here’s the reality of today’s marketplace. Everyone as a consumer has unlimited options in what, where, and when they can buy. They also have access to more information then they have ever had in the past. Each of us can learn more than we need to know to make any decision we need to make.

As a provider of products and services there is always someone out there that can do what you do better, cheaper, faster, or more efficiently. Our job as a “seller” is to find those prospective buyers that we have a reasonable chance to satisfy – to exceed their expectations. We then must focus our limited time and resources on them and their needs – to provide evidence that what we do is what they want.

The good news is that with the Internet we now can sell to anyone anywhere. The bad news is that anyone anywhere can sell to the people we consider to be our marketing territory. When our universe was limited to the people that lived in our neighborhood or our town or our county (parish) we could “mass market.” Those days are gone. Now we must target. Our first target must be real prospects (people with a reasonable expectation of buying what we’re offering) versus suspects (people nice enough to listen but without a need, the money, or the ability to decide or buy).

We need to find the decision maker or the “Radar O’Reilly” that tells the decision what to buy, when to buy it and how to make payments. Since we’re always selling and our universe is unlimited we must discern when they’re buying. Most importantly we need to know – IF they will buy or when they’ll buy.

Too many salespeople never make “the ask.” The great ones always do. If the prospect says YES, shake their hand, have them sign the app, and get the check. If they say NO, thank them and move on. If they say maybe – watch out. You may get caught in the Tyranny of the Maybe. Determine the reason for the uncertainty – address it directly, make the ask again and hopefully get a YES or thankfully get a NO – the MAYBES will waste your time, energy and future. Move on.

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (April 24, 2009)
All rights reserved

Leadership - “I know it when I see it.”

2009-04-24T03:50:00.000-07:00

Preface - I just completed this posting only to realize that a similar but longer article was added to this blog in April of last year. If your memory is a bad as mine you might enjoy what follows. If your memory is good I don't understand why you're still reading this. :)

For those who don't want a "rerun" this week or as Lagniappe for all others - a second posting will be added today!

Thanks for your understanding

Associate Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart created his own 15 minutes of fame and gave all of us a definition for the known but not easily defined when he said about hard-core pornography, “I know it when I see it.”

Rather than spend hours researching a definition for leadership let me offer Justice Stewart’s words, “Leadership - I know it when I see it.” Considering that the range of leaders can include Hitler, Saddam Hussein, and the devil on one side and Jesus, Gandhi, Bush, Obama, your Momma or Daddy, and many others on the opposite side, it’s reasonable to assume Leadership is not a “one size fits all” definition.

For this reason let me dissect leadership into “bite size pieces.” I don’t know for certain what leadership is but I do believe I know what it’s like. This is not an all inclusive list. First leadership is like a mother duck because she has a group of ducklings that are her followers and the one absolute of leadership is followers.

A leader must also be a dream catcher in that her role includes providing a Vision (an in focus dream) for her followers. Leaders also must be auditors, designers, security guards, and environmental engineers and this is before we get into the nuts and bolts of the needs, development, and direction of their individual followers.

Max DePree states that the first role of the Leader is to define reality. This requires an audit - a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis, knowledge of the history, financials, Values, existing culture, etc. The design aspect of the job is needed to shape the future while understanding and respecting the past and current reality. The leader’s role is to transition from the status quo into the Vision for the future. All of these elements are part of the foundation of an Organizational Architecture that will be necessary to support tomorrow.

As a security guard the leader must protect the Vision, Values, and Mission - since these are the heart and soul of the organization and the future. The role of environmental engineer recognizes that plans on paper or just “doodling” until people bring these to life and when people become involved plans can go away, awry, or all right (even excellent). Unfortunately if the environment of the organization is toxic - it will poison the people and if a toxic person is brought into a healthy organization he can poison the environment. The leader must keep it clean.

Add to the leader list the role of scout (as in “Be Prepared” and being in the front of the group when the shooting starts), Coach, and Cheerleader. Coaches recruit and develop talent, write game plans, train, discipline, call plays, substitute, motivate, organize, and energize their teams. They must kick butts when needed and pat players on the butt when comfort is appropriate. They give credit when wins occur and take the blame in a loss. Cheerleaders are the positive / tireless voice for action.

Leadership - I know it when I see it. What do you see in the mirror?

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (April 24, 2009)
All rights reserved

The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men…

2009-04-19T15:51:00.000-07:00

“The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” Until this morning I didn’t know the source of this oft used cliché. This is an adaptation of the poem - To a Mouse by Robert Burns. The actual wording is “The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men / Gang aft a-gley.” I don’t understand the poem but I do embrace the adaptation. In my simple mind - what looks good on paper sometimes / oftentimes isn’t.

The natural question to evolve from this conflict is “why?” What happens when a business owner or organizational leader listens to a speaker or reads the latest great business book and attempts to integrate this innovation into her organization? Why is there push back? Why are these efforts so often resisted and do often fail?

Remember as Stormy says, I’m “often wrong but never in doubt” but nonetheless I offer the following observations. First the organizational leader’s role is on the horizon - her job is Vision - to see the future - to know the current reality and the future ideal and to bridge these two (often distant) points.

Unfortunately the job of the “worker bees” is on their desk and in the system. As they see it their job is to perpetuate their own salary and to expand their comfort zone - it is not to take risk, increase opportunities, or expand tasks (all of which are the natural result of CHANGE). As Maxine said years ago in one of her cartoons - “Change is good as long as I don’t have to do anything different.”

There is a conflict of interest in the reality of the leader - progress and the future and the perception of the employees - protecting their status quo. This is where the push back to change and “the best laid plans going awry” originate. After years of searching for a visual - a metaphor for this conflict - I offer the following.

Take a dollar bill - toss it in the air. Pick it up. Roll it up and throw it as far as you can and you can still stroll over and pick it up. Take a dollar in the form of 100 pennies and toss them in the air or throw them as far as you want and what you get is chaos - pennies everywhere and together nowhere. Got the picture?

When boss lady comes to work after a weekend of reading or attending a seminar on innovation and decides she’s going to turn “the organization on its head” - understand the chance of success is limited. The lesson of the two dollars - the bill and the pennies - demonstrates why. The bill is a cohesive unit - the pennies aren’t.

Most organizations are an aggregation of individuals assembled around and involved in tasks, salaries, benefits, workplace, etc. The organization of the future must be cohesive to avoid chaos and this cohesiveness must start with shared Values and Vision and a commitment to tomorrow. These are the foundation for the future. No one would consider building a house on a foundation of sand - yet most of our organizations are - they don’t share and commit to their Vision and Values.

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (April 19, 2009)
All rights reserved

Ants, trains, and an old guy - a lesson in belief!

2009-04-12T07:33:00.000-07:00

Preface - This blog was to be posted on Saturday morning but I've decided to release this today (4 / 16 / 09). Having just watched CNN attack the protestors at yesterday's Tea Parties as "wing nuts" I must offer this posting as another perspective. I thank God everyday that some of us still believe "we can" and that less government - not more - is what we want.

God Bless America!

Most, if not all of us, have heard the stories of “The Ant and the Rubber Tree Plant” and “The Little Engine that could.” I don’t know the history of these tales but I do understand the message. These are the Protestant Work Ethic put to fable and the American Values of Optimism and Hard Work personified.

It’s been many decades since Momma read to me the story of “The Little Engine that could” and almost as long since I’ve hummed “he’s got high hopes” but for this one audience of one the message stuck.

To understand the “old guy” in the above title - let me first describe myself, my wife, and the circumstances. I’m 61 years old. My body never would have been described as “cut from stone” and from that average start I’ve evolved to a blend of the Pillsbury Doughboy and the Michelin Man. Puffy might be a good adjective. My back is bad, I have an artificial hip, hard arteries and a harder head.

Sheila on the other hand has retained her girlish figure, works more and harder than me, and enjoys her time in the yard. She describes herself as a practical person and on occasion gets frustrated with me - the dreamer. She’s a retired school teacher that understands process, lesson plans, schedules, and tenure - all of life’s limitations and structure. She does great within the limits of her being.

One day we discovered a 10 foot long (3” diameter) rusty water pipe in one of her flower beds. I offered to dig it up. She said she’d have to work around it since I could never get it out of the ground. It was too deep, too heavy, too long and filled with dirt and besides I was too old, had a bad back, and a worse heart.

I’m lazy and don’t like to work in the yard but don’t tell me I can’t do something. I’ll briefly describe the process and dialogue. Sheila - “You can’t do that - wait I’ll get Jimmy to do it.” Mike - “Please hand me that piece of wood. Slip it under the end here.” “Please step to the side.” “Please ….” Sheila - “You’re going to kill yourself.” An hour and many opinions to the contrary later the pipe was out of the ground and I was in trouble because “I wouldn’t listen.”

Sheila’s a very good woman and an even better wife. She is however not a risk taker and all too often sees things by their limits and not their possibilities. She sees can’t as a force of nature. On the other hand I’m an entrepreneur - I operate without a net. I see what might be even if common sense, science, and the wisdom of my beloved wife disagree. I know I can - (I’m often wrong but never in doubt.)

Today - as I hear of the end of capitalism, American dominance, the world as we’ve known it, and the need for more regulation of our lives, and other protections from ourselves I beg each of you to remember - the Ant, The Little Engine, and the “old guy.” I urge each and all of us to maintain our “High Hopes” - “Think we can” and be assured “that oops their goes another rubber tree plant.” Persevere!

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (April 2009)
All rights reserved

More than great service - Servant Leadership!

2009-04-11T07:01:00.000-07:00

I often say that “service is dead in America.” An example of bad service is Buster in line at a McDonald’s at 10:30 one morning. He asks for breakfast and is told it’s too late. He requests a burger and is advised it’s too early. He’s in the twilight zone.

I’ve been to Commander’s Palace so I’ve seen real great service practiced and staged. My best service experience however was real but not staged and not practiced - it was natural, lived and loved. This discovery occurred at the Country Inn and Suites in Pineville, LA. It was 5:45 on a rainy morning I went to the “free breakfast” room to fend for myself. Opening time was 6:00 so I planned to wait and ultimately “do it myself” - I was in for a surprise - a pleasant surprise.

As I looked around I was shocked to see the “do it yourself” buffet neatly displayed well before opening time and startled to see an attendant on duty. “Good morning” was his greeting. His smile was his calling card. I awakened. For the next hour I read my paper and watched Mr. Alfred greet and treat each guest to breakfast, a most positive start to their day and into his heart and soul.

An hour later, Sheila confirmed that her experience had been similar. She had been mesmerized by this humble man that gave more than he got, asked what he could do for you without considering what you would do for him. He anticipated needs, engaged in dialogue, and delivered as promised. He was great.

Mr. Alfred was a trip “back to the future.” Back to a more civil place and slower pace where we took a moment to embrace each other with love, time, and attention. He is the future in that he is a personification of more than great service and compassion - he is a Servant Leader. He is hope for tomorrow. He is a role model.

Robert Geenleaf recognized as the father of Servant Leadership states “It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead... The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: do those served grow as persons, do they grow while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?” (Wikipedia)

Mr. Alfred did not have a great physical presence but his spirit filled the room. I’m assuming he was not “blessed” with advanced education but he was wiser than many Ph.D.s that I know. He was not charismatic but he is unforgettable. He was not articulate but his language of love and respect for his fellow man / woman could not be misunderstood and spoke volumes to our shared humanity.

My original close for this article discussed the 3 Stooges of leadership that I believe personify what’s wrong with some folks with the title, leader but not the heart of the servant - this was deleted because Mr. Alfred taught me better - Thanks you, Sir!

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (April 2009)
All rights reserved

Sex, Lies, and Videotape - A Dialogue for Tomorrow!

2009-04-04T04:22:00.000-07:00

Preface:

If you are a leader of, employed in, regulate, or are linked to the Financial Services Industry (banking, insurance, investments, etc.) you probably have an "issue" with credibility even if you think your clients, prospects, and friends can separate you as one of the Good Guys / Gals. Think again - I believe the meltdown of our economy, Wall Street, and the failure of some of our most trusted institutions got "poop" on all of us in the FS industry and we, the Good Guys / Gals, need to re-engage the marketplace in dialogue to find meaning and a message for the future. Ours is an industry of intangibles - peace of mind, security, etc. and we must have the confidence of the public to exist.

What follows is an article about a 15 minute experience in Houston that hopefully will result in some redefinition of our role in the economy. To learn more about the American Association of Insurance Management Consultants - go to www.aaimco.com.

Sex, Lies, and Videotape...

The charge from Tom was interesting - “Mike, open up the American Association of Insurance Management Consultants (“AAIMCO”) Conference at The Woodlands Resort near Houston, Texas with a 15 minute presentation on communications. Provide ideas to address our current reality and to begin dialogue as we work towards a future ideal that is embraced in the marketplace and our country.”

In an academic setting this would have been easy. The challenge for me was that the audience included leaders in the risk, insurance, banking, and financial services industry. The rookie had 21 years experience and the elders of our tribe averaged over 50 years of wisdom. The marketplace we serve is the US and global economies that have since last September been in meltdown. To a large extent the fuel for this meltdown has been our industry - insurance, risk, banking, and financial services.

Where do I start? What do I say? How do I make it fun and interesting? I walked into the coffee shop and grabbed the February issue of 225 Magazine off the rack. On the cover was Steven Soderbergh’s picture and a teaser about the 20th anniversary of his breakout movie - Sex, Lies, and Videotape. The light came on in my brain. I had the metaphor I needed. This was perfect.

This was the current reality of our economy, the marketplace, and our circumstances - real and perceived. Reality is the facts. Perception is how we see and feel about the facts. These had merged into anger, frustration, and despair.

Here’s the one paragraph explanation of the first third of my presentation. Nearly every adult in our capitalist society today feels “screwed.” Most believe they have been lied to. Finally on videotape - following Hurricane Katrina - was evidence of the collapse of our trusted institutions - governments (local, state, and federal), the insurance industry, and the economy that had always recovered quickly after a disaster. This one event gave all of us insight into the possibilities of a Mad Max World. What happened? What went wrong? Was this just a New Orleans problem or could this happen again? What if? What now? Fast forward to last September and it’s happening again - this time with a flood of fraud, despair, failed institutions, government, and oversight. Is this tomorrow? Is this all there is?

What’s on the horizon - a rainbow or another storm? What’s the future ideal? Where’s the hope? Where’s the change? How do we fix this?

The answer was not as clear as Sex, Lies, and Videotape but there is an answer. The answer I believe is not Gone with the Wind but is Blowing in the Wind - the answer is in the Spirit of America and her People. What we as leaders must do is engage the market in dialogue, deliver new meaning for a new world, create the message to encourage all to become involved and ultimately committed to a new American Dream and then find the media to develop and sustain this dialogue.

It is a responsibility we must accept - to be a leader. Join us in this effort…

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (March 2009
All rights reserved

A Tale of Two Georges - What Really Matters...

2009-03-28T06:04:00.000-07:00

February 6, 2009 was the last time I posted to this Blog. On that day I suspended my “ramblings” for what I thought was a week or two just to recharge my batteries. What I discovered was that my batteries were not run down but were more burned up. After several weeks of R & R, escapism, and personal reflection, I’m starting to get a charge out of life again and will resume my postings. Today’s the start.

Many years ago a friend provided me with a book titled The Tyranny of the Urgent by Charles E. Hummel. It’s spiritually based but offers great advice even if you are not driven by the spirit. The basic premise is that all too often we are so consumed by the urgent that we lose track of what’s really important.

On December 15, 2008, I received a call from a friend and business associate named George in New Orleans. He said, “Mike I’ve got some urgent problems here and I need help. This might be a good project for you.”

Since eating is important to Sheila and me and since consulting projects provide the funds needed to satisfy this addiction to nutrition, I was delighted that George had a project for me. My response was simple - “George, I sense the urgency in your voice but one of my closest friends (also named George) is near death and will, in all likelihood not make it much longer. I’ll come see you the week after Christmas.”

We agreed that his urgency could wait while I spent these most important final days with my friend and his family. I wished him a Merry Christmas, marked our appointment on my calendar, and went on with life.

On Saturday morning (12 / 20 / 08) at about 8:00 I got the call that I had been dreading. Carol said simply, “Mike - the angels came for George a few minutes ago.” I cried, got dressed, and went to the house to be with George one last time.

When I arrived the body was there even though the spirit had left earlier. For the first time in 4 years - George was pain and worry free. He was at peace. The cancer had taken a toll on his body but had not destroyed his soul. I held him and reflected on our past and pondered the eternal future that awaits all of us. He merely had gotten “there” first.

From Saturday through the funeral on Tuesday - we hit the pause button on our personal DVDs and took time to cry, laugh, love, and remember George, his family, our friends and the good times we had shared. Tuesday I delivered his Eulogy and prepared to return to my urgent calendar that had been briefly ignored.

Sunday evening (12 / 28 / 09) my cell rang and I answered to hear, “Mike, I’m George’s ex-wife, your name was in his cell phone. You need to know he died Saturday morning.” The tale of two George’s had come to an abrupt end. His urgent issues no longer were. What’s really important? Think about it.

An Interruption in Service

2009-02-06T14:22:00.000-08:00

I recently heard a speaker state that "Life is what happens when we are making other plans." How true. In the past two months - life has not been congruent with my plans. The good news is that I've been on the road a lot, have been very busy with client needs, and have had numerous personal distractions (more good than bad.)

The bad news is that I've buried two friends and another is in ICU in a hospital following an automobile accident. One of the deceased was a bigger than life character in my life and one of my closest personal friends. I'm still struggling with his loss.

So for the next week or two this screen will be "dark" while I recharge my batteries and ponder the future.

I trust (hope) you understand.

Thanks

MGM

"The road to well" is "The road less traveled."

2009-01-14T05:08:00.000-08:00

For ten years I stood in front of classes at LSU and surveyed them to determine what was important in their lives. The survey form included twelve to fifteen words such as wealth, success, family, security, knowledge, etc. I asked them to prioritize these words in terms of their future. Every semester security and success ranked # 1 and # 2 - the order changed occasionally but these were always 1 and 2.

On security my response was simple - it’s not “out there;” it’s inside of each of us. Security I’d explain was not in the bank or on Wall Street or in a gated community or on a financial statement but rather in our hearts, minds, hands and souls. Some got it - others didn’t. I’m guessing some of these same students maybe reflecting on my words each month when they open their 401K statement. I hope they remember the quote - “Success is never final and failure is rarely fatal.”

On success we’d expand the dialogue. My first question would always be - “Do all of you want to be successful?” All heads would bob in agreement. Then I’d ask - “Define success.” The “bobbing” heads would freeze with a deer in the headlights appearance. I’d press the issue - What is success? What does it mean to you? Are you going to spend your life chasing this and not define it? What? Why? How?

Finally one brave student would raise his / her hand and say something like - “You know, find a job and be happy.” This was the opening I needed. We’d discuss how each of them was unique - a single piece of a global jig saw puzzle. I’d ask - “What’s the chance of you dropping your truly unique puzzle piece into some corporate puzzle and fitting in, ‘you know, being happy’ - what is the chance of success?” They’d get it - they’d begin to doubt and more importantly start to think.

My advice was then and is now - first define yourself. What are your values, your beliefs, your personality style, your likes, your dislikes, etc.? What is really important to you? What is not? I’d encourage them to first clearly define themselves and then find an organization, career, profession, and / or passion compatible with their piece. You know, - where they’d fit right in…

I knew that this one class at the beginning of each semester would not change their lives but I did and do believe it planted a “seed of thought” in their subconscious that might over time blossom and provide intellectual and spiritual nourishment.

In our world today - parents and others put us on the road to success so that we can be secure - do things to make us rich. Unfortunately this process doesn’t help us determine - “Who we be?” Such a race to fame and fortune all too often results in a discovery - “Is this all there is?” A moment of doubt, stress, or frustration - we’ve worked this hard and found stuff but not fulfillment - satisfaction - peace of mind.

Robert Frost was right - “Two roads diverged in a wood and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” First travel the road “To Be.”

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (January 14, 2008)
All rights reserved

Do you know or know not?

2008-12-28T04:52:00.000-08:00

Max DePree, a noted expert on leadership states, “The first role of the leader is to define reality.” This is good - no great - advice. You may have heard the joke that ends - “You can’t get there from here.” The truth is that you can’t get there from here if you don’t know where here is. This is the genius of Mr. DePree’s aforementioned statement - your current reality is the “here.”

If you, like so many others, are standing on the ledge of 2008 and either looking back to yesterday or peering forward to 2009 - let me make one suggestion - STOP! Before doing anything else “define reality.” Seize the moment - the present - here.

Who are you? What is your identity? Do you have peace of mind? Do you want peace of mind? (If no - keep doing what you’re doing because any road will get you there.) Are you making money and having fun? Are the people closest to you benefiting from your fulfillment or are they suffering from your frustrations? Is anyone close to you? In your opinion? In theirs? Is your life balanced?

If I remember the story correctly (this lead in statement saves me much time on research) - St. Francis Assisi was hoeing in his garden when another monk asked, “If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what would you do?” St. Francis looked up and said, “I’d keep hoeing in my garden.” This in my mind is fulfillment - a life lived without regrets - order not chaos - peace of mind - balance.

If your end was near - “Would you keep hoeing?”

Years ago I read the following quote. I can’t remember the source - so I’ll claim it for my people. This is a Cajun Proverb (the Japanese and Chinese have so many already). So from the lips of Dali Confucius Boudreaux I offer you this wisdom:

“Some know not and know not that they know not, shun them they are fools.”

“Some know not and know that they know not, teach them they are students.”

“Some know and know not that they know, wake them - they sleep.”

“Some know and know that they know, follow them they are wise.”

I’m certain that most fools would not read these words of wisdom and if they started the process, they would have already quit so if you’re still reading you’re probably a student, asleep, or a leader. As a practical matter you are probably each of these depending upon the moment or the specific phase of your life you are considering.

At this moment spend time understanding “Who you be?” and worry less about “What to do?” If you are the student - LEARN, if you are asleep - AWAKEN AND LIVE, and if you are wise - LEAD! If you do - your New Year will be Happy!

Copyright (December 2008) - Michael G. Manes
All rights reserved

Making Money and Having Fun - An Ideal or a Result?

2008-12-18T20:06:00.000-08:00

I’ve been writing columns and articles (these were the Stone Age [pre-Internet] equivalent to Blogs) for thirty plus years. I’ve never before established a pre-requisite for reading any of these collections of words on paper. Today I’d like to suggest one - before reading further, please review my December 11, 2008 posting on this blog (www.thewisdomofscartissue.blogspot.com - One Word on New Year’s Resolutions.

In that document I discuss the “DO” and “BE” aspects of our lives. In a nutshell - DO is our actions - jobs, behavior, and choices. BE is our heart and soul - our Identity. A friend and professional counselor, Carter Featherston, defines Identity - “your deepest conviction of your own personal value, goodness, and power.” I believe BE is most important and DO should supplement and complement BE.

Unfortunately in our chaotic world of today all too often we are too busy “doing” to take time to consider our “being.” For that reason I’m going to first discuss “DO” in advance of addressing “BE.”

At a program I attended many years ago - the speaker suggested that the purpose of business “is to make money and have fun.” He further stated, “If you are not doing both you should quit.” This made sense to me then and now appears to be a positive and hopeful portrayal of “DO.” It was an “ah ha” moment - a learning experience.

My education continued - one weekend in about 1985 I was attending a silent retreat at Manresa the Jesuit Retreat House in Convent Louisiana. Father Tom was talking to about 100 of us. I’ll paraphrase his comments.

In each of your communities you are seen as very successful. The majority of you have many assets, yet when I meet with most of you in my office you are troubled. What I’ve learned in my life is that the greatest asset is peace of mind and the secret to peace of mind is balance in life.

As he made this statement, you could see most of the men focus on his words and their own lives. He continued, “I believe the process of balance in life is simple.” He drew intersecting / perpendicular lines on the Board. In each quadrant he wrote one of the following words - FAITH / LOVE / WORK / PLAY.

Then he said, “If you can have Faith (a belief in and relationship with a higher power), Love (family and friends), Work and Play in equal balance in our life, you will be fulfilled.”

You could see the words and picture focus the group and address their collective angst. They got it. He understood and now so do we. This was a DO issue that could help us discover WHO WE BE - OUR IDENTITY. It was (and I hope for you is) the beginning of a process that all should consider. I hope and pray - that you might discover in coming weeks the opportunity to IDENTIFY YOURSELF.

Copyright (December 2008) - Michael G. Manes
All rights reserved

One Word on New Year's Resolutions

2008-12-11T07:42:00.000-08:00

If you are now or soon will be planning your New Year’s Resolutions by sitting quietly and reflecting on the past year - terrorism, a Wall Street meltdown, a global recession, a political shift of seismic proportions - hope, change, fear, concern, etc. and considering the future and what you must do to make your life and your world better let me offer one word - DON’T!

I’m not against weight loss, exercise, more family time, meditation and prayer but I am convinced that these most noble Resolutions announced on January 1 only become broken promises and guilt by April Fools day. Maybe that was the origin of this day - a quitting point for us lying to ourselves. A day when we could once again get back to our overeating, sedentary, stressed lives and end the living lie that we have struggled with since New Years. Maybe we are really April Fools…

My mind flashes (or at least flickers back) to a conversation I had years ago. One of my good friends and mentors asked me what the words DO and BE meant to me. After much consideration, I offered the following definitions. BE is who we are – this is our core being – our mind, heart, and soul. DO are the roads we take as we travel through life – our actions -- the choices we make, our job, our behavior, etc.

We agreed that ideally our DO and BE should be aligned; all too often these are not. The difference between our DO and BE is stress and the dysfunction in our lives. An analysis of our life may indicate that we start to DO before we fully understand who we BE (it’s not good grammar – it’s much more important than that). What you do is your job. Who you "be" is your life, your heart, and your soul!

I’ve written about, spoken of, and facilitated more business and strategic planning efforts than many. And my efforts like those of so many others go nowhere. Why? Because these efforts are always about the “things” we do and never about “who we be” as individuals and as organizations. Sounds a little like April Fools…

My Resolution for the New Year is to find those “addicted” to the status quo and their comfort zone but who have finally reached the point where they want more out of life, living, business, and community. I will work with people who are making money but not having fun. Individuals who have a check book in balance but a life that is not. I will work with business owners who realize that peace of mind is a most important asset and who seek fulfillment as an individual and corporate goal.

The process proposed will facilitate the business owner first finding “individual balance” and clearly articulated individual values. It will then transition to organizational values compatible - complementary and supplementary to the owner’s values. Next we will encourage and support every member of the organization in finding their personal core - their “BE” and assuring that they are compatible with the new organizational “BE.” Finally we will align all to the markets we serve. Balance, alignment, fulfillment, peace of mind - this I resolve!

Copyright (December 2008) - Michael Manes
All rights resereved

The Great Economic Collapse of 2008 - What Now?

2008-11-29T05:14:00.000-08:00

One Friday evening, Boudreaux and Comeaux go to the Veteran’s Building in New Iberia for a Fais Do Do (dance). They drive to the back of the building, park under the back carport, and enter through the back door. About 3:00 a.m. - after hours of hard drinking, dancing, and partying, the band quits playing. Comeaux goes to the car but Boudreaux is not there. Comeaux goes back into the building and does not see him. He searches in the bathroom and under the tables - no Boudreaux.

Finally he looks out of the front plate glass window and sees Boudreaux on all fours rooting in the grass under a streetlight. He walks up and says, “Boudreaux, what are you doing?” Boudreaux responds, “Mais I’m looking for my car keys.” Comeaux laughs and says, “They can’t be out here - we went in the backdoor, stayed inside all night, and so there’s no way your keys can be out front.” Boudreaux mumbles - “Mais I know dat - but the light’s so much better here…”

As silly as this story is - it speaks volumes to where we are today as individuals and a country. Most of us would rather root around in the light of the status quo then to venture out into the darkness of tomorrow where opportunities and innovations lie. To state it another way - we must change in order to find hope!

In last week’s Blog we discussed how America had evolved from a country tested in the darkness of difficulties and maturing into the spotlight as the world’s only military and economic superpower. Today we stand on the precipice of darkness or at least that is what the media wants us to believe. Rather than focus on the worst of predictions - below are offered ideas for taking the road back to greatness - the road less traveled. Let’s go “back to the future.”

Obviously we face great challenges today. Change is needed. Hope is in our DNA. Here’s the good news - change occurs ONLY when the pain of the status quo is too severe or when the opportunity at hand is too great to ignore. The time is right let’s not miss out on this once in a life time opportunity.

• Let’s mend the fabric that is the American culture. Let’s weave together our differences and create a single culture that is inclusive of diversity - people and opinions - but not divided into diverse cultures. Let’s not be hyphenated Americans but rather let’s be American’s first and then celebrate our unique history, ideas, cultures, and ethnicity.

• Let’s first look to the general good and then focus on our special interest.

• Let’s commit to be survivors versus whine about being victims.

• Acknowledge that “life ain’t fair” - work for justice.

• Acknowledge the genius of Henry Ford when he said, “If you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” `WE CAN!

• Remember that certain principles exist in nature (gravity) and economics (supply and demand, adverse selection, balance needed between income and outgo, etc.)and ignoring these can cause grave peril.

• We are guaranteed the “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” - the government can’t deliver happiness - it is not an entitlement.

• Personal responsibility is still an absolute necessity if our society is to prevail. As Paul Harvey says, “Self-government without self-discipline will not work.”

• Enjoy what you have versus obsessing about what you lack.

• Jobs produce salaries - risk produces (the chance of) wealth.

• Scar tissue should be celebrated and brain tissue pursued but not embraced as the “be all and end all of civilization” - remember “the smartest guys in the room” brought us Enron, AIG, etc.

• Let’s get back to basics - bankers should lend money on character, credit and then collateral. Recognize that lending on collateral alone is too great a risk and a “gamble” society can’t afford to pay when we lose.

• Lenders should always “keep skin in the game” - selling off a loan improperly underwritten because compensation rewards the transaction and not the result is a recipe for disaster.

• Let’s end the obsession with 30 day results and the next quarterly report. Let’s hold Boards and the Officers of organizations accountable to a 5 year “rolling” plan where the long term is respected.

• Let’s hold the media accountable to “reporting” the facts not creating the news. If it’s opinion - state it on the front and back end. If its news be sure it so. The media doesn’t slant to the left or the right but to the negative and no one or no society can deal with negative 24 / 7 and not be impacted negatively. Duh!

• Regulation is needed. Entrepreneurs left unmonitored / unregulated will often “run amok.” We need to find regulators intellectually and morally equipped for the job, trained and “battle tested,” and motivated to find problems where they exist. We need investigators not “bean counters.” Entrepreneurs - so inclined - can run circles around bureaucrats.

• Ultimately we need to move back to a system of standards / shared values - moral relativism isn’t working.

• Recognize “too big to succeed” is more real than “too big to fail.”

• Savings, personal accountability, restraint of the consumer gene are necessary for personal success. Without these our companies, neighborhoods, and communities will be at jeopardy. If people aren’t accountable - we must let them pay the consequences.

• Parents love your children and help them grow strong enough to address whatever life throws their way. Don’t coddle them - frustrate them, challenge them, discipline them - someday they’ll thank you.

• Forget the government as a solution to every problem. Recognize them as the cause of many. Work to improve government performance.

• Understand that budgets mean something and that over time income and outgo will need to balance - including the outgo to cover past deficits and debt.

• Let’s end the legacy of legacy systems. Today we talk casually about “legacy systems” being a problem for organizations. Often this refers to yesterday’s technology not being right for tomorrow’s world. In the economic world it includes “promises made” without the “money to make it happen.” Defined benefit plans transitioned to defined contribution programs because one promise can be honored the other can’t. This is true for Government and the private sector. When the Big 3 fail - part of the problem will prove to be their “legacy” systems.

• Remember Einstein was a genius for a reason:

o “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
o “The significant problems we have cannot be solved at the same level of thinking with which we created them.”
o “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”

• Recognize that Peter Drucker was very smart, too.

o “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”

Before you dismiss these ramblings - as too simple, too innocent and too naïve - remember that so are the concepts of HOPE and CHANGE. The good news - no the great news is that we’ve landed a man on the moon so there is nothing “we the people” can’t accomplish when we commit to it. YES WE CAN!

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (November 29, 2008)
All rights reserved

The Great Economic Collapse of 2008 - What happened?

2008-11-15T12:15:00.001-08:00

Stormy defines me as “often wrong but never in doubt.” He’s probably right. What follows is my best and most confident attempt to explain “what happened” to cause our recent financial meltdown.

Our parents and grandparents took a country distressed by World War I and the Great Depression and built it into the greatest military and economic super power in the history of the world. Today we appear to be backing into another depression.

• In the post-depression world - people had “nothing” and appreciated everything. Today most have “everything” and appreciate nothing.

• The greatest generation was made up of survivors. Today too many believe we are all victims.

• Most in the past sought only opportunity and freedom to pursue it. Today many feel entitled and expect guarantees - rewards without risk.

• Our parents and grandparents had earned the wisdom that is delivered in scar tissue. They provided and even demanded that we develop our brain tissue first and sought to protect us from being scarred.

• They lived on the survival and security rungs of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. We were blessed with positioning at the upper reaches of Maslow’s social and self-esteem ladder. We were more protected than we were practiced in the fine art of survival.

• They delayed or denied their own satisfaction. We demand instant gratification. They took the long term view in relationships, investments, plans, etc. We operate in the immediate and short term.

• They grew up in and through a philosophy that articulated clear parameters of right and wrong. We were more enlightened and “split hairs” using moral relativism. Over time the X Commandments have become more akin to the X Suggestions.

• Yesterday was a “pay as you go world.” Today we “go first” and “pay later.” Unfortunately this model has let us over-acquire for ourselves and over stimulate the economy. Now we have trillions of dollars of debt, limited sustainable assets, a backlog of supply, and no longer the liquidity or credit to create or sustain a demand.

• Yesterday’s communities were built on relationships - high touch. We knew who we were dealing with and so our word became important. Everything was personal.
Today’s world is driven more by transactions - high tech. We often aren’t subject to personal scrutiny in doing a deal and suffer limited embarrassment if we fail. Today’s world is faceless - not personal.

• There was historically a sense “of too big to fail.” We are evolving into a cadre of businesses and industries “too big to succeed.”

• We were a melting pot culture that blended immigrants with Italian or Greek or African or Cajun heritage into Americans. Today we’re fragmenting this common bond into a mosaic of hyphenated Americans where our common values and shared experiences and language are becoming secondary to our ethnic uniqueness. A house divided…

• In yesterday’s communities, bankers knew you and lived with you. They lent money first on your character, then on your credit and finally on your collateral. Today money is lent on collateral, often without knowledge of character or acceptable or even scrutiny of your credit.

• In the days gone by - bankers kept the risk they took with most if not all loans. Today they often sell off these loans and so the risk they took is someone else’s problem. They no longer have “skin in the game.”

• Yesterday everyone maintained a rainy day fund. Today many believe government can stop rain or bail us out from the damage done by rain.

• Yesterday there were objective rules and officials to enforce these rules and accountability to the rules. Today - the rules are less rigid, officials seem to be easily influenced, and all too often are subjective in their interpretation. Right and wrong now are subjective.

• Yesterday the regulators, auditors, and economic officials were believed to be above reproach. Today there are too many examples of “referees” being bought, auditors mismatched to the individuals / organizations they are auditing, or watch dogs too easily distracted from their task.

Next week - with the same “ignorance” provided by “over confidence” I’ll provide my best guess on what needs to be done from this point forward. Until then I’ll close with the story of Boudreaux and Marie driving down the highway.

Boudreaux was positioned squarely under the steering wheel and Marie was leaning against the passenger side door. A teenage couple drove past them with the young girl nearly sitting in lap of the young boy that was driving. Marie pointed to the couple and remarked, “Look how romantic.” Boudreaux smiled and responded, “I didn’t move.”

Has America “moved” from the foundation that our greatness was built upon?

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (October 2008)
All rights reserved

Decision Making in Corporate America

2008-11-09T05:10:00.000-08:00

Nancy Newbee is the newest trainee for LOCO (Large Old Company), Inc. She was hired because she is bright, articulate, well educated and motivated. She is in her second week of training.

Her orders include: “We’ll teach you all you need to know. Sammy Supervisor will monitor your every action and coordinate your training. Don’t take a step without his clearance. When he’s busy just read through the procedures manual.”

Nancy is already frustrated by this training process but is committed to following the rules.

Upon arriving at work today, Nancy discovers the kitchen is on fire! As instructed, she rushes to Sammy Supervisor. Interrupting him she says, “There’s a major problem!”

Sammy is obviously disturbed by this interruption in his routine. “Nancy, my schedule will not allow me to work with you until this afternoon, go back to the conference room and continue studying the procedures.”

“But Mr. Supervisor, this is a major problem!” Nancy pleads.

“But nothing! I’m busy. We’ll discuss it this afternoon. If it can’t wait, go see the department head” explains Sam.

Nancy rushes to the office of Billy Big and shouts, “Mr. Big, we have a major problem and Mr. Sam said to see you!” Mr. Big states politely…all the while wondering why Sam hires these excitable “airheads”.

“But Mr. Big the building…” interrupts Nancy.

“Nancy, see my secretary for an appointment or call maintenance if it’s a building problem…” Mr. Big says impatiently and thinking “Where does Sam find these characters?”

Near panic, Nancy calls maintenance. The line is busy. As a last resort, Nancy calls Ruth Radar the senior secretary in the accounting department. Everyone has told her that Ruth really runs this place. She can get anything done.

“Ruth Radar, may I help you?” is the response on the phone.

“Miss Radar, this is Nancy, the new trainee. The building is on fire! What should I do?” shouts Nancy through her tears.

“Nancy, CALL 911!” Ruth says calmly.

Of course this is a ridiculous example…or is it?

Assuming you are the boss, try this eight question test:

In your business, do you hire the best and brightest and then instruct them not to think, act or do anything during their training except as you tell them to do?

Do you promise training and substitute reading of procedure manuals?

Do you create barriers to communications, interaction and effectiveness by scheduling the new employee’s problems and inquiries to the busy schedules of your other personnel?

Do you and your staff ignore what new employees are saying?

Is the process more important than the result? Does the urgent get in the way of important?

Do layers of bureaucracy between you, your employees and customers interfere with contact, communications, and results?

Is “Ruth Radar” running your shop?

Do you have any fires burning in your office?

If you answered “no” to all of these questions, congratulations!

Now go back and try again. The perfect business would have 8 “no” answers but very few businesses are perfect. If you are like LOCO (a large old company), you might be so far out of touch with your “trainees”, employees and customers that you won’t hear about a “fire” til it starts to burn your desk.

Look back at IBM, GM (please note - this article was written in 2000 - long before today's near death condition of GM), and Sears in the late 1980s. These were “kings” of their respective jungles. Yet all of these leaders nearly “burned to the ground”. Many thousands of employees were terminated, profits ended, and stock values fell. If you would have talked to any of these terminated employees you would have learned that the fire had burned for a long time and that many people had tried to sound the alarm.

Remember the large old insurance companies that are no longer here – Continental, Aetna, Reliance, etc. Did you, as an agent, smell the smoke? Did the leadership of these carriers ignore your alarm?

Sam Walton, who had reasonable success in business during his lifetime once said, “There is only one boss – the customer. Customers can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending their money somewhere else.”

Sam was right. In your business, do you or Nancy have the most direct contact with the customer – the ultimate boss? If Nancy has the most contact is she adequately trained, motivated and monitored? Is she providing feedback? Are you listening?

Take 1 minute to draw a picture of your organization. Now draw a frame around your picture? Does this frame create a pyramid? Are you, as the “boss”, at the pinnacle? Is Nancy and her fellow trainees at the base? Is it prudent to have the least experienced personnel closest to the customers?

Your organization was formed to meet the needs of customers? You exist to serve these same customers. Where are these customers in the organizational chart? Did you “forget” to draw them into the picture? How much distance is there between you (as boss) and the customers?

Does this pyramid model facilitate the free flow of information between you and the customers or does it “buffer” you from the real thoughts and feelings of the “real boss” (the customer)? In your business is the customer and his or her problem seen as an interruption of the work or the very reason for your existence?

If you had to downsize your company, where would the cuts be made – at the top, middle, or bottom of the pyramid? Are the people in the hierarchy of the pyramid there because they did or can do more for the consumer or were they pushed up by the people they hired to support them? Is your company “fat” or “lean”?

If you employees answered the above questions, would they agree with you? If customers were asked, what would they say? If your customers voted tomorrow, who would be retained? Who would be fired?

Think about it! Do you dare to ask?

© Square One Consulting – September 2000
All rights reserved

Marketing 101 / Text and Lab Workbook - Now Only $.69

2008-11-04T08:14:00.000-08:00

A friend, Barbara Carey (e-mail - talkshop@bellsouth.net), recommended that I buy this text and it’s her ideas that are this article. Her thoughts completed the circle that originated from earlier comments from another friend, Anne Bailey Berman (www.chadwickmartinbailey.com).

Anne who is an expert in Marketing and Market Research once told me that the real purpose of Marketing is to change consumer behavior. I had never heard the topic of Marketing defined so succinctly. I thought I understood this. After my conversation with Barbara and my acquisition of the Textbook / Workbook she recommended, I’m now sure that I do.

If you, like me, merely scan titles of articles and don’t study them in depth go back and note that the price on the Text mentioned is 69 cents, not $69.00. Sixty-nine dollars actually maybe a low price to pay for a college text. When I was an instructor at LSU, I was amazed at the prices charged for textbooks that included lots of information and yet (in my opinion) very little wisdom.

If you need further reinforcement on my observations, remember that very few students keep these books once they’ve read them and once they sell them back they get only a few cents on the dollar. If they were truly of value, the smart students would keep them and those books that were returned would net a higher value.

Lab Workbooks, have a greater value because they force you to do more them read – they drive experience / experimentation. In workbooks we tend to write more than we read and keep them after we’re done. Workbooks are not about reading about someone else’s knowledge but rather are about experiencing something on our own that results in our obtaining knowledge.

The most incredible feature of this recommended Textbook / Workbook on the soul of Marketing is not the price, although sixty-nine cents is a bargain. It is not the fact that there are fewer words in this text then are on two pages of most traditional books. It’s not the reality that the knowledge shared has been around for over 150 years and it’s not even the fact that other versions are available for 49 and 89 cents.

What is most amazing is the way the knowledge is intertwined with the experience of using the knowledge and in this way the ultimate EDUCATION ON MARKETING is provided in a source document that is simple to read, inexpensive, and timeless.

I first saw this “text” over 50 years ago – my momma was reading it. At the time I did not understand the wisdom to be gained. Now I do. Unfortunately I was not educated or smart enough to discover this on my own; it took prompting by Barbara to hurry me to the store for my own copy and to begin this discovery of the true soul of Marketing. My enthusiasm was so great that I bought a new copy even though there was a perfectly good copy already on the shelf in my home. Thanks Barbara.

If you promise to finish reading this article before you rush out to buy your own, I’ll now share with you the name of this classic on Marketing. It comes in an orange cover (that has changed little in the 150 years that it’s been in print) with a logo you’ll recognize – a red circle with the words ARM AND HAMMER included. You see this Textbook / Workbook is nothing more then a box of ARM AND HAMMER Pure Baking Soda.

My volume was 16 ounces. For 49 cents I could have gotten the condensed version with only half as much; for 20 cents more I could have bought the container tailored to cold storage – the Refrigerator / Freezer Edition.

I believe I can convince you that this “book” is about not just the history but also the future of Marketing. First however, let’s briefly step back to the future. The first article on Marketing I read when I entered the business world was Marketing Myopia (Harvard Business Review) by Ted Levitt. It is a classic.

In that article Dr. Levitt explains that one of the reasons Penn Central Railroad failed was that they thought they were in the railroad business when in fact they should have been in the transportation business. Today one of the most important questions a business owner can ask, “is what business are we in?”

If you study traditional books on Marketing you’ll see the “P words” – product, packaging, pricing, presentation, etc. If you study the aforementioned Text you’ll see these addressed but if you “dig deeper” you’ll see what Anne shared with me – you’ll see a Marketing Plan in action that changes consumer behavior.

Let me explain. As a little boy my Mamam (grandmother) used this product to make homemade biscuits every Tuesday morning and Angel Food and Pound Cakes many other days. (We didn’t call them homemade in those days because almost everything was. However as life accelerated and most Mommas and Grandmas moved from the kitchen to the workforce we had to differentiate “homemade” from “store-bought.”)

About this same time, I learned that Baking Soda could be used to treat heartburn, acid indigestion, sour and upset stomach, etc. Of course since those days back in the “dark ages”, we seen a proliferation of antacids both over the counter and prescription.

For many years I used Baking Soda in lieu of toothpaste and teeth whiteners. Now I can go to the store and select from dozens of tooth products.

When I moved out on my own and was responsible for my own refrigerator (we called them iceboxes) and the food in it, I discovered that I wasn’t as disciplined as my Momma and would not clean the box every week. I also discovered that Baking Soda would help with the odors created by the leftovers that I failed to manage.

Before I could buy carpet deodorant in boxes, cans, and spray containers and in hundreds of scents, I learned that a little Baking Soda on the carpet where my dog had been indiscreet would do as well. I also know that I can use Baking Soda in my garbage can if I don’t want to line it with bags or wash it after every use.

A traditional company facing the competitive threats and innovations that ARM AND HAMMER has seen would long since be gone from the marketplace. Commercial bakeries, toothpaste companies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and “scent” makers should have long since eliminated this little orange box of low cost yet most valuable powder.

Here’s the reality and the lesson in Marketing that is contained in this one little box. If Arm and Hammer had defined their business as Baking Soda, I’d bet all I own that they would be out of business today.

The fact is that they continue to prosper. Prosper with a P yet Prosper without the traditional Ps of Marketing. The package has not changed, the product has not changed, and the price (even adjusted for inflation over 150 years) is nearly the same.

What the author of this GREATEST MARKETING TEXTBOOK / WORKBOOK of all times has taught us and what through experience we have observed is that MARKETING IS ABOUT CHANGING CUSTOMER BEHAVIOR.

Think about it – the product is baking soda. Could I get you to put toothpaste, deodorants, or carpet fresh in your biscuits? Could I get you to clean your carpet with toothpaste? Could I get you to put carpet fresh in your refrigerator? Could I get you to treat your upset stomach with deodorizer?

Because of Anne’s wisdom and Barbara’s explanation, I now stand in awe of this tiny orange box – this TEXTBOOK – this timeless product. If I maybe so presumptuous – I’d like to suggest that ARM AND HAMMER is in the customer problem-solving (not the baking soda) business and their Research and Development team discovers problems that this simple product can solve. They then send their discoveries to the Marketing Department. The Marketers then CHANGE THE BEHAVIOR OF THE CONSUMER to use this innovation!

I bet I’m right. What a country!

Copyright - Michael G. Manes / Square One Consulting (September 2001)
All rights reserved

The Challenge of Change

2008-10-28T04:26:00.000-07:00

“There is no more delicate a matter to take in hand, nor more dangerous to conduct, nor more doubtful to success, than to step up as a leader in the introduction of change. For he who innovates will have for his enemies all those well off under the existing order of things, and only lukewarm supporters in those who might be better off under the new.” Niccolo Machiavelli

Mr. Machiavelli was right. We as individuals and us as an organization will rarely if ever change voluntarily. Simply stated about the only time we embrace change is when the pain (threat / risk) of the status quo is so severe that remaining in our comfort zone is intolerable or potential gain from venturing out into the new is so considerable that maintaining the status quo is foolish.

I’ve recently observed several attempts at innovation – CHANGE. These included among others, one company capitalizing on their unique positioning in the marketplace; another involved a joint venture between two compatible industry leaders that would have provided both with a tremendous head start in an evolving market niche. Another was a strategic alliance of similar operations that were culturally different – yet nearly perfect in the complementary / supplementary nature of their organizations.

In all of these situations objective observers agreed that these new ventures created substantial opportunities for the participants. All on the outside could clearly see the wisdom in moving forward. In reality none of these ventures succeeded.

Objective analysis of these “failed attempts” indicates that the problem was not the opportunity, the plan, the positioning, or the competitors. None of these efforts “were killed” because of external forces. All were sabotaged from within. The reality is that the majority of the people in both organizations were very comfortable with where they were and did not have any intent to help the leadership of the organizations move the systems from there – their “comfort zone” to where they really should be – “a future ideal”.

Here’s the reality – tomorrow’s world requires change. Failure to move – to change is terminal. The challenge for the leaders of organizations is to either stretch the comfort zone of their employees or motivate these same “folks” to leave their comfort zone.

The good news is that once failure to change becomes “life threatening” people are willing to attempt the new. The bad news is that waiting too long sometimes creates an insurmountable challenge that leads to “death”.

Following are two stories that speak volumes of peoples’ willingness to risk when things get “bad enough”.

Jerry Clower, the great storyteller from Yazoo, Mississippi told the story about Mr. Ledbetter following a huge coon up into the tree. When the coon attacked, Ledbetter yelled for his “podna” to shoot it. The friend said he wouldn’t for fear of hitting Mr. Ledbetter. Ledbetter responded “shoot up here amongst us cause one of us needs relief!”

In a much more serious circumstance an Army officer, Pete Dawkins, called for a Napalm attack on himself and his own unit because Viet Cong surrounded it. To quote Mr. Ledbetter – “they needed relief”.

If you consider the above circumstances – one humorous and one deadly serious the fact is that in both cases “safe” options had been exhausted. It was time to risk death in order to secure life.

In advance of taking such desperate action, you can believe that Mr. Ledbetter and Captain Dawkins, carefully considered their current reality, all options available, and the risk of inaction. Their decisions – take action regardless of the risks involved.

As you prepare your organization for tomorrow you need to decide – is change inevitable? Will failure to change threaten your future? Will the members of your team voluntarily move into the future?

Should you consider a pre-emptive strike on your own organization – will napalm motivate your organization to change? Which is the greater risk having someone “shoot up amongst us” or remain in the death grip of the “status quo”?

Pogo said – “we have found the enemy and it is us!”

© Square One Consulting – January 2001
All rights reserved

"You can't handle the truth!"

2008-10-19T14:18:00.000-07:00

In the movie a Few Good Men Jessep and Kaffee had an exchange that included the aforementioned statement. In reality most of us can’t handle the truth either.

Truth is the focus of many great quotes, thoughts and thinkers, good intentions, and our belief system yet time and time again it is just a word on a page and not an action. Denial is the safety net of an addict. Without denial addiction overwhelms us (even addiction to the status quo) – remove denial and the healing process begins.

“The truth will set you free.” “To thine own self be true.” “If you tell the truth you don’t have to remember what you said.” “I cannot tell a lie …” In the world of business and life truth or integrity is one of the values many people use to identify themselves or to be at peace with themselves. It is most important.

Max DePree – a writer on Leadership states that “the first role of the leader is to define reality.” When I speak to groups on leadership and planning I often encourage the “folks” to tell the truth. In this same setting I do recognize that in spite of our best intentions we all sometimes lie. The one warning I reinforce throughout the program however is to NEVER lie to yourself. This is a recipe for disaster. All this being said and despite the wisdom of the ages, the X Commandments, the Bible, and the aforementioned quotes – “other” people still lie.

Another curiosity is what we do with the truth when we have it. Some people brag about “speaking truth to power.” I sometimes believe this is a lie used to cover your losing side in a debate. Sometimes it is a noble attempt to change the world. Other times it is an excuse for an effort that went nowhere. Sometimes it works – sometimes it doesn’t. The student in Tiananmen Square standing in front of the tank was speaking truth to power. His picture will forever be part of our history and 100 years from now we may talk of the impact of his statement. Today, however, his intentions were good the measurable impact was limited.

Rewind my personal DVD to April of 1971 and I can vividly recall the Senior Drill Sergeant addressing our Brigade in basic training. He said – “gentlemen by the end of this next 8 weeks you’ll make a forced march of 7 ½ miles in under 65 minutes.” As a 240 pound boy with a 40 inch waist I laughed to myself – “fat chance” I said. Fast forward 8 weeks and the new six foot two inch, 180 pound man with a 34” waist that completed that march thought – “Wow – we did it.”

Here’s reality – the drill sergeant had spoken truth to complacency. His impact was real – immediate and significant. His efforts weren’t as noble to a society as the truth to power statement of the student – his efforts were however to each individual soldier more important. He had gotten us ready to go to war – he directly impacted all and probably saves some lives – his truth to complacency worked. In your business – Do you know the truth? Do you tell the truth? Do you speak to power or complacency? Do you get results? Can you handle the truth? Tell the truth!

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (December 2007)
All rights reserved

The Wisdom of Joe Gray

2008-10-11T15:30:00.000-07:00

One of the books on Enron and its collapse was titled The Smartest Guys in the Room. I haven’t read it but I suspect that I could report on its content without much difficulty. Gather the right (or wrong) set of egos, IQs, MBAs, CPAs, and other self appointed “best and brightest” together – inject them with the steroids of profit sharing, salary and perks, each other, and stock options and you quickly will see a team run fast – fast and out of control.

Superstars are great – in moderation. Superstars as your entire line up are a recipe for disaster. Balance is good. When a tailback’s ego is out of control an average lineman can miss a block and return “Mr. Big Stuff” back to reality. Unless Mr. All American point guard can spread the defense with his lesser comrades – his moves will be nothing more than one guy “stuffed” by five lesser players.

In business – I don’t want the superstar. Give me the team – well balanced, committed, properly trained, motivated, passionate, and focused and I’ll gladly run onto the field of competition. If a superstar appears that’s lagniappe.

Since the fast majority of us are limited in our talent we must focus on preparation, strategy, and commitment in order to prevail. We can’t by nature play better – we must work harder, be smarter, and hopefully enjoy a little luck. One of the “coaches” that has taught me the most in this game of insurance is Joe Gray. Joe’s been around for a long time – by now I suspect he’s pushing 50 years in. Joe is the slowest moving and talking salesman you may ever meet – but he’s also great.

Watching Joe the first time – you’d bet against him. But through the years I’ve learned so much – I’ve watched him play the “tortoise” in a world of “hares” – wild hares. I can’t slow my pace to emulate Joe but I can interject into my natural style the things Joe has taught me. I don’t know how I compare to Joe in terms of brain tissue but I do know that I envy his scar tissue – he is wise – very wise.

From Joe I learned to “squint your ears.” Your job is to first listen then to talk - listen at least twice as much as you talk (2 ears / 1 mouth). Joe explained to me that too many sales folks sell the product and then buy it back. When the client says “I want it” – give it to them. Shut up – don’t go any further. The job is done. You can wax poetic when you deliver the product. Make the sale first.

Joe taught me that “you can teach a dog to hunt but you can’t teach him to smell.” When you find one of the rare few sales folks that can “smell” let them run and hunt don’t burden them with too much training. When you find a “dog” willing to work at hunting, train them. They can be good as well.

From Joe I learned that anyone can know and explain the need for insurance, these same folks can also teach the policy - the real success stories in our business however help the clients find the money to pay the premium. Thanks Joe.

Copyright (June 2007) Michael G. Manes
All Rights Reserved

Jack was Right!

2008-10-04T05:08:00.000-07:00

Preface: This article was originally written for Insurance Agents. It attempts to show the need for a Catastrophe / Contingency Planning and Disaster Management program as well as ideas / questions to help you develop a crisis communications plan. Development of such programs is complex and requires significant thought, planning, and actions. I encourage you to use this article as an "organizational gad fly" to get such a plan created for your business / family.

You don't want to do your catastrophe planning while standing waste deep in water or in the pile of debris that was your office.

Good luck - be safe!

A month or so after Hurricanes Rita and Katrina had changed our world on the Gulf Coast (yours changed too – you just might not realize it for awhile) forever, I called a good friend, Jack Burke with my idea du jour.

I was going to package the collective Rita / Katrina experiences learned in the wake of these storms and build programs, processes, etc. so that Catastrophe / Contingency Planning and Disaster Management could be added to the tool bag of independent agents for their own shops and businesses and individuals they insure.

Jack was gentle but direct and now in retrospect - very correct. He said, “Mike that’s a great idea. Unfortunately I don’t think it will work. You see people need denial in order to survive the potential worse case scenarios that might occur. We can’t handle the possibilities.”

He went on to explain that the best innovation he had ever seen never sold because it was based upon a premise of self-defense from personal attacks and he had discovered that the vast majority of people were unwilling or unable to deal with that possibility.

I was dejected with Jack’s comments but continued to fantasize about the possibilities of this great idea. Two events since my conversation with Jack have now convinced me that Jack was right and it is good business to return to my more traditional pre-storm fantasies. (Unfortunately laws of decency and commons sense prohibit me from sharing these with you.)

In October of 2005, I attended a Board of Trustees meeting in the Great Northwest. With my newly acquired post-storm wisdom (scar tissue) I proposed developing a contingency / catastrophic and disaster management plan for this organization. People were respectful of my experience but smiled and said “Mike, we already have a plan for fires, and earthquakes, and we don’t have the risk of flood here.”

With my newfound passion, I continued explaining that I was not talking about traditional risks that everyone faces; I meant the catastrophe that might destroy not just our facility but the community and the marketplace. Again my fellow Board members nodded politely, smiled, and went onto the next agenda item.

I persisted, “What about a dirty bomb?” What if we have to abandon this community forever? What if…? The Chair smiled and said “next agenda item is…” Six months later I surfaced the same topic and got a similar response.

Jack Burke was right – denial is part of our psyche!

Then three months ago, Jody at the PIA of Louisiana asked me to develop a CE program for the summer conference. We agreed that “crisis communications” (a.k.a. – what to do in an emergency and how to manage a disaster) was important. Then a “flashback” – two years earlier we had presented a great program on “crisis communications” to this same group at this same conference.

When the program was originally (2003) announced, most members rolled their eyes – if they attended they slept politely and in their critiques they expressed their honest feelings. “Why would an independent agency ever need a crisis communications plan?” (I tried to explain – because s_____ happens.)

I’ve often wondered if when their home, office, communities, and marketplaces were destroyed and communications were impossible, if they had any second thoughts about the program they slept through. When I introduce the program later this month I’ll remind them of the passed opportunity to prepare for the worse while they hoped for the best. The bottom line – Jack was right.

Since I know Jack is right but I am the perpetual optimist (dreamer / fool), I’ll share with you some of the thoughts that I will again attempt to force feed our audience at the Conference. I’ll raise for you some questions rather than provide answers.

If you’ve read this far, I encourage you to finish the article. Let me pre-empt your first question – WHY WOULD A SMALL (OR MEDIUM OR LARGE) INDEPENDENT AGENT EVER NEED A CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS PLAN?

Here are a few reasons – tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, dirty bombs, an employee is arrested for stealing your agency funds (your insureds will be concerned about their premium payments), your partner is arrested for child molestation, drug distribution, etc.

I know these things will never happen to you (denial is necessary) but if you are ever standing in the rubble of your former office and your e-mail / fax / phones / cells / etc. don’t work you might wish you had read on.

If you ever walk to the road at 6:00 a.m. in your bathrobe to pick up your newspaper only to be greeted by Geraldo Rivera jamming a microphone / camera in your face and asking for your comments about the terrible things your partner has been doing all these years – remember “I told you so.”

1. What event might occur that could change your world?

2. What event might change the world of your customers, carries, community, etc.?

3. Who can talk for you and your organization?

4. Who are your audiences (stakeholders)?

5. What are their individual needs? (Don’t limit your thoughts to just the products you sell. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs might provide a good starting point.)

6. What should the message be? Do you or your “spokesperson” know this message? Can you effectively communicate it?

7. What must you deliver in addition to a message / information? (You’re only the intermediary – can / will your carriers perform as expected?)

8. How do you prepare for and implement this process (pre-disaster, during the disaster, and disaster recovery)?

9. What media do you use for communications? (Remember Post Katrina / Rita cell phones were good for paper weights, e-mail and faxes did not exist, and snail mail didn’t work because your customers and probably yourself were evacuated somewhere. Broadcast and cable only work with electricity and newspapers were delayed for days or weeks.)

10. Can you manage your agency through a disaster if your family is in harm’s way? Can your employees be expected to help if their families are in similar circumstances? What about your individual customers and their families, the businesses you insure, their employees, and their families? What about your carriers, suppliers, communities, etc?

I’m afraid Jack is right but how I hope he’s wrong. The above is merely to get you thinking about “what if.” Denial may give us comfort but it can also lead us down the “road to ruin.” Problems cannot be solved until they are identified / quantified.

You don’t want to be doing your contingency / catastrophic planning while waist deep in water or as an evacuee in your “super dome.” Good luck.

I told you so!

Copyright (July 2006) Michael G. Manes
All rights reserved

The Tipping Point in the Cuture Wars

2008-09-28T05:10:00.000-07:00

A War is being fought in America - not for money, oil, water, or land but for something much more important - the Soul of this country and the hearts and minds of every citizen. It is a Culture War. Two recent media events defined the sides.

I opened an e-mail Monday with a video clip title “Two Democrats on an Escalator.” It showed a man and a woman riding an escalator. It stops suddenly trapping them half way up to the second floor. Surprise is followed by frustration and ends with panic as they cry for help only to realize that first responders are not on the way. The title is a misnomer. I know some fiercely independent and self sufficient democrats and some republicans who will embrace a handout. None the less the depiction of these addicts of dependency and hopelessness is accurate.

NPR on Monday morning interviewed a couple in Galveston Texas regarding their “shelter in place experience” during Hurricane Ike. The couple wrote on the exterior of the house that “Dick and Jane (I don’t remember their real names) are safe inside.” They didn’t want first responders kicking in their door to make sure there was no damage to their property or their person. They didn’t celebrate government intervention in this disaster - they rallied against the Nanny State.

Here’s the divide. In one camp are people who want their life delivered and fully insured by the government or any other entity that can provide for them. These folks are not the people that built this country but rather are some of the progeny of our founding fathers. They are the gatherers. They believe the world is bigger than they are. They tend to be bureaucrats or the beneficiaries of bureaucracy, victims, not risk takers - they wear suspenders and a belt. They worry.

The other side includes people with the spirit of the pioneers that founded this country - the risk takers, entrepreneurs, hunters, free-spirits, etc. that only want an opportunity - not a guarantee. They know risks exist and are willing to face them. They realize that on occasion they will fall but also know they can stand back up. They know the USA is more an attitude than it is a land. They recognize our power has always come from the people who for over two centuries have asked “what we can do for our country?” They are bigger than their world. They believe.

Now we are threatened not from without but from within by those who have tired of adventure and opportunity. They ignore Ben Franklin’s advice not to “sacrifice some freedom for security.” These folks ask “what can the government do for me?”

In war controlling communications is important. The media that thrives on the negative is empowering this culture of victimization and dependency whether hyping “certain death” for folks who chose to ride Hurricane Ike out at home or the talking heads celebrating our short term economic chaos as evidence against the free enterprise system. The battle rages - how we address today’s challenges determines the victor. I pray my side wins. Time will tell. “And the winner is…”

Copyright (September 2008) - Michael G. Manes
All rights reserved

The Ultimate Reality Show - Survivors are US

2008-09-21T07:35:00.000-07:00

Preface:

On June 9, 2006 I sat with a very conservative group and listend to a self-professed Democrat / Liberal and nationally recognized "think tank" expert speak. He said, "I'm a very liberal person. I'm a Democrat. I dislike George Bush for a lot of reasons but understand one thing - we're at War. George Bush to his credit has resolve and when you're a War, you need a President with resolve."

I ask you to read the following then tell me - Do we have the resolve we need to protect and perpetuate our country - our freedom?

The Ultimate Reality Show

What if in today’s 24 / 7 media driven, ratings focused and celebrity obsessed world we created the Ultimate Reality Show? Maybe we could call it Survivors R US. What if we attempted the Ultimate Extreme Makeover? What if we transported the current 300,000,000 individuals that occupy our country and our culture / society as it exists today back to 1941 to replace the 133 million folks that were the then occupants of the good old USA? What if we then watched how the future would unfold? What would happen on December 7, 1941 and each day forward?

I’m no historian. I’m convinced evil exists in this world and that there were and are people that wish US and us harm. We weren’t then the recognized economic and military Super Power we are today. In those days individuals in the US lived on the lower rungs of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs - most were existing somewhere between survival and security. Today even the “poorest” elements of and individuals in our society have more than the average person had then. Many if not most of us have been spoiled on the higher rungs of the pyramid - seeking our rights and entitlements to social acceptance, self-esteem and self-actualization.

Before we start this game - I offer some quotes and paraphrased thoughts on War: War is hell! “In the face of War all other forms of human endeavor shrink to insignificance. (George C. Scott - Patton)” “The purpose of War is to kill people and break things. Rush Limbaugh” “To the victors go the spoils.” “My plans for war - we win, they lose. (Ronald Reagan)” “If you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right (Henry Ford)” “If you start to take Vienna, take Vienna! (Napoleon)” War is hell.

Here’s the big question - Would today’s US population win yesterdays WW II? What would happen on the morning of December 8, 1941 and the days that follow if our demographics were different? My best guess, worst fears and questions follow?

1. Partisan bickering would escalate as each party blamed the other for causing the Japanese attack on US. Specifically much blame would focus on the world’s hatred of the “swagger” of our leaders and so all military and political leaders and statesmen would be warned to “be nice” so maybe they’ll like us. The debate over why they hate US would begin.
2. The media and many talking heads would commence the drumbeat of the plight of our destroyed fleet and weak military and suggest we can’t win.
3. The first time this war was fought - kids from across America who had nothing quickly joined the Military to risk everything for freedom. Would today’s youth who have everything be willing to risk it for anything? Would public opinion support our efforts from the beginning to the end? What would happen after the first 1,000 casualties, the first 10,000, and the first 100,000? At what price - victory?
4. Would today’s youth who “connect” with each other by text messaging, IM, and other technology - know how to communicate and fight as one?
5. Would we be allowed to pray for “our boys” and “victory” at every public gathering into the future?
6. Would PETA protest because animals would be killed and maimed training our medical teams to treat battlefield injuries?
7. In yesterday war the “boys” that signed up were Americans through and through - the hyphenated Americans that create our multi-cultural US did not exist. Could / would we now pull together as one?
8. The “boys” that joined the military had hardened bodies and calloused hands because of a life of hard work? How much longer would it take to whip America’s obese and physically inactive youth into shape today? Would they? Could they?
9. Would the media allow for Drill Instructors to slap, yell at, beat on, etc. children to quickly make them men so that they could fight for US?
10. Would the media provide “propaganda” to support our war machine or would they second guess our every effort? Would they hope for defeat?
11. Would some group sue to gain access to the secret records of the Manhattan Project?
12. Would the “green” folks protest the environmental impact of bombs?
13. Would mommas let their “children become soldiers?” Did mommas in 1941 not love their sons and daughters as much as mommas do today?
14. Would General Patton (and others like him) be “drummed out” of his leadership role for slapping or berating a “troop”?
15. What rules of War would apply?
16. Would the courts be buried in lawsuits attempting to stop our spies?
17. Would the people left behind go into the streets to demand an end to the war or would they go to the factories to build the instruments of war?
18. Would all of us sacrifice - real sacrifice - our personal comforts to assure essentials are provided to those in harm’s way?
19. Would the argument rage that our military and this country are racist, sexist, homophobic, wrong, etc. or would we present a united front?
20. Maybe most importantly would be what is in the hearts, minds, and souls of our people as individuals and the generational niches that were transported back to the future? Here’s my guess…

The Greatest Generation would be in line first - aged, bent but never broken ready and willing to do whatever they had to do to help us win.

The Baby Boomers (a.k.a. - the Aging Hippies - the “ME Generation”) - would be as conflicted now as we were when our country last called. Some would fight, some would protest.

The Gen Xers and Gen Y - these folks are the unknown factor in this equation of freedom. In recent years many have “volunteered” to make the ultimate sacrifice. None have ever “had to” make the service choice.

Would we win or lose? Can you speak German or Japanese? Think about it!

Copyright (September 21, 2008) Michael G. Manes
All rights reserved

Gravity is a Law!

2008-09-17T11:55:00.000-07:00

Gravity is a law - it’s not a political philosophy, strategy, tactic, or initiative. It cannot be legislated or regulated. It merely IS. It cannot be ignored.

I’ve testified in legislative committees many times regarding insurance products, regulation, and the underwriting process. Often my testimony was requested to address pending legislation that was going to make insurance more fair, less expensive, or available to anyone at any time. My canned testimony follows:

”Ladies and Gentlemen - the Louisiana Legislature has within its authority the ability to pass laws outlawing the effects of gravity on the grounds of the state capitol. Unfortunately if immediately after passing such legislation you step off the observation deck of this building - you’re dead regardless of what the law says.

Similarly there are many economic laws and insurance principles that you can circumvent, rewrite, deny or outlaw but like gravity the reality is that violations of these laws / principles still have consequences. What you are hoping to do today is noble but it won’t work in the long term.”

I write this article now having spent 30 of the most distressing and educational days of my life. This past 30 days I’ve watched two presidential conventions. Both promised each of us everything we need and want. Our only cost is to “throw the bums in the other party out…” Too good to be true? Yes!

I’ve observed two powerful hurricanes - Ike and Gustav. Yesterday I drove from Gulfport and Biloxi and saw the destruction wrought 3 years ago by Katrina and I was reminded of the “mother of all hurricanes” - Camille that leveled the coast of Mississippi. It was the worst of the worst. Coastal development then was not what it is today. If Camille hit again today we’d forget Katrina, Ike, and Gustav.

This morning I’m watching talking heads on TV wringing their hands and our confidence in this country by reporting on AIG, Lehman Brothers, oil prices, and the mortgage crisis. This forced me to reflect on other laws.

The law of common sense - if something is too good to be true it probably is. Making loans on houses without underwriting the person borrowing the money is stupid and will not work. Expecting regulators to force down insurance costs on coastal properties will not work - claims dictate costs. Not allowing risk takers to suffer the consequences of bad decisions undermines the capitalist system and cannot be sustained. It also threatens the rewards provided for good decisions.

The law of immediate gratification - success and failure cannot be determined in 30 days. Rewarding and / or punishing a CEO and Board for the performance of a company this month is sacrificing the most important (LONG TERM STABILTY and PERFORMANCE) on the altar of the immediate / urgent.
The law of “fair” - life is not fair and the government, lawyers and your Momma can’t make it fair. I believe government and the rest of us should work for justice but forget fair. Create equal opportunity - forget trying to equalize results.

The law of dependency - I think it was Charles Colson who had a sign in his office that said, “If you have your adversary by the balls (excuse the politically incorrect and vulgar term), his heart and mind shall follow shortly thereafter.”

We are selling our souls to foreign countries because of our dependency on foreign oil. Forget the debate on “green and global warming” - people that really don’t like us - have us by our collective testicles (again excuse the coarse nature of this discussion) as we mainline more foreign oil and sell our assets to China, Russia, etc. and mortgage our future to foreign investors.

The law of bureaucracy - if you want to evoke laughter from an audience, merely state that “I’m here from the Government and I’m going to help you.” Most will laugh. Many if not most people have very low expectations of government and today we’re racing to increase its presence in our lives. Future unfunded liabilities for past interventions of “government help” (Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid) are estimated to approach or exceed 100 TRILLION dollars. More government is less a safety net and more of a noose.

The law of skinny horses and heavy wagons - many years ago a candidate for Governor said we need more people pulling the wagon and less people riding in it. He was right. We’re fast reaching the point where fewer taxpayers will be asked to carry more of the weight of beneficiaries of taxes than they can possibly handle.

The law of the land - the Constitution - Our country is one based upon the opportunity “for life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” This is a most noble goal - the opportunity is a right; a result of the “pursuit” cannot be guaranteed.

The law of attitude - survivors don’t have easier lives they merely have perseverance and courage. Victims believe a person, condition, or circumstance is the reason for their problems. Survivors believe they can overcome this person(s), circumstance, or condition. Understand the merchant of misery is at your door, on his way, or has just left. No life is problem or pain free. Your attitude dictates how you handle it.

The law of wisdom - Enron failed because the “smartest guys in the room” were part of the problem and not part of the solution. Today - our obsession with MBAs, numbers, technology, etc. is hurting us more than it is helping. Our long term future is built upon “we the people” and “we the people” need to step to the line (again) and let our collective wisdom “right” our country. Scar tissue works.

The law of Paul Harvey - Mr. Harvey often says that “self government without self discipline cannot work.” He also says that “when little men cast long shadows the sun is soon to set.” Paul is a very wise man. Case closed.

Copyright (September 17, 2008) - Michael G. Manes
All rights reserved

Hurricane Gustav - A Retrospective

2008-09-06T02:45:00.000-07:00

Preface:

I make my living as a consultant. Occasionally that includes work as an expert witness. What follows is my expert view on my personal evacuation experience. Let me first address these terms. I’ll use definitions provided to me by others.

A consultant is a person (normally this definition is sexist but I’ll clean it up) who knows 150 ways to make love, but doesn’t have any willing partners. Also in terms of job function - “those that can do, those that can’t teach, and those that can’t teach, consult.”

My best definition of an expert is someone 50 miles from out of town who carries a briefcase (or in the Internet world - a laptop). I’ll redefine expert as someone whose life experiences (scar tissue) warrant their speaking on a topic with some authority.

History (experience / scar tissue):

I lived in New Iberia Louisiana from 1947 - 1965, in Lafayette from 1965 - 1971, in Fort Polk Louisiana in 1971 and in Heidelberg Germany for most of 1972. From 1973 - 2004 I lived in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and since 2004 I’ve been back in New Iberia. New Iberia is about 15 miles from the coast. In New Iberia I’ve witnessed first hand Hurricanes Audrey, Hilda, Betsy, Katrina, Rita and many lesser storms.

The house I grew up in and the building I now use as a residence have been through the aforementioned storms + Lily and Andrew. I understand that hurricanes can be very dangerous, can do incredible damage to property (study Hurricane Camille that hit Biloxi), and can kill people. Add to this the tremendous costs of evacuation, recovery, and life in hurricane zones and you must respect these storms - DON’T MESS WITH MOTHER NATURE. I respect the people who live here.

Perception and Reality:

Unfortunately what most of this country (non-coastal residents) knows about Hurricanes is the result of media coverage. At best the media exaggerates, at worst it lies, and for the most part it slants to the negative.

My favorite examples of the exaggeration is the weather person standing in 20 mph wind and rain leaning forward or holding on to a street sign to show the tempest. One network during Katrina strapped a news person into a wind tunnel to simulate hurricane force winds. As they went from zero to whatever, hair blew, jowls flapped and you could see the impact of the wind. Then however the commentator spoke of the courage of the person in the tunnel to endure this condition. THIS TUBE WAS SAFE AND STERILE - throw in a fist full of glass or a branch and then let the demonstrator show courage!
Reality is the facts. Perception is how we see the facts. Since 2005 until forever the perception of all hurricanes will be the “Mad Max” world that followed Hurricane Katrina. Here is the reality.

Hurricane Katrina as a wind and “water surge” event (an act of God) devastated Mississippi, Alabama, and selected parishes (St. Bernard, Plaquemine, etc.) in Louisiana. The destruction was near complete.

In Orleans Parish and in New Orleans proper - the wind damage following Katrina was modest at most. What the media defined as “Hurricane Katrina” and what is burned in our memories from endless hours of TV is not a hurricane - it is a social issue and a failure of government and government programs (acts of men).

If the levees in New Orleans had not been breeched we would have long since forgotten the storm in that city and we’d only remember the initial pictures of the destruction of Biloxi, Mobile, Long Beach, St. Bernard Parish, etc.

The levees designed, built, and maintained (or more correctly not maintained) by various government entities failed and caused flooding. The systems of government (state and local) responsible for the preparation and evacuation did reasonably well in light of the actual damage caused by wind and rain. If there had not been flooding, there would not be second guessing.

All government (local, state, and federal) was not ready, willing, or able to handle the aftermath of the failed levees. Understand that such lack of readiness should not have occurred since as long as I can remember - locals have talked about “when the big one hits New Orleans.” Katrina was not the big one.

From an article written immediately (www.thewisdomofscartissue.blogspot.com - posted August 23, 2008) following Katrina we discover:

The biggest failure of all identified during this process was the failure of the Great Society. It was President Lyndon Johnson’s noble attempt to make life easier for the “poor” in lieu of attempting to make them as individuals stronger for whatever life “throws their way.”

The unintended consequence of this grand scheme was the creation of a large and growing segment of our population that is addicted to the government for cash, health care, education, direction, hope, etc. Their dependency upon entitlements has crippled them and their God given potential to such an extent that short of direct individual intervention most will never enjoy the freedom and opportunity that is America. Our country provides for “life, liberty, and the PURSUIT of happiness.” Unfortunately the drug of ENTITLEMENT has created a belief that happiness can be delivered in a government envelope. It can’t.

Katrina exposed these “social issues / problems” - these are not weather driven. Weather can exasperate these problems but nature does not create them.

The Storm:

Momma is in hospice care at Consolata Nursing Home. Her legs and plumbing don’t work and her mind is at 40% capacity in terms of time. My first concern was her safety. If you think your job is tough - visit a nursing home and then figure out how you would handle evacuating these folks in buses, house them temporarily on gymnasium floors or at other nursing homes, and then bring them home.

Understand when the media panics a region much bigger than that which will be effected it causes more people than necessary to seek shelter away from the coast and causes real hardships for those at real risk.

The good news is that Momma is coming home today (Thursday) after 6 days in Basile - thanks Basile, Consolata and LHC Group.

After loading Momma in an ambulance for the trip to Basile, I visited friends at Mary’s for coffee, therapy, and breakfast with the LSU football team. I then joined Sheila at home to load the car and get out of town. Sheila had nailed down, closed up, or secured nearly everything in our yard. We boarded up our front door, took the blades off the porch fans, and covered a family portrait. Finally we did a silent tour around the house to create one last memory - just in case we came home to pillars and debris.

Sheila’s a redneck and not comfortable with storms so she decided that I wanted to evacuate. We had a big house available in Baton Rouge. Packing for a storm is simple - if you’ve done it before. First you fill up any machine that holds gasoline since it becomes a priceless commodity. Bring food that doesn’t need refrigeration or cooking, water, flashlights, cash (credit / debit cards don’t work without electricity), candles, matches, important records (insurance, bank statements, etc.), ice and ice chests, clothes for comfort not style, pets, pet food, etc.

We arrived at Sherry’s - unloaded the car, turned on the TV, turned down the air conditioning and thought - Hurricane evacuation is good. For dinner we called our son and he joined us at Bass Pro shops - the food was excellent and the company divine. We kissed as we parted - hearts heavy but hopeful - we all knew but did not verbalize the real danger was “out there.” Sometimes denial is good.

9:00 a.m. on Sunday - our power failed. Welcome to evacuation. As the house temperature rose into the 80s we cursed the storm. By Sunday night most businesses had closed. We capped off the tank earlier in the day and for supper I found “to go” at Serops Restaurant. The winds started as nighttime entertainment. By Monday morning - we were in a fulltime storm. Between bands of rain - we’d venture out to survey the damage.
Across the street from us a 60 foot pine tree about 5 feet in diameter was sucked out of the ground to cover the street and the neighbor’s patio. In the storm zone - trees, utility poles, and electrical / telephone cables played nature’s game of paper, scissors, and rock. The ground is covered by trees, leaves, branches, cables, and poles and parts of houses - evidence of nature’s battlefield.

Periodically we’d escape to the car for news and air conditioning. Learning where we were and making us glad where we weren’t. Curfews are imposed - so being on the street was not an option between dusk and dawn. Our meals included grapes, apples, peanut butter and sometimes peanut butter, grapes, and apples.

By Monday the worse was over - now we must merely wait out recovery - return of air conditioning, electricity, and clean up. For evacuees the only recovery you want is the OK to go home. For us this came at 8:00 Wednesday morning. We had learned by phone that our home had survived and our community was OK.

As bad as these storms can be there is always good news. The best news of these storms is the contact from friends all over the country that call or e-mail to express their concern. We realize that we are not “all in this alone.” We - for hours without interruption of TV, the Internet, and social pressures - focused on what’s really important - family, friends, freedom and independence or as it was once written in a government document - “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

The good news and fun of the storm was meeting Sherry and Bill at Pastime Junior Restaurant (a second location of the legendary Pastime Restaurant) for beer and pizza cooked in oven fueled by generators. The good news was checking with and discovering that friends made it. The good news was “Home Sweet Home.”

During these disasters you learn about the best and worst of government, people, and our society. Generosity abounds while petty thieves price gouge, steal, and attempt to scam the system. Good and evil both exist in our world. Some politicians prove their leadership and worth by delivering to the needy (storms create new members in the needy class) - others abdicate their responsibility as leaders and show themselves to be the “wimps” that they are by dumping constituents on the door steps of churches and NGOs that will do what the politico is being paid to do.

In closing - know that Louisiana’s citizens and systems have once again been tested - and we’ve passed. We’ll be OK - plenty of hurt, hard times and work will be required but we’ll make it. We always do. Thanks for asking and the prayers.

Sixty percent of the Louisiana population is along and below I-10. For the first time in history the majority of this population evacuated. Our underlining concern was not the storm but the fear that with the Cajuns gone from South Louisiana the Russians might try to attack us from Georgia. Like Noah in the Ark - on Wednesday night Governor Jindal released a flock of doves to see if recovery was completed - shotguns were heard and soon you could smell the gumbo - we’re back!

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (September 4, 2004)
All rights reserved

The Agenda of Political Correctness

2008-09-03T17:49:00.000-07:00

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Vietnam War was already over. Peace talks were promoted as a way for the U. S. to declare victory and withdraw. I was on the verge of being drafted and desperately wanted to see Peace. Much to my chagrin, the first year of the talks were spent discussing the shape of the table. My future was in the balance and these clowns were talking about furniture. I was drafted.

Only in retrospect do I realize that the debate was not about house furnishings but rather was about who controlled the language, the agenda, and the terms of debate.

Today we are engaged in two foreign wars and two “civil” wars. Afghanistan and Iraq occupy our troops. The war of red states and blue states occupy our political resources and the cultural wars of government entitlements versus individual opportunities and personal responsibility challenge our hearts, minds, and spirits.

History and current events have shown the failure of central planning, socialism, and communism. The USSR is gone, Cuba is in disarray, and the Great Society’s crown jewel of “welfare” proved noble in intent but unworkable in practice. Even our homeboy - Huey Long and his “Every Man a King” did not deliver success.

Our county was and is dependent upon a strong military and a stronger still population - independent, pioneering in spirit, filled with faith and hope, and free to chase their dreams, fail initially only to stand back up and try again. We must be certain that politicians in the government positions they strive for never forget that “we the people” are this country’s hope. They are not the answer but are merely the “temporary staffing” we send to the Capitol or the State House since we’re too busy working for our living, chasing our dreams and raising our families.

In spite of history and the independence we enjoy - many in the U. S. believe that government and its intervention in our lives are the answer not merely a tool for the people to use. They have lost the war for the hearts and minds of the “silent majority” so now they work to appease the masses with promises versus results. Their TABLE to control the agenda, debate, and language is “political correctness.”

The following is the 2007 winning entry from an annual contest at Texas
A&M University calling for the most appropriate definition of a
contemporary term. This year's term was ' Political Correctness '.

The winner wrote: 'Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional,
illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media,
which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a
”turd” by the clean end.' (This was on the Internet - its origin is not confirmed.)

Understand that Political Correctness - no matter how it’s packaged, promoted, or embraced - is still “crap.” Don’t try to pick it up. Seek the truth - no sh_t!

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (August 2008)
All rights reserved

The Hurricanes - Lest We Forget

2008-08-23T04:56:00.000-07:00

"In war (and natural disasters) the truth is the first casualty." (Anonymous)

Preface:

Friday August 29, 2008 will mark the third Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and its commencement of the drama and tragecy that played out on the stage of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast for the weeks that followed. I offer this - lest we forget!

The quote above was the header to the presentation below.

I was asked to speak to a Medical School in Portland Oregon in October 2005. Because many of the people in attendance were very liberal, well intended, and judgmental of me as an "old Southern white guy" and the chaos they observed on TV following Hurricane Katrina, I carefully worded my presentation with the intention of reading it. I then could give them a copy of exactly what I said versus debating their perception of what they heard.

A member of the faculty died that day and so this program was never presented. I reread this today for the first time in 3 years. I'll stand by these words. I encourage you to read this and commit to our collective future with its successes and opportunities.

Pray that "Katrina" never visits us again.

MGM

Bill has asked me to present my view of the recent hurricanes and the accompanying recovery. Being human all I can share with absolute certainty is my opinion. The following comments are a combination of reality (the facts) and my perception of reality (how I see the facts). When I’m correct on the facts, there should be no debate. I expect differences of opinion when I’m dealing in my perceptions.

I can’t make this report objective since it comes from my heart. To give you the tools to be objective about my subjective comments I must let you into my soul. Below is the best description of Mike Manes that I have ever shared with anyone.

I am 57 and married with two grown children - one very liberal and one very conservative. My wife of 30 years is a patient, loving, 1st grade teacher who has worked in the most elite of private schools and in very poor (Title I) schools. I believe in God. My mother is the person who has most shaped me into who I am. Of the five women most influential in my formative years – two were black (Zenobia and Sadie) I went to an all white school (in 1965 most LA schools were segregated).

I was a draftee in the Vietnam era. I’ve worked in the financial services industry and now own my own company. I am conservative in many ways and a libertarian in others. I’m entrepreneurial in spirit and believe that Bureaucracies harm the good people that work in them and are very inefficient by their nature. I’m proud to be an American, as a son of the south emotions rise in me when I hear Dixie, and am now proud to be Cajun even though I was an adult before Cajun was cool.

“My people” were exiled from our homes 250 years ago. My grandfather and all four of his brothers and sisters were “locked up” at Carville Louisiana because they had Hansen’s disease or Leprosy. One of my uncles lived in a mental institution. My father had a mixed background – German, Irish and Native American. He was brilliant but troubled and my guess he’d be defined today as manic depressive.

I am very clumsy - as an adolescent – one nickname was “spastic.” I was the shiest person I and most others knew. Two of the many things Momma taught me were compassion and “play the cards life deals you.” I believe attitude determines much of our future and that with self-discipline and commitment we can achieve more than our circumstances suggest.

I believe in personal responsibility (choices have consequences) and as Momma said when you fall down – “pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again.” I believe work and a work ethic are critical to each of our futures. My Uncle used to say about work, “It’s rough but its right.”

When I returned to my hometown after 40 years away, I chose to integrate my neighborhood. I’m now the “marshmallow in a cup of hot chocolate.”

This “disaster experience” along with “9/11” may very well be the defining moments of this decade and maybe this century. I believe these collective events have focused our nation and the world on our current reality and future ideal like nothing in the recent past. This is too great a challenge and opportunity to “take it lightly.”

What the majority of the world knows about this disaster is what they have been told by or seen in the media. Some media tilts to the left, some to the right – I believe all are primarily focused on the NEGATIVE! I think many media people are lazy, in that they take a story as presented without “testing” it for truth. I think the media is also often wrong – sometimes intentionally misrepresenting facts.

Almost without exception the media talks about the VICTIMS of this storm. I believe the VICTIMS of the storm are in body bags in Biloxi, Carville, and Lake Charles.

I know the SURVIVORS of the storm have property damage, have lost homes, been displaced, lost families members, etc. but are able to recover. I believe if the media would use the term SURVIVOR in lieu of victim, the healing process could begin more quickly and be much more effective.

Hurricanes are natural phenomena and they don’t discriminate. Rita and Katrina were the cause of the damage – the news is in the recovery or the effect of these storms. Katrina was a worse storm in terms of intensity and damage but damage is like surgery – it’s minor if it happens to you but major if it happens to me.

In terms of wind damage, Katrina was “very bad” – Class IV. It knocked down power lines, destroyed homes, uprooted trees, etc. It drove a wall of water over the coast. Water tends to do more damage than wind. Also (and very important) most people with resources (assets to protect) buy wind insurance. Fewer buy flood insurance so many of the losses will not be covered by insurance.

Biloxi and the areas East of New Orleans suffered the worst wind and storm surge damage. The “New Orleans disaster” started with the wind but really became catastrophic with the “breeching” of the levees. New Orleans is a “bowl” created by the levees since N. O. is several feet below sea level and dependent upon large pumps to empty the bowl following heavy rains. In a major storm the pumps “can’t keep up”. When the levees “breeched” much of the city was and remained for weeks underwater.

In Rita, Houston was not hit as severely as first anticipated. Lake Charles (LA), Port Arthur (TX), and Cameron (LA) were devastated. Cameron was the site of Hurricane Audrey almost 50 years ago. At that time a storm surge came in at night before the residents could evacuate and hundreds were killed. The Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA - 09 / 30 / 05) headline today when speaking about Cameron said simply “100 percent destruction.”

Last week at a meeting with evacuees from St. Bernard Parish, Congressman Charles Melancon said, “I’d like to offer you hope about your homes and community but I can’t. St. Bernard Parish no longer exists.”

I’ve seen pictures of an airboat sitting at “gable height” between two houses in N. O. It’s a shocking picture especially since these were two-story houses.

Friends that have seen Slidell, Biloxi, and Gulfport use terms such as nuclear war and ground zero. In many areas the devastation of physical assets is total.

At this moment estimates of Katrina damage include 140 – 160,000 homes that will be bulldozed because they are totally destroyed. There will be 22 million tons of debris. 350,000 cars have been destroyed and 1 million appliances will be on the curb in the next few weeks.

In terms of the damage to the economy – New Orleans is first about tourism, gaming, and the service industries. All are temporarily closed in this city. Key employers are government (bankrupt), hospitals (destroyed), and education institutions (closed).

On the other side of the state where Rita hit, we depend upon seafood, oil / gas, and sugar cane / rice. Our state budget has lost about 1 billion dollars already and tens of thousands of workers are still displaced and unemployed.

Hopefully this has provided you insight into the property damage that is these storms. The real issue however is not the property but rather the PEOPLE. The balance of my comments will focus on people, their cultures, and the politics that hold these together and apart.

From a demographic standpoint Louisiana has 4.4 million people (up only 10% from 30 years ago). 63% are white, 32% black, 3% Hispanic and 2% other. The Greater New Orleans area is the major population center in our state. The City of New Orleans is about 67% black. We are a poor state. Poverty is disproportionate in the African American Community – particularly in New Orleans but be assured that many white folks there are poor as well.

It is anticipated that for years following the storm that 67% number may drop to 35% because of the large number of African Americans that have been relocated out of state by the storm. With this storm in the short term and maybe in the long term Louisiana shifted from a Democratic to a Republican state.

In southwest Louisiana, the black population is about 30% of the total.

You cannot analyze Louisiana or the storm’s impact without being aware of the politics of the state. Our Governor, Attorney General, and Insurance Commissioner are Democrat. One of our U. S. Senators is a Democrat (Mary Landrieu – her father was Mayor of N.O. / her brother is Lt. Governor) and two of our Congressman [Bill Jefferson representing N. O. and Charlie Boy Melancon representing SE Louisiana). Most other statewide elected officials are Republican.

The vast majority of black voters are Democrats. Most statewide races start with the Democratic candidate having 30% of the vote before Election Day. Race is an issue in Louisiana politics. Kathleen Blanco our current governor was trailing Bobby Jindal by over 5% points during the last week of the campaign. Many observers believe that she won because in the last few days her campaign portrayed Bobby as a black man in N. LA. Bobby’s parents are from India.

The elected leadership of New Orleans is predominantly black. New Orleans has had an African American Mayor for over 15 years.

Since the days of Huey Long, Louisiana has been known for its corrupt politicians and systems. T. Harry Williams the biographer of Huey Long accurately compared us to a Banana Republic. We’ve had at least two Governors go to jail as have a Congressman and Judge. Three insurance commissioners have served time. One of our U. S. Representatives is currently being investigated by the FBI. Political corruption is not a race issue – whites stole before blacks had power and the blacks that now steal learned from whites.

We celebrate the corruption. Former Congressman Billy Tauzin said, “50% of Louisiana is underwater and the other 50% is under indictment.” When Gov. Edwin Edwards was running for his 4th term against former KKK member David Duke, bumper stickers were seen that said “vote for the crook, it the right thing to do.” Huey Long’s grave and statue still grace our state capitol grounds.

Ray Nagin, the New Orleans Mayor is black but he was the “white candidate.” He was an executive with Cox Cable and was seen by many as a reform candidate. He has been “chipping away” at an entrenched Bureaucracy (that he called “the webees”) that most see as ineffective at best and corrupt at worst. There is also considerable demand that all business in New Orleans include minority partners.

The New Orleans School System was almost taken over during the last legislative session by the state of Louisiana because of the deplorable nature of the schools and the financial systems that were not in place. The FBI has a unit devoted to monitoring much of New Orleans and Louisiana politics.

The storms came and the storms left. It’s what storms do. What we as individuals, organizations, and our leadership did in advance of and will do following these storms determines our successes and failures. There were many of both. Good and bad is what we as humans do. The opportunity before us is greater than the devastation of the past. As Mayor Nagin said on October 7, we’ve been handed a giant “reset button.” Let’s pray we use it properly. Our failures will be mitigated and successes leveraged if we do!
The failures were many. A few include:

• The failure of common sense – Except for our military which must always be the best, most of us have very low expectations of government and our bureaucracies. We don’t expect a positive experience when we use them for the services they allegedly provide. If we get our license renewed, go to the Post Office, file papers with the courts, or call the IRS hotline, we don’t expect accuracy or Nordstrom like service. Why then do we expect this same government to respond effectively in a disaster like Katrina?

We marveled at “why the people didn’t leave” or “why the leaders didn’t get them out”. They didn’t leave because of lack of transportation and the government ordered them to leave but didn’t go get them. The above paragraph explains why the government didn’t go get them. (Please note - political parties get voters in and out on Election Day.)

Additional examples of failure of common sense include: believing that the “big one” would never hit or that levees built for a Category III storm would hold for a Category V – housing generators in the basement of hospitals – storing legal documents in court houses that would surely flood when the “big one” hit – drug crazed gangs that we ignored when they were “out of sight” and then acting surprised when they became MORE visible, violent and mobile after their drugs were cutoff.

• The failure of the media – The problems seen on TV have been around for decades. An aggressive media could have addressed these or at least focused their spotlight on the issues of poverty, jobs, failed schools, etc.

The media insisted and continues to perpetuate the language of the VICTIM. Such language continues to give power to the storm that is now merely a footnote in meteorological history. The people who lived through Katrina and Rita are SURVIVORS. This gives them the power over the storm and their own future. Victors over cancer long ago learned the power of the word SURVIVOR.

The media and their perpetuation of “political correctness” in lieu of manners and respect allow us as individuals and society to remain in denial of problems and conditions that can only be solved in the sunlight of reality. Such political correctness also limits the ability to discuss, debate, and dialogue the core issues thus creating a problem far greater than the winds and rising waters. A problem must be honestly identified and clearly defined before it can be resolved.

• The failure of leadership collectively and as individuals to adequately anticipate the severity of the storms, prepare for it in advance, and act quickly once the worst case scenario became real.

• The failure of the FEMA and the American Red Cross – these groups live to respond to disasters and were ill prepared to do their jobs when their “workplace” opened. As a government agency, FEMA should not be expected to perform.

As a fund raiser, marketing organization, public relations group, and a network of volunteers, The American Red Cross is as good as it gets. In terms of services following a storm, the volunteers work hard, the paid staff is inadequate, and most amazing to me of all is there are no formal procedures in place to respond. After standing for photo-ops following hundreds, if not thousands, of disasters, HOW CAN THEY NOT HAVE A FORMAL PROCEDURE FOR EACH EVACUATION CENTER?

• The failure of capitalism and our entrepreneurial system needs to be noted. When challenged the American economic system can respond with incredible production, innovation, speed, stability, etc. Unfortunately it sometimes outruns its headlights, in that it doesn’t want to face or address many of the social problems (jobs and education) that it is best suited to solve. We’d rather pay taxes / send checks to charities than get our hands dirty doing what needs to be done to bring all our citizens up to the point where they can pursue their own American Dream and most importantly compete for jobs and opportunities.

• The biggest failure of all identified during this process was the failure of the Great Society. It was President Lyndon Johnson’s noble attempt to make life easier for the “poor” in lieu of attempting to make them as individuals stronger for whatever life “throws their way.”

The unintended consequence of this grand scheme was the creation of a large and growing segment of our population that is addicted to the government for cash, health care, education, direction, hope, etc. Their dependency upon entitlements has crippled them and their God given potential to such an extent that short of direct individual intervention most will never enjoy the freedom and opportunity that is America. Our country provides for “life, liberty, and the PURSUIT of happiness.” Unfortunately the drug of ENTITLEMENT has created a belief that happiness can be delivered in a government envelope. It can’t.

• The result of the biggest failure of all mentioned immediately above is the failure of the human spirit. This includes the looters, the price gougers, the scam artists, the politicians who think first of the impact on their next election and then on what’s important to the survivors.

We must also include in this failure list these same VICTIMS of the Great Society who are born with the gifts and talent needed to succeed – to be ready , willing and able to compete in our society, but who are too often gutted by government programs that gives to them without any expectations and assumes that they cannot make it on their own. These individuals don’t need a hand out, they need a hand up.

The good news is that there are more successes than failures.

• The successes include the most positive aspects of the human spirit – the millions of people who sent donations, prayers, and money to our area. Success includes those folks who took strangers into their houses to live, volunteered at evacuation shelters, helped survivors clean up after the storm, literally risked life and limb in attempting to rescue people from roof tops while they themselves were being shot at, etc. etc. etc.

• Success is the church that opened up to dozens or hundreds of evacuees, the civic clubs that cooked for these visitors, and the communities that invited bus loads of strangers from a different culture to their towns.

• Success is in the gifts provided by charities, governments, and the world.

• One success included the elected leadership of Louisiana and New Orleans who were able to evacuate over 1,000,000 people from the city in less than 72 hours on roads that most of you would consider substandard. This same leadership was able to get their bloated, ineffective, and often corrupt systems to respond – not as well as we would like but these still responded.

• Add to this list of positives, the hundreds of “good cops” and other first responders who did not abandon the badge, loot the stores, or go AWOL but rather spent endless hours without sleep to meet the needs of the abandoned, injured, distressed, etc.

• Success is the Cajun people and some others who are not waiting for government money or direction but jumping right into start their new lives as survivors. These folks see government as the last resort not the only resort.

• Success is the survivors who endured a living hell and are coming back.

• Success is the opportunity that is hidden in adversity – the silver lining to the cloud and the growth that we experience in our darkest hours. Souls don’t grow in the sunshine but develop rapidly in the darkness.

To repeat the earlier statement from Mayor Nagin – “we’ve been given a giant reset button.” What an opportunity – to start anew with wisdom gained through adversity and with no temptation to return to the status quo or the good old days, since both have been destroyed forever.

• We can and must now address the reality of poverty, limited jobs, failed education systems, etc., and end our denial of problems and solve them.

• We can take ownership of the political process from the individual special interests and first respond to our collective general interest.

• We can end our embrace of VICTIMHOOD and instead step boldly into the future as SURVIVORS.

• We must learn that the U.S. is strong because of its constitution and its people not because of its government. We are this nation.

• Recognize race is a symptom (because of its disproportionate impact) but the disease is poverty, poor education and limited job opportunities. Once we address the “disease” the pain of the symptoms disappear.

• We have a clean slate in New Orleans to build anew a grand old city with new economic, housing, education and other systems.

• The grip of political power that is the past has been broken and we can be vigilant to assure that this “poison to the people” never infects us again.

• We can move Louisiana and Mississippi from being the butt of all jokes and first on the bad lists and last on the good lists to being the right “stealth laboratories” for our communities of the future.

• We can and will bring back the joie de vivre, laissez les bons temps rouler, and lagniappe that is Louisiana.

• We can and will celebrate again Mardi Gras and “the City that Care Forgot” because we care much and because we want the world to never again forget what we survived.

These storms were tough teachers, they gave us the test first and then the lessons followed. Thank you Katrina and Rita – we learned your lessons. Let’s get to work.

Copyright - (September 30, 2005) Michael G. Manes
All rights reserved

Success vs. Failure - The Difference? A Single Step!

2008-08-21T16:58:00.000-07:00

For ten years I taught Risk and Insurance classes at Louisiana State University. Each semester started with a ritual – a survey of the students. This included a request for them to rank in priority order their personal wants / needs.

Without exception, security and success always were ranked at the top of the list. After a brief discussion, all would readily agree that “security” as their grandparents knew it (40 years at a job and a gold watch) was no more viable in today’s world than was the “buggy whip”.

Discussions led to the conclusion that security was not in the job but rather in the heart, hands, and head of the worker – the value you brought to the marketplace.

Success was more nebulous. The survey’s purpose and the discussions that followed were designed to force these students to think to better quantify and qualify their goals. Ideally they would be stimulated to thoroughly evaluate their personal values, personality, wants and needs before “settling” into a job, career, or life choice.

Nearly without exception, students all wanted “SUCCESS” and yet none could define it. During the class many concluded (in my opinion) correctly the wisdom of the ages that “success is a journey not a destination”.

The balance of the semester included a series of learning experiences that were “reality” based. In its simplest form, this class taught a process of “first you dream”, than you commit to the vision growing out of the dream. Next, if the commitment is real you plan and finally you act – IMPLEMENT, MONITOR and ADJUST.

All agreed that to reach the new “shore” of your dreams, you could not sit on the opposite bank and wish; you had to jump into the water (implement). If later you had trouble breathing or staying afloat (monitor), you must change your stroke (adjust). Success was not measured perfection – it was the result of effective process.

Through dialogue as a group, the realization was that there were no “perfect plans” and that “perfect implementation” did not happen. Eventually all reached the same conclusion – success was captured in the proverb – “FALL DOWN SEVEN TIMES AND STAND UP EIGHT!

Recently a friend challenged me to define failure. I saw this as the opposite of success. It was a request to establish a benchmark for “pulling the plug” on innovations. I’ve struggled with this thought and only yesterday became comfortable with a definition.

Since I am a devotee of positive thoughts and the strength of the human spirit – failure is an extremely difficult concept for me to embrace. I readily recognize and in many cases have personally participated in a negative result – yet failure? – I don’t believe so! Since in each of these “worst case scenarios” I think I’ve learned from the errors of my ways! I’ve grown and that can’t be failure.

But yesterday, the definition of FAILURE appeared clearly – simply stated if follows:

FALL DOWN SEVEN TIMES – STAND UP SIX!

If you’re interested – the students forced me to provide my own personal definition for success. It is:

Wake with Passion, Grow in Wisdom, Rest in Peace!

I encourage you to today define for yourself – Success! It’s a great mental, emotional, and spiritual exercise.

Peace!

P. S. – As an afterthought – maybe we shouldn’t define failure but rather more closely detail process and progress. Establish clear benchmarks and standards. Maybe what we need is contingency planning to know when we should redirect our focus, reestablish our priorities or merely when to end a process and learn from the experience. Defining failure may be a self-fulfilling prophecy – Don’t go there!

Copyright (October 2000) Michael G. Manes
All rights reserved

"The Twins are Dying!"

2008-08-13T01:22:00.000-07:00

Preface:

I believe our Health Care and Health Care Financing Systems are near death. I believe an Intensive Care effort is needed to save them. The article below gives insight into the condition. The column that follows was originally proposed during the 2004 Louisiana Gubernatorial Campaign. I personally believe this type of intervention would work effectively. What say you?

"The Twins are Dying!"

You’ve been in the ER for most of two days. You’re tired - exhausted might be a better term. In another few hours you’ll go home for 24 hours of sleep - deep sleep. The waiting room is crowded but most of the true emergencies have been processed through - now it’s back to earaches, stomachaches and an occasional broken bone or wound to stitch. You watch the clock tick down to your 11:00 p.m. relief.

Suddenly the doors open and the ambulance driver screams - “The Twins are dying - I’m bringing them in.” You realize that there will be no going home tonight - in fact you may “never go home again.”

You hear the double gurney rattle outside and see as eight people carefully squeeze it into the emergency room. You remember reading the article about the community building that gurney during the early 1990s when the condition of the Twins and their ultimate decline and demise became known or more correctly could no longer be denied. As a medical student you wondered about this and the failed efforts by the Clintons to revitalize and rehabilitate the country’s most noted Twins.

They were born in 1929 at Baylor Hospital. The pregnancy was routine until the moment of birth. Twins were not in and of themselves unique - Siamese (or in today’s more politically correct environment conjoined) twins were.

Their family was small - their father called Depression and their Mother named Necessity and the forced marriage that ensued already included two children - an older boy named Marcus Welby and a daughter named Facilities. These folks were the Healthcare Family. They all worked together and did more good than harm.

The newborns were “joined at the hip.” They were named Phyllis Nancy (or Finance for short) and Delores Livery (quickly shortened to Delivery by family and friends). From the beginning everyone in the community embraced them and the other members of the Healthcare family. Their arrival was celebrated. Most of their lives was a love fest and celebration of Community. These “girls” shared and prospered because of cooperation and collaboration that allowed them to co-exist.

Unfortunately as they aged they became obese, distrustful of each other and the community that for so long supported them, disrespectful of the folks that had paid their way all these years, slow, and dysfunctional. For the past decade or two people quit talking about the happy days of the Twins and became more and more critical of them. It was sort of ironic because the same people that were now so critical of the “girls” had all been beneficiaries of their gifts. You see in spite or maybe because of their “co-joined” nature Delivery and Finance had helped everyone else.

Now as they aged and became slow, obese, and out of touch no one would help them. Their death was inevitable. The problem is now yours - do you put them on life support or let them die. Your unspoken fear is - What will we do when they die?

Copyright (July 2008)- Michael G. Manes
All rights reserved

The Column (2004 - Baton Rouge Business Report)

THE SKY IS FALLING AND THAT’S THE GOOD NEWS!

The bad news is “the sky is falling”. At current inflation trend our Health Care and Health Care Financing Systems will collapse in the next few years. The good news is “the sky is falling” so ignoring the problem is no longer an option.

The timing is right – the opportunity is great – the challenge is doable. Now is the time for Louisiana to LEAD the nation.

What if - we accepted as a Mission the development of a new system of Health Care / Community Health and its financing? We could be the “stealth” laboratory for the rest of the country. “Stealth” because we’re under the radar - experimenting here won’t upset the rest of the country and if it works here, it will be assumed to work anywhere.

What if, we the people and our leaders COMMIT ourselves to a new and better system?

What if – the new system demands health and quality care accessible to everyone in our state on a when needed and as appropriate basis at a price we are willing and able to pay?

(NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION – LIMIT THE DOLLARS AVAILABLE AND WATCH INNOVATION OCCUR! HENRY FORD DISCOVERED THAT AT $500.00 HE COULD SELL AN UNLIMITED NUMBER OF CARS THEN HE INVENTED THE ASSEMBLY LINE TO BUILD THESE $500.00 VEHICLES. THERE ARE ENOUGH DOLLARS IN THE SYSTEM [$5,035.00 FOR EVERY CITIZEN IN THIS COUTNRY], WE NEED TO INNOVATE HOW THESE DOLLARS ARE SPENT.)

What if – the system is based on responsibility and accountability for all? What if we “incent” good behavior / effective consumption and “disincent” unhealthy behavior and irresponsible shopping for care and its financing?

What if - we obtain from the federal government the needed waivers and support to facilitate this pilot. The “fed” will cooperate because they need a “pilot” / leader to address this crisis.

What if - we create a VISION of a new system and a PROCESS to achieve it?

What if – we allowed 47 days (not 47 years like the EBR Parish School desegregation case) to accomplish this Mission?

What if – the “Vision” team of this commission was anchored by consumers – representatives of people / organizations that pay for care [employers, employees, individual policyholders, and taxpayers] and those that use care – the patients? This consumer base could be supplemented and complemented by educators, ethicists, “techies”, dreamers, community leaders, and “a few selected grandmas” – all of whom are also consumers.

What if - the current providers of care (physicians, allied health professionals, hospitals, etc.) and the financiers of care (insurance companies / plans) and the service providers to each of these systems only joined the discussion after the VISION was established?

What if – special interests providing services to the marketplace each provided a member to the commission? This would include representatives of Physicians, Nurses, Allied Health Professionals, Hospitals, Insurance Companies, LSU Health Science Center, Pharmaceutical Companies, Medical Records Companies, Brokers, TPAs, Suppliers / Vendors, etc.

What if – the representatives of each special interest were assigned to represent an interest other than their own? The person appointed by the Louisiana State Medical Society might represent Insurance Companies, the Louisiana Hospital Association “rep” might be responsible to the Pharmaceutical industry, etc.).

What if – members could be “voted off the island (commission)” if they:

1. were not committed to the NEW
2. were not representing the VISION and their “new” special interest
3. were trying to perpetuate the status quo (their “old” interest)?

What if – the media made sure that the process was open (fully disclosed) to the public but did not second-guess the process until certain pre-determined dates for public debate, dialogue, opinions, etc.?

What if – we “burned the bridges” to the past so that the status quo was not an option?

What if - …

Before you say this is impossible - consider this:

On May 25, 1960, John F. Kennedy shared his Vision about “landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth.” On the day he shared this Vision – his proposed goal, based on then existing science, WAS IMPOSSIBLE.

What JFK did was declare the VISION and then he “locked up” the best minds he could find and had them create the science to make it work.

IF WE CAN LAND A MAN ON THE MOON, WE CAN FIX HEALTH CARE AND IT’S FINANCING. THE CHALLENGE IS TO DO THIS IN LOUISIANA FIRST.

What say you?

Copyright (October 2004) - Michael G. Manes
All rights reserved

"Wake Up, America!"

2008-08-08T10:24:00.001-07:00

Paul Revere was perhaps the first “alarmist” in our country. By shouting “the British are coming, the British are coming!” during his midnight ride (April 1775) he alerted his country to an imminent danger and gained fame for himself. In retrospect I’m certain his efforts were not motivated by a hope for celebrity.

Benjamin Franklin wasn’t a screamer but he did provide a warning of equal substance to that of Mr. Revere. He said simply - “Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.”

In his recent column Rich Lowry quoted Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (The Gulag) by reminding us, “Gradually it was disclosed to me, that the line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either - but right through every human heart - and through all human hearts.”

Earl Pitts (American) years ago would offer his wisdom and warnings on a Baton Rouge radio station. My favorite was his analysis of the difference between “Idiot and Patriot.” I won’t attempt to paraphrase what he said -since genius cannot be consolidated. Trust me - it was wisdom in its purest form.

Today our warnings are too often written by lawyers on ladders, baby cribs, dashboards, etc. This is designed to protect us from injury and manufacturers from class action lawsuits.

Today we are abandoning “intelligent design” in favor of “evolution.” The dilemma I face personally is I’d prefer to be made in the “image of God” than to have evolved from an ape (even a cute one!). I still have problems praying to Tarzan’s pet. Also I’m concerned about “what has evolution wrought.”

We’ve evolved from pioneers seeking only opportunities to victims demanding sympathy, entitlements, and grants from the government. We once appreciated a hand up and now demand a hand out. We once expected government to defend our shores and build our roads now we want them to run our lives. We once asked what we could do for our country and now we ask what our government can do for us.

If you think I’m an alarmist remember that legislators now tell business owners that THEIR customers can’t smoke in THEIR restaurants. New York is banning “trans fat.” Los Angeles is outlawing fast food and Seattle is charging you for shopping bags. Entrepreneurs built this country by taking risks for profits. These same entrepreneurs are now being threatened with taxes on the profits they took the risk to earn. Confused? You should be!

Remember when “Bread Pudding is outlawed only outlaws will have Bread Pudding.” For this one American I state proudly - “they can have my Bread Pudding when they take my spoon from my cold dead hands!” Wake up America!

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (July 31, 2008)
All rights reserved

Health Care and Health Care Financing - Murder or Suicide?

2008-08-04T04:37:00.000-07:00

Dr. Regina Herzlinger’s new book raises a question that might evoke more wonder than the other great murder mysteries of the past century - Who shot J.R.? Who killed Nicole Brown Simpson? The preliminary investigation suggests it was not murder but suicide and not with one victim but a Jonestown type group killing.

The body was a co-joined entity. On one side was Health Care (HC) and on the other HC Financing (HCF). HC was the deliverer of medicine. HCF paid for it. Very few folks understood the connection and fewer still proposed a separation. Many victims are not identified at this time - the most prominent are mentioned here. The weapon used was the blunt instrument of individual irresponsibility.

The consumers were triplets - patients who overused care, chose not to question the care provided, failed to seek preventive care, etc. They also too often ate wrong, failed to exercise, and expected doctors to fix their own neglect. A sister paid for care without regard to need or quality and didn’t demand effectiveness in treatment or efficiency in funding. The eldest could influence the marketplace but didn’t do so responsibly - she complained about cost and lack of quality didn’t require innovation. She didn’t expose corruption or demand excellence.

The providers of care and the providers of funding also worked for their immediate gain versus the long term viability of the system. Doctors and other care givers often over prescribed, coddled the patient that smoked, was obese, and sedentary. Some used the excuse of defensive medicine to test more than necessary. Others looked the other way so alcohol or drug impaired practitioners could practice.

Facility operators - built monuments that were grand but not affordable or needed, used politics to keep themselves open when patient demand no longer existed and refused to innovate into what the market needed versus what they were comfortable with. They politicked for the status quo in lieu of working for the public good.

Regulators and legislators added to burden of operations and cost with tens of thousands of pages of regulation, creating easy pickings for a hungry lawyers, and putting paper before people. Lawyers fed too often at the public trough creating claims where there were none. Insurance carriers failed to analyze claims data through the years that today would facilitate disease management. They added costly bureaucracy, created hassle and slowed care without improving outcomes.

Drug companies hooked folks on designer drugs when the generics were sufficient. They encouraged a drug culture that works for their stockholders but against the interest of the general public. They bought much of the legislative process.

This is a first report from the scene - more victims will be discovered and better clarification of each victim’s involvement will be defined. The question remains - Were HC and HCF murdered or did they die by their own hand. What say you?

Copyright (September 2007) Michael G. Manes
All rights reserved

Leadership Ideas -

2008-07-27T06:22:00.000-07:00

LEADERSHIP OF THE ORGANIZATION

"The first role of the Leader is to define reality."

Max Depree

"An organization is a human group, composed of
specialists working together on a common task"

"The function of organizations is to make knowledge productive"

"Organizations are special-purpose institutions.
They are effective because they concentrate on one task."

"...The organization is a destabilizer...
it must be organized for constant change."

"One implication: every organization of today has to build into its very structure the management of change."

"But the ability to create the new also has to be built into the organization.
Specifically, each organization has to build into its fabric three systematic practices...

...continuing improvement of everything
...to exploit, that is to develop new applications, from its own success...
...every organization will have to learn how to innovate..."

"Its (post-capitalist society) organizations must be able to make fast decisions, based upon closeness to performance, closeness to the market, closeness to technology,closeness to the changes in society, environment, and demographics, all of which must be seen and utilized as opportunities for innovation."

Post-Capitalist Society
Peter Drucker

"The task of the leader is to get people from where they are to where they have not been."

Henry Kissinger

LEADERSHIP OF RELATIONSHIPS

The leader is the one who climbs the tallest tree,
surveys the entire situation and yells, "Wrong jungle!"

But how do the busy, efficient producers and managers often respond?
"Shut up! We're making progress!"

Daily Reflections for Highly Effective People
Stephen R. Covey -- 1994

All the well meaning advice in the world won't amount to a hill of beans
if we're not addressing the real problem. And we'll never get to the problem
if we're so caught up in our own autobiography, our own paradigm, that we
don't take off our glasses long enough to see the world from another point of view."

Daily Reflections for Highly Effective People
Stephen R. Covey -- 1994

There is no limit to what can be accomplished
when no one cares who gets the credit.

John Wooden

There is no such thing as a self-made man.
You will reach your goals only with the help of others.

George Shinn

LEADERSHIP OF SELF

"...it is safe to assume that anyone with any knowledge will have to acquire new knowledge every four or five years, or else become obsolete."

"Knowledge workers can work only because there is an organization for them to work in. In that respect, they are dependent. But at the same time, they own the "means of production", that is their knowledge."

Post-Capitalist Society
Peter Drucker

"The 90's will separate the winners and the losers. Those who embrace change will be the winners, those who resist it will be the losers."

Jack Welch
CEO - General Electric

"Fall seven times, stand up eight."

Japanese Proverb

"If you start to take Vienna -- Take Vienna!"

Napoleon Bonaparte

"Don't find fault - Find a remedy."

Henry Ford

"Just do it!"

Nike

"The society of organizations, the knowledge society,
demands a responsibility-based organization."

Post-Capitalist Society
Peter Drucker

"If you think you can do a thing, or if you think you can't do a thing; You are right."

Henry Ford

THE MANAGEMENT OF CHANGE

Leadership and Vision:

Where there is no vision, the people perish.
Proverbs 29:18

Development of a Plan:

God grant us the Serenity to accept
the things we cannot change...
Courage to change the things we can,
and wisdom to know the difference.

Implementation of the Plan:

"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's
possible and suddenly you are doing the impossible."

St Francis of Assisi
(1181 - 1226)

Copyright (1995 / Revised 2008) Michael G. Manes
All rights reserved

Smart or Wise - An MBA or a Kindergarten Diploma

2008-07-20T06:27:00.000-07:00

Preface: The article that follows is more of a process than an event. It started early this morning with a story sent to me by my Aunt Mazie. The story will be used as a close and a case study on the theories presented in this article. The proofing (not in terms of grammar and spelling corrections but rather in terms of proving my premise) was completed as my wife and I watched the movie Seabiscuit this afternoon.

The Article: I believe that Robert Fulghum has IT and has been kind enough to share IT. I believe John Nash (in the movie The Beautiful Mind) didn’t have “IT” but in his journey through the Ivory Towers and Mental Institutions (a.k.a. – insane asylums) he got IT. “IT” being an understanding of life, living, people, and purpose.

IT is wisdom not education. IT is about knowing people, not knowing things. IT is being a better person educated, not being a better-educated person. IT is using organizations for the good of people. Not using people for the good of the organization. IT is experience gained not facts taught (and maybe learned). IT is scar tissue not brain tissue.

Fulghum wrote the best seller - All I Really Need to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten. If you haven’t read it, I urge you to do so.

John Nash was a genius mathematician. He ultimately won a Nobel Prize (in real life and in the movie) for his theories (which I do not understand). He also was a paranoid schizophrenic who was institutionalized in two different places – one an insane asylum (where none of us would want to go) and at other times in institutions of higher education (where most of us fantasize about being). You can learn in both places.

IT for John was not the Nobel Prize nor the degrees nor the numbers nor the theories nor the reasoning / logic he taught. IT WAS LOVE (People).

This article is the result of a conversation with a good friend and a really smart (and wise) person – Larry Morrison. I was in Seattle visiting with Larry. We got on a tirade about MBA’s - what they know and what they don’t know, what they think and what they don’t think, and what they do and what they don’t do and finally the good they could do and the harm they do do! Larry is a RECOVERING MBA. Believe me in dealing with MBAs you have to put up with a lot of do do!

PLEASE NOTE – THIS IS A STEREOTYPE AND STEREOTYPES ARE BAD. AS MY COUSIN MARTIN TELLS ME, “THE BROADER THE STEREOTYPE THE NARROWER THE MIND.” MARTIN BELIEVES I HAVE A VERY NARROW MIND! HE’S RIGHT.

This article is not about the Executive MBA who has spent years in the field and then goes back to the Ivory Tower. This is not about the recovering MBA, like Larry, who has tried what (s)he learned in the classroom and then submitted to the tougher lessons taught in the field and has now successfully balanced the scar tissue with the brain tissue. The Recovering MBA is an asset because now they know what they don’t know. This is about the fully educated yet “unlearned”, knowledgeable but not yet wise MBA. This is the MBA – as a Second Lieutenant in the business wars. They have earned the rank but not respect. They have power / knowledge but not the maturity to use it.

The good news about Stereotypes is that they are easy to understand. In this case, I hope the positive potential - encouraging some MBAs to rethink what they do - is better than the harm – some hurt feelings - which might be caused.

Larry said, “I have an MBA and when I got out of school, I was dangerous. I had all the answers but didn’t know the right questions. I didn’t know what I didn’t know.”

He said, “the good news is that Daddy didn’t go bankrupt because if he had listened to my advice he would have.”

Probably the best news in our society, is that most mature business folks can work around these marvels we call MBAs. We nod at their comments and then do what is right. We let them talk and then we think and act. We let them use their education in front of us until they can get some “learnin” standing next to us.

They share what they learned sitting on their butt in a classroom while we do what we learned falling on our butt in the office, field, or assembly line. We watch them in amazement - their ego, naivete, and drive (to their Vision not that of the organization). In worst case scenarios, like the Second Lieutenants that they are, someone “frags” them (if you don’t understand this term, ask a Vietnam Combat Vet).

To young MBAs their education / degree is a hammer and like most of us who have a new hammer for the first time – EVERYTHING LOOKS LIKE A NAIL!

Larry – now a very wise man, said of his new MBA hammer “I was so green back then I didn’t know what green was. What I learned after I got “educated” was that scar tissue was more important than brain tissue. My definition of wisdom is to not get bit in the same place twice. Of course, it took me a while to figure the last part out.”

He and I laughed about what “smart people” (Jimmy Carter – as President) and MBAs have taught us. We learned that Sears was going to dominate the retail business. I wonder if Sam Walton was intimidated because he didn’t have an MBA?

As an aside – Sam Walton was asked his secret for success. He said, “good decisions.” When asked how he made good decisions, he replied, “experience.” When pressed for his source of experience, he said, “bad decisions.” SCAR TISSUE / NOT AN MBA.

Larry said, “back in MBA School (being taught by professors that couldn’t manage a lemonade stand) we heard that Exxon and Sears would own their respective worlds because they could afford to staff with MBAs.”

We talked about the insurance companies that turned away from streetwise insurance folks and turned to “bean counter” MBAs for leadership. Remember Reliance, Kemper, Allmerica, Aetna Life and Casualty (as a P & C company), Executive Life, and Equitable. There were more – many more. They are gone or on life support.

MBAs at Chase were going to make so much money on derivatives they were going to own the world. Today, who owes what to whom? How deep is the hole their MBAs will need to fill? Citicorp and Travelers were going to be the Financial Services provider for the universe. They did manage to “steal” the umbrella.

We talked about MBAs in politics. For you old timers, remember Robert McNamara the MBA that was going to use all his “schoolin” to win the war in Vietnam. Our troops were in the field, but they had to ask, “may I” when fighting for their lives. Decisions were being made by committees of MBAs in the Pentagon but it was the soldiers that were paying the ultimate price for the bad decisions made.

George Bush has an MBA although I’d bet his “brothers” in that fraternity would deny him membership if they could. He won the war because he let the people with the scar tissue call the shots. He probably did this because he has scar tissue as well.

Our diatribe continued, but I won’t bore you. Larry and I both believe in EDUCATION. We think it is good to know a lot of stuff, be able to analyze the stuff you know, make good decisions, and implement the decisions you make. It is however, more important to be able to gain the commitment and respect of the folks you work with so that they will become involved and commit to the shared goals, the Vision.

Your success in business (and often your survival) will not be based upon what you know, but rather on how well you can leverage what you know to help the members of your organization achieve the Vision – the shared goals. You must work with people and through people for the common good.

Some MBAs know all the words but often don’t know the definitions. Other MBAs may know the definitions but then can’t make a sentence. Too often others “bark” sentences based upon those words and definitions. Unfortunately the folks they should be talking with (but all too often are talking at) may not be able to understand them.

Ultimately the success or failure of an organization will play out at the “worker bee” level – the bottom not at the top. LEADERSHIP IS IMPORTANT NOT BECAUSE OF ITSELF BUT BECAUSE OF THE FOLLOWERS – THE PEOPLE.

My wife, Sheila, is a first grade teacher. She once taught kindergarten. Through her I know the critical nature of a sound Kindergarten education – the foundation of all future learning.

Make no mistake about it; I encourage you to get all the “learnin” you can – whether in Ivory Towers or on the factory floor. Get an MBA if you have the opportunity but BEFORE YOU START USING THAT NEW “MBA HAMMER” return to Kindergarten for the wisdom you need to use it properly.

I’ll close the article with an excerpt from Mr. Fulghum’s book: Share everything. Play fair. Don’t hit people. Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess. Don’t take things that aren’t yours. Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody. Wash your hands before you eat. Flush. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you. Live a balanced life – learn some and think some and draw some and paint and sing and dance and play and work everyday some. When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together. Be aware of wonder.

NOW YOU’RE EDUCATED AND SMART TOO!

The Proof Process: Go see the movie Seabiscuit. Squint your ears and your brain. There are great lessons to be learned. Sometimes efficiency kills imagination, look into ones eyes to see their heart, is a person a “fighter?” it’s better to break a man’s leg then to break his heart, scar tissue is important, and never give up – even if what you hope to do is impossible – miracles happen. Success is never final and failure is rarely fatal (WC). IT’S A GREAT SHOW AND A BETTER LEARNING EXPERIENCE.

The Story: A retriever on safari with his master is roaming free when he sees a leopard approaching. Knowing this could be trouble; he quickly thinks and then acts.

He sees a carcass and walks over to take one of the bones in his mouth and with his back to the leopard he says loud enough for the Leopard to hear, “boy that one was delicious, I wonder if there is another leopard around here, I’m still hungry.” Hearing that the leopard – unfamiliar with Retrievers but intrigued with living, quietly retreats.

A monkey watching this exchange decides to put his knowledge to good use. He catches up with the leopard and says let me tell you all I know. The leopard is appreciative and offers the monkey a ride back to the Retriever.

As the Retriever views the horizon, he sees the monkey on the back of the leopard as they approach. Again he turns his back on the duo but speaks loud enough for the leopard to hear, “where’s that damn monkey, I sent him off an hour ago to bring me another leopard!”

Remember - if you can’t dazzle them with brilliance; baffle them with bullshit! Einstein said this a little differently – imagination is more important than knowledge.

The Case Study: Your organization is the Retriever. You need to survive and ideally want to prosper – eat well. The leopard is your competitor, a regulator, an innovator or any other force that may threaten your future. The monkey is the MBA – with his newly discovered knowledge and limited real world experience. The lesson - don’t let the monkey be the cause of your demise! Manage (lead) the monkey – don’t be managed by the monkey – “he don’t know what he don’t know."

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (September 2001)
All rights reserved

Unsafe at any Speed!

2008-07-12T06:30:00.000-07:00

Early in the day, I was speaking with a friend about the future of the distribution system in a certain industry. “Is the system dead”, I asked? No Jack explained, “the problem is a generational (chronological or attitudinal) issue not a systemic one”.

Some organizations are flourishing, others are dinosaurs, and still others are sitting on the banks of the Tar Pits, trying to decide their future. Our discussion continued for some time but I’ll save you from the detail.

Later in the evening, I was reading an excellent book It’s not the BIG that eat the SMALL… it’s the FAST that eat the SLOW (Jason Jennings and Laurence Haughton / Harper Business- 2001). I could see the genius of their ideas in concept. Their theory was developed through and supported by their experience with businesses that lead their industries. Their theories work.

Unfortunately their ideas didn’t “square” with some of my experiences, beliefs, and practices. “Am I wrong? Are they? What am I missing? This makes sense but it won’t work even though it already has. There has to be more – what’s the answer?” – I was struggling.

The TV was mumbling in the background. I glanced away from the monitor for a second merely to refocus my eyes and clear my brain. Eureka – the dots connected. On the screen Ralph Nader was visiting with a talking head. I flashed back to the mid-1960s and saw the roots of Nader and his consumer movement. His first book had been called Unsafe at any Speed! It was an expose’ on the dangers inherent in the Chevrolet Corvair, one of the first rear-engine cars.

At that moment Ralph Nader’s greatest accomplishment in my mind was not his contribution to auto safety, his establishment of a consumer movement, or his Presidential race, it was that this “flashback” – his face on the TV screen, had answered my question and resolved my concerns.

Jennings and Haughton are right – SPEED is critical to future success – tomorrow. I am right – what they preach makes sense in concept but gets muddled – in the concrete world of my existence. Why the dilemma? It’s simple - today, most businesses are “UNSAFE AT ANY SPEED!

If you’re building an organization for tomorrow, build for speed. Start with your guiding Principles and move directly to the Causes and Crusades that these writers suggest.

If you’re leading and / or operating a company more stereotypical of business and industry today – those that have evolved from yesterday’s command and control world then you must reengineer your organization for change – for speed.

You can only get to SPEED and the success that follows by first making your organization SAFE to accelerate and sustain SPEED. If the organization is not reasonably safe or perceived to be reasonably safe no one will drive and no one will ride.

To do this you must move your organization from the rigid command and control systems of yesterday where the boss had total control – he did the thinking and the employees did the “doing” to a system of empowered, responsible, and accountable employees. Those with the flexibility, innovation, thinking, and risk-taking skills needed in tomorrow’s world.

To create such a system, you must identify and communicate your guiding Principles / VALUES – the foundation for the future. You must work through a Vision and Mission that is understood and embraced by all – your future. You must build people - their willingness, ability, confidence, and commitment. You and your team must create the strategies, innovations (breaking down the walls of the Bureaucracy), and action steps needed to compete (negotiate the curves and staff the pit crew) before you enter the track.

In closing, if an OBJECTIVE analysis of your organization reveals that you already have a Corvette – start your engine. If your organization is more like the Corvair or your “daddy’s Oldsmobile” trade it in on a Corvette or go to the garage and get started on the challenge of your life – reengineering your vehicle for speed!

Then get - “On the Road Again!”

Copyright - (February 2001) - Michael G. Manes
All rights reserved

My Last Class

2008-07-06T06:42:00.000-07:00

For 10 years (1988 - 1998)I taught Risk and Insurance Classes to junior and senior students at LSU in Baton Rouge. During that time I spoke hundreds of thousands (if not millions)of words. For the last class I chose to be brief and limit the substance of my comments to 25 words. The premise below - A Quiz - introduces the process.

I could easily prepare for a 3 hour class in 20 minutes. Selecting these 25 words took me weeks. I challenge you to choose your 25 words. Try it - the exercise is good for the soul.

Peace!

A Quiz

You're talking to a person you really like.
Chances are you'll never see them again.
They are leaving for the adventure we call life.
You only have time to share 25 words.

What words do you use?

My words are below:

Dream
Think
Focus
Commit
Plan
Implement
Risk
Rebound
Persevere
Work
Play
Balance
Hope
Believe
Love
Share
Laugh
Forgive
Forget
Remember
Smile
Live
Relax
Pray
Peace

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (November 1998)
All rights reserved

First You Dream / Souls Don't Grow in the Sunshine

2008-07-01T06:21:00.001-07:00

Preface:

For the past 8 years I've been blessed to speak to the HOBY Leadership program and other groups for teenagers and young adults. The basis of the presentation is the importance of "dreaming" and the fact that our greatest growth occurs not in good times but in times of challenge. Below is a handout provided to each attendee of these programs.

Remember - FIRST YOU DREAM and SOULS DON'T GROW IN THE SUNSHINE!

First You Dream!

“I have a dream!” Martin Luther King

“I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth.” JFK (May 25, 1961)

Only as high as I reach can I grow,
Only as far as I seek can I go,
Only as deep as I look can I see,
Only as much as I dream can I be. Karen Ravin

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
Eleanor Roosevelt.

“Never measure the height of a mountain until you have reached the top. Then you will see how low it was.” Dag Hammarskjold, Statesman

“It’s not the same to talk of bulls as to be in the bullring.” Spanish proverb

“Heart is what separates the good from the great.” Michael Jordan

“You lose with potential. You win with performance.” Bill Parcels

“Better to strengthen your back than lighten your burden.” Anonymous

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” Walt Disney

“I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge -
That myth is more potent than history.
I believe that dreams are more powerful than facts –
That hope always triumphs over experience –
That laughter is the only cure for grief.
And I believe that love is stronger than death.” Robert Fulghum

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” George Bernard Shaw

“What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything.” Van Gogh

“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the death of the young men that died. Rather we should thank God that the young men lived.” George Patton

“The greatest risk is not taking one.” AIG (Annual Report)

Souls Don’t Grow in the Sunshine!

“If the world was perfect I wouldn’t be in it.” Yogi Berra

“If you start to take Vienna – Take Vienna.” Napoleon Bonaparte

“I can accept failure but I can’t accept not trying.” Michael Jordan

“Don’t find fault – Find a remedy.” Henry Ford

“There is no limit to what can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit.” John Wooden

“A man could do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one would find fault with what he had done.” Anonymous

“Nothing in this world can take the place of perseverance. Talent will not; nothing is more common that unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Perseverance and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” C. Coolidge

“If the end brings me out right, then what is said against me won’t matter. If the end brings me out wrong, then 10 angels swearing I was right would make no difference.” Abraham Lincoln

“It is not the critic who counts, or how the strong man stumbled and fell, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotion, and spends himself in a worthy cause; and if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that he’ll never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” Theodore Roosevelt

“Never quit. Never, never quit. Never, never, never quit” Winston Churchill

“The human spirit is never finished when it is defeated… it is finished when it surrenders.” Ben Stein

“When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” FDR

“Fall down seven times; Stand up eight.” Japanese Proverb

“Self-starters are nice but I need a self-finisher.” Tommy Canterbury

“Just do it!” Nike

Copyright (2004) - Michael G. Manes
All rights reserved

Bringing Peace to Iraq is Easy…

2008-06-22T06:23:00.000-07:00

No - I’m not out of my mind even though the title of this article might suggest otherwise. I just haven’t finished my statement. The War in Iraq was won in less than 30 days with combat fatalities under 100. Unfortunately attempting to establish the peace has been much more costly in terms of dollars, days, and lives and we are still a long way from “Mission Accomplished.” Now I’ll finish my statement - Bringing peace to Iraq is easy COMPARED TO REFORMING OUR SYSTEMS OF HEALTH CARE (HC) AND HEALTH CARE FINANCING (HCF).

Iraq presents a challenge because it’s “not one world.” It’s actually a conglomeration of Arabs, Kurds, Persians - Muslims and Christians - Sunnis and Shi’a - peasants, politicians, insurgents, Imams, war lords, victims, and survivors. It is world where for most Maslow’s hierarchy of needs has only the Survival rung. Security is merely a dream and Self Actualization a fantasy. Unbelievable as it may seem each of these factions thinks they are right / good and everyone else is wrong!

The only wisdom I’ve heard come out of the chaos of this war and the search for peace came from a U. S. General who said, “this will end when the people of Iraq love their children more than they hate their neighbors.” How wise! This “place of chaos” is driven by fear, anger, hatred, ideology, self-serving leaders, fanatics, and history. These are the challenges. Freedom and safety for the people are the ideal.

In America today our HC system includes consumers that use care (patients) and the premium and taxpayers that pay for the care we use. We have providers (doctors, hospitals, home care organizations, nurses, allied health professionals, etc.) that deliver the care we use or the facilities in which the care is delivered. Add to this the insurance companies, HMOs, TPAs, and others that administer the funding of care, lobbyist that are “bodyguards” for each special interest and the insurgents that attempt to destroy the competing self interests, legislators, regulators, the pharmaceutical industry and others and you have a “place of chaos.”

Much like the factions in Iraq - each of the aforementioned stakeholders or “special interests” think they are the answer to the problem and everyone else is part of the problem. In reality and in the stereotype I can show great good done by each group or great harm / abuse contributed by the dark side of these same folks / interests.

Here’s the reality - the Sunnis - Shi’as and Kurds will not come to peace until the individual members of each group create a demand for a new “special interest” - that of the common good. Our HC and HCF systems will not be reformed or “at peace” until each of us as consumers - patients and premium / taxpayers demand a system of quality care, accessible to all at an affordable cost.

I believe the major stakeholders need to sit at a peace table and find a solution. To do this they must abandon their existing special interest in favor of the common good. We have no choice because in this pending war - the Marines can’t save us.

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (January 2008)
All rights reserved

The Battle for the Soul of your Organization

2008-06-14T05:20:00.000-07:00

"The devil made me do it!" – Geraldine (Flip Wilson)

If you’re over 45, this single statement will make you smile. It will create a flashback to Flip Wilson’s character of Geraldine and her innovation in the process of "shirking personal responsibility" by blaming the devil.

Thirty five years after Miss Geraldine’s fifteen minutes of fame, it is the belief of this writer, that the devil is still being used as a tool to shirk personal and organizational responsibility.

To test this hypothesis, introduce to your organization, your best Vision for the future, an innovation in process or suggest a new product or service. On a near immediate basis, from the darkened halls of your status quo – some in your organization will chant – "great idea but, the devil’s in the detail".

To entrepreneurs and innovators, this statement appears to be merely another hurdle to overcome in their passion for the new. Entrepreneurs are optimists – people focused on the future with the resolve to create it, change agents. The marketplace, competition and opportunity drive them. Change is good!

To the bureaucrat (a traditional government official) or bureaucrat-lite (a private sector employee envious of the government’s infrastructure, pace, stability and security, but forced to operate in a competitive system), change is bad. It is to be avoided – the status quo is to be protected. "The devil is in the detail" is not just an observation but also is a wake up call to alert the sleeping staff that change has been suggested.

This is a battle cry. This statement is intended to unify the troops in their effort to snuff the breath out of this new initiative. It begins as a clandestine effort to sabotage the deal. The process includes smiling at the innovator and his / her new idea, feigning support and vigorously commencing best efforts to assure that "the devil is in the detail" is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Before we debate reaction to change, let’s verify that change is necessary.

If change is necessary, the traditionalists are putting your organizations at risk. Their efforts to slow or stop change, in effect, are sabotaging your ability to compete. Their efforts are counter to the best interest of your future.

If change is not good or necessary than the defenders of the status quo are to be acknowledged and thanked. Their protection of today is a noble effort. Leaders should reward their effort to protect the status quo and root out the traitors that continue to suggest the new.

Max DePree noted "the first role of a leader is to define reality". The key issue, the reality, in this debate is whether or not change is good and necessary. By analyzing the marketplace a few facts for tomorrow can be established.

Yesterday’s world was patriarchal and the patriarchs owned the businesses. A limited number of manufacturers / distributors offered products and services to mass markets. The system worked first to benefit the business / system and secondarily to provide value to the consumer.

Tomorrow’s world will be defined by technology, a global marketplace, intense competition and controlled by the most sophisticated consumer ever. Simply stated, tomorrow the consumer is in charge. Every product and service must first bring value to the consumer. Secondarily, benefits will flow to the manufacturer, distributor and provider.

Remember businesses exist to serve customers – when, where and how they want to be served. "Customers do not see it as their job to ensure manufacturers a profit." (Peter Drucker)

The new consumer has established excellence as the minimum standard. From that base (s)he requires constant improvement that assures better and cheaper products and faster service. If your organization can sustain the innovations needed to meet this standard then do nothing. Otherwise you must CHANGE.

Webster helps us shape the balance of this discussion. He analyzes the meanings of the words.

devil – n. 2: an evil spirit: DEMON

demon – n. 1: an evil spirit 2: an evil or undesirable emotion, trait or state

detail – n. 1: extended treatment of or attention to particular items 2: a part of a whole

Detail is neutral / inanimate. It is merely the parts whose sum makes up the whole. Detail is. The end result, good or bad, is nothing more than assembling the parts – the detail.

The devil is animated, alive – a spirit. The devil can influence the result. (S)he can assure success or failure in assembling the parts of your latest innovation. Detail is not the devil and the devil is not detail. The devil is a manipulator of detail.

If when you introduce a vision for the future, you hear, "be careful, the devil is in the detail", take heed. This is your organization rallying around the status quo. It is a battle cry to legitimize an anti-innovation movement.

The individual making this statement, if innocent, is merely expressing doubt. Educate, nurture and coach them. Help them stretch their comfort zone. If that person is sinister, (s)he is establishing an agenda, one diametrically opposed to your vision. It may be time to exorcise the devil – not the detail!

If an employee in an organization intentionally destroyed a $2,000.00 PC, the leader / manager would fire them on the spot. Yet these same managers / leaders will stand by and watch employees intentionally destroy innovation and vision – the future of the company!

If you need further reinforcement on this hypothesis, consider Adam and Eve – the apple was detail…

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (December 1999)
All rights reserved

Tech-Knowledge-Y (TM / SM)

2008-06-08T06:30:00.001-07:00

Paul Harvey often says, “We’re not one world.” He is right.

For months I’ve watched the Presidential Campaign which is more about generational change than it is about Gender or Race. I’ve spoken to the Texas PIA Convention with an audience that looked more like John McCain than the followers of Hillary or Barack. Recently I spent two days with 1,000 MBAs from a major international consulting company. These folks were representative of the diverse world yet their experience, knowledge and thinking tended to be deep not wide.

I just watched the RBS TV commercial where the old golfer with his scar tissue challenges the young golfer with his testosterone to “hit the ball over the tree like I did when I was your age.” As the ball hits a branch the old golfer smiles and says, “When I was your age that tree was much shorter.” Again wisdom triumphs - scar tissue trumps brain tissue - experience overrides technology.

Today, four generations and technology (necessary in a global market) are being assimilated into the workplace. The problem is the generations differ greatly and their understanding and embrace of each other and technology are worlds apart.

The Greatest Generation earned their stripes through war, a depression and sacrifice. Theirs is a system of command and control and authority. Their children - the “Boomers” (a.k.a. - Aging Hippies) challenged everything and did our own thing. We didn’t trust anyone over 30 until we became 40. Now we respect our elders and wonder about the next two groups of ingrates entering the market.

The Gen Xers are our “latch key kids” that lived through the demise of Ozzie and Harriet and grew up in a world of the Simpsons and Roseanne. They retained and grew some of the cynicism of the hippies and are frustrated with the “mess” we’ve left them. The Gen Ys are the future in that they’re just now entering the present loaded with positive self esteem, a global community, technology and our expectations / hope that they will be the next greatest group. WHY? - is the most frequently asked question of youth - the Gen Ys have not stopped asking it.

Tech-Knowledge- Y (TM / SM)- is the new vocabulary word to define the challenge. The generations are the tiles in a mosaic of tomorrow. Communications, experience, wisdom, scar tissue, and technology are the “grout” that connects us - that finish the picture. The “exiting” generations have the wisdom, knowledge and experience and in the stereotype a discomfort and limited understanding of technology.

The Xers and Ys are techno-savvy but limited in wisdom, experience and communication skills. All of us need both but in the stereotype “we don’t play well with others” and “we don’t like to share.” Success is in the creation of a new word - a new attitude including assimilation and sharing of our collective strengths of techno-savvy, knowledge, and the power of “WHY” - these bring us together!

Copyright (June 2008) - Michael G. Manes
All rights reserved

Dinosaur of the Year - A Remembrance

2008-05-30T16:32:00.000-07:00

It was more than a banquet; it was an event – it was a celebration of a life of power and control. It was the annual Dinosaur of the Year program. The table setting was exquisite, the food exceptional, and pomp and circumstance was to be expected. Excitement gripped the air. The emcee began his introduction.

As his comments filled the room, the audience collectively shook their heads. The winner was obvious. The speaker’s superlatives could only be describing one individual. The audience waited in polite anticipation, as the introduction reinforced what all attendees already knew.

"Tonight, we gather to celebrate leadership and to recognize, not a leader, but rather the leader. This award applauds more then accomplishments – it recognizes dominance – absolute and total power and superiority. The winner is obvious - so I’ll be brief.

Once in a lifetime, an individual or maybe, more correctly a force establishes a presence in our world so dominant that it shapes the environment rather than being shaped by the environment. Tonight’s designee is such a character.

Simply stated, tonight’s Dinosaur of the Year is big and he’s bad. He is tradition and the status quo. He laughs in the face of change. He crushes his opponents and the conflict they create. He sees diversity for the weakness that it is; he ignores the pop culture and psychobabble that suggest evolution as the way of the future. He is the King of the Tar Pits!

He has protected RIGID from attacks by FLEXIBILITY. This man put ‘patri’ in patriarch. He gave status to status quo. He is the Big Daddy! Command and control define his style and his substance. ‘Because I said so’ and ‘if I wanted your ideas I would have squeezed your head’, are probably his greatest contributions to communication textbooks.

He established the world of Top – Down Management and has committed to defend that system to the death. He will not be overpowered, manipulated or changed. He is control! Crushing creativity and communications are his hobbies. His contributions to this world will continue for generations, decades, and even millennia. His name is legend

Please join me now, as we recognize the Dinosaur of the Year, our friend, leader and mentor – the man we affectionately call ‘Mr. T’ – T. Rex!"

With the announcement, a deafening roar filled the room. The audience stood and applauded out of respect and fear. It was a special moment and a special time.

Fast-forward a couple of million years. Today we recognize that change cannot be stopped. Evolution and revolution are forces as natural as gravity – the only certainty is change.

Today we know that "T-Rex" and creatures like him were the largest and most powerful creatures on earth. We also know that they are gone and that their only legacy is the fuel left from their decaying bodies. Their failure to evolve – to adapt and change caused death and from that death was created new life, the fuel – the energy that drives our New World.

The most obvious, yet least likely survivors, from the Jurassic World of yesteryear are people and cockroaches. People because of their intellect, creativity, adaptability, communication skills, and ingenuity. Cockroaches have survived, even prospered, because of their ability to "hide in cracks".

People can outthink Dinosaurs; Cockroaches can outmaneuver them. People were "mind over matter" (with a good mind – size doesn’t matter). Cockroaches were the first niche marketers. They found the spaces where they could survive and prosper.

Today an evolution or maybe even a revolution is occurring in our world. We are moving from a patriarchal system of command and control, status quo and rigid to a system of innovation, creativity, risk and change. This is being driven by a global economy, technology, intense competition, and sophisticated consumers.

Yesterday’s patriarchal system was created following the CHAOS, of the great depression and two world wars. It was a world of order demanded by the marketplace.

Aging "hippies" and their children who challenge the status quo and demand options are revolutionizing tomorrow’s world. They demand, on a daily basis, products and services that are better, cheaper and quicker than yesterday. Excellence and new and improved are their minimum expectations.

As businesses, organizations and systems attempt to adapt, there are some that cannot change. The world has passed them by. Many still exercise power and control and are attempting to use this to maintain the status quo. Unfortunately, for themselves, they will learn the same painful lesson learned by "T-Rex" - change is inevitable!

(As a footnote to history - it should be acknowledged that the aforementioned celebration was the last Dinosaur of the Year Banquet – perhaps, it’s time to bring back this tradition as a vehicle to usher out in style the last of our DINOSAURS!)

Evolve or die!

Copyright - Michael G. Manes (January 2000)
All rights reserved