Car makers sponsor Sierra Club convention?

Talk about a wonderfully foolish idea.

I wish I could have been in the room when someone at Honda, Ford or Toyota suggested they sponsor the Sierra Club convention. Or, maybe it went the other way. Can you imagine the look on their faces when the idea of asking automakers to provide funding for an environmentally focused event?

Either way, this was going to the edge and here's how the SF Chronicle described it:

STORY

Suggestion: Read this to your management staff then ask:

• Who benefits most from this odd alliance?


• Whose values were most stretched?


• Will we see more of this?


• What other "foolish" alliances could we see?

In this "Age of Paradox" the best partners are sometimes your fiercest competitors. Don't always look for complete agreement. In this case, both sides brought valuable disciples to the table.