But Every 1000 Years or So…..

I’ve been trying to write Ghostbusters Part 2 for about a week now. But all of my thoughts keep going back to “Harvey”. Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time in Houston. It’s a great area full of great people. I can do without the humidity and my DNA is more West Texas. But Houston is Texas. Heck it’s pretty much the birthplace of the Republic.

And Houston is a melting pot. DFW is diverse, no question. But Houston takes it to a whole other level. Every race, ethnicity and religious (or non-religious) persuasion is well-represented there. It is a “global” city and one of the most important economic hubs in the world.

And it is flood-prone. I’ve been down there twice when there were floods. Nothing even close to this, but bad enough one time that I was stuck there for three days. Over the years, they have taken steps to deal with too much water. But, you don’t know what you don’t know, and no one knew it would ever rain this much. Can you prepare for it? Could something have been done. Probably. It only takes money. But no one is much inclined to invest in ways to manage a disaster that has never happened and probably never will.

But then it happens. The critics and second-guessers will be all over this. Once everybody is safe and the water goes down, get ready for the woulda, shoulda, coulda’s. We will learn something from Harvey and maybe the next time, a thousand years from now or next week, we’ll do better. But, honestly I am amazed at how well the city, county, state and federal authorities have handled this unprecedented disaster. And then there are the everyday people. Wow, did they ever step up and show what Americans (and Texans , of course) can do when bad things happen.

Some folks will shake their fists at God and ask how could He let such a thing happen. Some will blame global warming and say they told us so. Some will say this is just what happens when too many people choose to live in a coastal flood plain. And some of us will simply say that we live in a broken world. This is what it is. We can do better and must do better. But chaos, destruction and death are baked into the recipe of the life we live on this planet. And if that were all there is and then it’s over…now that truly would be a tragedy.

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Revelation 21:4

Ghostbusters

Ghosting: The act of suddenly ceasing all communication with someone. This is done in hopes that the ghostee will just "get the hint" and leave the subject alone, as opposed to the subject simply telling them he/she is no longer interested. (From the Urban Dictionary.)

The term “ghosting” became popular to describe the silent ending of dating relationships or potential dating relationships. No response to texts, emails, phone calls. Just crickets. Not even a Boo! or a KMA.

Now it’s found its way into the business community, especially in the triangulated communication between employers, job seekers and search firms. Let’s be clear on what qualifies as ghosting. If you are a job seeker and you submit your resume to company or a search firm and you do not get a confirmation response of some sort, that is not ghosting. It’s not very professional and reflects poorly on the recipient of your resume, but it’s not ghosting. By the same token, if a recruiter calls or texts or emails you and you do not respond, that is not ghosting. You may have just missed out on the opportunity of a lifetime (probably not) or the chance to build a relationship with someone who might eventually bring you the opportunity of a lifetime; but it’s not ghosting.

Ghosting looks more like this. You have a conversation with a recruiter and express interest in further discussion about new career opportunities. You say that you will get back to the recruiter with some days and times that would work for that next conversation. You might even commit to send a resume. And then you vanish. The recruiter calls you, emails you, texts you and gets nothing back. That is ghosting. However, if you are a candidate whose skills and experience are in big demand, you can get away with it and the recruiters will keep coming back. Or when the day comes when you’re finally ready to grace that recruiter with your time and attention, they will come running…because they see money. It’s just business.

But when the day comes, and it comes eventually for everyone, when those skills and experience are not so highly valued; the recruiters may not come running like they used to. Maybe you’ve had a few too many jobs or got fired or the company you’ve been working for has developed a really bad reputation or maybe it’s just that your career clock is ticking down. When that day comes, you don’t want to be remembered by recruiters as a ghost.

The flip side of the ghost story and one that gets more hits on social media, are the recruiters who don’t communicate with candidates. I’ll talk about those ghosts next time.

Excuse Me While I Stare At The Sun

One of my all time favorite comedians, the late Robin Williams, used this line in one of his comedy routines when describing some sketchy characters inhabiting a small town somewhere out in the California desert.

Apparently a lot of people in North America will ask to be excused so they can stare at the sun when the Great Solar Eclipse occurs on August 21, 2017. I guess this is a really big deal since there hasn’t been one like it since 1918. (Although another one is passing through Mexico and the Southern U.S. seven years from now). There is concern that in some places along the path of this eclipse there will be massive traffic jams. Small towns are bracing for an onslaught of SEWs (Solar Eclipse Watchers). Some have predicted up to a billion dollar negative impact on businesses from lost productivity as employees take time off to watch the eclipse. (Note to businesses: Between fantasy sports and gambling you lose at least that much every week, probably twice as much during football season.)

I don’t know, I just can’t get all that excited about The Eclipse. It’s going to be on every news outlet and will be replayed for days. It will be out there on You Tube for eternity. I mean we know how the eclipse works and exactly what it’s going to do. I just can’t get worked up about it. Give me a thunderstorm and lightning, some hail and high winds, a big old West Texas dust storm. That excites me. Shooting stars get my attention. A real UFO would really cause me to take notice. I even like sunrises and sunsets because they look different depending on clouds and temperature and the time of the year.

But a solar eclipse is pretty much the same thing every time. We know when it will happen, where it will happen and what it will look like. So even though it is indeed a rare occurrence, considering that it’s been going on the same way for billions of years and so many of my clients will be watching or doing double duty to cover for those who are watching…. I think I’ll just take a nap.


And then there is this about an eclipse from long ago:

In the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad (i.e., AD 33) there was ‘the greatest eclipse of the sun’ and that ‘it became night in the sixth hour of the day [i.e., noon] so that stars even appeared in the heavens. There was a great earthquake in Bithynia, and many things were overturned in Nicaea. – Phlegon, Greek Historian

For We Are All One

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galations 3:28

In the aftermath of Charlottesville, I decided to look back at some of my previous blog entries which addressed the racial divide in this nation. I didn’t realize how often I’ve been moved to write about it. That in and of itself says a lot about the problem. Sadly, if one wrote something every time there is an incident (and some do) you could have a daily blog about nothing but racial conflict (and some do).

http://www.headhunterpov.net/2016/09/sending-message.html

http://www.headhunterpov.net/2016/07/one-heart-at-time.html

http://www.headhunterpov.net/2015/06/rooted-in-evil.html

http://www.headhunterpov.net/2015/06/mckinney_99.html

http://www.headhunterpov.net/2015/02/the-color-of-conversation.html

http://www.headhunterpov.net/2014/12/we-cant-breathe.html

http://www.headhunterpov.net/2014/11/

What, Me Worry?

A recent study at the University of Southhampton in the UK has come up with some interesting, counter-intuitive results with regard to neurotic people living a bit longer than the normal, well-adjusted crowd (http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/407963). The study is a mind-numbing read, so I suggest that you just read the introduction and discussion. The statistical evidence that neurotic personalities might live longer is sketchy, but it certainly would lead one to believe that they do not live shorter lives and “may” live longer than the happy people who worry less and take life on the sunny side.

This is good news for headhunters and very good news for those of you who work somewhere in the supply chain. If your job involves the movement of stuff from one point to another, you know that worry and anxiety come with the territory. Rarely does anything go completely as it is supposed to go. I laugh when I hear companies and carriers talk about service levels. Whether the bar is set at 100%, 98%, 95% or something less, I figure that service when measured against the “original” order and across all links in the supply chain is probably less than 70%. And that’s being generous.

My experience when purchasing goods and services is that “service” if measured against 100% buyer satisfaction almost never happens. I honestly cannot recall the last product or service I purchased where everything was perfect. Interestingly enough, one of the most critical, overpriced services we all need at one time or another is among the worst. Healthcare. If something like healthcare can’t come close to getting it right, how do we expect a piece of furniture being made from materials sourced on three different continents, partially assembled on two, finally assembled 1000 miles from point of sale, transferred to a distribution center, shipped via truck to a store or warehouse and finally handed off to a delivery service; to actually arrive at your house as originally planned? Somewhere along the way, something will get screwed up and “the plan” will change.

Service these days is a moving target of constantly changing expectations and commitments. Wal-Mart recently came out with a mandate to their suppliers that every order must arrive On Time, In Full (OTIF) or else. Let the games begin. I promise you OTIF will be redefined and renegotiated on virtually every order and the measure of success will be something like musical chairs. When the product is finally delivered and it’s not 100% OTIF, just make sure you’re not the vendor, carrier, or service provider left without a chair. It will become a game of cover your ass, track everything and point fingers.

This is pretty much the way all products and services are delivered. Nothing ever works exactly like it is supposed to. The directions are seldom perfectly clear and when they are, you’re likely to be missing that one nut or washer necessary for final assembly. Your mileage may vary is BS…your mileage WILL vary. Everything breaks down and fails, thus the Warranty business becomes a huge industry just on its own. There are even warranties on top of warranties. So a lot of us end up playing the “warranty lottery” game, buying extra coverage just in case. Warranties are just a way of getting you to pay extra so maybe that washing machine will do what it’s supposed to do for more than five years…maybe.

So whether you are hunting heads or moving stuff around the world or selling something or buying something; you know it never goes as planned. Those of us who worry about everything know that even warranties are only an expensive band-aid that will leave us with a hollow feeling about the quality of our purchase. And after the repair, nothing is ever as good as new, and it wasn’t all that good to begin with. But we can take some comfort that all of our worry and anxiety may help us actually live longer. Now we can start worrying about having enough money saved up to live out those extra golden years.

Buyer's Remorse

I’ve made some bad purchases in my life. Mostly back in the 70’s. When gas prices were going crazy I bought a Ford Pinto. Hello, Buyer’s Remorse. When it was a thing I got a man-perm. I used to have thick curly hair, so I figured an Afro would look cool and be easy to maintain. Again Buyer’s remorse. We bought an old house and fixed it up. Fixing it up included lime green shag carpet (with some brown and gold mixed in). A decision that should have brought on buyer’s remorse, but I actually thought it looked good at the time. I had similar feelings about the gold plated necklace I wore until I saw an old photograph the other day. Buyer’s remorse AND embarrassment.

Over the years, I’ve bought several items that left me with buyer’s remorse. There’s the expensive, wired up cabinet and universal remote that controls everything when it actually works, which is rarely. So I end up opening doors and drawers, turning things on and off manually. The genius that sold it and set it up says the problem has to do with the way my house is constructed. Something about energy forces intersecting and bad feng shui. Buyer’s remorse.

We went with a tankless water heater when we built our house. What a rip-off. Buyer’s remorse.

I’ve got a garage full of golf clubs, mostly drivers and putters that don’t work right. Buyer’s remorse.

I paid $5 for a Siamese cat one time. Buyer’s remorse

I ended up trading that Pinto for an AMC Pacer. Buyer’s remorse…big time.

And...I voted for Donald Trump….

Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes?

Who's gonna give their heart and soul
To get to me and you
Lord I wonder, who's gonna fill their shoes
Yes I wonder, who's gonna fill their shoes?
-from the George Jones’ song Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes?


There is a lot of talk these days about the ELD mandate (Electronic Logging Devices) and how it will effectively reduce truck capacity. Calculations are being made as to the impact this will have on reducing truckload capacity. The range seems to be from 3 to 7% depending on assumptions about the number of owner-operators and small fleets that will exit the industry and the impact on utilization for those who remain but are just now getting on the ELD program.

I’m inclined to think that the industry has already adjusted, for the most part, to ELD’s. Has it had an impact? Yes. Will forcing all fleets into compliance have an impact? Yes. Will it be the primary catalyst for industry consolidation, higher rates and better pay for drivers? Not so much.

No question the ELD mandate will be the last straw for some small fleets and owner-operators who’ve been hanging on by threads and fingernails and creative paper logs. But these guys have been steadily going under for years. The ELD issue may create a larger wave for a brief period of time. But unless there are some other significant barriers to entry, a new generation of trucking entrepreneurs and disrupters will enter the game.

The real issue for trucking is drivers. And if there is an entry barrier for someone looking to start up or expand a trucking company this is certainly a big one. All other issues pale in comparison. It’s a job very few young people want to do. More money, better roads, more home time, better equipment, more enlightened management, better treatment from customers, redesigning operations to provide for more relaying of loads…there is a long list of factors that could make the job more appealing. But within the realm of reasonableness, I don’t see anything moving the needle on drivers. Truck driving is one of those challenging blue-collar jobs that doesn’t appeal to most folks. Add in regulations, training, licensing and drug testing and there just aren’t enough bodies left in line for the job.

I only see a couple of pools to draw from. One would be immigrants. Bring in more people from other countries who can drive or wish to be trained. Right now the mood in this country is not very favorable toward this approach. But when it gets down to it, people want their groceries, clothing and toys and it takes a truck to make it happen. If that means a Swahili tribesman is driving it, we will adjust.

The other pool comes from the young people who are open to the job but can’t get into it at 18 or 19 years of age. By the time they are old enough, many of them have already found other work. We need to seriously consider putting 18 year olds behind the wheel. There has to be rigorous testing in terms of both skills and attitude. But I’ve met 18 year olds who are more prepared than 30 year olds when it comes to handling the stresses of driving a truck. Age matters, but at some point, it is just a number.

The industry will adjust. There is not just one answer or even two or three. There will be multiple changes that will make the job more attractive and increase the pool of available drivers. But these changes will cost money. Perhaps autonomous trucks will replace some of the miles and do it cheaper. Longer combination vehicles in certain areas could effectively provide capacity. The other wild card is energy. If we can figure out how to move stuff with cheaper energy or a whole lot less of the more expensive energy, that could offset the other cost increases. And, of course, there is the diversion of freight from highway to rail.

But, at least for the next 20 years, I think we’re going to see significant increases in freight costs. The industry will remain extremely competitive and, as always, the cream will rise to the top. Consolidation will occur. I expect market share for the top 10 carriers will triple or quadruple over that time. There will still be a place for smaller, niche carriers. But being big AND being good will be a significant advantage going forward.