The Lure of Three

Being an alumnus of the University of Arizona, I am by default passionate about college basketball. We had a fantastic ride under the great coaching of Lute Olson. With Lute leaving we have moved on to Sean Miller and he had an amazing year with the team, leading them to a part of March Madness and all that attention that comes with making it to the Elite Eight.

Our last game was against Connecticut.  We started out guns a blazing. I was very excited to see us take such a command of the game. And then a shift in energy happened and we lost our lead. After the halftime we came out with a renewed focus. The energy was back on our side and as the game was coming to the end it was looking really good for Arizona. But then it happened, as the clock counted down we got more and more caught up in scoring the three pointer. And as we headed into the last minute it was our demise, in my opinion.

Since the game I have thought a lot about those last twenty seconds. I wonder why the team could not see the value in going for the two pointer and taking it to overtime? Instead it was a repeated attempt to go for the win with the three point option which ultimate left them the loser by 2 points. I understand there was no guarantee we would have won in OT. And maybe the team was just too tired to take it OT. But Butler had just succeeded previously in OT and I thought for sure we could do it.

It makes me wonder if I do this in my own life?  Do I tend to go for the quicker win versus taking the longer safer road that might still result in a loss? I know that is definitely true when it comes to diet and exercise. Everything you read tells you consistency is key – slow and steady does win out. But I have a hard time with that and always tend to overdo it and end up sore or hurt.

Do we do this at work? I am sure I have. Maybe it is just part of the human spirit to want to take the risk and go for the three pointer versus the safer two points? Or is it an American thing? We want to win and win big. It is a great story to win with the three pointer in the last second, instead of in OT. So what is your risk taking style – do you go for two or are your lured by the three pointer?

Why We Need to Put Our Kids FIRST

Watch this years challenge - Logomation:

Last year I blogged about my opinions shared in an editorial for PD&D Magazine on FIRST read here

This year I am proud to once again be a sponsor of the FIRST Robotics Competition. As a supplier we donate to the kit of parts for all teams at the silver level. Locally we are very proud to sponsor three high school teams:

• Cal High Robotics Club
• De La Salle Robotics 
• Middle College High School

This year's game is tough and I continue to be amazed at how smart and creative these kids are, when challenged. We should not need programs like FIRST in order to engage and grow our kids. Thank god it does exist due to all the corporate supporters who see the need for more STEM education. 

In a recent online article by Thomas Claburn , of  InformationWeek  on January 11, 2011 he writes, "At the recent 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the CEOs of GE, Cisco Systems, and Xerox worried that America's K-12 education system was failing to prepare students for the demands of the technology industry." 

In reaction to this Google has now launched on online Science Fair for full time students between the ages of 13-18 with a computer and an internet connection. I can't wait to see what creative ideas come out of this competition.

As for FIRST, the teams are in full design and build mode. Stay tuned to our YouTube channel to watch videos of the teams as their robots get built. Watch Here

"The Power Has Shifted" - Part 2

A good visual explanation of the shift in power to the customer. To read part 1 click here

The Power Has Shifted

I just finished reading “More consumer manufacturers selling online, competing with retailers” by Barry Shlachter. (Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/12/28/2731510/more-consumer-manufacturers-selling.html#ixzz1A72OsI1F) The article raises several good points about the shifting relationships between manufacturers and retailers. In my industry the same is true between manufacturers and distributors. The article states "The primary driver for all this is a more educated and informed shopper, who is getting more information through more channels," said Eric Best, CEO of Mercent, which offers online marketing technology and services. Best goes on to say "Manufacturers realize they can increase their margin, establish a more direct relationship with consumers and also be in a position where they're forced to reconcile the changing customer behavior with Facebook, Twitter and also mobile devices as points of engagement with their customers..."

I think the article missed the boat in focusing on who has the power – the manufacturer or the retailer. What is buried in the quote above is the obvious answer – neither. Now more than ever it is the customer. The internet has allowed our customers to source our products by whatever means they want.

Our customers now have the technology to interact with us as they want. They dictate the buying process. I get frustrated listening to circular arguments about who sold what to what customer. The bottom line is that the choice cannot really be controlled by either side anymore. The customer drives the choice. If we create barriers to purchase, getting information, engineering support, etc. the customer can find alternatives. The internet is full of businesses that make it easy to do business with them and are willing to play on the customer’s terms. And it is only a search term away on Google. And a computer is no longer even required; any smart phone can do this now as well. 

That is what I love about the explosion of social media. It is interactive. It is not really controllable, so you learn the good and the bad. You get feedback on a constant, real-time basis from your customers. It allows you one more channel for building relationships and providing the information and feedback channels in a method your customers want, need and may prefer.

Relationships between manufacturers and retailers/distributors need to focus on the customer, and servicing the customer’s needs. When that truly becomes the goal, it will be a win-win for all.

2010 - A Golden Year for BWC

To the Chinese, 2010 was the Golden Tiger Year. It is a sign of courage. This fearless and fiery fighter is revered by the ancient Chinese as the sign that wards off the three main disasters of a household: fire, thieves and ghosts.

For my company, 2010 warded off the disaster of 2009.  We started off strong and only improved with five record setting months of sales revenue. It has been a drastic change of realities -  going from the silence of 2009 (a manufacturing floor that is silent is not a natural state) to the bustle and production of opportunities we saw coming through our plant in 2010.

I look back at this year and I am thankful for so much. Here are my top ten highlights:

1.       I am so thankful for the team of people we have at BWC. Last year we all came together to ride out the storm while this year, though not all smooth sailing, was a year of amazing achievements. When you are a family company, years like 2009 are very personal. We all come together and share the pain. But the positive swing we felt in 2010 allowed us to share in all the gains from our growth.

2.       Our growth this year allowed us to bring back an employee from layoff and do several internal promotions. I love being able to promote from within the company and provide employees opportunities for growth and the acquisition of new skill sets. The new employees that we have added to our team have been fabulous additions, bringing new ideas and skill sets.

3.       Drinking the LEAN and Continuous Improvement cool aid. Yes it is like a religion, and used correctly it can guide you to amazing results. While we are still at the start of our journey, the benefits we reaped this year by having these processes and procedures in place was critical to our success.

4.       The growing comfort with making mistakes. I see my team more willing to take chances with less fear of failure as we come to understand that with failure comes new knowledge and possibly new opportunities.

5.       Bishop-Wisecarver became a Bay Area Certified Green business, making our customer’s and community aware that we care about our environment. We will continue to revise and create work practices that support this initiative.

6.       Adoption of social media. Our focused efforts on social media have created measurable results. Our presence on Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Blogger, Vimeo etc. has generated increased exposure, driven traffic to our website and created leads for our company. It’s an exciting new frontier for marketing and well suited to the culture of a family business.

7.       The deepening of relationships with our customers. The last several years have helped us learn how to become a better partner for our customers. We revel when we are able to deliver a solution no one else can create. It is really exciting to help companies design solutions that give them superior performance and product differentiation.

8.       The creation of innovative, turnkey solutions to be launched in 2011.

9.       Bishop-Wisecarver became woman-owned. I am really proud to be a manufacturer. I am extremely passionate about manufacturing and the role it plays in the American economy. My efforts with the California Manufacturers and Technology Association (www.cmta.net) as well as the National Association of Manufacturers (www.nam.org) are my small contribution to try and keep manufacturing alive and relevant in our country and state. We must engage our kids (boys AND girls) in school. We need to give them opportunities to experience STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) with hands on experiences. Our support for FIRST will be increasing in 2011. (www.usfirst.org)

10.   Bishop-Wisecarver celebrated its 60^th Anniversary. I am very proud to be building upon the legacy started by my father.

We now look toward 2011 and the year of the rabbit. According to Chinese tradition, the Rabbit brings a year in which you can catch your breath and calm your nerves.  It is a time for negotiation.  Don't try to force issues, because if you do you will ultimately fail.  To gain the greatest benefits from a rabbit year, focus on home, family, security, diplomacy, and your relationships with women and children.   Make it a goal to create a safe, peaceful lifestyle, so you will be able to calmly deal with any problem that may arise.

May you all enjoy a wonderful holiday season with your friends and family.  My wish for the world is that 2011 is a year of security and diplomacy and that we can all enjoy prosperous and peaceful lifestyles.

What If?

I recently attended the Power Transmission Distributor Association (PTDA) Summit in Phoenix, Arizona (www.ptda.org). There I had the pleasure of hearing Mike Rayburn speak as a keynote speaker (www.mikerayburn.com).The title of Mikes’ address was “What If and Why Not?” Mike is an amazingly talented musician who uses music and comedy to get across some really big ideas. In this day and age we all want to be innovative. We all want to differentiate our products or services. We are all looking for value-add and a way to deepen our relationship with our customers. But we tend to get caught up on how to do it. Because usually truly achieving any of these goals requires a huge shift in thinking and/or behaviors. It means learning a new process or skill; defining a new technology or way of thinking. And that gets a bit scary and risky. But Mike pushes back and says why not just break it down into smaller parts and ask – What if or Why Not?

Mike stressed the importance of starting on the path to the goal. Don’t worry about having everything mapped out and solved. Interestingly enough that has been a theme I have heard recently from several people.  Mike says that often you just have to set your course and start moving and interestingly enough the solutions and resources will start coming to you. Deepak Chopra taught us the same thing in the “Soul of Leadership” class I took at Kellogg School of Management.  Deepak said we need to learn to trust the universe; that when you put big ideas out there, and you start to gain awareness, the universe will start to deliver the solution (http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/execed/Programs/SOUL.aspx). Just last month in my WPO Platinum meeting our facilitator Chris McGoff, Founder & CEO of The Clearing stressed the use of primes in creating strategic vision for our companies. One prime we learned was “Trust the Universe”. A concept that if we set our sights on what we have the know-how to achieve we tend to limit our vision and constrain our future. Visionary leaders make declarations about the future trusting that what is needed to fulfill the vision will emerge as they step out and take action (www.theclearing.com).

We are all looking at big changes within our industries and companies. The last year has created the need for new thinking. I think I am finally starting to realize that I don’t have to all the answers. I just have to be committed to the vision and taking the journey. So the next time I feel stumped by a problem I am going to pour myself a nice glass of Peju Estate Cabernet Franc Reserve and ask “What if and Why Not?” and trust in the journey that will follow.

I Want to Finger Paint!

Last week I was back at the Mayo Clinic with my Dad in Rochester MN. It was a really amazing experience. I was so impressed with their business model for interacting with their patients. The care that we received was so thorough and definitely world-class from every aspect. I even got my own experience as a patient when I started having symptoms of a detached retina. Luckily that was not the case. But I did walk away from the Mayo Clinic with a few mottos. You realize that there are many sick people in the world, and at an institution like the Mayo you see many that are at the end of their lives. It is a very sobering experience. So I realized two things – very profoundly. One – Use it while you have it! I sat there watching so many people that can no longer lead full and active lives. I have the ability yet, don’t always schedule time enough for me to allow myself to stay fit and healthy; time to go do fun and active things I want to do right now. And second – Be grateful every single day. Every day you are healthy is a day to be thankful and to show gratitude. It is amazing how fleeting your health can be. While I was waiting to be checked for my eye, I had to come to terms that I may within a period of hours no longer have sight in one of my eyes. Luckily that was not the case, but gosh it was a wakeup call.

From Rochester I flew on to Vancouver B.C. where I am a student in the Strategic Coach® program. (www.strategiccoach.com). Strategic Coach is an organization run by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs use the Program’s concepts and tools to create greater success and freedom for themselves, and more value and satisfaction for their clientele. I have been in the program for 6 years now and I just love the perspective shift I get each quarter during my daylong session. The last class introduced us to a tool named “Absolutely Unacceptable Regrets”. It was such a synergistic event coming from my Mayo Clinic experience. In this exercise you look back at your life from the perspective that you are about to die. What would be your largest regrets? It is an eye-opening and sobering thought process. I must admit that the room got really quiet during this exercise. Once again I realized that I really have to put myself and my health at the top of my priorities. At Mayo, my Dad had complained about being old (he is 82), to which the doctor responded that really nowadays old is when you are over 100. I had to get really honest with myself that if I want to live to be old (my goal is 115), I have to get in shape now, and use it while I have it and be thankful that I can!

Since my class this whole concept has been bouncing about in my brain. What other regrets do I have? And then it hit me. Finger painting! I absolutely loved finger painting as a kid. I can’t explain the joy and freedom I felt when I was able to finger paint. It is such a primal feeling, having your fingers in the paint. I think that is one reason I love to bake. I love having my fingers in the dough. But I guess I was in the era of budget cuts and finger paints and the special paper needed was probably too expensive, so it was phased out. I can remember that I yearned for the opportunity to finger paint throughout elementary school.

 So… have no regrets and take advantage of what life throws you. And on that note, I think I may just go out and buy some finger painting supplies!