Failure is an Option... and A Teachable Moment

Sometimes we can be so focused on day-to-day operations of stores that we can underestimate or lose sight of the bigger and more complex picture that impacts us all—for better or for worse. As such, there were lessons to be learned from PLMA’s recent Washington Conference where economists and legislators offered a pretty good view of things from the 30,000-foot level. I found comments by economist Allen Sinai on the outlook for economic growth and consumer spending a bit overly optimistic. However, during the “Silly Season” of American politics, dominated by the rantings of Donald Trump, I was encouraged by Congressmen Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.) and Ronald Kind (D.-Wisc.), both of whom are dedicated to breaking the Congressional deadlock and working across the aisles on everything from GMO’s and sound food policy to international trade. I am a skeptic by nature and vocation but I believe that legislators like them can, with input from industry, overcome the malaise that has stifled the Capitol for so long. But the highlight of the event had to have been the discussion between PLMA president Brian Sharoff and noted Author David McCullough whose tomes on the lives of John Adams, Teddy Roosevelt and the Wright brothers—as well as his narration of Ken Burns’ documentary on the Civil War—have made history come alive for many of us. As I listened, it was clear that history had many lessons to teach. Among them was that failure is an option and a teachable moment if you look at the numerous failures of the Wright brothers and the determination that led to one of the greatest developments in human history. Or, the need for greater attention to history as prologue to the future. One of the comments that struck me most was that people tend to look back and say, “those were easier times” when they really weren’t. How many retailers have looked back at the ‘70s, ‘80s and even the ‘90s and said the same thing. If David McCullough and the history of retailing from WT Grant to Sears to A&P and Haggen’s have taught us anything is that nothing is easy—nor should it be!