This is a picture of the Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann.  He’s on a crusade.  See Fortune’s article on who Mr. Dann thinks is partly responsible for the high foreclosure rate in Ohio

The subprime mortgage mess is hitting Ohio hard, in addition to other states.  It is a sad story and its going to get sadder.  I don’t want to trivialize those who’ve been impacted, but many saw this coming.

This is a vivid object lesson in not learning from the past.  I guess we humans like to re-do problems just for the heck of it.  Funny how often Wall Street is involved, but that’s another post.

The point remains; if you don’t learn from what screwed you up, you’re bound to do it again.  What’s scary now is we commit the sin and bet we’ll get a "second act."  In many cases we get a third and a fourth.

Just remember, the clock eventually runs out and you’ll have to live with what lies behind. 

Cyndi bangs the drum on the following quote:

"Your heart’s desire calls to you always; it will not stop until you hear its message louder than the noise of your days."

Have you turned off the noise?

These lyrics are from Everything But The Girl (Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn):

British Summertime

Leaving at dawn to beat the traffic, do you remember that too?
Curled asleep on the back seat, do you remember that too?
The soundless dark, the empty road, do you remember that too?
And that child asleep, only eight years old, do you recognise as you?

Windows down on the coast road, wanting to be first to see the sea.
The whole world seemed a safe place, temporarily.
But it was never as simple as you thought, and you found out as you grew,
That up ahead your parents had borne the weight of all their worries and yours too.
All their worries and yours too.

If you’re a parent, then you know how deep the above lyrics go.  If this brings back memories from your childhood, then you can relate as well. 

See the connection?

Those who know and read me, have heard my views on the coming shortage of skilled workers.  The demographics (baby-boomers) don’t lie, as well as the different mind-set that younger workers bring to the table.

Penelope Trunk (author and columnist) brings us a great post on how younger workers will have an advantage in the coming years.  I would go one-step further and say young thinking workers.

What do you think are the barriers for employers in managing and leading in this new environment?

Here’s my list of barriers:

• Today’s managers and leaders don’t read.  Consequently, they won’t take the time to read people either.
• Habit.
• Too fixated on quarterly numbers at the expense of people.
• Arrogance.
• Fear!
• No reliable and authentic voice to help them navigate.

Guy Kawasaki’s post on "No Plan, No Capital, No Model…No Problem" is great for those who are thinking about making a move or for those that think VC is the only way to launch.

Believe me it made me think about some ventures I’ve been sketching out (yes, there’s more to me than human development).  I subscribe to the belief that if God deposits a dream in your heart and mind, you follow it to the end. 

Guy’s video from a Churchill Club event will make you think…

Want some clues about the road ahead?  Want to know what you were born to do?  Then look at what moves you…deeply.  Something that won’t leave you alone even when you try to kill or medicate it.

The following is a road map:

• What do you do that causes you to lose track of time?
• What do you do that you can see as clearly as the palm of your hand?
• Who (needs to be more than you) benefits if you succeed in this pursuit?
• Have you encountered a valley (necessary for all authentic journeys) after catching the vision?
• Have you refused to give up?

The above is not exhaustive, but it reflects some of what I’ve encountered on the way to Epic Living.  You can find common ground with the road map as King David, Martin Luther King Jr., Steve Jobs and Terry Walling have.

Do you have the courage to live out what you know to be true?  The width of your life depends on it.

Wishing everyone well on this Independence Day.  Enjoy and celebrate the GIFT of freedom!

Does your organization call meetings for strategy or diversion?  I spoke with a friend today who told me its the latter. 

When organizations or individuals lack clarity and direction they resort to diversion.  Something to distract…a game of "pretend."  Almost like channel surfing with a remote at home.

Cures for this disease are simple, but hard to live out:

• Decide what you want and be prepared for the consequences
  (good and bad)
• Decide to stop wasting other people’s time.  Just because you don’t know what you want doesn’t mean everyone else is in the same boat.
• Decide to seek help…preferably with someone who is skilled and that you trust.
• Decide to keep the duration of your meetings to no more than one hour.
• Decide that too many meetings equals too many opportunities lost.

The title of this post is my reccomendation for AT&T to use as a marketing slogan.  More specifically for the IPhone.  C/NET News has an interesting piece on the current issues around activation for the IPhone.  Usually when you take the middle of two extremes (customers and providers) you’ll get the truth. 

It’s no secret about AT&T’s struggle with giving outstanding customer experiences.  Guy Kawasaki posts his review of the iPhone here ("My iPhone Review").  His experience with the folks at AT&T mirror my own from two years ago…at least their consistent.

I wonder whether Steve Jobs was a little nervous during pre-launch?  My read says he’s written these glitch issues off to the following:

• Every product has an ebb and flow cycle.
• The "brand" will transcend the problems.
• People want the iPhone to be magical and wonderful…therefore it is!
• He’ll rip the heads off of many if these glitches aren’t fixed soon:)