Watching and waiting

Sometimes it seems that GM was used to set an example for the rest of the world. Hurry up and fix your problems or we will fix it for you.

The worst recession definitely did not help and every day that passed GM was getting deeper and deeper into trouble. So after a thorough tongue lashing from Congress, the government stepped in and provided the required funding and help on the condition that they have to meet certain requirements. It was a tough negotiation but on June 1 2009 General Motors, a company that had turned 100 years old, filed for bankruptcy and was taken off the NY stock exchange. It was history in the making.

For the next few months all eyes will be on GM or Government Motors, as it is called in whispers, to see if they really can survive. But will they? Of course they will, they have to. After all there is a whole industry relying on them to be successful. Why I say that GM was used as an example is because none of the other car companies are exactly rolling in dough. They are also having similar troubles as GM except they could get the funding that they needed without it being broadcast on national television.

I think GM is going through now what would have happened 5 years into the future. Bad decisions, and being complacent in the market place would have forced them to downsize and become competitive. This whole saga was a shake up to the entire automotive industry. Get up and do something before somebody else does it for you.

This whole transition is hard on a lot of us who live in the Midwest and survive in the automotive market. But it is a wake up call to most of us - reminding us that we cannot be complacent in life - whether it is our work, family or life.

Keep innovating, bring in fresh ideas, stretch yourself, shift your paradigm, move your cheese and you will be ahead of the game.

Best of luck GM! We are all waiting to see you come out of this with flying colors.