Fruit from a poisoned tree; a look at employee turnover and how leadership contributes.

"There are seven things that will destroy us: Wealth without work; Pleasure without conscience; Knowledge without character; Religion without sacrifice; Politics without principle; Science without humanity; Business without ethics." - Gandhi

Once thing that I have learned is that what is bad at one company is good at another. By the same token once you get to the new company you find out that they have issues that were worse than the previous company just in different areas. This is often found out after the fact. Business technology companies often have tremendous turnover, I can attest that I have seen many heads come through the doors to do nothing but turn around and go home. A sales team of 5 will see 3 new faces by the end of the year and those may change out every 8 to 18 months. There is no loyalty from either employers or employees; what we have is an ever intensifying battle to pressure people to produce more for less or be replaced.

When I was at Minolta I felt like I was part of a local team and that team was part of the greater group that was part of the greater good. We were shunned to own anything but a Minolta camera, and at events no one would ever dare be seen with a Canon or Nikon. We were loyal to the products that our company produced even if they were in different divisions than we personally worked in. I worked in the office equipment division, and was part of the equipment sales group. This feeling of belonging allowed us to bare the intense pressure and competitiveness that is found in office equipment sales. When Konica and Minolta merged there was still this feeling albeit not as strong. The leader at the time Jun Haraguchi was very dynamic and was a leader among the men. After the merge he went to each branch office and made himself available. This type of exposure brought a lot of loyalty in tough times.

In contrast I have been at IKON for almost 2 years now and very few leaders inside the organization know me other than the ones that I have been bold enough to force myself on. I have watched top leaders show up, walk across the sales pit to the corner office, stay 45 minutes and leave just as quickly as they came. Most never knew that one of their greatest leaders had come and gone. In fact what you find in many organizations this size is a fear to reach up or to open up communication to those that we report to. In fear we do not want anyone with a relationship with anyone higher than ourselves. And when new information is presented we want to be the one to present it. One of the sad things that I have seen over the last 6 years is the great talent that has come and gone due to the lack of care from management.

Everyone is replaceable. That is the code by which we all live by. And from what I have seen this is a fallacy. This is what desperate leadership says when they have no other way to issue control to an unruly crowd. The fact is that not everyone is replaceable and in fact you do not want to have to replace people they are the lifeblood or currency of the business. People own the relationships that bring the business; what IKON has proven is that companies buy from people not brands. What IKON doesn't understand is that it is much more costly to pay someone to recreate the relationship than it is to just treat people with dignity and respect the first time. I guess they figure to do that might be taken as weakness rather than as strength. The cost to hire someone can be amazing both from a hard cost; ads, recruiters etc and from soft costs; personnel time during interviews and the on boarding process, not the mention the loss of productivity during the vacancy and during the ramp up period. So why does the leadership of companies not take a closer look at their turn over and seek to find out why employees leave their company? Do they just figure if you left then they didn't want you anyway?

10 Ways to Send Them Off!

1. Salespeople don't leave companies they leave their management – The pressure on top salespeople is tremendous and they must feel that they are in a stable environment. Sales people leave companies when they cannot trust their leadership. Salespeople must be able to identify with the vision of the company and the cadence of the leadership that is in front of them. Good local leadership determines the longevity of the employee.
   
2. Work/Life balance is nonexistent – When people are out of balance they burn out and become overloaded. People do not stick with a job that constantly pressures them over the edge.
   
3. Compensation / Assignments Change frequently – 2 cardinal sins for any employer is to make changes to compensation or territory assignments. No one wants to feel like they will not get the benefit of their hard work. Long term people work harder if they feel that they will be in the assigned areas and that they will be compensated as they were expecting. There is nothing worse than having to fight for your commissions. Companies should avoid the pitfalls of saving a few dollars by creating complicated compensation plans and focus on what will it take to be successful by helping employees "sell through tough times."
   
4. No emotional connection points – People do not work for a "concept." People work for people and work harder if they have a connection or feeling of commitment or obligation. Emotional ties can get top sales people through tough times. Without a solid connection salespeople will look for "greener pastures."
   
5. Lack of development – No one wants to feel like they have nowhere to go. And we all want to feel like we are progressing and will "get to the promised land" eventually.
   
6. The feeling of insignificance – Lack of recognition for a "deal well done" is another sure fire way to run off your best employees. Recognition is very important in the world of sales, and typically sales people love to be recognized by their superiors and peers.
   
7. Being unable to get along with co-workers – Having someone that is unbearable or that doesn't fit into the team's culture is a deal killer for sure. No one is so good that they should be allowed to take down their peers.
   
8. Being unable to get along with their boss – This is an age old problem and speaks to poor leadership. A good leadership should set a positive culture and maintain the office integrity.
   
9. Politics overtakes the office – Especially during the increasing pressure of our economic times we find that everyone feels insecure. Offices start allowing "self propaganda," either to stave off would be job takers or to ensure our position within the organization. Most people do want to have to perfect being "fake," so providing a "politick free zone" will help your employees focus on what is important!
   
10. Lack of respect and integrity – Everyone wants to be respected both for their individuality and for their contribution to the organization. An individual, office or organization cannot prosper long term without a strong sense of integrity.
    

Executive sales positions are very demanding and the local leadership of an organization has a responsibility to make their employees feel secure. Security comes from having ones needs met. Abraham Maslow was one of the first to look at these phenomena. "Maslow was an American psychologist; he has been most recognized for his concept of a hierarchy of human needs. He was really the leader of humanistic psychology, he was one of the first to look at what constituted positive mental health. Most of his predecessors were focused on the abnormal or ill." ¹

Within the layers of the pyramid we find areas of need. A person's job can touch many of these areas and can be a part of someone's life that brings great rewards or can be what brings you to your destruction. The leadership team of an organization is what sets the pace for a great work environment or a total disaster. A great leader with only marginally talented people can always greatly out perform a poor leader with great talent. A good leadership team is what makes a group, whether it is a local sales team, an area branch or an entire group. Each level has leaders that are responsible for the culture and the success of the group is dependent on them. Far too often companies allow leadership to just "push out" employees thinking that "if we had the right people" instead of identifying what the root causes are for the group's lack of performance. Very rarely do leaders look at themselves as the reason for their group's failures. And from an organizational standpoint executive leadership all too often allows managers and local leaders to "blur the lines" between what is good business and what is bad.

This blurring is the death of any group. Especially in sales; the short term successes from this blurring does nothing but make salespeople lose respect for their managers, teammates and company. The deals that are won by this short changing of the process and the "blurring of lines" are what make companies appear sleazy and what earns the public's distrust. Mid level and executive managers and leadership sometimes fall into the trap of not promoting the altruistic vision of an organization and enforcing the rules so that the employees can feel secure that they are not going to get caught in this blurring. Sales people know that if they will blur the lines to win a deal they have no problem doing the same to dislodge you. You are only valuable when you are producing and any deviation could cause your loss of employment. Managers offer up their wins and star performers to leadership as proof of their success when really all they are offering is fruit from a poisoned tree.

This poison if left unaided is what can kill the team, branch or organization. The problem is all too often a leader will offer up these false offerings of success to move forward knowing that what he/she is leaving will be a mess for the next leader that replaces him/her. Many have tried to disprove Maslow's theory but only because it was presented as an absolute, no one would disagree that there is a hierarchy of needs and that we all share many of those needs although it would also be true that our needs may vary from person to person and that one level may be higher on one person's list than another. I would propose that there is also a hierarchy of needs within a sales organization by salespeople and that those needs are all very similar.

Fruit of the poisonous tree is a legal metaphor and I think it is fair to use in reference to a company's leadership. If the leaders are poisonous then any of the fruit of their work should be considered poisoned as well. What seems to be accepted in today's troubled times is that companies are willing to compromise themselves by hiring "snake oil salesman" in an attempt to attain short term success. I do not believe that anything good can come from a company that is willing to compromise their integrity just to gain some sales in the short term. Customers gathered from the orders of such poisonous leaders cannot be maintained long term nor can the salespeople that are brought up under such leadership be successful long term.

Companies that ignore the salesperson's hierarchy of needs are going to not see stability in their workforce because ultimately what you compromise to keep you lose! Just some opinions from a pirate that is getting older and wiser…

Pirate Mike…

¹http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/bhmasl.html

Scary Times – Ricoh the one world leader succumbs to bad economy and is vulnerable like everyone else…

Now this is just hearsay, but I was just told that Ricoh is making employees take a week furlough without pay and has started lying off employees. This is a very similar situation that I am seeing across the boat I mean board with companies in our industry. From Konica Minolta's huge layoffs right after Xerox and Kodak cut roughly 20% of their global workforce. I'm sure it is not a shock to see HP step back and act cautious in new hires and expansion. Now with Canon in complete desperation to see them partner up with HP is almost funny. These types of partnerships are not uncommon in our industry, good bedfellows they make as they both struggle to assert their once top tier status. With Oce bleeding profusely to now even Ricoh showing their humanity we see salary's decreasing, employee benefits being cut or disappearing all together to sheer headcount reductions in almost every company.

IKON has even make changes and cutbacks in our company 401K matching program. The one thing I will say is that we are still expanding headcount and retooling our demo facilities and go to market strategy. We have not given up that we can be successful in such trying economic times. "Be Bullish In Production" our RVP says religiously. IKON is very bullish in times when even the greats are cowering. In fact we seem to have put on the war paint and run into the streets to meet our enemy head on. We continue the fight regardless of the naysayers.

I am getting nervous to see our "big brother" have such 'noise' coming from their employees. I knew many that went from Konica Minolta and others to over to RBS when they were the best looking for longevity; now what were long term stable employees they too are making the great pilgrimage to look for "gainful employment."

With everyone having such a knee jerk reaction it makes me wonder what is coming next. From everything I am seeing it appears that IKON is coming out on top and in a strong position to negotiate with the Ricoh first born. It would not surprise me to find that IKON becomes the "chosen one" and the pony picked to win this next horse race. I look forward to hearing the stories from my readers as I'm sure that many will find even uttering such a thing blasphemous.

If you have a Ricoh layoff story or more "inside information" I would love to hear. As for Pirate Mike I think we will see the true colors of Ricoh's intentions by April 1^st 2010! Maybe I'm wrong but hide and watch as Ricoh retools their organization to come out fighting strong in the next fiscal.

Also be looking for the new Ricoh Pro C901 ( or whatever they will call it ) This new machine of destruction will be a great advancement of the C900 of today with no fuser oil, basing its strengths on a newly formulated polymerized toner? that will bring digital quality to new heights. If I had to guess with the speed at which they are developing products I would guess mid spring or early summer. With all of the great advancements of the Aegis product you can be sure that Ricoh is looking to show the world that "Ricoh knows production." Or at least the new horse they ride IKON>

What Ricoh knows is how to buy the best technology and engineers and then follow that up with a great distribution model which they did too buy. The IKON acquisition will show that their multibillion dollar purchase was not in vain but truly put them on the map in a way that they never could have done before the acquisition.

Ricoh is slowly learning the power of the weapon that she bought. But being able to wield this new weapon of destruction is yet another story. IKON is not an easy horse to ride, and this ride is surely to get very edgy in the short term as things build and the economy continues to falter. This is an "E" Ticket for sure!

As we get into 2010 I'm sure there are more cuts, layoffs, and changes to come. All we can ask is in the end that we are paid to the champions of the day. I for one cannot complain too bad as I have had record months and a record year! I am sitting somewhere around 120% of my budget with almost 400% of my yearly units. The Ricoh Pro 550EX, 700EX and the infamous C900 have taken me to the Promised Land!

Even in bad times the pirate of Lewisville Lake is showing that it can be done with no food or water and just on new business acquisition alone!

Happy Hunting,

(Xerox, Konica Minolta, Danka, Ricoh, IKON, Oce, Imagistics, Lanier, Global) How good companies alienate great people – A story of bloodletting and corporate ignorance.

I have wondered how companies let such great talent walk out the door and end up at the competition to do nothing short of shut them down in a particular marketplace. I have watched so many people change hands over the last 4-5 years that it is truly amazing how fast the strength of a company can change. I have noticed that companies lose employees in 5 distinct ways.

1.Through lack of leadership.
2.Through lack of promotional opportunities, and poor positioning of their resources.
3.Through changing of the compensation plan or not insuring that the employees get paid as they should.
4.Through the changing of an established employees territory or constant switching of roles.
5.Through the lack of respect, recognition or pure disregard for the employees goals and dreams/desires.

I have survived now 2 distinctly different combining's, the merger between Konica and Minolta and the acquisition of IKON by Ricoh. Both were very different but had many of the same elements in them. I have witnessed several other acquisitions and mergers from the acquisitions of the Ricoh family companies like Lanier to the acquisition of Global by Xerox and Danka by Konica Minolta and Imagistics by Oce. One thing that they all have in common there was always a mass exodus of many great people during these troubling times. And in which affects the company's strength and positions the company for greater failures.

During Konica and Minolta's merger I witnessed many events that I wish would have ended up differently. One thing that Minolta and the later Konica Minolta were very good about is making sure that their employees got paid what was due to them and identifying what the employees dreams were and addressing their work to accomplish that dream/desire. Managers took special care to see that the sale reps got paid and that their livelihood was preserved at all costs. Although it seemed as if the sales people were spared the initial cuts, pay plans took dramatic cuts. Leadership was there to manage focus and readdress employee concerns. Konica and Minolta had their failures with processes and support structures. The companies were brought together without a good supply chain methodology. There were very few things that actually happened that made business any easier. In fact many of the processes that were solid become more flimsy as the companies came together. Research and new product lines were coming out quickly giving their people some great products to sell but there was no internal support structure to get them to where they wanted to be. The frustration had always been tolerated as salesmen knew that they were "paid the big bucks" to deal with it themselves. Now that the financial incentive had left the big hitters left also for a more fertile hunting ground.

There was very little emphasis that anyone was very important. In fact the exact opposite was quite true, we like you but we can replace you tomorrow with someone that wasn't here when we paid them properly was definitely the attitude. Promotional opportunities were available but limited to the local leadership's ability to keep you pinned down to what they needed you to do (sell if that was what you were good at). The branch I was at had probably 8-10 of the companies top 20 reps nationally and they all were gone within eighteen months of the formal merge. Territories didn't change for the Minolta employees but that isn't true of most of the Konica employees that ended up in menial jobs and eventually quit to find somewhere else to graze. Minolta had a strong culture of respect and that was only broken by raping the compensation plan to the point that one could see the writing on the wall (you are not getting paid the way you used to so just get over it). It was obvious that Konica Minolta didn't want a huge changeover but really did want to slowly change out all of their employees to new ones that would only remember Konica Minolta and not one or the other. The legacy employees were not good for morale and only brought strife and improper expectations. The original expectation was that if you don't make a six figure income we will fire you. The new expectation was be lucky to have a job and hope you make 65-80k.

IKON and Ricoh's situation was quite different. Ricoh tried to preserve the unique identity of IKONITES. They were very keen on putting value on their individuality and importance. Great steps were taken to try to keep key employees put until the changeover was complete. Leadership was lacking though as IKON had become weak and instable. How can the largest independent distributor of office products in the world get taken over? Who would let this happen? Hedge fund operators that were looking to plunder gold at any cost, that effectively were nothing but corporate pirates. These raiders and marauders slowly and methodically purchased stock and held it for ransom till they were able to manipulate the books till IKON looked like an attractive buy. Leadership had lost the desire to fight and had become fat, slow and lost the entrepreneurial spirit. IKON's growth pattern was like a dwarfed child with no way to grow into the fulfillment of the promise that it had once offered. As a result she became a victim of greatness. Her size and distribution model soon became the desire of others that didn't want to create their own but saw IKON as a cheap alternative since she had become so weak and unprofitable.

IKON was built on the conquering spirit and had become a fierce competitor to do battle with. Over time their success had created greed and sloth. (See the 7 deadly sins of a copier salesmen to fully understand this dynamic) IKON became vain and without potency. Something like 21 companies bid for IKON; Canon, HP, Samsung are some of the ones that I heard of. (If you know where I can find documentation on whom bid for IKON and how that went down please let me know) Now after the acquisition there is much restructuring being done to become the new Ricoh; the new one world leader.

One would have thought that promotional opportunities would have been wide spread as many of IKON's people did leave to places far off. But as the people left the leadership found it more attractive to place "new" talent in place that did not know of the IKON way. The compensation plan was very slowly adapted to a new way of thinking. This new "manufacturers" view of box placement and aftermarket preservation took a while to settle in and is still being implemented now as we speak. Territories have not changed that much as they really have tried to preserve IKON's identity and run it as a "wholly owned" subsidiary for the mean time. People were viewed as an asset and respect was placed on maintaining the integrity of the local branch and employees. But IKON really expects you to take care of yourself, they do not see the value in "getting you paid." If you cannot figure it out for yourself you are surely out of luck. They still believe in the "only the strong survive," and do expect that everyone that comes aboard has a sharp sword and is ready to use it. (Even if it means cutting a few throats in the initial onboarding) I almost find it funny sometimes as I have almost become accustomed to it.

Other employers love to hire IKON employees as they bring the "blood lust" to their people. We revitalize their troops in a way that we will never fully understand, but it is why we get so many phone calls. If you survive you are a "keeper." Leadership at IKON is much more methodical than Konica Minolta but the leadership at Konica Minolta was much more visionary. I can still remember seeing the President of Konica Minolta come to the local branch and taking time to meet and inspire the local people. IKON is the exact opposite they do not have time to be bothered. I have seen people I didn't know walk to the corner office and leave within an hour to only find out that it was the National VP of Sales or some other high powered title to watch them gather their things and leave as quickly as they came. They would rather do a "focus" group then actually meet the people and refocus the troops. This is the mistake that Konica Minolta did in the acquisition of Danka; they did not reach down and pull everyone up this time as they did in the merger.

But I have decided that "acquisitions" are much different that "mergers." In a merger everyone is more hey we are a team that is now stronger to take on bigger foes, in an acquisition you are more the conquered one and must be subservient. People look down but they do not reach down to pull you up. They look at their new purchase in a fish bowl and see how neat their new pet is. In a merger you look over at your new comrade in arms and hope he is carrying a big stick and extra ammunition as you go to slay goliath. Konica Minolta was a 'small' company that had 'big' dreams. Their dream was to become a tier 1 player in the game of office equipment and imaging/document services. Ricoh's dream is to be the 'one world leader.'

So in this I have seen many different approaches and cadences. I have seen good management and poor management, good leadership and poor leadership. I cannot tell you exactly what good leadership is but I know it when I see it. I can 'feel' it. It is the love – hate relationship that you have with overcoming your fears and taking new ground. It is the fear of taking the hill then rejoicing as the hill falls to your power. Good leaders empower their people to conquer and do not hold them back but send them out as berserkers. For those of you that do not understand the reference and its importance; "Berserkers (or Berserks) were Norse warriors who wore coats of wolf or bear skin and were commonly understood to have fought in an uncontrollable rage or trance of fury, hence the modern word berserk."

We now more than ever must come to grips with our fears, overcome our call reluctance and go forth with frenzy. We must take our market share by force and win friends and influence people with the sharp edge of the sword and the tactical advantage of a calculator and well worked spreadsheet. Some days I love the challenge and other days I wish I was dead. Today I was up for the challenge. I will probably reword this blog many times over so you can read it every day and it will change as the season and circumstances change. One thing that you will find out about Pirate Mike is that I am not stubborn in my knowledge. I fully bend and flow as my understanding changes. I hope to evolve my understanding of my circumstances and the events around me and hope to be a survivor and a thriver in this harsh economy and time in our industry.

So WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Pirate Mike

Here is to good hunting… May you kill everything that falls into your sights…

Leading Pirate Style...

Leaders are created and not born just like salesman. Some have more of a propensity for greatness than others. Good leaders have many traits that we can admire and adopt for ourselves. I have had some awesome examples of leaders. I feel like I am very fortunate to have had and still have some great mentors at many different levels.

I believe that leadership can come in many forms, and can be very personal. I take leadership very seriously. I have a tendency to exhibit my individuality in my leadership style. I like to let others know that I am unique and enjoy sharing my passion. I like others to see this through my lifestyle and by the way that I act and react.

I like to extend my hand to those around me to identify myself as one that embraces their humanity. I like to celebrate people’s diversity and be a guiding factor to their success in the endeavors we engage in. I like to lead in little ways. I enjoy being the odd duck and am not afraid to be counted when there is a confrontation. I encourage disagreement and discussion. I do not want anyone to give me a pat answer, when I ask for their opinion I want it as honestly as they can deliver it.

I try to play devil’s advocate in most of my thought processes so allow myself to see both sides of an issue. I am very opinionated, but open minded enough to change my opinion when new facts are evident. I try to participate in the lives of those around me; I do not want to be seen lying around and failing to act. I make decisions quickly and react to my environment as thoughtfully as I can.

I lead by doing; when those that see me respect my thoughts and actions they have given me the greatest gift. I thrive on excellence and cannot stand it when I allow myself to settle. I make plans, plot my actions, hold myself accountable, measure my progress and reassess the situation as often as I can when in a project.

I will do what others will not. This is the key to my success. I will do want YOU will not, this is my advice to you. Look around and see what the masses are doing, then turn about face and go the other direction. As a pirate I tend to be a bit aggressive in my actions at times. Sometimes I do not ask permission. There are many days that I would rather draw a sword than a pen. Not that I forsake the pen, as that would be grossly inaccurate as well. But rather I am not shy to embrace the rule of the sword and understand and comfortable with the eventuality of my fate.

I put the war pain on every day and am grateful for my time that I have to sail and fight. I work in an environment where only the strong survive and where many a want a be warrior gets sacrificed. Over the last 4-5 years I have seen many a college graduate fail do to lack of leadership and lack of passion. You must live with passion and let it fill every area of your life.

Struggle as I may, I enjoy the fight and the feeling of victory. I am no stranger to tragedy and can cope with an emergency with the best of them. I am strong when I need to be and soft as I really am. I do not see the benefit to living as a rogue with no emotions. But yet I love to hold a lady bug as she forages along my hand. I like to watch the sun rise and fall into the water. I am not a stranger to the darkness as it shields my progress toward a common goal of overtaking my enemy.

I never let my goals or enemies out of sight or mind. I keep them close to my heart. I love a good battle and encourage competition from a formidable foe. I will take my steps without looking and draw my arm with passion. I love to put a face with my battles and a name to my failures.

I allow passion to carry me like the winds of the ocean as they sweep me off to my destination. I let emotion riddle me with fleeting thoughts. I like to sit on the bank and think great thoughts. I love to discus great mysteries and allow my mind to discover new avenues of contemplation. A great debate is a treasure. To live with passion is to be an addict to the one of the most powerful drugs of all. To let adrenaline set in is to feed the monster like a junkie.

I am quick to draw a sword and just as quick to lay it aside to embrace friend or foe. I do not take advantage but yet do not allow for mistakes from my competitors. I celebrate a victory and morn a great defeat. I allow myself to make mistakes and support others in their endeavors. I believe in the team concept and am not unfamiliar with taking the bull by the horns and wrestling him to the ground.

I have starred a tiger down and out struck a viper. I have out run a lion and rode an ostrich. I have walked and talked with the animals, and have waited quietly for their responses. I commune with nature and love to teach another my secrets. I do not cast my pearls before swine but am not stingy with the truths that have been revealed to me. My mouth carries my voice loudly but my heart quietly waits the responses of others. I listen as intently as my emotions show my intensity.

I like to lead in the small things and let the large things take care of themselves. I like to be first, and charge the door of uncertainty with the vigor of a dea agent. I believe in others and only seek their respect in return. I like to be the first into battle, and will stay until it is over. I go out in the face of a storm and take off the raingear to be one with my fears. I love to lay by the shore and watch the clouds drift by in mindless shapes.

I love to lead pirate style.

Embracing the winds of change… the evolution of a pirate

As we live we have endless opportunities to make choices that vastly impact ourselves and those around us. These ripples that we cause span out and become the waves that change the direction of huge ships and alter the lives of others. And what is exciting is that at different times in our lives we can look back and see the effect we had on other lives and see the course that they charted because of our influence. What is sad is that we may never really fully understand how great of an impact we really had on each other and how interrelated we really are/were.

I have gone through so much in the last decade of my life from my younger brother, my mother and grandmother passing away to the loss of a great marriage that I thought would never end. I had someone comment that I have packed a lot of life experience in the short 39 years of life that I have lived. It appears that I must be related to a cat as I seem to have 9 lives and each one starts off quite differently. I am not sure but I think I am on 4 or 5 now. This newest adventure, the adventure of exploring the sea and racing is quite intriguing to me personally. It seems as others have embraced my adventure of the sea and feel akin to it. I think that deep down most people have a spirit of exploration and adventure. I think that is how we came to America and developed such a great nation. In my other lives people used to look at me like I was an alien and could not related to my dreams. Now don't get me wrong I still get a blank stare and once in a while someone just cannot understand it, but for the most part people can related to the adventure that the world's bodies of water provide. My work has always been a function of furthering the dream at hand. The creative side of me has always enjoyed the printing and publishing industry as it has so many creative outlets in it.

Over the years I look back and see how as a pirate I have evolved. Pirates often looked at as criminals were often times simply the rebels of their time. They had resources, education, and a desire to live on their own terms. They were not afraid of the ramifications of sailing off into the unknown. In fact they embraced it, and went out looking for "new worlds." If you can imagine it was not a simple task to sail the oceans with the technology that existed during those beginning years. Now sailing is very much a well oiled science.

I look back and see the rough sketch of a man that embraced his fears. What is funny is that one of my greatest fears was of success. And somehow that fear kept me from my originally ordained destiny. I believe that we have a progressive destiny and that as we make choices and close doors that new destinies now become available. I do not know that there is just "one" destiny and that it is impervious to deviation. I do not believe in predestination. I believe that we have choices and that we make them of our own will. So we can disrupt or even derail our destiny or short circuit it if we want to either by things that we intentionally or unintentionally do or say.

I look at myself now and I have a very open minded approach to learning, living and loving. I am very quick to forgive and forget. I am very slow to anger, and even slower to rage or hate. I rarely even have ill thoughts for someone. I am a seeker of knowledge and love to learn new things. I find myself now being much more introspective of my actions and how they affect others. I desire to leave a mark, and make an impact.

Also I am much more confident and secure about myself as a valuable human being. I believe in myself and want to naturally believe in others. I am trusting, I am loyal. I have progressed my understanding of people and nature and enjoy even the simplest of things. I have overcome many obstacles over the years, most of them self induced. I have endured many tragedies that were personally very taxing to my emotions. The most recent the separation and divorce to a lady that I had invested my heart into over almost a decade of concern.

I am now free in my mind, soul & spirit to take on these new directions. I am learning about the sea, weather, and stars. I am learning about new peoples and new languages. I am getting ready to embark on a great quest for my destiny. I am not sure how long I will be gone or how long it will take to prepare, but I know it will take a lifetime to experience.

I have along the way softened and slowed down. I am not longer as brash and brassy as I was in my 20's. Now I look at people with a kinder heart and have much more understanding and compassion for them. I offer more leniency and do not hold people to unreasonable requests and beliefs. I try to be understanding and compassionate to other people's plights.

All of this has brought me to the place in my personal and professional life that I am at now. Past successes cannot help me, now I must gather up the strength to do it again. Confronted by yet another merger in the second wind of my career selling printing equipment I look around for the answer. It seems much of the solid ground that I once was on has eroded and is no longer very stable. Everyone around me is either clinging on for dear life or just jumping over the rails into the cold blackish water below. I cannot just cling on without reason, and nor can I just jump ship because I am frightened. I have been told many times "it is not fear of the ocean that will kill you, it is the lack thereof." I understand that times are a bit unnerving. I am grateful for a place to claim a watch, but I need more than just existence to be happy. I need to be fruitful and see that my efforts are making a difference. I am not sure that the later is true.

I fear that the unknown holds many more rip currents and great tidal exchanges. So with that I also prepare my rations, and look to the sky for clear direction. With my industry in up evil and no clear direction to go I continue on in the way that I was at the last point when I could see the North Star. Allowing for deviation, current, and tidal exchanges I plot my course as I once knew it. Praying that as I continue on the fog will again lift and land will soon be in sight.

I do not know the future, nor do I speak that I understand my destiny, but what I do know is that I will sail until I can go no farther. I will not leave my watch and in time I hope to know why I sailed this way; and hopefully will get the change to look back and see how I impacted people for the good. I hope that as I sail through life that I leave an ineligible mark on people's souls and paths. As a pirate I hope to maintain the courage to forge forward in the darkness of the sea to my destination.

I pray for soft light, gracious wind, a glass of fine rum and a kind hearted woman. Is that asking for too much?

Pirate Mike…

"Skillful sailors are not created by good weather. For only a storm of great magnitude can teach you how to survive. Without the winds we would all be drunks, fill the sails with wind and the cups all become empty, empty the sails and the cups fill up again with rum. Idle hands become soft; storms strengthen the hands and create calluses. It is through strong hands that we accomplish great things. Soft hands are for the weak, and idle minded. "

Another Personal Thought from Pirate Mike…

The Corporate Persona

It is funny how companies take on a personality of their own. Many times a company's success of failure is dictated by their culture. What I find interesting is that there are volumes written about corporate culture but few really seem to mean much. Let me tell you what corporate culture is not. Corporate culture is not a "mission statement." Is doesn't look like something that is generated by HR or anywhere else within an organization that is manufactured. The world culture comes from the Latin word cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate". This is interesting as corporate culture is cultivated but can only come from a naturally occurring source. I have seen good "corporate cultures" and bad ones. Neither of which really were things that people could control; they just manifest themselves based on realities that exist. The prevailing culture comes from the top; I have heard it many times, "speed of the leader, speed of the pack." When you see a group failing, look to the top and typically you will find poor leadership. Emotions and Feelings are human they are also embodied by companies as they are built out of the building blocks of people. Everything that "is" a company becomes the persona and is reflected in the corporate culture. In the witnessing of this culture both good and bad I have learned that good leaders spend a lot of thought in building, preserving and protecting a group's culture. This becomes an intangible asset more powerful than the people themselves. It is the power by which fuels both the internal and the external. It can take a new hire and drive them to success of failure. It can also bring new vendors and clients to the table just by its existence.

Entrepreneur.com called corporate culture, "A blend of the values, beliefs, taboos, symbols, rituals and myths all companies develop over time." I think this is a very accurate description as it talks to the elements of what comprises the culture but one thing the definition doesn't talk to is how the elements affect each other or which ones are weighted the most. If the truth be told you really cannot create the formula for the culture as it is a living think with everything becoming a chemical reaction to the others. This chemistry ultimately creates a unique ingredient that has the power to build or destroy what it touches. This energy is the force by which pushes a company to greatness or drags a company to its knees. It is so sad that very few pay any attention to the development of a strategy for the creation of a good and solid culture. I think most managers mid and high level look at it as an exercise that was taught in a business class that has no real application or relevance to true business success.

Corporate culture can be a headquarters initiative and a "in field" phenomenon. Many companies try to control or manipulate the culture without having true merits to its creation. This culture manufacturing can backlash. Once someone realizes that they have been mislead in their beliefs distrust begins to build that is much harder to pull down than the walls of China. Employees hate to be treated like cattle and want to be treated intelligently and fairly. Good managers and organizational leaders learn quickly whom they can entrust with the truth. This handing out of the truth builds trust and loyalty as it is a very rare trait in people especially when money is involved. Most will sell out to trickery and simple manipulation to get the results they desire and in so create a culture that becomes a hidden liability. It becomes a ticking time bomb that will go off when you least expect it and typically when you cannot afford it. It will take out your best people and leave you with followers that have no direction.

A quick way to create a dangerous culture is the use of disinformation. As a company our objectives, goals and directives are only as good as the sum total of the people carrying out those objectives, goals and directives. Bad culture comes from lack of leadership or poor leadership. A strong leader will create warriors while a poor leader creates thieves and victims. The results are evidence of the quality of the leadership. Poor results equal poor planning and poor execution. And the lack of a quality culture come from the lack of weight given to the creation of a strong culture and bond which can hold a company together in the toughest of times. In a soft economy like what we are experiencing now it is even more important than ever to bring forth strong leaders and to pay attention to the culture that we create if we are to survive to fight another day.

The sad thing is that many companies spend more time thinking about things that are not core to their business. They major in the minors and never get a chance to step up to the plate to hit a "home run." Many a fortune 500 contender has gone away do to a lack of focus on their core competencies, and maintained simple strategies that will take them to their ultimate goals. I work for an office equipment sales and service company that is owned by a manufacturer of office equipment. What is interesting is that we administrate ourselves to death. We spend more energy on things that do not make us money and refuse to focus in on money making activities. We know what problems we have but are unable to solve them. Our problems are just ignored as they are "too big" to surmount. Logistics, Supply Chain, Customer Relationship Management, Order Entry, Order Fulfillment, Service and Support all our noble things to excel at. These are elements of any business that if neglected will ultimately contribute to its failure. But without a strong culture even a company that has all of these things ironed out cannot survive especially in times like these when even the secretary is a pirate.

As I survive another merger I just watch the ants in the colony work, all the time thinking…

Let the games begin…

2000 years ago the way it was intended:

Psalm 23 (New International Version)

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

¹ The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not be in want.

² He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside quiet waters,

³ he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.

⁴ Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

⁶ Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

The way it is now:

Pselling 23 (New Pirate Version)

A Psalm of Pirate Mike

¹ He (Ricoh) is my Manufacturer and Employer; I shall not want for a new Canon or Konica Minolta box.

² He makes me go into print shops without a mid production color machine,

He leadeth the PPBG right into my accounts and offers them my bread,

³ He continues to retrofit the C900.

He guides me in the way of business class color

For his reputation sake, and because he taketh away my Konica Minolta equipment.

⁴ Even though I cold call

Through the valley of the death of the copier,

I will fear no Xerox, Canon or Konica Minolta dealer or direct channel,

For you are with me in my RFP's with pricing support,

Your toner and drums,

They will offer us profitability and high yields.

⁵ You prepareth my compensation and high quotas as we approach a new fiscal year,

In the presence of my competition you give me a machine that useth fuser oil;

My oil applicator runeth over with that damn oil.

⁶ Surely you will offer me a promotion and company profit sharing,

All the days that I sell your product,

And I will dwell in the demo room, (at the direct request of my regional production director)

Forever. (Or until I can figure out to get a transfer to professional services, or managed print services)

Amen and Amen

Pirate Mike Commentary:

The bloodletting in this industry is just beginning. (Bloodletting is the withdrawal of often considerable quantities of blood from a patient in the belief that this would cure or prevent a great many illnesses and diseases - Wiki) Konica Minolta is finally merging Danka Imaging with Konica Minolta Business Solutions and going through reorganization. Maybe into a group named something like Konica Minolta Imaging? You can be sure there will be plenty of announcements short coming as they get ready to start a new fiscal year April 1^st. Expect to see them position the Danka group as their production experts as they try to hold onto their Canon base and high volume accounts. They leveraged a relationship with Oce and bought a Xerox dealer and pitch used docutechs and other odd equipment they couldn't market or support. I am sure that the "Danka" group will be how they try to reposition their production print business group as they move forward in the world of production printing. They have cut tons of positions sifting the wheat from the chaff or at least leaning down the talent that they feel is expendable. Their annual report is a good read but their Slides for 3Q / March 2009 Consolidated Financial Results are a bit grim. You can look at them yourself here. (Slides for 3Q/March 2009 Consolidated Financial Results)

Xerox has reduced their first quarter view by like 80 percent. You can read more about that in Business Week here. (Xerox cuts 1Q view nearly 80%) Canon is hell bent to replace IKON with its own direct organization while Oce just bleeds to death. All the meanwhile Toshiba and Kyocera keep plugging along hoping to challenge the big 4 while Xerox, Canon, Ricoh and HP figure out how to outlive the economy. Ricoh will do its own bloodletting soon as they look at their first born RBS and step son IKON get ready to battle it out. Be prepared to struggle to get first row seats as this bloody battle will be worth watching; as the IKON gladiators dismember RBS and their PPBG group. Soon the streets will be full of copier salesman that didn't see the writing on the wall. We are about to witness the death of the copier era, and then we will usher in a new era of managed print services and outsourcing like we have never seen before; as we all look for a new identity. Our jobs really don't end they just morph into new expectations and roles as we chameleon into what the industry and our customers dictate. As their needs change and evolve so do our products and offerings and the way that we offer them.

As the plot thickens watch for more takeovers and bold chess moves as companies start to gamble with everything they have to jockey into position to be around next year. It is anybodies game and no one can completely predict the outcome as the cast of characters thins down like a bad murder mystery. As the "who dunit" is still waiting to be unveiled to the unsuspecting witnesses. I wrote the above play on the Psalm that is well known as a parody to what is my life. As I look around for a solid indication that things are going to be ok what I do notice is more industry unrest.

This bloodletting that I am witnessing is getting more common and it is amazing how many people are showing up looking for jobs. All I can say is that it has been Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and was definitely worth the "E" ticket! I am excited (as I have no other choice) to watch the second round bouts between Gartner's Leading 4 and to see how the Challengers bring to bear their tactics and strategies to market. We are looking at gorilla warfare for sure as the pressure mounts so does the antics that go along with the business. I am interested to see how this affects the ancillary functions of our business like research, development and support, or if those areas go unscathed.

Wishing You Well in 2009

Pirate Mike

The sea of emotions

I have found the emotion of life is what fuels the heart, mind and soul. Without it we would not perceive our accomplishments or failures. Absent of the highest of highs and the lowest of lows we surely would take for granted our consciousness. It is to this end that we strive to feel and decipher the addiction that is our daily emotional fix. I have been “off the wagon” for some time now, and now in a weakened state I feel that it is time to check myself into rehab.

.. ..

It is now time to rehabilitate my heart, mind and soul from the daily bingeing that comes from a high pressure sales job selling capital goods for a global company. Just as coffee and cigarettes seem to be a prerequisite for a salesperson so to is his or her addiction to a high level of emotions a requirement. These emotions fuel us and drive us to our ultimate end. They are what makes us champions and like a lead weight takes us to our graves at the bottom of the ocean.

.. ..

Months after the initial shock that turned out to be a turning point in my mental career, I am still stunned. I wake up each day hoping the tidal surge will subside so that I can take residence back in my mind where my consciousness calls home. My heart is still heavy with the current that carries me along. Like the tides of the ocean, my soul is heavy from the flow of information that ebbs and floods from my mind to my heart and back. Waiting for a slack tide so that my heart can rest enough to pick back up when the information overload returns.

.. ..

Now a survivor of two corporate mergers I feel the pain of those whom have had to change their way of life over the greed of share holders and corporate executives. After watching first hand the inflation of egos and the supposition of truth for what surely was an advertisement of the worst kind. Mental marketing coming from all directions to sooth the savage salesperson and keep him or her at bay. Restricting the freedom of understanding and knowledge to minimize the impact of the truth was their only goal.

.. ..

Now I stand alone looking at the aftermath of their greed and manipulation wondering where this new direction will take me. I plot my course and compensate for the deviation that can be accounted for. With the hope that my calculations are correct I carefully proceed. With so many unforeseen reefs and barriers, I know that ultimately I am responsible for my destination and safety. With a heavy sigh I look to the North hoping the winds will subside. I too need a break like many of those that crew along side me. With the warmth that only a South wind can bring I look for a sunrise signifying that a new day has begun and again my opportunities are anew.

.. ..

I need to believe that my course is well thought out and that my helmsmanship is sure. We only get one chance to do this right and I do not want to wash up on a lea shore with no one to assist in my rescue. Even as a rudder can turn a massive ship, we as individuals have great influence on those around us and can take the team to new heights or destroy any good that is among the crew. With so many lives and families at stake I hope that those that are in power take into consideration their actions and direction.

.. ..

Bringing new blood onto the ship I see new deck hands daily. Shining their shoes and straightening their uniforms I see them proudly walk around in blissful ignorance. Ahh to be ignorant again and walk hand in hand with the honeymoon that only a newbie can embrace. For those that start up this adventure under the knowledge of the new owners it is a simple task. For those that started under the old captain a new charge could mean a rough trip for everyone.

.. ..

Just as we clean the decks and keep order of the lines we must tend to the corners of our minds. Holding to the truths that we know and leaving room for new understandings that will come from experience and the enlightenments of others. Consistent effort is the key to success and I too must manage the emotions that rule my head and heart. Just as adrenaline keeps us alert in the midst of a storm we must carefully watch ourselves as the storm subsides. Sleep comes to those that take refuge in the lull of action, only to be rudely awakened to dangerous seas as the storm’s anger builds anew.

.. ..

So to in our sales career we must maintain the pressure, even when the storm seems to subside. If we take the pressure off we will find ourselves in a dangerous position as our pipeline comes to an ugly end. We must be diligent and keep alert to the ever increasing dangers that lurk around every point. In this age of technology we are constantly being bombarded with information that can overload our emotions and carry us off like a tidal wave.

.. ..

As the immediate storm system subsides I wait to clearly take inventory during the daylight to reconcile the reports. I am also curious to see the changing of the watch that is to come so that I may know whom I will report to in the coming hours and days. What we do know is we have survived the first wave, but we do not know what is behind it. Only time will tell us what our true fate is to be. I for one am eager to meet my destiny.

.. ..

Pirate Mike