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Junkyard Management

Intention Allows for the Organic

A recent workshop had me thinking about the importance of being intentional.

The things we call “organic” in an organization, movement, or other endeavor are actually changes, connections, serendipitous moments, and unexpected consequences of something that was originally intentional. The intention creates the environment for the organic to happen.

Now this might seem obvious to you. I suppose it is obvious. But I’ve never heard anybody express it before. Maybe I haven’t been listening? Whatever, it’s an interesting insight that I want to ponder a bit.

You see, things can happen intentional or organically. Said another way, you can plan …

Book Reviews, Junkyard Management,

Twenty Five Books That Influenced My Life – #20

If you read this blog you know that I grew up working in my father’s junkyard. Many of the people who worked for my Dad were Mexican-American. Spanish was spoken as often — perhaps more often — than English.

My point is that I spent a lot of time around people of Mexican heritage when I was growing up.

Several years ago I picked up a copy of The Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle. It sat on my end table for a long time before I finally got around to reading it. I probably kept putting it off because …

Family, Goble Properties, Junkyard Management,

Out With the Old

There are a lot of ways to learn that we grow when old things are tossed aside and new things are let in. I was reminded of that recently and thought I’d share this story.

One of the hardest days of work I ever had was when, as a teenager, I cleaned out an industrial building at 2490 Lafayette Street in San Jose. It was a classic metal building that had been a manufacturing plant. With about half an acre under the roof, it was filled with grease, oil, dirt, and a fine dust that today would probably be considered …

Junkyard Management,

Creating an Enemy to Love

I have a thought to share that is still not fully developed. Bear with me and let me see if I can capture this idea.

I recently told somebody that we all have enemies. He disagreed and said he could not think of a single enemy in his life. He went into happy self-fulfillment humanist delusional talk about how we should all love each other and not waste time having enemies.

What a boring person.

I can hear you asking, “Boring? What do you mean boring? Isn’t it great to live a life that does not create enemies?”

Um, well …

Junkyard Management,

You Like Me! You Really LIke Me!

Apparently, you like me!

A few days ago I received an email from the system that analyzes the statistics of junkyardwisdom.com. Much to my surprise, January was the busiest month ever for my simple blog. Not only that, but the number of hits in 2011 was about 400% higher than in 2010. Long gone are the days when I’d look up my daily stats and see zero visits!

This blog started as an venue for sharing family stories. It has morphed into more than that, becoming a platform for all kinds of things. The blog experts tell me it needs …

Apocryphal, Family, Junkyard Management,

Handicapping a Horse Race, Junkyard Style

This post is a complete fiction. I made it all up. Don’t believe a word of it. Because, obviously, it can’t possibly be true. My family is more respectable than this.

It was in the early 70’s and my parents had just purchased the Sunol Ranch. My Dad agreed to let my Uncle George board a few race horses on the property. I have no idea how Uncle George ended up owning race horses, but then he was always up to something out of the ordinary.

The thoroughbreds were beautiful to have around and I grew curious about the horse …

Goble Properties, Junkyard Management,

The Intersection Event

A few months ago my friend Mark Rhode asked if I would attend The Intersection Event on January 14. He explained that it would be a gathering of 350 innovators and social change agents who want to explore ways to change the world for the better. The conversation would revolve around philanthropy, innovation, and the business bottom line. The idea of an “intersection” was to gather people from all segments of society and see what the cross-pollination creates. A bonus was that the event would be held at Pixar Studios, just 30-minutes from home.

Thus last Saturday D’Aun and I …

Junkyard Management,

Primal Thankfulness

Late one night in a 24-7 Prayer Room in Guildford, England, my friend Pete Greig experienced a reawakening of hope. He wrote about the experience and it was so beautiful that I wanted to share it with you here. It might not seem like it, but Pete’s insight really describes a Junkyard Wisdom experience … primal, optimistic, realistic, and simple all at once. This is what he wrote:

I’m standing at night in this subterranean place of prayer, and perhaps it’s the coffee, or the music, or the Spirit, but the darkness doesn’t seem too strong. I’m praying for miracles …