Happy Thursday!
We went to the Greater Houston Port Bureau’s (GHPB) Commerce
Club Luncheon at the Houston Marriot South at Hobby Airport today.
The speaker was Scott Sonenshein,
Ph.D. is the Henry Gardiner Symonds Professor of Management, Rice University. Professor Sonenshein is a published author of
two books. His bestselling book “Stretch:
Unlock the Power of Less – And Achieve More Than You Ever Imaged” is a must
read, and he co-authored with Marie Kondo “Joy at Work: Organizing Your Professional
Life”.
Professor Sonenshein talk today fit
in with most of us and our new year, new me philosophies. Dr. Sonenshein spoke on “Resourcefulness”
especially when it comes organizations.
In the business world, we all say when we get more resources we will…, nonetheless
we acquire more yet things don’t change or move forward. Dr. Sonenshein has proven in his research
more resources do not mean the outcomes we are looking for will happen,
nonetheless we need to use what we have in different ways to get a positive
outcome. Dr. Sonenshein told a story on
a child and when you give a kid a pan, they make it into almost anything from a
bathtub for their babies to making a cake to a weapon to defend themselves. On the other hand, an adult makes pancakes. One needs to be more like the child and try
different ways of using the resources we have available; be creative. He spoke on the different types of “Resourcefulness.” For example, “Chasing” which is more
resources equals better results which will not get you to where you need to go
according to his research. Then, “Stretching” which is better uses of the
resources we already possess this is a changeable type of resources which will
help you achieve your goals.
Dr. Sonenshein spoke on two other
topics related to” Resourcefulness”. One
needs to “Embrace Constraints” which is a license to do something better; one
should experiment with the resources available to you to achieve your desirable
outcome. Then “Leverage Outsiders” there
is a place to use experts, nonetheless this resource will have a fixed way of
doing things which at times is good. For
example, a dental hygienist when you want clean teeth. One may use these two concepts to build a
team to achieve positive outcomes.
In his meta-analysis, he has
found the best C-Suite executives have a diversified background which shows
they are able to use the skills acquired to excel at the top. For example, a CFO with only finance/accounting
background won’t excel and they make 19% less than a CFO with finance and operational
experience and it is proven they make 44% more. Having diversified experience helps one be
more flexible to solving problems.
Dr. Sonenshein spoke on “Getting Jazzy”
which means get creative and rip up the plan.
He said during covid in 2020 was a good example of the concept at work. Companies which adapted and mixed things up
instead of following their 5- or 10-year plans fared better. He was studying a symphony at the time and he
found those which were flexible with their music and brought in last minute
guests musicians succeed more, because they adapted quickly to the changing
environment. When a company applies this
concept, they can’t be rigid when they’ve asked their employees to be jazzy. Employees need psychological safety to come
out of the box. They also need to do what
he calls the “Ugly Dress” this is where one needs to be resourceful and, in
this case, repurpose something to have a positive outcome. Dr. Sonenshein had a story about an ugly
dress a company was selling, and no one was buying, and one manager did a little
creative design by cutting off straps and bow and called it a cover-up and sold
them. He said this showed how being a
little resourceful can get things done.
The end result is we need employees to feel safe and comfortable, so they take risks and this is how we all succeed.
Be creative or experimental with the resources you have.
Thank you, Professor Scott Sonenshein.
You are an interesting and informative
speaker, and we wish you luck in your research on “Resourcefulness” and coming
up with ways to apply it to the business world.
As you see the speakers at the GHPB’s Commerce Club Luncheons bring an informative talk to all that attend. The Annual Meeting was moved to February starting this year and it will be Hyatt Regency. The next Commerce Club Luncheon and Annual Meeting is February 12, 2026, at 11 a.m. The speakers will be a panel of current candidates running for Harris County Judge. Please check out the website, if you would like to learn more. January 2026 GHPB Commerce Club Luncheon - Greater Houston Port Bureau. (We will update when the February 2026 event is available.)
If you would like help in
figuring out how to get your product moving with less of a carbon footprint,
contact us via the email on the Blog or give us a call: 281-901-5554. Check out our ESC website!
We hope you have a great and
productive rest your week!