Generative thinking…

I think and I worry about thinking vs. the “machines” generating thinking, often these days.  Yes, being retired, I have time on my hands HaHa!  Even though I made my career in the technology field, I feel things have gotten (past tense) out of hand.  

In my World War II History class at Metro State University of Denver, I found another who thinks the way I think.  Technology is not only getting ahead of mankind’s thinking abilities, but we are voluntarily contributing to the problem: 

Generative A.I. 

The outsourcing of analytical thinking and reasoning. 

Professor Andrew Muldoon 

Technologists would say they are simply trying to improve things, I suppose.  But then the “Department of Unintended Consequences” rears its head as described in Ian Leslie’s book Curious ©: 

Human memory is inefficient and unreliable in comparison to machine memory, but it's this very unpredictability that's the source of our creativity.  It makes connections we'd never consciously think of making, smashing together atoms that our conscious minds keep separate.  Digital databases cannot yet replicate the kind of serendipity that enables the unconscious human mind to make novel patterns and see powerful new analogies, of the kind that lead to our most creative break throughs.  The more we outsource our memories to Google, the less we are nourishing the wonderfully accidental creativity of our unconscious. 

“… The more we outsource… the less we nourish… our unconscious.”  

Human brain power, or lack thereof, has been criticized for generations – interestingly, only by other humans.  Smart humans perhaps, but I haven’t witnessed a machine do this math (yet): 

Five percent of the people think; ten percent of the people think they think; and the other eighty five percent would rather die than think. 

Thomas Edison 

It makes me wonder what other great thinkers of their time would think about the thinking that goes on in our time: 

Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it. 

Henry Ford

Well, I think we’ll just have to wait and see if the machines turn out to be better thinkers than we humans.  Perhaps we Neo-Luddites will be proven wrong. 

GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.

Self-Sufficient?

Throughout my sales career, I prided myself on being (mostly) self-sufficient.  I say mostly because there were specific elements in my selling cycle where I accepted help – lots of help. 

First, I had great teammates in the role called “Systems Consultant”, “SC”, or generally “Pre-Sales”.  They are product and technology experts.  When the prospect asked a capabilities questions, even when I knew the answer, I deferred.  I knew as the salesman, my credibility could be suspect. The prospect always preferred answers from Subject Matter Experts. 

At the other end of the sales cycle, I rarely “closed the deal”.  I was skilled at it but closing simply wasn’t the part I enjoyed.  I was an excellent “opener”, a prospector, a “hunter” and I enjoyed the “hunt” more than I enjoyed the “kill”.  I usually turned control of the closing cycle over to my sales managers or company executives.  Imploring them not to screw things up, I pursued the next deal.  The best part was the commissions paid were the same! 

The third element to my lack of total self-sufficiency was caused by my curiosity.  I asked my prospects, “Why?” throughout our interactions.  I genuinely wanted to understand.  They welcomed my approach.  It was refreshing vs. my competitors constantly trial closing. 

To show their appreciation, my prospects would, "put their arm around my shoulder” and say, “Gary, let me help you.”  Then, they would tell me exactly what they planned to buy; why; how much they would pay; who I was competing against; when they would sign; and who was involved in the approval process.  All a result of genuinely asking, “Why?” 

What I learned later in life is being 100% self-sufficient causes ill effects.  A close companion of self-sufficiency in our career, and in our life, is: 

            Success Addiction 

          The feeling of never enough 

                        Unknown Sage

Ever feel that “never enough” feeling?  Does it keep you continuously connected?  Are you never “away” from your cell phone?  Do you bring work on vacation?  (I know – just “checking in”, right?) 

Turns out if we’re not careful – and during the height of my sales career I wasn’t careful – success addiction can lead us back to our Sage: 

The burden of self-sufficiency: 

• We set punishing performance standards for ourselves

• We have a compulsive work ethic

• We carry sadness and failure alone

It’s that last element, … “carrying sadness and failure alone”, that has become increasingly visible to me as I age.  The weight gets heavier if we let it: 

Success has many fathers while failure is an orphan. 

Russian Proverb 

Today, I’m trying to put my pride aside and accept help.  I want to eliminate “punishing performance standards”.  It’s time to dial down my effort.  I don’t want to keep beating myself up over failure.  At this point, I’m (finally) trying to become less self-sufficient. 

There’s so much more to life, true? 

GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.

“Modern” selling?

I retired from B2B selling in 2022.  It was the beginning of the end and the end of the beginning of how we were about to sell – online; virtually; I submit impersonally. 

Although lots been said and written about companies demanding employees return to the office, there is virtually no discussion about virtual selling.  I suspect many modern sellers believe they’re skilled with their online salesmanship.  I wonder.  Julie Hansen wrote in her book  Look My In The Eye ©: 

Take a bow if you rose to the challenge of connecting with your customers, partners, or teams when the 2020 pandemic hit… But… That initial bar was pretty low:

      Got a Zoom account?      Check

     Camera on?     Check

Find a spot where the family won't wander in half-naked?     Check

Initially, we were so delighted to have the ability to hear and see each other again that turning on our camera seemed sufficient...

In addition to the physical distance created by virtual communications, there is a gaping emotional divide that stretches between you and your customer, straining existing relationships and keeping new ones from getting past "you're on mute”. 

I sure hope modern sellers have moved past “you’re on mute”.  But what about setting clear expectations with the customer?  That’s hard enough to do face-to-face.  Add in the virtual aspect and… I wonder.  Jill Konrath in her book Selling to Big Companies ©: 

It doesn't matter what you say; what matters is what your customer hears.

 

Ironically, the solution to meet this challenge was developed literally last century.  50 years ago Phillip S. Wexler in his book, Non-Manipulative Selling © provided this, regardless of virtuality: 

Step A: Check the Trust Bond

Step B: Mutually outline tasks and responsibilities 

Verbally clarify and confirm what each of you - the sales person and the client - will do to make the solution work.  Follow this with a written agreement concerning who is to do what, by when, and how...  To avoid misunderstandings and loss of trust, be sure to specify and solidify the details of the mutually accepted agreement.  It is the sales person’s responsibility to do this - not the client's. 

When I was a practitioner, it was called the “JEP”.  A Joint Execution Plan (emphasis on the “joint” part).  It was my responsibility as a professional salesman to draft the JEP; review it with my customer; update it with the customer’s input; and then maintain it to fruition. 

I believe modern B2B selling is less about virtual meeting platforms; AI; or any other technological trinkets.  It’s about the customer.  It’s always been about the customer.  And in a virtual selling environment, setting accurate customer expectations then meeting those expectations is more challenging than ever.  Modern selling is more project management and less salesmanship. 

If you’re in the profession, try a JEP.  And if you don’t know how give me a call.  We’ll schedule a Zoom and I’ll show you. 

GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.

 

Why not?

In her commencement address thirteen years ago this season Majora Carter (an American urban revitalization strategist and public radio host from New York City) said to the graduating class of Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois: 

You guys will rock! 

It was an interesting dichotomy… An urban revitalization strategist rocking in farm country.  You can’t get much more rural than Galesburg.  Unless you take into account the “greater Galesburg metropolitan area” that includes, East Galesburg; Wataga; Altona; Galva; and the like. 

Galesburg, home to many famous people and a few less-than-remembered events is where I graduated from the college of “hard Knox”.  In those days, I loved the feel of being out in the country.  Growing up in a Chicago suburb, I knew the odds were high that I would live the majority of my adult life in or near a city.  You too? 

Knox College, surrounded by corn fields, was one location of the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates – a series of debates that literally shaped the future of our country.  Here’s one excerpt of that event: 

Both men arrived at the Knox College campus by carriage and walked into the college’s impressive new building that later came to be called Old Main.  The debate was held on the east side of the building.  As the two men, along with other dignitaries, stepped through a window on to the stage it is reported that Lincoln said, “Well, at last I have gone through college.”

                                  Owen Muelder

This spring will again witness a friend or relative’s high school or graduation ceremony for many of us.  Do you remember any of those past commencement speeches?  Maybe this year we should pay closer attention. 

I always enjoy the unbridled hope and enthusiasm that comes from these events.  It reminds me of the proclamations made back in the day, “We can accomplish anything!”; “We will rock!”  Today, how well are we maintaining the spirit of those commitments?  Sometimes growing up dampens our enthusiasm, yes?  Susan Jeffers put it this way: 

Life is what happens when we’ve made other plans.

I understand.  When we work for a living the idealism from high school and college can collide with the demands of Corporate America.  So many people today are trying to “Rock”… as an employee; a parent; a friend; a family member; a community contributor; and so many other responsibilities that it’s easy to forget those happier, simpler, “rural” days. 

It’s not too late.  Before we continue spiraling down the black hole of trepidation, political strife, over-commitments, or despair, let’s refocus on Mason Cooley’s perspective: 

            "Why not?” is a slogan for an interesting life.

I think we’re up to the task.  Why not recommit to hope; enthusiasm; positivity; a better night’s sleep?  Why not strive to simplify our over-energized, over-stressed, “over-urbanized” life styles? 

Why not go out on a limb? Isn’t that where the fruit is?

Frank Scully 

If we take a moment and think about it, I believe we already have the ability of adding fruit to our daily routine.  Why not follow Charles L. Bromley’s guidance: 

Why not make the best of things?  Any fool can make the worst of them. 

If you’re like me, our college experience was a bit different from Abraham Lincoln’s.  But if he was here today and looking at our possibilities for a better world as compared to the challenges he faced during his presidency, he might offer us these words of wisdom – Why not? 

GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.

Technology; past, present and future…

I attended a seminar recently co-sponsored by EPAM and Appian entitled, “Navigating Economic Uncertainty: AI, Robotics & Automation”.  It was a very interesting discussion with a big emphasis on Artificial Intelligence.  

We see a great deal of emphasis on A.I. these days, true?  (Or is it AI with no periods?  Confusing to us humans.)  There are lots of descriptions bandied about; “Generative AI”, “Responsible AI”, “Last Invention”, “Terminal”, “Cool”. 

All this reminds me of a presentation by David Smith, a futurist, who was putting then-present technology in perspective – I guess – way back in April of 2012.  I know, the Dark Ages! 

I suspect one of the reasons why presentations by futurists are so popular is they are provocative.  Part of their “WOW Factor” is all the speculation and prognostications they make.  Here are a few examples the state of the then-current and future of technology David made 11 years ago: 

• Today’s technology, we can record everything – and everything is a lot!
• Among the 5 most appreciated technologies of the past 100 years – the microwave oven topped the list (followed very closely by - the garage door opener). 
• 90% of the computer chips manufactured today don’t go into computers; automobiles and household appliances are common chip destinations. 
• 70% of the Internet traffic does not involve a person; it’s machines “talking to” machines, posing as humans. 

(How do we know if those Tweets or Xs are coming from a person or a toaster-oven?)

David Smith concluded his presentation with “shock and awe” statements about the future impacts of technology on mankind. 

I wonder how many of the provocative statements made today about AI will hold true eleven years from now?  That’s 2034.  Will that be the rise of the machines; the end of Social Security?  Will “X” still be “X”?  Will we still love our microwave ovens and garage door openers? 

As the person who trademarked, Dark Ages Computing ® in the 1990’s, it won’t come as a surprise that I’m a bit cynical about today’s continual hype on technology, technology, TECHNOLOGY!  I mean sliced bread was one thing back in the day; but today: 

Just because something is technically feasible doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. 

                   Gary A. Pokorn 

I’d like to argue with futurists and AI but I know 3 reasons why it would be futile: 

1. The machines and futurists don’t have the same sense of humor when it comes to the over-hype of technology as I do.  Futurists gets paid to prognosticate about what will happen “someday” (with a fair bit of vagueness on the “when”, I might add).  The end game for AI is still a bit vague.  Me?  I actually have to make a living selling this stuff.   Yet, I’m the one with the sense of humor!
2. Then it dawned on me that you really can’t argue with a futurist – his position is based on events that haven’t taken place yet, so we don’t know if he is accurate.  (Although our Sales Managers still argue about the accuracy of our sales forecasts, true?)  As for AI, do you set up ChatGBT to argue with yourself?  Hmmm
3. The idea of arguing with technologists, futurists, machines, or AI reminds me of our favorite, Unknown Sage: 

Arguing with an engineer is like wrestling a pig in the mud. After a few hours you realize, the pig likes it.             

OK, I have to go now – my refrigerator texted me. 

GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.

Techno-speaking…

OMG! What do you get when you combine Artificial Intelligence (AI) with artificial English (AKA made-up, social media-driven, acronyms)?  Is today’s techno-speak creating communications confusion?  I mean the English language is complicated enough.  Add in BAM, BOOM, and God knows what else, and at the EOD are we SOL? 

IRL I can’t tell if it’s FOMO or the machines that are driving us towards some new language.  Perhaps it’s just the IOT that we, our children, and our door bells are acclimating to.  It’s not new:

Maybe we’re saving our thumb muscles while operating those tiny little keyboards on our phones that’s behind the emergence of a short-hand slang.  I mean banging on our devices throughout the day (especially while driving our cars) can be strenuous, yes?  Maybe we’re witnessing (i.e. creating) a new “Modern English” for Google: 

Modern English is widely considered to be the lingua franca of the world and is the standard language in a wide variety of fields, including computer coding, international business, and higher education. 

“Lingua franca”, indeed.  Should I say, “LF”?  I see a whole lot of creativity these days with our technology-driven approach to communication.  BTW - who exactly is (or are) the SoMeIn that’s coming up with this stuff?  I wonder if such creativity is essentially costing clarity?  The Digital Transformation Playbook © by David L. Rogers written way back in 2016 offered: 

As technology journalist Alexis Madrigal has observed, “It turns out that our creativity is good but our judgement is lousy.” 

Lousy judgement – that’s not new.  David S. Pottruck told us even longer ago; 

E-mail and voice-mail have, of course, exacerbated the problem in the last ten years.  Unfortunately, for all their convenience, these innovations have made it much easier to believe we are communicating when we are merely informing; if I have e-mailed you, you know it. This presumption frequently escalates from knowledge to understanding, then to consent, and finally to the delusion of wisdom. 

Ah yes, “… if I have e-mailed you… you consent ...”  How many times have we had that delusion of wisdom? 

IMHO, electronic, one-directional, techno-speak-based messaging frequently leads to erroneous assumptions.  For instance, I assumed BAM was a word.  You know like, “I was driving to work and bam I realized today is our wedding anniversary and I haven’t bought a card or a present for my wife yet.”  But nooo; as it turns out, BAM stands for Business Activity Management. 

Then there’s BOOM, which again, I thought was a word.  As in, “When my wife realized I bought her anniversary gift at the 7-11 on my way home from work that night, boom, there went any chance for a romantic evening.”  LOL!  Silly me; BOOM stands for Business Opportunity Optimization Management. (Who knew?) 

Call me kooky, but BAM sounds a lot like what my manager wanted to talk to me about during those sales forecast reviews (which seemed to be the only time he actually wanted to talk to me).  And I think I witnessed BOOM the other day when I was ordering a pizza and being up-sold extra toppings and side dishes by the restaurant’s AI chat-bot! 

I guess we all have to adapt to the evolution of today’s “New English Language”.  We’ll need to pay attention though… what we assume was written by the writer may not actually be what the writer assumed we would understand he wrote. 

Wait… WHAT??? 

GAP (oops – my bad!  I meant GAP) 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.

Modern workers…

Modern workers; aka younger workers; aka millennials; aka scary!  How would you manage a team of those today?  Maybe you already know.  Please share your leading practices with the rest of us, OK? 

I try my best to stay abreast of day-to-day business matters, especially in the technology sales field.  I wonder how anyone manages a young, technology sales team today. 

In Triggers ©, Marshall Goldsmith offers guidance: 

Situational Leadership 

Hersey and Blanchard's premise was that leaders need to adapt their style to fit the performance readiness of their followers.  Readiness not only varies by person it also varies by task.  Followers have different levels of motivation and ability for different tasks. 

Leaders and managers adapting their style to direct reports’ tasks; is that how it's done?  I suspect when a leader does adapt, their people have a better situation to succeed.  Yet, I doubt most leaders approach it that way.  You don’t think so either?  If not, why do you suppose not? 

Much has been written about the behavior of modern workers; their lack of company loyalty; today's era of "quiet quitting"; work-life balance; etc.  Truthfully as a member of the Baby Boomer generation, I'm not sure our younger workers are that much different than I was at their age.  Of course, my generation didn’t get as much publicity back in the “Dark Ages”.  Thank you social media, HaHa! 

Daniel Pink wrote in Drive © another perspective: 

So perhaps it's time to switch the focus of some of our workplace policies and use them to unshackle the hardworking majority rather than inhibit the less noble minority.  If you think people in your organization are predisposed to rip you off, maybe the solution isn't to build a tighter, more punitive set of rules.  Maybe the answer is to hire new people. 

You might be thinking… Gary, it's easy to say "hire new people"; that's hard to do in today's tight labor market.  I agree. 

If we’re going to retain our modern workers, I believe now more than ever training needs for managers and leaders is paramount.  (I feel management training is an event at most companies vs. a commitment to continuous people-management improvement, right Elon Musk?) 

What do you think of the approach articulated by none other than that legendary management consultant Peter Drucker: 

We spend a lot of time teaching leaders what to do.  We don’t spend enough time teaching leaders what to stop.  Half the leaders I have met don’t need to learn what to do.  They need to learn what to stop. 

Do you think this tug-of-war between modern workers and their companies results in a lose-lose proposition for both?  What do you think leaders should "stop" to help things to go? 

Seth Godin weighed in on “responsible stewardship”: 

Do you have to abandon the old ways today?  Of course not.  But responsible stewardship requires that you find and empower heretics and give them the flexibility to build something new instead of trying to force the Internet to act like direct mail with free stamps. 

I imagine empowering today's "heretics" is a bit scary for managers and leaders; it certainly would be for me.  Before I retired, however, I had the opportunity to work with and alongside modern workers at my company.  They quickly erased my stereotypical fears.  

Today's modern workers may approach things differently, but...  

                 they          are          awesome!  

Managers and leaders might do well to stop trying to stop them.

                                                            GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.

“I flunked retirement”…

That’s from the book my wife bought as a retirement gift, Don’t Retire, Rewire!©.  After four-plus decades in technology sales, I retired February 25, 2022.  It was my 69^th birthday present to myself. 

I think my wife is concerned about the changes our relationship will encounter now that I am a full time husband for the very first time in our marriage.  Back to this passage from the book: 

The day I came home from work and discovered that my recently retired husband had rearranged the kitchen drawers, I knew we had a problem.  Susan 

In addition to the book and my birthday, there were several other memorable events that helped mark my retirement. For instance, in February Tom Brady announced his retirement from the NFL.  As it turned out, he too failed retirement and is returning to professional football.  

Coincidently just before I worked my last day at NetSuite the Oracle Slack Bot machine sent me an automated message insisting I retire my iPhone immediately because it no longer met the company’s security standards.  Evidently the machine knew I was carrying an iPhone5 which was issued in 2013!  No “oldies but goodies” at Oracle NetSuite.  But hey, you know… “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” HaHa! 

When I retired I was overwhelmed with well wishes.  I spent the first several days just sending “Thank Yous”.  One gift I received came with a note card and this story: 

A man works for 50 years at one company.  He retires as CFO.  Every single day he arrived at 9, sat at his desk, slid open the top drawer, paused, then closed it and got to work.  His employees all wondered what was in the drawer.  The day he retired the new CFO gathered everyone in the office together to find out what was in the drawer.  As he slid the drawer open, they saw a simple legal pad that said, ‘Debits on the left, credits on the right!” 

Throughout my career I relied on mentors and teammates like the one who hand-wrote that note to keep my “debits and credits” straight. 

Another coincidence before my retirement was a webinar held by my alma matre, Knox College, discussing changes in collegiate athletics over the years.  At Knox College, athletic competition started in the late 1800’s with baseball, track, basketball, and football.  Back in those days they played major colleges and universities (aka “Division I”). Tiny Knox College football is 1-1 vs. Notre Dame.  The Fighting Irish haven’t been willing to play a tie-breaker since.  But I digress… 

Harley Knosher was the basketball coach and Athletic Director (among many other duties) during my four years at Knox.  In fact, he was their Athletic Director for 32 years.  His predecessor, Dean Trevor, was the first Knox College Athletic Director, serving in that capacity for 39 years - those two spanned 71 years! 

Harley was a tremendous influence on me as an undergraduate.  He still is.  So I listened carefully when he was asked during the webinar, “ What advice would you give to a younger you?”  His response was simple and direct, as usual: 

            Spend more time at home.

I am following his sage advice.  

However, I have to confess; I may have retired from technology sales February 25^th but my “retirement” only lasted two business days.  Wednesday March 2^nd I became a Production Assistant at Thriving Pets International.  

 

Yep, now I’m working for my wife.  

                                                            GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.