It Really Starts at the (Very) Top....and Lincoln

Yup, couldn't help it, we're back in Spurs territory here.  Probably really the lastest this season...then again, wouldn't bet on it.  

We've discussed much about them - five championships over a 17-year span, core members who've stayed on out of loyalty, players not leaving for higher pay, etc - and I've pointed out their selfless philosophy and organizational discipline.  Yada, yada, yada stuff, right?  

A bit of research, lately, pointed out the fact, though, that it actually, really starts at the very top - the owner. 

Let me share these few lines about him - obviously a PR job, but, I think you'll get the idea:

Peter Holt believes in a values-based management philosophy, in which the community gains benefits from association with a company that is committed to proper business ethics. A company's responsibility leads to the company supporting community projects, leading to mutual benefit for the community and company. These values were one of the primary factors in Holt's 1993 decision to invest in the Spurs. His desire was to keep the team in San Antonio to help the community and vice-versa. 

So, essentially, the Spurs are who they are because of a top-down philosophy - that a culture has been built and that success, you could say, comes naturally. 

Series on Lincoln 

Speaking of top-down, we'll be starting a series on Abraham Lincoln.  I thought of giving the heavy tome known as the "The Board Book" a rest for a while and checked out another one Dad passed on and it's about the leadership style of America's 16th President.  

A curious case he - lost eight elections, twice failed at business and only had a few years of political experience before becoming president during the gravest time of that country's history - its civil war!

What he had done during that period - keeping the nation intact - is nothing short of miraculous and has put him down as one of the greatest leaders of all time.  

Yes, you are not at war, I agree, but I think you're faced with certain challenges and maybe some of his principles may come in handy.  The book is "Lincoln on Leadership" and it's by Donald Phillips and he breaks down what he thinks are the principles of honest Abe:

I. Get Out of the Office and Circulate Among the Troops:

- Explain yourself in writing and offer advice on how to solve problems.

- Seek casual contact with your subordinates.  It is as meaningful as a formal gathering, if not more so.      

- Be the very embodiment of good temper and affability.  

- Remember, everyone likes a compliment.  

II.  Build Strong Alliances

- Invest time and money in better understanding the ins and outs of human nature.  

- Showing your compassionate and caring nature nature will aid you in forging successful relationships. 

Written August 24, 2014 

Millennials, Magnum and Experience

I'd like to share this piece about TGIF which I think speaks to all of us on various levels:

- Casual dining chains in the US are dying.  

- "....and consumer behavior are constantly changing,  you’ve got to change with it.”  There goes that dinosaur analogy again.  Inescapable, isn't it?

-  The millennials (those born between the early 80's and early 2000's) are at it again.  Dictating how business is being done.  

For a country with such a young population (The Philippines' median age is 23.4 and this can be compared with Singapore's 41 and Thailand's 33) that is becoming the emerging economic force - thanks to the jobs that are coming in - the millennials should be on everybody's radar.  

-  “They’re going to need to look at creating experiences -- creating flavor adventures..."  

At my Dad's birthday lunch yesterday, we'd dropped by Magnum Cafe for dessert and were impressed by the set up that I interviewed our server  and asked - among other things ("Is there a reason why Magnum hires good looking people like you and others?"  just sounded so gay, I know.  Ahh, the perils of research) - what the secret of Magnum is (the place was close to capacity) and he used the word "experience," especially their "make your own."  

True, we saw millennials posing with their creations - presumably to be posted.  

Endless Appetizers 'Will Destroy' TGI Fridays: Analyst

Posted: 07/09/2014 12:35 pm EDT  |  Updated: 07/09/2014 12:59 pm EDT

By Alexander C. Kaufman

 

TGI Fridays is so hungry for new customers that it’s giving food away.

The chain restaurant launched an all-you-can-eat deal on Monday, offering endless helpings of any one appetizer -- potato skins, mozzarella sticks, spinach dip and other options -- for $10 per person. The promotion is meant to draw new customers, and it's getting heaps of press coverage of the sort not seen since the chain's 1990s heyday.

Yet analysts say the endless apps deal is basically Fridays' swan song, a last-ditch move that ultimately cheapens the company's brand. The apps may be endless, but Americans' desire to visit a so-called "casual dining" chain restaurant is just about over.

“In the short term, [Fridays] will definitely have more traffic, but in the long term it damages their plan and will really destroy them,” said Aaron Allen, founder of Aaron Allen & Associates, a restaurant industry consulting firm. “It’s the signal of a desperate brand.”

Sales nosedived at casual chain restaurants during the recession, sending once-popular eateries like Bennigan's and Friendly's into bankruptcy. Even as the economy has recovered, most of these restaurants have struggled to regain customers. Millennials want fresh, cheap fastish food from chains like Panera and Chipotle. The Mexican chain's revenue more than doubled to $3.2 billion from 2009 to 2013. The days of young "singles" flocking to TGI Fridays happy hours are long over.

Even Brian Gies, Fridays’ chief marketing officer in the U.S., said the company was stuck in a "combo-meal malaise" and admitted it needed to adapt to modern tastes.

“There are no silver bullets in this business,” Gies said in an interview with The Huffington Post. “The economy and consumer behavior are constantly changing, you’ve got to change with it.”

Sales are anemic at the 49-year-old company, which has more than 900 restaurants in 60 countries. The chain was sold in May by its longtime owner, hospitality firm Carlson Restaurant Inc., to two private equity firms for upward of $800 million.

Annual revenue at company-owned stores dropped 2 percent to $1.1 billion in 2013, according to numbers shown to HuffPost by PrivCo, a financial data provider on privately held companies. Including franchisees, sales revenue hovered at $2.7 billion last year, the same as the year before.

Gies declined to comment on those figures.

The “endless appetizers” promotion, which runs until Aug. 24, may eat into sales. But for the restaurant that claims to have popularized the term "happy hour" and the Long Island Iced Tea, the real money-maker may be alcohol.

“They’re probably hoping they can make it up on drinks,” said Joel Cohen, a restaurant marketing expert.

But a quick boom in booze sales may just further erode the struggling brand.

“If they’re just up-selling the alcohol, the promotion just looks like a ploy,” said Joseph Szala, a restaurant branding expert at the marketing firm Iris Worldwide.”They’re saying, ‘We’ll do anything to get you into a Fridays for a meal’ -- it’s too kitschy, too car sales-y. It’s low class.”

To survive, Fridays may have to raise prices, Allen said.

“That’s the only way you can compete,” he said. “A casual dining restaurant can never be as casual and as fast and convenient as a fast-casual one.”

Potato skins is one of Fridays' 10 main appetizer options

Or it can jazz up its menu. Sure, Gies said the mozzarella sticks now include asiago cheese and a dusting of parmesan. And, yeah, the potato skins have more cheese and are “more potato-y,” he said. But, according to Jeff Fromm, an advertising consultant at Barkley who co-authored the book Marketing to Millennials, the key to attracting the coveted 20-something consumers Fridays is losing to fast-casual chains is offering some culinary pizzazz.

“They’re going to need to look at creating experiences -- creating flavor adventures,” Fromm said. “Less uniqueness means bigger problems for Fridays.”

Written July 10, 2014

The Flywheel, Bus and....Pop

Hey, promise, promise this will be the last reference on the Spurs....for this year.  Before, though, I'd like to have a little lesson on engineering.  The flywheel is a rotating mechanical device that is used to store rotational energy.  Its application can be seen from anywhere from tractors to those toy cars on friction motion.  

Maybe the ladies out there may be more familiar with those old-style sewing machines where a few presses on the foot pedal created energy that allowed the spindle to keep turning long after.  

Now, before I lose you guys I just want to say there's a point to this.    

You see, Jim Collins, author of the "Good to Great" series pointed out that in a study of 1,435 companies over a 40 year performance period saw that it had seemed that some companies reached a "flywheel" point where, seemingly on some sort of own energy, had grown from, yes, good to great.  Jim illustrates this this way:

"Right now, the flywheel is at a standstill. To get it moving, you make a tremendous effort. You push with all your might, and finally you get the flywheel to inch forward. After two or three days of sustained effort, you get the flywheel to complete one entire turn. You keep pushing, and the flywheel begins to move a bit faster. It takes a lot of work, but at last the flywheel makes a second rotation. You keep pushing steadily. 


It makes three turns, four turns, five, six. With each turn, it moves faster, and then—at some point, you can’'t say exactly when—you break through. The momentum of the heavy wheel kicks in your favor. It spins faster and faster, with its own weight propelling it. You aren't pushing any harder, but the flywheel is accelerating, its momentum building, its speed increasing."

"This is the Flywheel Effect. It's what it feels like when you’re inside a company that makes the transition from good to great."  

He lists down a number of factors on how they got there, but, what am bringing up today.....I'd like my partner to continue:

"In fact, leaders of companies that go from good to great start not with “where” but with “who.” They start by getting the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats. And they stick with that discipline—first the people, then the direction—no matter how dire the circumstances."

Now, keeping the right people on the bus is a story in itself.  This is where the story of Pop and the Spurs come in.  You see, a constant in their success of four championships in 12 years is the fact that it's been the same three core players and coach. 

The key in this story is that all three players turned down the opportunity to make bigger money elsewhere - staying for million dollar discounts.  Why did they?

The team's French point guard (and ex-husband of Eva Longoria) says it best:  "Everybody asks me that.  I was talking with a couple of my friends and they were asking that. I was like, I don't know. I think it's just the atmosphere here, the family atmosphere."

"For me personally, why I did it was because, deep down in my heart I know Pop will take care of me until the end of my career. So that's why I felt like I can take less now and help the team out. And we were able to sign Danny [Green] and Boris. And I know when I get a little bit older, I know Pop will take care of me. I really feel that."

Like my Dad says, "It's not all about the money."  

Written June 26, 2014

Churchill, Popovich and Redemption

My Dad loves telling that Winston Churchill quote about measuring a person's success not by "how high he climbs but how high he bounces when he hits bottom."  To put that quote in a noun, I think it'll be called "redemption."

This week, in a defeat of my prognosticating skills, the San Antonio Spurs shocked the two-time defending champs, Miami Heat, by winning this year's NBA Championship in a very convincing manner.  



It definitely made up - redeemed them - for last year's oh so close call.  Sometimes, sports goes beyond just being about sports and this is that rare occasion.  

They'd been written of after last year's defeat - that they were too old, players should be changed, etc. - and to come back in a manner they did demonstrated that oh so rare ability to get up and make a go at things again.

The irony, of course, is that had they actually won last year, there'd be no beautiful redemption story.  Sometimes one wonders if things happen to us to allow us to inspire others - more on this later.  More of God's mysterious ways, perhaps?

A few final thoughts on the Spurs' victory:

- The coach, Gregg Popovich, has been coaching 17 years but his success partly comes from the fact that he adjusts to his players and adjusted to the game.  He's understood that those things evolve and he has not pushed his own agenda...style of play.  

- He values his players as human beings - once stopping a coaching session to honor the passage of a law honoring native Australians in a nod to one of his players, Patty Mills, being of Aboriginal descent. 

Written June 19, 2014

Everything you needed to know about us....Part 1

Thought it'd be a great day to impart the wisdom of the late Bill Hicks.  Presenting, the human being in a few words.  I paraphrase here his "It's just a ride.":

The world is like a ride at an amusement park, and when you choose to go on it, you think it's real, because that's how powerful our minds are. And the ride goes up and down and round and round and it has thrills and chills and it's very brightly colored and it's very loud. And it's fun, for a while.

Some people have been on the ride for a long time, and they begin to question: 'Is this real? Or is this just a ride?' And other people have remembered, and they come back to us and they say 'Hey! Don't worry, don't be afraid -- ever -- because... this is just a ride.' 

And we kill those people.

We tell others:  'Shut him up! We have a lot invested in this ride! Shut him up! Look at my furrows of worry; look at my big bank account, and my family. This has to be real.' 

But, we forget that it's just a ride. 

But we always kill those good guys who try and tell us that -- ever notice that? -- and we let the demons run amok. 

But it doesn't matter, because... it's just a ride, and we can change it any time we want. It's only a choice. No effort. No worry. No job. No savings and money. Just a choice, right now, between fear and love. The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your door, buy bigger guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love, instead, see all of us as one.

Here's what we can do to change the world, right now, into a better ride. Take all that money we spend on weapons and defense each year and, instead, spend it feeding, clothing and educating the poor of the world, which it would do many times over -- not one human being excluded -- and we can explore space together, both inner and outer, forever. In peace.

Bill Hicks hadn't been a religious person and, in fact, had been known to ridicule that from time to time, but, I think one can see a spiritual slant in that above piece.  

I suppose I'd been inspired to share this piece after a week that saw Carlo share a great speech, I'd understood the human being a little bit more and other things.  

We may have doubts with the things we do - especially if others don't see the wisdom in what we do, but, I suppose you can rest easy knowing that you're doing them because you've a sense of purpose.  Hopefully, it's one that's out of love.  

If you want to watch the piece, check it here.  

Written April 6, 2014

"Do it right, people...."

Too often we've great items out there that don't get to see light because those behind them don't understand the importance of branding and marketing.  

They'll spend time and money developing and then.....

Case in point is this one from "Clark Land."  Not heard of them?  Then, that's your fault because they've done everything to get known including coming up with this really hilarious website ("Dinosaurs Island is  a animatronic theme park and museum that  is designed to  offer visitors a unique interactive learning experience of the dinosaurs ere with life size creatures") that was apparently put together from someone in China whose previous masterpiece is this.

By the way, don't forget to visit their "Dinosaurs Skeliton Museo."

Now, it looks like a fun place - do watch their atrociously done video as there's always, always something endearing about men in dino suits - and I'll most probably take the kids to it, but, am afraid it's not going to bring in tourists.  

I'm not being mean here, but, I'm just saying if you're going to do something, do it great and don't skimp on branding.  Would it have hurt had they set aside a few million Pesos for it?  

For theme parks here, I think Enchanted Kingdom is still the gold standard.  They're saying, "You don't have to be an international brand to do great in the Philippines."

Written December 18, 2013

Black Friday, the Pope, and St Francis

Noticed this year that we didn’t celebrate that grand American tradition involving turkey that happens last week of November  – yup, am talking about “Black Friday” – the day that American retailers start seeing black ink in their books and, yup, when the official nuttiness begins (make sure you watch both videos.  Hilarious!).

Yup, under extreme circumstances - after a super typhoon and during a 50% off sale - we revert to being animals.  

  

This week also saw the Pope officially declare himself as nutty for coming out with his declaration against consumerism, inequality and greed.  I know the Catholic Church has been accused of holding on to the past, but, this is absurd.  Observe:

"We've created new idols.  The worship of the ancient golden calf...has returned in a new and ruthless guise in the idolatry of money...."

"Just as the commandment 'Thou not kill' sets a clear limit in order to safeguard the value of human life...we also have to say 'thou shalt not' to an economy of exclusion and inequality.  Such an economy kills.  How can it be that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news when the stock market loses two points."

"Money must serve not rule!  The Pope loves everyone, rich and poor alike, but he is obliged in the name of Christ to remind all that the rich must help, respect and promote the poor."

The guy wants us to really go way, way, "way back Thursday" by…gasp…going all the way to Jesus who talked about pretty much the same things.  Ironically, that's a breath of fresh air.  

To me, there seemed to be too much focus in recent past on homosexuality, contraceptives and reproduction and just made one, well....very horny. 

The Pope named himself after St. Francis of Assisi – another throwback kind of nutty guy.  Let’s call him the original anti-consumerist – the rich son of a merchant who gave up worldly possessions and started an order after hearing God’s voice.

This just in:  There is no truth to the rumor that with Paul Walker's death the Pope will be in "Fast and Furious 8."  

Incidentally, been watching a 1961 film on St. Francis on YouTube which you can catch here if you’ve time off from your shopping chores.  Though now found to be wrongly attributed to him, the prayer named for him is a great reminder for 'tis season (you can check out a gorgeous Sinead O’Connor version here):

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace;

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is error, truth;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek

To be consoled as to console;

To be understood as to understand;

To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Written December 1, 2013