Can Ukraine Still Win the War? Maybe under the right circumstances.

Most analysts would at this point say no way Ukrain can win and push the Russians out! I say it is possible but it won't be today or tomorrow unless.... You can read Russia Winning War in Ukraine.  With the right supplies, sanctions, and a few unexpected Russian mishaps based on existing weaknesses (the things Russia doesn't show the public) occur, then the tide could turn (i.e. defaulting on debt, economic woes, lack of ability to muster resources and a few battlefield losses). 

We were a little slow in our response and in many ways hoped to give Ukraine the ability to fight without creating a decisive victory. Troop levels are depleted on both sides but Ukrainians have more international support. With a change in strategy, better equipment, and back up support by well trained/seasoned mercenaries Ukraine could possibly turn the Russian assault into a route. 

Russia is running thin on multiple fronts and I suspect in many ways hiding that through false strength puffery (Putin's demand to surrender). Their ability to maintain forward momentum without serious national engagement is unlikely. More likely Putin has a geographic line he wants to reach and then bulk up some defenses to annex that area. 

Not letting him get to that line and dig in would mean the possibility of putting him on the defensive without a strong defense structure in place (i.e. a defense structure would slow his troops and give chances for Ukraine to counter. This may be why he is constantly pushing the battle line.). The timing needs to be just right and the equipment would need to be in place (This is why large kill zones can be helpful in softening advances and creating tactical retreats.)

Putin is an advanced forward chess player. He zeitgeist his opponents and creates chaos through fear and superior numbers. Just like getting bogged down cost Russia so would a few mistakes and reverse momentums that exploit temporary pauses (Risk being not having enough Ukrainian troops to push back hard.). 

The questions might be 1.) Do Ukrainians have the ability to detect the holes, 2.) Do they have the right equipment to pierce those holes, 3.) Do they have the troop supplies to capitalize on Russian mishaps? If in such a situation where an attack turns into a significant full route expect tactical nukes or bio weapons (Its not definitive but a hypothesis).

While anything can happen and such large openings would be rare, the support difficult to garnish in real time, the other option might be keeping up the costs of Russian ground presence in Ukraine until Putin passes away and the next leadership group feels the costs are not worth it. No idea. What do you think? So many possibilities. Time answers all questions. 

Feds Double Great Lake Research to $53 Million

In the path to sustainability in our environment and our economy we will need to invest in research. You can read about UoM Great Lakes Research and their partnership with LSSU in the UP with the Coast Guard under the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research.

What does the cooperative do?

"Hosted by the School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) at the University of Michigan, CIGLR consists of a Research Institute and a Regional Consortium that is a partnership between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), universities, non-governmental organizations, and businesses. Together, we work to achieve environmental, economic, and social sustainability in the Great Lakes."

What are they going to look at?

...."climate change, extreme weather events, invasive species, harmful algal blooms and ecosystem protection".

Here is the thing. If we want to maximize our natural fish as a future protein source and fishing industry as well as further develop clean manufacturing in the Great Lakes region, we will want to research impact and solutions.

Research of this kind isn't about restricting development but about coexistence. Business should donate, partner with, and enhance such research so as to grow their manufacturing possibilities as well as enhance the Great Lakes ecosystem.

When businesses have created a level of homeostasis with their environment they will have more opportunities to enhance the natural benefits of the Great Lakes. Research and business should go hand in hand and when they contribute to something like an independent research entity they can better chart their own course. See Perpetual Sustainability Systems.
 

Agreeableness and Teamwork: How traits influence team performance

One of the nasty little tid bits to team performance that business executives, coaches, and team leads struggle with is deciphering the right types of personalities that are most likely to help in creating strong teams. If you are like most people in a position to hire others, you want to find hard charging people who seek to focus on the tasks at hand. What you don't want is them to be so self oriented that they create dysfunction and conflict. 

Teamwork is a process of recruiting the right mix of people through their skills and personality to build a strong performing team. Agreeableness seems to be one of the traits you can look for in a potential candidate.

Let me give you an example. Agreeableness was found to have significant impact on about 93% of other traits. It was a bridge between multiple traits and in many ways seemed to influence them as a general outlook. You can read about that that study in 'Agreeableness a helpful trait for general success in life, study finds'

Whether you are recruiting for a team sport or you are creating your next business team  you will want to ensure that you look for people with a level of agreeableness. 

While such traits don't guarantee success they do foster the right team characteristics. Having both star performances mixed with the right team players can make a difference in overall outcomes as they are the supporters of the group. 

Long term success is in the development of the right team with the right personalities. A single player may be able to hit the ball or create a new venture from time to time but it is the total team that can produce results over and over in a way that leads to long term success. 

The next time you do some recruiting think about the softer side of people with a level of agreeableness as an untapped source of team formation.

Michael P. Wilmot, Deniz S. Ones. Agreeableness and Its Consequences: A Quantitative Review of Meta-Analytic Findings. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 2022; 108886832110730 DOI: 10.1177/10888683211073007

I recently took this picture of Escanaba Marina. I'm unsure of whether to include or not in the gallery. Sometimes I initially include something and then take it out or other times I might ignore a picture and later find it interesting.  It isn't a science as some like some things and some don't like others. 

Since I'm completely on the fence I figured I would just include it. If you haven't been to Escanaba Marina or have a boat and are coming into the area I would stop, walk around the park, and go out to eat in the nearby downtown. 

There a few restaurants within 5 blocks. There are a couple of new ones being developed within a few blocks. If your an investor you might want to check out this underdeveloped little northern destination. Plenty of downtown space and an administration that is easy to work with. 

Escanaba Marina

Escanaba Marina: Northern Get Away

Tips to Creating Adaptive Organizations Through Curiosity

Curiosity is one of those terms that is association with exploration, trying new things, openness to experience, and pondering the possibilities. Organizations often look for workers but have a more difficult time fostering curiosity. The typical organization is highly rigid and often based more in fulfilling one's immediate workload with little to no time for curiosity. 

Not putting time aside for curiosity may not be the best long term choice from an adaptive standpoint. Consider organizations that need to keep innovating and developing to compete with other companies. Curiosity and the willingness to ask questions makes a big difference in long term development. 

While it isn't always a 1X1 equation it is an additive process. Some will waste exploration time and some will put more more into the process. Small changes discovered through many curious hands can provide a cutting edge advantages to companies. One big discovery/adjustment could revolutionize both the company and an industry (Why I believe that curiosity mixed with the right innovative environment can speed growth not only in one company but also many other companies within a cluster.)

You may want to read an article in the Harvard Business Review The Business Case for Curiosity
by Francesca Gino

There are many things that can improve, tweak and adjust curiosity but here are three that I think are broad and helpful to think about.

1.) Incentivize/Normalize Cultural Curiosity: Make curiosity a regular part of creative positions. Ensure they have the the time to create new things and are rewarded when something beneficial is found. The more creativity it is part of the culture, the more it will be a natural outcome of daily work life. 

2.) Match Ideas with ROI Resources: New ideas can be vetted to help ensure that they will be beneficial for the company. Those that have the greatest merit could be further developed and scaled for maximum benefit through further exploration and proper use of ROI resources. Those that are not immediately beneficial can be tabled for when they may be more helpful. 

3.) Maximize Stakeholder Benefit: Companies work within a business environment. There will be suppliers, partners, and industry associates that can benefit from new ideas. When plausible encourage stakeholders to maximize associated benefits to create environments where companies are growing and supporting each other's development. 

Can Ukraine Resist and Reemerge from Lost Ground?

Ukraine has lost some ground as of recent because they did not have the correct tools for the fight. The essential question is Can Ukraine Resist and Reemerge from Lost Ground? They will need to hold ground and eventually regain ground and that won't happen unless they are protected from relentless shelling.

Under the right circumstances they can come back. Russia is using its large arsenal of semi-modern old equipment, large troops ranks, and superior artillery in the fight. They are overwhelming the smaller but more functional Ukrainian forces.

They can spend all day softening their targets and keep Ukrainian troop movements hunkered down and at a minimum (A strategy that would likely work against Russia with the right equipment). Supplies often have to trickle in and with shortages it is apparent Ukraine is in a tough spot.

Three interesting things are going on.....

Interesting #1 It appears that the Russian nation is defaulting for the first time since the Bolshevik Revolution. There is some dispute on the form of payment (i.e. rubles) and presence of the capital. For now it appears to be a default.  Russia Defaults on Debt

Interesting #2 NATO increased rapid reaction force from 40,000 to 300,000 in response to heightened attention. There is a general increase in defense measures as Russia and China carve up spheres of influence. NATO Increases Forces.

Interesting #3: G7 will provide more support for Ukraine in terms of NASAMS (surface to air), counter-battery radars, and artillery. G-7 Military Support

This is what I would expect. With new artillery on the way, the ability to detect Russian artillery (and hopefully strike those positions), and more ammo they will be able to at least neutralize Russia's immediate advantage. That may require a change in tactics and more troop involvement by Russia.   

Additional Russian troop involvement means more casualties and hard to gain advantages of which Ukrainian army still has the defense advantage. They will need to regain ground but that isn't the argument at this moment. Likewise, they will need to replenish their troop supplies somehow and some of that is likely to come from mercenaries (Maybe more Ukrainians or outside help.). 

The default on debt is an important one. One risk Russia could face is that they cannot finance their war. The bloodier it gets, the more it looses, the more resources grinded out, etc... the higher the toll. We will have to wait to see what actually happens. Putin is a little of a KGB fox so he likely thinks a couple of moves ahead in the global chess game. Let us wait and see.

Marina Life: Boats, Palm Trees and Blue Skys (Picture)

I do some photography and painting as a hobby and try when I can to donate to charitable causes. I like the colors as bright and tropical feeling. If you like see below and where you can purchase the picture. I have a lot so I will add when I can.

Marina Life: Boats, Palm Trees and Blue Skys

Purchase on Etsy Store