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Let’s Have A Chat for Friday, March 1, 2019

Let’s Have A Chat For Friday, March 1, 2019

Transcription:
And good evening everyone, it is Friday. Friday March 1st the first day of the third month of 2019. I’m your host David Guerra and welcome to LET’S HAVE A CHAT (the Friday edition). That’s right, the calendar says it’s Friday and that means it’s time for Forbes Friday so again
straight from Forbes.com, Forbes magazine, the website, the email newsletters. Hey, if you haven’t signed up for the newsletters, check them out and do so. I highly recommend it and that’s where this one comes from. It’s a little snippet of something but it’s something I saw yesterday and it kind of got me thinking, of well the shape of things to come. Well actually three things happened in the past 24 hours, my oldest my daughter she’s looking for a job so she’s thinking about applying at J.C. Penney and then I’m going like well if they’re
still around to hire you’re more than welcome to and the next was I drove by a Payless Shoe Store with 40 to 50% off discount right now because they’re going out of business everything must go. Now in the Forbes Daily Dozen I saw that they were talking about Victoria’s Secret since 2015, the stock value slipped 75 percent and Victoria’s Secret still has not come out of that. How do they get themselves
out of it? Folks, they need to recognize that things are happening in the retail industry, the anchor stores are going…the anchor stores are those stores, the big stories at the malls, they’re the big ones like Macy’s, JC Penney, Sears it was once Montgomery Ward remember that and Woolworth’s back in the day. Well, that’s what’s going on is those anchor stores. They are going and slowly all the other ones
that aren’t keeping up are going and why are they disappearing? Why is Payless disappearing? Shoes? Everybody needs shoes, we all need shoes and Payless whoa! Everybody wants to pay less for shoes but again they have good shoes there. Don’t get me wrong I purchased from
there before and as matter of fact I walked in there and purchased a pair of sneakers yesterday at a great price.

So, what’s going on? Well, it’s plain and simple, if you’ve been on this planet long enough you’ve seen the little cardboard boxes with the little smiley face on it. No, no it’s not the it’s not a box from Brazil because it says Amazon and just like that box was not from Italy because it said Fra-Gi-Le. Nope it’s Amazon.

That’s right, Amazon, Amazon.com they’ve got everything, anything you’ve ever wanted. They’ve got it there that you could find it and if
you don’t they can probably wait a bit and somebody will sell it. I know this because I also am an Amazon seller and I sell on Amazon so I sell my stuff there and again full disclosure.

But is it taken away from the local jobs! NO! It’s just taken away from those that don’t want to compete, don’t want to as the kids say
“POST UP”, they are not doing that. They are not stepping up their game and if those local businesses, those brick-and-mortar stores do not want to step up their game then where they’re gonna go? By the way of what was once Hastings Records and Books. Remember that bookstore Hastings records and books? There we go *BOOM* Barnes & Noble came wiped them off the face of the earth and
then remember that Blockbuster Video? Same thing,  they had the opportunity to do what Netflix is doing.

They had the execs that chose not to they said oh that’s never gonna fly! You know who doesn’t fly anymore? That’s right, the CEO cuz he has no place to go. It’s just that simple folks. The times are changing and if you’re not changing with those times you’re gonna get exactly what you deserve. A couple years ago I wouldn’t have thought about sitting up here and standing up here in front of this doing live stream video. I would have thought about that but I resisted for the longest time I resisted joining Facebook but you know what, that’s where it was all going on. You’ve got to see the writing on the wall and you can resist it all you want or it’s like oh no they won’t change for me. You’re too late, you’ve already missed the boat the time is or the times already gone the ship has already sailed, that plane has already
taken off. That’s right so bon voyage, see we can’t even say bon voyage anymore now we have to say “bon voy” because someone’s changing with the times and we need also in business and leaders those that lead people, we have to be changing with the times.

I’m not saying be the next Elon Musk, I’m not saying be the next what’s his name, what’s his name, Zuckerberg! You know or anybody else no what I’m saying is be yourself but be yourself in an involving constantly evolving constantly changing state. You’re gonna find yourself you and your business are gonna find yourselves the way of the dinosaur, the way of Hastings, the way of Tower Records. Remember Tower Records? Yeah they have an online presence but it was nothing like Tower Records that was like the epitome of a record store. You look up
record store in the dictionary you saw Tower Records. That was it that was the place to go but where are they now it’s Amazon and iTunes and Apple. Where are they now? Where will Macy’s be in a little while, where’s JC Penney, where Sears, where’s Payless Shoes and unfortunately
Victoria’s Secret needs to ramp up their game. Sure they can one time a year do that that show or that risque show on on TV once a year but is that enough? No! It’s not enough. It’s not enough to bring in the money, to raise the stock value because again dropping 75% that’s a lot but if you’re delivering constantly and maintaining and working and improvising and innovating then guess what. You might just have a good thing on your hand and it’s worth the wait for it to grow back up. Now you know what four years later on the verge of five years later for Victoria’s Secret then what exactly nothing will happen.  Only the bad stuff will happen, unemployment, layoffs. chapter 13, bankruptcy, courts it’s crazy but it’s true.

On that note, so something to think about continue innovating, continue changing, continue providing, continue to grow, continue to innovate, continue to be better than you were yesterday. If you’re not, someone’s going to have you for lunch and that is probably going to be Amazon.

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A New Day / A New New (a.k.a That Was Yesterday) by David Guerra

“But that was yesterday. I had the world in my hands but it’s not the end of my world. Just a slight change of plans. That was yesterday. But today life goes on. No more hiding in yesterday.  ‘Cause yesterday’s gone, ooooh!”
– Foreigner “That Was Yesterday”

So today is Sunday! For most places on the planet today is the first day of the week. It is the first day listed on the majority of the calendars I have seen in my limited travels around the planet. Sure there are unique and different calendars out there but none of them threaten the standard of Sunday being the first day of the week. With that being said let’s press on.

There is a song that I like a lot when it comes to addressing today and tomorrow and most importantly, in what place to put yesterday and the yesterdays before yesterday. If you have not guessed it by now (looking at the embedded video), it is “That Was Yesterday” by Foreigner. It was released in 1984 as I was starting my senior year of high school and challenges the future was about to bring me.

However. that was quite some time ago and yet, the song still reverberates as I like to go back to the music from time to time not to get stuck in the “days of old” but to remind myself that for as much as things have change they still remain the same.

Right now, another batch of high school seniors have graduated. They have fallen over the guard rail that was high school and are now falling head first beyond the precipice and into the future. The uncertain future. Sure some of them may know where they are going next such as College, University, Trade School, US Armed Forces, etc. but even then that is not a done deal. Yet, they, like I did so many years ago, moved into the future because there is no alternative to that option.

Moving forward can be a difficult thing or relatively easy.

It can be difficult for those that are stuck in their hay-day of high school. Almost all of us, know who I am talking about. That guy that is living his glory days of throwing the game winning touchdown or catching the game winning touchdown or that cheerleader who was the most popular for 4 years in her past. They are quick to let you know and don’t forget their cronies then, that for some weird reason are their cronies now. WHY?

Then there are those that have moved on. Sure we look back every once in a while. However, when looking back it helps to use that backward glance to adjust your course as you navigate into the future. Remember the old adages, “you can never go home, again” or “a ship in port is not doing its jobs.” All that means you have to keep moving and not resting because resting means too much time on your hands. Once you find yourself with too much time on your hands you start you remember. Unfortunately, when people reach that point they start to remember the good times. Of course, they also look at the bad times with such anger and ferocity that the reasons are obscured as to what cause the bad times. They start to look for causes and usually they neglect to see themselves as a possible cause. That’s when things start to go askew.

Things go sideways because they want answers they may never ever get because others have moved on. That’s when the past gets tangled up in their present. In mixing the past with the present they begin pushing the future to the side. Folks, when the past overtakes the future there is no room for growth. The past is like a pool of stagnant water. It sits there, going no where. It just sits there getting murky, stinking from the pond scum. Eventually the life that was in that stale, stagnant pool will die, think of a pond that has depleted its oxygen. Sure it might be nice to look at but eventually the fish and other life in it will die. Once the fish die they will float to the top and start to decay. What was once teaming with life becomes a ugly, muddy, dirty mess that no one will want to come close let alone even think about.

Yet, those stuck in the past will find themselves believing that others created the dead pool of water that is their past. Obviously, completely oblivious that no one would touch that swamp gas filled pool of ugliness with a 10 foot pole. Yet, they continue believing someone else (not them) is responsible for the mess that continues in their lives. Thus, the cycle of not moving forward continues.

Folks! Those living in the past included, remember that it is NOT too late to turn looking toward a brighter and better future by just cease letting the past become your focus. Turn to face the future. It is the future we can change with a word, an action. The past is like a library filled with the thoughts, actions, and deeds of a time gone by. We can check them out but like all libraries we have to return them by the due date. And if you don’t return it by the due date there will be a fine.

Imagine, how wonderful the future you make will be. And yes you can check out the past. Do not fear thinking about yesterday so long as you remember ‘yesterday is gone”.

by David G. Guerra, M.B.A.
Author of the “Walking Leader” and “Great To Follow”
twitter: @DaveGuerra
facebook: www.facebook.com/thedavidguerra
instagram: dave_guerra

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Efficiency In The Workplace – Motivation Killers (aka Toxic People) by David G. Guerra, MBA

Lately, I have been looking at how to improve efficiency in the workplace. I have looked at it from different angles as to what makes it work and what holds it back. One thing that holds efficiency down is “motivation killers“. Every business has one. Every company, every agency, every organization, for profit or nonprofit, has at least one. Sadly, some have two or more. I guess that just depends on the company size. Who are these motivation killers?

Well, they are those Negative Nellies, the Debbie Downers, the Two Sad Toms, and the Killjoy Club. You know who they are. They are there and they are easy to spot. It does not matter what name you call them, you know who they are. They are, as I wrote, so easy to spot. It is crazy but yet why are they allowed to fester?

Why are these toxic individuals allowed to grow? Why are they allowed to thrive in the organization? Why do they get the advantage over those that are highly motivated, those that want to be there, those that want to do the next thing, those that want to take it up a notch? Why are those toxic individuals not stopped in their tracks? Why are they not held accountable? These are valid questions to valid situations that exist in the workplace.
The Negative Nellies and the Debbie Downers get the run of the place. They get the run of the place and why does management continue to allow such behavior? Could it be because no one wants to stir the pot? Make no waves? Meanwhile the toxic people continue to roam the corporate countryside, the positive employees have to be restrained for fear of stirring the toxic sludge? Why?

Why is that allowed?

As a leader you cannot flat out fire those Debbie Downers, even though many of us would like to, we just cannot do it. You know your organization’s hiring and firing policy and you have to follow it to the letter. However, there are things you can do and the number one thing you as a leader need to do with those “motivation killers” is to work with them. I know it is easier said than done but you have to work with them. You lay it out and say ‘hey, look the company’s going in this direction and we need you there with us. Take that energy that you are spewing and turn it around. Guide us, help us, and help us take the entire organization, take the newbies, take the old-timers, take the veterans and take the organization in a whole new different direction.

Of course, sometimes it is not that easy. So, what do you do? You document, you document, you document. You write it all down. You get to work with this individual, you talk to that individual and yet they continue to “fail to follow direction”. You as the leader, as the manager, as the department head, as the one at top of the ladder have to work with them. You have to motivate them. However, when they fail to follow those directions, well then you can begin to do something about those “motivation killers“.

Trust me, when they realize their pocketbooks are going to be affected things change. Hitting people where it hurts is a great motivator. I hate to be the one that has to take it to that extreme but sometimes you have to do what you have to do because you cannot be trying to go full speed ahead if you are just dragging your anchor. Ask the United States Navy if they can go full steam ahead full speed ahead and drag their anchors on the ocean floor? The answer is NO. They cannot go full speed until they raise that anchor. Until they raise the anchor (the “motivation killer“). Get rid of that negativity and when others see you doing this they see you trying to work with those “motivation killers”, guess what? They are going to be on-board as well. Their attitudes and motivation are going to change. This going to start changing for the positive and who knows maybe they will even start to hold those Negative Nellies, the Debbie Downers, Too Sad Toms and they’ll start holding them accountable and they’ll start holding each other accountable. It may be a long path or it could be a short walk. Sometimes all they need is just a little motivation like and you hear “Oh, I didn’t know I was doing something wrong.” Either way they are with you and they’re with the change in attitude. They are changing, they want to do better and when they can do it they will do it.

When they don’t, well you and I both know it might just be time for those “motivation killers” to find some other place to take their toxicity and that’s the bottom line because, we don’t have time for that nonsense. After all, this is the 21st century and we are moving forward.

 

As always, if you questions please feel free to reach out and contact me.

David G. Guerra, MBA
Author of “The Walking Leader” and “Great To Follow”
twitter: @DaveGuerra
instagram: dave_guerra