This weekend I had a small project I wanted to complete so I went to a local retail store that sells DIY ceramic tile and stone (the store name isn't important) while there I noticed a DIY clinic going on for how to install ceramic tile. Wanting to learn more I stopped and listened to the person (not identifying male or female) doing the demo clinic. I could not believe my ears - almost every single item this person said was either completely wrong or very misleading. There were about 8 other folks there with me, most seemed interesting in doing some tile work in their bathrooms but the good news is that after this "clinic" none of them bought anything. Bad news may be that this "instructor" may have hurt the ceramic tile industry by costing us potential customers - or maybe - just sent these folks to a full service location to have the job done by a professional installer - at least that is what I am hoping!
The list of what was said or done wrong is long and boring, but the quick highlights are that this person used what could have been a great opportunity to sell products into a lesson on what not to say or do if you are in the business of selling things that needed to be installed. First they had laid out a huge selection of tools that they claimed you MUST have to do the installation - most of which were wrong or not mandatory but obviously this instructor was told to "sell tools" today! Next the instructor told everyone how EASY it was to do the job if you used the right materials - like pre-mixed mortar (think mastic) and pre-mixed grout. Nothing said or explained about leveling the subsurface or about how to properly install the backer board - however they did want you to use backer board - just never got around to saying why or how to use it. Showed how easy it was to spread the sticky stuff - using a very small "v" notch trowel that was way too small - and circular motions without any keying in of the mastic. Just laid the 12" x 12" tile into ( well ok on top of the slight layer of ) the mastic - placed a spacer (actually used 3 spacers on each tile side) and moved onto the next tile. Finally told everyone that after waiting just 1 hour or so you could then grout the job using the pre-mixed grout and be finished by supper time. W R O N G !!!!!!!
Time for the Q & A part of the clinic - first question - what is the difference between porcelain tile and other clay tiles? Answer: not much difference, just use which ever one you like the look of best - they are just different ways of making tiles! WHAT???? Next question - can I use the same 4" x 4" tile on both the walls and floor in my bathroom? Answer - sure not a problem - no discussion about slip/fall issues or quality/thickness of the tile. Last question (and this one was the best) how long after I finish the tile do I need to wait to start using the shower again? Answer: - get ready - here it comes - remember they were told that you could grout after on 1 hour or so - answer: you must wait until at least the next morning to run water on the installation. WOW!!!
Now I know many folks don't have the complete technical knowledge that I've been exposed to during my 35+ years in the tile and flooring business - but anyone should have enough of a "BS" instinct to realize that this person had NO CLUE as to what they were saying. Some department manager told this person to go give a DIY clinic and they did - maybe to the best of their ability - but as the judge says so often: Ignorance is no excuse! I'm not sure who I blame more in this situation - the clerk who obviously knows they know nothing about this or the company management who seemingly cares less what is being said - they just want a DIY clinic to sell more stuff.
Now I don't want to embarrass either that company (who USG happens to do business with) or the individual who gave that sorry excuse for a DIY clinic - but I do want to help improve our industry by suggesting to anyone and everyone who reads this blog that we all have a responsibility to educate and train everyday. So now, the logical question - DID I TAKE THAT RESPONSIBILITY MYSELF? I'm happy to report that I did and I also did it in a very kind way - hoping that the clerk took my message back to store management with the spirit with which it was given - to help them learn and an offer to help train them if they desire.
I suppose only time will tell if I get that call for the training...... Maybe I'll find time again in several weeks to attend that same DIY clinic and see if anything has changed.
Your thoughts??
Steve
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
In Good Time - Timing is everything.
Many lessons that we learn as a child (or while growing up) tend to serve us well for the rest of our lives, others we need to change or modify as we (or our circumstances) grow or change. As a boy I was fortunate to be a Boy Scout and I learned many things that I still find useful daily. Some are in different forms today then they were way back then, but still the lesson learned is useful.
Take for example building a campfire using just 1 match - you had best already have learned the skills of preparation and patience before you attempt this feat, otherwise you will quickly burn thru your assets (small tinder and kindling) before you get to the fun part about placing twigs and then sticks and finally logs onto your fire. Trust me this exercise will teach you that patience is absolutely a required virtue. Try lighting just a log without the required preparation and you will soon learn how to exist in darkness while being cold.
Another skill you learn as a Scout is that a 3 stranded cord (or rope) is always much stronger than a cord with only 2 strands - and a single strand is almost useless. How does that relate for my adult life? Well if you want to accomplish something you need a team (2/3/or more) to make the job easier and strong enough to accomplish your goals. You DO have written goals don't you? (Maybe the goals story is best saved for a later posting.)
Finally, how full is your backpack? It is almost impossible to swim a river or climb a mountain with an exceptionally heavy backpack. Oh you may have lots of needed items in the pack (we had one scout who carried an entire case of Coke in cans with him in his pack on one hike - which he left at the first stop on the AT trail hike) and you may actually NEED versus just want, some of the stuff in your pack, but is it wise to lug it packed so full that your mission is doomed to failure due to the overloading conditions? Don't some of us adults still attempt to do this today in our workplaces? We carry huge loads of "stuff" "data" "gadgets" etc with us to make work easier when really most of what we need is just our most valuable tool - our minds. I travel frequently and some folks are amazed I can make an entire work week trip in a carry on bag that fits into the airline overhead - reason is, of course, that I learned as a Boy Scout not to over pack with wants versus needs.
There are lessons to be learned every day about "timing" all around us and many of us choose to ignore those lessons. No I'm not talking about timing the auto engine (although that is needed sometimes also) but rather things like traveling to Chicago during the winter with summer weight clothing, or the reverse, in the summer with a wool coat in your bag. Timing helps us grow and learn when we pay attention, sometimes needing to wait, other times to rush, so that we accomplish what we are after. All of us experience trials and hard times occasionally also. Again try to remember the timing issue, and a lesson I learned in Scouts - that the steel of a knife blade needs to be tempered by fire to become a valuable tool that is useful. Same is true with our lives today - we all are faced with trials and hard times to temper us into useful tools to reach our goals and beyond.
Please take time today to do two things for me:
1. Reflect, review, and evaluate the lessons you've learned today and how to apply them to tomorrow and the rest of your life.
2. Take time today to plan for another successful day tomorrow. The patience and preparation that you show today will make your fire burn bigger and brighter in the future.
These are my thoughts, what are yours?
Steve
Take for example building a campfire using just 1 match - you had best already have learned the skills of preparation and patience before you attempt this feat, otherwise you will quickly burn thru your assets (small tinder and kindling) before you get to the fun part about placing twigs and then sticks and finally logs onto your fire. Trust me this exercise will teach you that patience is absolutely a required virtue. Try lighting just a log without the required preparation and you will soon learn how to exist in darkness while being cold.
Another skill you learn as a Scout is that a 3 stranded cord (or rope) is always much stronger than a cord with only 2 strands - and a single strand is almost useless. How does that relate for my adult life? Well if you want to accomplish something you need a team (2/3/or more) to make the job easier and strong enough to accomplish your goals. You DO have written goals don't you? (Maybe the goals story is best saved for a later posting.)
Finally, how full is your backpack? It is almost impossible to swim a river or climb a mountain with an exceptionally heavy backpack. Oh you may have lots of needed items in the pack (we had one scout who carried an entire case of Coke in cans with him in his pack on one hike - which he left at the first stop on the AT trail hike) and you may actually NEED versus just want, some of the stuff in your pack, but is it wise to lug it packed so full that your mission is doomed to failure due to the overloading conditions? Don't some of us adults still attempt to do this today in our workplaces? We carry huge loads of "stuff" "data" "gadgets" etc with us to make work easier when really most of what we need is just our most valuable tool - our minds. I travel frequently and some folks are amazed I can make an entire work week trip in a carry on bag that fits into the airline overhead - reason is, of course, that I learned as a Boy Scout not to over pack with wants versus needs.
There are lessons to be learned every day about "timing" all around us and many of us choose to ignore those lessons. No I'm not talking about timing the auto engine (although that is needed sometimes also) but rather things like traveling to Chicago during the winter with summer weight clothing, or the reverse, in the summer with a wool coat in your bag. Timing helps us grow and learn when we pay attention, sometimes needing to wait, other times to rush, so that we accomplish what we are after. All of us experience trials and hard times occasionally also. Again try to remember the timing issue, and a lesson I learned in Scouts - that the steel of a knife blade needs to be tempered by fire to become a valuable tool that is useful. Same is true with our lives today - we all are faced with trials and hard times to temper us into useful tools to reach our goals and beyond.
Please take time today to do two things for me:
1. Reflect, review, and evaluate the lessons you've learned today and how to apply them to tomorrow and the rest of your life.
2. Take time today to plan for another successful day tomorrow. The patience and preparation that you show today will make your fire burn bigger and brighter in the future.
These are my thoughts, what are yours?
Steve
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Things I've learned since I knew it all!
About 20 years ago I took a class involving learning a "system" of selling skills. The introductory class was very cheap - $99 for a full 1 day class (which I knew was all I would need because I was so smart anyway) but the real bonus in this deal was a complete money back guarantee - that if I didn't see anything I liked by the noon break the instructor would refund my entire fee and I was allowed to leave and keep the materials I had been given. This had to be, I KNEW FOR SURE, a Win-Win for me. It certainly was, but like so many things in my life, not exactly as I expected it to be.
You see when I strolled up to the podium at noon break to ask for my money back, not because I was dissatisfied in any way but because I felt the course was just a teaser to sell a much longer, more complete, and vastly more expensive course. And of course, I was right! Key was that the instructor asked me one simple question and waited for my answer. This question and answer isn't important today, but he got me to understand that what I was CERTAIN that I knew maybe just wasn't so certain after all. The instructor extended the money back guarantee until the end of the day, so of course, I stayed. I also bought the entire deal at the end of the day, (several thousands of dollars worth of training) and stayed with him for well over 10 years as a wonderful mentor in what I needed to learn (which I thought was nothing) to continue being successful in my selling efforts. Just a side note here - what he taught me has made me many thousands of dollars return on my investment - much more than 100 times my investment.
Fortunately still today I still face that same dilemma, that the things I feel certain that I know all I need to know about I discover that it is what I learn AFTER I know it ALL that really counts. Just about the time that I stop questioning something and accept it as complete I am surprised to learn something new and different that I thought I had already understood or covered. Does this indicate that I am going to be a life long student? I believe so, and today more than ever, I believe I'm glad that it will be that way.
Everyday things change, people change, and those who stay stuck in the old ways and old learning's are the ones who fall behind or out of relevance. Which brings up yet another saying that this first instructor pointed out vividly to me long ago - "The only difference between a rut and a grave is the length and depth."
So today I'm asking you the readers for a little participation in this blog - I'm requesting that you stop and question yourselves on what you KNOW FOR CERTAIN. Not those things that you maybe think you might know, but those absolutely rock solid certainty items - just ponder, reflect, re-evaluate, and think over just one more time those items just to see what may have changed.
My prediction is that you may discover it is you that changed.
These are my thoughts , what are yours?
You see when I strolled up to the podium at noon break to ask for my money back, not because I was dissatisfied in any way but because I felt the course was just a teaser to sell a much longer, more complete, and vastly more expensive course. And of course, I was right! Key was that the instructor asked me one simple question and waited for my answer. This question and answer isn't important today, but he got me to understand that what I was CERTAIN that I knew maybe just wasn't so certain after all. The instructor extended the money back guarantee until the end of the day, so of course, I stayed. I also bought the entire deal at the end of the day, (several thousands of dollars worth of training) and stayed with him for well over 10 years as a wonderful mentor in what I needed to learn (which I thought was nothing) to continue being successful in my selling efforts. Just a side note here - what he taught me has made me many thousands of dollars return on my investment - much more than 100 times my investment.
Fortunately still today I still face that same dilemma, that the things I feel certain that I know all I need to know about I discover that it is what I learn AFTER I know it ALL that really counts. Just about the time that I stop questioning something and accept it as complete I am surprised to learn something new and different that I thought I had already understood or covered. Does this indicate that I am going to be a life long student? I believe so, and today more than ever, I believe I'm glad that it will be that way.
Everyday things change, people change, and those who stay stuck in the old ways and old learning's are the ones who fall behind or out of relevance. Which brings up yet another saying that this first instructor pointed out vividly to me long ago - "The only difference between a rut and a grave is the length and depth."
So today I'm asking you the readers for a little participation in this blog - I'm requesting that you stop and question yourselves on what you KNOW FOR CERTAIN. Not those things that you maybe think you might know, but those absolutely rock solid certainty items - just ponder, reflect, re-evaluate, and think over just one more time those items just to see what may have changed.
My prediction is that you may discover it is you that changed.
These are my thoughts , what are yours?
Monday, February 7, 2011
My Rant on Uninformed people.
I read a study last week that documented statistics of huge numbers of people in the US purchase ONE or fewer books per year. Many of those same folks who admit to that also claim to have seen every single episode of American Idol. It seems to me there is clearly a correlation here.
It is an undisputed fact that in 2011, maybe for the first time in history, access to knowledge is unimpeded for almost anyone. Without much effort or expense at all anyone can become informed if they choose to do so. For far less than the cost of most monthly cable TV bills, you can purchase and read at least 4 books per month and if you share your books with friends you can do this for less than you spend on coffee monthly. If you want to spend nothing, in most places in this country there are public libraries with free access to all types of materials.
OR YOU CAN CHOOSE TO WATCH TV.
One thing is, watching TV does have it's benefits. It excuses you from the responsibility of having an informed opinion about most things that matter in our world today. It provides you with shallow opinions, false "facts", and media controlled spin that you are able to parrot to others who also just watch TV so that your self-induced world is carefully protected and you are able to remain isolated from the "real world" - and NO - I'm not talking Reality TV programs here. We elected our President last time based upon 30 second (or less) clips of media spin.
I was discussing my blog the other day with someone who proudly made it clear that he doesn't read any non-fiction books, and would never consider reading a blog, even if it were related to his industry. What surprised me the most was he seemed proud of this. Yet when this man chooses to speak and express his opinion he wonders why others don't accept his viewpoints as factual and worth consideration. AMAZING!
I travel a lot, I spend way too much time in airports and it always surprised me how few folks I see using this time to read and become more informed. I realize that deciding to read is clearly a deliberate act and that it takes work to accomplish, but in our infoculture in 2011 why not expose yourself to interesting ideas, facts, or points of view? I do see some folks using their iPad's to scan online news reports - according to Google the estimate is the average online news reader spends a whopping 90 seconds or less per day even on this activity.
Now I realize this complaint isn't new, in fact, people have been complaining about widespread willful ignorance since the times of Brutus or Caesar. The difference now is that more and easier access exists and there are many more "creators" of newsworthy items than ever before in history. Today, more people than ever go to work to use their minds, not just their hands. With social media sites (like this one) we also have an open platform to share our points of view with many that would otherwise be difficult to reach. I believe this access is able to raise the bar for our understanding of our world today and how it works.
I contend that if you are involved in any way in the business world today, and you don't get paid just to lift bricks or hang steel, then you are involved at least in some small way in the idea business. Whatever you do or create is important and you should at least attempt to spread the idea and share your knowledge with others. They may choose to disagree, but that too is great as it opens the path for intelligent discussions that may benefit all who choose to participate.
As for those who choose to remain deliberately informed, we can ignore them or we can start a program to reach out to them and hopefully start a pattern of more people stopping to think for themselves and form their own opinions.
This is my thoughts on this subject, what are yours?
Steve
It is an undisputed fact that in 2011, maybe for the first time in history, access to knowledge is unimpeded for almost anyone. Without much effort or expense at all anyone can become informed if they choose to do so. For far less than the cost of most monthly cable TV bills, you can purchase and read at least 4 books per month and if you share your books with friends you can do this for less than you spend on coffee monthly. If you want to spend nothing, in most places in this country there are public libraries with free access to all types of materials.
OR YOU CAN CHOOSE TO WATCH TV.
One thing is, watching TV does have it's benefits. It excuses you from the responsibility of having an informed opinion about most things that matter in our world today. It provides you with shallow opinions, false "facts", and media controlled spin that you are able to parrot to others who also just watch TV so that your self-induced world is carefully protected and you are able to remain isolated from the "real world" - and NO - I'm not talking Reality TV programs here. We elected our President last time based upon 30 second (or less) clips of media spin.
I was discussing my blog the other day with someone who proudly made it clear that he doesn't read any non-fiction books, and would never consider reading a blog, even if it were related to his industry. What surprised me the most was he seemed proud of this. Yet when this man chooses to speak and express his opinion he wonders why others don't accept his viewpoints as factual and worth consideration. AMAZING!
I travel a lot, I spend way too much time in airports and it always surprised me how few folks I see using this time to read and become more informed. I realize that deciding to read is clearly a deliberate act and that it takes work to accomplish, but in our infoculture in 2011 why not expose yourself to interesting ideas, facts, or points of view? I do see some folks using their iPad's to scan online news reports - according to Google the estimate is the average online news reader spends a whopping 90 seconds or less per day even on this activity.
Now I realize this complaint isn't new, in fact, people have been complaining about widespread willful ignorance since the times of Brutus or Caesar. The difference now is that more and easier access exists and there are many more "creators" of newsworthy items than ever before in history. Today, more people than ever go to work to use their minds, not just their hands. With social media sites (like this one) we also have an open platform to share our points of view with many that would otherwise be difficult to reach. I believe this access is able to raise the bar for our understanding of our world today and how it works.
I contend that if you are involved in any way in the business world today, and you don't get paid just to lift bricks or hang steel, then you are involved at least in some small way in the idea business. Whatever you do or create is important and you should at least attempt to spread the idea and share your knowledge with others. They may choose to disagree, but that too is great as it opens the path for intelligent discussions that may benefit all who choose to participate.
As for those who choose to remain deliberately informed, we can ignore them or we can start a program to reach out to them and hopefully start a pattern of more people stopping to think for themselves and form their own opinions.
This is my thoughts on this subject, what are yours?
Steve
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Today is Groundhog Day!!
IT’S GROUNDHOG DAY!
"That's right, woodchuck-chuckers -- it's ... Groundhog Day!" You may or may not recognize that line from the Bill Murray movie "Groundhog Day." This is one of my most favorite movies however; if you don't live in the United States, you may not even know that February 2 is Groundhog Day, or what it represents: the day when the superstitious look to a small mammal to determine how soon spring will arrive.
In the movie, Phil Connors (Bill Murray) is trapped in a 24-hour time period that seems to repeat itself endlessly. Day after day nothing he does allows him to move forward with his life.
Once Connors realizes what is going on, he gives himself over to all types of
pleasure: gratuitous sex, crime, and selfishly trying to woo Andie MacDowell's character. Eventually he learns that all of this leaves him empty inside, and Murray begins to find ways to better himself and serve others. This being a movie from Hollywood, Connors eventually ends up with the girl, and they set off to live happily ever after, beyond Groundhog Day.
Phil Connors' quest reminds me of one that many of us find ourselves living in even today. Here is what some of us do daily to find OUR fulfillment in life:
* A quest for knowledge
* Dedication to pleasure
* Possessions
* Commitment to work
* Rivalry with others
* Political power
* Unrivaled riches
* Children
* Long life
* Food and drink
In the end, none of these efforts brought Phil the lasting pleasure he was seeking. It was all, in his words, "a chasing after the wind." He only found one thing that could give him the sense of meaning that he sought: Learning to look outside of ourselves and make a dedicated effort to help others.
It's Groundhog Day today!
Do some of us still feel like Phil Connors, trapped in an endless and maybe even meaningless routine? Do all of our attempts to find purpose and meaning in life leave us right back where we started? In the end, most of us learn what Phil Conner learned on Groundhog Day: happiness begins with looking outside ourselves.
These are my thoughts, what are yours?
Steve
"That's right, woodchuck-chuckers -- it's ... Groundhog Day!" You may or may not recognize that line from the Bill Murray movie "Groundhog Day." This is one of my most favorite movies however; if you don't live in the United States, you may not even know that February 2 is Groundhog Day, or what it represents: the day when the superstitious look to a small mammal to determine how soon spring will arrive.
In the movie, Phil Connors (Bill Murray) is trapped in a 24-hour time period that seems to repeat itself endlessly. Day after day nothing he does allows him to move forward with his life.
Once Connors realizes what is going on, he gives himself over to all types of
pleasure: gratuitous sex, crime, and selfishly trying to woo Andie MacDowell's character. Eventually he learns that all of this leaves him empty inside, and Murray begins to find ways to better himself and serve others. This being a movie from Hollywood, Connors eventually ends up with the girl, and they set off to live happily ever after, beyond Groundhog Day.
Phil Connors' quest reminds me of one that many of us find ourselves living in even today. Here is what some of us do daily to find OUR fulfillment in life:
* A quest for knowledge
* Dedication to pleasure
* Possessions
* Commitment to work
* Rivalry with others
* Political power
* Unrivaled riches
* Children
* Long life
* Food and drink
In the end, none of these efforts brought Phil the lasting pleasure he was seeking. It was all, in his words, "a chasing after the wind." He only found one thing that could give him the sense of meaning that he sought: Learning to look outside of ourselves and make a dedicated effort to help others.
It's Groundhog Day today!
Do some of us still feel like Phil Connors, trapped in an endless and maybe even meaningless routine? Do all of our attempts to find purpose and meaning in life leave us right back where we started? In the end, most of us learn what Phil Conner learned on Groundhog Day: happiness begins with looking outside ourselves.
These are my thoughts, what are yours?
Steve
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