It Comes Down to Role Models

My father-in-law, an 89-year-old WWII Veteran has his own outlook in life that we could all study and learn from. He loves attending my 11-year olds son Dante’s flag football games. This past Saturday’s game was a blowout, and Dante’s team won 32 to 6; Grand Dad could not be more proud, cheering Dante on from the coaches’ box the entire game, analyzing the plays when they ended well, and especially analyzing the plays when they did not end as planned. That day the team had three coaches pacing back and forth…

The teams coaches all come over to greet Grand Dad wearing his USS Massachusetts’ Battleship Navy blue hat. He said to one of the coaches that the kids learn a great deal from you, the coach responded I learn just as much from them. My father-in-law has always been a positive role model, promoting family, honor, country over oneself. He said to me when the coach walked away, that he is an astute fellow. He is right; the role model quality of life comes in many forms; we learn from teaching, coaching, and all mentoring initiatives. The learning that returns from the child provides much more encouragement to the adult; perhaps sometimes we take this understanding for granted.

Our humanity is a perpetual learning phenomenon… What we learn we live by, and we share experiences from womb-to-the-tomb. These shared experiences keep all of us consistently anchored in our precious and delicate humanity.  Dr. Pietro Savo

My father-in-law was on the shakedown cruise for the USS Massachusetts in 1942; to this day, he still knows every inch of that mighty battleship. After the flag football game, we celebrated at McDonalds. This old war veteran receives a great deal of joy from watching his grandson, and with a handful of tag along friends treated for the victory, with chicken nuggets, hamburgers, fries and cokes. Along with the many priceless conversations between the 11-year olds and an 89-year old war hero that ensued. Undoubtedly, it comes down to role models, we learn, we live, and we are much better off because of role models!

by AMERICAN WRITER Dr. Pietro Savo Tradition Books Publication © 2011

Manufacturing Research Practitioner ™ by Dr. Pietro Savo

Read, write, and question everything!Our voices are powerful and true!

Dr. Pietro Savo E-Mail Link blog@americanwriter.us

Consumers + Living People = More Jobs…

The current economic situation creates tremendous uncertainty that affects virtually all firms regardless what you do for a living. Perhaps the simple strategy for making good paying jobs is reducing business taxes, and the government must stop spending money they do not have. This strategy will stimulate everything from job’s creation to people spending money for other things besides sustaining life.

Where I see job growth. The high job growth companies tend to be more mature firms. On average, they are 25 years old. With less than 3% of new companies born in the preceding four-years is a problem we need to overcome (Tozzi, 2011). Unfortunately, economic sustainability and growth depends on a greater number of new firms testing the waters, in my opinion; this number should be in the 6% to 10% range. Having money to innovate and start new companies depends on putting money back into the economy, our government can help by reducing business taxes, and stop spending money they do not have; I know I repeated myself; “it’s an important point.” If this happened firms would stop hoarding money and investing more.

I believe the business sectors that will see growth in any industry where products and services can be sold in two places at the same time, such as internally in the US, or exported outside the US. To encourage fast economic growth, there must be a balance between internal and export consumers. Firms that make products and provide services must define their processes that encourage, smart capabilities and best practices to ensure business success. The focus of the organization’s leaders is to develop new leaders through early involvement of continuous improvement engineering teams. This means that leaders need to define practices that encourage people to learn, share ideas, and achieve their greatest potential. 

People in a firm are not tools of management or the firm’s ownership or stockholders.  These people represent the success pieces that make a company a living entity. A living breathing entity is vibrant, spontaneous, adaptive, and has no limits. Whatever a living person can think about, a living person can master and drive levels of success that can be duplicated, success that can be duplicated is sustainable success. Equally important is for these firms to develop training programs that internally create career paths that cultivate and grow its own qualified workforce.

My personal thoughts there will always be enough consumers as long as people are breathing. In the US, we are 300 million strong with a thirst, hunger for stuff regardless if we need it or not. Our role in society is to become the catering service to these people by being innovative, and challenging; with the first focus for keeping people breathing, and second focus on satisfying their desires for other stuff, imagine the possibilities.

Consumers +Living People = More Jobs… “Imagine The Possibilities”

References
Tozzi, J. (2011). Where Job Growth Comes. Bloomberg Businessweek, The New Entrepreneur, October 25, 2011

Inspiration for this Blog entry came from Career College Central | LinkedIn

by AMERICAN WRITER Dr. Pietro Savo Tradition Books Publication © 2011

Manufacturing Research Practitioner ™ by Dr. Pietro Savo

Read, write, and question everything!Our voices are powerful and true!

Dr. Pietro Savo E-Mail Link blog@americanwriter.us

The Internet, LinkedIn, and Social Media are all fantastic tools for Networking

Very smart people have discovered methods to best utilize the Internet for sharing information, bridging across all cultural boundaries, and building relationships (Network) anywhere in the planet at the speed of electrons. Yet, there are people in our modern society that have managed to use this technology without limits, as I believe it was intended for, and then others who find some of its unlimited power annoying. With the same vigor or imagination who have learned to exploit the Internet, those that are annoyed, have selected a word to describe someone who perhaps goes too far, perhaps is over zealous, or perhaps simply enjoys exercising the full power of such an electronic Social Media. This person is now forever labeled a troll. I try to search for the positive in every word, but the word troll just seems to be a less positive word?

Today, I was bombarded by about 35 annoying electronic media requests (e-mails), this must have been a troll. However, from this experience, I found myself amused, surprised, inspired, less annoyed them some, yet I value the new relationships that emerged. Overall electrons well spent! My definition of troll, please quote me if you use this in the future; a troll is someone who has found a way to ignore all limits, and drive the positive in all directions to a prosperous finish line. Who are we kidding we spend hours using the Internet’s infinite Social Media to hopefully get in front of the right audience so to make money?

For now, I am here to share information, bridge across all cultural boundaries, build relationships (Network) anywhere in the planet at the speed of electrons, and leave the world better than I found it, when I am done with it. Occasionally, I will be annoying, I hope so it is a honest indicator I’m still alive! Think about that! Self is influenced by rediscovery; the natural by-product becomes amazing possibilities, resulting in sustainable success! Dr. Pete

by AMERICAN WRITER Dr. Pietro Savo Tradition Books Publication © 2011

Manufacturing Research Practitioner ™ by Dr. Pietro Savo

Read, write, and question everything!Our voices are powerful and true!

Dr. Pietro Savo E-Mail Link blog@americanwriter.us

“Communications equals (=) relationships” We are all in sales…

“We find ourselves engaged in the possible when; the possible represents the streamline approaches to encouraging others to achieve their highest potential.”

Business monetization activity is relationship based.

Winning new business or sustaining existing business is directly related to urgency. Understanding the urgency in the eyes of your customer can yield you greater business opportunities. An area that is often difficult to nail down because we are focused on the ultimate goal of higher sales, we lose sight of a tactical part of being in business, making a respectful profit. For that reason revenue must match reality of making profit not making sales.

Final thoughts, a sale revolves around:

1. Relationships, use Social Media to build upon face-to-face relationship is better, because the human attention span is short, this is a human factors resource element. You can have a face-to-face relationship with someone across the planet, with someone you have not met. Social Media is a form of limitless digital face-to-face, such Powerful Stuff!

2. Urgency, in the customers mind “Think Customer’s Pain Reduction.”

3. Providing credible services by staying in your core business to drive positive customer perceptions and relationships.

“Successful marketing is a twofold experience, the First is colorful theatrics, and the Second is results!”  & remember “We are all in sales…”

by AMERICAN WRITER Dr. Pietro Savo Tradition Books Publication © 2011

Manufacturing Research Practitioner ™ by Dr. Pietro Savo

Read, write, and question everything!Our voices are powerful and true!

Dr. Pietro Savo E-Mail Link blog@americanwriter.us

engaged in the possible

My personal philosophy is simple; always be a positive influence with every person you meet!

We find ourselves engaged in the possible when; the possible represents the streamline approaches to encouraging others to achieve their highest potential. We do occasionally find ourselves near people absorbed in the impossible. From the beginning of human existence, the impossible has driven us from the caves, to explore the world. The unknown has become the ultimate symbol representing the impossible quest to achieving the very possible. For the very possible depends on achievements motivated by a positive attitude. From such an attitude emerged the Six Rules of Success, this humble writer share these rules freely with you, with the hope you will share these simple rules with every person you meet!

 Six Rules of Success

1: Commitment is your bond…

2: Leave nothing to chance or guessing…

3: Wake up every day and say something positive to a minimum of six people…

4: Honesty over Bull…

5: Success is everyone’s privilege…

6: Share success, don’t be selfish, plenty of success out there for everyone…

——————————————————————————–

Study people and you will notice a trend. Successful people are spontaneous, and they do not give success a choice. All-and-all successful people drive success to levels that are not imaginable; the impossible become their personal very possible. So study successful people and watch the wonders around them radiate. The six rules of success are achievable, livable and for all to learn. Master them and watch the possible happen, all around you. The natural by-product becomes your successes, and the lifetime of inspiring moments to follow…

by AMERICAN WRITER Dr. Pietro Savo Tradition Books Publication © 2011

Manufacturing Research Practitioner ™ by Dr. Pietro Savo

Read, write, and question everything!Our voices are powerful and true!

Dr. Pietro Savo E-Mail Link blog@americanwriter.us

Everyone knows your name! “An American Small Town”

The American small town, there is a place in Michigan called Harbor Beach. A town well worth a Google, a small-town where people are excited about their community, where people still take the time to know their neighbors. Harbor Beach is an American small town where everyone knows your name. Many years ago while working in Harbor Beach, I bought a small house there located on the eastern shore of Lake Huron in Michigan’s thumb. Harbor Beach known as the world’s greatest man-made harbor port. With every house comes needed repairs, and I needed some white painters caulking to seal the storm windows. The following day while having lunch at Al’s Restaurant on Huron Avenue, the waitress asked me if I was the new fellow? You are Pete she said, who bought the tube of caulking at Miller’s Hardware on the corner of Huron and State, right?

 Small town, common story, everyone knows your new in town, and everyone knows your name. Al’s Restaurant has the best banana cream pie on the planet. I would often buy the entire pie; banana cream pie is excellent for breakfast, lunch or dinner, let us not forget the late-night snacks. Harbor beach is a place where people notice change, and especially a new face. Harbor Beach is also known for its soy sauce factory, and I tell you the first time you smelled it, you know you have arrived somewhere special. When the winds are blowing just in the right direction towards you, it brings tears to your eyes. Literally wake you from a sound sleep, brings tears and feelings of “what the heck is that smell?” To this writer, this represents the smell of money. The soy sauce factory in Harbor Beach represents good-paying jobs for Michigan’s citizens. Soy sauce is now my less-than-favorite condiment. Today, I have a better understanding of the importance of that strong smell of money, when the winds are luckily blowing in just the right direction.

The smell is a reminder that people are working and being paid. The moral of the story is, “bring a soy sauce factory to your hometown and make jobs for Americans.” You will discover your hometown getting back to a better place of “everyone knowing your name,” a true bittersweet smell of success! A smell of success inspired by the unpredictable breezes of Lake Huron, one day at a time!

by AMERICAN WRITER Dr. Pietro Savo Tradition Books Publication © 2011

Manufacturing Research Practitioner ™ by Dr. Pietro Savo

Read, write, and question everything!Our voices are powerful and true!

Dr. Pietro Savo E-Mail Link blog@americanwriter.us

The Sound of Freedom

The military community represents the true measure of our nation’s freedom. A few weeks ago, my work landed me in Virginia Beach. Just about every five or ten minutes or so a F/A-18E/F Super Hornet would fly by. The sound of pure power speeding by at such an impressive level, and its engines’ roaring lingered, and the jet did not, truly an inspiring sight and sound. The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is a twin-engine carrier-based multirole fighter aircraft, designed and initially produced by McDonnell Douglas, and the Super Hornet first flew in 1995.

While having lunch at one of the many Virginia Beach restaurants, a Super Hornet flew by the sound vibrating through the entire restaurant. The waiter explained to me, “that is the sound of freedom!” As a young sailor 30 years ago while stationed at NAS Oceana, and living in barracks #530 which was parallel with runways 5 & 23. I can remember waking up from a sound sleep from the ear piercing sounds of the powerful Grumman F-14 Tomcat taking off with full afterburners deployed. The barracks #530 would shake. I remember jumping up to look out the window and the bright flames lighting up the night sky while the afterburners lunged the aircraft swiftly into the flight. The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft designed to kill those who would dare to try to take away our freedom.

The waiter’s comment “that is the sound of freedom,” I never quite thought of it that way before, every five or ten minutes the ‘sound of freedom” would fly overhead, roaring jet engines piloted by a patriot protecting our freedoms for another day, and another safe lunch. The sound of freedom guaranteeing that you have the right to question, complain about your government, the right not to agree with me, and the right to have an expensive mocha latte anytime you dam please.

Freedom guaranteed by warriors flying overhead; leaving behind the sound of freedom. Enabling a calmness that your freedoms are protected by volunteer military communities that represent less than 1% of our nation’s entire population. Imagine that less than 1% is protecting 300 million residence without hesitation 24/7 and 365 days a year. Clearly, the sound of freedom is a reminder to this old sailor who memories past, enlighten today with the knowledge that our nation’s freedom is not free. Freedom to believe, freedom to go outside your house, the freedom to visit a place as beautiful as Virginia Beach is a gift from less than 1% of our nation’s population. A population of patriots eagerly willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to ensure your freedom is uninterrupted. Because of the unselfish patriots, freedom continues and freedom nourishes our lives thanks to our military community.

by AMERICAN WRITER Dr. Pietro Savo Tradition Books Publication © 2011

Manufacturing Research Practitioner ™ by Dr. Pietro Savo

Read, write, and question everything!Our voices are powerful and true!

Dr. Pietro Savo E-Mail Link blog@americanwriter.us

Online Education the Modern-day Holy Grail (The Next Gold Rush)

The online education phenomena of the 21st Century and the future of higher education today is achieving technological digital presence equal to the quest for the Holy Grail itself. We are witnessing educational success from revitalized higher academic practices.

The modern-day Holy Grail is the digital age where the academic industry is no longer limited by physical location or by time. This newly found Holy Grail, fueled by the limitless power of the human mind mastering technology’s gift for delivering education at the speed of light.

The online education change is witnessing significant business growth and many institutions of higher education are rushing to add online content. Higher education’s financial business profit counters (the money people) can see the huge amounts of efficient money resulting from the modern-day Holy Grail (the next gold rush); and they want more. The desire for greater profits drives academic change, regardless of the old academic brick and mortar mindset! Academics tasked with delivering online programs that do not reduce the quality of education nor diminish the institutions’ reputation; the success rates are very high, and making a great deal of efficient money contributes positively to the motivation to implement quickly!Online education is cost-effective, because you can add an infinite number of students without having to build expensive classrooms or dorms.

Today’s universities and colleges are rushing to become, the digital online community, a community limited by only imagination. Online schools are enjoying the benefits of the modern-day Holy Grail in the form of large profits, and endless reach of smart students worldwide, an academic growth never-ending and far reaching, and yes we are witnessing the next gold rush! 

by AMERICAN WRITER Dr. Pietro Savo Tradition Books Publication © 2011

Manufacturing Research Practitioner ™ by Dr. Pietro Savo

Read, write, and question everything!Our voices are powerful and true!

Dr. Pietro Savo E-Mail Link blog@americanwriter.us

Good Night Irene

Ms. Hurricane Irene sent us plenty of rain, about 60 MPH winds measured here in New Hampshire, the lights flickered ½ dozen times. Our part of the state never lost power, although my married daughter who lives 12 miles from here, has not had power for three days, Mother Nature sure makes the rules. I had a generator ready, plenty of gasoline, plus the means to siphon the gasoline out of my kid’s cars. My thoughts, if the gasoline is on my property, I own the gasoline regardless who paid for it. Over all we had a relaxing Sunday Hurricane/Tropical storm. I believe the preparedness comes from my sailor training. What I find comical in a sad way is when I was in the Navy so many years ago; we were trained to stay inside the ship during hurricanes or tropical storms to keep from being swept overboard, out to sea, and becoming fish food. Watching the news reporters on the piers or near the ocean’s huge breaking waves, with the news reporters located out in the middle of the stormy weather wearing plastic bright colored rain gear that has no countermeasure for huge stormy unpredictable waves. The reporter’s notable actions, perceived as not too bright, and can be career ending with one unpredictable water weather event. Hurricanes or tropical storms qualify as unpredictable water weather events. Overall, Mother Nature makes the rules; and it’s our job to be thankful when she is nice to us, and to be prepared to duck when she is not… and stay away from bodies of oceans, rivers or flooding basements during unpredictable water weather events. Last week we had an earthquake, then a hurricane/ tropical storm; what is next? This New Hampshire resident is ready snow! Good Night Irene

by AMERICAN WRITER Dr. Pietro Savo Tradition Books Publication © 2011

Manufacturing Research Practitioner ™ by Dr. Pietro Savo

Read, write, and question everything!Our voices are powerful and true!

Dr. Pietro Savo E-Mail Link blog@americanwriter.us

Manufacturing Business Pyramid Effect

Many small manufacturing businesses today resemble what I call an upside-down pyramid. Can you envision such a pyramid attempting to balance on its point? What you have is an impossible balancing act of monumental proportions; near impossible regardless how much money you throw at it! Many manufacturing businesses today, reside in a world managed by tyrannical leadership, with no experienced balanced leadership approaches to speak of at all.

Businesses that grow without investing in a balanced leadership infrastructure result in one person making all the decisions. A manufacturing environment with one person making all the decisions is easy to spot. Walk around the business, you will see people standing around pretending to be busy. The difficult to balance, such as an upside-down pyramid can still work and lead to manufacturing business success. For example, a two to four million-dollar revenue manufacturing business with about 20 employees is manageable with one strong leader. The balancer is physically and emotionally unable to manage every key element of that business with efficiency, such as responding to the business’s needs in a timely manner. The huge “but” here; is this type of leader, does not make decisions based on sound business data? Instead, decisions strictly emotionally based using non-factual data. This is where the term “Pie in Sky” came from a one sided skewed reality. His or her leadership reality rules that day, lending to many looks of bewilderment from their employees.

Emotional base decision making instead of fact-based decision making, results in employees reacting to change by always seeing the glass being half-empty, instead of as being half full. The negative aspect becomes the governing force, the performance influencer promoting counterproductive morale. What you have is the same people standing around waiting for someone to make a decision, now gossiping as well. Gossip is the natural by-product of working inside a tyrannical manufacturing company. Gossip is just as destructive as a tyrannical leader.

The solution is very simple, develop, and implement an evenly balanced business, by allowing your employees to help you do it. Occasionally, you will end up where you don’t want to be, that is acceptable as long as the new business direction results in some sort of positive balanced between business performance and leadership growth. Tyrannical leadership practices can end, by encouraging others to lead; make decisions, and yes occasionally these new people now involved in the decision process, can make mistakes. Mistakes are a positive aspect of change, when you learn from mistakes, and embrace mistakes as gained knowledge, you can now share them with others. The future is looking brighter; the manufacturing leadership business fix has a few essential parts called the Smart-Process:

1. The smart-process begins with a comprehensive assessment of the business in the current state, exposing its strengths, and exposing its weaknesses. During the assessment phase, the weaknesses of what is perceived to be problems are studied, and targeted, for elimination.
2. The next component is the change moment, the business as a whole accepts that it must change. The change phase is the cultural aspect of the processes that are going through a makeover of transforming a business from weakness to strength. In the mind of the employees, the change quickly becomes part of the solution.
3. Next, make sure you have realistic, honest measuring systems in place to determine if the changes are actually creating value for the business, improving that business, and creating sustainable satisfaction for both internal and external customers.
4. Finally, the full circle, share the leadership responsibilities, invest in many balanced leadership talents; “Leader’s number one responsibility is to make other leaders.” Having many leaders forces the pyramid to stop balancing on its pinnacle, and landing on a pyramid’s widest base, its foundation of strength. For that, reason pyramids can remain standing for eons of time, regardless where they are built.

If a business’s desires to stay in business, this business cannot reside in a world managed by tyrannical leadership, with no balanced leadership approaches to speak of at all. Team based leadership is adaptive, responsive to business market changes; and this team base ability is mandatory for manufacturing survival today.

by AMERICAN WRITER Dr. Pietro Savo Tradition Books Publication © 2011

Manufacturing Research Practitioner ™ by Dr. Pietro Savo

Read, write, and question everything!Our voices are powerful and true!

Dr. Pietro Savo E-Mail Link blog@americanwriter.us