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“I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo. "So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

What in the world is going on?  I am sure you have said those words these past two weeks, I know I have.  Two weeks ago, my family and I were on Spring Break in Florida when all this hit.  We cut our trip short and came back early.

Today, in the midst of the chaos and unpredictability we’re all experiencing, a friend shared an idea with me that impacted me deeply. He said that now is a great time to challenge our families, especially our children, to begin journaling. Why, you ask? Because 25 years from now we will look back on these times and realize that history was being written and defined during the day-to-day lives we led and the choices we made during this time. Much like other historical times have shown us, we’ll be marked and changed by these events.

What is the difference between a $2.2 million settlement, and a 110k fine? The answer is: an effective compliance program.  

I recently did a webinar on the topic of email: how we use it, and how to use it better. 

An organization’s financial accounting system has the potential to hold incredible amounts of useful data. It is like a storage building full of all the information you may need to make strong decisions and plan for your organization’s future. But sometimes the data cannot be easily obtained.

I spent some time over the holidays reflecting on the past year and trying to identify areas where I felt things had gone well, and areas where I felt challenged and wanted to make improvements to my own processes.

Happy 2020!
As we go into a new year and on the heels of the Cause and Purpose blog post, many of you reached out to me and asked a provocative question: who was a key influencer in shaping how I think?  Was there someone in my life who paid forward the wisdom of living with purpose, having a mission statement, defining my values, defining roles, and creating a vision statement? 

Charles Kettering said, “Every time you tear a leaf off a calendar, you present a new place for new ideas and progress”.  Ketterling served as the head of research at General Motors from 1920 to 1947 and it was his drive for change that helped influence innovation at GM and the industry at large.

As we finish unpacking the 7^th Fundamental: Cause and Purpose, I’d like to place a focus on the importance of a Vision Statement.