It's difficult to think 'outside the box' when you don't realize you're in one.

I continue to be amazed at how so many people can go to work and not realize how little they accomplish in a given day.  It's like that Demotivator-'Worth' with the quote: "Just because you're necessary doesn't mean you're important".  Maybe they just don't care....maybe I care too much.

I was talking to my boss today about a sister company with whom our location will merge in the coming months.  We are a very dynamic, flexible company with a large and varied product mix.  They have one key product family and control their manufacturing.  Their company is run by a patriarch who controls everything with the simple utterance of his desire.  Ours is run by five managers who've taken the company from losing $250k per month to posting a solid profit in less than 12 months.  We think outside of the box daily.  They still haven't figured out that they're in one.  Somehow, these two companies will coexist in one building without involving gunfire, fist fights or better yet, temper tantrums and back stabbing.  I'm cynical but to believe that these two odd bedfellows can make it work is a bit of a stretch.

I hope the future holds something more for me than the challenge of working with difficult people.  Scratch that-I KNOW it does.

I'm off to California for a few days to relax and cool off.  It's too humid here.

Background Tune: "Forgot about Dre" by Dr Dre and Eminem