theRYZING

by Gary Xavier, Founder & Cohesion Expert - The Blade Group LLC - Former Marine Sniper

"Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated."  -- Confucius

Metrics!  I almost regret the day I learned this term.  Data! Scoreboard! KPI! These terms used to be reserved for nasa engineers and the vegas sports book.  Now it is reserved for how you count calories, play video games and make babies.  If you don’t beleive me, ask a couple trying to have a baby; I bet they have an application on their smart phone that notifies them the moment the female begins menstruating.  Yep, data has infiltrated baby making!  Don’t get me wrong, I believe that tracking performance is critical, but I believe the business world, specifically, has positioned metrics to measure only economic performance.  What we’ve learned is that economic performance is at times disconnected with human performance.  In this post, we are going to explore how the most vital parts of your life are not only measured, but how they should be given a top slot in your priority list.  This is a perspective on performance.  

If you have read one traditional management book or received a traditional MBA, you’ve heard two main phases regarding modern business leadership, “what gets measured gets managed” and “the only focus of a CEO is shareholder value.”  These phrases were inspired by two men, Peter Drucker and Jack Welch.  Thanks to these men, we have “managed” to create a work culture that focuses mainly on data performance and not human performance.  I call this environment the inspiration holocaust. A holocaust refers to the mass destruction or devastation of a population.  I know this sounds a little dramatic, but allow me to pose a hypothesis to help solve this problem:

HYPOTHESIS

IF the most vital drivers of human performance aren’t driven by economic metrics, THEN could we build a better work-life environment if it is designed around human metrics? Said another way, could we align our work with what matters most to us in our personal lives?

STATUS QUO: THE INSPIRATION HOLOCAUST

I have spoken with many salespeople, CEOs and business leaders and when you dig deeper, these men and women attribute success to things far beyond the metric world.  These leaders live in the inspired world.  They live to be moved and see meaning.  Sir Richard Branson recently wrote a list of 10 tips for success. The majority of the tips have nothing to do with measurable methods for success.  They have to do with adventure, family, love and service.  Marc Bennioff, CEO of Salesforce, the world’s most innovative company for 4 years in a row, started his company based on a moment of inspiration during a swim with dolphins.  What metric covers this moment for Marc Bennioff?  Nothing!  He lives in the inspired world.  To him, Metrics are the method to bring inspiration and vision to the tangible world.  To Marc Bennioff, metrics are a secondary thought.  Marc Bennioff let’s his human performance be driven by the inspired world.  Metrics merely serve as an indicator of dream execution.  

To further illustrate this point, on the Salesforce blog, Marc Benioff lists the three success factors of Salesforce.

A visionary product line

Empowering employees through the V2MOM (vision, values, methods, obstacles, metrics) process

Allowing employees to help shape the company vision  

Metrics are mentioned once and they are the last part of the V2MOM process.  Vision is first, second and last.  Let me restate that, “vision is first, second and last.”  Tell me the KPI for vision? There isn’t one.  Below is Salesforce’s 1999 V2MOM for your eyes’ pleasure: To illustrate how bad this inspiration holocaust has become, the University of Pennsylvania conducted a study where researchers recorded cortisol levels in adults at work and at home.  Cortisol is a steroid hormone released in response to stress.  This is our fight or flight hormone.  The researchers found that we are actually more stressed at home then at work.  Believe it or not, this is worse in single adults.  Wait, what?! Much of my work is targeted at the idea that our work environments are wrong, but this would suggest that our work environments make our lives better and personal life simply stresses us out.  If this is so, why does anyone get married, fall in love, have children, etc.?  We should just work and avoid going home.  Problem solved.  It’s not that simple.  I believe this study indicates general lack of awareness in what I call, work-life performance. Marc Benioff, Richard Branson, Ray Dalio, Bill Gates, Carlos Slim are all billionaires and they live a life of work-life performance.  Work-life performance gives priority to the areas of our lives that often go unmeasured.  These individuals sign away the majority of their wealth to charity through Warren Buffet’s, “The Giving Pledge.”  These individuals, create foundations with their partners.  These individuals live in the same home for over 30 years and drive themselves to work.  These people are work-life performance aware.  And to be a work-life performer, you need to see performance beyond your work environment.  Let’s look beyond the work mothership.   The subtitle of this blog is “What DOESN’T get measured gets priority.”  I did not say, “What doesn’t get measured, stays unmeasured.” Whether you know it or not, you’re being measured away from the office.  Especially if you have a family.  Try calculating the diminishing returns for continued poor attendance of little Johhny’s baseball games.  Enough errors and your daddy hubby trust capacity is shot to zero.  But who measured this?  Little Johnny?  Your spouse?  The tan and slightly flirtatious coach? They all do?  The only difference is that Johnny and your spouse value this differently than you do.  They consider your presence a priority and therefore, it becomes measured.  You did not sign a contract.  There was no product launch meeting discussing the milestones or the measures for onboarding or implementation, but you are expected to perform.  Try not flushing the toilet a couple weeks in a row or forgetting to take out the trash for the same period.  Before you know it, your domestic hubby index just shot to zero.  Try refusing to have sex with your spouse when they are giving you “the signs” they want to.  Sure, you get some sleep, but your spouse is running the numbers and adding up the errors until she asks the mission critical question, “Do you love me anymore?”  In work terms this means, is our partnership still delivering value.  Work-life performance for married people is designed for you to become the best version of yourself for your spouse.  Not for you.  When you begin to realize you are under the microscope and begin performing watch how loving and caring your spouse or children begin to treat you.  If this were a job, they may have fired you by now, but they love you at home and will always give you another chance.  Don’t worry single people, I didn’t forget you.  I you didn’t forget you. What about single people?  Single people are experiencing higher amounts of stress hormones at home than married couples with kids according to the same University of Pennsylvania study?  This blows my f-ing mind not to mention the mind of all single, and married people.  The truth is, when you’re left alone, you become the only measure of what you do and what you’re not doing.  You beat on yourself more than anyone.  You won’t give yourself a break.  Now, I believe in having expectations, but I’d rather live through appreciation.  Single people are expected by non-single people to all their “free” time to live life on their terms.  This is what unhappy married people miss and what single people fear losing.  The problem is, you have something to look forward to, not something to lose.  For single people, work-life performance is only attained through stated performance goals in areas besides work.  Join a meetup for canvas painters, go be an Ironman, volunteer at the local fire department, brew your own beer, etc.  Work-life performance for the single person is about maximizing your desire for variety.  This way you become ready to take the next step by performing for someone beyond yourself.  The good news for single people is now you have something to strive for and married people no longer need to reminisce on their long lost single life.  You are both expected to perform.  Single people should perform for readiness and married people should perform for endurance.   When you start experiencing the world as a work-life performer, you begin to open your data world to the inspired world.  This is when your best ideas flow.  Don’t be misguided by the popular term, work-life balance.  It is a loser.  Balance, itself requires an equal distribution.  I’m talking about each segment getting a heavy dose of your vigilance and effort.  Balance isn’t talking about efficiency.  Balance isn’t talking about fulfillment.  Balance suggests less effort, less vigilance, less of everything...all for “balance.”  Performance suggests that you should strive for world class status.   You will know when you are a work-life performer when you start changing a diaper with the same detail and efficiency you use during a sales presentation.  Performance doesn’t always mean crushing the competition or giving maximum effort.  If you meditate, performance in this category requires ultimate relaxation, vigilance and openness.  Take the environment and then judge the kind of performance you need to give you it.   WORK-LIFE PERFORMANCE SEASONS I believe three seasons drive human beings to perform beyond their known capacity:  survival, achievement and love.  These can occur in both our work and personal lives.  These can both ignite and stunt growth. Survival - Fall/Winter This environment you hope to avoid, but will come across this at some point.  This is a true economic hardship, health threat or dangerous situation.  People tend to rise or be crushed by this.  Prisoners of war, natural disasters, school shootings, sudden death, company failure and lost in the wilderness experiences fall into this environment. Achievement - Spring This environment provides us activities that further our growth as human beings.  These activities give us purpose and intensity because of their intense focus.  When you know the goal is attainable, it is very difficult to see a human not go for it when they have the right support structure.  Political office, promotion, gold medal, fitness, business idea or degree fall into this environment. Love - Summer This is the environment that gives our lives meaning.  If you’ve been in love, you know that you deprive yourself of sleep, creativity goes through the roof and all elements of life become more beautiful.  This occurs only when you see someone more important than yourself and you strive to be better for them.  A best friend, lover, spouse, parent or power mentor falls into this category. WORK-LIFE PERFORMANCE STEPS 1.  Have a set of rules & track it Every great leader from George Washington and Ben Franklin to Gandhi had a list of rules to live by.  Ben Franklin went a step further and actually created a chart to track his 13 virtues in his autobiography.  Ben Franklin desired what he called, “moral perfection.” Our family has created a sheet that we keep on our pantry door.  The chart tracks 7 categories: spiritual, family, fitness, career, intellectual, social and financial.  The sheet broken down into monthly and weekly tasks in each category.  The chart also lists our family mission statement, which is in accordance with our moral virtues of Honor, Courage and Commitment.  This form may or may not work for you.  We are going to adjust this to include our virtues in some way for 2015.  Regardless, you need some rules. You need a true north for all aspects of your life not just work.   2.  Close loop your daily work and life It is no secret that many of the most successful athletes and business people share how they open their day, but you rarely hear about how they close their day.  Closed loops exist everywhere around us.  The very rising and setting of the sun is a closed loop.  Let the image of the rising and setting sun be a good visual for your start and finish line everyday.   Ben Franklin opened and closed his day with two questions.  “What good shall I do today?”  and “What good have I done today?”  Bring closure to both your personal life and work life each day, so you can assess whether or not you are performing in each area.   I open my day with two things I am grateful for and I close my day with two new things I am grateful for.  When it comes to work,  I have embraced the top 3 list from Tim Ferris to help shape my work day.  I simply use Apple Reminders and load 3 items that I can get done that day the evening before.  That way when I start working, I know what to get to work on.  I close loop my email.  I check at 10am and 2pm.  This has taken practice, but I have it down to a science now.  My inbox is never overflowing like it used to (so long 2,000 unread messages).  I have informed most clients and vendors that if they contact me after 2pm, they won’t hear from me until 10am the next day, so if they have an emergency, they better call.   The art of work-life performance is to develop a ritual of seeking growth opportunities.  This works for the single sales person who likes sailing on the weekends or for the married executive who has to give equal performance to her work role and her mommy/wife role.  You will not nail this everyday for the rest of your life, but if you can embrace the change most of the time, then you’ll begin to reshape your habits.  Start with these two steps.  Do not throw in details yet.  Just make a list of rules and then close loop your day. Don't join the inspiration holocaust.  Live in the inspired world.  You never know, maybe you'll be swimming with dolphins and get an idea.  Hopefully, the idea is shout for a damn life vest.  I’ll leave you with this:

PILOT POST  by  Gary J.  Xavier, Founder & Speaker - The Blade Group LLC

[SIDEBAR]  

BLOG GROUND RULES

This is the workforce performance blog and it is committed to sharing ideas of how workers and leaders can create an inspired workforce culture.  It is also here to understand the good, the bad, the ugly and the fugly of the status quo.  There is ONE rule for both readers and for me:

THE READER RULE

QUESTION EVERYTHING: As if you weren’t going to! If we don’t debate, then I didn’t ask a good enough question or I’m posting too many arbitrary pictures of sunsets.  I am here to learn from you and share what I learn from others.  I also desire to share the chaos that is my thought pattern.  This can’t happen if we don’t debate.  If you have an idea you want to share, then become a kung fu contributor and guest post.  I’d be happy to see your kung fu.  Email me at info (at) garyxavier.com

THE WRITER RULE

DON’T WASTE THEIR TIME: This is an idea forum, not facebook; I will not fall subject to making this discussion robotic or disingenuine (in accordance with reader rule one, you should stomp this out before it goes too far).  I will post when it’s necessary to post.  If you want speaking date info, promotional info, or product launch offerings then join the ONE WORKFORCE community HERE.  I will end this blog if I run out of things to say, experience a pivot or lose sight of the solution we are after.

[GAME ON]

“Sometimes doing your best is not good enough.  Sometimes you must do what is required.” - Winston Churchill - Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1940-1945

“What do you do for work?”  I hate that question! I get it at every damn mixer, get together and airplane ride I’m on.  What do I do for work?  What do they mean? “What do I do for money?” I know they are just asking a simple question and making small talk, but this question spawns a great deal of frustration in me.  Since I am a speaker for a living and “What” I do can be rather fluid, I thought my reaction was rooted in insecurity trying to seek a more understandable form of employment.  The truth is the question inadequately starts a conversation about work.  The question dumbs work down.  That is, if you see your work as more than just what you do for money.  They should ask the question differently; something like, ”what solution is your work looking for?”  Better yet, “What does your work tell us about the future?”  Damn!  Now, that’s a question.  

My name is Gary Xavier.  My work tells me the future has two outcomes:  one, we fall victim to a highly distracted, short-sighted and deeply selfish workforce.  Two, we redesign the way our leaders and workers discover solutions together, so the problems that need solving get solved.  My work is committed to one idea: mobilizing one workforce.  One workforce with one focus: doing what is required.  My product is the spoken & written word.  My height is 5’6”.  My sign is Taurus and my favorite movie is RAD....mucho gusto.

You may be thinking, "Great! Another world saving blow hard!"  You may be right.  I am not here to tell you you're wrong.  I’m here to ask you, “what solution is your work looking for?”  “What does your work tell us about the future?”  If you get annoyed by this question or don’t have time for this question, I would argue that you are doing work NOT worth doing.  You are wasting your time.  News flash, time is all you have and your wasting it.

What work is worth doing?  Work worth doing is when your company’s mindset aligns with your own.  There are two types of corporate and individual mindsets:  ENSLAVEMENT & FREEDOM.  I know this sounds black and white, but there are actually four possible combinations...thank you exponents:

Enslavement/Enslavement

The company is subject to strict regulation or extreme changes in market conditions.  The worker and leader may have been free in the beginning, but the resulting regulation and market conditions have hardened the energy of the worker.  They are dying and they all know it.  They just hope they can cash in their retirement before the ship sinks.  An example would be The US Postal Service

Enslavement/Freedom

When a company creates uniformity with it’s partners to create a standard product regardless of the local context.  Innovation is slow.  Marketing is contrived.  The worker get’s involved because the company promises independence, but it's not even close.  It sounded like a good idea to get corporate level support, but the truth is, the business is deeply disingenuine, you receive very little support and only the worker knows it.  An example would be most franchises

Freedom/Enslavement

When a company begins to grow quickly and sees itself as a large corporation, but starts to oppress the workforce with more processes and metrics to protect the C-suite or executive team.  Workers are thrust into a process and metric driven environment when they were around during the startup years, typically a solutions-driven environment.  People start to leave more often then they come in.  An example is Tough Mudder (NY)  or Entercom Radio

Freedom/Freedom

Workers and leaders work together to enhance the inside culture and the customer culture.  Workers and leaders drive innovation.  Market conditions are not the concern, because the culture is based on finding solutions from all levels of the org.  Examples are companies like Southwest Airlines, Whole Foods, Pike Place Fish Co.  

Now, which mindset do you and your company have?  I did not say that any of these are bad.  You may love the spiraling out of control environment that is The US Postal Service.  You may love the fact that you are employee number three at Tough Muder.  What matters is does your mindset or DNA match.   Does your company provide you adequate pay for you to take care of your family?  Do they give you vacation when needed?  Do they consider virtual work, so you can be home with your children?  Do they ask you to strategically think through problems the company faces?  If so, and you are still miserable, YOU have an enslavement mindset issue. You created this issue .  It could be a combination of reasons between health, finances, a loss or depression.  Either way, it’s there and you won’t be able to do the work that’s worthy of your effort until you acknowledge this discrepancy and move the hell on.  

People think they function like money does because money or capital flows to where it gets the biggest return.  A friend of mine recently told me a young person interviewing for a job at his company said, “Initial earnings are an indicator of future earnings.”  What this person is really saying, “how can I give you my best efforts, if you are unwilling to provide me the freedom to focus on our work here?”  She was trying to act like money, but she really wanted freedom.  Money is quite content just being money.  Whether it gets whored out around the world or stays in your wallet, It’s equanimous.  Humans, however, seek connection.  We care who we work for.  We care what others think.  We care that our work matters.  If companies don’t touch on these points, people will start to act like money.  That young person wanted the freedom to feel as though they could give their best effort.  

When you give a worker the freedom both financially and culturally to give their best effort, situations happens like the Market Basket strike.  Workers from the Boston grocery chain went on strike when they learned their CEO, Arhthur T. was suddenly fired.  Without a union, the workers instantly quit going to work.  Customers posted receipts on the windows of Market Baskets all over Boston from other stores where their money was spent.  This group united for one idea, not one man.  They united because Arthur T. represented freedom.  Arthur T. was a symbol.  He certainly embodies the leadership qualities of legend.  He new employees by name.  He would help bag groceries.  Arthur T. was a good leader, but he made sure his employees felt a part of an inspired workforce.  He made sure his employees saw their work meant something for the future and he was right on.  The work of bagging and tagging and carrying and loading all came down to the moment when a group of employees stood up to a billion-dollar board and demanded their CEO back.  And they did.  Arthur T. was allowed to buy a controlling interest in the company.  I bet when those people are asked, "What do you do for work?"  They say, I belong to a community of courageous people. Remarkable.  

Would you quit your job or go on strike if your boss were fired?  Would they do the same for you?  The answer is probably no.  If the answer is yes, call me, I'll fill out an application.  These leads back to the original question.   “What solution is your work looking for?” OR “What does your work tell us about the future?”  Remember, you are armed with something very lethal: your presence.  Humans must be a part of the workforce in order to solve any issue.  People will win the battles.  That's why in peace time, we must train and we must care for everyone inside the organization.  Otherwise, your company is doomed to fall.  Machines cannot replace human problem solving yet...at least not until 2029...  

If you find yourself doing work that is so repetitive in nature that a machine could do it, then it’s time to challenge the design of that work.  Why would a company want you where a machine could be?  Why would you want to do the work a machine can do?  There will be fallout from this; Technological Unemployment has been a concern since the early 19th century when textile workers called the luddites protested against labor replacement machines.   The point is: arm yourselves!  The workforce disruption is going to require people to ruffle feathers.  Can you ask more from your leaders and not get fired?  Can you ask more from your employees and not see a mass exodus?  It will require more from leaders.  It will require more from workers.  Most of all, it will require the strength of character to simply do what is necessary and not what is convenient.  However, we need to begin asking ourselves, “Am I here to merely remain employed until a machine or more money take me away or am I here to expand my capacity, my abilities, my influence on the solutions we seek?"

PILOT POST  by  Gary J.  Xavier, Founder & Speaker - The Blade Group LLC

[SIDEBAR]  

BLOG GROUND RULES

This is the workforce performance blog and it is committed to sharing ideas of how workers and leaders can create an inspired workforce culture.  It is also here to understand the good, the bad, the ugly and the fugly of the status quo.  There is ONE rule for both readers and for me:

THE READER RULE

QUESTION EVERYTHING: As if you weren’t going to! If we don’t debate, then I didn’t ask a good enough question or I’m posting too many arbitrary pictures of sunsets.  I am here to learn from you and share what I learn from others.  I also desire to share the chaos that is my thought pattern.  This can’t happen if we don’t debate.  If you have an idea you want to share, then become a kung fu contributor and guest post.  I’d be happy to see your kung fu.  Email me at info (at) garyxavier.com

THE WRITER RULE

DON’T WASTE THEIR TIME: This is an idea forum, not facebook; I will not fall subject to making this discussion robotic or disingenuine (in accordance with reader rule one, you should stomp this out before it goes too far).  I will post when it’s necessary to post.  If you want speaking date info, promotional info, or product launch offerings then join the ONE WORKFORCE community HERE.  I will end this blog if I run out of things to say, experience a pivot or lose sight of the solution we are after.

[GAME ON]

“Sometimes doing your best is not good enough.  Sometimes you must do what is required.” - Winston Churchill - Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1940-1945

“What do you do for work?”  I hate that question! I get it at every damn mixer, get together and airplane ride I’m on.  What do I do for work?  What do they mean? “What do I do for money?” I know they are just asking a simple question and making small talk, but this question spawns a great deal of frustration in me.  Since I am a speaker for a living and “What” I do can be rather fluid, I thought my reaction was rooted in insecurity trying to seek a more understandable form of employment.  The truth is the question inadequately starts a conversation about work.  The question dumbs work down.  That is, if you see your work as more than just what you do for money.  They should ask the question differently; something like, ”what solution is your work looking for?”  Better yet, “What does your work tell us about the future?”  Damn!  Now, that’s a question.  

My name is Gary Xavier.  My work tells me the future has two outcomes:  one, we fall victim to a highly distracted, short-sighted and deeply selfish workforce.  Two, we redesign the way our leaders and workers discover solutions together, so the problems that need solving get solved.  My work is committed to one idea: mobilizing one workforce.  One workforce with one focus: doing what is required.  My product is the spoken & written word.  My height is 5’6”.  My sign is Taurus and my favorite movie is RAD....mucho gusto.

You may be thinking, "Great! Another world saving blow hard!"  You may be right.  I am not here to tell you you're wrong.  I’m here to ask you, “what solution is your work looking for?”  “What does your work tell us about the future?”  If you get annoyed by this question or don’t have time for this question, I would argue that you are doing work NOT worth doing.  You are wasting your time.  News flash, time is all you have and your wasting it.

What work is worth doing?  Work worth doing is when your company’s mindset aligns with your own.  There are two types of corporate and individual mindsets:  ENSLAVEMENT & FREEDOM.  I know this sounds black and white, but there are actually four possible combinations...thank you exponents:

Enslavement/Enslavement

The company is subject to strict regulation or extreme changes in market conditions.  The worker and leader may have been free in the beginning, but the resulting regulation and market conditions have hardened the energy of the worker.  They are dying and they all know it.  They just hope they can cash in their retirement before the ship sinks.  An example would be The US Postal Service

Enslavement/Freedom

When a company creates uniformity with it’s partners to create a standard product regardless of the local context.  Innovation is slow.  Marketing is contrived.  The worker get’s involved because the company promises independence, but it's not even close.  It sounded like a good idea to get corporate level support, but the truth is, the business is deeply disingenuine, you receive very little support and only the worker knows it.  An example would be most franchises

Freedom/Enslavement

When a company begins to grow quickly and sees itself as a large corporation, but starts to oppress the workforce with more processes and metrics to protect the C-suite or executive team.  Workers are thrust into a process and metric driven environment when they were around during the startup years, typically a solutions-driven environment.  People start to leave more often then they come in.  An example is Tough Mudder (NY)  or Entercom Radio

Freedom/Freedom

Workers and leaders work together to enhance the inside culture and the customer culture.  Workers and leaders drive innovation.  Market conditions are not the concern, because the culture is based on finding solutions from all levels of the org.  Examples are companies like Southwest Airlines, Whole Foods, Pike Place Fish Co.  

Now, which mindset do you and your company have?  I did not say that any of these are bad.  You may love the spiraling out of control environment that is The US Postal Service.  You may love the fact that you are employee number three at Tough Muder.  What matters is does your mindset or DNA match.   Does your company provide you adequate pay for you to take care of your family?  Do they give you vacation when needed?  Do they consider virtual work, so you can be home with your children?  Do they ask you to strategically think through problems the company faces?  If so, and you are still miserable, YOU have an enslavement mindset issue. You created this issue .  It could be a combination of reasons between health, finances, a loss or depression.  Either way, it’s there and you won’t be able to do the work that’s worthy of your effort until you acknowledge this discrepancy and move the hell on.  

People think they function like money does because money or capital flows to where it gets the biggest return.  A friend of mine recently told me a young person interviewing for a job at his company said, “Initial earnings are an indicator of future earnings.”  What this person is really saying, “how can I give you my best efforts, if you are unwilling to provide me the freedom to focus on our work here?”  She was trying to act like money, but she really wanted freedom.  Money is quite content just being money.  Whether it gets whored out around the world or stays in your wallet, It’s equanimous.  Humans, however, seek connection.  We care who we work for.  We care what others think.  We care that our work matters.  If companies don’t touch on these points, people will start to act like money.  That young person wanted the freedom to feel as though they could give their best effort.  

When you give a worker the freedom both financially and culturally to give their best effort, situations happens like the Market Basket strike.  Workers from the Boston grocery chain went on strike when they learned their CEO, Arhthur T. was suddenly fired.  Without a union, the workers instantly quit going to work.  Customers posted receipts on the windows of Market Baskets all over Boston from other stores where their money was spent.  This group united for one idea, not one man.  They united because Arthur T. represented freedom.  Arthur T. was a symbol.  He certainly embodies the leadership qualities of legend.  He new employees by name.  He would help bag groceries.  Arthur T. was a good leader, but he made sure his employees felt a part of an inspired workforce.  He made sure his employees saw their work meant something for the future and he was right on.  The work of bagging and tagging and carrying and loading all came down to the moment when a group of employees stood up to a billion-dollar board and demanded their CEO back.  And they did.  Arthur T. was allowed to buy a controlling interest in the company.  I bet when those people are asked, "What do you do for work?"  They say, I belong to a community of courageous people. Remarkable.  

Would you quit your job or go on strike if your boss were fired?  Would they do the same for you?  The answer is probably no.  If the answer is yes, call me, I'll fill out an application.  These leads back to the original question.   “What solution is your work looking for?” OR “What does your work tell us about the future?”  Remember, you are armed with something very lethal: your presence.  Humans must be a part of the workforce in order to solve any issue.  People will win the battles.  That's why in peace time, we must train and we must care for everyone inside the organization.  Otherwise, your company is doomed to fall.  Machines cannot replace human problem solving yet...at least not until 2029...  

If you find yourself doing work that is so repetitive in nature that a machine could do it, then it’s time to challenge the design of that work.  Why would a company want you where a machine could be?  Why would you want to do the work a machine can do?  There will be fallout from this; Technological Unemployment has been a concern since the early 19th century when textile workers called the luddites protested against labor replacement machines.   The point is: arm yourselves!  The workforce disruption is going to require people to ruffle feathers.  Can you ask more from your leaders and not get fired?  Can you ask more from your employees and not see a mass exodus?  It will require more from leaders.  It will require more from workers.  Most of all, it will require the strength of character to simply do what is necessary and not what is convenient.  However, we need to begin asking ourselves, “Am I here to merely remain employed until a machine or more money take me away or am I here to expand my capacity, my abilities, my influence on the solutions we seek?"