Archive for the ‘STN Book’ Category

I have created an awesome Valentine’s Day tradition, and this is year 3.  I headed to Albertsons Grocery Store and bought four dozen roses (total value about $100).  As I am checking out, the cashier notices that one of the rose bulbs has broken off and tells me she wants to get me a new set with all the roses. Allrighty.  So she leaves and returns and we begin to count to figure out which of the 4 sets of roses had the one missing and in the middle of it, she says, “Here, just take them.”  I smile and reply, “Thank-you. Do you realize that you just gave me roses BECAUSE I am about to give them all away?”  She looked at me and said, “really?”  “Yes, really.” Cool.

So I wandered off into the parking lot. The first few roses are really quite awkward.  A bit nervous and excited to make someones day, I begin to approach RANDOM women.  With a simple, “Happy Valentine’s Day” and a smile I hand the rose over and walk away with no time for any comments or expected response.  Over the next several hours, I travel to the post office, bagel shops, furniture moving sales, back-country ski shops and other random stores that are open. I even skip the line at a fast food drive through and dropped a rose off at the window and drove off quickly!  At one point I went into a gas station with a rose and there was only a male attendant.  This is where the experiment took it to the next level.  I gave the rose to the cashier and told him to give it to the next random woman that came in!  Now that is passing it on and getting others to feel the beauty of giving.  I picked up a friend and had him give some out. I gave a few to my Rock and Roll Band (Wounded Knee) so they could all feel the giving love.  My final stop was at Teton Thai where I brought a bunch in for the ladies behind the counter and in the kitchen and the ladies in for a bite. 

The reactions?  Well across the board really. From the quiet thank-you to the heartfelt appreciation and look of surprise and shock – WOW – that is SOOOO nice!  to the I would have never gotten one! to You Made My Day! The best is when it registers that there is really NO expectation from the giving. In my opinion, that is the crux of the giving. This act, of course, is not about getting anything back except for the fact that you feel good about making someone’s day!

So what’s the point anyway?  There are lots of ways to bring a smile to people’s faces and a little joy and love into the world. This is one cool way and I want to continue creating as many as possible.  Sure, it does make the ladies feel special.  Why not spread some love around the world!

Here are a couple interesting things that have happened in the last couple days.  #1: I am in New York this week visiting our office here, run by the great Will Leggett.  2 days ago we got a ride to the train station from Will’s girlfriend’s dad, Al. I got out of the car and was walking away when I heard the car honk. Al was waiving me back to the car.  In his hand was $5 I had mistakenly left on the floor.  His comment was, “I don’t charge for the ride.” I smiled, pocketed my $5 and walked away thinking about a movie where Danny Devito is a sales man that drops a $5 on the floor as a test, then pretends to return it (when it was never lost in the first place) effort to build “trust”.  Anyway, last night I was coming out of the grocery store and there it was on the floor – another $5 bill, accompanied with a receipt.   I looked up and saw a man walking away across the parking lot. There was an immediate realization that I could simply pocket the $5, and that the “karmic right” thing to do is to give it to the person who dropped it.  I grabbed the $5, and the attention of the man, “Excuse me, Sir. You dropped your receipt.” He turned, and with a bothered sigh (I could read his mind: you want me to pick up my trash?) and began to walk back toward me.  As he got closer, “And this $5 too.”  “Ohhh, okay.  Wow. Thanks.”  I responded, “Pass it on.”     As I walked back to the car, I had a flash of the $5 that had been given to me at the train station, and my immediate implulse to give this $5 to the parking lot guy. Karma points are worth much more than $5!

#2: One of the programs that I will be delivering this Spring is for a company called DatanetSolutions, an IT company out of San Diego, CA. I was communicating with Mandy Parent, the President, who told me to call Marla at the office to check on program dates. I quickly googled Data Net Solutions CA, and retrieved the number from the web-site Data Net Solutions.  I called and spoke with the receptionist, Shiela, who said that Marla was coming into the office soon. We began talking about the program and dates. “We’re taking your team rock climbing in Joshua Tree!  We’re going to explore the concepts of a high performing team, how to move beyond perceived limitations and take calculated risks, and how to build and maintain trust in the face of fear.”  “I want to go! That sounds awesome…”  Later that afternoon we spoke again.  Apparentlytheir training retreat was scheduled in November and Marla didn’t know anything about Joshua Tree.   After exploring a bit more, Shiela asked me, “Are you sure this is the right company?” I responded, “Well, Datanet out of San Diego, right? Mandy Parent is your President, right?”  “Ohhh my! Our company is in Anaheim, and our President is not Mandy.”  Ummm….  the short of it is that I called this company that has the exact SAME NAME as my client. Moreover, the person that coordinates their training programs has the SAME NAME too.  Funny, and Weird.   Of course, Shiela and I will be following up about the “other” Datanet program in November. Ha!

- Tim Walther

The PVL is a great model to evaluate your attitude, perception and actions at any moment throughout the day.  This is tool number 2 in Seeking True North.  “People take on three types of attitudes as they approach life. We will find ourselves in at least one of these three modes in our thinking and actions every day. Prisoners are close-minded and often attempt to draw down those around them. Vacationers show up for an experience, yet are rarely proactive; they do not truly seek value from an experience. Leaders continually seek out value in any experience, even those that involve a failure. Leaders also maintain a positive attitude and facilitate the growth and development of others. The choice is ours to make. Choose to be a leader in life.”  A focal point of this model is the psychology behind our approach to life.  When your energy level shrinks, when your thinking becomes skeptical, when your focus is toward why something won’t work, and you make up reasons to support your lethargy… you are walking in the land of the prisoners.  As you become aware of your state either though self-analysis or feedback, you become aware of an alternative psychological state.  One shift – a decision to change your perspective, to seek out the HOW to solve your challenge, to move forward with a smile,  to find what could be and the moment of becoming fully present in a heightened state of  awareness. Then you walk as a leader. As we are in this current economic crisis, it will be the leaders that move forward into unknown territory with courage. Courage does not indicate an absence of fear, but a state of being where we take action even in its presence.

Here are some predictions for 2009 by Jim Patrick, who as a social scientist and  business executive was the founder of American Airlines ‘think tanks’ in the 1980′s.  Jim discontinued his predictions in 2003 after a twelve year run due to other business interests.  He published them annually on January 1st, for the coming year. His accuracy rate in the previous years was 79.8%. He  looks at both current and historical demographic, economic, political and social data.

Here are just some of his predictions for 2009 by Jim Patrick, Millennium Productions,  Inc. You can contact him  at:   jpatrick@hotmail.net

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2009:  The Year of  Global Reexamination – Jim Patrick

The era of “he who dies  with the most toys” is  over. Ethics exited stage right and greed was solidly at the helm as executives struggled to recover from the tech boom and 9/11.

Horizons were reduced to twelve months, then quarterly. The perfect storm joined with the perfect tsunami.  Make your numbers now and the rewards will be huge. Miss the numbers, you are gone.

Now, a shift of values is upon us.  Each of us will be tested. Many will lose their toys and some their  homes. Expect to see massive numbers of businesses fail in the Q1 and Q2 of 2009. 

Unemployed numbers will come close to the great depression.

Look for a more basic lifestyle, less stressful. Reeducation, training and tooling will be required. You will not see alien workers returned to their native countries as they will be our trainers as we rebuild skills and reinvent America. 

The American electorate will not tolerate much longer a bailout of corporations for their sins with themselves, their employees and customers. Banks and lenders will be expected to find solutions in Q1 or strong voices will insist on  re-regulation.  

The result will not be a  recovery, but new methods and processes. We will  hit bottom in Q2 with dismal corporate earnings and government deadlock.  The masses will demand change and enforcement to develop a new economy.  You can’t go back to the future.

Layoffs will end after Q2 and innovation will begin.  Our drive for survival will force us to find solutions.  Basics in social lifestyle will boom as flea markets, swap meets and garage sales will abound.

Stores will reduce amount of shelving and floor space for retail. Expect more store brands and less big name brands.  Electronic couponing will be an all time high. Retail loyalty programs will skyrocket.

Low mileage used cars will  be readily available as people downsize, move closer to rapid transit to rid themselves of debt.  A debt free movement will be most desired. Credit card companies who continue to use punitive interest rates will see their demise in Q3.  Consumers will give up.

New, low priced vehicles will be introduced prior to August and will be imported with new labels from international sources. Fuel costs will continue to drop with demand through Q2, but expect huge increases in all forms of energy as supplies dwindle  later.

A boom for technology and data processors showing innovative ideas.

A movement to urban centers or “Farmersville” as society readjusts and working from home increases.  Fashion labels will be shunned and replaced with durable, functional and affordable.

Family camping and the usage of parks and lakes will grow profoundly.  Fishing will see a huge growth for  “food.”  Gardens will be everywhere for food as  well. Farmers will leave their fields fallow with the lack of credit driving up feed costs.

Animal shelters will be  bulging as owners downsize to save on costs.  Schools  will move to a four day week,  add an hour a day, to save cash.

Look for multiple families to share housing as they lose their homes. Costly retirement centers will refine their excessive charges or face calamity. Fix it your self will increase and professional  technicians will see a decline in revenue.  Look for older hotels to be re-skinned for senior citizen apartments.  Home furnishings industry in for a  tough year. 

Used furniture,  tools, appliances will be in demand.

Air travel is already being  redesigned downward for smaller cities and less demand. Foreign investment limits will to be amended, allowing greater  foreign ownership to raise capital.

Two  rental car companies will fail. Look for regal packages at great resorts at low prices, just to stay in business.

Medical over the counter remedies will become the first line of defense.  Wal*Mart’s in-house clinics will be popular and duplicated by grocers. Vets, dentists and specialists will see a  negative impact as health insurance runs out on many in Q2.

What will be hot: Farmer’s  markets, bikes, thrift stores, discounters, county fairs,  local events, community banks, local mechanics (not dealers), mail order pharmacies, fast food alternatives,  make your own clothes, gardens, resume writers, hiking  and back packing, green anything, politicians who actually talk and listen to their people, cottages 1-2 bedrooms, wood  stoves, used sewing machines, tools  and lawnmowers, churches, kites, canning equipment and alcoholic beverages.

Summary:  2009 will  see the biggest changes in any living person’s lifetime.

The ride will be confusing, a testing of ones character to stay focused and adventurous. New opportunity can be  found if you are willing to seek it out.  If you wait for someone to step in and solve the important issues in your life will be a total waste of time.  Be proactive.  USA will  be seen differently throughout the world by the end of 2009.   Every ethnic and demographic  group should examine their contribution to our society, then drop their identity and adopt the identity as Americans during this crisis.  We  have an opportunity to be the  Greatest or Worst Generation ever….the choice is  ours.

Inaction is the riskiest response to the uncertainties of an economic crisis. But rash or scattershot action can be nearly as damaging. Rising anxiety (how much worse is it likely to get?) and the growing pressure to do something often produces a variety of uncoordinated moves that target the wrong problem or overshoot the right one. A disorganized response can also generate a sense of panic in an organization. And that will distract people from seeing something crucially important: the hidden but significant opportunities nestled amongst the bad economic news.  HBR 2/09 Rhodes & Stetler

New opportunities arise in every economic environment. Adaptability is paramount in a calculated team effort. Seize advantage in a downturn.

The Seeking True North Forum Registration contests by Walther and Erickson have been awesome! Thanks for all of you who have registered. We have 20 more registrants to go to reach our December 1 deadline! Here is the Tim Walther – Grand Dynamics contest! We look forward to continue and grow the STN Forum Community!