Irony Poorly Timed

Posted on February 8, 2010 by Harry K. Jones

The older I get, the more irony I find in my day-to-day activity. This morning, I picked up a copy of USA Today in the terminal to read on my flight. I boarded the plane, got comfortable in my seat and started reading prior to take off.

There, in the center of the front page, above the fold, was a photo of a large U.S. passenger plane taking off into the wild blue yonder. Directly below the photo, in very large, bold red print, was the number 65,000! The headline under that impressive number read: “U.S flights with maintenance problems have taken off anyway.” Now that’s a confidence-building statement, isn’t it?

Here’s where the irony sets in. I’m buckled into my seat on a plane that very much resembles the one I’m looking at on the front page, and I’m wondering if I’m on one of those 65,000 flights! Odds are pretty good that I am.

The story goes on to explain that USA Today recently conducted a six-month investigation which revealed that substandard repairs, unqualified mechanics, and lax oversight by airlines and the FAA are not at all unusual! I’ll spare you the details, but suffice it to say that this story covered half of the front page and all of the second page!

Trying to remain positive and get my mind off that encouraging story, I turned to the Money Section of the paper. I should have known better. Right in the center of the front page of that section was the photo of another airplane and a baggage handler tossing a bag into the belly of the aircraft. The headline read: “Do airlines improve bag handling when fees rise?”

The article covered half of the front page and two thirds of the second page, focusing on the recent increases in baggage fees by most every airline. The major thrust of the article revealed that very little, if any, of that money ($2.7 billion in the last year) collected was used to reduce the number of lost and damaged bags or enhance the technology used to track our bags. It also pointed out that mishandled bags cost the airline industry $3 billion last year!

None of this information really shocked me as I’ve been hearing it for quite some time now. However, I couldn’t help but chuckle at the double irony. First, I’m reading this depressing information while strapped helplessly captive in one of those poorly maintained aircrafts that will more than likely lose or damage my bag after charging me an increased fee for that privilege.

Secondly, the only airline NOT charging a fee of any kind for your first two bags happened to be the ONLY airline in the nation to earn a profit for the past year! Hello-o-o-o? Need I mention that it was Southwest?

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Albert and Mr. Harry

Posted on November 13, 2009 by Harry K. Jones

As I grow older, I find myself tearing up more often than ever before. The reasons are numerous and varied and, in most cases, very cathartic for me. I don’t mind at all. It might be a song, a movie, a TV show, a memory, a realization or simply something that happened during my busy day.

I firmly believe these various circumstances have always presented themselves to me. I’m just more aware of them at this point in my life.

One of those moments materialized for me recently during a very hectic week in a major city. I was involved in a frenzied week of training which ran until 9 p.m. every night. I repeated the same program several times every day in order to accommodate the hundreds of employees our client had scheduled to attend.

Leadership and front-line employees alike arrived from all over the city to attend the three-hour sessions, day after day. Due to the size of each session, the programs were held in one of the largest and most historic churches in the city.

After the last session of my last night, I was alone in the enormous auditorium packing up my materials and props. I had turned off most of the lights, and it was extremely quiet at this point. I was suddenly startled to see someone just three feet in front of me … almost as though he had instantly materialized out of nowhere.

There, standing quietly with a warm smile on his thinly bearded face, was a short, middle-aged man who, extending his hand, said in heavily broken English, “Hello, Mr. Harry. My name is Albert.”

I smiled, shook his hand, and returned the greeting. He apologized for bothering me after a long week but said he wanted to thank me for everything he had learned this week. I thought that it was odd that he had referred to a three-hour session as “all week.”

He went on, in broken English, to explain that he wasn’t an official attendee of the training. He was an employee of the church where the sessions were being held. He was walking by the auditorium on the first night of the week after getting off work. He listened at the door to see why people were laughing. After a few minutes of listening, he casually made his way to the back of the room, picked up one of our booklets, found a seat and became an “unofficial attendee.” He sat through the entire program taking notes!

As if that weren’t unusual enough, Albert returned after work every night for the rest of the week and sat through the program again and again. I thanked him for doing so but couldn’t help but to inquire why he kept coming back.

Albert explained that he was from Albania and struggles to understand and translate the English language. Each night after the class ended at 9 p.m., he took his notes home, sat around his kitchen table with his wife, two sisters, one brother, and three high school aged children, and they all discussed and translated his notes. He told me that his entire family had learned so much by the end of the week and how much they all enjoyed the lessons they had learned. He wanted to stop by and thank me for the gift I had provided for his family.

I accepted his out-stretched hand once again and told him that it was I who wanted to thank him for reminding me that there were still good people in this world who wanted to learn and grow. I told him that it was an honor for me to be a part of his family’s growth. At that point, with what appeared to be glistening eyes, he hugged me and simply said, “Thank you, Mr. Harry, and God bless you.” Albert then turned and walked away into the darkness.

What I didn’t tell Albert was that many who shared that auditorium with him all week didn’t want to be there, others felt they were being forced to attend, many didn’t listen much less take notes, and some weren’t focused on learning or personal growth. That was certainly not the fault of our client. These behaviors are evident in most all groups who attend this type of session today. It doesn’t matter where they work or what part of the country they live in. It’s simply human nature.

These reactions make it difficult for those of us addressing these audiences. It’s so easy to get frustrated as you wonder just how many will benefit from your efforts. You sometimes feel as though you want to consider throwing in the towel. You never do, of course, for the sake of the few who truly want to learn and grow—but you sometimes feel like reaching for that towel.

That night, Albert from Albania, unbeknownst to him, actually encouraged me to reach for that towel. However, it wasn’t to throw it in … it was to wipe my brow, appreciate those like Albert, and refocus my efforts to always search every audience for my next “Albert.”

I finished packing up my things for the walk back to my hotel through the quiet, dark streets of late-night city … a bit of an appreciative tear in my eyes and a glowing warmth in my heart. Thank you Albert!

About Harry K. Jones

People Are Funny

Posted on November 9, 2009 by Harry K. Jones

Just when I feel I’ve seen it all, someone comes along to prove me wrong. I seem to find the strangest situations in larger cities like L.A., Dallas, Chicago, and New York City. My last visit to the Big Apple was certainly no exception. As I reflect on this very unusual incident, I still can’t understand or begin to explain it. However, I won’t soon forget it.

On my last evening in town, after a long week of facilitation, I decided to have dinner in a picturesque little restaurant near the East River not far from my hotel.

I was sitting alone in the rear of the restaurant enjoying my dinner when I noticed an enthusiastic young man, in his mid-30s, walking rapidly toward me with a big grin on his face. I knew he was coming to me as I was the only one in that area of the restaurant and I was sitting by the window overlooking the river.

As he arrived at my table, he reached out, grabbed my hand and starting pumping it as though I were a long lost friend he hadn’t seen in years. In heavily broken English, he gave me his name and told me how thrilled he was to meet me. He called me Sam as he explained that he never misses an episode of my show.

I quickly explained my name was not Sam and he might have mistaken me for someone else. He apologized and said that he was certain I was Sam Waterston, one of the stars of the long-running television series, Law & Order. He asked if he could have an autograph.

Trying to keep a straight face, I again gave him my name and explained that I was not Sam Waterston. Again in broken English, he said he understood, apologized for bothering me but still wanted my autograph because he thought I looked so much like Sam Waterston.

At this point, I was very embarrassed and couldn’t think of anything to say. He then handed me a pen and a folded newspaper as he explained he wanted the autograph for his wife who loved the show.

I said, “You understand I’m NOT Sam Waterston, right?” He indicated he was aware of that fact but still wanted my autograph as he continued to hold the newspaper in from of me. I really felt stupid at this point as other customers in the restaurant had turned to watch this encounter trying to figure out who I was. I quickly told him I didn’t feel comfortable signing someone else’s name.

He again grinned from ear to ear and said, “No, I want you to sign your own name!” Now I’m almost laughing out loud as I tried to visualize this man explaining this scenario to his wife when he got home. Why would she want the autograph of a total stranger who her husband thought looked like a television actor? He obviously wasn’t going to give an inch so I quickly signed my own name on his newspaper! The man again thanked me, pumped my hand again, and went on his way.

Several customers were still glancing my way. It took me another ten minutes to finish my meal, and I then made my way to the register to pay my bill. As I walked by a man and his wife at a nearby table, the man reached up and tapped my shoulder as he asked, “Are you somebody?” Maintaining a straight face and continuing my journey to the register, I said: “Isn’t everyone? Sam Waterston — Law and Order.”

As I continued walking, I could hear the husband tell his wife, “I thought so!”

People are funny.

About Harry K. Jones

Must There Always Be a Cause?

Posted on November 6, 2009 by Harry K. Jones

Today is November 5th—the day after the World Series ended in New York City and the day before the beloved ticker-tape parade to celebrate the Yankees 27th world championship.

From the moment I hit the streets this morning until I returned to my hotel late this evening, I witnessed a New York City seldom ever seen by anyone … residents or tourists. However, this is the second time in my life that I’ve had the privilege to witness this rare occurrence!

To fully understand and appreciate today’s phenomenon, you need to know a few facts about this city:

The demographics of NYC are evidence of a uniquely large and ethnically diverse metropolis.
NYC is the largest city in the United States with a population uniquely defined by a long history of international immigration.
New York City is home to more than 8 million people, accounting for about 40% of the population of New York State and a similar percentage of the New York metropolitan area, home to about 20 million.
More than 170 languages are spoken in the city, and 36% of its population is foreign born.

In short, New York City is the greatest melting pot on the face of earth! Rather than describe to you what I saw today, allow me to tell you what I DIDN’T see today!

I saw absolutely no Chinese people. Not one. Nor did I see a single Albanian, Greek, or Romanian! There wasn’t a single Jewish person on the streets. No Japanese, no African American, no Polish or Italian. I saw no Puerto Ricans, Asians, or Irish. Not a single Russian, Greek, or German. I didn’t even see one single American!

No, today the city of New York is home to none of the above! Today, this colossal city is home to no one but Yankees! The city is filled with pride and allegiance to a baseball team! Even Met fans have taken the day off to salute their brother Yankees as they celebrate their 27th World Championship. Everyone in this city is in 27th Heaven!

However, it’s much more than a baseball team which has brought this massive population together as one! It’s the need for a mutual cause … a bond, if you will! Times are bad. Worse than many have ever seen before in their lives. Stress, despair, and loss of hope is rampant. People are searching for answers and hope. It just so happens that one of their local sports teams emerged at this time to offer a glimmer of hope in a very dark world. Today, and probably through the parade and the weekend to follow, people have forsaken all their hopelessness and feelings of loss to become an unofficial Yankee.

People are shaking the hands of strangers, hugging each other, dancing in the streets. There are no arguments, disagreements, or unsmiling faces.

I mentioned that I felt privileged to have witnessed this very unique situation in NYC twice in my life. The last time was shortly after the historic attack on the World Trade Center right here in the heart of the Financial District. I’ll spare you the grim details as most of us will never forget the pictures of shock, fear and devastation which occurred as a result of that 9-11 tragedy.

The emotions were obviously the opposite of what we see today. There was no joy, elation or celebration! But there was that unspoken, universal bond which brought this city together like never before in its history. Again, there were no nationalities that day, week, or month. At that time, EVERYONE was a NEW YORKER! In fact, that feeling was felt throughout the country and even the world. Everyone was a New Yorker for so many obvious reasons. And for those who witnessed this never-before-seen spectacle … it was not only indescribable but it was heartwarming to the point that defied description!

My question is this: WHY do we wait for a CAUSE? Why must there be a fantastic accomplishment or major disaster before we come together as human beings and treat others as we’d like to be treated, support one another, and care for those we live with day in and day out. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could experience those emotions every day in every way?

While that will never happen to the degree described above, WE could all put forth an effort to make things better than they are today! And if enough of us decided to do that, from coast to coast, this country would experience an obvious joy and healing that we so dearly need in these chaotic times. I’m willing to give it a shot … starting today! How about you?

About Harry K. Jones

Reality Can Be Misleading

Posted on November 5, 2009 by Harry K. Jones

I’m in New York City this week executing one of the busiest schedules I’ve experienced in quite some time. On top of that schedule, just being in the Big Apple is always an enormous challenge. It’s a different world altogether … much like visiting 15 different cities all wrapped up in one. Every visit is an educational experience in so many ways if you simply open your mind to it.

I had an experience tonight that would certainly fit into that unique category of “events that lead to deep thought.” I completed my last training session of the day at 9 p.m., closed the facility and took the elevator down to the street level to hail a cab back to my hotel. Hitting the street, I discovered a beautiful full moon reflecting across the Hudson River and a brisk autumn air to put the finishing touches on a gorgeous night! I decided against the usual cab ride and chose, instead, a nice leisurely stroll through the financial district and on to the historic seaport district where my hotel is situated.

As I casually strolled down Wall Street passing in front of the New York Stock Exchange, I was suddenly confronted with a shocking scene which actually stopped me in my tracks! Directly in my path was a police officer decked out in full swat team regalia including a helmet with plastic visor and a very threatening fully automatic firearm (machine gun to many people) complete with a large capacity magazine. To complete this military image, I couldn’t help but notice the bulky bulletproof vest, and camouflage attire including combat boots.

I couldn’t help but notice that the officer was holding the weapon in such a manner that it was obvious he could fire it in seconds. Suddenly I saw two more officers, similarly dressed and armed to my left, then a few more off to my right and within seconds identified a total of 12 which suddenly appeared as a small army. It seemed immediately obvious to me that there must have been an incident in the area which summoned this intimidating group of militia.

To add to this very unusual scenario was a small group of city service workers resurfacing a sidewalk under the brilliant glare of very bright overhead lights. I couldn’t help but pause and question one of the workers as to why so many heavily armed military personnel were in the area.

He quickly explained that nothing had happened. He said, “These guys are here every day and every night and have been since 9-11 to protect the Stock Exchange from a terrorist attack.” He said locals were used to this scene, and I was only seeing those out in the open. He said there were many, many more in the alleys and on top of the surrounding buildings.

I thanked him and started walking again when it suddenly dawned on me that I was pulling a small roller suitcase filled with the props I used in my training. It was now nearing 10 p.m., and I’m strolling through a heavily armed security area pulling what might very well appear to be a suitcase filled with explosives. I immediately felt the cold, hard stare of dozens of well-trained eyes analyzing my every step.

However, no one questioned me or made any move to approach me. I cautiously picked up my pace and quickly made my way toward my hotel in somewhat of a quick step. Ten minutes later, I could see the friendly twinkling lights of the Brooklyn Bridge reflecting off the water resembling a post card …. and I knew I was just a block from the safe haven of my hotel.

It was an amazing realization that I just moved from the beauty of one river area near the scene of the Twin Towers tragedy to that of an equally beautiful river area complete with the world renowned Brooklyn Bridge while passing through what appeared to be a modern day combat zone in the heart of one of the largest cities on the planet. Whew! Nuff said! Welcome to New York City!

About Harry K. Jones

Face Your Fear and Prosper

Posted on October 28, 2009 by Harry K. Jones

We all have fears of one sort or another. The fear matters not—it’s how you react to that fear that makes the difference! As a high school student, I would take a failing grade before I would stand in front of the class and make a verbal presentation. Just thinking about speaking in front of my fellow students caused me to sweat, shake, and get sick to my stomach. Rather than facing that fear and attempting to overcome it, I chose to take a failing grade. Today, I speak for a living in front of small groups and massive audiences at major conventions all over North America. I just wished I had addressed that fear much earlier in my career.

Seven years ago, I was invited to keynote and conduct a breakout for the Governor’s Workforce Development Conference for the State of Wisconsin. I was privileged to be sharing the platform with the Governor of Wisconsin. When I arrived at the beautiful Kalahari Resort and Convention Center in Wisconsin Dells I met what appeared to be a very nervous young man. He was introduced to me as a very talented webmaster for the State by the name of Stu Voeck. Apparently Stu had just been given the task of introducing me to this very large conference audience, and he was scared stiff as he had never before done anything like this even though he was currently involved with Toastmasters. In addition, his left arm was in an immobilizer to limit the movement of a dislocated elbow.

Having quite some time before my address, we sat down, relaxed, got to know one another and chatted about Stu’s sudden challenge/opportunity. I call it that because he was actually excited about this opportunity and what it might mean for him in the future. At the same, he had very strong reservations about walking out on that stage, even though it would only be for a minute or two.

I shared a few insights with Stu, we weighed a few options and I couldn’t help but note that he began to relax just a bit. Long story short … Stu marched out on that stage in front of a massive audience and delivered one of the best introductions I had ever enjoyed. He left me feeling that I had better live up to the expectations he had given the audience. I don’t know if it was his pride or his relief that lifted him off that stage … but I could have sworn I saw a hop and a skip in that exit. I’m certain that no one in that audience knew that was Stu’s first speaker introduction.

Stu did advance to the level of Advanced Toastmaster – Bronze and served as club president and received an award from Toastmaster International for his club performance during his presidency. Why do I feel I’m going to end up working for him?

Ironically, a year later, Stu was called upon once more to introduce me as the keynote speaker at an Association of Job Search Trainers conference in Palm Springs, California. I almost didn’t recognize him as he delivered a well-polished, very professional introduction. He had indeed grown a great deal in just one year.

To this day, we laugh about that experience and how far he’s come from that initial fear and how well he faced it and overcame it. I’ve been following Stu’s career since that time as we still speak on a weekly, sometimes daily, basis. He’s attained many goals and continues to raise the bar for himself. I’m proud and privileged to call him my friend! You might just soon be attending a national conference where another very shaky rookie walks out on a stage and introduces the keynote speaker as Stu Voeck!

Watch for him and realize you wouldn’t be seeing him up there and enjoying his presentation if he hadn’t faced his fear many years ago. You, too, can enjoy that same success! Will you?

About Harry K. Jones

Class of 2013 Transitions to College

Posted on September 16, 2009 by Harry K. Jones

I recently had a very interesting experience … an intimate chat with 3,000 (yes 3,000!) freshmen students preparing to enter an entirely new phase of their young lives. I’m not sure “interesting” is the right word to truly describe this experience. Challenging might be a more descriptive word … or maybe frightening, or invigorating, or enlightening, or rewarding, or hopeful, or delightful. The more I reflect back on this day I guess I would have to say “all of the above.”

The day started differently than most for me due to the fact that I didn’t have to head to the airport. I enjoyed a peaceful 90-minute drive to the beautiful campus of Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. I made my way to the Miller Auditorium which is certainly a sight to behold. Built 41 years ago and seating 3,500 people, this enormous auditorium is still ranked as one of the top ten facilities in the United States, and is the third largest theater in the entire state of Michigan. This week-long event was facilitated by the talented and dedicated staff of the Fall Welcome Week in an effort to create a seamless transition for freshmen students as they begin their college career as proud Broncos at WMU.

Emphasis is placed on both academic and personal success for the students via a series of programs and events such as Pizza with the Profs, a Moonlight Stampede 3K Fun Run, a two-day move-in experience and many helpful sessions such as study strategies, critical thinking, campus policies and academic services, time management and wellness … to name just a few.

This experience is terrific for these energetic young people who are taking their first major step into adult life: college. Moving from a hometown high school environment to a college campus can be both terrifying and a great adventure for these freshmen. What they do in their first year of college can have a big impact on the rest of their college years—not to mention on the rest of their lives. It’s critical to establish a healthy balance of academic work, social activity, and just plain living—a balance that once established, will be much easier to maintain through the rest of college and into the future.

It was interesting to watch the students file into the auditorium singing and dancing in the aisles. It was, indeed, obvious that they were enjoying this week of Fall Welcome Week events. In that very large audience, I could see tall and short, boisterous and shy, a range of hair color that would put a rainbow to shame, and a sea of fantastic faces which causes one to pause and ponder. Looking at these young college freshmen, it was easy for me to see future doctors, lawyers, engineers, fire fighters, bankers, priests, military personnel, and I think I may have even spotted what may one day be our first female President of the U.S.

However, today they were freshmen preparing for an experience they’ll never forget and never regret! The efforts of the very dedicated Fall Welcome Week team will make certain of that. Upon completion of my 90- minute presentation, 3,000 students made their way out of the auditorium to continue their event-filled day. Many of the students were kind enough to approach me with words of thanks as well as questions and comments on the content of my program. Chatting with these students provided me with renewed faith in the future of our country. While facing great challenges in trying times, this class of 2013 will be ready and willing to make the necessary changes to maintain and enhance our leadership in the world.

It was such a pleasure to be a part of this program and be able to touch base with so many enthusiastic students again this year. It was also very rewarding to work with Adrienne Fraaza, Fall Welcome Week Coordinator, and Paige Warner, Administration Assistant, as they coordinated a very challenging schedule that will make this critical transition so successful and memorable for so many students. It’s so obvious that they love what they do and they do it so well! This program will obviously grow stronger every year!

About Harry K. Jones

The Times They Are A-Changin’

Posted on May 21, 2009 by Harry K. Jones

The title of this article was first the title of a 1963 best-selling record album by an artist named Robert Allen Zimmerman who recorded and performed as Bob Dylan. Today, this 68-year-old veteran is the proud creator of Billboard’s #1 album, Together Through Life, topping even the sales of the world-renowned 17-year-old millionaire singer, dancer, actress and author Miley Cyrus who often records and performs under the name Hannah Montana. Bob apparently is right on target with his message that “The Times They are a-Changin’!”

The lyrics of changing times go back even further than Dylan and his ballads and will inspire future music creations for centuries to come. We’d best wake up to that fact, examine current changes as well as the impact of those changes, and take the necessary action to adapt to those changes.

Artists such as Dylan are still topping the charts decades after their initial fame for the simple reason that they have changed with the times. Can the same be said of you and your organization? It’s actually less challenging to count the number of organizations and individuals who did NOT change when they should have and, as a result, have since disappeared. What does the future hold for you?

About Harry K. Jones

Today’s Invisible Leadership Challenge

Posted on March 5, 2009 by Harry K. Jones

In today’s whirlwind business environment, we have far too many things to focus on … current national debt, mortgage crisis, healthcare crisis, jobs, food prices, oil prices, education, immigration, the environment, and social security to name a few. The media, in a variety of formats, hammers us on these issues almost hourly.

While these issues are indeed obvious and critical, there is still another growing challenge which is just as significant, if not more so, to our business environment. However, it is seldom recognized, discussed or dealt with. It’s almost as though many organizations are ignoring its existence altogether.

Consider the following facts:

There are more than 78.2 million boomers in the U.S.!
Fortune Magazine reminds us that every seven seconds, someone turns 60. That equates to 12,343 baby boomers turning 60 years old or older every day!
The boomers are retiring in record numbers from the American workplace.
Today, the average retirement age of a worker is between 61 and 62, compared to 65 just a few years ago.
Forty percent of the workforce will be retiring soon, leaving not a hole in leadership but a crater!

U.S. businesses face a shortage of millions of workers in the next 10 years. The Boston College Center on Aging and Work conducted a major survey of organizations across industries and discovered that only 33% of employers said that their business had analyzed workplace demographics and made projections about the retirement rates of their workers.

Over the next decade we’re going to be slapped in the face with some cruel realities. Let’s ponder a few of those realities:

Retiring baby boomers are going to be difficult to replace as researchers have found that the loyalty, reliability and strong work ethic will disappear altogether as this generation retires.
There will be a tremendous loss of labor, experience and expertise that will be difficult to offset, given the relatively small pool of new workers and the competition for new talent likely to result from so many companies facing the same problem.
Weigh the amount of knowledge and experience our current baby boomers have accumulated over the years in the areas of our products, services, processes, tools, culture, history, customers, vendors, competition, and industry.
Experts say that management and leadership skills would be the asset in shortest supply in most organizations.

There must be a formalized system in place to capture that which we are about to lose. This loss will be like a slow water leak, barely discernible at first, but over time it can do major damage.

Organizations that do not plan to deal with this emerging skills and experience gap may very well find themselves suddenly facing the most critical dilemma they have ever had to deal with. Manpower warns that this loss of experienced workers could be crippling for many companies.

This critical issue is being treated like a bad weather report—we hear the news that the storm is coming, but we ignore the warnings until it is too late.

Does your organization have a formal strategy for identifying the potential leadership and skills gap and developing talent to fill that gap before your workers retire?

Ask yourselves these questions:

How many senior leaders or senior technological staff will be retiring over the next 10 years?
What is the impact to the organization when (not if) you lose the knowledge of those individuals?
What strategy do you have in place to ensure seasoned, experienced leaders and technical staff are in the pipeline?
What actions are you taking to retain knowledge in the organization?
Have you considered allowing your experienced boomers to formally mentor or coach those who will soon be replacing them in the areas of your products, services, processes, tools, culture, history, customers, vendors, competition, and industry? This transfer of information and experience is invaluable.

Organizational busyness can distract us to the point that, by the time we look up, it will be too late to recover from the consequences we’re facing.

About Harry K. Jones

The Light at the End of the Tunnel Has Been Turned off due to Budget Cuts

Posted on February 16, 2009 by Harry K. Jones

Driving through town this past weekend, I couldn’t help but notice the obvious devastation to the local business community. Our two major local shopping malls, many shopping centers and the majority of strip malls all show evidence of the mounting economic pressure we see daily.

On this one trip I couldn’t help but notice the absence of so many establishments which have been a part of our local environment for so many years. The growing list is shocking. Across the country this list includes:

Old Navy
Circuit City
Steve & Barry’s
Linen’s ‘n Things
Value City Dept. Store
Shoe Carnival
Whitehall Jewelers
Bennigans
Toys R Us
Ann Taylor Stores
Mervyn’s
CompUSA
Eddie Bauer
Lane Bryant
The Gap
Foot Locker
Zales
The Disney Store
Pacific Sunwear
Pep Boys
Sprint Nextel
KB Toys
Sharper Image
Kirklands
Pier 1
Movie Gallery
Rite Aid
Service Merchandise
Steak ‘n Shake

This list doesn’t include all the organizations that are scaling back such as JCPenney, Lowe’s, Office Depot, Macy’s and Starbucks.

It also doesn’t include the many local establishments which are not part of the national scene. Nor did I include gas stations, restaurants, convenience stores, florists, building contractors, realtors and so many other local businesses which have felt the economy crunch.

The International Council of Shopping Centers estimates that 148,000 stores closed last year in the U.S., and they are forecasting another 73,000 will shut down in the first quarter of this year.

While many establishments have managed to avoid going out of business, they have been forced to reduce their numbers greatly through layoffs and buy outs.

Until both Republicans and Democrats alike realize that both parties must work together to solve the problems currently facing those who elected them, this trend will surely continue. How many shuttered doors will that take?

AchieveMax® Blog

Business articles on change, creativity, customer service, leadership, motivation, teamwork, and time management, written by AchieveMax® professional speakers.

Category Archives: On the Road Again

Irony Poorly Timed

About Harry K. Jones

Albert and Mr. Harry

About Harry K. Jones

People Are Funny

About Harry K. Jones

Must There Always Be a Cause?

About Harry K. Jones

Reality Can Be Misleading

About Harry K. Jones

Face Your Fear and Prosper

About Harry K. Jones

Class of 2013 Transitions to College

About Harry K. Jones

The Times They Are A-Changin’

About Harry K. Jones

Today’s Invisible Leadership Challenge

About Harry K. Jones

The Light at the End of the Tunnel Has Been Turned off due to Budget Cuts

About Harry K. Jones