Let's Be Pirates

I’m not really a poker player, but this post from Tony Hsieh of Zappos is really spot on.

Great TED talk. The title is a little misleading. It is more about odds and potential benefits and people don’t take the two serious enough.

This New York Times Op-Ed Contributor piece is right on in my opinion. Mitt Romney (former governor of Massachusetts and former presidential candidate) makes some valid suggestions:

1. Get new labor agreements and benefits to become competitive with the competition. Work with the unions to come to an agreement and consider other forms of compensation like profit sharing or stock grants.
2. Get rid of the the existing management teams and bring in people from other industries who know about marketing, innovation, creativity, and complex labor relations.
3. Ensure the new management team is down to earth. No fancy planes, no private conference rooms, etc. They should make less money than the current management and talk to the frontline employees more. 
4. Watch cash flow and other financial metrics with long term viability in mind.
5. Treat the sales force right and respect the best dealers.

The article is well worth a read.

Extremely well written editorial in the New York Times by author and essayist Sarah Vowel.