Husband Lazy ???

One of the ways that I guage what is going on in our society is to periodically review what terms are being searched for most often on Google. What people tell you is on their mind is one thing. But, what they search on tells yet another story...and frequently the truer story.

Recently, my attention was drawn to the headline of this post by one of my Google reviews of most frequently searched terms. No sooner than having been made aware of this notion, I began hearing - first hand - the stories that go something like this:

Husband (or significant other) gets laid off...husband goes into a funk...and husband just lazes around.

Meanwhile the wife is holding down a full time job and is still doing the vast majority of the household chores.

Sound familiar? I hope not!

I feel for the woman who are going through this kind of situation. They are really dammed if they do , dammed if they don't. If they try to nudge the husband, they are likely to get a fair amount of resentment. (The male specie, by and large, is not keen on receiving guidance.) And, if they do nothing, they are unlikely to get much change from the husband.

Best advice I can offer is that women in this position get help on how to deal with the situation...from a professional (coach, therapist, etc.) if possible, but if not possible, then from a thoughtful friend. What I know is that a person can't let the situation add to the load already being carried. Remember, Cheryl Richardson's thoughtful guidance that in these challenging times it is more important than ever that extreme self care be our priority.

Best advice I can offer any husband in this situation is get over your layoff. If you can't do so quickly without counseling, then get counseling! In this economy, many a good person is getting laid off. The measure of a person is not whether they are getting laid off but what they are doing about getting re-employed. And, what they are doing - in the interim - to carry their fair share of the burden of operating a household.

I am a huge believer in the notion that life was meant to be shared. Shared so as to make the good times more enjoyable. And, shared so as to make the challenging times more doable.

If you are in a relationship, are you carrying your fair share of the load?

Supply and Demand Changes Present Recession Opportunties

Everywhere I turn, I see opportunities for companies and individuals to take advantage of market changes due to changes in supply and demand relationships in a given market segment.

Savvy companies and savvy individuals will understand these new market dynamics and figure out how to make them work to their advantage.

Let me share a couple of examples.

I am seeing some companies recognizing that formerly short supply labor is now so plentiful that they can upgrade their employees...at every level. Companies doing so have great opportunities for improved productivity, as well as improved customer service.

But for every company I see lifting their expectations of their employees, I am seeing even more companies frozen like a deer in headlights. These companies seem more focused on making cuts in employee levels than they do in getting dramatically more from their employees.

Or, take the change in supply and demand in the commercial real estate market. I am seeing some companies getting quite aggressive at demanding renegotiation of their leases with commercial property owners to reflect new supply and demand relationships.

But for every company I see being aggressive at lease renegotiations, I am seeing so many other lessees treating their leases as sacrosanct.

A similar pattern is playing out with individuals.

Some individuals are stepping up their performance dramatically to save their job or, even better yet, to set themselves up for job advancement. While others remain seemingly oblivious to changed conditions (as with the Bellagio Hotel example that I wrote about in a recent post).

Those living in the past...and those focused on new realities. Those frozen in worry...and those choosing to prosper by taking advantage of changed circumstances.

Change represents such great opportunities for the astute, especially those who are also agile.

The Power of Less

In these tumultuous times, it is often tempting to try to work faster in order to get more done.

As counterintuitive as it may seem, the answer for many people may be to do less, in order to create greater results.

First time author Leo Babauta has written a terrific new book, The Power of Less.



Babauta makes a very compelling case for limiting oneself to the truly essential in business and in life.

This is one of the finest books on the subject of time management to be written in the last decade. It really is that good!

In these tumultuous times, simplifying our lives can be important part of the road to prosperity.

Bellagio Hotel Misses the Opportunity

I just attended the Distressed Investment Conference held at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. The Conference was important to my continuing efforts to understand the distressed market for my consulting clients and for my other blog, Restructuring 2.0.

Everywhere I go, I see examples of companies and individuals getting the message about the opportunities in a downturn, as well as of companies and individuals not getting the message. I saw both at the Bellagio. My experience is illustrative of the opportunities that are being squandered because of some not getting it.

When I made my reservation to stay at the Bellagio, host hotel for the conference, they were offering on the net a special of "stay two nights and get the third night free." I decided to take advantage of the opportunity.

Upon checking in, my hospitable clerk confirmed that the third night would be free and would be taken care of at checkout. He then nicely offered me an upgrade, at a very attractive price I might add. I decided to take advantage of that offer.

Note...I am starting to feel really good about the Bellagio. Both on a personal level for the amazing deals I am getting, but also at a consulting level that "they get it about the downturn being an opportunity to take market share away from competitors."

Over the ensuing three days, I repeatedly observed very hospitable and attentive service. My admiration for the Bellagio kept growing.

Saturday morning, I had an early flight back east. So I checked out early. I was pleased to see no line. The front desk clerk was quiet but professional. She printed out my bill and handed it to me. But, I noted that they had charged me for the third night, which was supposed to be free.

I called the mistake to the clerk's attention and she said she would print out a new bill. But, interestingly she offerred no apology for the billing mistake.

When she handed me the corrected final bill, I told her that I was disappointed that I had to be the one telling them what our arrangements were. Her response was something to the effect that "that is the way our system is." The consultant in me couldn't resist suggesting nicely to her that she pass on to management my view that such is not right. Her facial look made very clear that she wouldn't be passing on anything and that she would prefer I just leave (there was no one else waiting to be served).

I decided I would make my suggestion directly to management. I asked to speak to a manager. The manager came around to meet me face to face (rather than speaking to me from behind the desk). Smart.

It quickly became apparent that the manager didn't see any problem. After all, I had gotten the right final bill. She informed me that the clerk had missed the notation on the screen when processing my checkout. Now, I make plenty of mistakes...so I can appreciate the clerk missing. Of course, the clerk never owned up to missing anything, instead deciding to "trash" her employer ("that is the way our sytem is").

The manager's facial expression and comments quickly told me that she didn't see any problems...not in customer's having to remind the hotel of the free night or in an employee blaming the company rather than owning up to her oversight. She said she would speak to the employee but did so in a way that seemed more designed to just want to get me out the door.

I am much more forgiving of the frailties of front line personnel. I expected much better from a manager at the Bellagio.

So here is the moral to this story:

The Bellagio loses an opportunity to dazzle me due to two employees who apparently view customers as the problem.

Heck...no big deal. I am just a single customer.

Or, am I one of a number of Bellagio customers being served up for Steve Wynn's new hotel (as most readers know, Mr Wynn formerly owned the Bellagio and built the gorgeous Wynn a couple of blocks down the Strip).

Heck, in these days, a single disatisfied customer can tell friends...or post their story to a blog.

If you are a business owner or manager, are your efforts to adjust to the changed markets being sabotaged by some employees who don't understand that the only thing standing between them and being unemployed is a customer or two?

If you are an employee, are you sabotaging the efforts of your colleagues and your employer with your "I can't be bothered" attitude.

This downturn presents such great opportuntites for those who understand the new market realities. I have long believed that the customer is king (or queen). In this economic environment, every customer needs to be treated like a king!