Tuesday, January 30, 2024

NEW INC. MAGAZINE COLUMN FROM HOWARD TULLMAN

 

Talk Is Cheap--And Not All That Useful

In a world where everyone has a megaphone, doing is the best way to get through the noise.

 

EXPERT OPINION BY HOWARD TULLMAN, GENERAL MANAGING PARTNER, G2T3V AND CHICAGO HIGH TECH INVESTORS@HOWARDTULLMAN1

JAN 30, 2024

 

I had an early morning breakfast recently with the CEO of a Chicago tech company who's so focused on his business and constantly in motion that he makes me feel like a slacker. He said he had spent a few hours over the weekend building a new gaming computer for his 16-year old son and that it had been more challenging and time-consuming than he had expected because he was having his son do most of the work so that he would develop his own skills and dexterity. He mentioned that one of the critical cables turned out to be defective so that the fully built system wouldn't work at first. But they kept at it, did some troubleshooting, eventually found the problem, and replaced the bad connection. Knowing him as I do, I can just imagine the steam shooting out of his ears. Patience isn't his long suit. Perseverance, on the other hand, is one of his amazing strengths, which he hopes to pass on to his kids.

Foolishly, I asked him why he didn't simply buy the kid the best gaming computer out there since he could certainly afford it.  Besides, the companies selling these high-end machines had whole teams doing quality assurance to make sure they worked right out of the box. He shrugged and said two interesting things: first, as you'd expect from a genius computer geek, the one they ultimately built was better and faster than anything on the market; and second, the whole point of the exercise was that he was building the new machine not just for his son, but with his son, and helping him in the process as well. It was both a teaching opportunity, a shared moment, and an important bonding experience.

These days millions of parents are impatient, at a loss, tongue-tied, and finding it harder and harder to effectively engage their own kids, not to mention their younger team members at work, in substantive conversations about so many critical things:  ethics, politics, trust, antisemitism, money. These are things that matter now, and which will matter even more in their futures. The message and the lesson that I took away from my breakfast chat is that the most successful strategy today isn't: (1) trying to share your "truth" with your kids or lecture your employees on something or (2) throwing up your hands in frustration and ending the discussion entirely.01:23

It's more about showing them, through your actions, what's important, what matters, and why.

Don't expect anyone to listen to your sage advice and speeches and ignore your example. Observation, at a time when everyone's a videographer, is far more convincing and relevant than conversation. There's tremendous untapped power in the simple act of showing up, sharing experiences, and demonstrating that you sincerely care about the outcome.  What you do often speaks so loudly that there's no need to hear what you say. Find time in your busy life to pitch in, to drive your kids to their next game or activity, and to stick around to show them that you're interested.

We're at a critical juncture in our country.  None of us -- whether we're building a business, raising a family, or trying our best to do both -- can afford to tune out and shut down. Or allow the pains of the recent past and the disappointments we're feeling with our institutions, organizations, governments, and even fellow citizens immobilize us, or lead us to believe that our efforts are hopeless.

It's easy to lose hope as we watch feckless and foolish former football coaches like Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville threaten our military and make fools of the rules and the leaders in Congress. It's depressing to watch the border crisis and the lack of more aid to Ukraine continue to cost lives every day while the MAGA hypocrites in the House block bipartisan relief bills and bend their knees to the demands of the Orange Monster -- a deviant just found liable for $83.3 million in damages in a defamation case in New York.

And it's easy to become discouraged when we see our creaky and antiquated court systems unable to fully deal with many obvious crimes, lies, and attacks on our democracy, as well as with their perpetrators. But we shouldn't accept for a moment that there's nothing we, as parents, business builders, and concerned citizens, can do to set the right examples for our kids and team members. Saying won't make it so, but doing can take us a long way. Actions still speak louder than words.

Small steps and gestures can start the ball rolling. The key to getting things done is to overcome the pervasive inertia and angst and put yourself out there by doing something. Whether it's a DIY project at home or joining some community action committee at your church or synagogue or raising funds for your firm's favorite charity. There's plenty that needs to be done and nothing that dissipates the languor and lethargy as effectively as the satisfaction of working together as a team to complete even simple chores and short projects. Step by step, brick by brick, and task by task, the real objective is to restore and rebuild business and personal connections at every level, which will eventually form the new foundation for fair, full and honest communication. You'll hear far more compliments than complaints because those who are pulling the oars don't have time to rock the boat.

Your kids and newer employees may be hesitant at first to buy into the process and be convinced that it's authentic and sincere. That's expected, because we're all still suffering from Trump's destructive and cynical attacks on integrity, sincerity, and trust. But, in fairly short order, they'll catch on and surprise you with their interest, commitment, and enthusiasm.

We may not believe that we have the necessary strength as individuals to turn things around, but even when strength fails, there is always perseverance. And beyond perseverance, there remains hope. When hope doesn't seem sufficient to the task, there's love. And love never fails. Make sure your kids know this each and every day. No child should ever have to wonder if his parents love him.