Dear Bank of Prairie Village Community~
During the Month of May we experienced what seemed like a year’s worth of different weather. I could go back to the official records, but off the top of my head I think we experienced several May days of temperature varying more than 50 degrees in less than 24 hours.
The good news, like always, is that after 31 days, we can simply flip the calendar page to the new month of June – and to all the opportunities this sunny month may hold. Like most, I view the start of summer as the Memorial Day weekend, with schools ending, graduation parties commencing, and pools opening.
The only draw back to the Memorial Day Weekend is my annual rite of pulling my lightweight summer suits from the closet and assessing the tightness of their fit – which, in turn, requires a miserable self-assessment of my winter weight control.
I can only conclude it must have been a long winter – with the Chiefs’ playoff run and the Jayhawks’ long ultimate tournament victory proving most unhelpful.
The good news is that with the longer Summer days, there are more day light hours to work myself back into those summer suits.
Historically by the time my summer suits actually fit again, it’s usually Labor Day – and time to put them back into the closet.
I am sure this coming Labor Day I will again make my annual vow to ensure “next year” I will fit into the summer suits beginning promptly on Memorial Day weekend (Stay tuned for the June of 2023 letter – and we’ll see how that goes).
In the meantime, we have the entire Summer Season to celebrate and enjoy.
I did read one very interesting insight this past month on which I’ve dwelled and contemplated at length. The observation was buried in an old leadership manual for young infantry officers (How and why I found myself reading this decades old manual is a mystery even to me).
Nevertheless, I thought its wisdom profound. The essence of the insight was to the effect that young infantry officers should never spend excessive time searching for the “perfect solution” to any strategic or tactical problem.
Rather, the guidance was 1) to observe a problem, 2) swiftly determine an objective addressing the problem, 3) thoroughly analyze the major tradeoffs necessary to achieve the objective, and 4) proceed.
The key nugget I took away was in life, politics, business, or sports there are no “perfect” solutions to any objective – only a series of major tradeoffs that must be made to achieve an objective.
Each action to move forward will have its own tradeoffs. The best “decision makers” are very conscious as to the various tradeoffs they must make to achieve their objective. In the end the most reasonable path forward to achieve an objective is the one consisting of the most logical tradeoffs to which the decision maker is willing to commit.
The worse decisions are those made with little thought, foresight, or the commitment required as to the necessary tradeoffs.
In today’s environment there are numerous political pundits, sideline sports commentators, and economic analysts claiming to be “experts.” These “experts” are continuously putting forth their “perfect” solution to any complex problem. However, these experts often fail to share or review the attendant tradeoffs necessary to achieve their “perfect” solution.
In listening to these “experts” ask yourself exactly what tradeoffs are necessary to achieve their “perfect” solutions (Also make sure these ubiquitous media “experts” are equally committed and prepared to shoulder the same tradeoffs they are asking you to shoulder).
Armed with such a tradeoff and commitment analysis, you can then comfort and steel yourself in the knowledge of the most reasonable approach to achieve the desired objective.
For me, I know the tradeoffs required if I am going to fit into my summer suits by Independence Day. The question of course is whether I am willing to steel myself to achieve this objective.
Yours in the joys of a cold scoop of ice cream and an extra thick milkshake on a hot June afternoon.
Upward and onward for 2022!
Dan Bolen ~ Chairman
Bank of Prairie Village
913~707~3369 Cell
Dan.Bolen@BankofPrairieVillage.com
“The Bank of Prairie Village ~ Home of Blue Lion Banking”~ cited March 2020 and~ again in April 2021 & April 2022 by the Kansas City Business Journal as one of the “Safest Banks in Kansas City for Your Money.”
