'Ben Thinking' for the week of 10.14
‘The Office’ is one of the most rewatchable series out there. (Well, up through season seven anyways.) I was watching an episode the other night – ‘The Christening’ (episode 7, season 7). Jim and Pam’s daughter is getting christened. In it, Toby is debating on whether he should go into the church, finally going in, looking up at the ceiling and asking ‘why are you always mean to me?’
I kind of feel like that’s the supply chain, today. Asking the world…why are you always mean to me? That’s where we start today’s 'Ben Thinking'.
Up first: Supply chain love
Hurricane Mliton’s supply chain impact: what we know so far.
Manufacturing Dive dove right into this one, talking about closed ports and flooded truck routes. Give it a read. As you do, I have to point out that while they aren’t nearly as critical as transportation channels, your communication channels also need to be managed and cared for during times of crisis like these.
Back-to-back hurricanes wreak havoc on supply chains. (from the Institute of Supply Chain Management)
Why the dock worker’s strike should be a cautionary tale for every manufacturer. (Forbes)
Weird, but turns out people do matter.
Next: Why am I featuring an ERP (enterprise resource planning) article in ‘Ben thinking’?
This newsletter has evolved so much over time. And the longer I work with companies in the manufacturing space, the more I see the impact an ERP system can have on pretty much anyone and everyone in the company.
Now, when I say ‘impact’ – do you think positive or negative impact? Thing is, it’s supposed to be a positive one, right? This article from StrategicCFO is probably one of the most direct and most candid pieces I’ve ever read on the topic of ERPs.
“How to prevent ERP heartbreak”
Less me. More we.
What employers get wrong about how people connect at work.
HBR did a great job watering down that title. The real headline should be ‘What happens when leaders forget connection is a two-way street’.
Either way, hope you read the article. Because it ties to the next one really well.
Now THIS is how you write a headline!
I really hate using the term war to describe something that’s not even close to one. But that’s the headline Fortune chose for this article.
I guess it’s appropriate when you consider how people who are in the middle of these discussions feel about going back to the office. Small hint: if something you’re considering is being referred to as a ‘war’, it might be time to reassess your stance.
Now, I don’t care if you return to your office or not. I actually think it is a good thing for some companies. And not such a great thing for others. Every company is different. And one each company needs to determine as they consider what's best for them. But a question I would insist you start with, regardless, is “am I making this decision in my best interest…or the employees?”
As I learned a few years ago, do yourself a favor...stop and ask yourself the question ‘who’s agenda am I on?’ It can serve as a great reality check.
(Now this is what you call a transition…)
Speaking of reality checks…are you a new CEO? In a new leadership position?
Here are six reality checks for you to monitor in your first 100 days. I love the second one (yes, there is a HUGE difference between being a thermostat or a thermometer) and hate the fourth one (mainly because I can’t get it through my thick skull that people listen to, dissect and assign meaning to everything you say).
I miss the good ol’ days (you know...waaaay back in 2012)
Why marketers are spending less on social media.
A large percentage of this newsletter used to be about social media strategies, trends and best practices. Not anymore.
Note: I’d really pay attention to one of the ‘ideas’ HBR lists as a way to breathe innovation into your strategy. Here's an excerpt:
“…only about 25% to 30% of companies are using LLMs for social content. These usage rates leave a lot of opportunity yet on the table for marketers, who may be missing out on the ability to time-efficiently and cost-effectively generate content at scale. These benefits must be balanced, of course, with ensuring that the resulting social media is a strategic fit for brand and target markets.”
This is not a best practice and will do nothing significant (beyond reducing time spent on the writing) to boost your social media results. I’m surprised this is featured as a way to ‘innovate and drive more ROI’.
I was going to tell you something…wait…I’ll think of it.
Oh yeah, read this article on why we keep forgetting things.
Anyone else feel like their memory is being assaulted? My oldest daughter made fun of me because I called a movie character by the wrong first name. I told her my head is a vast wasteland of movie quotes, actors names, pop culture references and both meaningful and meaningless sports stats. There is some room left over for birthdays, jokes and my wife’s favorite things.
But it’s true. It is getting harder to remember things. And there’s a reason for it.
Logo v. Brand. What’s more important.
The creative genius of typos and imperfections.
Our creative director, Mike Lawrence, shared a few examples of how companies are demonstrating just how strong their brand is. So strong that they are running campaigns that don’t rely on the power of their logo. So much so that they (literally) trash it or misspell it. (Now, in both cases, Coca-Cola and Heineken, they have the luxury of leaning on one red can and one green bottle…as both commercials embrace.)
If you miss the days of solid, straight forward creative of a well-established brand, these clips are for you:
For the pod squad
Malcolm Gladwell’s new take on tipping points (IdeaCast)
From ‘The Office’ to The Tipping Point…everything’s getting a reboot these days.
I am a huge fan of Malcolm Gladwell and his book The Tipping Point. But I found this interview to be very off-putting. Usually I get excited to read more/learn more about the book being discussed. However, I felt like there was very little conviction around why I should read it or that he even enjoyed writing it. New theories are discussed in the same apprehensive, lifeless way as those he admits to regretting or getting wrong in the first book.
So why link to it? Well, you can’t deny the impact of The Tipping Point. I lived it. People swore by this book. But maybe we’re at a point where life, science and society are all moving in such a frantic and unpredictable way that we can no longer bank on business books or theories to offer us a prescriptive approach to managing and leading. Instead, we get to figure it out. Daily. And that’s the fun part!
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Thanks for reading!
-Ben