life | Fifty Plus Going On Fifteen

Too Big To Care – Fifty Plus Going On Fifteen

I am a believer and a naysayer in certain business concepts and one of the business concepts I have always had a hard time wrapping my head around is “Too Big To Fail“. What is the rough definition of this concept?

Specific corporations so large and so interconnected that their failure would be disastrous to the greater economic system, must be supported by government when they face potential failure.

The concept was officially coined in the 1980s and was in reference to big banks and financial institutions. One notable early government bailout was for the Continental Illinois National Bank and Trust Company in the early 1980s.

There have been numerous occasions during the last fifty (50) years when this has in fact occurred having expanded beyond the financial realm with GM about ten (10) years ago.

You can agree or disagree with the concept of “Too Big To Fail” and whether government intervention should occur but I am concerned about a new issue that is occurring that may result in more “Too Big To Fail” situations that taxpayers will need to clean up.

The new issue that appears to be occurring more and more is a corporate attitude of “Too Big To Care“. A few examples of this attitude are shown below but this is an extremely short list.

Lack of empathy when customer service issues occur.
Willingness to disregard customer concerns regarding direction of company.
Assumption that historical record of company will carry them through all business challenges.
Belief that company is above normal rules of business or law.

We have observed this happen with many businesses over the years when the writing was on the wall but “Too Big To Care” happened. Again a short list of those that failed or those that are failing.

Sears and K Mart.
Toys R Us.
Circuit City.
Quiznos.

Recently we have experienced a twist to the “Too Big To Care” issue that includes corporations taking political positions and alienating customers instead of being above the issue. I must ask if there is an ulterior motive, are the corporations political hostages, or are the corporations just willing to take the chance of alienating customers.

I scratch my head in regard to this problem and question how any company can turn away customers without regard to impact to its employee base, shareholder, etc.

Most recently, there are reports of law enforcement agencies canceling orders for vehicles from a major manufacturer that has taken a political stand that will result in nearly $750,000 in lost revenue for the local dealership and the vehicle manufacturer. Where there is one occurrence, there will be more in the long run.

Think about the lives impacted because we cannot keep sports, business, family and politics compartmentalized. It is a sad situation and owners and senior staff of the corporations will not feel the pain much like the multimillionaires that have a beef do not feel the pain.

I have a real concern that this mixture of “Too Big To Fail” and “Too Big To Care” will cause significant damage to innocent people watching on the sidelines and we need to take a time out and draw lines in the sand on what is and isn’t acceptable behavior as a corporation.

I am not saying that corporations should not be involved in causes or projects but I am saying that corporations should remain neutral to its customer base.

What are your thoughts and please share them?

Fifty Plus Going On Fifteen (50 Plus Going On Fifteen)

Jay Patterson

Mutual Of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom – Fifty Plus Going On Fifteen

In North Dakota, you have two (2) seasons every year named Winter and Not Winter. During Not Winter, you experience the traditional seasons of Spring, Summer, and Fall in a six (6) month period and you experience Winter during the other six (6) month period.

There was no internet, no smartphones, no video games, and for leisure you had maybe 4 TV channels to watch, read a book, or go outside.

During the sub-zero Winter months, you hibernated inside and one of my fondest memories as a child was curling up in a blanket in front of the TV watching Mutual Of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom before the Wonderful World Of Disney came on.

A concept ahead of its time and duplicated time and time again. Mutual Of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom was a program dedicated to ecology and the environment that ran from 1963 to 1971. Marlin Perkins and Jim Fowler hosted the show and could be considered the godfathers of environment programming.

In later years, it was reported that some scenes were staged for the program and in our political correct (PC) environment, Mutual Of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom may not have survived. I gained an appreciation for our wonderful planet and its wildlife as a child because of this program and to this day prefer to take pictures of wildlife.

Being a realist when it comes to ecology and the environment and I believe in the right to hunt and our responsibility to be conservationists. Being not certain if Mutual Of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom taught me this but I would like to think so.

It is incredible that there are TV channels dedicated to ecology and the environment and this wouldn’t have happened if Mutual Of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom had not blazed the path. I enjoy programming on these channels as long as the message is balanced or there is no ulterior motive.

I wish I could go back to those frigid winter days when my only concern was coming inside before Mutual Of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom came on and feeling a sense of amazement after watching that once again Marlin made Jim risk his life to get that video shot.

1963 to 1971 was a simpler period in many ways but it was also one of our more turbulent periods so I am happy I could watch a program that had an overall goal of exposing its audience to great wonders of the world.

Mutual Of Omaha Insurance owns the rights to this program and has not released it since 1971. It sure would be great to revisit this program and childhood memories.

Its great being 50 Plus Going On 15 (Fifty Plus Going On Fifteen).

What program impacted your life when young?

Jay Patterson

Napkin Sketches And Notes – Fifty Plus Going On Fifteen

Life is interesting when you are fifty plus going on fifteen and recently I was asked a question that I would like to share.

The question:

What did you do In the dark ages (back then) to take unplanned notes before smartphones, notepads, and touchscreen laptops?

I do not believe this individual was ready for my answers but I will share in this article and many of you will understand exactly what I am talking about.

“Back Then”, I always tried to carry a pen and pad of paper in case I had to record unplanned notes, received a call on my non-smart cell phone, or was paged and had to call someone. Yes, I said paged. You did not always have a pad of paper so you had to improvise with anything available to write on but I would always carry a pen.

If you did not have a pad of paper you had a number of options including:

Writing on your hand, but for hygienic reasons, your notes would be washed off.
Writing on the tablecloth, wall, table, etc., but some considered this vandalism.
Writing on money in your wallet, but you would sometimes spend the money.
Writing on napkins, this was my primary choice for sketches of notes if I did not have a pad of paper.
Whiting on matchbooks, my backup choice if no napkins but matchbooks are not always available.

I found myself in many situations grabbing a pile of napkins and documenting meeting notes, processes, procedures, flowcharts, etc., on the fly, in the car, and while on pay phones.

For those that are not clear about a pay phone, we can discuss later but I will tell you the phone cord was never long enough.

The napkins were protected like the Dead Sea Scrolls until your could either re-write your notes on a pad of paper or enter them into your desktop or laptop that was too bulky to drag to lunch or a meeting.

Napkins worked and the extra napkins in your pockets could come in handy for other reasons as well. On the flip side, there were a couple workable options listed below but the napkin was my primary choice.

Matchbooks were a good alternative to napkins in an emergency but you could only write on the inside and if somebody asked for a match, you would lose your notes.
There was a significant innovation called “Sticky Notes” and they were easier to carry in your pocket but I always had issues with them falling on the floor and walking off on the bottom of someones shoe again losing your notes.

Napkins were also a great way to relax or beat boredom prior to a meeting, lunches, when alone, etc. You could doodle, rip them up, try to make airplanes, clean your silverware, and perform many other critical and non-critical functions.

The napkin worked in 1920, 1970, and a napkin will work in 2020 and beyond. So, for those that did not know what Napkin Sketches and Notes were, you do now. For those that used something else, let me know what that is.

Have a great day.

Jay Patterson

Mom Was My Life Coach – Fifty Plus Going On Fifteen

Life throws many challenges and the occasional curveball. When a roadblock occurs it is always great to have someone to fall back on for insight, advice, and/or a little push.

In today’s environment, there is an entire industry that has developed for this need called “Life Coach”.

By definition, a “Life Coach” is a person who counsels and encourages clients on matters having to do with careers or personal challenges.

I sit back and ponder this industry and position definition and realize how fortunate I was that my mother was my “Life Coach” and all I had to do was reciprocate the love she unconditionally gave to me. Furthermore, I am shocked to find that I have developed into a ‘Life Coach” for my children who are grown and left the nest.

I scratch my head a couple times and realize I have had life coaches throughout my life as part of friendships, employment, organizations, etc., and I find it difficult to believe I did not pay them for services and if I by chance coached them I did not receive payment either.

The numbers show “Life Coaching” is a $2 Billion plus industry that grows in size year after year with the following life coaching goals when working with a client:

Help define yourself and create the life you envision.
Assist in focus, direction, challenges, support, motivation and your celebration.
Create a plan, detail action steps and hold you accountable for following through.
Observe, listen, ask empowering questions, challenge and motivate.
Counseling or analyzing the past is not a coaches job.
Big picture principle is that the client has the intrinsic ability to determine and achieve their goals.

I do not disagree with the need for life coaching but I do not agree with the concept of a paid coach since it appears to be impersonal but perhaps that is the point.

So I return to my original point. My mother was my life coach from my earliest memories at the age of three (3) until her death in early 2017, Even after her devastating stroke in early 2015, she was my “Life Coach” who would listen and ask questions but it has always been my job to determine the road traveled.

It is my hope, that I am half the “Life Coach” my mother was to my children, friends, peers, subordinates, and others that need to know they have it in them but need to use it.

I am sure there is a need for professional “Life Coaches” and perhaps that is my calling but I need a “Life Coach” to tell me. Back to “did the egg or the chicken come first”.

Thinking of you Mom and missing you.

May you have a blessed day.

Jay Patterson

Is There A Gray Ceiling? Fifty Plus Going On Fifteen

I have always believed that with age you gain wisdom, respect and the ability to take advantage of these skills when making a career change. Perhaps I am old-fashioned or naive but there appears to be a slight Gray Ceiling that we bump into and it has only occurred to me in the last couple years.

Some Gray Ceiling Indications are subtle and some are not so subtle. These include:

Over qualified.
Low compensation offered when qualified for position.
Not trainable.
Bored doing this job.
Technology challenges,

I have never been one to sit back and accept artificial limitations and I have always been a cup half full person so this was basically a call to throw down the gloves and do everything in my power to re-package myself.

There are numerous articles, blogs, books regarding how to re-invent/re-package yourself and I chose to do the following:

Update your Linked In profile if you have one, build a Linked In account if you don’t have one.
1. My Linked In profile was not complete even though I have been a member for years.
Revise your resume and if needed build different versions of your resume.
1. I have multiple resumes based on the opportunity I am looking at and I have a watered down resume that is less than two (2) pages for generic submissions.
Obtain quick reference letters or statements and add to your resume package, profiles, etc. Make them a mixture of people you have worked for, worked with and worked for you.
1. I have references spanning 20 plus years for trending.
Brush up on current technology and software packages.
1. Being able to talk the talk that is half the battle.
Feel good about yourself and get over your hang ups.
1. Eat better, sleep better, participate in fun activities, volunteer, contact people you have not spoken to for extended periods, start a journal, work out, etc…
Bring your “A Game” to online applications, phone interviews, and in person interviews.
1. With technology, the job hunt has become very impersonal so you need to shine whenever possible.
Most importantly, the world has changed so you need to Network, Network, Network and if that is not enough, network some more.
1. I have contacted numerous old contacts and have added many new contacts during this endeavor.

I am not saying there is age discrimination but I am saying it is more difficult to find a position when you are Fifty Plus Going On Fifteen so pull out the stops and put your best foot forward.

It is not my goal to work for someone else my entire career but until I am able to devote 100% of my time, debt free to an independent career I will do what it takes to make it a little closer to that goal including re-inventing/re-packaging myself.

I am not a professional writer and I am not a guru but I like many of you have years of experience blowing into my sails and believe there is a place for us in our current work environment.

Wishing everyone the best… Jay

Fifty Plus Going On Fifteen – 50 Plus Going On 15