My New Favorite Sam Walton Story

Jim Collins, author of “From Good to Great”, has a new book “How the Mighty Fall” where he goes through the 5 stages that powerful companies experience on their way to failure. It is a good lesson on learning from someone else’s mistakes. Interestingly, the “mighty” companies and the market still think they are doing great through the first three stages of failure. The first stage is “Hubris”. Collin’s best example though was of a company that did not suffer from it, Walmart. Sam Walton was certainly proud of the company he had built but never thought he had it all figured out.

A group of Brazilian investors purchased a discount chain. They thought it would be a good idea to see how some of the world’s greatest retailers operated. Sam Walton invited them up to Arkansas. Sam picked them up in his pickup truck and welcomed them to Bentonville in his low key manner. They were there for two days before they realized that about the only thing they had done so far was answer Sam Walton’s questions. Sam built the largest company in the world but when he met someone new, he had the attitude, I know what I know so let me learn what you know.

Sam Walton knew the power of listening and learning. I know I'm a good listener ... Oh, excuse me sweetheart, have you been talking to me?

Government - What it can't do

As citizens we need to realize that the government we created has serious limitations in what it can do. Our elected leaders will not take meaningful action if it involves offending a large voter block (seniors) or major campaign contributor (big business). Obama was given credit for a major, hard fought victory when he saved less than $2 billion dollars by not ordering more cold war jets that the military did not want. Congress has been unable to make simple adjustments to social security (peg increases to cost of living rather than wages) that would keep it solvent for decades longer. They don't even attempt to solve Medicare funding or lack there of. They are basically paralyzed when looking at the issues of today:
• Global warming, probably the greatest threat to my grandchildren – Don’t expect congress to take dramatic action to stem CO2 emissions. No $2/gallon tax on gas and no major carbon taxes on industry that will make a difference. They won’t happen until way too late in the game. The only hope is if we can innovate our way out of it. Government can fund innovation. We waste a lot of time and effort trying to get government to do the stuff it won’t do.
• Health care – The current system is broken beyond repair. Small businesses can’t afford it for their employees. Medium size businesses are headed that way. Fifty million Americans are uninsured and tens of millions more underinsured. Unfortunately the fixes involve those things the government won’t do. They won’t be able to carve out the 30% administrative expense needed to keep track of eligibility and all the different plan types because this is also known as insurance company revenue, a major employer and campaign contributor. Health care actually needs to be rationed by rational people. Everybody can’t have the greatest healthcare money can buy. So we do nothing and today we have nearly the worst healthcare of any western industrialized country.

What our government does give us is an economy where usually the best businessperson wins. Our efforts to get government to take action should be for things that promote businesses that will solve our problems. That is something government can do.

Feelin' sorry

Our clearest memories are usually visual. Often wars are represented by a couple photographs. Vietnam was the Kent State shooting or the naked little girl hit with napalm. Iraq is abu ghraib or on the positive side the purple thumbs indicating they voted for the first time in an election that really counted.

Sometimes a photo will affect you more than others. The war photo etched in my mind was that of a dead Iraqi man with his Jack Russell Terrier nestled in next to him ... the same way Bailey sleeps most nights with me. I felt really bad for the dog. Now the tables are turned. The little dog that has been my almost constant companion for nearly 14 years needs to be put down for a variety of health issues. Tomorrow I take her to the vet and say goodbye. Now I feel sorry for me.

Pain in the back and one a little lower

Last week I somehow strained my back. It started as a little inconvenience on Monday and was an embarrassing/painful "how do I get out of this chair" situation by Saturday. It's not good when neither Shirley or me can reach anything within two feet of the floor.
And Saturday was the big event, Landry's birthday. Eric and Dena planned the party at our house. Fortunately the food was catered (and really good) so I only needed to worry about a few dirty dishes. Landry successfully hit number 7 and seemed pleased with the gifts and all the attention. Hayden also thought it was her birthday and was equally pleased. ... As was I. I beat everyone in Tiger Wood's Golf. Actually I was tied with Tylir but he considers a tie a loss while I consider it a win. Hence, that makes me the only winner. In cards, Jill and I reigned supreme. A pretty nice weekend, pain and all.

Road Warrior or Bedroom Cocoon

I remember when being a road warrior was a position of envy. Collecting all those miles so you could go on another free trip was a source of pride. I'm not sure when it changed. The terrorists are part of it with the extra airport procedures and delays they have caused. The airlines being bankrupt or on the verge of it hasn't helped. The Internet and wii are big deals. The Internet always works with fewer hassles at home plus the wii games are connected to the home TV. I'm hooked on the boxing, great exercise.

However, TIVO (or in my case a brand X digital recorder from DISH) is the real culprit. Being able to watch what you want, when you want, commercial free TV is one of those things you don't truly appreciate until you do without. Watching TV in a hotel room is the definition of doing without. It doesn't matter how flat or how big the TV is if there is nothing on that you want to watch.... and don't forget those commercials.

There is on downside to TIVO, at least for me. The son-in-law, Tylir, doesn't have it. Probably just as well in that he loves commercial, sport themed commercials in particular. Quite often his conversations start with "did you see the commercial where ...?" I follow that with a long pause. It could probably be our main source of bonding but I'm just not willing to go back to commercials. Or traveling when I can get out of it. I prefer the fully wired bedroom cocoon to any hotel room in the world.