I hope everyone had a nice summer and got to spend time with friends and family!
Last week I was in Vail for a few days and got back home at the end of the week in time to attend a rodeo in Eureka, Kansas. So you go from a place where people like to dress up like cowboys- to a place there are only real cowboys(and Cowgirls)!
What I admired most about the rodeo and its participants was their tenacity and unyielding ethic to perform and have fun.
It seems each year there is a big thunderstorm which they work around to pull off the evening. And this year was no difference.
As the first storm hit, the US flag was presented and we sang the Star Spangled Banner(nobody kneeled of course). Then it was fun time as all the events were held with rain and lightning all around. Now mind you at a college football game we have to leave the field for 30 minutes every time there is lightning nearby. Not with these folks!
Cowboys and Cowgirls carried on as impervious to the weather because there is no margin for the conducting the event, and of course anyone who willingly gets on a bull or horse who’s one objective is to throw you off- well, they certainly have an inherent high risk tolerance.
The rodeo competitors and the support staff are usually on the road full time, arrived earlier in the day, and as soon as they are finished- hit the road to the next location, sometimes driving all night. With muddy, wet clothes and sore joints, I am sure.
What I believe is the real story in all of this- is about how this group of people demonstrate every week a very positive way of how to deal with risk and combine it with a tremendous work ethic(and adrenaline). This high tolerance of risk, plus a duty to perform no matter what- is really what made America great. And we as a country need to find a way back to this in a big way.
Some examples of high risk and work ethic from our past include buildings structures like the Hoover Dam, or the San Francisco bridge, which in at that time only took 4-5 years to build(along with a cost of worker’s lives). Compare that to today – and we can use the example of the great California High Speed rail project – which began with a successful ballot in 2008. Construction began in 2015 and it is now estimated to be finished (if ever) in 2033. Wow.
In our nation’s workforce, while starting during COVID, the ‘Great Resignation’ and ‘quiet quitting’ are still plaguing today’s workplace environment. Is it any wonder that things just don’t seem to work, but costs continue to go up. Just go fly on any commercial airline to experience firsthand.
In my view, we must help reset our culture in work back to a penchant for high risk tolerance, along with a strong work ethic, to build a strong, growing economy and country. Each of us individually can reset the scale and help encourage and mentor the younger generations. This will bring innovation, high customer satisfaction, and a good feeling about what you do and what you have accomplished. Maybe then we would stop talking about DEI, man-made climate change, and other such vicissitudes.
How is it in your company? Do you have a strong culture of risk tolerance and willingness to accept the occasional failure? And are you really customer focused and committed to your job? Did you make one more sales call- or call it day at 4pm?
Paul Casady
English (United States) 
Portuguese