Sunday, March 27, 2022

Challenges of Team Develop (Business or Government)

I'm a big believer in the power of positive teams whether on a business level or a national level by encouraging people to work together to create a shared sense of purpose. A team that can work well together can accomplish many different things. Teams that lose their sense of purpose dissipate. Teams share certain values and work toward those values. 

Teams have some characteristics McGraw Hill put together a pretty solid list in 12 Key Characteristics of an Excellent Team

  1. A clear mission. Knowing where your going...a vision.
  2. Informal atmosphere. Try and be relaxed and easy going 
  3. Lots of discussion. Sharing perspectives
  4. Active listening. Listening and learning from each other
  5. Trust and openness. Building trust with each other and creating connections.
  6. Disagreement is OK. Disagreement is a opportunity to enhance. 
  7. Criticism is issue-oriented, never personal. Keep it focused on processes and policies and not people.
  8. Consensus is the norm. Try and get everyone on the same page. 

Pictures Video Barrington Reserve Waterfall

 Who doesn't love waterfalls? Hiking on my way down to KY.  I believe this was taken in Barrington Reserve OH

If you like the picture
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Friday, March 25, 2022

Full and Half American Syndrome: Why Americans are likely to move to higher human capital development and greater universal principles?

The short answer...we are likely increase our focus on our human capital resources and universal shared sense of purpose because it puts us in our best competitive position with the most options. Our diversity can be a big advantage for national competitiveness when hedging unique strengths within our democratic principles. (i.e. America Wants 3 Things. It is also helpful to think about our diversity as somewhat differentiated when compared to other advanced nations like China or those in Europe or Asia.. Investing in infrastructure (physical and digital) is half the answer while investing in the brilliant minds of those who use such systems are the other half of the solution (innovation and butterfly effect). 

Without maximizing all of our human capital from cradle to grave we will struggle with staying competitive over the long haul. We are in an age where one creative mind can accomplish something spectacular and many creative minds do things we never thought possible (i.e. like rapid innovation of industries). The human element will be central to our development or it will be what derails us (We find a way to coexist and thrive as a single people or we don't.). 

We can't afford to leave people behind in a transforming nation. It makes no difference what the race, religion, or background. Everyone is part of the solution. There are no such things as full or half citizens where the rights of one supersede the rights of others (At least not in our current Constitution as I read it.). We are a single nation and a single free people working together to keep the torch of democracy and freedom illuminant (For the world and future generations of Americans. Yep...we sort of forgot about them and or greater responsibilities.). 

This gets more difficult when we overtly or inadvertently categorize others as having more rights (treating people differently) and value (Full Americans) and others as halving less rights and value (Half Americans). The next generation is very willing to pull up the false wedges lodged between peoples (race, religion, other) by those with short sighted view points (Completing societal integration opens up whole new doors of further possibilities. Mixed race kids are the fastest growing demographic. Most young no longer see race and religion as dividing factors in their social and business lives. They have different focuses and challenge. In some ways they are better than us.)

 An American Renaissance in innovation moves beyond the recent physical investments and into the investment of maximizing our most precious talent (the people). Renaissances are major shifts in thinking and the outputs of that thinking. The way in which we engage in work, education, and the economy will push older institutions to adjust (Seems most likely) whether they want to or not. If wise, our politicians will also think about human talent/skill (mental) and its relation to competitive development (physical) as a resource to be developed for national competitiveness (That will require thinking about reducing the damage done by those artificially inflating these superficial differences.).

Great positive change happens we each of us become part of the process of continuing and advancing the essential freedoms and rights of self-governance that is inherently beneficial to all of us. Ideological platform shifts are connected to our collective constructed understanding of the world (Something our politicians can help us with. Their job is to sell their ideas on a brighter future and not limit our options through binding rationality in far Right and Left political battlefields. U.S. May Outperform China). While COVID pushed us into seeing great technological change in real time to the nature of how we work. live, communicate, shop and entertain it will likely be be followed by further changes in universalizing our principles that transcend race and religion. (Not only will perceptions national likely change but often the way we think about these things globallyScience and knowledge shifts our understandings Economic Evolutions and TriangulationRemember that all economics is the study of human behavior. A change in one is related to a change in the other. Technology influences our thinking and is also a product of that thinking. Our instant online connection to others will change how we perceive issues like race, religion and culture from a vary practical standpoint. See Harvard Divergent Threats)

 As the oral tradition says, Is the glass half full or half empty? (I think it should already have been brimming.) 



Accomplishing the Mission: Bringing New Partners to the Fight to Counter Evolving Threats (Detroit Economic Club)

Everything is evolving and technology is evolving quickly. When we were kids things were simple because you had to taste, touch and use your senses but as technology changes the threats often become more remote (not always but often). We have threats we face from foreign governments, local extremists, domestic terrorists, for profit hackers, and much more. Working in collaboration with companies makes a big difference in coordinating response and protecting data. It is a whole nation affair. Our political leaders should think about how to encourage a first advanced manufacturing digital age society that enhances human capital, creativity, R&D, and manufacturing in a way that surpasses our challengers. We are a society that must learn to overcome our challenges and ensure that our essential philosophical truths as a democracy are held strong. That can be a hard sell to some.

Its very sad that people are still attacking officers (This is different than legitimate protest). There is room for improvement of the justice system but hurting officers isn't the solution; it never was. Being a police officer (and I know a lot of them) is inherently a dangerous job and I think we should recruit and train to make our officers stronger and more effective. Likewise, connect them to other institutions that can help in solving crime problems (i.e. medical, social work, volunteers, etc...) as well as holding a line for those intent on violence (no matter background, religion, or ideology). Its a sad situation and hopefully we make it through this challenge. 

Escanaba City Council Meeting 03-17-22: Collaborative Proposals, Stuff and "Marina of Dreams"!!!

Sorry wrong coast but you get the feel.
(Picture not from Escanaba)
 

Lots of interesting things going on here. I'm not going to get into all of it as you can read the agenda March 17th, 2022 Escanaba City Council Agenda. Some potentially helpful developments in terms of a number of businesses thinking about collaborating on a project that includes the multiple sites (We might also find that possible in other projects with different interested stakeholders; local and out of area). I would like to see what this business group comes up with in terms of potential designs and their benefits to different sectors of the community; clusters (i.e. housing, ship industry, hotel/tourism, with marina location expansion. I would add that Escanaba is like a peninsula on the north side and one could almost envision how putting a marina and additional ship works would improve the nautical appeal of the area. Perhaps, opening a few portals to more choices. 🤷) I sort of looked around and I think they are just in the preliminary stages of idea formation. If they get creative you never know what they can come up with!!! Can't wait to see it!! (I looked around but didn't see specifics yet. My 2 cents below on a few ideas. 🤔)

Perhaps a Dinghy Dock 
for Lunch/Supper
People from Gladstone and Rapid 
River can come over. Fisherman needing
supplies, food, bait, etc... i.e. host more
fishing tournaments, sail boat races, etc...
(Picture not from Escanaba)


If your staying at marina
order food and drinks. Have a nice deck.
(Picture not from Escanaba)

Keeping the park and area fun.
Break wall in back with walk way?
(Picture not from Escanaba)

I just thought of the Field of Dreams movie when thinking about these proposals (ok sorry 😂. Marina of Dreams). This would be a unique development for the town and likely will have a significant impact. As with all things when we make decisions of this magnitude some doors will open and others will close. If we build it who will come? 🤔

Wednesday, March 23, 2022

Does Russian Economic Official Anatoly Chubais Indicate a Move Toward Soviet Style Government Reforms?

Key Economic Official of climate and sustainable development Anatoly Chubais resigned his post and left country. Anatoly was a special envoy that lead privatization efforts under Putin and Boris Yeltzin (People raised during and after the Cold War should remember some of these names.)  It could be something as simple as a major disagreement or it could be an ideological shift for the country.


A couple of options:

1.) Personal grievance based on arguments, prior competitive and ideological positions. 
2.) Shift in Russian economic stance indicating pro Soviet economic-sociological models.
3.) Putin feeling threatened by Oligarchs and and how they obtained their money.
4.) Purging government of varying opinions (Likely to limit new ideas as well as consolidate control over govt. resources).
5.) Additional options...(there are always many unknowns).

In many ways it looks a little like Russia is turning inward and back to his prior governance style. Time will tell......

It should be noted there are never any facts with projections and options...there are just possible avenues.