The QLog

What's Your Excuse?

As a manager and coach, I've heard a lot of excuses of why people couldn't, shouldn't, or wouldn't do something important for their company, family, or self. Most of them are untrue when examined objectively.

What is your excuse? Too old? Too young? Not enough money? Not attractive enough?

It is time to leave excuses behind. 

Next time you generate some excuses, I challenge you to consider Joseph Merrick or James O'Neal. They probably could have fell back on excuses, but they both chose to strive forward. Life is not always easy and these men each struggled with physical, emotional, psychological, and sociological difficulties that few can imagine.

Who are they? You might know Mr. Merrick as 'The Elephant Man' and perhaps you have seen the 1980 biopic loosely based on his life experience. James O'Neal has a very similar genetic disease: neurofibromatosis. Although he is deformed, he has decided to go beyond excuses and work extremely hard in a very public job for the past seven years. I think his persistence at being an excellent human being is paying dividends finally.

His customers say that he is amazing and I agree. Watch the full story here: http://www.komonews.com/news/19339104.html?video=pop&t=a

As of 2008, James O'Neal lives near Redmond, WA and his efforts at being a constructive member of society even with his deformity has resulted in an effort by others to change his life. I would like to give Safeway a big kudos for pledging the first $10,000 for his reconstructive surgery project (perhaps someone should call Microsoft as I'm sure many of their local employees have met James).

Also, I'd like to recognize Katie Knopf who setup the initial website for the cause in March. I also understand that an updated site with donation information will be up very shortly, if not already.

My last question is this: what's your excuse to not donate and help James O'Neal?

A Reason to Consume Smart: The Island of Garbage

Productivity, in part, is about the efficient use of time, energy, and resources. However, as a society, many believe that any solution which is 'faster and cheaper' for a single person is the best one. I would argue that true productivity for an individual, firm, or the planet as a whole needs to embrace a systems approach which accounts for long-term impacts and is more 'global' to integrate the various parts. Otherwise, the real costs are not considered.

Due to the nature of ocean currents and the waste disposal habits of modern Homo sapiens, a very large island of plastic garbage exists within the Pacific. In fact, this floating heap of trash is visible from space. Here it is within Google Maps. Clearly, systems thinking with a time horizon extending far into the future is currently lacking for our world.

I am not advocating that everyone should stop using plastic; however, I would suggest that smart consumerism includes making responsible choices. Vote with your dollars when plastic is concerned (e.g. small bottles, shopping bags, single-item wrappers, and many other packages). There is currently too much waste. Of course, if the costs of oil continue to rise (especially if we have really crossed Hubble's Peak), then Adam Smith's invisible hand might solve this problem with market forces as firms will seek other remedies.

To learn more about this island of trash, I've embedded this clip from an web documentary called Garbage Island (note: this was produced by VBS, an online broadcast network, not PBS...and therefore, it does contain some adult language).

Earth Hour is Tonight!

Learn more about Earth Hour here.

The main goal: turn off all lights and non-essential electrical appliances for an hour tonight at 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM.

Why: 1. Save Electricity. 2. Increase Awareness (including self-awareness) about the resources that are consumed during day-to-day living in the 21st century.

Dalai Lama and Lovingkindness

I am glad that the Dalai Lama accepted the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal and that President Bush had the wisdom to award it to the secular and religious leader of Tibet, even with China claiming that such an act could 'damage' our political relationship. 

Regardless of your own religious beliefs, one must respect the Dalai Lama for his total embodiment of his faith within his life. He is on record explaining his personal understanding of Buddhism in a very simple way: "My Religion is kindness". All his speeches and books focus on the ideal of loving-kindness as the keystone for living truly.

If one's life is the message, then he has made a profoundly powerful statement to the world. Every citizen should take a page from the book of this wise teacher, and cultivate both love and mindfulness within their own life through reflection, meditation, and action.

MLK Day

Today, January 15, is both the Federal Holiday honoring Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and also his actual birthday. A few years ago, I wrote out a list of 100 people who died before I was born that I wish I could have met and shared a meal. MLK was one of the top names as his core convictions about merit, non-violence, and the equality match my own. I have discussed excellence and success within this blog; however, I believe Dr. King summed it up eloquently when he wrote “If a man is called to be a streetsweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the host of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great streetsweeper who did his job well.”

His “I have a Dream” speech is one of the best recognized from the entire 20th century and rightly so; however, he said so much more. Below are three statements from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that still are true and haunt our world today. Of course, as a prisoner of history, his language seems sexist; yet, I am certain he would be more careful and use inclusive diction if he were alive today.

“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” - Speech in St. Louis, Missouri, March 22, 1964

“The means by which we live have outdistanced the ends for which we live. Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.” - Strength in Love (1963), Ch. 7

“Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time: the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence. Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.” - Nobel Prize acceptance speech, Stockholm, Sweden, December 11, 1964.

Sorry von Clausewitz

War is not the continuation of politics by other means. War is the failure of politics by other means!