Superhero Day! - Institute of Supply Chain Management
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Superhero Day!

  • General News
  • 16th June 2016

As you slip on your mask, clasp your cape and ensure your underwear is firmly on the outermost part of your attire, I’m sure your thoughts are firmly centered on the day ahead, the superhuman feats of ‘supply chaining’ you perform each day. Though you take it in your stride, ensuring the world stays safe; I feel it’s my duty to remind you that national superhero day is upon us. Use this day as an opportunity to thank yourself for working as a hard as you do.  Take a moment to reflect on your achievements of the past year. Done? No? Ok, I’ll wait…

Good, now that’s over you can concentrate on the year ahead. What are your goals? What is the next power you hope to acquire in your arsenal of supply chain efficiency? The power of sustainability? Flexibility?  Or even the power of supplier negotiations? Yes, I’ve asked lots of questions, but try to answer them and prepare yourself for the year ahead as we ask superheroes what gets them out of their bed/cave/fortress in the morning… As you can see above, if you’re superman it can be a logistical nightmare.

Batman says:

A hero isn’t someone that never falls. But someone who gets up, again and again.

He’s saying, yes, you will fail, fall, flop and plummet, sometimes at the same time. But, the worst thing you can do is dwell on those mistakes, to focus on them and their consequences rather than simply moving on. Don’t get me wrong, the whole point of mistakes is learning from them, but don’t let them own you.
Allow yourself the luxury of forgetfulness from time to time in order to prevent the entire focus of your actions being directed to avoid the same mistake. Even when things go wrong and you can’t control them ‘Get up again and again.’

As this picture demonstrates, even the most powerful are not immune from forces they can’t control. Don’t end up like the red power ranger.

The Flash says:

Life is locomotion, if you’re not moving, you’re not living. But there comes a time when you’ve got to stop running away from things and you’ve got to start running towards something. You’ve got to forge ahead. Keep moving. Even if your path isn’t lit, trust you’ll find your way.

The Flash is saying that once you are content with what you have, you stop moving and once you stop moving, like a shark, you will sink. You have to keep hungry and keep striving for constant improvement. Only then can you guarantee success. Even if you don’t know the direction, just keep going and always feel that you have something to prove.

I think the Hulk can articulate this idea much better than I.

The hulk sees words as mere distractions, does what he has to do and holds nothing back. Try to do the same. Supply chain smash!

…I apologise, I couldn’t resist.

Batman (again) says:

A hero can be anyone, even a man doing something as simple and reassuring as putting a coat around a little boy’s shoulder. Let him know the world hasn’t ended.

Batman, being the fountain of knowledge he is, is letting us know that the smallest things make a difference. The smallest improvement can have endless ripples further down the line. In the supply chain this is more true than in any other industry. So, do what you can.  Focus on what you are able to do right now and the results will lay the foundations of what you want to do in the future.

The most important thing to remember is: Keep your confidence high.
By working in the supply chain, an industry that demands a set of superhuman skills, you’ve already earned your cape, mask and tights.

So do that today. Put this article down and utilise your powers!

But before you do that! Take a look at www.cashforkids.uk.com to see how you can help out the smaller superheroes.

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