The following is my theory and not based on any kind of scientific study. For almost three years many, many people have worn a mask almost all the time (I know some people have underlying medical issues and I understand why).
When I see the headlines about massive amounts of people with the flu, Covid, and other respiratory illnesses my first thought is many of these people did not get “little immunities” because they were so protective. It’s the opposite of my mother making comments about how (me) playing outside and getting dirty let me get germs and build up immunity.
I wrote the above before seeing the December 28, 2022 New York Times news brief stating:
China does not have much natural immunity from past Covid waves. Its lockdown policies have kept the virus out of the country, probably saving lives in the short term. But they have also left its population more vulnerable to the disease than those who have been repeatedly exposed to the virus.
So, what does this have to do with a business memo? Here are three connections.
- If a business isn’t taking risks, it’s setup for stagnation, at some point. You don’t see Apple, Microsoft, car manufacturers, fashion stores, etc. not adding to their product lines, even though not all of which work – think Zune, Saturn, etc.
- Hunkering down (in business) can also be called coasting and it’s what business buyers look for. A company with more potential than they’re exploiting allows the buyer can pay less and reap the benefits of growth.
- The best and brightest employees want to be part of something dynamic. If you don’t want to grow, innovate, or challenge (the employees, the market, etc.) your better people will go somewhere else.
As we start 2023 it may be time to do some different things, whether it’s a new product or service, different marketing, or something else.
“A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.” Mark Twain
“Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die.” Mel Brooks
