“A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week.”

 General George S. Patton

 Are you trying to win…. or trying not to lose?

The most important thing for all of us to manage is ourselves. To that end, the first question to ask is “Who am I?” A recent HBR article suggests that each of us is either promotion-focused or prevention-focused in our orientation: In other words, do I know if I am the kind of person who is trying to win…or I am usually trying to not lose? This is profound information to have about ourselves and those we report to, or those who report to us. . Click here for the article. I plan to discuss it at our next meeting.

The Dangers of Positive Stereotypes

We are all familiar with negative stereotyping and how this unconscious practice can adversely impact our decision-making process. Researchers at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business have found that positive stereotypes may actually be worse at stimulating bias – by strengthening the belief that there are differences between people of different races and those differences are biological in origin. The positive stereotypes then reinforce the negative stereotypes we all encounter because of the subconscious reaffirmation that biological racial differences exist. Check out Duke Professor Aaron Kay’s research: Fuqua Research Sheds Light on the Dangers of Positive Stereotypes

Costco Has Everything, Including Recommendations for Peer Group Membership

We all know about Costco as a good place to get a good deal (especially on the large, economy size).  Who knew you could get a recommendation on how to get ahead in your business? The most recent Costco Connection newsletter recommends business leaders look to peer group membership to help them get a leg up on their competition. Read Sharing Secrets: Peer groups can help businesses get ahead.  (SHAMELESS PLUG: If you are business leader interested in learning more about peer groups, check out Vistage, the world’s largest and leading peer organization, helping the people who run companies become better leaders, make better decisions, and get better results for over 50 years.  Send me an email or call me to learn more.

Econ Recon: The Baby Bust

No matter your politics, the only way you could not believe that the United States has serious deficit and debt problems is to be not paying attention. One of the many complications of not working on solutions to the deficit and debt today (thereby kicking the can down the road for our children to solve) is that for delay to work (even considering that it’s not fair to our children), we need to have lots more children to share the debt load we are generating today. That’s not happening.  While analyst Steve Bick  is mostly focused on where future population and economic growth is going to occur and where you should be putting your investment money, his discussion on the demographic realities of the developed world (North America and Europe) highlight how important planning for the future – both in government spending and personal finances – are today for our children to be successful tomorrow. Read about the Baby Bust.