On My Mind
I’ve been a small business owner for thirty-three years and because of the size of my business I wear many hats: strategist, investor, researcher, technologist, innovator, processor, and marketer. I could imagine other hats, but those are the primary ones that resonate with me. Those seven “hat areas” are critical to the success of my business and so I have an improvement plan for each of those seven hats. My “7 Hats Framework” helps me grow and develop as a small business owner. What are the different hats that you wear in your work and what is your plan to improve in those areas?

Interesting Stories
The tragic situation in Ukraine has stimulated widespread interest in strategy resources including books and games. On the book front – I’m re-reading two books from my library: (1) Essence of Decision: Explaining the Cuban Missile Crisis (2nd Edition) by Graham Allison and Philip Zelikow and (2) Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides’s Trap? by Graham Allison. These are two classic books on geopolitics and strategy. On the games front – Chess is the game to study to better understand Russia and Go is the game to study to better understand China. Admittedly, I’m much better at Chess than Go, but I’ll keep trying to improve on both games. It is interesting to learn which games are played and revered in any particular country.

Company News
I facilitate the Business Roundtable for the SouthWest Metro Chamber of Commerce on the first Friday of every month from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. We typically meet at a local establishment where we discuss a relevant business topic. Please join our group sometime – details can be found on the Chamber website. My Spring/Summer public event schedule will be available in mid-April. The next public Strategic Improvement Green Belt course starts May 18, 2022 and there are a few seats still available. The brochure is available on the PUBLIC SEMINARS page of this website. The next public Strategic Improvement Black Belt course will start in July of 2022.

Intriguing Reads
I recently read the book titled, Imaginable: How to See the Future Coming and Feel Ready for Anything—Even Things That Seem Impossible Today by Jane McGonigal. The book focuses on questions, frameworks, and techniques for imagining different futures which is so relevant today given the uncertainty in the world. I especially liked Chapter 3: Play With Future Scenarios; Chapter 7: Choose Your Future Forces; and Chapter 11: Simulate Any Future You Want. If you want a practical guide for thinking deeply about the future, then give this book a try. You can also read my Visions & Visioning paper on the RESEARCH page of this website. Happy futuring!