It’s Never Easy - But It’s Worth It

Once upon a time the newspaper industry was one of the largest employers in America. No more. At its peak (1990) in the United States, the newspaper industry employed 457,800. Today that number has almost totally evaporated. Now only 38,000 are employed in that industry. New research shows that over 2,000 newspapers have closed in the last 15 years. Circulation of daily newspapers has dropped to a 77-year low, signaling an end to print and a shift to all-digital delivery.

We’re All Vulnerable

I’m preparing to deliver a program next week, and the CEO of the company I’m speaking to, identified several topics he wanted me to discuss, placing particular emphasis on one issue. He said, “Rob, we can’t rest on our laurels. We have been very successful, and I don’t want our employees to think we are invulnerable. Can you make sure they understand we have to fight every day to maintain our success?”

Are You Working Smart?

Rubbermaid “thought” they needed more products to be the leader in their industry. So, they set out to invent a new product every day for several years, while also entering a new product category every 12-18 months. Fortune magazine wrote that Rubbermaid was more innovative than 3M, Intel and Apple; now that is impressive.

Comfort is the Enemy of Achievement

A Comfort Zone is a beautiful place, but nothing grows there. Feeling comfortable, content, and secure can be the first stage of failure. Generals lose wars because their enemy has studied their past battles and understands their combat tactics. The same is true in sports; coaches lose ballgames because their opponent has studied their tendencies. Companies go bankrupt because they didn’t change and stay current with consumer demands.

Great Questions Lead to Great Opportunities

Many companies were started because someone asked an innocent question. The invention of the Polaroid Instamatic Camera was triggered by a question. The three-year-old daughter of the inventor, Edwin H. Land, asked her father after he took her photo, “Why do we have to wait for the picture, Daddy?”

The World is Rich in Genius but Poor in Wisdom

Back in 1900, the life expectancy for someone living in the United States was forty-seven years old; today it is seventy-eight. An interesting thing is happening in America today, Baby Boomers are retiring, only to start another career. They are hard-workers, and many of them like working, but they want a new challenge, and many have NO intention of retiring.