Tag Archives: tough choices

What’s for Lunch?

“Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.” Anthelme Brillat-Savarin.

Do you know who he was? To folks like me who love our time in the kitchen, he is considered the “Father of Foodies.” His professional life was as a lawyer and politician, but his fame comes from laying the foundations and building the house of modern gastronomy. His book, Physiologie du goût (The Physiology of Taste) , is not on my list of recommended reads, but his insights are timeless. The Julia Childs and Emeril Lagasses and all the wannabees can thank our first “Iron Chef”. His comment above is among others that are relevant far beyond the realm of chopping blocks and saucepans.

Read More…

“One Thing …”

It’s really great to be surprised, particularly when it’s a good one. For close to two decades I’ve been ranting about three rules, the only three rules we need to execute, improve, or accomplish close to everything. There are many attributes that contribute to success, brains for example, but those are not what this is about. The three rules are focus, discipline, and follow-through.
Read More…

On the Dock of the Bay

Have you thought about how we make decisions? It’s fascinating and frightening. I believe decision making is by far our greatest Achilles Heel. In his book, “Fateful Choices,  Ten Decisions that Changed the World”, Ian Kershaw delivers a monumental and …
Read More…

“Have You Recovered?”

It has been one year since the economic tsunami swept across our world. There were lots of financial volcanoes bubbling with excitement, building pressure and spilling over. It became very evident that we did not have lots of volcanoes, but rather outlets under a sea of molten financial foundations with unstoppable pressures. In panic, some of the eruptions were temporarily plugged with financial corks, borrowed from our future, but a big one went and blew up. In the Straits of Wall Street, our own Krakatau, aka Lehman Brothers blew its top, exploded and sent a blanket of financial darkness around the world.
Read More…

“Ouch! Labor Hurts!”

Yesterday was Labor Day in the US. When I was growing up, it was usually a milestone close to the end of summer and a signal that back to school was here. The contributions and needs of labor did not weigh into my view or feelings about the day back then. They are a big deal today and weigh heavy.
Read More…

“I’m Going to Pump You Up!”

Last year I lost a friend to heart disease. He had a stroke that eventually proved fatal.
Read More…

On the Shoulders of Giants

I’ve often heard the term, “You are what you eat.” I suspect that some of that may be true. If you’ve read Michael Pollan’s “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” you may conclude that we are more corn than anything else.
Read More…

On the Banks of the Rubicon

How many times have we crossed the Rubicon, our very own River Rubicon? When Julius Caesar crossed the River Rubicon in 49 BC, it was an act of commitment to war with Rome, a point of no return, a decision to follow through without looking back. It was, in fact a decision that changed the course of history and our world as it is today
Read More…

Burned by the Budget

This has been a tough season for many. As business belts and budgets tightened, the focus to become leaner has led to some tough choices. Many of the activities we engaged in with customers had to change, even go by the wayside. Maybe it was fewer visits, or less personalized care, as we moved their requests into more “efficient” centers, thereby reducing transactions costs. Some of the requests we did for little or no cost, now are fee based. What about when the economy improves?

Read More…