Execution & Engagement

An interviewee recently asked me what I’m most proud of about GWC.  I instinctively reached for two charts.

Chart 1: 

I have always believed that the truth is in the numbers.  Having worked with many people over the years who do everything they can to talk around and even avoid the facts, I’ve taken the opposite approach:  Transparency.  In fact, I like to tell people that I should be judged on more than my effervescent personality ;)   Instead, I believe that any individual or company should be primarily evaluated on the points they put on the scoreboard.

To that end, the GWC profitability story since the current leadership team took charge at the end of 2009 is pretty spectacular:  In summary, GWC’s profitability grew by 127% between 2009 and 2014.  This is very exciting as it means that the team exceeded its stated goal of doubling profitability every five years.  And its even more impressive considering that Independent dealer vehicle sales, GWC’s industry benchmark, rose by only 19% during the same period.

Chart 2:

Achieving those results coincided with an intense effort to define and establish specific cultural values at GWC.  Those values have helped us create a company that demands a lot of its people while rewarding performance.  So, when we had the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) conduct our first-ever Employee Engagement Survey at the end of last year, I had some well-founded anxiety.  I wondered if we were succeeding in creating a thriving company that was also a great place to work.

 The results of the survey left no doubt:  GWC’s top-line score (88% of GWC employees “Satisfied” with their jobs versus 70% in other companies) was very gratifying.  Taking a deeper dive into the survey, GWC’s results on particular aspects of Job Satisfaction were even more impressive, garnering scores as much as 33% higher than those of average employers.

I took particular satisfaction from the many verbatim comments that our employees shared with us.  To wit:

“This place isn’t for everyone (and I think that’s a good thing.)

Test Template 1

Testing …….Colleen and I just returned from an amazing trip to Cuba that was organized by our friend Larry Dorfman from GWC’s sister company APCO.  Our travel companions included dealers, agents and others who, I have to say, were among the nicest people I’ve ever bonded with in the auto space.  They were also prodigious rum consumers but what happens in Havana stays in Havana!

Overall, much of what I had imagined about Cuba was true:  The cars were mostly pre-1960 American models, the architecture hearkened from the same atomic age and the people were relatively poor but surprisingly happy.  We didn’t experience a sense of oppression (in fact, I’ve found Washington DC to be a much more intimidating, security-conscious venue since 9/11) and met a number of Cubans who travel freely in and out of the country.  More surprisingly, the television in our hotel included U.S. channels such as Disney, HBO, CNN and ESPN (generally translated to Spanish); i.e., this is NOT North Korea.

Rather, it’s a solidly Communist country where, for more than 50 years and several generations, people have lived peacefully.  They’ve received good educations and world-class health care along with provisions for their minimum needs even as they live under an extremely authoritarian dictatorship.  However, it’s strange to experience a dearth of stores and markets with virtually no brand competition or other commercial opportunities.  As a lifelong American, it’s hard to reconcile the minimalistic living, oppressive government and reasonable contentment of many of the people.

What really struck me was the lack of initiative and innovation.  I joked that if Raul Castro simply named 2015 “The Year of Painting” and required every Cuban to pick up a brush and adopt a building, the place would look 10 times better than it does today!  And, despite the well-educated population, there do not appear to be any significant inventions being developed to make life easier or better for people (despite the obvious need.)  I can only chalk this up to the lack of profit and status incentives to stand out, to innovate, to be better than the rest.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., despite our many internal political challenges and increasing wealth inequality, we continue to rapidly evolve, with new thinking and new businesses leading us to even more relative prosperity.  It’s a fascinating comparison with our neighbors only 90 miles south of Miami.

Testing What Am I Reading?

Testing Template I’ve been re-telling the “20-Mile-Marchers” story about the 1911 quest to reach the South Pole as relayed by Jim Collins for several years and apparently have unconsciously developed a keen interest in arctic expeditions!  “In The Kingdom of Ice” by Harrison Sides takes place a few decades earlier and tells the tale of the ill-fated explorers on board the USS Jeanette who attempted to reach the North Pole.  It’s a gripping story of bravery and heroism in the name of exploration.  It also demonstrates how little we actually knew about the world’s geography; some people actually believed that the North Pole was an open circle of warm waters that may have even led to a Jules Verne-esque underground civilization!  If only that were true….

test ing

Rather, it’s a solidly Communist country where, for more than 50 years and several generations, people have lived peacefully.  They’ve received good educations and world-class health care along with provisions for their minimum needs even as they live

what am i reading

The public is fascinated by the castaways’ saga, but Lillian and Dave must return to their lives and their spouses. Genevieve Randall—a hard-nosed journalist and host of a news program—isn’t buying it. She suspects Lillian’s and Dave’s explanations about the other crash survivors aren’t true. And now, Genevieve’s determined to get the real story, no matter how many lives it destroys.

March Madness: Notre Dame wins in scary game vs Northeastern

PITTSBURGH -- Zach Auguste scored 25 points, Jerian Grant added 17 and Notre Dame dodged a scare trying to erase its futile NCAA tournament history with a 69-65 win over Northeastern on Thursday.

The Fighting Irish (30-5) will play the winner of Texas-Butler on Saturday.

The third-seeded Irish returned to the tournament after a one-year absence determined to build off their ACC tournament title and make a deep run in March.

The Irish have traditionally struggled in the tournament under coach Mike Brey. They made only one Sweet 16 since 2001.

Northeastern (23-12) gave the Irish fits and threatened to keep Notre Dame's March malaise going. Scott Eatherton had 18 points and David Walker 15.

What Am I Drinking? 

There is simply no excuse for any sane person to live in this sun-forsaken quadrant of the country anymore. They have pizza and the internet everywhere now! Even in the less expensive, more pleasant, college footballier places that we snow-dwellers disdain out of knee-jerk jealousy and pettiness! Sure, some of the social values are different down there, but how much do any of us really care? Besides, maybe they're right? Has my brain been so thoroughly sleet-battered that I now kind of believe that the catastrophic winter was god's punishment for gay marriage, gun control, and minority enfranchisement? Maybe.

But then, perhaps it's time to just flee the country altogether. There's no need to get all NASCAR about it if you broaden your scope and realize they have most of the basic necessities covered in a lot of your warmer countries these days. Beer, even! Take a look at this map from VinePair. It shows you the best-selling beer in most countries around the world. They sent it to us a couple weeks ago, and I thought, "Oh, interesting, maybe I should write about this" and then I got drunk and screamed at the snow for 10 days straight while Sploid, the Daily Mail, and The Economist made what should have been Drunkspin's hay. Dammit. Anyhow, here we are, late to the party with this cool map.

March Madness: UAB stuns Iowa State

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- William Lee scored the last four points for 14th-seeded UAB, and the Blazers upset ninth-ranked Iowa State 60-59 on Thursday in their opening game in the NCAA Tournament.

The Blazers (20-15) came in with the youngest team in the NCAA Tournament and with nobody having played in this tournament before. They wound up winning the program's first NCAA game since 2005 by notching the first big upset of this tournament.

The Cyclones (25-9) came in seeded third in the South Regional looking for a much longer run than a year ago when they reached the Sweet 16 without top scorer Georges Niang due to injury. But they just couldn't match the scrappy Blazers on the boards in a second half where the Cyclones couldn't hold onto a 55-51 lead with 3:13 left.

The Blazers, who outscored Iowa State 9-4 down the stretch, will play either SMU or UCLA on Saturday.

What I Am Reading?

Lillian Linden is a liar. On the surface, she looks like a brave survivor of a plane crash. But she’s been lying to her family, her friends, and the whole world since rescue helicopters scooped her and her fellow survivor, Dave Hall, off a deserted island in the South Pacific. Missing for almost two years, the castaways are thrust into the spotlight after their rescue, becoming media darlings overnight. But they can’t tell the real story—so they lie.

The public is fascinated by the castaways’ saga, but Lillian and Dave must return to their lives and their spouses. Genevieve Randall—a hard-nosed journalist and host of a news program—isn’t buying it. She suspects Lillian’s and Dave’s explanations about the other crash survivors aren’t true. And now, Genevieve’s determined to get the real story, no matter how many lives it destroys.

In this intriguing tale of survival, secrets, and redemption, two everyday people thrown together by tragedy must finally face the truth…even if it tears them apart.

Your Man in Havana

Your Man in Havana

Colleen and I just returned from an amazing trip to Cuba that was organized by our friend Larry Dorfman from GWC’s sister company APCO.  Our travel companions included dealers, agents and others who, I have to say, were among the nicest people I’ve ever bonded with in the auto space.  They were also prodigious rum consumers but what happens in Havana stays in Havana!

Overall, much of what I had imagined about Cuba was true:  The cars were mostly pre-1960 American models, the architecture hearkened from the same atomic age and the people were relatively poor but surprisingly happy.  We didn’t experience a sense of oppression (in fact, I’ve found Washington DC to be a much more intimidating, security-conscious venue since 9/11) and met a number of Cubans who travel freely in and out of the country.  More surprisingly, the television in our hotel included U.S. channels such as Disney, HBO, CNN and ESPN (generally translated to Spanish); i.e., this is NOT North Korea.

Rather, it’s a solidly Communist country where, for more than 50 years and several generations, people have lived peacefully.  They’ve received good educations and world-class health care along with provisions for their minimum needs even as they live under an extremely authoritarian dictatorship.  However, it’s strange to experience a dearth of stores and markets with virtually no brand competition or other commercial opportunities.  As a lifelong American, it’s hard to reconcile the minimalistic living, oppressive government and reasonable contentment of many of the people.

What really struck me was the lack of initiative and innovation.  I joked that if Raul Castro simply named 2015 “The Year of Painting” and required every Cuban to pick up a brush and adopt a building, the place would look 10 times better than it does today!  And, despite the well-educated population, there do not appear to be any significant inventions being developed to make life easier or better for people (despite the obvious need.)  I can only chalk this up to the lack of profit and status incentives to stand out, to innovate, to be better than the rest.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., despite our many internal political challenges and increasing wealth inequality, we continue to rapidly evolve, with new thinking and new businesses leading us to even more relative prosperity.  It’s a fascinating comparison with our neighbors only 90 miles south of Miami.

What Am I Reading?

I’ve been re-telling the “20-Mile-Marchers” story about the 1911 quest to reach the South Pole as relayed by Jim Collins for several years and apparently have unconsciously developed a keen interest in arctic expeditions!  “In The Kingdom of Ice” by Harrison Sides takes place a few decades earlier and tells the tale of the ill-fated explorers on board the USS Jeanette who attempted to reach the North Pole.  It’s a gripping story of bravery and heroism in the name of exploration.  It also demonstrates how little we actually knew about the world’s geography; some people actually believed that the North Pole was an open circle of warm waters that may have even led to a Jules Verne-esque underground civilization!  If only that were true….

Your Man in Havana

Colleen and I just returned from an amazing trip to Cuba that was organized by our friend Larry Dorfman from GWC’s sister company APCO.  Our travel companions included dealers, agents and others who, I have to say, were among the nicest people I’ve ever bonded with in the auto space.  They were also prodigious rum consumers but what happens in Havana stays in Havana!

Overall, much of what I had imagined about Cuba was true:  The cars were mostly pre-1960 American models, the architecture hearkened from the same atomic age and the people were relatively poor but surprisingly happy.  We didn’t experience a sense of oppression (in fact, I’ve found Washington DC to be a much more intimidating, security-conscious venue since 9/11) and met a number of Cubans who travel freely in and out of the country.  More surprisingly, the television in our hotel included U.S. channels such as Disney, HBO, CNN and ESPN (generally translated to Spanish); i.e., this is NOT North Korea.

Rather, it’s a solidly Communist country where, for more than 50 years and several generations, people have lived peacefully.  They’ve received good educations and world-class health care along with provisions for their minimum needs even as they live under an extremely authoritarian dictatorship.  However, it’s strange to experience a dearth of stores and markets with virtually no brand competition or other commercial opportunities.  As a lifelong American, it’s hard to reconcile the minimalistic living, oppressive government and reasonable contentment of many of the people.

What really struck me was the lack of initiative and innovation.  I joked that if Raul Castro simply named 2015 “The Year of Painting” and required every Cuban to pick up a brush and adopt a building, the place would look 10 times better than it does today!  And, despite the well-educated population, there do not appear to be any significant inventions being developed to make life easier or better for people (despite the obvious need.)  I can only chalk this up to the lack of profit and status incentives to stand out, to innovate, to be better than the rest.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., despite our many internal political challenges and increasing wealth inequality, we continue to rapidly evolve, with new thinking and new businesses leading us to even more relative prosperity.  It’s a fascinating comparison with our neighbors only 90 miles south of Miami.

What Am I Reading?
 

I’ve been re-telling the “20-Mile-Marchers” story about the 1911 quest to reach the South Pole as relayed by Jim Collins for several years and apparently have unconsciously developed a keen interest in arctic expeditions!  “In The Kingdom of Ice” by Harrison Sides takes place a few decades earlier and tells the tale of the ill-fated explorers on board the USS Jeanette who attempted to reach the North Pole.  It’s a gripping story of bravery and heroism in the name of exploration.  It also demonstrates how little we actually knew about the world’s geography; some people actually believed that the North Pole was an open circle of warm waters that may have even led to a Jules Verne-esque underground civilization!  If only that were true….

Testing Leadership Blah

 recently took my 11-year-old daughter Lily to see the Harlem Globetrotters on their annual visit to the Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre. I was surprised and secretly delighted that she wanted to attend, as the Globetrotters have always held a storehouse of memories for me, some of which I’ll touch on in a few minutes.

In the meantime, Lily and I had a great time at the game, laughing at all the trick shots and gamesmanship that made fools out of their hapless opponents, the inappropriately named World All-Stars. And it’s worth noting that in the course of that enjoyment we consumed dinner and snacks (on top of what I thought was a relatively hefty ticket price) and excitedly bought a red, white and blue basketball as well as a Globetrotter branded Sharpie in anticipation of what we thought we be the capper to a great evening: A promised opportunity to go down on the hardwood floor and collect photos and signatures of the team’s thrilling players immediately following the game.

Needless to say, that’s not quite what happened. Shortly before the game ended, the court was roped off and, as the final horn sounded, most of the crowd attempted to find the undefined pathway to two unmarked openings to the court. Meanwhile, two of the players were led over to backdrops behind one of the hoops where makeshift lines began to form.

What Am I Reading? 

experience. Desperate to prove she is still relevant, the fiftysomething accepts a shady job offer from Pierre Barton, secretive billionaire owner of Barton Pharmaceuticals. Isolated in a facility outside London, she agrees to test a new top-secret product guaranteed to make her look thirty years younger. Anna is starting to look on the outside the way she feels on the inside: ageless. But she soon discovers that her predecessor died under mysterious circumstances, leading her to research just who stands to gain—and lose—with this miraculous product. When Pierre drops dead in front of her, she takes off on a dangerous journey across Europe hoping to stay alive long enough to uncover the truth.

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Leadership Lessons from Sidney Crosby of the Penguins

I testing... rarely try to conflate sports stories into business allegories but I’m still euphoric over the Pittsburgh Penguins’ victory a few nights ago (and excited about our WBS Penguins’ currently knotted playoff series with those pesky Binghamton Senators – Impeach ‘em!)  However, Sidney Crosby subtly demonstrated one of the attributes that make him a true team Captain after Monday’s game.

To recap:  Penguins goalie Mark Andre Fleury has a well-chronicled history of mental lapses leading to team collapses in the playoffs.  And the most recent series against Columbus was bringing out the doubters again.  After single-handedly costing the Penguins game 4 with a crazy decision to leave the net open with 25 seconds remaining, Fleury won game 5 and was playing brilliantly in game 6…until the end.  Holding a 4-0 lead with 10 minutes to play (powered by Evgeni Malkin’s hat trick), Fleury let 3 goals slip by in a span of 5 minutes. 

After a frantic finish that saw the Pens hold on and win the series, Crosby was quick to grab the game puck and hand-deliver it to Fleury.  When the announcer, who was among many taking jabs at Fleury all series, asked Sidney why he chose Fleury for the honor, he said “There’s a lot of pressure.  It’s a hard job.  And Mark was the best player in the series.”  

And with those few words, the Captain gave an strong endorsement to a player whose confidence could be faltering and who the team desperately needs to stay strong through the rest of the playoffs.  I’ve been thinking about that a lot as I consider people who need to be reminded of their value and importance even when they may be faltering.  The team needs them and is rooting for them to succeed, even if they don’t know it.  We all have to remember to tell them as much, just like Sidney.  Let’s Go Pens!

What Am I Reading?

Regular readers of the blog know that I am a sucker for memoirs about great artists and musicians.  And this book by Peter Hook delivers a thrilling, funny and touching eyewitness account of his seminal band Joy Division.  Hooky starts with a gang of rambunctious kids who want to make music and takes us right through the group’s abrupt demise with the shocking suicide of lead singer Ian Curtis.  Like Joy Division’s music, that description sounds bleak but the book is anything but.  Like one of the band’s early ep’s, it’s more an “Ideal for Living.”  Random question:  Why do bass players tell the best stories? testing copy of current blog =….sd.sdflsdflpsdf;lsdf;lsd;l

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Gazing Beyond Our Overpowering Present & Into Our Ever-Uncertain Future

It takes real discipline to learn from the past, look beyond the current condition and envision a future that is by definition different from today. It comes naturally to a handful of gifted people and they are fascinating to meet. For example, last year I was lucky to hear futurist Ariane van de Ven speak at a conference. Ms. van de Ven has an ability to synthesize current trends and offer a compelling outlook based on her observations. 

Most of us, however, do not have that capacity. Our worldview is shaped by our experiences (with heavy weighting on our current situation). This means that when we are struggling with a boss who doesn’t understand us, we can’t even envision the day a new boss (or different career opportunity) appears on the scene. Likewise, if the economy is challenged, it feels like things will only get worse (and visa-versa). We see this on a global level, where various economists have been chasing a non-existent threat of inflation for years simply because that’s a threat they grew up with in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s. 

It’s important to keep this blind spot in mind in every situation so we can remain realistically optimistic about the future and open to its unexpected possibilities. 

What Am I Reading?

Do we really need another “zombie” story? I know they’ve been all the rage for several years and I almost passed on The Girl With All The Gifts in part because I feared that there wasn’t much new to discover in the genre. Fortunately, I trusted the glowing reviews and dug into the book, which is a fascinating look at human and not-quite-human relationships. And isn’t that what the best science fiction does? It presents us with a world different from our own yet filled with striking similarities from which we can better understand the human condition.

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Thoughts on today

Today i showed up to work and got things done.

What am i reading?

This is a great book and part of my generation.  Highly recommended!

by Test 3445566

Add a Post Title

Marbury dunked on by Kung Fu Panda

Testing gif on blogspot and Desk: Writer

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