I've never been much of an A-rod fan. It's not because of his controversial personality, or his admission of pervasive steroid use (thankfully sparing us of an Oprah interview). As a result, I'm not a great follower of his exploits with the exception of when he's glaringly bad in the playoffs.
2012 was a prime example as his performance at the plate was far below average, and he was subsequently benched or removed from the line-up completely.
When the Yankees finally revealed the culprit and pivotal cause of his failures, my ears perked up. I suddenly became very interested in the player I once regarded with as much enthusiasm as doing my taxes.
A-Rod needed left hip surgery. And better still, his surgeon was the same one I had used for the same ailment - - a torn labrum coupled with hip impingement.
For both A-Rod and I, the surgeon was Bryan Kelly, who practices at the Hospital for Special Surgery. The procedure is pretty straight forward. The first step is to either repair or remove the labrum. The labrum serves as a shock absorber around the femoral head otherwise known as the ball. The next step, if needed, is to shave or reshape the bone itself making for more fluid movement though the hip socket. This arthroscopic procedure has been perfected over the last decade making outcomes much more predictable.
Or does it?
After many years of ice and roller hockey, I was told by Dr. Kelly that I had a torn labrum and most likely a genetic disposition to a misshapen hip joint. I was also told that it could be fixed and that I should be able to return to most of my previous athletic activities.
When I woke up in recovery, Dr Kelly walked in with a blown up photo. It was a large circle which consisted of a few different colors. I asked how things went and he said very well. However, he wanted me to focus on the large yellow circle whose bandwidth encompassed about 85-90 percent of the circle. Dr. Kelly said that the yellow portion is arthritis and from a visual standpoint, the hip was basically shot.
What?!! Shot??!! I thought that's what the surgery was meant to avoid. He said that he had no way of knowing until "he was in there." However, he said that "you never know" and that I should follow through on about 6 months of difficult rehab. So, I did. During that time I was on pain killers, on crutches, and in tear inducing pain from tendinitis. At the end of my rehab stint, the hip was even worse than before. Eventually, I had the entire hip replaced.
Today, Yankees GM, Brian Cashman announced that there was a possibility that A-Rod may not be back in July. In fact, he may miss the entire season. Sound familiar?
Is it possible that A-Rod woke up as I did to a picture of the yellow circle? Did Dr. Kelly once again say that he can't truly predict the outcome of his procedure until he's "in there?" Was A-Rod told to do the rehab and hope for the best?
Brian Cashman's statement had a certain familiar ring to it. The ring of a man who was trying to hide the bad news he and his third baseman had just received. The sound of a career coming to an end.
I don't gamble on sports, but if I did, A-Rod would not be my horse. His prospects are dim. However, the fans won't find out until next year that A-Rod is not only sitting out 2013, but he'll be doing the same in 2014 and beyond.
The truth lies in the shadows. The same yellow shadow that most likely showed up on A-Rod's surgical picture. The Yankees can't admit they made a mistake, and neither can Dr. Kelly. It would kill too sterling reputations.
The next time you hear the name A-Rod, it will be about his retirement conference and the announcement that he needs a full hip replacement.
I wonder if he'll use my surgeon.
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Saturday, January 12, 2013
The Free Agents
The most recent unemployment numbers have been released, and once again we process them as nothing more than mere statistics. But we know better. The 7 or 8 percent of the country that walks around with this label, and the countless others that have stepped out of the job search pool altoghter are not a faceless lot.
They are real people, and unfortunately, many are my friends. As I've spent my career in many facets of sales and marketing, so has this group. I've met them over various stages of my life including high school, college, summer share houses, and some were even co-workers. And I can say with conviction, that they all posses similar qualities: Hard work, pride, and expertise in their fields. But perhaps most importantly, they're all still very viable and extremely relevant.
It's for this very reason that I refuse to refer to them as "unemployed." In keeping with my tradition of incessant sports analogies, they're more like "free agents", or players without a current team. I often wish the rest of the country would adopt the same philosophy and drop the "unemployed" moniker for no other reason than to boost the spirits of the group and provide a consistent reminder that experience matters and someone will soon recognize it.
But lately I've been hearing about a common theme that has dogged the process. Many of my friends have hit a crossroads in their careers. They could continue along the same path in which they've travelled for the last two decades, or they could use their vast accumulated knowledge and try something different. Many of their industries have contracted, so venturing out into new territory seems like a viable option.
Unfortunately, most hiring companies won't allow it. They have the luxury of a huge free agent pool. If they have an open position, they can easily find someone that exactly matches their parameters. They're naturally risk averse. They don't like to gamble. If they do guess wrong, it may be their own jobs in jeopardy. So, they recycle and regurgitate a similar prototype, leaving new ideas and fresh perspectives on the curb.
Therefore, a healthcare marketer can't market real estate. A non-profit public relations exec can't cross the divide to a for profit organization. A television ad sales rep can't take a stab at selling online advertising. In the end, everyone loses. Good players looking for new teams, can't get contracts. And teams looking for new talent are stuck with clones of the old.
Why can't organizations see beyond this?
When buying a house, a real estate agent tells you to avoid focusing on the furniture and the decor. She advises you to see the home's aesthetic value and imagine your own spin on it. Thousands of homes are sold using this visualization technique and millions are transacted. However, the same rules don't seem to apply in the employment game. The majority of employers only see most job candidates as the house you currently are, and not the house you could become.
Digressing once again into sports, the same rules apply. If the Yankees adopted the approach, they may have missed out on one of their legends. Babe Ruth began as a very successful pitcher for the Red Sox. He won 20 games twice. One year he stuck out 170 batters without yielding a home run. In other words, he was well on his way to a hall of fame pitching career. But then he was traded to the Yankees, most likely for his throwing prowess. One day, they realized that they had something else in Ruth. A hitter. If the Yankees didn't give him a shot, Yankee Stadium may not be known as the "House That Ruth Built." Maybe his dominance as a pitcher gave him valuable insight into how a batter thinks. Maybe he already threw every pitch that could be thrown, putting himself and his mind's eye into a better position to hit them.
A similar phenomenon happened in music. Dave Grohl cut his rock and roll teeth as a drummer for Nirvana. His pounding style was a legendary part of the grunge movement that began at this time, led mostly by the group that he was in. But then Curt Cobain self destructed, bringing the band down with him. Picking up the pieces, Grohl could have joined a new band. Or start his own. He chose the later. The interesting thing was he didn't stay the course as a drummer. Grohl was quoted as saying:
"I was supposed to just join another band and be a drummer the rest of my life," Grohl later said. "I thought that I would rather do what no one expected me to do."
It looked good on paper, but why would a record label take a chance on a singing drummer playing guitar? They did, and the Foo Fighters became bigger than Nirvana.
I don't mean to delve into the world of Malcolm Gladwell, but you see my point. People surprise you. And experience matters. In these case studies, and so many others existing or yet to be written, the results can be the same.
When you hire someone who doesn't perfectly align with your job description, it's not risk. It's opportunity. You have to see beyond the old furniture in the house.
Our free agents are standing by, waiting for your call.
They are real people, and unfortunately, many are my friends. As I've spent my career in many facets of sales and marketing, so has this group. I've met them over various stages of my life including high school, college, summer share houses, and some were even co-workers. And I can say with conviction, that they all posses similar qualities: Hard work, pride, and expertise in their fields. But perhaps most importantly, they're all still very viable and extremely relevant.
It's for this very reason that I refuse to refer to them as "unemployed." In keeping with my tradition of incessant sports analogies, they're more like "free agents", or players without a current team. I often wish the rest of the country would adopt the same philosophy and drop the "unemployed" moniker for no other reason than to boost the spirits of the group and provide a consistent reminder that experience matters and someone will soon recognize it.
But lately I've been hearing about a common theme that has dogged the process. Many of my friends have hit a crossroads in their careers. They could continue along the same path in which they've travelled for the last two decades, or they could use their vast accumulated knowledge and try something different. Many of their industries have contracted, so venturing out into new territory seems like a viable option.
Unfortunately, most hiring companies won't allow it. They have the luxury of a huge free agent pool. If they have an open position, they can easily find someone that exactly matches their parameters. They're naturally risk averse. They don't like to gamble. If they do guess wrong, it may be their own jobs in jeopardy. So, they recycle and regurgitate a similar prototype, leaving new ideas and fresh perspectives on the curb.
Therefore, a healthcare marketer can't market real estate. A non-profit public relations exec can't cross the divide to a for profit organization. A television ad sales rep can't take a stab at selling online advertising. In the end, everyone loses. Good players looking for new teams, can't get contracts. And teams looking for new talent are stuck with clones of the old.
Why can't organizations see beyond this?
When buying a house, a real estate agent tells you to avoid focusing on the furniture and the decor. She advises you to see the home's aesthetic value and imagine your own spin on it. Thousands of homes are sold using this visualization technique and millions are transacted. However, the same rules don't seem to apply in the employment game. The majority of employers only see most job candidates as the house you currently are, and not the house you could become.
Digressing once again into sports, the same rules apply. If the Yankees adopted the approach, they may have missed out on one of their legends. Babe Ruth began as a very successful pitcher for the Red Sox. He won 20 games twice. One year he stuck out 170 batters without yielding a home run. In other words, he was well on his way to a hall of fame pitching career. But then he was traded to the Yankees, most likely for his throwing prowess. One day, they realized that they had something else in Ruth. A hitter. If the Yankees didn't give him a shot, Yankee Stadium may not be known as the "House That Ruth Built." Maybe his dominance as a pitcher gave him valuable insight into how a batter thinks. Maybe he already threw every pitch that could be thrown, putting himself and his mind's eye into a better position to hit them.
A similar phenomenon happened in music. Dave Grohl cut his rock and roll teeth as a drummer for Nirvana. His pounding style was a legendary part of the grunge movement that began at this time, led mostly by the group that he was in. But then Curt Cobain self destructed, bringing the band down with him. Picking up the pieces, Grohl could have joined a new band. Or start his own. He chose the later. The interesting thing was he didn't stay the course as a drummer. Grohl was quoted as saying:
"I was supposed to just join another band and be a drummer the rest of my life," Grohl later said. "I thought that I would rather do what no one expected me to do."
It looked good on paper, but why would a record label take a chance on a singing drummer playing guitar? They did, and the Foo Fighters became bigger than Nirvana.
I don't mean to delve into the world of Malcolm Gladwell, but you see my point. People surprise you. And experience matters. In these case studies, and so many others existing or yet to be written, the results can be the same.
When you hire someone who doesn't perfectly align with your job description, it's not risk. It's opportunity. You have to see beyond the old furniture in the house.
Our free agents are standing by, waiting for your call.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Fearless Predictions for 2013
It's the first day of the new year, and you can't help but look back for just a moment. If you ponder the accumulation of events that shaped the last twelve months, you'll soon see that many were not to be believed. In fact, most of them defy all predictability and logic.
Therefore, what do I have to lose?
Here are my Nostradamus-like predictions for 2013. And like a broken clock, at occasional times, I'm bound to get a few of these right:
TECHNOLOGY
As they say in show business, "you ain't seen nothing yet." And a result, expect to pay more. There's no better place to start than Facebook. The King of the Social Media Highway will begin charging a toll for all those who pass through. It's uncertain where it will stem from, but consider this a warning and keep your itchy trigger fingers away from the "Like" and "Upload Photo" buttons.
In addition, expect Apple to infiltrate your body. Not internally, unless they come up with the iColonoscopy. This version will most likely be something that you can wear. As the iOS platform can be easily inserted in most places, expect some version of a watch, belt, or even glasses. And as usual, you'll feel that you HAVE to have it AND be amongst the first.
In other news, expect Twitter to go public. What does this mean for you? Not too much unless you own the stock. And if you do, anticipate that your portfolio will go down. If you need a case study, see Facebook, Groupon, and Zynga.
WALL STREET
I won't make any grandiose predictions on the Fiscal Cliff, but there are a couple of things we do know for sure. Higher income individuals will be taxed at a higher level. Capital gains taxes will be on the rise. And some loopholes for the top 1% will be closed, including estate tax exemptions. That only means 2 things for Wall Street:
More Cheating and Stealing
When you get lemons on Wall Street, you don't make lemonade. You cut to the chase and steal someone else's lemonade. Let's see, we had junk bonds, inflated oil prices, subprime mortgages. There must be something left to exploit. Maybe silver. They haven't tried that yet. So hold on to your dental fillings. Wall Street is eerily similar to casinos. When the profit margin on blackjack and poker begins to dwindle, you just create better odds and give blackjack and poker new labels. Some things never change. Because when it comes to casinos or Wall Street, the house always wins.
MOVIES
We're running out of superheroes that don't already have their own movie, although Supergirl is still available. But beyond these laborious films, you can expect more Judd Apatow look-a-likes that will be only slightly worse than their already dreadful predecessors. They'll be released from January through September, once again leaving the really good films for the final months of the year. In addition, the window between theatrical release and "video" release will grow even shorter and more films will go straight to VOD. Eventually all the films you'll ever want to see in a given year will be in the theaters and on VOD from Thanksgiving through Christmas.
And one more thing. Animated movies will continue to reign supreme for overall storytelling.
COLLEGE EXPENSES
A recent Wall Street Journal study of the University of Minnesota showed that the number of administrators making between 200K and 400K had grown exponentially over the last 5 years. Keep in mind that these people aren't even professors that already make their own pretty penny. To make matters worse, their student body hasn't risen during an equal period of time. I suspect most colleges have similar ratios.
Incredibly, the government is distracted with entitlements and tax breaks; therefore forgetting about these inflated college costs which eventually turn into individual debt. If you have more than 1 child, you may as well sit them down now and explain how interest works because they'll be paying it well into retirement.
EMPLOYMENT
"Some fly by day....some fly by night...." Remember the theme from Moonlighting? Even if you don't, that's what you can expect to be doing next year. Expenses are rising; salaries aren't. Many are still unemployed, and those who were lucky enough to find their way back in are taking less money. The math just doesn't add up. So expect to look for multiple revenue streams to keep pace. Consulting, tutoring, waitering...whatever. We're all going to need the money.
TELEVISION
Just the mere term, "television" has taken on a multitude of meanings. In the past, television referred to a specific device, in your home, that multiple people gathered around to watch. This anachronistic scene was just a few short years ago. Now, thanks to mobile devices and multiple distribution systems, television viewing has become much more individualized, increasingly personalized, and viewed on much smaller screens.
As for the future, expect more of the same. Cable companies will be forced to consider re-packaging in a way that will cater towards individual viewing habits. However, this will not lead to the proliferation of more channels. Just the opposite. Carriage fees are already through the roof, so systems will want to pass on less, not more. However, expect news and sports channel programming to increase. For now and forever, people will be attracted to the immediacy and informative nature of both.
TRAVEL/AUTOS
Cars are getting safer every year, where even the least expensive have the latest in safety features and technology. That's good news for consumers. However, the future varies for each manufacturer. Toyota just wrote a billion dollar check for something they didn't even admit to. I'd expect a major push to win back some of that cash. Honda improves on their Accord in every generation, and Ford remains the high tech leader in the low to mid range space. The upscale manufacturers will continue to duke it out, but Audi has separated itself from the commoners and will continue to nitpick at BMW and Mercedes forcing them to play defense.
Moving to the air, the airlines have consolidated and charged enough for your bags over the last few years to begin giving something back to the consumer. It probably won't be in the form of cash, but upgraded planes with Wi-fi, and fancy new terminals at key airports will be their way of saying thank you for getting ripped off in the good name of our solvency.
POLITICS
This one is always a wild card. 2012 was a year to remember in this regard, but even without a Presidential election, 2013 is already off to the races. There are a ton of big decisions to be made that will have an impact on us all. The bottom-line is, expect to lose a little. That's the essence of any negotiation. You'll pay more in taxes, probably have fewer entitlements, and most likely not get enough satisfaction in any changes in gun control.
Politics is a lot like Chinese Food. You're happy you ate, you just can't figure out why you're hungry an hour later.
HOW ABOUT YOU?
So what do you predict for the upcoming year? Don't be shy. The beauty is, it's too early to be wrong.
Therefore, what do I have to lose?
Here are my Nostradamus-like predictions for 2013. And like a broken clock, at occasional times, I'm bound to get a few of these right:
TECHNOLOGY
As they say in show business, "you ain't seen nothing yet." And a result, expect to pay more. There's no better place to start than Facebook. The King of the Social Media Highway will begin charging a toll for all those who pass through. It's uncertain where it will stem from, but consider this a warning and keep your itchy trigger fingers away from the "Like" and "Upload Photo" buttons.
In addition, expect Apple to infiltrate your body. Not internally, unless they come up with the iColonoscopy. This version will most likely be something that you can wear. As the iOS platform can be easily inserted in most places, expect some version of a watch, belt, or even glasses. And as usual, you'll feel that you HAVE to have it AND be amongst the first.
In other news, expect Twitter to go public. What does this mean for you? Not too much unless you own the stock. And if you do, anticipate that your portfolio will go down. If you need a case study, see Facebook, Groupon, and Zynga.
WALL STREET
I won't make any grandiose predictions on the Fiscal Cliff, but there are a couple of things we do know for sure. Higher income individuals will be taxed at a higher level. Capital gains taxes will be on the rise. And some loopholes for the top 1% will be closed, including estate tax exemptions. That only means 2 things for Wall Street:
More Cheating and Stealing
When you get lemons on Wall Street, you don't make lemonade. You cut to the chase and steal someone else's lemonade. Let's see, we had junk bonds, inflated oil prices, subprime mortgages. There must be something left to exploit. Maybe silver. They haven't tried that yet. So hold on to your dental fillings. Wall Street is eerily similar to casinos. When the profit margin on blackjack and poker begins to dwindle, you just create better odds and give blackjack and poker new labels. Some things never change. Because when it comes to casinos or Wall Street, the house always wins.
MOVIES
We're running out of superheroes that don't already have their own movie, although Supergirl is still available. But beyond these laborious films, you can expect more Judd Apatow look-a-likes that will be only slightly worse than their already dreadful predecessors. They'll be released from January through September, once again leaving the really good films for the final months of the year. In addition, the window between theatrical release and "video" release will grow even shorter and more films will go straight to VOD. Eventually all the films you'll ever want to see in a given year will be in the theaters and on VOD from Thanksgiving through Christmas.
And one more thing. Animated movies will continue to reign supreme for overall storytelling.
COLLEGE EXPENSES
A recent Wall Street Journal study of the University of Minnesota showed that the number of administrators making between 200K and 400K had grown exponentially over the last 5 years. Keep in mind that these people aren't even professors that already make their own pretty penny. To make matters worse, their student body hasn't risen during an equal period of time. I suspect most colleges have similar ratios.
Incredibly, the government is distracted with entitlements and tax breaks; therefore forgetting about these inflated college costs which eventually turn into individual debt. If you have more than 1 child, you may as well sit them down now and explain how interest works because they'll be paying it well into retirement.
EMPLOYMENT
"Some fly by day....some fly by night...." Remember the theme from Moonlighting? Even if you don't, that's what you can expect to be doing next year. Expenses are rising; salaries aren't. Many are still unemployed, and those who were lucky enough to find their way back in are taking less money. The math just doesn't add up. So expect to look for multiple revenue streams to keep pace. Consulting, tutoring, waitering...whatever. We're all going to need the money.
TELEVISION
Just the mere term, "television" has taken on a multitude of meanings. In the past, television referred to a specific device, in your home, that multiple people gathered around to watch. This anachronistic scene was just a few short years ago. Now, thanks to mobile devices and multiple distribution systems, television viewing has become much more individualized, increasingly personalized, and viewed on much smaller screens.
As for the future, expect more of the same. Cable companies will be forced to consider re-packaging in a way that will cater towards individual viewing habits. However, this will not lead to the proliferation of more channels. Just the opposite. Carriage fees are already through the roof, so systems will want to pass on less, not more. However, expect news and sports channel programming to increase. For now and forever, people will be attracted to the immediacy and informative nature of both.
TRAVEL/AUTOS
Cars are getting safer every year, where even the least expensive have the latest in safety features and technology. That's good news for consumers. However, the future varies for each manufacturer. Toyota just wrote a billion dollar check for something they didn't even admit to. I'd expect a major push to win back some of that cash. Honda improves on their Accord in every generation, and Ford remains the high tech leader in the low to mid range space. The upscale manufacturers will continue to duke it out, but Audi has separated itself from the commoners and will continue to nitpick at BMW and Mercedes forcing them to play defense.
Moving to the air, the airlines have consolidated and charged enough for your bags over the last few years to begin giving something back to the consumer. It probably won't be in the form of cash, but upgraded planes with Wi-fi, and fancy new terminals at key airports will be their way of saying thank you for getting ripped off in the good name of our solvency.
POLITICS
This one is always a wild card. 2012 was a year to remember in this regard, but even without a Presidential election, 2013 is already off to the races. There are a ton of big decisions to be made that will have an impact on us all. The bottom-line is, expect to lose a little. That's the essence of any negotiation. You'll pay more in taxes, probably have fewer entitlements, and most likely not get enough satisfaction in any changes in gun control.
Politics is a lot like Chinese Food. You're happy you ate, you just can't figure out why you're hungry an hour later.
HOW ABOUT YOU?
So what do you predict for the upcoming year? Don't be shy. The beauty is, it's too early to be wrong.
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