Sponge Homer

Homer H. Hillis, Jr. sponges all kinds of information, business, political and trends. I've been seen on the Sally Jesse Rafeal show with noted trend spotter Faith Popcorn. My Blog will give you an over view of what I'm seeing and reflections on the same.

Tuesday, February 28, 2006

My friend Dr. Phil Vardiman sent me this the other day:

LEADERSHIP & POWER

The problem with many organizations today is that they are over managed and under led. Managing means to bring about, to accomplish, and to have charge of. Leading is to influence, to guide in direction, course, action, and opinion.

Managers are people who do things right. Leaders are people who do the right things.

Manager’s activities consist of mastering routines. Leaders’ activities consist of using vision and judgment.

The perspective of all effective leaders is “vision-oriented.” They spend their time not on the “how to’s” but rather on “doing the right things.” These are people creating new ideas, new policies, and new methodologies. They are “creating dangerously,” not simply mastering basic routines.

Effective leaders first create visions of potential opportunities for their organizations. Then they direct and empower their employees to translate that vision into reality.

Power is the basic energy to initiate and sustain action, translating intention into reality. Power is the quality without which leaders cannot lead.

Perhaps the best way to explain it is to use an illustration: That of Lee Iacocca at Chrysler. He provided the leadership to transform a company from bankruptcy to success. He created a vision of success and mobilized large factions of key employees to align behind that vision. Almost exclusively because of Iacocca’s leadership, by 1983 Chrysler made a profit, boosted morale, and helped employees generate a sense of meaning in their work. He empowered them.

In fact, Iacocca’s style of leadership is central to organizational success. This concept of power is modeled on the Iacocca phenomenon: Power is the basic energy needed to initiate and sustain action or to put it another way, the capacity to translate intention into reality and sustain it. Leadership is, quite simply, the wise use of power.

Monday, February 27, 2006

New Catalog


turquoise1
Originally uploaded by homerh.

If any of our customers have received our new catalog, let me know what you think?
We are working on a new buckle catalog for makin some very stylish belt buckles with hhh enterprises hole-less solid stone chips, look for that very soon!

Saturday, February 25, 2006

My Father in Law At Work


My Father in Law At Work
Originally uploaded by homerh.

This is my father in law Herb in Tenn, he has agreed to work on the next space shuttle:

He writes:

Last week we had several nights down in the 20s. All my outside faucets are freeze proof to down around zero, except one. That on broke back in the summer & I sorta kinda nurly fixed it by taking the head off & screwing on a plactic one.

I knew the plastic was good to the upper 20s, but one night the forcast called for a drop into the teens & I knew my little wallmart special plastic faucet wouldn't stand it that cold.

So, I wrapped it with newspaper, & fastened it securly with electrical tape. Then I took an old towel & wrapped over the newspaper, securing it with black electircal tape also.

But, I was afraid that wasn't good enough, so in casting about for a way to insure that it wouldn't freeze & break I happed to see a styrofoam cooler sitting there . . . next to my garden plow . . . so . . .

. . . not the easiest thing to do at midnight, in sub freezin, weather with a 20 mph norther whippin' in, but I covered the faucet with the cooler with one hand, with the other I pulled the tiller up snug agianst it, & presto! Freeze proof faucet!

Friday, February 24, 2006

Energy past and present!


You know driving through west Texas today I saw maybe 100 oil wells pumping along the road, on the mountains to the south maybe 500 electric wind mill generators creating energy. Its a stark contrast one looking at the past the other looking to the future.
And then I wonder who walked all over this land and kept going to leave a fortune.

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

HHH Bead Cover Catalog


HHH Bead Catalog
Originally uploaded by homerh.

This is one of the fastest ways to hatch your creativity, our new wholesale catalog has over 800 items that the prices have been reduced. Enjoy!

Sunday, February 19, 2006

Albert Einstein



Originally uploaded by Planet Pixel.

The important thing is not to stop questioning.
Albert Einstein

Saturday, February 18, 2006

"Managers do things right, while leaders do the right things"
Think about this quote, what implications does this have for managers--Leaders?

Friday, February 17, 2006

I recently read this book:


It's EXCELLENT!

Here's a few notes I compiled for this book and his follow up book:

Employee development and a strengthening talent pool:

Select the right people
Set Expectations
Motivate
Develop Employees with training


"Managers do things right, while leaders do the right things"


"Managers focus inward, inside the company, while leaders focus outward as visionaries"

How do Leaders release potential energy in their employees----

Know that people don't change that much from when you hire them
--Hire for Talent
--Set the outcomes you desire
--Look for FIT

Talent is defined as a reoccurring pattern of thought or practice that can be applied in a given sitting"

Thursday, February 16, 2006

My Friend Mark Twain


Mark Twain
Originally uploaded by litmuse.

"Keep away from small people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great."

Mark Twain
1835-1910, Writer and Humorist

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

I attended the Tax Reform Commission yesterday at HSU, the TTRC is trying to find a better way to collect tax for public education in Texas. The old system is illegal.
my comments:
Bead business is tough, we have a lot of competition that doesn't pay any taxes, many of our competitors are insurgent marketers who appear and are gone, about the only way to levy a tax that is collectible is a consumption tax, based on what people buy.
John Sharps bird dog was having puppies in his truck yesterday--he agreed to name one Abby for Abilene and I suggested one dog for each University here.
I met the former CEO of Radio Shack, who led Radio Shack for many years. I didn't mentioned the Incredible Universe Flop store, which was probably 10yrs ahead of its time. Timing, Timing, Timing!

Saturday, February 11, 2006

Help Wanted


DSCN1789
Originally uploaded by homerh.

This is neat way to find a display artist--this ad was in the window of a store in on my trip to Cal.

Friday, February 10, 2006

You just thought Beads had only jewelry purpose! As many of you might know beads where used as a form of currency at one time, New York was bought with a few beads!

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Friendze Managers Conference Photo


Friendze Managers Conference Photo
Originally uploaded by homerh.

The most creative group of managers in the entire world: Friendze Managers seen at our first of the Year Conference!

The President of Stanford University said, that he encourages students and facilty to "stumble around" you never know when they might stumble onto--- a Google---and look what its done for Stanford, there endowment is 3'd in the nation,
Mostly Google stock---
Stumble On,

Sunday, February 05, 2006

My Friend Dr. Phil just sent me this great quote, he's one of my 3 readers of my blog! I appreciate all my readers:

I was reading and just came across a great quote….

“There is no such thing as continuous improvement without continuous innovation.” Don Galer

There is a strong message in this quote – especially if we want to continue to grow and make positive change.





Phil

Friday, February 03, 2006

 

Thursday, February 02, 2006

Classic Jesse and 50 Ford


Classic Jesse and 50 Ford
Originally uploaded by homerh.

Meet Jesse one of HHH Enterprises great employees, Jesse is one of a kind, and a great guy, he's seen here with the Friendze Stores Bead Mobile.

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

Can you believe this:
"First, there's the astonishing collapse of the film camera market. By some tallies, 92 percent of all cameras sold are now digital. Big-name camera companies are either exiting the film business ( Kodak, Nikon) or exiting the camera business altogether (Konica Minolta). Film photography is rapidly becoming a special-interest niche."
wow 92%, what a change--this is from a NYtimes article on the digital camara show this month in Florida. More enhancements are on the way!

Wow what a Necklace


turquoise1
Originally uploaded by homerh.

This is one of the many pieces of turquoise jewelry our designers at www.friendze.com create. This week we have had a great time with our managers going over many new ideas, look for a whole new collection in the Friendze Store soon! And if you live out side of our Texas stores check out hhh enterprises.com


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Intel in a Mac?


13 pictures for you
Originally uploaded by homerh.

Here's the vertical billboards that I saw all over San Francisco while at Macworld.
About 2-3 per city block around town.

Thomas Friedman has a good editorial today in the NYTimes, saying "oil and democracy" don't mix, here's a quote "In the Middle East, oil and democracy do not mix. It's not an accident that the Arab world's first and only true democracy — Lebanon — never had a drop of oil."