Every so often, Facebook comes out with an enhancement or a different way of presenting things to its subscribers. Inevitably when this happens there is an outcry, people begin posting incitements to "hate Facebook" and there is a huge surge of online negative emotion. The purpose of this post is not to agree or disagree with the changes to Facebook, but rather to examine the inherent aversion that humankind has to any kind of change.

In business, leaders are often asked to be "change agents" and that has been a buzzword for a while and something that many of us put on our resumes. In truth, change of any kind is initially uncomfortable and many of us try to avoid it. The pitfalls with this approach are that familiarity breeds contempt. After a while, when things are so routine, so unchanging, progress ceases to be made and in effect we start to regress - move backwards. More than ever, in the ever changing world in which we live and work, if we fail to be nimble in our apprach to change, we will be left behind watching our competitors roar ahead of us in a cloud of dust.

Change is necessary. Change is actually essential. But change is not comfortable. The answer to getting better at navigating change, is practice.  Like any skill, change requires that we practice it, and practice it often. In that way, we will slowly become more comfortable with the uncomfortableness of change and rather than run from it, moan about it, complain about it, we will begin to embrace the positive effects that change can bring.

Are the recent changes to Facebook a step backwards or forwards? I really don't know. But I am pretty sure that within a few weeks the naysayers and complainers will have begun to accept the new look and very soon will have forgotten the previous iteration altogether. 

As business leaders, or change agents, our responsibility is to support our teams through the uncomfortableness of change, not to isolate them from it. We must encourage doing things just a little differently every day, to break habits, open the mind and explore the positive benefits of change. In many of my training sessions, I encourage the participants at the end of the day to drive home by a different route, and pay attention to how it feels. Or if they usually enter the house by the side door, to go in through the front. 

Practicing change is easy. The more comfortable we get with that feeling of initial discomfort, the greater the ultimate benefits. 

There was a time when the quality of a restaurant wine list was judged primarily by the number of countries and regions represented, and therefore the larger the wine list, the better the rating. I recall lists that were encyclopedic in stature that went on for pages and pages, invariably starting with the classic regions of France - Champagne, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone etc. and ending with a smattering of "New World" offerings that were added as an afterthought.

The days when a restaurant can afford to maintain an inventory of that size have long been over and the best lists in my view, are the ones that work on a "less is more" philosophy where the skill lies in creating a selection based more on stylistic considerations than trying to encompass every region of the wine world.

Recently I have seen some excellent examples of short lists that exemplify brevity in creative ways.  A hotel restaurant I visited in Chicagoland has an all-American list that breaks out of the mold of offering only Napa cabs and chardonnays. The list is divided into sections based on styles and grape varieties and states such as Virginia, New York, Michigan, Arizona and New Mexico are included alongside the usual representations of California, Oregon and Washington. Cabernet Sauvignons are intermingled with Bordeaux blends and Meritage blends within a section called "Powerful Reds", and there is a delightful section of "Alsace grapes" within the whites, representing wines made from the likes of Pinot Gris, Gewurtztraminer, Riesling, Muscat, and Pinot Blanc. There are recommendations for which styles pair best with certain items on the menu and a large number are available by the glass or 500ml carafe (2/3 of a bottle, which is a very good size for a couple wanting a little more than a glass each but not needing a whole bottle). This method of presenting wines to the consumer does a wonderful job of combining the familiarity of grapes and styles with a modern and accessible way of encouraging experimentation. And the whole list is but a few pages long. 

There is really no excuse for a wine list to ever be out of date these days, with the ability to print beautiful full color pages on word processors and desktop publishing programs from any computer. Restaurants can keep their lists fresh and vibrant by frequently changing the selections, perhaps buying small quantities and gauging customer reaction before committing to purchasing more. Restaurant managers and sommeliers can experiment with different ways to present the wines and engage the customer by requesting feedback. They can monitor what sells and encourage experimentation by offering a large selection of wine by the glass. The best wines are not always the most expensive, a fact that consumers and restaurateurs are becoming more aware of in these hard economic times. 

Wine lists should be accessible, informative and fun to read. If they have a focused theme, so much the better as nobody has the time or inclination to wade through 100 pages, and few of us are impressed by the gargantuan choices of yesteryear. Before going to a restaurant, check out their wine list online. Small lists are actually harder to put together than long ones. If there is a fairly short, well thought out selection that is presented intelligently, it means the restaurant truly cares about its wines and you won't be disappointed. 

In the very early hours of last Friday morning, 9/9/2011, my step-daughter, Lora gave birth to her first baby, making me a step-granddad, Ginnie a first-time grandmother and starting a new generation for this little family.

Kieran Thomas was born by C-section after a long labor. He weighed in at 8lbs 11oz and was 20.5" long. As you would expect, both Lora and her husband, Matt are thrilled.

Lora stayed in hospital until Monday and now she is at home. An unexpected upside to my layoff is that we are staying in Canada right now, close to the new parents and little Kieran, so Ginnie has been able to help out with some practical stuff around the house and I have the added advantage of being able to see them much more often than if we were still in Wisconsin.

I have already taken quite a few photos but am looking forward to doing a proper "session" in a few days. A selection of the early ones are below.

I never cease to be in awe of new babies. I have three beautiful daughters of my own and now a new generation has begun. I hope we can work together to make this a world in which they can prosper and thrive. For now I am going to enjoy seeing this little new life begin to flourish and hold him as often as I am allowed!

Earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, bombings, shootings, explosions, fires. All of these disaster situations have been in the news in the last few months and I don't know if it is my imagination or whether many of them really are worse than we have experienced in recent years.

We were recently staying in a hotel in Ontario, Canada, when the whole area was placed under a tornado warning. It appears to be a very rare occurrence in that region and nobody on the staff had the slightest clue what they should be doing. In fact there was argument and misunderstanding regarding the difference between a tornado "watch" and a "warning" but absolutely no plan in effect for what to do in the event of either. Consequently, while the local TV stations were advising residents to take shelter in basements, the hotel pool, with glass on three sides was full of kids completely oblivious to what was going on or the potential danger they were in. Hotel staff and guests were standing outside, watching the rain, the lightning and the winds as if a  new show had come to town. All the while, the front desk clerk (who was also the designated Manager on Duty) was completely unprepared and had no clue what she should be doing, but  seemed fine with that, assuming that it was just a thunder storm.

As an hotelier who has spent the last ten years in the US Midwest, I take tornadoes seriously. We had a plan and we practiced to make sure everyone knew what to do in the event of a tornado or other disaster. The residents of Joplin, MO certainly understand the devastating power that nature can bring to bear on a community, and it is to late after a disaster to put a plan in place. Hindsight can cost lives. A plan that we hopefully never have to put into action is a wise investment in training time and can literally make the difference between life and death.