The Family Outcast (TFO) lives in a small mountain town in CO. with his mutt, “Orlo”. Great place, many interesting dimensions to this small burg. But this entry is not about the town, but TFO and his mutt.
The start of all this? One day out in the yard with his dog, Orlo, the mutt, decides to oft one of the neighbor’s designer chickens, yes, a designer chicken… he charges the bird; It was ugly, and the bird was pushing up daisies by the time TFO dragged his mutt off what remained of the chicken. And, to even make it better, the owner of the bird witnessed 
the murder. The owner of the foul files a complaint with the local magistrate against the dog and TFO. So TFO has to make a court appearance, ha, and ante up many bucks, ha, as well as accept a court order which restricts Orlo from the neighbor’s yard (and chickens).
TFO complained about his bad luck to the family… what is one man’s bad luck can be another man’s entertainment. The family thought it was hilarious!
Sometime later, TFO becomes a target to; let’s call them, “the boys”. TFO was always a target!
After many libations and great stories, the designer chicken incident shows up in the story telling. The boys decide that TFO needs chickens so, on that same evening, a web search ensues and they, in a matter of minutes, find THE site. The writer cannot begin to describe the near disabling, gut wrenching, tears producing laughter that accompanied entering the order for chickens on the website.
In three days TFO’s postmaster in that small town dials his number and informs him that there is a package he needs to pick up. TFO walks to the post office. The postmaster presents him with a box with holes in it and a lot of peeping going on inside. Yes, chickens for TFO !
TFO is furious, takes the box, and gives it to a nearby farm, and makes a number of calls searching for which one of “the boys” is responsible. Everyone lies.
If you need chickens … Here is the link: https://www.efowl.com
TFO really isn’t a family outcast… we just keep telling him he is!
BTW, one of the interesting facts about that small mountain is that the Grammy’s (the actual statuette) are manufactured in the basement of an old but yet active downtown hotel.
A very interesting place to visit!
***** S&E *****
There are some very obvious statements we can make about successful retention of talent. It is important as:
How to retain it:
discussion as the departing professional runs the “gauntlet” of discussions with the “A” level managers, to include the top manager/leader of the business. It is also a great opportunity to reinforce the anticipated career path in the business. I have seen this work many times; on occasion airline tickets are involved to connect the professional to the right leaders. An airline ticket is far less expensive than losing the talent, the cost of replacing same, related retraining, and the certain impact on peers, other parts of the business, and customers.
Success & Excess 