Thursday, October 15, 2009

C.F. Martin: A company that does things right

C.F. Martin is a family-owned business. It has been making some of the best acoustic guitars for generations. The guitars are not cheap, though. In a recession, selling high-end guitars can be a risky business. But Martin has resisted the cost-cutting temptations that larger companies have pounced on. Martin has not laid off a single employee. It seems that Martin has found a way to return the loyalty of its employees. Treating them like family isn't just some corporate slogan used in good times. When most needed, Martin has come through for its workers. The guitar-maker has not booted people to the curb and should be commended for finding ways to make ends meet without ruining careers or lives. Here's a short, inspirational video about the company:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/33318601#33318601

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Reconnecting more important than ever

I have spent a lot of time in the last 10 months reaching out to old friends and colleagues. And some have reached out to me, which is always nice.

One of the silver-lining results of the dismal unemployment situation is that folks are trying to stay connected or are reconnecting. These online reunions are bringing people together who haven't been in touch in a decade or longer. People are either out of work or fear they or someone they know will be jobless very soon, so they are networking online. Trying to stay in the game. As one columnist friend from The Washington Post wrote to me today, "We have to watch out for each other."

Surprisingly, some of the folks who are now in touch the most frequently are people I haven't worked with or seen in many years.

There are many ways to reconnect. Of course, there is always e-mail and phone calls. Receiving personal notes from old friends and colleagues improves my spirits much more than a one-line message on Facebook. But even the social-networking messages serve a purpose in this highly connected world, particularly for those of us who are out of the workplace loop.

Electronic reunions also take place on professional-networking sites like LinkedIn.com. Just today I wrote a recommendation of a fellow who I worked with 15 years ago. He returned the favor by posting some nice words about me, his former boss, on the LinkedIn.com site.

These reunions remind me of where I have been, who I have touched and help me continue to fight the good fight. It's not so much the practical benefits of these reunions that are important. After all, I am still looking for work. The reconnecting has not solved that major problem. But these reunions do provide a sense of what I have accomplished in the past, even if current circumstances aren't yielding positive results. It's important to feel something other than rejection and hopelessness in this recession.

D.C. area has some of the worst drivers

The Washington D.C. metro area has the No. 2 worst traffic in the nation. Los Angeles is first. I would argue that traffic isn't caused only by volume of cars or insufficient highways. Where I live, on the boarder of Fairfax and Loudoun counties, there is an inordinate number of rich folks in fast, high-end cars. Many of these folks are hyper, "type A" people with cellphones glued to their ears. Because they can afford pricey vehicles that can outperform other vehicles, they tend to drive like lunatics, often causing accidents, which then leads to backups. At the very least, they can ruin your morning commute with their rude road habits. This is not to say others, with modest cars, aren't equally rude or dangerous. But in parts of Northern Virginia, it seems you are more likely to be tailgated by a BMW or Hummer than a 10-year-old Ford Focus.

In addition, we have an incredibly diverse population with people from all over the globe living or visiting here -- a good thing in many regards, but not so much when driving. I suspect the rules of the road in Pakistan don't match the customs of driving in America. I often see drivers just stop for no apparent reason. I mean totally stop dead in the middle of the highway where there is no stop sign or red light. And things like signaling or yielding are completely alien to these drivers. I never saw anything like this, not even when I was commuting from Connecticut to New York City every weekday.

This all leads me to wonder which metro area truly has the worst drivers?

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Limbaugh, Vick share some common traits

Has anyone noticed that many of the same people who don't want radio personality Rush Limbaugh to be allowed to buy an NFL team are the same people who were so anxious to give convicted felon and animal abuser Michael Vick another chance to play in the league? In my opinion, the day the NFL commissioner let Vick play football again is the day the league lost any right to prevent anyone from being a part of the league, including Rush Limbaugh.

These self-absorbed men are no friends to animals and probably have little positive value to society in any capacity. In my opinion, they are both broken and manipulative human beings. Limbaugh has a history of making anti-animal activist comments, not to mention some questionable racial statements. And Vick, now playing with the Philadelphia Eagles, went to jail for running a dog-fighting business in Virginia. Is anyone buying that he is truly remorseful? Seems to me he just wants another lucrative Nike contract.

Would be nice if both of these rotten apples would disappear. Instead, they continue to make millions doing what they do.

Debate barely touches on jobs

I watched the debate between Creigh Deeds (D) and Bob McDonnell (R) last night. Both men are running for governor of Virginia. For various reasons, this race has political importance throughout the country. The election is less than a month away.

I turned off the debate after 45 minutes. Why? Because there was virtually no discussion of what I would consider the issue of our time: unemployment.

Now, to be fair to the candidates, the questions submitted by various people on the panel and the general public were about as lame as I have heard for a debate of this importance. Someone actually asked if either candidate could foresee a case where women should be paid less than men for equal work. At that point, I reached for the TV remote and put on Monday Night Football.

Monday, October 12, 2009

The last waltz is often clunky

Director Martin Scorsese's "The Last Waltz" documents The Band's farewell performance in 1976. It's a concert that includes many guest musicians. As with any farewell performance, there are bittersweet moments. But overall, the musicians seemed to be at peace with their decision to break up the band. They appeared to be having fun in their final show. And they played very well.

I've had a couple last waltzes myself over the years - both musically and in other areas of life. This picture shows the last public performance of a garage band I co-founded, The Clueless Bandits, at a pool party in Chantilly, Va., in 2008. The gig was cut short by a massive thunderstorm, which in many ways seemed appropriate. The band wasn't progressing and the pool party was a complete disaster.

In 2006, a band (Crystal Legend) that I first played in as a kid, performed what was likely to be its final show at a pub in Congers, N.Y. That performance also ended in a bumpy way, with virtually no patrons left to listen to us by the end of the night and no rehearsal time to get ready for the gig for reasons I won't get into. The band played at the same club a year or so before that final gig. The performance went much better.

Playing in bands is tough and often mimics life's other relationship challenges. There are egos and personalities to contend with. There are logistical problems to overcome in trying to produce a product -- the music. There are creative differences and varying skill levels. And like other relationships, such as workplace relationships, bands often end on a bad note, excuse the pun.

It seems most final waltzes don't end on the high that The Band finished on. Instead, we often hang on for too long, hoping that things will improve, or because we are afraid of change. Sadly, broken relationships rarely get better. Just ask The Police, The Beatles, Journey and countless other bands that have gone through intense turmoil.

I think the age of long-running bands like U2 or The Rolling Stones is over. Longevity is a thing of the past. People are less tolerant. Easier to break up than to work things out. I think one can see that in all aspects of society. Divorce rates are much higher than they were 50 years ago. People don't stay in the same job for very long anymore and employers are far too eager to give workers the boot. Even friendships seem vulnerable to the winds of change. A simple move across town can end relationships these days.

Pulling the plug on things that don't work can be a good thing. It can save a lot of wasted time and heartache. Terminating relationships prematurely, however, can also be a big mistake. Through hard times come great achievements.

It takes a lot of life experience and insight to know when to walk away and when to stick with it. Most folks probably would like to walk away on top, like quarterback John Elway did after his Denver Broncos won the Super Bowl in 1999. Unfortunately, that is a rarity. For many of us, professionally or personally, the last waltz is often clunky and imperfect.

Finding one's place

I have always gone to where jobs took me. I never moved to an area without a job. That has led to my residing in some places that were less than ideal. But that's where the jobs were, so that's where I moved. It seemed to be the responsible thing to do.

Some folks say they put greater importance on where they live and make employment secondary in their decision-making process. Because of their attachment to a place, they find ways to make it work financially. They find jobs, affordable housing, etc. And if they don't, they eat out of tuna cans and do what they have to in order to survive until they get on their feet. Many Californians will not move away despite raging fires and record-unemployment rates. They stay because they are in harmony with their surroundings.

The most fortunate of people have jobs where they work from home. They can live anywhere as long as they have a high-speed Internet connection. I know three people in this situation. All three are quite content. All three live in very different areas of the country.

I've known people who made a bundle on selling their homes during the real estate boom and rode off into the sunset to live where they felt more in balance. Or they received an inheritance which allowed them the freedom to roam around until they found that special place to settle down. Folks take different paths to finding their place.

We all have places that feel right, whether it's the desert, the mountains or along the coast. Some put a priority on being near family and friends more than on geography or culture. Sometimes we're conflicted. Our friends and family live in the country, but our hearts are in the city. I have known people who have moved to Florida for the warmth and for health reasons, but have had to return north because they couldn't stand not seeing their grandchildren grow up.

Life is short, and if one has a strong connection to a particular area on the globe for any reason, it almost seems sinful not to live there, at least for a period of time. Maybe it won't be ideal, and maybe you will move back, but I think there is value in trying. I did that in moving to Florida in the 1980s.

As I ponder life in an ever-changing Northern Virginia, I am beginning to feel out of place here. That could be in part from not having a job to go to each day. Jobs do help connect you to an area. But the culture of Northern Virginia is also changing rapidly. I don't recognize my neighbors because this is such a transient section of the country. I don't recognize languages. I don't recognize the ever-changing landscape because of massive development.

Perhaps a rewarding job would help me regain my footing here. However, that isn't happening. Job interviews have been few and far between. I am living in an area that feels less like home, without the rewards of a paycheck. And it takes a significant paycheck to live here, as I mentioned in an earlier post. When you reach a certain stage in life, any old job often won't suffice, not in an area like the D.C. suburbs.

The question I am pondering: Is it time to roll the dice and to move to an area, even without a job, that has other qualities about it that would make it feel more in sync with my values, desires and dwindling bank account? The more I sit here without a good job, without the friends and energy that often comes from employment, the more it seems like a mistake to stay much longer. I've had a good ride in Virgina. Went to college here in the 70s. Worked at USA Today, which I thought was a stable employer. But, as George Harrison sang, "All things must pass..." In this recession, those words are more true than ever.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

When things go bad for so long, look to the top

I don't think Jim Zorn is the main problem with the Washington Redskins. I rarely think that lower or mid-management is the root cause of dysfunction in any organization. While Zorn might not be Vince Lombardi, he's not a terrible coach in my opinion. As a quarterback, he was a pretty innovative and creative player. I doubt those characteristics disappeared when he went into coaching, and many other respected coaches around the NFL speak well of him.

The constants with the Redskins, through all the losing and mediocre seasons, are the owner and the guy bringing in sub-par talent. These are the people with the power calling most of the shots. The blame goes to Dan Snyder and Vinny Cerrato, respectively. They are the people hiring and firing head coaches. They are the ones evaluating players and signing them to long-term contracts, which then pressures Zorn (and coaches prior to him) to play these below-average athletes. If he doesn't play them, then he appears like he isn't being a good company man. But it's impossible to make chicken salad out of chicken ... Well, you get my drift.

It won't matter who comes in next to coach this team. Snyder is wrong to think he can win a Super Bowl by running his sports franchise the way he runs his other businesses. That's one of the things I enjoy about sports. It tends to expose character flaws in a way big business doesn't. You can't bully your way to a championship. You can't create a monopoly. You have to do the work and be smart within the rules of the game. You have to build the business, build trust and retain good people. These are things Snyder struggles with.

As for Cerrato, c'mon ... look at his drafts. Unfortunately, Cerrato and Snyder are pals, so Vinny is probably safe.


When ownership or top management fails to hire and retain the right people, sports teams like businesses, tend to spiral downward. It is clear that in terms of judging character and skill the Redskins' front office is about as bad as any failed company. Luckily, taxpayers won't have to bail out this team, as the Redskins remain one of the most profitable sports franchises. Maybe when fans start staying home and don't buy merchandise, Snyder will revise his way of running the team.

Coaches are like mid-level managers in business. They can only work with what they are given. They are also vulnerable to being fired because upper management has to fire someone in order to deflect blame from themselves.

I am afraid Zorn will fall victim to Snyder if the 'Skins (2-3) lose to the Kansas City Chiefs next week, perhaps sooner if Cerrato sees he can save his own butt by firing the coach. But what really needs to change is the front-office structure of the Redskins. People of integrity and institutional knowledge must be hired to run the show. And Snyder needs to let them do their jobs. He's not a football guy. He's a rich dude who could afford to buy a team. He should be happy to be that and give the Redskin fans something to cheer about.

More on the decline of USA TODAY

The Wall Street Journal is poised to move back into the No. 1 position of weekday newspapers, displacing USA TODAY. Some theorize the price increase is mainly responsible for the circulation decline at USA TODAY. However, as a former long-time employee, I don't believe the problems at USA TODAY can be blamed on just one thing. More about that in a future post.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/usmediaindustrynewspaperswsjusatoday