Water Cooler Conversations

Written by Pat Perry
President, ERC 

Well this is it…one more week…

It’s time to sift our way through the rhetoric and focus on some really important characteristics of the Presidential candidates.  Personally I am hopeful that the next President has the ability to be:

An Inspirational Leader – Elevate more citizens to commit to a better quality of life and a better
America.

A Fix it man – Repair the domestic and foreign damage caused by the current administration that has left our country internally polarized and externally ostracized.

An Honest “Abe” – For the first time in my lifetime, I want our next President to look us straight in the eye and tell us the truth.  We can handle it – especially the bad news.

Credible – I want to believe the President.

A Talent Manager – The President needs to surround himself with great, intelligent people who can help our country get back to the fundamentals of success.

As I sit back and think about this critical election, it is not about experience, race, religion, running mates or any of the other stuff being shoved in our face.  It’s about ability.  Who has the ability to represent us, to lead us and to inspire us? 

There is nothing more important next Tuesday than your vote.  We are willing to wait an hour to be seated at a restaurant, stand in line for a roller coaster ride and stand in lines for opening day tickets.  I hope we are all willing to stand in line for an opportunity to make a difference.

We have tremendous power next week…let’s use it.

Written by Pat Perry
President, ERC 

Over the past few years it has become striking to me the incredible amount of duplication of business services, products and web sites in American business.   We have gone from 33 flavors to vanilla in about 10 years.  

Seems like organizations that take the risks and pioneer new ideas, products and services are often copied.  Some might say that copying is the highest form of flattery.   I say poop to that.

Today, organizations that take the easy route and copy others differentiate themselves with marketing versus products/services.

Since when has it become stylish to follow the leaders?  It used to be that some organizations looked for best practices and then spent time, energy and research on going a step beyond the competition.  Apparently in these challenging economic times we have become a risk adverse business community where staying close to innovators is in vogue.

Maybe it’s not the times at all.  Perhaps it is some of my fellow baby-boomers who quit taking chances as they see the dawn of retirement glimmering off in the horizon.  I hope not, for if that is true, these members of my generation are blowing the race before the finish line. 

I see company after company content to “trade” clients with competitors…lose one/gain one appears to be the mantra of the day.  A look back on business success for these organizations will reveal time spent walking in circles.  And, the circle is shrinking thanks to regionalization, globalization and technology.

On the other hand, there are some shining stars out there - caring less about the competition and focusing their energies on their existing customers.  They listen to their clients, go back to the drawing board and then come back with innovative products, services and solutions.  These are the organizations that are rocking and moving their organization and Northeast Ohio forward.

They are the organizations we read about, hear about and where legendary performance is being played out right in front of our eyes.  Instead of copying the great ones, let’s get inspired by them.  They create jobs, new ideas and are making a difference.  Oh yea, they are also making a boat load of cash.

Hats off to the innovators in town - you are truly history in the making.

Written by Pat Perry
President, ERC 

Well here we go…the politicians are at it again.  The mud- slinging amongst the Presidential candidates has started coincident with the need for Primary votes.

The campaigns are straying away from the issues at hand and becoming personal.  Unfortunately, this is nothing new.

Can you imagine behaving like this at work?  The name calling, the spin and the acts of desperation are quite incredible - most children do not even act this way. 

I listen to my teenage daughter and her friends’ talk about this campaign - they are pretty unimpressed with us adults.  She looks at me and asks if this is the best the country has to offer?   I feel bad for her as I do for our country.  Not sure if what we see playing out on television during the debates and coverage is what the fore-fathers had in mind.

The name calling and stereotypes are the worst - not only is it inappropriate but on a national scale it seems to polarize this great country of ours.

So get ready.  As the weather starts heating up over the next few months so will the remaining campaigns.  My guess is that their words and name calling will only get worse, hoping that in the end some of the voters will stoop to their levels and actually believe all this nonsense.  Some of the candidates are probably hoping we will vote for someone because they are black, white or female - which of course has nothing to do with the real requirements of the President.

At that point, I will be tempted to call the Presidential hopefuls a few names, none of which includes the name Leader.