Morning Minute 11/12/24:
“Who ARE The Biggest Losers?”
First, let’s define: Information, Disinformation, and Misinformation. Although used interchangeably, they are NOT the same.
Information is a presentation of real facts; what actually happened; who was involved or affected; the when, where, and why it happened.
Disinformation is an absolute demonstrable falsehood, a lie meant to deceive others.
Misinformation is false or inaccurate information, that is not meant to deceive others.
And, Freedom of Speech is the constitutional right to either be right or wrong in your political speech, without fear of persecution. “Political speech” is “protected speech.”
The 2024 presidential election is over. Donald Trump won in a landslide, garnering 312 electoral votes to 226 for Kamala Harris. He won the popular vote 50.4% to 48% for Harris. This is information, which is based entirely on facts.
During this election, Harris claimed that Trump, if elected, would use the military to round up his political enemies and put them into internment camps. That claim was disinformation, a demonstrable lie, a falsehood meant to deceive voters, That claim was echoed by much of the news media in spite of being false.
After the election, many in our news media are attempting to analyze why Harris lost the election. Some claim that the Democrats lost due to poor messaging. Others explained that the American people were too stupid to make the right decision. Some claim they had a poor candidate. While others explain that the candidate was great, but the professionals ran an ineffective campaign. However, the voters made their decision based on their desire for a change in leadership. They rejected Harris as the status quo candidate. They also rejected the disinformation coming from both Harris and the news media.
To get the information they needed on whom to vote for, Americans turned to online podcasts by people whom they trusted, like Joe Rogan, to talk radio programs like Hannity and Levin, and to platforms such as “X” (formerly Twitter), and Truth Social. They rejected Google, plus social media giants Facebook and Instagram. They spurned broadcast news outlets who were caught editing interview answers, omitting true information, and spouting disinformation. Those news outlets, by their actions, lost the confidence of the voters: the American people. They will no longer be trusted to provide truthful information. And, they will no longer be able to set and control the narrative about candidates, events, and issues.
Thus, the old legacy, mainstream media outlets are the biggest losers!
And. that is today’s Morning Minute!
Morning Minute 11/15/24:
“Will You Thrive In Your Leadership Role?”
A recent poll shared that 68% of workers had no interest in accepting leadership roles. This message is for the 32% who want to be more, do more, and earn more.
In your leadership role you must make a choice. You will either thrive, survive, or fail. Those are your choices. How you handle the 4 Ps will determine your level of success.
1st: What are the expectations you and your boss have for your performance? Have him/her share what success looks like. Write down these 3 or 4 measurable goals. Get written agreement. That is how your performance will be judged. Then, set your goals 20-25% higher. Your personal expectations will determine if you thrive, survive, or fail.
2nd: PEOPLE. Most of your time will be invested in your team members. Ensure that they clearly understand your expectations for each of them and for the team. Learn their strengths and weaknesses. Just as you received your boss’s expectations for you, you must do the same for each team member. That requires a written job description.
Training and practice improve performance. Schedule skills training. Ensure it is completed. People who are trained are happier. Happier people perform better. You must make the decision for those who do not measure up. Either train, transfer, or terminate them. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Thus, your team will never be stronger than your poorest performer. Have the right people doing the right jobs.
Also, identify team members with leadership abilities. In your discussions with them, find out their future aspirations. Help them achieve their goals so that you will have a strong bench to chose from when a new manager is needed.
3rd: PROCESS. Great people with substandard processes will never achieve peak performance. Use your people’s skills to establish performance “Best Practices.” Use industry data and input from those doing the work. Put these practices in writing and enforce them. And remember, you cannot “expect” what you do not “inspect!”
4th: PRODUCTS. Analyze each product for continuous improvement. Build a stocking level for products and materials to ensure you have what you need, when you need it. Too little inventory leads to shortages. Too much ties up working capital in storage. Get the balance right. Ensure proper handling and efficient delivery to your customers.
5th: PROMOTION. The first 3 Ps must be in order before investing in marketing. Set a realistic budget based on a measurable outcome. For instance, if your goal is to sell 5000 products next month and you invest $10 per sale, your budget is $50,000. Use an “after action report” to measure how well your marketing performed. Then make the necessary adjustments for your next promotion.
Remember, you decide every day whether you will thrive, survive, or fail. By effectively managing those 4 Ps, and committing to continuous improvement, both you and your team make the decision to “THRIVE!”
“Will You Thrive In Your Leadership Role?”
That is today’s Morning Minute.
