Today’s Conversations
We’ve all experienced it. Folks talking on their cellphones as if there’s no one around them. Sure, we’re in a mobile world, and cellphones have become another appendage on our body (addiction to social media is a Randt for another day), but when did people decide to make phone conversations so public?
It’s certainly not everyone, but when it happens, public cellphone conversations can grind the best of us. Sitting at an airline gate, standing in grocery lines, and yes, now standing at a urinal in a public restroom?!? Come on folks, if the call’s that important, wouldn’t it make sense to wait, or make the call before the bathroom? BTW, I’m sure ladies are not doing the same thing as we Neanderthal men😁!
We Don’t Live in a Bubble
It’s not only cellphone conversations. Many people have seemingly forgotten the basics, like opening doors, saying hello, and yes, talking in elevators (…I don’t care what the commercials say, sometimes it’s ok to be like our parents! It might even be pleasant versus the discomfort of silent stares.)
What Does This Have To Do With Business?
There’s over $6 trillion in money market funds sitting on the sidelines, a record amount. And we’re about to be part of the largest wealth transfer in history, as the Baby Boomer generation transfers assets of $84 trillion into the hands of younger generations — typically, Millennials and Gen Z.
With so much pent-up demand, companies are searching everywhere to deploy capital, build vertically and/or horizontally, or transition to a next level. With high demand, there’s often a high level of bad deals. The world of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) has always had its challenges. Consider this, according to Harvard Business Review, the number of failures is between 70% to 90%. Why are the numbers so high? Could it be as simple as leaders with limited battle scars and the real experiences needed to sift through the noise?
When we’re working long hours and building businesses, we’ll often hear folks say, “slow down and smell the roses.” With so much historical evidence, it seems it might be better to, “wake up and smell the coffee.” And stop talking in the bathroom, and other public places. We don’t care about your conversations.
