How it starts

Posted on October 17, 2014 by tashfriday

Good morning Tash Appreciators,

In season one of The Sopranos, Christopher Moltisanti – the youngest member of the Soprano crime family and desperate to be a “made guy” – tries and fails to write a screenplay. The frustration he feels in not being able to write the script mirrors the frustration he feels in relation to the rest of his life. He realises that the narrative arc which he cannot create in his screenplay matches what he perceives to be the lack of an arc in his own life. He thinks he’s getting nowhere.

One of the many great facets of The Sopranos is that we identify with its characters, even though their behaviour is far removed from our own experiences. Many of us will, at times, feel like we’re getting nowhere. What Christopher soon finds out is that life isn’t like in the movies – we don’t have one pivotal moment where are lives are changed and our “real” narrative begins. Our lives are full of pivotal moments and it’s up to us to notice them and take action to either use them as opportunities or correct our course.

In the real world, our lives can change on account of the most unlikely and seemingly insignificant things. For example, I wonder what would have become of this fresh-faced young man had he not decided to sport a Tash and go into show-business?

As this is TF, we have to say that we don’t think he would have been so successful.

Equally, I wonder what could have happened to this week’s Tash had he not taken steps to change his life after this picture was taken?

That’s Tim Allen in 1978, shortly after his arrest while carrying 650 grams of cocaine. He would later be convicted of drug trafficking and serve just over two years in prison. He was released in 1981, 10 years before the start of Home Improvements, the show which would make him famous and propel his career and his life in a more productive direction.

The point I’m trying to make is that Christopher Moltisanti was wrong – he thought that he had to wait for something to happen before he could start living. What he didn’t understand was that we control our own narratives. Sure, there are unexpected twists and turns along the way but that’s what happens in life and it’s up to us to make sure we stay on track and get to where we want to go

This week’s TF is the first of a trilogy. We’ve now talked about how we get started, the next step is working out what to do next.

Have a great weekend folks!

What’s next?

How much?

Posted on March 14, 2014 by tashfriday

Good morning Tash Appreciators,

It appears that Spring is finally here! I was walking to work one morning this week and Pulp’s Sunrise started to play on my generic mp3 device. Although I didn’t do it outwardly, my insides were dancing much like Jarvis Cocker during his performances of this song:

For those not able to watch videos on YouTube, it goes a bit like this:

I was out with a couple of pals this week and we got to talking about whether, given the right amount of money, we would do any job. I have to admit, my attitude is that unless you’re doing a job about which you are passionate, or which is vocational, then earning the most you can should be your main objective. The contrary argument to that is, of course, that money can’t buy happiness and there are more important things in life than the cash in your pocket.

After strong arguments on both sides, I am just about ready to admit that my attitude was/is wrong. However, it took watching a TV programme and seeing a desperate man with a moustache to finally persuade me.

If I was to take my argument to it’s logical conclusion (and we all know that logic is the correct way to make an argument…), then I would do pretty much anything if the price was right. That begs the question, what would I be prepared to do for a pile of money like this:

Would I be prepared to work 7-days a week? Would I be prepared to sell drugs? Would I be prepared to kill my competitors? The answer to all of these questions is “no”. So where do I draw the line? That’s something I’ll have to work out.

I realised the error of my ways after sitting down to watch another episode of Breaking Bad. Fear not, I shall not spoil the plot, I merely point out that if I was purely motivated by cash, then I could end up behaving like one or more of the characters in that programme. I don’t want that, so one way or another, I’ll need to work out what my real motivations in life are. After all, I want to be able to look in the mirror and not see this man (however excellent his Tash may be) looking back at me – I don’t think he’s capable of dancing like Jarvis Cocker.

Have a great weekend folks!

As ever, the question on my mind is: what’s next?

Posted on April 18, 2013 by tashfriday

Buenos Dias Tash Appreciators,

For one reason or another, targets have been on my mind this week. For example, scenes like this got me thinking:

I use a train service which runs every 15 minutes. However, a couple of times this week (this very moment being one of them) the train I have been waiting for has been 20 minutes late.

Thankfully, the train company has a helpful app to keep me up-to-date with developments. Strangely, the app says the train has been cancelled but the board on the platform says it’s just delayed and the announcer says the train “is approaching the platform”. The station announcer is clearly lying. The train I was initially waiting for isn’t approaching the platform and it’s not delayed. What’s really happening is that my train has been cancelled and the train which was due after it is 5 minutes late.

The reason for this lie is that the rail company has targets to meet and if it fails to meet those targets the company will be fined. The reason there are targets is that when the rail system was privatised, consumers were told that strict standards would be imposed upon the companies who won the rights to operate the routes. It’s therefore in the operator’s interest to claim that the train is late rather than admit what’s really going on.

Last year, this particular operator was fined £374,000 for failing to meet the required standards of service. When this was announced, both the operator and the Government hailed it as a triumph: this was the third drop in fines in a row and standards must therefore be getting higher.

The problem is that there’s a disconnect between the result of the target being hit and what the customer actually wants: a service that runs on time, has plenty of seats and doesn’t cost the earth. I don’t blame the operator; they’re hitting their targets. The blame, in my opinion, rests with the Government in setting targets that can be so easily manipulated.

If you want a target which has some meaning, you have to set parameters which are appropriate for what you’re measuring. For example, spring will see many of you working out your annual targets for the coming year. If you’re in sales, your target will be to sell X number of products; if you’re in manufacturing, your target will be to make Y number of products; and if you’re in the service industry, your target will be to deliver Z services.

But that’s too simplistic. The target also has to be realistic and balanced. To continue with trains, I don’t expect every train to be on time. The weather is poor today so I understand that the train might be late. The target therefore can’t just be about delivering the service. Other factors have to be considered too, such as whether the customer is happy and whether the service is of a decent quality. Targets shouldn’t be just figures.

Even though I use this train service five days a week for about 46 weeks of the year, I’ve never been asked what I think about it . Surely, it’s the customers’ views that should be the ultimate barometer of whether it’s a good service or not. I think that’s something that gets lost these days; particularly when companies and the public sector are struggling for cash. After all, if the customer isn’t happy, what are we all doing?

To the Tash! A man who always hit his target and who always keeps his customers (“the poor”) happy: it’s Robin Hood:

Until next week…

Keep going!

Tash Friday

Tag Archives: money

How it starts

How much?