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