Lay Down and Die

The human aquarium is an amazing laboratory.

Like rats on a wheel, people limit themselves-- wasting the rich "otherness" of other peoples, other languages, other cultures, other foods, and and many other experiences. Thus, English (poorly learned) is their only language; America is their only nation, and their high school job is all they ever want to do. They beat their heads against a locked door and wonder why it doesn't open.

One B-17 bomber pilot from World War II made the point that when he joined the Air Force in 1939, his training (like millions of others) were just a few blunt words from a roughshod pilot. "For the next six years," he said, "our only qualification was the moxy to try everything new. We learned in the field; we made our way."

This is why he and his compatriots are called "The Greatest Generation."

"If you're not a risk taker, you should get the hell out of business."
--Ray Kroc, founder of McDonald's Corporation

But we've gotten soft. We could easily be called "The Flatline Generation." We sheepishly look for certifications, weeks of training, or official validations before we try something that has never been done. Our lives are way out of whack when we call 911 when McDonalds doesn't have Chicken McNuggets (as per a recent news story). We're whiny, cowardly weaklings when we look to the federal government to solve our problems.

If you own a business, look to other paths. How did people and businesses survive the 1930s? Look to other countries who have endured far worse-- and do so each day. Learn to survive, just like our B-17 pilot and all the others who conquered evil in WWII.

With unemployment nearly 10%, people are going to become vicious. In the next few years, labor shortages, aging family needs, gender differences, etc. will completely redefine talent and business. People won't come to work, sit at a desk, and pick up a phone. Firstly, you may not be able to afford office space, nor will you have enough for a multi-line phone system. Such will redefine the way workplaces and companies function. Secondly, attracting the best talent will mean embracing people who demand Flex Time, Work-at-Home, or Telecommuting (antiquated terms)-- but which portend yet another completely new trend in business.

More than just a fad, this is an angry revolt.

Companies and individuals with the moxy to push through this New Depression will not look to the teat of the government, awaiting handouts and "stimulus refunds" of cowardly, weakening incentives, but must strive to harness technology to enable their work and their livelihoods to continue... to stave foreclosure at their own hand.

We of this new Greatest Generation (if we ultimately deserve the title) will learn the moxy to virtually work anywhere. We currently have programs like GoToMeeting (http://www.gotomeeting.com) and powerful cell-phone based tools such as mobile time clocks through About Time Technologies (http://abouttimetech.com/). Their software turns your Blackberry, Palm, and Windows Mobile cell phone into a mobile time clock. You can start work anywhere and seamlessly "beam" time and attendance to the office for payroll. We can work via cell phone features like Telepresence, and WebEx on your Smartphone (http://cisco.com/). We can chop up and sell our work week to multiple companies-- five hours here, and ten hours there-- and keep track of it all.

It's all here-- with more features on the way.

So instead of doing like you did in high school, yours being one of 800 resumes sitting on HRs desk, realize that you can today work from home... and still keep the clock ticking towards your paycheck. You can roam to clients' locations... and still clock in. You can work around children's soccer schedules, PTA meetings, and be out in the world... and still clock in, be responsible, and do your job.

The point is you can work... and the clock keeps ticking off monies into your bank account. Whether individual or company president, look into these technologies. They're here now. Your 'Stimulus Check' isn't.

Learn from the laboratory of life-- if not willingly, by force. You'll either find the next few years inflicting a lot of pain and suffering, or you'll learn the moxy to find another ways to do your work. Either way, you'll learn. Lose your job, your income, your home, and lose every bit of comfort and happiness you have? It's your choice as to how much of your blood is letted in the process.

If you own a company, start utilizing About Time mobile time clocks. Get a grip on your labor costs. Accurately price future jobs. Barcode and monitor everything. Measure fuel, and use GPS to find out who is sabotaging your profits. Pay attention to Six Sigma process improvements, Lean operations, and Kaizen Continual Improvement methods. Make a real business plan. Conduct more business through the Internet, and explore a dozen methods of expanding your current methods.

Stop whining, and back away from The Flatline Generation. There's work to do.

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in seeing with new eyes."
--Marcel Proust

Cheers
Lee