How to be "Present", "Safe", and "Refreshed" in a Multi-tasking World

I am literally writing this essay flying to LA, listening to a great playlist on my I pad put together by my son Bryson (check out the band “Best Coast”, they rock) , keeping an eye on my work emails and hoping to have a few minutes to read todays “Huffington Post” headlines on-line before I land. Over the past few years in a job that requires extensive travel, I have become completely dependent on technology to enable me to be effective anywhere and anytime regardless of time-zone and location. I long ago dismissed the outmoded notion that an “office” is a static location in some corporate building where one schedules meetings. My “office” is wherever I have power and internet connectivity, wherever I can access my company’s network and connect to a good cell signal, whether in a remote airport gate, a hotel lobby, a street corner coffee shop, or a foreign train station. Technology has allowed me to be effective literally almost anywhere, anytime and I am constantly using this enhanced capability to “multi-task my brains out” in order to accomplish my goals personally and professionally. It is in this context that I want to share some thoughts or ideas on ways to be most effective in our wildly muti-tasking world:

Be Present: It is so tempting to always be doing two or three things at once. Think about it, we are often doing work emails while watching news or financial headlines/updates, while staying current in our personal social networking community. Heaven forbid that we might miss a posting from a group of friends with photos from a concert/party, or be slow to respond to a text from a work associate with an urgent, though maybe not important ( see a past essay “5% for #2” on that topic) request. In a recent executive review at work, we had an interesting experience. A large group had gathered in a conference room to discuss upcoming priorities and almost everyone had their ipads or laptops powered up and connected to the network. As we dove into the agenda it became clear that most folks participating in the meeting were ALSO doing emails, checking updates, etc. As it got to my turn to lead an agenda item, I covered a slide or two but then paused with a moment of silence to see how long it would take the group in the room to realize that I had stopped talking. Gradually, people raised their heads to look up at me and I waited for the last individual to look up, ultimately nudged by their neighbor in the conference room. I suggested that we weren’t holding the meeting to hear ourselves speak, and that if they wanted to be in the meeting then they should really be “in” the meeting. Choosing to be fully “present”, with all of your thoughts, experiences, and perspectives deployed to the moment at hand is extremely valuable and potent regardless of environment. When the moment arises, choose to be focused and great at the singular topic at hand, rather than distracted and merely adequate across a range of “muti-tasking activities.”

Be Safe: There is a growing realization and concern that multi-tasking in the wrong moments and environments can be dangerous and potentially lethal. Recently I was walking near a busy intersection in Santa Monica where I noticed a young woman walking next to me, ear buds firmly in place, and texting furiously on her iPhone. I stopped as we approached the busy corner, seeing the light turn red and cars starting to pull out ahead of us. Without even looking up, the young woman stepped off the curb heading blindly into traffic. I grabbed her arm to stop her, which caused her to raise her head to see me yelling for her to stop. While she seemed “pissed off” that I had grabbed her arm, she stepped back to the curb and went back to her texting. Unbelievably and blindly dangerous for what??
In a related vein I will add my voice to the growing chorus of organizations and individuals crying out against texting and driving. We as a nation have come to the realization that driving drunk is dangerous, potentially lethal, and thus unlawful and unacceptable! Recent studies show disarming similarities between texting and drinking when driving (http://io9.com/texting-while-driving-now-kills-more-teens-than-drunk-d-504588550) and we must take action culturally and legally now! The famous director Werner Herzog recently completed a short 35 minute documentary film that highlights the stories of a number of individuals and families involved in and affected by texting while driving. Please take a moment to watch this poignant film (www.scpr.org/news/2013/08/13/38675/werner-herzog-s-short-film-on-texting-while-drivin/) and take a note of the topics that were being texted at the moment of impact. It’s horrific, tragic and ridiculous how meaningless the topics are that distracted drivers to the point of turning them into killers!

Be Refreshed: Even in moments when we are being “Present” and “Safe”, multi-tasking will be pervasive broadly across our busy days, weeks, and months. It’s hard to put the technology down, even to grab a few hours of much needed sleep, knowing that there are emails, messages, contacts, etc. waiting out there! Try to find ways to step away from being connected ALL of the time, just to give yourself a much needed break. One example that works for me is an annual fishing trip “off the grid” that is coming up next week. Once a year I take a few days with some old friends and go fishing in rural western Ontario completely off the grid (I will save stories of the outhouse and the propane fridge for a future essay). At first it was more than disarming heading off from the dock and watching the cell coverage diminish and then go completely “dark.” Now with a few years of experience under my belt, I crave the idea of getting off the grid to take a break from the tempo and incessant onslaught of messages, if just for a few days. I prepare well for those few days every year, insuring that my team members cover the active projects and issues, with others tracking my emails watching to deal with any emergencies that might arise. It’s through that preparation that I now not only crave a few days “off the grid”, but come back “refreshed” and more than ready to dive back in!

It’s absolutely amazing what technology has allowed us to accomplish in our work and personal lives every day. I have no doubt that there will be new tools and applications in the years to come that will continue to enable us to “multi-task with abandon”, clearly at even greater speeds with greater impact than we can even imagine today. My council is for all of us (starting with yours truly) to take steps to be “Present, Safe, and Refreshed” so that we can convert this amazing “multi-tasking tempo” into a productive, healthy, and high impact life!

An inspiring Anniversary ... the fifty years ahead!

It is important for all of us to take a moment and remember and recognize the march on Washington for jobs and freedom that occurred fifty years ago today. I have often watched the “I have a dream speech” like many others all over the world, feeling inspired and challenged by Dr. King’s exhilarating words and delivery. As I reflect on this anniversary, there are a number of themes that I want to share.

The progress we have made: As a proud citizen of the city of Atlanta, I am proud that Dr. King called our city home and that Ebenezer Baptist Church is just a few miles from our neighborhood. Last weekend I had a chance to get on my bike, connect via the new beltline bike path, and work my way up to Piedmont Park in the center of the city. The weather was wonderful and the park was hopping and I was struck by the groups of kids all over the park; on the volleyball courts, on a soccer field, in the big swimming pool, and on the children’s playground all playing together clearly regardless of race. Here I was in a prominent southern city, within eyesight of Stone Mountain, and Dr. King’s speech came clearly to mind,

"I have a dream that one day out in the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. "
…

"I have a dream that one day down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; that one day right down in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers."

Here I was in the deep-south, with blacks and whites, south Asians and Koreans, Mexicans and central and South Americans and folks from literally all over the world enjoying a beautiful afternoon together, not even realizing they were all part of fulfilling Dr. King’s dream.

The progress not made: It is crucial to remember that the march fifty years ago was a march for “jobs and freedom.” As we sit here today, in late august of 2013, we have a lot of work to do on both of those fronts. Unemployment is still broadly at high levels all across the country, but if you look at the jobless percentages of those under 30, and especially for those young men and women of color, the statistics are frightful. In a landscape rife with national, state and local budget deficits, our ability as a country to invest in our children’s education, and candidly their future is under serious threat. Additionally in considering that the march was on the eve of the voting rights act fifty years ago, it’s impossible to mark this anniversary and not think about the challenges and limitations to the fundamental right to vote that are rampant all across our country. Again Dr. King’s words ring true,

"We cannot be satisfied as long as a colored person in Mississippi cannot vote and a colored person in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote."

We cannot be satisfied by the current tepid economic recovery and think that our economic woes are fixed. We can’t be lulled into thinking that just because our elected officials are more racially, ethnically, and gender diverse, that somehow it makes our democracy more open, more active and more vibrant. Clearly we have work to do.

The road ahead: Inspired as I truly am by Dr. King’s speech, I feel that we all need to be motivated and energized as we look at the fifty years ahead. Will we make progress on Dr. King’s legacy and be able to fulfill some of Dr. King’s unfulfilled “dreams?” Will our children look back on this day on the 100th anniversary (August 28, 2063) and marvel at the progress made, or be humbled by the yet unfulfilled potential? Since I am about to turn 52, I truly doubt that I will mark that anniversary, but I am more than hopeful that my children Bryson and Marie will celebrate that day. We should be clear that we all need to take actions now that will keep the march of progress moving forward, so someday our children’s grandchildren can all fulfill Dr. King’s dream,

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by their character.
I have a dream today."

rule #3

It had been a very busy weekend, Bryson was playing in a national Ultimate tournament in Minneapolis and Jennie and I had gone up to support the team, watch the young man play, and visit some old friends. While certainly a bit hectic, it was a wonderful weekend all across the board; Bryson and his team played very well, the weather was outstanding, and Jen and I had a ball with our friends. As we were leaving town we were in a hurry and had to grab a quick sandwich on the way to the airport. We stopped at a Jimmy John’s in Blaine Minnesota and as we were ordering, the sign (pictured to the right) caught my eye.

To say the least I wasn’t expecting a moment of inspiration in the midst of the lunch rush at Jimmy John’s. Grabbing a sandwich and getting back on the road to the airport was my complete plan, but the sign caught my eye and especially rule #3.

3. Never Suck Your Thumb
Gather in advance any information you need to make a decision, and ask a friend or relative to make sure that you stick to a deadline. Buffett prides himself on swiftly making up his mind and acting on it. He calls any unnecessary sitting and thinking “thumb-sucking.”

I have been thinking a lot lately about “taking action” and in my previous essay (“Seeds of Today”) I encouraged readers to reflect on how MaMa (my paternal grandmother) and Goethe both encouraged and supported the idea that there was power and impact in taking action “today.” Now here I was in suburban Minnesota and Warren Buffett was sending that same message from a sub shop wall.

It’s important to reflect on Buffett’s Goldman Sachs investment in 2008. In the absolute midst of the financial meltdown, Buffett/Berkshire Hathaway invested $5 billion into Goldman Sachs and now almost five years later, that investment is now worth over $8 billion. What’s amazing about the deal is NOT the impressive return or the classic Buffett approach of buying when everyone else is selling. It’s the Wall Street legend that has him on the phone with the Goldman Sachs CEO Loyd Blankfein for 15 to 20 minutes and then making the $5 billion investment. 15 – 20 MINUTES!!! Truly no “thumb-sucking” there!


It’s an understatement to say that Warren Buffett is in a different league than all of us everyday investors. Sometimes these stories (and others like them) seem to be from another world, not part of my hectic, on the road, raising a family lifestyle. While that is clearly true, the message jumping off the wall is one that links with MaMa and Goethe. The time in our life for action is NOW. In whatever the endeavour, whether at work, in your social life, at your kid’s school, in your marriage, or even at a playing field in Minnesota, the time to take action is now.

p.s. I had the pleasure of meeting Warren Buffett at a Coke board meeting about ten years ago and my experience that night reinforces many things that have been written about him. I was literally at a picnic table with him and a number of my colleagues and other board members and I remember him telling very folksy stories about Omaha and his passion for Cherry Coke. I also remember that we were all eating corn on the cob he had a drip of butter come down his hand and hit his jacket sleeve. He laughed about how we was going to have to “hide the butter stain” at the board meeting tomorrow… just like us, he had only brought one jacket!

The Seeds of Today

We have had a lot of rain this summer, especially up at our Cabin in the western North Carolina Mountains. While it does curtail our hikes and canoe trips, (and makes things a damp all in all), it has lead to some much needed family time. We have cooked more meals, played more games, and watched more movies than normal this summer; certainly nothing to complain about!

Well over a recent weekend, I was struck by the “sampler” (pictured here) that was sewn by my grandmother (yes, MaMa) many years ago. We had hung it up at the cabin, alongside a quilt that she had sewn, as a fitting reminder of her legacy in our lives and of her wonderful art! For some reason on a drippy Saturday morning I was struck not by the stitching or the overall design, but by the text featured on the samples…” All of the flowers of all of the tomorrows are in the seeds of today.” I had grown up around this piece of Mama’s needlework but I had never really focused on the words, or their meaning to me at that moment.

We have just finished our first year after the sale of Bolthouse Farms to The Campbell Soup Company, and we have been wrapping up our plans for our upcoming fiscal year this summer. I have been so proud of the four years (hard to believe it’s already four years!!!) that I have been associated with Bolthouse Farms. We have accomplished a lot as an organization and are poised well for the opportunities and challenges in the future. With that said, as we look at the fiscal year ahead we have a lot to DO to turn all of our plans in market centered realities.

I have been struck through my career on the overall need to take action and be focused on superior execution, rather than superior intentions! This idea is not just a concept of our times, but has deep historic resonance. The prominent German writer, Goethe, is famous quoted as writing that:


Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it!”


This notion of diving in, taking action on “what you can do, or DREAM you can do” is such a powerful idea. We are often slowed by our own uncertainties or insecurities. Is our idea really any good? Well maybe we need to do more research? The list of self-doubting questions goes on and on. Goethe is challenging us to not only act on what we can do today, but to take action on what we just might be able to do tomorrow!

As I look at MaMa’s sampler, I am reminded that she and Goethe (and many others of course) are all saying one thing. Take action and take action now on what you think you can do or maybe dream that you can do! Don’t wait for something else to happen or someone else to make the first move. Take action now! We all want to enjoy “all the flowers of all the tomorrows” in our personal and professional lives. Mama (and Goethe) is calling us to focus on getting busy planting “the seeds of today!”

Lessons of Life From Cooking Camp

My sweet daughter Marie, know too many of us as “ReRe”, is the center of this story that reinforces the idea that we learn the lessons of life in sometimes unexpected moments and locations. Over the past few years, I have shared stories about “turkey bags”, mountain hikes, Paris Metro stations, and historic family recipes. Well today my daughter’s experience at a summer cooking camp is the backdrop for a few moments of insight and wisdom.

Well I was back on the road this week with a number of key meetings in Santa Monica and Bakersfield. We had recently come back from a marvelous family vacation, so getting back on the road for a whole week away was a total bummer. The kids are busy this summer with all kinds of great activities, and this week was Marie’s week to attend a week long cooking camp at a local kitchen/cooking store. Marie has already established herself as our “cupcake queen” with her baking prowess, and is now expanding her horizons across the culinary spectrum. I love the fact that she shares my passion for cooking and I look forward to our time together in the kitchen!

I checked in through the week with my early morning calls to the family as they started their days back in Atlanta. Everybody was doing well, busy with their respective plans, and Marie was enjoying being at camp with a number for her close friends. In my call yesterday from my morning walk on the streets of Bakersfield, there seemed to be a different tone on the phone. Marie was clearly upset about something that had happened at the camp and with all the limitations of cell phones; I wanted to know what had happened. She shared that their big end-of-week competition was planned for Friday, and that she and her friends were teamed together to compete against the other kids at camp. They had to create, plan and cook a complete meal that would judged by the teachers and shared with the families of the campers. It sounded so cool, now I was really curious why/how Marie could be upset.

She shared that her little team had come up with a great menu (bruschetta, caprese salad, roasted pork tenderloin, and upside down strawberry shortcake….. total yum!!!) And as they were sharing it with one of the teachers, some girls from another team listened in and decided to replicate their menu item by item. They were cheating and Marie was understandably hurt, surprised, upset; you name it. The emotions were expected and predictable, it was her response that caught me by surprise. As she told us about the other girls and their actions, she shared that “she would rather lose than cheat;” such a moment of truth from my sweet 12 year old on her way to cooking camp!

In our era of media scandals of entertainers, sports figures, politicians, and financiers all cutting corners, bending the rules, or blatantly cheating to get ahead, Marie’s advice to all of us is powerful. The ends don’t justify the means … they never have and never will! We are judged not solely by “what” we accomplish in life, but maybe more importantly on “How” we live our lives. Are we generous and kind to others in need? Are we fair and truthful in our dealings with friends and strangers alike? Do we love our neighbors as ourselves? These are certainly some of the core questions in life and I am humbled and proud of Marie’s response from cooking camp that she would “rather lose than cheat!”

Let the Ball Come to You

Over the past 90+ essays on this blog, I have often written about surprising and unexpected learning moments. Whether in a cab in Bakersfield (“The Story of Clarissa”), a walk in Des Moines (“Long look Garden”) or at a summer job many years ago (“The story of Floyd”), I have had a life filled with little stories and moments of insights and learning’s. Well last weekend that list continued to grow at my 30th college reunion.


My wife Jennie and I both graduated from The College of Wooster class of ‘83 (learn more at: www.ctcl.org/colleges/wooster ) 30 years ago this spring. We both deeply enjoyed our time there and look back on that fine liberal arts experience as a powerful foundation for our adult lives. Thinking about the reunion, we looked forward to getting back to campus, seeing old friends, telling a few old stories, showing off the campus to our kids for the first time, and getting caught up on all the positive things happening at the college. Jennie had a very active role in planning the events for the reunion and the entire weekend was packed.



Well the weekend was a ball, the campus was beautiful and the whole experience was a huge success! We haven’t laughed that hard in years (which is a reminder to actually work harder to stay connected with life-long friends …. More on that idea in an upcoming essay.) At one of the evening events I ran into a fellow alumnus from the class of ‘88 who was a member of my fraternity. After a few stories about mutual friends (those stories will NOT be featured in any future essays) we shared a bit about our current professional lives. I talked about my journey after Wooster, through an MBA at Vanderbilt, and on through marketing and sales career at Kimberly Clark, Kraft Foods, The Coca-Cola Company and now my current fun at Bolthouse Farms. He shared that he had recently left a long career in the publishing industry and he was pushing hard to make the “next thing” happen and he just wasn’t sure what that was going to like. There was clearly a bit of stress in his voice when he shared the story of his recent job change.



This poignant moment occurred late one night last weekend after a great beer tasting event; having just met this guy what was my next move? Well without too much deliberation I shared a piece of advice that I had been given many years before, which was to … “let the ball come to you.” In the late 80’s I had been at a crossroads in my career, wanting to make a change but not finding the right role/right company/right town/right boss/etc. It seemed that the harder I pushed, the less successful I became. Think about the idea of “professional quicksand”, the more you struggle, the faster you sink. Well I was pushing and really getting nowhere. A friend who was working in the sports broadcasting field at the time said, “Bill, run your route. You can’t be the quarterback AND the receiver. Run your route and let the ball come to you.” At that moment I thought the advice was too simple, and maybe off track. I had to do everything in my power to create and close on opportunities, … right??? Wasn’t that what I was taught at B-school? Wasn’t that the American model of Capitalism???



To say the least I did indeed heed that advice, and in a few months I had an interview at
The Coca-Cola Company, for a role that was perfect, for a boss that was great, in a city that I loved, that I nailed!! (Because I was ready to “catch that ball”) I shared that whole story with my fellow alum and while I am not sure what he is going to do with that story, it reminded me of how poignant that message was for me. In the scope of life we often think we have to be both quarterback and receiver on so many fronts. Maybe if we could all take just a little breath (any maybe one more sip at the beer tasting, ha!) and focus on running our “routes” of life well and being really prepared to make a great catch when “the ball comes to you”, we might all find a bit more peace and a bit more success as we face the challenges ahead.

Jump the Shoal of Life

The only way to describe it was that it was a “pivot point” of life that I will never forget. Last Thursday night, at Eddies Attic in Decatur Ga, my sweet son was the opening act …. Yes his first professional gig and he totally rocked!!!

I had come back from a business trip a number of weeks past and heard the Bryson announce that he was going to open for Sydney Rhame, a marvelous young singer songwriter who was the headliner on May 30th. Now Bryson has been really working on his guitar and I knew he was very talented (a proud father comment of course) but the opening act? Just him? A 30 minute set of his own original music? Really??? I was convulsed by questions and nervousness. Was he ready? Were his songs really good enough? You know the normal kind of nervous parent questions, which only seemed to lead to more questions rather than a lot of easy answers.

Well the important fact highlighted above was that Bryson announced his plan, he didn’t ask our views/thoughts /or permission. When he was asked by Sydney to be the opening act, he quickly and confidently said yes. No asking or pausing, just yes.

Well to say the least we all were a bit nervous as we (Bryson, Jennie his awesome Mom, Marie his very encouraging sister, and dear old nervous Dad) headed to the club last Thursday night. As Bryson went off to do the sound check, we settled in and started to greet the growing number of friends and family who came out to see the show. It was amazing; 30 kids from his school came to see him and the show was sold out with 150+/- folks crammed in to the little club.

Well before you knew it, Bryson was up on stage (see picture above) and started his set of original songs. I am not sure how to describe my feelings during his 30 minutes on stage that night. Beyond proud, beyond impressed, beyond affection… maybe in another language there is a single word for the feelings I felt. In English all I can say was that I was totally blown away with pride and love, swimming in tears, listening to that boy sing and play his guitar.

In one of his songs, titled “Yearning”, Bryson says to “Jump the shoal of life and take my hand,” quoting Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The lyrics were poignant and deeply thoughtful; musically the song was intriguing across various tempos. Right there at about 8:30 last Thursday night, I had stopped being just the proud doting dad, I had become a fan!

Well Bryson finished his set, we all went crazy, and Sydney came on stage and totally rocked for over an hour. As the closing song of the night, she had Bryson come back on stage and they performed a cover of the Lunineer’s “Stubborn Love.” The whole evening was fantastic and pretty unbelievable! To say the least I felt ashamed of all of my doubts and early questions, now clearly washed away by the talent and the applause! As I age and work to become a better and better Dad, I know I will have more of these pivot points with Marie and Bryson; moments when their talent and courage push me out of being the nervous doubting dad to just being a raving fan!