Stormbringer's Thunder

Start with good people, lay out the rules, communicate with your employees, motivate them and reward them. If you do all those things effectively, you can't miss.   — Lee Iacocca Tweaked for clarity 3-26-2011. Buona sera. I have an attitude with thunder and lightning heading your way. You may have noticed that the title of this missive is the opposite of true intelligence. It constantly amazes me that so many companies seem to think that if their employees are not in a minor panic, sweating and frantic, that work is not getting done. Brace yourselves, this is Bluntness Day: They are too cheap to supply their employees with the proper tools to get the job done. Remember my buddy Neil? He works for a cheapskate Fortune 100 company. They are certainly not in the "100 Best Places to Work" list, but they cannot determine the cause. Spurious surveys to make themselves feel good, with faked results and continually contemptuous workers are the r...

Buona sera. I thought I was done with writing about "Monica", but there are a few more important points to add. She was overly fond of money. In fact, lies were a means to acquiring more money and not parting with her own. One of her biggest secrets was that she had some money stashed away that only she knew about. Money changes people. They get greedy and want more. It's almost strange, you don't have to be rich to be greedy, and you don't have to be poor to avoid loving the stuff. What was she holding onto her money for, anyway? Tomorrow? Monica did not have any more tomorrows. Ironically, her money went for her own burial expenses. "...say you'll be all right come tomorrow, but tomorrow might not be here for you..." — Lynyrd Skynyrd Monica made her plans. We all have our plans, dreams, hopes, expectations, dreads, fears, whatever. But I have to be very direct with you: Today may be your last day on Earth. Like these people: Michael...

In a way, these three articles are different aspects of the same thing: Selfishness. I told you how "Monica" had died, and what is inside of people comes out, whether greed or kindness. Relatives act like vultures, wanting "stuff". For cherished memories? I doubt it. After all, a used microwave or television set is not really a "keepsake". And an abundance of items turns into clutter that eventually has to be discarded in one way or another. (Hint: If something breaks, runs down or simply has to be removed, you are not losing the memory of the person as if their spirit was attached to the object(s)). Also, I told you that people alienated from one another because of lies she had told to and about them were learning some truths and clearing the air. Reconciliations, and in some cases, new friendships, have begun to form. That's the bright side. But discovering the lies that were told has been a torment to friends and family. Now for this third par...