With all of the talking I do, I didn't expect to lose my voice recently at the ProMat 2009 trade show, but I did. I haven't been sick lately, and I'm no stranger to being on the phone, or talking to people, or presenting speeches throughout the week.  

Yet looking back, I find that I had two conversations over and over and over. To the people who were attending ProMat, what I kept talking about, to the point of almost going hoarse, was "Why it's a bad idea to make across-the-board cost cuts in their organizations." 

To people exhibiting material handling equipment at ProMat, what I kept talking about, to the point of going totally hoarse was, "Smart companies today have no interest in an after-tax ROI of 30%. That used to be a great return, but in these economic times, companies really need to conserve capital and hold it back for the few really big, strategic efforts where the payback is measured in days."   

My voice has come back, but I still feel the urgency to reach out to people when I read and hear what's being talked about in the news, and in trade publications. The big topic is hunkering down to protect your core business. Much of what I read, I would call a knee-jerk reaction to the difficult economic situation currently affecting so many industries and countries. 

The important thing you should know is that it's possible to find significant cost improvements, even if you don't have much to invest or many resources to devote. But you must do so in the context of a strategy of cutting ongoing operating and capital costs while maintaining talent costs and strategic costs. So, great – cut, cut, cut ongoing costs, but leave talent and strategic costs alone, or 2009 will not be the end of your worries.  

Actual steps that top companies are taking throughout their supply chains are detailed in this article written by the Supply Chain Consortium. The consortium is a benchmarking and best practices forum, made up of 200 companies from various industries. The information in this article is culled from the surveys their members complete, so it represents real-world ideas and things you can start doing immediately if you need to reduce costs.  

Also, I hope you take some time to explore the rest of the cost reduction website this article appears within. http://www.tompkinsinc.com/costreduction/ 

On another note: We'll be starting a podcast series on cost reduction throughout the supply chain in mid-February, and I'll be sure to announce it here. We're putting the plans together now, and it's shaping up to be something else!  In the meantime, you can check out this installment in the Global Supply Chain Podcast, "Supply Chains in the Global Economic Downturn."

And if you have ideas or comments to share, please let me hear from you. What would you like to see me blog about going forward? Even if I lose my voice again talking about the evils of "cut, cut, cut," I can always write, right? 

Go!Go!Go!

A lot of folks today in business, government, entertainment -- you name it -- claim to be bold leaders. Some are truly living examples of this special type of leader, but most are just perpetuating a smelly sack of moldy myths.

I want to share some of these myths and name my "Top 5 Bold Business Leaders of 2008." You may be chuckling to yourself right now (but not in a good way), since the past year seemed to yield more failed chiefs than true robust leaders who know how what it takes to energize themselves and the world around them.

Bold leaders adapt to emerging risks instead of putting their heads in the sand. They don't rest on their laurels, and they don't revel in today's prosperity without a thought for the future and lasting effects on others. They think and act strategically, embracing the big ideas that lead their organizations up the hill and inspiring the people around them to do the same.

Bold leaders put aside fear and make the tough changes and decisions that often clash with the status quo. Take cost reduction, for instance. Bold leaders see right through the easy solutions of cutting valuable staff and services just for the sake of cutting to reduce expenses. And as I've said in earlier posts, cut, cut, cut is not a strategy!

Of course, life is all about compromises, and bold leaders certainly know how to best get what they want while bringing "foes" into the fold -- or at least gaining their respect, and understanding how to use everyone's skills and talents.

So here's my "Top 5 Bold Business Leaders of 2008."

1.) Steve Jobs, Apple

2.) Anne Mulcahy, Xerox

3.) Jeff Bezos, Amazon

4.) Indra Nooyi, Pepsi

5.) The Successful Entrepreneurs

Here's exactly why they are bold leaders:

Leaders don't wait. They focus on quick wins, immediate action, and gaining momentum.

Character counts. True leaders are honest, forward looking, inspiring, and competent. They have creditability and values, and you can believe what they say.

Leaders have their head in the clouds and their feet on the ground. In other words, they not only have a vision for the future, but they have a sense of direction that will get them to that vision.

Shared values make a difference. True leaders present values that are consistent with those of their constituents.

Leaders can't do it alone. Personal best means our personal best, not my personal best.

The legacy that leaders leave behind is the life they lead. You lead by deeds that make you a role model and set the pace. The best way to do this is to do what you say you will do.

Leadership is everyone's business. Everyone is a leader in some circumstance.

Myths about Leadership

Now back to that rotten sack of myths. Unfortunately, we have formed bad ideas of what leaders are like based only on their publicity (good or bad). Over time, these images get sharper and sharper as more people discuss and write about some of these high-profile leaders, and suddenly they are accepted as truths. With this concept in mind, here are the main myths associated with leadership in these times:

Leaders create organizations that run like clockwork.

Leaders are renegades who do things differently from the rest of us.

Leaders are interested in immediate results and not the long term.

Leaders can predict the future.

Leaders are machines that process and analyze spreadsheets.

Leaders are compelling and fascinating people who can charm just about anyone into doing just about anything.

Leaders are into command and control.

It's lonely at the top.

Leaders must lead from ivory towers.

Only a few can lead.

I call B.S. on these myths and challenge you in 2009 to turn away from them and become a bold leader. Who knows? Maybe I'll be writing about you this time next year – and in a good way.

In the meantime, if you want to learn more about what makes a bold leader:
see www.tompkinsinc.com/boldleadership/chapterone.asp

Go!Go!Go!

Jim

This is the first of what I intend to make a regular installment on this blog: "Jargon Watch," where I look at a word or phrase we use in this supply chain business and try to figure out what it really means. This sounds pretty simple, but actually, after years of using terms we are all used to, their meanings tend to get skewed.

I think this concept can be best summed up in a word made popular by comedian Stephen Colbert of The Colbert Report on Comedy Central: "Truthiness," which is actually in the dictionary now.

"Truthiness" describes something that someone intuitively believes to be true, but that is not actually based in fact, or it could mean choosing certain facts but ignoring others that don't agree with one's preferred idea of truth. Often, "truthiness" is based on someone's passion or emotional feelings.

For example, the Dot-com bubble of about 10 years ago, and its subsequent bust, started because people really wanted to believe that they could make money with an Internet business, to the point of ignoring the creation of an actual business model that would stand up to the facts of the market. In a remarkably "truth-y" moment, people went with their emotions instead of facts, which resulted in a lot of failed business models later on.

So, for this first jargon-spotlight post, I chose the word "outsourcing." I can see little alarm bells going off in people's heads now as they read this word. For many, it definitely has moved from its true meaning to the business world's dirtiest word.

To avoid being "truthy" myself about the word, we should look at why outsourcing has a bad reputation. Outsourcing conjures up images of Americans losing jobs to countries overseas and other negative connotations. It's important to remember though that offshoring and outsourcing do not always go hand-in-hand. Bringing up offshoring reminds me of the wider topic of globalization. I believe that globalization and its effects are inevitable and not going away. I've written more about globalization in this article if you would like more in-depth thoughts on the subject.

With outsourcing, it's also true that some organizations have had major difficulties -- ranging from annoying to nightmarish – after outsourcing an operation to a third party. It is risky business, and I would be the first to tell that to someone considering it. Tread carefully!

However, knowledgeable businesspeople understand that outsourcing can be a positive part of a company's strategy and offers great competitive advantage, which in turn, creates sustainable future growth. Failure is avoidable if the approach is right.

I have written a lot about outsourcing tactics and risks, and I even published a book on the subject. But here, I don't intend to go into great detail on the whole concept of outsourcing. I only want to make you think about the meaning of the word.

When I think of outsourcing, the next thing I think of is core competencies. You should outsource non-core functions; that is, functions that if they are not done well, will not create any problems for your customer or hurt your business in a significant way.

If you aren't sure what part of your business is a core competency versus a non-core process, ask yourself one simple question that operates like Occam's Razor on the confusion you might have: How does the function affect your customers? The answer to this question tells you what would happen to those customers if the function were outsourced and how they might be affected. If any negative effects are possible, well yes, then it's a core function and should not be outsourced. It's too important to the success of your business and what it is that you do.

For example, if you outsource landscaping to another company, and they inadvertently kill all of the trees on your property, that probably won't affect your customers. But if a retail store outsources its logistics operations, and all of its shipments get sent to the wrong customers weeks late, then your customers are severely affected. Don't expect them to order anything from you again soon, if ever.

I could write much more on this subject, but if you were to ask me to define outsourcing, this is what I would tell you: Outsourcing is one of today's most unique business challenges because it is both a solution to other business challenges and a challenge in its own right. But the real beauty of outsourcing, when done properly, is that it reduces the work required of organizations and improves efficiency and effectiveness.

Then I would probably also hand you a stack of materials as tall as you are, because if you are thinking of outsourcing, the first thing you need to do is to get educated! I will spare you that mountain of materials for now.

I do hope this post has given you pause to consider the meaning of the word the next time you hear it or talk about it. If you have a definition for the word "outsourcing," share it in the comments. Also if you have a suggestion for future posts exploring the meaning of business jargon we use all the time, please leave me a comment, and I'll give it some thought.

Jim

Wow, already past mid-January 2009, where does time go? But at least it is 2009 and the chaos of 2008 is behind us. The good news is that although the future is ugly, I personally believe the worst is behind us.

After all, once you reach the bottom, how much lower can you go? That seems to be the theme of the past few months. Although we are not out of the woods yet, there's some indication that the economy will pick up sometime in the next 6 to 12 months.

With so many supposed intelligent people leading our county and our companies, how did we get into a situation like this? Well, the U.S. is the most powerful nation in the world, and we have grown content with the status that our parents and grandparents had built for us.

And this brings me to my point: The best way to avoid the valley of failure is to never be content. Always look toward the future and prepare for your next step. Consider John Wooden, the greatest college basketball coach of all time who said, "It's what you learn after you know it all that counts."

Know the obstacles and how to overcome them. Be able to travel from peak to peak without ever hitting bottom.

So, you ask, "What is the science of peak performance?" It is the science that defines harnessing the energy of change, and it is my hope that you are able to apply this science, both individually and with your organization, to stay out of your valleys.

Many have struggled with this issue and have found that the natural order of life is not like that old saying, "Success breeds success." To quote Benjamin Franklin and Winston Churchill, "Success has ruined many a man," and "Success is rarely final."

With this being the case, you have two options:

1. You can choose to cycle through the success/failure routine, which, with the barrage of downsizing, rightsizing, delayering, restructuring, repositioning, demassing, and reengineering, is clearly the dominant pattern of business today.

 

2. Or you can decide to revolutionize the fundamental way you do business and move from one level of peak performance to yet higher levels of peak performance, confidently carrying your success into the future.

In all, it is about growing and learning. You have the ability to become the best, then better than the best -- achieve peak performance, then ascend to new peaks.

When a business fails after achieving peak performance, many wonder how such a great company could go out of business. It usually has to do with the fact that the company's leaders did not accurately define core competencies (see more on this concept), and the company’s model of success -- its mission, vision, and business plan -- was not revised to be relevant to its current state.

Yes, a company needs to reinvent itself while it is still at the top. And this means defining core competencies (unique business functions that allow the organization to be successful) and eliminating or outsourcing the activities that are not value-add activities.

Often, leaders and managers are afraid to reassess their core competencies because they are still holding on to the myth that consistency equals success. OK, it's true that consistency is necessary to produce a quality product, but it does not necessarily allow the agility needed to adjust to changes. In fact, consistency often drags a company down from a peak into a valley.

Success can definitely be fleeting, and once achieved, it can lead to failure. Company leaders tend to think that once they've reached peak performance, their stay at the top is almost assured. Nothing could be further from the truth! Most likely what was yesterday's peak performance is today’s good performance and tomorrow's poor performance.

The key to long-term success is not the achievement of peak performance. Rather it is the continuous process for beginning anew and climbing to a new peak, and the next peak. The companies that try to maintain the status quo end up lost in the valley, unable to find their way back to the top.

If you are interested in learning more about peak-to-peak performance, check out a book that I wrote a few years back that still rings true: No Boundaries: Break Through to Supply Chain Excellence.

Oh and don't forget, Go!Go!Go!

Jim

Yesterday was my last day attending the ProMat show in Chicago, and it got me to thinking about the real value of such events. Trade shows are often one of the first items to be cut by both exhibitors and by attendees in tough times.

For exhibitors, the cost reductions are great as doing a trade show well is expensive (space, advertising, staff, travel, ugly shirts, Snickers bars, etc.) And especially in difficult times, it is not clear if the right folks will attend. For attendees, the cost is less, but even with no capital to invest, it is not clear that there is any ROI on attending the show.

However, Tompkins Associates was an exhibitor at ProMat 2009 and there were many attendees. In fact, this was the most productive trade show we have participated in to date. An awesome ROI!

Contrary to many other shows where there are a lot of folks wandering around, "to see what is new," this year's ProMat show was about teams of well-organized people in pursuit of specific solutions to specific problems or opportunities. They were not doing a live version of what they could do electronically from home, but rather spent their time in pursuit of the true value of trade shows. Similarly, for the exhibiting companies who invested in the show by staffing the booth with professionals (and not models or salespeople in green or orange shirts), they obtained the true value of trade shows.

So, what is the true value of trade shows? I think it is the face-to-face interaction between exhibitors/attendees. The true value is sitting down across a table from someone and brainstorming about how you can work together for mutual success. The ROI for smart exhibitors is the creation of new relationships that can lead to new business and the ROI. For smart attendees, the true value is the creation of a relationship that can lead to better performance of their organization. I mean, hello, it is about people!

The tendency in these crazy economic times may be to cut, cut, cut trade shows from your budget. But aren't both exhibitors and attendees both cutting off their noses to spite their faces if they do this? Exhibitors need more clients and interactions today, not fewer. And attendees need more cost reductions, strategic innovations and operational improvements than ever before. So, instead of slashing trade show budgets in difficult times, we should be growing trade show budgets in difficult times.

So yes, trade shows are very important, and if you approach being an exhibitor or an attendee as an opportunity to build relationships, you will move ahead of your competition. So, establish a clear plan for exhibiting or for attending. Yes, in a down market, there is less chocolate and there are fewer fancy pens, squeeze balls and little toys – but maybe this is a good thing.

If people attending trade shows focus more on building relationships and solving problems, there is huge value, huge ROI and any report on the death of trade shows is not only crazy, but absolutely contrary to the ProMat show that just concluded in Chicago. And, by the way, Tompkins did have chocolate, we did do a drawing for a free iPod, and we built many new very positive relationships. We did not have models, we had no ugly bright shirts, but we did make a plan to be back at the next ProMat in two years. I should warm up by then.

Jim

I was checking out some of my favorite blogs and saw this great post from Tom Andel, chief editor of Modern Materials Handling magazine. He writes about some of the interviews he did at ProMat 2009 in Chicago, including the chat I had with him at the show. If you attended ProMat, did you get the "warm oasis of hope" feeling Tom describes?

Check out Tom's blog post, "ProMat 2009: Ignoring recession and weather."

It was 40 years ago that I attended my first Material Handling Show. Wow, other than being married, I can't think of anything else that I have done for 40 years. So it is with many memories and new thoughts that I write this blog from the floor of ProMat in Chicago.

In 1969, I was a student having completed my BSIE at Purdue University and having started my masters with an emphasis on material handling. So, attending the National Material Handling Show in Detroit was a great opportunity to learn. It was cold and snowy in Detroit, but my first show was a gala affair. Lots of excitement, models, booze and lift trucks. Remember, it was 1969.

I first started writing this post with a bunch of history about the things that have changed about the show. Then I realized that the only folks who would really be interested in that stuff do not read blogs. So I cut it. Well, most of it. A few goodies:  

* One thing I find especially interesting is that at the show in 1969, all the cocktail parties had was hard liquor and chips. No beer, no wine. Then in the 1990s, they added beer and pretzels. Then starting about 10 years ago, wine and cheese was the norm. I wonder what we will be drinking/munching in year 2019?

* Another goodie is the outfits the models wore. The shows used to be R-rated. In fact, I was an early advocate of cleaning up the show, and in 1977, I was actually given the job of writing the first guideline on appropriate outfits for the show. Today, no real outfits, except for that one group of folks with the ugly orange shirts.

* Another point on what folks wear. Back in the day, all the guys wore a suit and tie and the gals wore dresses and high heels. You still see some of that today at the show, but the attire is typically more relaxed -- I did see a guy in overalls today and a lady in an outfit that looked like she was ready for her yoga class.

I also find it interesting that you do not have to attend the MHI news conference to learn about the economy. Just walk the floor. Almost no give-aways, and I had to walk four aisles to find a Snickers bar. And then it was one of those mini-bars that tasted like it was left over from Halloween. Really makes me mad to go to a show and not even find good chocolate.

So, folks have cut expenses on the show, but they have not changed their messages. I was in several booths today where folks were trying to sell capital intensive solutions based on a 20 percent ROI. Wow! A very, very difficult sale. In my view, what makes much more sense today is to sell solutions that:

* Are strategic and will provide for a strong competitive advantage after the recession

* Are tactical and will result in immediate short-term cost reductions

It was really cool to see the number of folks at the event who were interested in a holistic supply chain approach to cost cutting. Lots of very worthwhile discussions going on about this topic. I will get more into my cost reduction thinking on later blog posts, but if you want more information now you can go to http://www.tompkinsinc.com/costreduction/

Another interesting evolution that I noted at ProMat is that the key to material handling is no longer material handling, but rather material control. Sure, it is cool to see the new bells and whistles on the handling of materials, but where the real action is today is in the control systems of material movement. Lots of innovation here! Not as exciting as a big piece of equipment moving stuff around, but clearly where creativity is making a huge difference. Very cool!

A topic also gaining lots of momentum is the global supply chain. The end-to-end global supply chain view is the strategy within which material handling solutions must respond. I was very pleased to see a material handling show audience who really "gets it" and grasps the potential for supply chain excellence facilitated by material handling and control excellence.

Lastly, the bottom line at today's show. On a 0 to 10 scale, here is how I would rate the the day (0 is bad, 10 is awesome):

Volume of traffic: 9

Quality of folks entering the booth: 10

Coffee in hotel lobby: 1

Folks prepared when they enter the booth: 8

University students in attendance: 10

Availability of free chocolate: 1

Executive interaction: 9

Grand opening ribbon cutting: 3

Optimism about handling the recession: 7

Understanding of how to win after the recession: 4

The ugly orange shirts: -4

Weather in Chicago: 0 (unless you really like snow)

All in all, a great day. ProMat is going strong, and I am looking forward to tomorrow. I think I will bring my own chocolate. Wow, isn't that snow pretty!

Jim

How many articles or blogs have you read about the global economy? I would guess I have read over 100. But I do not really know since most of the "global economy" material I start to read, I set it down after reading less than 10%.

Why? Because they all are the same -- they tell me the problem, but do not tell me what to do about it. Many of these articles tell me what the government should or shouldn't do. But, hello, I am a CEO, and my clients are CEOs and executives -- not senators or congressmen. So, OK, I get it. The credit markets are still impossible. Our financial infrastructure is in worse shape than our road infrastructure. We really are in a recession! And business in 2009 is going to be very, very difficult. I get it! But what do I do? What do you do?

As executives in business today, both CEOs of Fortune 500 companies and directors of supply chain operations, what do you do to survive in 2009? Well let me take a step back on this and then move forward. My 35 years in business, while participating and watching everyone from the best to the really crappy, has lead me to two key conclusions:

1. Strategy precedes action plans and budgets.

2. "Cut, Cut, Cut" is not a strategy.

So, to survive 2009 what you need to do is create a strategic plan and then create an action plan and budget that support the strategic plan. Then, with an intelligent view of risk mitigation and contingency plans, execute with accountability. So, again, to survive, you need the "BIG 7":

1. Strategic Plan

2. Action Plan

3. Budget

4. Risk Mitigation

5. Contingency Plans

6. Execution

7. Accountability

This blog is not going to explain how to do these Big 7, as that is not the point. The point is: Yes, times are difficult, but do not check your brain at the gate and fly off into the sky with no pilot. The process that you need to pursue in a difficult economy, in a normal economy, and in a great economy is the same.

When the economy is good, do you go out and just start hiring people? No; then why, when the economy is bad do you think you should just go out and start firing people? I know, I can read the blog comments now about "conserving capital" and "cutting costs." Cool, I am all for those activities, given those activities fall within the context of your strategic plan and the resulting action plan and budgets. But conserving capital and cutting costs may just as well be the worst advice ever, depending upon the thrust of the strategic plan.

In fact, let me share with you some of the client interactions I am having right now to help you understand how the Big 7 are the key to getting us through 2009:

1. A retail client has a bag of cash. They lost money last year. One of their competitors had an even worse year. 2009 is a great time to buy the competition, and during the next 7 months, integrate the supply chains of the two firms to result in a huge competitive advantage leading into next holiday season.

2. A traditional North American manufacturing firm saw their profits disappear in 2008 as their competition outsourced manufacturing to China. The firm realizes their core competency is not manufacturing, but brand and design. 2009 is a great time to close three plants, outsource production, transform their supply chain, and focus on the skills that have made them successful for the last 25 years.

3. A pharmaceutical firm has fought the generic firms for many years and now realizes they can not win. 2009 is a great year to redirect their efforts by entering the generic drug business and redefining their supply chain accordingly.

4. A multinational food and beverage firm had an OK year in 2008 but now realizes that their regional organizational structure is a major impediment to creating global supply chain excellence. They are beginning work to end regionalization and truly become a global company.

5. A chemical firm has only seen small impacts from the bad economy and sees 2009 as an excellent time to spend capital and consolidate their distribution organization to enhance customer satisfaction and reduce costs.

You can see in every case the strategy is driving the action plans and budget.

I suggest you stop reading the macro "Economy To Be Bad In 2009." Instead, develop the Big 7, and that will result in you coming out of 2009 stronger and more prepared for future success.

Well, the marketing folks talked me into doing a Podcast last year and suggested about a month ago that I consider doing a blog. I can very clearly remember my first thought when I read the email with this suggestion: "What is a plog?"  

I asked my wife this question and she said, "I have no idea what a plog is, but I think you might mean a blog". So I reread the email, and sure enough, they wanted me to do a blog. I asked the marketing folks why I would want to do a blog and I heard two things: 

1. To increase my social media presence, and 

2. To allow me to share my daily thinking on the business world, and to give you a place to talk about your own business and supply chain issues.  

Well, I liked the second point, but was confused by the first. You see, although I write a lot of articles and books and give a lot of speeches, I am not personally aware of my having any "social media presence". But my marketing folks are certain that I do have a "social media presence," and they are pretty smart people, but I can tell you for a fact, that if I do have a "social media presence" it must be very small as I never noticed it. Therefore, the argument that I needed to increase my "social media presence" was certainly on target. So here I am, Jim Tompkins the Plogger, no, I mean the Blogger! 

Ok, that's why I am here, but why are you here? (By the way if I be a Blogger, are you a Bloggee?) Well, each of you may have your own personal "social media fetish" but here is why I think you may want to be here:    

As I travel the world and interact with business leaders across a wide variety of vertical sectors, I have (at least once a day) a question that goes through my mind like:       

* Are you kidding me?       

* I can't believe it, are you sure?       

* Holy cow, they do that and they still make money?       

* What were they thinking?       

* What are they thinking?       

* Okkkkkk, is there anyone here that knows what year it is? 

So, motivated by my need to increase my "social media presence" and to pass on my thoughts and knowledge to readers, here we go. And if you are wondering, “What’s really in it for me to follow this blog?” Let me assure you that I will inform, entertain and start some lively conversations on hot business and supply chain issues. I am not writing just for the sake of writing – my goal is for my experiences and thoughts to evoke thoughts and actions in you, the reader.  

On this first blog of my life, I should explain to you the title, "GO!GO!GO! with Jim Tompkins."  I need to go back a few years on this one, because although my social media presence is low, I really began working on the title of this blog 34 years ago this month. 

It was January 1975: I had a wife, a daughter, a Ph.D., a completed Army obligation and a new job as an Assistant Professor of Industrial Engineering. I was happy with four of these, but unhappy about the fifth. You see, although I was happy to serve my country and for the really nice green uniforms, I felt like 3 years of my career were missing. So on January 3, 1975 I attacked my Assistant Professor duties at 150%. I was going to make up for my 3 missing years. Well, after 2 years at the University, I was very frustrated that nothing moved. No decisions were made and status quo was the status quo. So being at the 150% pace, I began ending each memo with the phrase GO!GO!GO! Shortly thereafter, I was elected the President of a Professional Society and I too found the status quo was the status quo. So, I began ending each professional society memo with the phrase GO!GO!GO!  

To my surprise, some people did not understand GO!GO!GO! and so I began communicating my meaning of GO!GO!GO! as follows:

1. I know you are a smart person dedicated to continuous improvement. 

2. I fully trust your judgment to make something happen as you will either do something wrong and learn from it, or do something right and we will improve.

3.  Therefore, DO SOMETHING NOW. 

I left the University and started a consulting firm – an organization in which my team really understood GO!GO!GO!  Kinda interesting that I did not need to explain GO!GO!GO! to folks working at an entrepreneurial startup. But then I started coaching baseball. Other coach's and parents yelling, “Don't Strike Out" as the 6-year-old stepped into the batter’s box. WOW!  What a message. "Don't strike out" is the worst thing you can say to a kid stepping into a batter’s box. It actually will contribute to the kid striking out. 

So, I adopted a different message and began yelling over the other coaches and parents "Run hard". What does "Run Hard" mean:

1. I know you are a good ball player and you want to get on base.

2. I fully trust your skill on hitting the ball and I believe if you take three good swings you will hit the ball at least once in fair territory.

3. Therefore, RUN HARD on your way to first. 

I guess we could have called this blog "Run Hard with Jim Tompkins" but thought that since I use GO!GO!GO! many times every day and "Run Hard" now only when watching the grandchildren play that "GO!GO!GO!" was more on target.  Can't wait for my next blog update on Thursday when I plan to tell you about the economy in this very trying year. In the meantime, please post a comment and let me know what topics are on your minds these days. I would really like to hear from you.  

Oh and don’t forget: GO!GO!GO! Best,

Jim