putting it on the line: open doer policy

Why is it that some people are perpetually out and about, causing things to happen, initiating contacts and contracts, and for whom a day without learning or achievement is a wasted day?

On the other side of the door, why is it that some people go through life passively, causing few things to happen, showing little initiative, and for whom a day without television or lots of time at the kitchen table is a wasted day?

There’s a reason why a certain sneaker and apparel company’s catch phrase has become part of the national lexicon—so very simple and yet for some, ever elusive.

Given the choice (and most of us are in fact given it), which course would you choose, or have already chosen? Where is the utility in going through life apathetically? If you’re held back by fear, reticence or a host of other possible barriers, ask a deceptively simple question: “What do I have to lose?”

“Failure is not an option” is a pithy refrain and sometimes self-fulfilling prophecy, but it does happen. Often. OK, so then what? Every single day, in every state and region, in most countries, it’s the second entrepreneurial attempt that resonates with the marketplace, the second novel that gets published, the second marriage that leads to a lifetime of personal fulfillment. Or the third or fourth tries. Here’s how a once-struggling software company handled what looked like imminent failure.

Take heed of the benefits of becoming a doer; be prepared for what may be multiple attempts to break out. Note the humility and gratitude—the wisdom—that accompany failure. Seek the help of others; abundant resources are as close as the computer, the phone, the hallways and elevators, the roads.

Be transparent and open in all your endeavors. Reap the clear benefits of putting it on the line. Bury the hesitations and don’t look back. Just do it (as it were...).

faux support: cup sizes

Starbucks expresses our ounce options in the faux elegance of Short, Tall, Grande, Venti Hot, Venti Cold and Trenta Cold cup sizes. Wawa is much more utilitarian if no less direct with 12, 16, 20, 24.

How easy it is to lean on this support system when confronted with an endless day of meetings, intense job responsibilities, family obligations and the day-to-day activities that keep our stomachs and bank accounts full.

The support of coffee.

To be sure, countless studies have confirmed the direct health benefits of these daily deliveries (while noting that too much, as with any of life’s potential excesses, turns negative). According to The New York Times, “in recent years, many studies have pointed to coffee’s health benefits, suggesting coffee may protect against Type 2 diabetes, reduce overall deaths and perhaps even help protect against dementia. Other studies have suggested coffee may reduce the risks of certain cancers, including colon cancer. The benefits are generally attributed to coffee’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.”

Yet equally countless is the research forcefully arguing that we humans must get enough sleep, the lack of which directly causes a kaleidoscope of mental and physical problems. Short-term “benefits” have long played against the effects of long-term consequences. Perhaps it’s driving too fast so as not to be late, thus tempting the increasingly likely fate of a crippling accident. Or the immediate pleasures of saturated fat that inevitably lead to problems of heart and weight. Or putting off a doctor’s visit that for the moment delays having to confront this or that increasingly serious health issue. Or… Or… Or.

Our resourceful and resource-full society enables access to practically anything at all hours of the day and night. A midnight run through the Starbucks drive-thru? A quick pick-me-up at the 24/7 Wawa? Let alone the Internet’s infinity or the ubiquitous diner’s attractions unlimited by the confines of clocks. How easy.

But the brain and body, despite their remarkable resilience, still need palpable rest, despite our society’s best efforts to the contrary. Why not hold off responding to that last possible email or text message, or setting the alarm 15 minutes later or heading up to the pillows 15 minutes earlier? No question, we can choose our cup sizes and feel that rush of short-term support, yet that bit of extra dream time ultimately offers far more consequential rewards.

rising interest: corporate bonds

Cutthroat. Merciless. Fierce.

Cold-hearted. Brutal. Harsh.

Corporate executives operating with less ruth than an oceanic whitetip shark.

These descriptions may well still be the norm for the Fortune 500s and Russell 2000s out there, yet more and more corporations are demonstrating a rising interest in the opposite approach—offering generous and extended paid parental leave (Netflix), providing free college education (Starbucks), building collegial campuses filled with free gourmet cafeterias, play areas and creative fun (Google), and countless etceteras. These environments yield dedication, gratitude and, to be sure, a willingness to work that much harder.

Generous to a fault in the eyes of their shareholders? Far from it. These are strategic decisions carefully vetted and taken by enlightened companies that realize the value of loyalty that goes far beyond their biweekly employee ADP salary deposits. Humans have a demonstrated and deep-seated need for fellowship, camaraderie, working toward common goals and, yes, fun. Must the bottom line be as divorced from that word as a previously married couple?

Preconceptions are as stale as month-old bread. CEOs may well feel the need to drain their employees dry, with the same acidic approach as Liquid-Plumr. After all, their stock options and 400-to-one salary differences depend on quarterly profit reports that rise with the sun’s regularity. Yet despite kaleidoscopic, well-nigh unlimited differences, people are (not surprisingly) similar when it comes to the basics of respect, goodwill, loyalty and willingness to work for their daily bread.

To be sure, business success more often than not requires discipline, long hours, utter devotion and focus; within this context, the human bonds that develop amid the corporate environment can be palpable. These are people who work together over extended periods of time. Personal friendships grow. After-hours meals take place. Vacations are booked. Even marriages result. The work itself is often fascinating, but a misplaced and relentless focus on the last possible dime can not only shave pennies from the bottom line but can make employees literally hate walking into the office, thus obscuring what could otherwise make for stimulating and fulfilling careers.

Demonstrably, corporate bonds and shareholder returns make for a profitable merger.