A Busy, Busy Year

I set out a New Years resolution to keep this space updated frequently and maintain a flow of fresh ideas and observations.  FAIL.

In fairness, it has easily been my busiest and most challenging year both personally and professionally.  I've travelled for business and with family much more than any past year, and we break ground on a major home remodeling project in early January.  But enough with the excuses.  In supply chain management we turn challenges into opportunities, and the incredible strain of all the reasons that have kept this blog sparse have created a deep, deep well of new ideas and experiences to fill this space.  Now to just find the time to organize the ideas and put fingers to keyboard.

In the meantime, it's Thanksgiving in the United States which requires visitation of the cliche: what am I thankful for...?

Family & Friends.  The best part of any business trip over a week in duration should be the moment you see who is waiting for you at the terminal aft your last flight arrives.  If not, then you're doing all st hard work for the wrong reasons.  Sure, the goal is to love what you do for a living and I do.  But the idea that I'm setting a strong example of work ethic, building a better future through my company's products, and building the US and Global economies will all benefit my family and generations to come is a strong motivator that gets me through the long weeks away from home.  The paycheck would never be enough.

Colleagues and Business Partners.  No man is an island, right?  We live in a complex global economy and mange multi-tiered international supply chains.  Without a strong team around you and high-quality external business partners who focus on solutions, success would be impossible and great ideas would all be classified as unreachable dreams.  I have been lucky to have been able to identify a network of experts in so many of the areas that are important to achieving my professional goals.  A motivated team and strong relationships are the first step in building any sustainable  competitive advantage.

Opportunities to Learn.  School was many times the last place I wanted to be.  I can recall counting the seconds until some of my classes ended and once I was bored the next step was usually some sort of reprimand for whatever behavior I found to break the boredom.  But after a couple years after my MBA was completed, I realized that despite my resistance I had been constantly learning new things for my entire life.  My career path has allowed me so many opportunities to learn new things to the point that noes I crave learning new things and understanding hoe they fit into the bigger picture of my work and the society in which I live.  Meeting with different cultures and doing business with people who share diverse opinions as well as regional and global business travel allow me to consistantly and satisfactorily scratch the itch to learn new things.

Baseball.  Google. TDi Engines. Nachos. My favorite easy chair.  Family Pets.  Bookstores.  HD LCD TVs, iProducts. Mackinac Island.  There are lots of little things to be thankful for but the three explained above are things I couldn't live without. No matter what else is going on, I am thankful for the people in my life and the many opportunities to learn and expand my knowledge.

Happy Thanksgiving!  I'm going for a second helping of mashed potatoes.