The Advisor’s Corner

Control and Growth Are Mutually Exclusive

December 6, 2021/in Nuggets and Encouragement Regarding Strategy and Focus/by Tom Doescher

Wow, that’s a pretty strong statement!

I recently listened to a presentation by Craig Groeschel, whom I’ve quoted before. He is the senior pastor of a very unique megachurch and is a Level 5 Leader, to use one of author Jim Collins’ terms. Groeschel actually coined an acronym that he believes is the essence of what Olympic leaders embrace: PUC (pain, uncertainty, chaos).

In the talk, Groeschel suggested three rhetorical questions for leaders who want their organizations to grow:

1. What do you “control” that you need to let go of?

2. What risk/s do you need to take?

3. What painful decision/s have you been avoiding that it’s time to make?

He also offered these powerful observations:

• The best leaders don’t obsess about controlling outcomes. The best leaders obsess about empowering their leaders.

• When things are uncertain, what’s most important becomes clear.

• Great leaders plan for unexpected opportunities. (Editorial comment: Jim Collins would say great leaders recognize and seize “luck” events.)

• The cost of inaction is always greater than the cost of a mistake.

• No organization ever achieved greatness by playing it safe.

• The difference between where you are and where you could be is often the painful decision you’re unwilling/reluctant to make.

So, do you really want your company to grow?

Loneliness

November 8, 2021/in Ideas to help you build a solid team/by Tom Doescher

Dr. Vivek Murthy, M.D., the nation’s 19th surgeon general, identified “loneliness” as one of the most significant health issues in America in his book, Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World. And this was before COVID, which has only made the situation worse.

I just finished reading Courage to Connect: Stories that create meaningful connection in your life, by Mark Ostach. It’s a fun, quick read. I would describe the first half of Courage to Connect as a “how to” manual that nicely supplements the academic writings of Dr. Murthy. Each chapter is a stand-alone personal story furnishing actionable ideas to battle loneliness. At the end of each chapter, there are some rhetorical questions and space where you can jot down some personal goals. Ostach is very transparent about his own failures and shortcomings, is very encouraging, and gives you hope. I would suggest reading one story every morning for a few weeks.

The second half of Courage to Connect is specifically focused on digital wellness. Both Dr. Murthy and Ostach believe all our digital methods of communication — including social media — have made a significant contribution to our loneliness. Ostach introduces us to a new word, “nomophobia” — the fear of being without a mobile device or beyond mobile phone contact. Here’s just one very sad statistic: 34 percent of respondents to a statistically valid recent poll admitted to answering their cell phone during intimacy with their partner. Really?

Ostach is very transparent in sharing his own struggles with the digital world. He offers some really practical — but, for many of us, challenging — tips. The second half of the book is a 30-page quick read. My suggestion would be to read all 30 pages (it probably will take a half hour) monthly for one year.

The absolute treasure in Courage to Connect is near the end of the book, under Available Resources. Here’s a link to his website: https://markostach.com/gratitude-notebook/. Especially following months of being Covided (another Doescherism), this wonderful little 14-day gratitude journal is exactly what most of us need. If you’re thinking about sharing this gem company-wide, I’d encourage you to order the journal printed in your company colors, with your logo on the back cover. You could give it to your team as part of a message from you. If appropriate, you may want to consider giving a copy to your major clients/customers, as well.

Cybersecurity Awareness Month

October 25, 2021/in Nuggets and Encouragement Regarding Strategy and Focus/by Tom Doescher

Tom Doescher

I am very fortunate to have Aaron Hamp, owner of I.N.C. Systems in my business owners luncheon group. About once a quarter, he shares some horror stories about companies that have been breached by the “bad guys” and the related ransomware & other costs they incur. In light of October being Cybersecurity Awareness Month, I asked him to provide some thoughts for my readers. Here are four suggestions from Aaron:

If you don’t have an in-house IT department, make sure to work with an organization that is experienced in supporting similar businesses and has a team of people available to support your organization. When things go wrong, as they do with technology, you will want professionals who are accessible – when you need them most! Such a company stays engaged in current security trends and pushes to be one step ahead.
Security awareness training for your staff… Your people are the last line of defense, so there should be some effort and resources invested into training them on safer online behaviors. These lessons not only help keep the company information safer, they provide your team members with tips to protect their own personal online data. I like to say that we can have the security of Fort Knox, but if someone lets the “bad guy” in the back door, it is all for naught.
Have a disaster recovery plan in writing… Let’s face it, technology will fail you at some point, so have a plan if there are circumstances that can severely impact your company. Talk through the “what if” situations and make sure you are prepared with a plan in place. Fire, flood, tornado, ransomware, data corruption are a few threats to consider.
Get the appropriate cyber security insurance coverage… Ransomware is so prevalent these days, everyone has heard a story about a business that was impacted by this type of computer extortion scheme. And some businesses don’t have the right coverage to protect them. Make sure your insurance agent is up to date with the latest threats and periodically reviews your cyber risks.

Thank you Aaron for these practical suggestions.

Control and Growth Are Mutually Exclusive

Loneliness

Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Tom Doescher

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