I'm on Cloud 9

Maybe it isn't so crazy, but here we are in January, in the dead of winter and all I can think about is golf.

Last night, I was at a Sporstmens (fundraising) dinner benefiting those children who don't have all of the luck in life.  It was a combination silent and live auction and featured such athletes as Curtis Joseph, Jesse Barfield, Dick Pound.  You get the picture.

Well, in the live auction, they had some tickets to attend a practice round of The Masters this year.

If you have read my blog for a while,  you might have gotten the message that I like golf.  Like, might be too weak a word.  Love, might not be appropriate either.

Back to the story.  The live auction wasn't attracting the normal level of enthusiasm and testosterone filled, knee jerk thinking.  So, along with a couple of buddies, we bid and we won.  We didn't have to pay what we expected, yet the kids ended up with a solid donation.

The net result....in April, I'm headed down to Augusta, GA and will see The Masters up close.  It works out well that my friend has a condo in Hilton Head Island, which is only two hours from Augusta.  We'll probably make a trip out of it.

Golf is all that is on my mind on this January day.

Reputational Damage!!!???

There is an old saying, "any press is good press".  Well, I'm not sure about this...especially with Showtime releasing a new series on management consultants, titled, "House of Lies".  In Canada, this is on TMN, starting tonight.

I realize it is fiction.  I realize it is comedy.  I realize it is entertainment.  I realize that lawyers, doctors and other professionals have been portrayed and satirized in television shows, but there is something here that really is dangerous because it can shape the public's perception.

This show is based on Martin Kihn's book, "House of Lies"  How Management Consultants Steal Your Watch and Then Tell You the Time."  The show includes a sleaziness that includes the lead character doing whatever it takes to win the contract....including lying, sleeping with the clients, abusing expense accounts, using B-School acronyms to confuse and taking advantage of the situation....you get the picture.

Reputational damage.  Huge.

Are we concerned?  Big time.

Let's hope the series doesn't attract many viewers and it ceases to be an issue in a few weeks.

But, we are not taking this sitting down.  We are in discussions with IMC USA to see what can be done to minimize the impact on our profession's reputation.  The majority of us have worked too hard to see Hollywood inflict this kind of damage.

Happy New Year - 2012

Every year that the numbers change, things seems so strange for the first month or two....I mean to get used to writing "2012" instead of "2011".

Yesterday, my sons said that it feels weird to write "2012".  It got me reminiscing how strange it felt to write "1970" but that makes me feel old, so let's just keep focused on the gist of this post.

What does a New Year really mean?  It is a new beginning, a fresh start, a chance to correct the wrongs of the past (e.g. resolutions), or more importantly, an opportunity to be optimistic about the future.

I, for one, love the New Year.  I envision a prosperous 2012.  I can only imagine good things happening in 2012...in the economy (how can it get worse?); with my career; with my business; with my family; and, in my personal life.  As such, I'm looking forward to getting 2012 underway.

I learnt a while ago, that it does little to spend time worrying about the past.  It takes up time, energy and takes away from the good things in life....and we can't change the past.  Being optimistic and dreaming about the future, is time better spent....as we can actually make change that impacts the future.  And, even if we don't achieve everything that we have dreamed, as Brian Littrell once said, “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars.”

I had a great 2011, but bring 2012 on.  I'm pumped.

Happy New Year everyone.

Happy Holidays

This is a great time of year. There is a spirit that infects almost everyone - that brings out the best in everyone.  With this attitude, there is no doubt Christmas is my favourite time of year.

As much as I enjoy a white Christmas and walking through a snow-covered forest, my favourite place, that gets me in the holiday spirit is Magnificent Mile (Michigan Ave) in Chicago.  With the lighting of all of the trees and the energy about the stores, even if you are a scrooge, the whole atmosphere changes your outlook.  If you have a chance, visit Chicago after US Thanksgiving, it will get you thinking about Christmas.

A close second place would go to Fifth Avenue in New York City.  Again, there is just something about the power of the American retail experience.  Toronto's Eaton Centre does a good job of  this, too.

But, I'm not such a business focused individual that all I think about is the commercial aspects of the holidays.

I like the atmosphere of these tourist areas, because it forces us to get into the spirit.  And, it is this spirit that causes all of the good things that go with it.  The goodwill, the charity, reconnecting with friends and family, and the fact that we think of others first. That is what Christmas is all about and that is what I appreciate, at this time of year.

Each holiday season, instead of sending Christmas cards, NEXT Strategic Advisors makes a donation to recognize my appreciation for the year I have experienced.  U-End (http://www.uend.org) has been the target of my support for the past three years.  U-End helps to end poverty, worldwide.  Based in Calgary, I was fortunate to meet the founder and I was impressed with his passion.

With Christmas upon us, I thank you for reading my blog, I wish you a wonderful holiday season and I urge you to consider getting into the holiday spirit by thinking of others.

Happy holidays.

Consult Magazine

I'm biased but I love it.

We have been getting tons of feedback since the Fall 2011 issue of Consult magazine rolled off the presses, last month.  Feedback, whether it be good or bad, is great.  It means people have been reading the magazine.

But, the feedback we've received has been unbelievably positive.  And, not just about the design...even though it is great.  We have been getting feedback that people love the content.

If you haven't seen the magazine, we publish the magazine simultaneously online:  www.consult-magazine.ca  I urge you to judge for yourself.

Our Editorial team must be thanked for their efforts.  From the Editorial Board, led by Editor-in-Chief, Harold Schroeder, FCMC (with Board members, Mike Appleton, FCMC, Eric Inthof, FCMC, Ron Knowles, FCMC, Peter Milley, FCMC, Greg Richards, FCMC, Tony Wanless, CMC), to our writers, which includes our members (Gen Bonin, FCMC, Carl Friesen, CMC, and Christopher Harper), to our Editorial Staff (Andrea Vandenberg, Mary Blair) and to our guest writer, Jenny Sutton, CMC, from Hong Kong.  Needless to say, our designer, Aegis Design and our photographer, Nation Wong, are invaluable partners.  It takes a lot of work from everyone to get the magazine done....so thank you to all.

Our next issue will be the Spring 2012 - which will be published in May.  Watch for it.

Wanless Helps Keep the Den Active

CMC consultant, Tony Wanless, of Knowpreneur Consultants in Victoria, BC, keeps the discussion alive, for CBC's hit show, Dragon's Den.  Tony helps to keep the interest in the show going, by writing The Den Report.

Tony's latest posting on Tragic Obsessions is based on the November 30, 2011 episode, where John Cheung pitched the Dragons on his golf club invention:

http://www.cbc.ca/dragonsden/2011/12/the-den-report-magnificent-but-tragic-obsessions.html

Check out the Dragon's Den website to keep up to date with Tony's thoughts.

CMC-BC in Toronto

We were pleased to welcome Russ Grabb, CMC, President of CMC-BC, to our offices in Toronto today.

In addition to some important CMC-Canada business, Russ joined CMC-Canada Chair, Lynn Bennett, FCMC, and myself for lunch at the Economic Club of Canada, where Austan Goosbee, Professor of Economics, University of Chicago's Booth School of Business, and Chairman, President Obama's Council of Economic Advisers, shared his views of the global economy.  Frank McKenna, Vice-Chair of the TD Bank Financial Group and former Premier of New Brunswick, questioned Goosbee following his introductory comments.

We were honoured to be hosted by our friends at CMA Ontario - CEO, Merv Hillier, CMA, CMC, and Director of Post Professional Programs, Michael Kulbak, CMA.

Goosbee was a dynamic speaker - mixing stories and parables into his speech - to allow us to more easily understand some of the complex issues facing Europe and the US today.

The good news is that he expects the North American economy to show signs of strength within 18-24 months.  The bad news is what we have to go through in the next 18-24 months....until we get to the light, at the end of the tunnel.

Goosbee admitted that Canada is in a preferred economic position, vis a vis the US.

Despite this better than bad news, I think it is my duty to remind everyone of an old quote from our former Prime Minister, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, who said,  "living next to you (US) is like sleeping beside an elephant, no matter how friendly and even-tempered the beast, if one can call it that, one is affected by every twitch and grunt."

I hope we aren't impacted by every twitch and grunt in the next 18-24 months.