Blogging The Art of Change™ – February 2021

Hi Team Art!

February has been a terrific month, once again jam-packed, however, lots of fun and energizing!

A past client re-engaged with me. We implemented ToolsGroup SO99+ last year, right before COVID hit the US. They went through customers canceling and pushing out orders and now are experiencing the full bullwhip effect of the pent-up demand within the supply chain.

I’ve also helped another client reposition their supply base and implement best practices for future supplier partnerships. Something they wished had started years ago.

Art in The News: Future Events where you can follow Art.

On March 11, 2021, I’ll be part of a panel discussion series with the Society for The Advancement of Consulting – Supply Chain Special Interest Group. This quarter’s topic is; Supply Chain Partnerships: Creating Resiliency in 2021.

March 11, 2021

• Creating Resiliency in 2021
• Europe/North America Perspectives
• 3 pm Europe UTC/GMT
• 7 am US Pacific/10 am US Eastern
• 1 am Australia AEST (March 12th)
• Duration: 1 hour
• See panelists

March 18, 2021

• Creating Resiliency in 2021
• Pac Rim/North America Perspectives
• 11 pm Europe UTC/GMT
• 3 pm US Pacific/6 pm US Eastern
• 9 am Australia AEST (March 19th)
• Duration: 1 hour
• See panelists.

More information about Consulting Society Special interest groups is available here.

Resiliency has emerged as a cornerstone to emerging successfully from the pandemic and essential to post-COVID success.

As executives re-evaluate supply chain collaborations and partnerships, they will be thinking about supply chain strategy and partnerships. We have assembled expert manufacturing and supply chain thought leaders from around the globe to discuss and debate these topics.

With our 140 years of consulting experience supplementing over 190 years of management experience in Manufacturing, Logistics, Supply Chain, Technology, Sustainability, and more, our global thought leaders will explore whether the processes of reshoring and nearshoring could add value to your business and enhance your customer experience, create further disruption, and cost, or result in other challenges and opportunities and which supply chain relationships will be key in this ongoing reconfiguration.

I’ve always said a crisis or recession is a terrible thing to waste. So, when hit with the COVID pandemic, I’ve been determined not to waste the event and turn it into an opportunity. As your aware, I started a daily exercise routine and changed my diet—the three action items I’m doing that you can emulate for your success.

1. Daily exercise and eating healthier. While doing a little bragging about my progress, a friend mentioned that people overestimate what they can accomplish in a day but underestimate what they can achieve in a month or year.
   • Swimming: February 27.9 and YTD of 59.4 miles.
   • Walking: February 17.5 and YTD 75.0 miles.
   • Weight: Unchanged.
   • Imagine the results if you improve by 1% each day.
2. Growing professional skills. I joined the Florida Speakers’ Association (FSA), a chapter part of the National Speakers Association, no change this month.
3. Developing intellectual property (IP). It does not matter if you’re self-employed or working for a large multi-national company. We all need to keep developing our individual brands. To some of my clients, I’m the scuba diving supply chain expert, to others, I’m the person they hear the unfiltered truth, and to others, I’m the get the job done person. My question to you, what are you doing to create an IP footprint that sets you apart from the pack?  Why is this important? Because you own your brand!

How are you holding up with COVID-19?  I know these are challenging times.  I have felt the mental and emotional challenges. I’ve been coping with the following methods:

• Exercise, swimming, and walking.
• I am eating healthy.
• I’m a member of two mastermind groups and a supply chain thought leadership group.

What is your support network?  Please remember, I’m just a phone call or e-mail away if you want to talk about anything. I’m keeping optimistic about the future, we humans are resilient, and we will emerge stronger! Remember, the roaring twenties were after the Spanish flu pandemic, think for the raging thirties.