Eagles, Ducks and Dead Fish

Ducks, Eagles and Dead Fish

Many years ago during the 27-year gig the organization began the process of strategic planning, bringing in one expert after another sort of randomly poking at perceived organizational roadblocks.  Lou Holzt was the coach of the Notre Dame football team at the time and given that was our owners alma mater, Lou was one step below the Pope.  Not making enough money as coach he was a traveling salesman, a carpetbagger of sorts, spreading his wisdom learned from coaching large, steroid-filled men to the corporate world.

Essentially the program talked about 'eagles' who soared above the rest, who saw things others did not, who were true leaders, people that others would follow, look to and follow as they forged new frontiers in the domestic and world centers of trade, business and innovation.  At the other continuum were 'ducks.'  They simply sat on the water, ate, migrated not because it was there idea but because it was a direction everyone else went when it became too hot or too cold.  I guess Lou did not understand that eagles, too, migrate for more or less the same reason.

The planning session involved a football coach sort of introduction...go team, we can beat the competition, we have the guts, etc.  Following that two large flip charts appeared at the front of the room and the challenge was to name people who belonged on the duck list and the eagle list.  Obviously the eagle list started to fill first.  The facilitator pressed the attendees to name ducks, people who held the organization back.

I was not very well known at the time and someone put my name on the duck list.  Over twenty-seven years this person would periodically mention that he did not like me. 

The program became interesting when someone named the owners executive secretary and office manager and employee #3 as a duck.  I never found out who suggested that name but there was lively discussion and debate.  This meeting occurred on a mandatory Saturday.  Never again did the exercise of naming ducks and eagles occur.  Over time I became the first person to win two 'eagle' awards' in two separate decades for dramatically different efforts.

This morning as I drove to Holiday for coffee I passed Lake Vadnais which was frozen last week but this morning had an inch of water covering it.  Two eagles were sitting about 200 yards offshore, next to each other and in contention for a dead fish.  An iPhone image capture effort would have been disappointing.  I pulled over and watched as the eagles tussled.  Both being mature, one finally gave up, not because of losing this particular contest but because there are always more dead fish. 

Yesterday I was near my former office headquarters and made a call to meet someone for coffee.  They were unavailable and I ran through the list of twenty or so people of seven hundred that I'd actually like to talk to.  After a few moments I closed the door on that thought,   looked at the eagle reflection in the windo and flew off to find another dead fish.

Morning Problems

During my gig I had a staff that did all the IT support and at a point they took away my screwdrivers and deleted my network and ERP administrator rights.  My job was to work on the strategy and politics and budget  and creative, innovative side of IT.  I did that well.

We do a lot of printing for the small business, consuming large quantities of inkjet and laser toner.  Over the years I've bought many OEM and aftermarket products.  The bottom line is that OEM products work.  Aftermarket products work, too, most of the time, just not all of the time.

Anyone with a brain scourers garage sales, auctions, etc., for USA manufactured tools (e.g. wrenches, sockets, etc.).  For whatever reason I still feel compelled to use aftermarket cartridges.  This morning I spent 1.5 hours screwing with a series of bad cartridges.  Given that I used to make money I do that calculation of how much that cost.  The small business really does well but my time is pretty much donated.  I guess that means it has no cost or it's really valuable. 

Given the likelihood of printers to fail and the importance of printing I have backup printing devices.  In all likelihood, they are of Chinese manufacture, just like all the cheap tools at Harbor Freight.  OEM cartridges seem to be the remaining holdout on quality.  Later today I may simply put all my remaining aftermarket cartridges in the 'recycle' box, but then again I may not have fully learned this lesson.

Job

I'm re-scheduling my search until after the first of the year and after tax season.  That will give me about six months to leverage my outplacement service which has been of great value.