NOT THE BEST OF US BUT ALSO NOT THE WORST

"The mass never comes up to the standard of its best member, but on the contrary degrades itself to a level with the lowest."

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) American naturalist/poet/philosopher.

Possibly cruel to say but true in concept.

The best of any group can act less so while the least capable cannot immediately become something they are not.

It is the group's responsibility to resist becoming the lowest common denominator.

NOT ALL STRENGTH SHOULD BE VIEWED AS A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

"I am the inferior of any man whose rights I trample under foot."

Robert Green Ingersoll (1833-1899) American politician.

With due respect to Mr. Ingersoll who I know nothing about, many who trample the rights of others don't care what that says about them. 

Knowing right from wrong does not guarantee behavior.

IN BUSINESS TOO

"Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, and half-shut afterwards."

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) American statesman/scientist/philosopher

Success often results from the combined efforts of individuals within a group, all of whom have one fault or another.

They need only be accounted and planned for, not acknowledged, to succeed.

THIS MAY BE IN BAD TASTE, HOWEVER . . .

"Taste has no system and no proofs."

Susan Sontag (1933-2004) American author

And yet we often act as those it does, as those we believe have "good taste" are some how better than those of us we believe don't.

Pablo Picasso said, "Taste is the enemy of creativeness."

I agree.

BEFORE IT IS YOU VOTED OFF THE ISLAND . . .

"Coalitions though successful have always found this, that their triumph has been brief."

Benjamin Disraeli

19th century British politician/author

At work we might call these "clicks".

Avoid them by any name choosing instead to align only with those who work to advance the company mission rather than their own.

RULES RULES

"The wise know that foolish legislation is a rope of sand, which perishes in the twisting."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

19th century U.S. poet, essayist and lecturer

Rules are necessary, the good ones at least.

Be careful which rules you make and even more so those you attempt to enforce.

You're One Of Three

"All mankind is divided into three classes; those that are immovable, those that are movable, and those that move."

Arabian proverb

A pretty neat summary of business personalities as well.

Those who don't, those who might, and those who do.

Which are you?

First You Have To Belong

"To be no part of any body is to be nothing."

John Donne

16th century English poet

The best manager attempting to manage outside of the group manages nothing.

Do You Believe That?

"The privilege of absurdity; to which no living creature is subject, but man only."

Thomas Hobbs

17th century British philosopher

Just to pick this nit a bit, I could argue that absurdity is in the eye of the beholder.

For example "cleaning" oneself with one's tongue, behavior common to many animals, strikes me as pretty absurd.

Did you ever get the sense that Steve Jobs, Mark Cuban, Sir Richard Branson, and others like them, were absurd?

Or do we only ascribe absurdity to those who fail doing what the rest of us see as outlandish?

If so, how absurd!

One Or All?

"There is no monument erected to the memory of a committee."

Lester J. Pourciau

20th century American educator/author

There are many times more derogatory committee quotes than there are positive ones, this being but one example of the milder ones.

Why do so many find so much negative about committees while at the same time celebrating collaboration, strength in numbers, and other positive expressions of group activity?

It's Not About You

"To know how to hide one's ability is a great skill."

Francois de la Rochefoucauld

17th century French writer

Particularly in business.

Your company will only achieve through the efforts of many.

As capable as you might be your real task is to make sure you channel the collective ability of others rather than attempting to do everything yourself.

Thought: Fashionable Decision Making

"Every generation laughs at the old fashions but follows religiously the new."

Henry David Thoreau
Author, Poet

So is Mr. Thoreau making fun of the old or the young who follow new fashion?

Maybe neither. Maybe he's just calling out what is around us in all aspects of our lives, including business.

I can think of many examples of business logic I almost automatically once thought "powerful", now, well let's just say less so. But fortunately I'm still able to get excited about "new" thinking.

That's just being human.

However one thing I am now more than in the past is thoughtful. I will still occasionally lurch towards extremes but less far and rarely if ever all the way, choosing instead to think things through before acting.

What about you?

Management: Coordinating Many To Act As One

"Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely believe and enthusiastically act upon... must inevitably come to pass."

Paul Meyer
Author

I respectfully disagree but only in the absoluteness of this quote. If I understand him, Paul is saying that if you clearly see your goal, want it bad enough and work hard to achieve it it will happen.

I wish that were true but there are other intervening factors and at the top of that list is what others do (or do not do.) It is not enough that an individual within a company do as Paul says; for the company to succeed, all must do these things together.

However he has the right idea. These are the attributes an individual must strive to achieve, which are also things individuals within a company must do in concert with each other (an even more difficult task) and making the latter happen is the responsibility of management. If the gears don't mesh, no ticking clock.

Agree?