Have you ever felt like you’re on a plane that is on a crash course with the ground? You know the situation is getting worse by the minute and you also know that the eventual outcome will be disastrous, but for the moment you’re buckled in and being told by the captain that things will be “pretty darn good” if we just stay the course.
Well, all of us are passengers on the CNMI plane that’s lost one of two main engines (garment factories) and is spiraling in toward its economic demise with the other engine sputtering. In this situation, there are only three options: 1) stay buckled in and just wait for the inevitable to happen, 2) put on a parachute and bail out as soon as you can, or 3) take control of your life and do everything you can to turn things around.
Some individuals are sitting things out and hoping that someone will somehow take control and pull us out of the dive. They have a mistaken belief that someone will always take care of them, or that Uncle Sam is an endless source of money and assistance. Others believe that if they look busy, that their job will still be there, but that’s like someone that keeps busy rearranging the deckchairs of the Titanic.
A large second group of people have already put their parachutes on and have bailed out or are getting ready to jump to safer ground. They have lost confidence that the economy will turn around anytime soon, so they have moved to find greener pastures somewhere else.
The third option is to step up, grab the stick and yank it back to pull us out of the dive. These people live by the belief that “if it is meant to be it is up to me.” They’ve assessed the situation and have determined what needs to happen to turn it around, and they are willing to take charge if necessary to see the plan implemented to completion.
There are some personalities that love to be up front and be in the lime light, but I’m not one of them. I’m typically happy being the passenger on the plane as long as we’re flying steady and on course. However, when things get bumpy and heading down quick, I feel uncomfortable sitting around and doing nothing or just looking busy if I know it’s not helping. I have this sense of urgency to do something to try and turn the situation around. Once things have stabilized, I’m happy to go back to my seat and enjoy the ride.
That’s what prompted me to apply for the president’s position at the college, even though I was only an instructor at the time. I felt an urgency to work with the college and its stakeholders to turn it around. I was even selected by the first presidential search committee to be one of two finalist, but was eventually booted back to my seat by the powers that be.
Now we’re faced with a looming disaster in the making if we don’t turn the situation around soon in the CNMI. The writing on the wall says that gas prices are going to continue to rise which will drive up the price of everything else, business and government revenues will continue to decrease prompting further cuts, and federally funded programs are not sustainable with the national debt skyrocketing like a ballistic missile.
As I was thinking about this scenario, the only viable conclusion is that things are destined to get a lot worse – unless something is done to turn it around by working with business owners to help grow their businesses. The reality is that business growth is the only sustainable solution to grow the economy. Therefore, to improve the economy, the growth of existing businesses must be a priority, and creating an environment that attracts additional businesses and brings more tourists must also be on the top of the list.
As I was exercising recently, I thought about what could be done to assist local businesses to turn their situation around. I’ve worked with hundreds of business owners individually or in small groups to improve the performance and profits in their businesses, but whatever needs to happen has to be on a grand scale that allows every interested business to participate and see results.
The thought came to me that there should be a business challenge, similar to the fitness challenge that Gold’s Gym recently offered, to motivate business owners to improve their financial situation. Just as many individuals feel stuck trying to lose weight, there are many business owners who feel stuck in this economy, and they don’t feel like they have the support or tools to get unstuck.
I know there are a lot of government and private-sector groups and people who offer solutions to start-up and established businesses, and I started to think about the possibilities: What would happen if their resources could be combined in a collaborative effort to provide the tools, techniques and training to assist local businesses to achieve greater sales and profits? And what if it was so affordable that the low price for it would be ridiculous in comparison to the value received? If this was possible, could it make a difference?
With those thoughts in mind, I put together a brief proposal and sent it to several people to get their feedback. Everyone I’ve been able to talk to is supportive of the idea and is willing to assist in the effort. I’m still working through the numerous details that need to be lined up, but I believe that the concept has the potential to help every business to grow and improve their financial position if they take full advantage of the program.
If it works, I believe it could be the catalyst to help pull us out of a dive. As John Lennon once sang, I may only be a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. If we join together in a common cause, it can make a difference in the future of the CNMI crashing or getting back on course again.
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