My wife and I really enjoy a suspenseful drama, on TV or at the movies. But drama in real life, on a regular basis, not so much fun. I much prefer a stable, predictable daily life without all the created drama.
Think about it. What makes a drama "Dramatic?" Crises! These crises (and the actors struggles to overcome them) are diverting and exciting when they are happening to fictional characters on screen, but not so desirable when they involve us personally or effect our lives.
Washington politicians are masters of drama that, for the most part, are exhusting, frustrating, and sometimes very scary. These crises suck the joy right out of our daily lives. Most of our current crises are absolutely man made, invented, crises that are intended to provide gain for those creating them and divert those opposed to them into spending time and effort overcoming the drama.
We see the same issues at the state and local levels also. Maybe it is the politicians that we need to get rid of so we can enjoy a drama free life. Think about any single situation gaining news headlines today other than a car accident or shooting, fire, etc, and I submit that a politician has created the drama to drive one of their personal goals forward.
Maybe we all need to revert back to the time of those earlier TV shows, like Andy Griffith, Carol Burnett, I Love Lucy, and Newhart where even the crises aren't too likely to raise our bloodpressure too high. I'd much rather fall off my chair from laughing too much than from sitting on the edge of the seat and dodging bullets.
If we the people could just get term limits passed on the politicians, so that they never have enough time to gain power and build those crazy bases, maybe that would help on the Washington front too. Nah! I've watched Peachtree Corners, Gwinett County, and Georgia Politicians who have just come into office and quickly created too much drama and crises. Could it be that this is why voter turnout is getting so low and apathy is rising?
These are my thoughts, what are yours?
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Friday, February 22, 2013
Can you be counted on?
Commitment. Most folks don't seem to have the slightest idea about the real meaning of commitment. They make commitments casually, daily, then the break them for the slightest reason (or no reason at all just because they feel different) without any hesitation, remorse, or regret.
Folks who understand commitment and it's meaning, are faithful to their word. They finish their agreed upon tasks. They fulfill their responsibilities. They keep their promises - commitments - every single time they make one. These folks are known as trustworthy and dependable. They never leave a job half done, and they don't quit when obstacles arise and discouragement comes, as it almost always seems to.
Commitment has always been a rare quality, that is why it is so valued and important.
So what about you? How's your commitment level? Could it stand a little polishing up? I know I need improvement in this important area of my life, for example I haven't posted on my blog for over 3 months - what does that say to the folks who follow my blog? I'm certainly letting my commitment down for them. Oh, I have excuses, great ones too, not junk like the dog ate my post, but it doesn't matter. I failed. Forgive me please, and allow me another chance to earn your trust and respect back.
These are my thoughts today, what are yours?
Steve
Folks who understand commitment and it's meaning, are faithful to their word. They finish their agreed upon tasks. They fulfill their responsibilities. They keep their promises - commitments - every single time they make one. These folks are known as trustworthy and dependable. They never leave a job half done, and they don't quit when obstacles arise and discouragement comes, as it almost always seems to.
Commitment has always been a rare quality, that is why it is so valued and important.
- When our public leaders make a commitment to govern according to their promises and the rules we need them to actually do that. We don't want them to forget their promises and then try to blame others or find excuses like changed circumstances to justify their failure.
- When our spouses or families make a commitment to us we expect them to fulfill that also. Not cheat on our spouse with another person we find who appears appealing or exciting at the moment. Not promise to spend time with our children then break that promise due to something we want to do at the moment instead of what we promised them we would do with them or for them.
- When co-workers make a commitment their fulfillment or lack thereof may cost them and us our employment. Then we seem to forget the real reason for our situation and blame the economy or the company or someone else.
So what about you? How's your commitment level? Could it stand a little polishing up? I know I need improvement in this important area of my life, for example I haven't posted on my blog for over 3 months - what does that say to the folks who follow my blog? I'm certainly letting my commitment down for them. Oh, I have excuses, great ones too, not junk like the dog ate my post, but it doesn't matter. I failed. Forgive me please, and allow me another chance to earn your trust and respect back.
These are my thoughts today, what are yours?
Steve
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
What your mouth just said about you!
When you speak freely you expose yourself and others, to what you actually believe. Unless you force yourself to speak otherwise what your mouth will say is what is in your heart. If you speak words of criticism and hate, your are not strong inside with love towards others. If you speak words of positive thoughts and love, its a pretty good signal about how you feel about others also. Politicians train themselves to use this knowledge to their advantage. (Yep! That is what I truly believe!)
Now you cannot see what is in somebody elses mind or heart, HOWEVER, by listening to what they say when they speak freely you will know what is inside of them. When someone else is putting on an act, or onstage so to speak, they can say anthing and not really mean it. But in times of pressure and stress people usually don't think before they speak so what they truly believe will come out. That is why the spin handlers of politicians hate it when the candidate goes "off script" and speak freely. That is usually when they tell what they truly think and believe. Other folks go through life not thinking ever before they speak, and we usually don't care much about what THEY think!
I'm always interesting in what I can learn from those others around us. That is another reason to surround yourself with folks you admire, like, and know are educated and strong thinkers - that helps you to grow and improve yourself. If you hang around with bums and shallow thinkers then you become a bum and slack thinker. If we allow ourselves to be around great folks and we open our minds to the ideas, experiences and suggestions of others it is amazing what we can learn. I have learned, especially in the business world, that I can't possible know everything so it is critical, in my opinion, to listen to and consider the thoughts and ideas of others. You may choose to accept or reject their thinking, but I believe you owe it to yourself to at the very least listen openly and consider their thoughts before you decide.
Now this thought isn't intended to condemn us but rather to wake us all up to reality - that is when you speak openly and freely be aware that you will naturally tend to speak what you believe. To me, that is a good thing, and that is why I generally feel that people tend to tell it straight and honestly unless they force themselves to speak dishonestly, or maybe have a media spin master writing their speeches. When they do that there are always telltale signs that they aren't speaking honestly and again that too is a good thing if you can pick up on those signs and signals.
These are my thoughts on this subject, what are yours?
Steve
Now you cannot see what is in somebody elses mind or heart, HOWEVER, by listening to what they say when they speak freely you will know what is inside of them. When someone else is putting on an act, or onstage so to speak, they can say anthing and not really mean it. But in times of pressure and stress people usually don't think before they speak so what they truly believe will come out. That is why the spin handlers of politicians hate it when the candidate goes "off script" and speak freely. That is usually when they tell what they truly think and believe. Other folks go through life not thinking ever before they speak, and we usually don't care much about what THEY think!
I'm always interesting in what I can learn from those others around us. That is another reason to surround yourself with folks you admire, like, and know are educated and strong thinkers - that helps you to grow and improve yourself. If you hang around with bums and shallow thinkers then you become a bum and slack thinker. If we allow ourselves to be around great folks and we open our minds to the ideas, experiences and suggestions of others it is amazing what we can learn. I have learned, especially in the business world, that I can't possible know everything so it is critical, in my opinion, to listen to and consider the thoughts and ideas of others. You may choose to accept or reject their thinking, but I believe you owe it to yourself to at the very least listen openly and consider their thoughts before you decide.
Now this thought isn't intended to condemn us but rather to wake us all up to reality - that is when you speak openly and freely be aware that you will naturally tend to speak what you believe. To me, that is a good thing, and that is why I generally feel that people tend to tell it straight and honestly unless they force themselves to speak dishonestly, or maybe have a media spin master writing their speeches. When they do that there are always telltale signs that they aren't speaking honestly and again that too is a good thing if you can pick up on those signs and signals.
These are my thoughts on this subject, what are yours?
Steve
Friday, September 21, 2012
YESTERDAY, TODAY, AND TOMORROW.
CIRCUMSTANCES
Many times in our lives it seems that circumstances are absolutely piled high against or sometimes in favor of us. We all wonder sometimes if we have any personal control of our destiny at all. Many in the Christian Religion believe that it is at times like this we relied on our FAITH and TRUST in God to get thru this circumstances.
I suggest that there are 3 different choices you can make when faced with circumstances no matter which side of the board, (positive or negative) those circumstances are stacked.
1. YOU CAN CHOOSE TO ACCEPT THE PAST AND REMAIN THERE.
2. YOU CAN CHOOSE TO EMBRACE THE PRESENT AND BE THERE.
3. YOU CAN CHOOSE TO LOOK EXPECTANTLY TOWARDS THE FUTURE.
Now I know which of these 3 I try to always choose, but let's look at each choice and see the reasoning behind the choices.
These are my thoughts on this subject, what are yours?
Steve
Many times in our lives it seems that circumstances are absolutely piled high against or sometimes in favor of us. We all wonder sometimes if we have any personal control of our destiny at all. Many in the Christian Religion believe that it is at times like this we relied on our FAITH and TRUST in God to get thru this circumstances.
I suggest that there are 3 different choices you can make when faced with circumstances no matter which side of the board, (positive or negative) those circumstances are stacked.
1. YOU CAN CHOOSE TO ACCEPT THE PAST AND REMAIN THERE.
2. YOU CAN CHOOSE TO EMBRACE THE PRESENT AND BE THERE.
3. YOU CAN CHOOSE TO LOOK EXPECTANTLY TOWARDS THE FUTURE.
Now I know which of these 3 I try to always choose, but let's look at each choice and see the reasoning behind the choices.
- If you choose the accept and remain in the past you are saying that nothing you or anyone else can do will change what has happened and you will forget all of your goals, dreams, and desires for life and wallow in your own self pity.
- If you embrace the present and fully be there and stay there then you see no chance of improving your situation and you don't even want to consider playing the "WHAT IF" game. You realize the past is gone and forgotten but you discount how you can improve your future.
- If you choose to look expectantly towards the future then even when you make mistakes today or have made them in the past, you are still free to choose to change your situation and improve your possibilities for tomorrow. You can live life to the fullest possible potential. Even when you make more mistakes or stumble you still know that you control your destiny tomorrow and that your future is still able to happen as you want it.
These are my thoughts on this subject, what are yours?
Steve
Monday, September 17, 2012
Changing Landscape of Business
Before the current recession it was fairly easy to go into business and stay profitable in business (and actually stay in business) due to the amount of money flowing within our economy. Since 2006/2007 that situation has changed dramatically. In my business, (ceramic tile and stone business) our market has dropped 39% overall. In markets like Georgia it is bad, but unfortunately, it is even worse in some other markets. I just saw a report this past week that said in Georgia the ceramic tile and stone business lost 33.6% of our contractor businesses and another 31% of our dealer/distributor businesses.
Think for a moment about the food industry, how many restaurants have come and gone in the past few years? Many of those had excellent food taste and great service, yet they are gone. That is a business that has a very low cost of entry and raw materials are very inexpensive yet making a profit is almost impossible in these times between labor costs, energy costs, and the loss of disposable income for the potential customers. In most home goods the technology improvements have absolutely killed all the profit margins for businesses. Folks find something they like, want, or need and then shop the Internet to get to the absolute bottom price, usually doesn't include shipping costs, and the local business that started the process either has to make no money on selling their inventory or they lose the sale - either way they lose.
So what is the answer? Folks a lot smarter than I am will have to come back with thoughts on that but I can tell you that I'm thankful that (A) I'm not in the retail business today, (B) I have a good job and available income to spend on my families wants/needs, and (C) most days I seem more likely to spend just slightly more to purchase something locally and maybe pay very slightly more, but seem to feel in my mind that I receive MUCH more value for my money then shipping it off via the Internet. I find myself using the local hardware store more today than ever before because when I consider the very small price difference I find the value of the education I receive from the folks working at the hardware store to teach me about the product I'm considering is worth far more than the price I'm paying. Same with my insurance and my bank - local agent/branch seems to be worth it to me. Am I alone in this?
Please do some comparison shopping this week and let me know your thoughts on this issue.
Steve
Think for a moment about the food industry, how many restaurants have come and gone in the past few years? Many of those had excellent food taste and great service, yet they are gone. That is a business that has a very low cost of entry and raw materials are very inexpensive yet making a profit is almost impossible in these times between labor costs, energy costs, and the loss of disposable income for the potential customers. In most home goods the technology improvements have absolutely killed all the profit margins for businesses. Folks find something they like, want, or need and then shop the Internet to get to the absolute bottom price, usually doesn't include shipping costs, and the local business that started the process either has to make no money on selling their inventory or they lose the sale - either way they lose.
So what is the answer? Folks a lot smarter than I am will have to come back with thoughts on that but I can tell you that I'm thankful that (A) I'm not in the retail business today, (B) I have a good job and available income to spend on my families wants/needs, and (C) most days I seem more likely to spend just slightly more to purchase something locally and maybe pay very slightly more, but seem to feel in my mind that I receive MUCH more value for my money then shipping it off via the Internet. I find myself using the local hardware store more today than ever before because when I consider the very small price difference I find the value of the education I receive from the folks working at the hardware store to teach me about the product I'm considering is worth far more than the price I'm paying. Same with my insurance and my bank - local agent/branch seems to be worth it to me. Am I alone in this?
Please do some comparison shopping this week and let me know your thoughts on this issue.
Steve
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Remembering the Past
Today, September 11th is one of those days when many Americans stop and remember the past. Most of us can recall exactly where we were and what we were doing when the attacks happened.
As a private pilot I've heard many stories about others who were flying that day and ordered to land at the nearest field, no matter how close or far they were from their intended destination. Some didn't have their radio's tuned into Air Traffic Control and those lucky few were met by military fighter jets who got their attention very quickly and helped motivate them to land with hand signals.
I was down at the Georgia Pacific HQ building in downtown Atlanta getting a few last minute things together for my trip at 11 am to New York City for a trade show. As I left my office nothing seemed amiss, however at the front lobby desk the security had shut down the building and as I approached dragging my luggage they asked where I was intending on going. I told them and they ordered me to return to my office upstairs and await further instructions. WOW! Never happened at GP before! I wondered what I had done wrong. As I approached the elevators I heard several friends discussing the situation and by the time I'd returned upstairs to my office everyone was gathered around very small TVs watching the events unfold. I saw the second plane hit the second tower on TV. SILENCE and complete STUNNED reaction from the 50-60 of us gathered around the TV. Soon the telephones rang and everyone was ordered to evacuate the building, we heard at that same time on TV that all tall buildings in Atlanta were ordered to evacuate.
Driving back to my home in Peachtree Corners I called my wife and they were watching in her office also and she said they too were leaving shortly - as you can imagine the highways were packed but everyone was driving extremely courteously which for Atlanta traffic was also very different. The next several days passed in a blur, very few folks went to work, everyone was glued to the TV for more details and to see and try to understand this situation. Today, 11 years later, we are still trying to understand this situation!
Oh, how our lives have changed, yet somehow, even if a little bit, the American Spirit grew even stronger because of this sad event. Just as other national disaster events like Pearl Harbor have changed us as a country we still grew stronger and September 11th I'm sure will be no different.
Today, for a moment, please stop and remember the past, remember the event, remember who we are as a people and a country. And above all else, please Count Your Blessings.
These are my thoughts, what are yours?
Steve
As a private pilot I've heard many stories about others who were flying that day and ordered to land at the nearest field, no matter how close or far they were from their intended destination. Some didn't have their radio's tuned into Air Traffic Control and those lucky few were met by military fighter jets who got their attention very quickly and helped motivate them to land with hand signals.
I was down at the Georgia Pacific HQ building in downtown Atlanta getting a few last minute things together for my trip at 11 am to New York City for a trade show. As I left my office nothing seemed amiss, however at the front lobby desk the security had shut down the building and as I approached dragging my luggage they asked where I was intending on going. I told them and they ordered me to return to my office upstairs and await further instructions. WOW! Never happened at GP before! I wondered what I had done wrong. As I approached the elevators I heard several friends discussing the situation and by the time I'd returned upstairs to my office everyone was gathered around very small TVs watching the events unfold. I saw the second plane hit the second tower on TV. SILENCE and complete STUNNED reaction from the 50-60 of us gathered around the TV. Soon the telephones rang and everyone was ordered to evacuate the building, we heard at that same time on TV that all tall buildings in Atlanta were ordered to evacuate.
Driving back to my home in Peachtree Corners I called my wife and they were watching in her office also and she said they too were leaving shortly - as you can imagine the highways were packed but everyone was driving extremely courteously which for Atlanta traffic was also very different. The next several days passed in a blur, very few folks went to work, everyone was glued to the TV for more details and to see and try to understand this situation. Today, 11 years later, we are still trying to understand this situation!
Oh, how our lives have changed, yet somehow, even if a little bit, the American Spirit grew even stronger because of this sad event. Just as other national disaster events like Pearl Harbor have changed us as a country we still grew stronger and September 11th I'm sure will be no different.
Today, for a moment, please stop and remember the past, remember the event, remember who we are as a people and a country. And above all else, please Count Your Blessings.
These are my thoughts, what are yours?
Steve
Thursday, August 23, 2012
20 Minutes
Can such a small amount of time as 20 minutes make a difference in anything?
I've been pondering this question for more than a week now and I need help making up my mind about this. We all seem to receive the exact same amount of time in a day, 1440 minutes, yet some folks seem to accomplish so much more that I do with their time. What really baffles me is they seem so relaxed and calm while accomplishing piles more than I do. How do they do it?
As I lived in the past several weeks I keep getting hints about 20 minutes:
- The preacher at church service last Sunday morning suggested I spend the FIRST 20 minutes of each day in prayer and quiet time with God. Now I absolutely KNOW that this is great quality time and it makes a difference in my life, but really? Only 20 minutes?
- A time management expert was being interviewed and talked about dividing every task into 20 minute segments to accomplish it. Focusing on any subject for 20 solid uninterrupted minutes will guarantee you accomplishment he claimed. Gee, every time management course or goal setting course I've taken always talked about the longer the time frame the more certain the outcome. If you plan short you accomplish short - now this is saying exactly the opposite.
- A friend was talking about how he has changed his outlook on life by looking at 20 minute time segments, that is, if something won't matter 20 minutes from now why should you bother having it matter right now? Live fully in the minute you are in he said, but always be aware of the important things that you want to accomplish in life and ask if this 20 minutes is adding to that goal.
- The opposite discussion on the radio, was about how 20 minutes can completely change your life from pleasure to sadness or sorrow. Heart attack, car accident, etc.
I even attempted to ponder this seemliness unanswerable question for 20 straight minutes and discovered that I fell asleep while quietly thinking.........
This is one of those times I don't believe I have the answer and need YOUR help to think through this question - What difference can or has 20 minutes made in your life?
These are my thoughts, what are yours?
Steve
I've been pondering this question for more than a week now and I need help making up my mind about this. We all seem to receive the exact same amount of time in a day, 1440 minutes, yet some folks seem to accomplish so much more that I do with their time. What really baffles me is they seem so relaxed and calm while accomplishing piles more than I do. How do they do it?
As I lived in the past several weeks I keep getting hints about 20 minutes:
- The preacher at church service last Sunday morning suggested I spend the FIRST 20 minutes of each day in prayer and quiet time with God. Now I absolutely KNOW that this is great quality time and it makes a difference in my life, but really? Only 20 minutes?
- A time management expert was being interviewed and talked about dividing every task into 20 minute segments to accomplish it. Focusing on any subject for 20 solid uninterrupted minutes will guarantee you accomplishment he claimed. Gee, every time management course or goal setting course I've taken always talked about the longer the time frame the more certain the outcome. If you plan short you accomplish short - now this is saying exactly the opposite.
- A friend was talking about how he has changed his outlook on life by looking at 20 minute time segments, that is, if something won't matter 20 minutes from now why should you bother having it matter right now? Live fully in the minute you are in he said, but always be aware of the important things that you want to accomplish in life and ask if this 20 minutes is adding to that goal.
- The opposite discussion on the radio, was about how 20 minutes can completely change your life from pleasure to sadness or sorrow. Heart attack, car accident, etc.
I even attempted to ponder this seemliness unanswerable question for 20 straight minutes and discovered that I fell asleep while quietly thinking.........
This is one of those times I don't believe I have the answer and need YOUR help to think through this question - What difference can or has 20 minutes made in your life?
These are my thoughts, what are yours?
Steve
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Strength
John Maxwell has an inspirational Word of the Day video that he sends via email daily and one of the words that he has yet to discuss is STRENGTH. I've sent him an email asking him for his thoughts on this word, but while we wait to see where John takes it I thought I'd give it a shot.
Webster's defines Strength, when used as a noun as "The state or quality of being strong; force; power." They go on to list toughness, durability, potency, concentration, intensity and force.
Webster's Thesaurus gives us Synonyms for Strength such as: vigor, brawn, energy, vitality, stoutness, toughness, sturdiness, soundness, and tenacity. The Antonyms include: Weakness, feebleness, loss or lack of energy.
Now many of those positive qualities impress upon me the correct thoughts when I hear the word Strength, but I really like that Tenacity term. Tenacity and perseverance are both favorites of mine whenever I think about finishing something in a strong manner. Starting strong is always important, but unless you finish strong you may never get noticed.
At work, USG, we are revising a marketing slogan and a full marketing plan around the tag line that USG has used for years with our Durock Cement Backer Board - i.e., "STRENGTH BENEATH THE SURFACE!" While working on this campaign I've become even more of a fan of that work STRENGTH and the many ways you can express it. How about the level of support behind the product in the research, marketing, production, sales, service, and other support services that make not only a product but also a company a leader! It's often been said that you can have a fantastic product but if nobody knows about it or can purchase it, then you've wasted your time creating it. Opposite side of that coin is the hype marketing you see so often on late night TV pushing a truly terrible product in such a great marketing campaign that you throw your money away on it.
I believe that STRENGTH is one of those multi-faceted words that opens the imagination and allows you vast space to attach meanings.
These are my thoughts, what are yours?
Steve
Webster's defines Strength, when used as a noun as "The state or quality of being strong; force; power." They go on to list toughness, durability, potency, concentration, intensity and force.
Webster's Thesaurus gives us Synonyms for Strength such as: vigor, brawn, energy, vitality, stoutness, toughness, sturdiness, soundness, and tenacity. The Antonyms include: Weakness, feebleness, loss or lack of energy.
Now many of those positive qualities impress upon me the correct thoughts when I hear the word Strength, but I really like that Tenacity term. Tenacity and perseverance are both favorites of mine whenever I think about finishing something in a strong manner. Starting strong is always important, but unless you finish strong you may never get noticed.
At work, USG, we are revising a marketing slogan and a full marketing plan around the tag line that USG has used for years with our Durock Cement Backer Board - i.e., "STRENGTH BENEATH THE SURFACE!" While working on this campaign I've become even more of a fan of that work STRENGTH and the many ways you can express it. How about the level of support behind the product in the research, marketing, production, sales, service, and other support services that make not only a product but also a company a leader! It's often been said that you can have a fantastic product but if nobody knows about it or can purchase it, then you've wasted your time creating it. Opposite side of that coin is the hype marketing you see so often on late night TV pushing a truly terrible product in such a great marketing campaign that you throw your money away on it.
I believe that STRENGTH is one of those multi-faceted words that opens the imagination and allows you vast space to attach meanings.
These are my thoughts, what are yours?
Steve
Friday, August 10, 2012
What is YOUR Job #1?
Remember the old Ford media campaign about "Quality is Job 1?" Ford ran that when times were the toughest for the American Auto Industry and it seemed to work. Maybe you should think right now (since times still aren't so great) about how you are viewing quality in everything you do.
When I was VP of Sales for a large flooring distributor we had a banner hanging across our customer service area that read: "If you don't have the time to do the job right currently, where will you find the time to redo it and correct your mistakes?" I loved that banner and just seeing it boldly on the wall our customer service folks lowered their mistake level significantly.
I currently involved in bringing a new product to market for USG. Everyone on the team wanted this new product to be introduced by early LAST spring - didn't happen. By Mid-year - didn't happen! Why? Because we all care about quality, and without meeting the quality standards that we set for this product during our planning of the product we just don't feel we want to bring it out until it is right. I my opinion, it is far worse to delay an introduction than it is to introduce a product and then have to pull it off the market and rework it and then try to again convince those same customers that THIS TIME we've gotten it right!!
Yes it does take a little more time, and a lot more effort, to comply with your stated goals and standards, whether they are for Quality or anything else, but in the long term relationship of supplier/customer I believe it pays huge dividends to do it correctly the first time.
On my computer monitor, right on top of my list of activities that are shown, is the warning "KEEP THE MAIN THING AS THE MAIN THING!" under that I have another list of: CHOICES, INFLUENCES, HABITS, QUESTIONS. Those 4 items help me to focus on the important items for my role. Nothing original, but necessary for me to insure that I keep my #1 job as my #1 job every day.
One final hint, under the QUESTIONS headline I have the old standby of: WHO? WHAT? WHEN? WHERE? WHY? and SO WHAT? Those qualifiers help me really understand more deeply the issues that I'm dealing with so that I can produce Quality as MY JOB 1 in whatever I'm doing that day.
These are my thoughts, what are yours?
Steve
When I was VP of Sales for a large flooring distributor we had a banner hanging across our customer service area that read: "If you don't have the time to do the job right currently, where will you find the time to redo it and correct your mistakes?" I loved that banner and just seeing it boldly on the wall our customer service folks lowered their mistake level significantly.
I currently involved in bringing a new product to market for USG. Everyone on the team wanted this new product to be introduced by early LAST spring - didn't happen. By Mid-year - didn't happen! Why? Because we all care about quality, and without meeting the quality standards that we set for this product during our planning of the product we just don't feel we want to bring it out until it is right. I my opinion, it is far worse to delay an introduction than it is to introduce a product and then have to pull it off the market and rework it and then try to again convince those same customers that THIS TIME we've gotten it right!!
Yes it does take a little more time, and a lot more effort, to comply with your stated goals and standards, whether they are for Quality or anything else, but in the long term relationship of supplier/customer I believe it pays huge dividends to do it correctly the first time.
On my computer monitor, right on top of my list of activities that are shown, is the warning "KEEP THE MAIN THING AS THE MAIN THING!" under that I have another list of: CHOICES, INFLUENCES, HABITS, QUESTIONS. Those 4 items help me to focus on the important items for my role. Nothing original, but necessary for me to insure that I keep my #1 job as my #1 job every day.
One final hint, under the QUESTIONS headline I have the old standby of: WHO? WHAT? WHEN? WHERE? WHY? and SO WHAT? Those qualifiers help me really understand more deeply the issues that I'm dealing with so that I can produce Quality as MY JOB 1 in whatever I'm doing that day.
These are my thoughts, what are yours?
Steve
Monday, August 6, 2012
Customer Service or Lack thereof.....
Many articles have been written about how to do great customer service no matter what segment of business you are engaged in, however, last Saturday I experienced a service provider that completely missed all the articles and yet believe they have fantastic customer service. Allow me to explain and hopefully keep someone else from losing a customer.
We have a dog and visit a vet on an annual basis, nothing unusual so far, but our vet finally decided to retire and he sold his practice to a group of two new, just out of school, vet's. They completely disregarded all the principles and everything our Doctor had built his practice around. They quickly got rid of the long time office staff, who made the visits more pleasant as well as ran the office quickly and efficiently. Then when those two failed (about 8 months) they again sold the practice to several new doctors, who again are recently out of vet school, and they not only didn't return to the standards of before but actually made the practice much more user friendly - for themselves - forgetting completely about the customers and our needs, like Saturday visits for those of us who both work.
As I usually preach to everyone else, I chose to vote with my feet and we got our record from the past 6 years of visits and found a new vet. During this search process we decided since we spend so many weekends up at our Lake house we would use a vet up in that area. We asked several local friends who they used and it turns out they most all recommended the same vet clinic. In fact, one of our friends are very close neighbors to the vet and we've even had dinner together once. Seems like a perfect choice doesn't it.
Here's where the story gets sticky. My wife called not only this clinic but 3 others up in that general area just to check out the prices and levels of service, plus be sure that they in fact did have Saturday hours - and all did. We went to the highly recommended clinic and we were impressed when we walked in that only 3 other clients were ahead of us. Our old vet in Norcross, on a Saturday morning, usually had 20 + waiting and it took him about an hour and a half to get to us. We were thrilled! Our joy turned sour after the first hour passed and only 1 person in the waiting room was seen. At about the 2 hour point I stood up and announced that I'd had enough of this rudeness and was ready to leave and go somewhere else. At that point in time the person behind the counter quickly found a way to get us into the exam room. Where we waited another 30+ minutes.
How does this all tie into customer service? Well while we were sitting there waiting at least 5 others, obviously friends of the staff of the clinic, walked right in, never sat down, just walked back into the back and had their pets taken care of and then left. No, the clinic doesn't take appointments. No these weren't emergencies (unless you consider trimming nails an emergency) and finally, no the vet who has the great reputation wasn't the one in the clinic. It seems he too has decided that to better improve his practice he brings in a young, recent vet school grad, do you notice a pattern developing here, to work on Saturdays so he can enjoy his weekend.
So here is my punchline - we will continue our search for a more consumer friendly vet clinic where the customers are treated well, but that "SPECIAL" customers are treated the same as the rest of the customers. It's not much money involved, we only spent about $200 but rest assured someone else will be the recipients of my money on the next visit. What if they are treating 100 other clients this same way? Is this happening in your business? Are you forgetting about keeping the new customer pipeline filled while pampering your existing customers? Maybe on day, just for fun, you stop what you are doing and walk out into your waiting room to ask the customers you haven't yet seen how they feel about your customer service rating!!!! Maybe provide a feedback card like the fast food places do so your customers can tell you without disclosing who they are. I assure you any cost is cheaper than losing a customer you should have had for life.
These are my thoughts, what are yours?
Steve
We have a dog and visit a vet on an annual basis, nothing unusual so far, but our vet finally decided to retire and he sold his practice to a group of two new, just out of school, vet's. They completely disregarded all the principles and everything our Doctor had built his practice around. They quickly got rid of the long time office staff, who made the visits more pleasant as well as ran the office quickly and efficiently. Then when those two failed (about 8 months) they again sold the practice to several new doctors, who again are recently out of vet school, and they not only didn't return to the standards of before but actually made the practice much more user friendly - for themselves - forgetting completely about the customers and our needs, like Saturday visits for those of us who both work.
As I usually preach to everyone else, I chose to vote with my feet and we got our record from the past 6 years of visits and found a new vet. During this search process we decided since we spend so many weekends up at our Lake house we would use a vet up in that area. We asked several local friends who they used and it turns out they most all recommended the same vet clinic. In fact, one of our friends are very close neighbors to the vet and we've even had dinner together once. Seems like a perfect choice doesn't it.
Here's where the story gets sticky. My wife called not only this clinic but 3 others up in that general area just to check out the prices and levels of service, plus be sure that they in fact did have Saturday hours - and all did. We went to the highly recommended clinic and we were impressed when we walked in that only 3 other clients were ahead of us. Our old vet in Norcross, on a Saturday morning, usually had 20 + waiting and it took him about an hour and a half to get to us. We were thrilled! Our joy turned sour after the first hour passed and only 1 person in the waiting room was seen. At about the 2 hour point I stood up and announced that I'd had enough of this rudeness and was ready to leave and go somewhere else. At that point in time the person behind the counter quickly found a way to get us into the exam room. Where we waited another 30+ minutes.
How does this all tie into customer service? Well while we were sitting there waiting at least 5 others, obviously friends of the staff of the clinic, walked right in, never sat down, just walked back into the back and had their pets taken care of and then left. No, the clinic doesn't take appointments. No these weren't emergencies (unless you consider trimming nails an emergency) and finally, no the vet who has the great reputation wasn't the one in the clinic. It seems he too has decided that to better improve his practice he brings in a young, recent vet school grad, do you notice a pattern developing here, to work on Saturdays so he can enjoy his weekend.
So here is my punchline - we will continue our search for a more consumer friendly vet clinic where the customers are treated well, but that "SPECIAL" customers are treated the same as the rest of the customers. It's not much money involved, we only spent about $200 but rest assured someone else will be the recipients of my money on the next visit. What if they are treating 100 other clients this same way? Is this happening in your business? Are you forgetting about keeping the new customer pipeline filled while pampering your existing customers? Maybe on day, just for fun, you stop what you are doing and walk out into your waiting room to ask the customers you haven't yet seen how they feel about your customer service rating!!!! Maybe provide a feedback card like the fast food places do so your customers can tell you without disclosing who they are. I assure you any cost is cheaper than losing a customer you should have had for life.
These are my thoughts, what are yours?
Steve
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Happy Birthday Christy
Today is my lovely, wonderful wife, Christy's birthday. She is alway reminding me that she is much younger than I am, by 15 months, however she doesn't seem to respect her elders when it comes to that small amount of time!
Birthdays are unusual events in themselves. When you are a young child they are wonderful, very special, events that result in presents and ice cream/cake treats. That seems to slowly go away as you reach your teen years when the event seems to take forever to arrive because you KNOW that you are ready to be a full adult with all of those privilege's. The 20's and 30's seem to go by quickly and birthdays for YOU get lost in the activities of getting married and having a family. Yep, I remember that milestone 21st birthday, mine took place in the Army in Germany after I already had the privilege of visiting exotic Vietnam, but after 21 I hardly remember another birthday until I hit 40! I wonder now if those 19 actually should count!
40 starts an entirely new phase of life. You are considered by the young to be old, and by the old to be young. What's up with that? At 50 you've actually made it to "OLD" and yet you still believe you're young, even on those few days you don't feel so young anymore as things start hurting the day after certain activities. Then suddenly, very quickly, much faster tan desired, 60 arrives. Now you're absolutely locked into old but still mentally in "just middle aged"! Who lives to be 120 these days? Maybe Bibilical times weren't so bad after all if you could live to 400+ years!
After pondering this subject for some time now, and with my perspective of over 60, I've come to the absolute conclusion that God has it worked out right. These "Birthday year" phases are exactly right for us. Our eyes grow dimmer yet our clarity of vision on life and important issues seems to grow much stronger to balance those things out. After all, it does seem like life is mostly about balance doesn't it?
Well, anyway, Happy 59th birthday to my wife Christy. Enjoy this LAST short year before your "OLD age" is securely locked in. Now please honey, get my walker and help me up from this chair so I can eat my fiber and prunes!
These are my thoughts, what are yours?
Steve
Monday, July 16, 2012
Thank you Stephen Covey
The news just came across the computer, Stephen Covey has passed away at age 79. What a remarkable life he had on this earth, and I'm certain will continue in Heaven.
As most folks know him he was an author - many can tell you the name of at least one of his books - The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (can YOU name ANY or ALL of those 7 habits?) - but his real contribution to this world was far greater than most folks realize. He is responsible for creating thousands of jobs, responsible for creating thousands of possibility thinking minds by changing the way people think and react. He also lived his life as a great example for others to see and follow, without having to shout or scream about how great he was - others will say that for him - Stephen Covey just quietly went about living his moral, ethical, life as a quiet example of what to say and do plus MOST IMPORTANTLY, how to think and how to live a meaningful life being a Blessing to others.
In honor of the memory of Stephen Covey please take a few minutes and research the story of his life.
What better epitath could anyone ask for?
Steve
As most folks know him he was an author - many can tell you the name of at least one of his books - The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (can YOU name ANY or ALL of those 7 habits?) - but his real contribution to this world was far greater than most folks realize. He is responsible for creating thousands of jobs, responsible for creating thousands of possibility thinking minds by changing the way people think and react. He also lived his life as a great example for others to see and follow, without having to shout or scream about how great he was - others will say that for him - Stephen Covey just quietly went about living his moral, ethical, life as a quiet example of what to say and do plus MOST IMPORTANTLY, how to think and how to live a meaningful life being a Blessing to others.
In honor of the memory of Stephen Covey please take a few minutes and research the story of his life.
What better epitath could anyone ask for?
Steve
Thursday, June 28, 2012
TWO SET'S OF EYES
It has always amazed me how two people can look at the same thing and see it so differently. I was again reminded of this earlier this week as another person and I were driving past the skyline of the city of Atlanta. Whenever I see this beautiful sight I get excited and think about all the opportunities that either exist or are about to be created in this city. My friend, seeing the exact same view as I did, thought about all the crime, poverty, and all the awful things you hear about in big cities. WOW!!
Aren't the annual political races exactly the same way? We have multiple parties running for office because folks see things differently. We have one candidate, usually the officeholder, claiming everything is great and wonderful and he/she deserves another term, while the other candidate tells everyone just how awful and dreadful everything is and how it must be improved or the world will end in disaster quickly. Usually when the dust of the race settles we the public find out both sides slightly exaggerated their viewpoints and things continue forward, maybe not to the liking of everyone, but certainly to the pleasure of some. I become amused when someone claims to be TOTALLY COMMITTED to one party or another - in my findings I seem to see a lot of good and awful in both sides of most political issues, after all, that is part of the nature of politic's. Compromise.
Think about businesses that you know, some accommodate all the changes we face daily in life and make new opportunites, while the other seems to oppose all change and continue to want to do business as it always has. One company is aggressive, fast, and opportunistic; while the other is time-bound, filled with archaic systems and structures, and is either blind to, or refuses to, accept or reconize new opportunites for growth.
I'm certainly not avocating that ALL change is good, but change certainly is a part of our daily lives and we all must learn to accept change and adapt to newer and mostly better ways of accomplishing the same tasks we were before. Typewriters gave way to desktop computers, which have evolved to laptops, which now are moving towards tablets. It seem constant, yet is actually driven by our own demands. All the social media in the world can't take the place of a personal visit with a friend. Some things seemingly won't change, and I believe it is because the good things don't need changing.
Yesterday I watched a video of my old high school being torn down earlier this year - sadness filled my heart as I remembered all the good times of my life in that building, yet I also saw pictures of the new school built next door and am thrilled for all the young folks who will have a much better facility in which to learn their education.
Yep, two set's of eyes, sometimes even within one person. All will be well with the world.........
Aren't the annual political races exactly the same way? We have multiple parties running for office because folks see things differently. We have one candidate, usually the officeholder, claiming everything is great and wonderful and he/she deserves another term, while the other candidate tells everyone just how awful and dreadful everything is and how it must be improved or the world will end in disaster quickly. Usually when the dust of the race settles we the public find out both sides slightly exaggerated their viewpoints and things continue forward, maybe not to the liking of everyone, but certainly to the pleasure of some. I become amused when someone claims to be TOTALLY COMMITTED to one party or another - in my findings I seem to see a lot of good and awful in both sides of most political issues, after all, that is part of the nature of politic's. Compromise.
Think about businesses that you know, some accommodate all the changes we face daily in life and make new opportunites, while the other seems to oppose all change and continue to want to do business as it always has. One company is aggressive, fast, and opportunistic; while the other is time-bound, filled with archaic systems and structures, and is either blind to, or refuses to, accept or reconize new opportunites for growth.
I'm certainly not avocating that ALL change is good, but change certainly is a part of our daily lives and we all must learn to accept change and adapt to newer and mostly better ways of accomplishing the same tasks we were before. Typewriters gave way to desktop computers, which have evolved to laptops, which now are moving towards tablets. It seem constant, yet is actually driven by our own demands. All the social media in the world can't take the place of a personal visit with a friend. Some things seemingly won't change, and I believe it is because the good things don't need changing.
Yesterday I watched a video of my old high school being torn down earlier this year - sadness filled my heart as I remembered all the good times of my life in that building, yet I also saw pictures of the new school built next door and am thrilled for all the young folks who will have a much better facility in which to learn their education.
Yep, two set's of eyes, sometimes even within one person. All will be well with the world.........
Monday, June 25, 2012
How to Handle Stress
How to Handle Stress
I did not write this story, just received it from a friend and thought it worthy to pass along to everyone reading my blog. I had intended on writing about vacations, seems like many are interested in that subject right now, but my take was going to be on those who avoid vacations and seem to wear that like a badge of honor - that they don't take a vacation. Well, it just isn't healthy and it is really not good for your company! They provide vacation time for a reason - I believe this below story very well points out that exact reason!
A young lady confidently walked around the room while explaining stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone was sure she was going to ask the ultimate question: 'Half empty or half full?' However, she fooled them all.
"How heavy is this glass of water?" she inquired with a smile.
Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. To 20 oz.
She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."
She continued, "That's the way it is with stress. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on."
"As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden -- holding stress longer and better each time. So, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don't carry them through the evening and into the night.... Pick them up tomorrow.
"Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment. Relax; pick them up later after you've rested. Life is short. Enjoy it and the now 'supposed' stress that you've conquered!"
Relax today - stop and smell the roses and other flowers you pass so often without notice.
Steve
I did not write this story, just received it from a friend and thought it worthy to pass along to everyone reading my blog. I had intended on writing about vacations, seems like many are interested in that subject right now, but my take was going to be on those who avoid vacations and seem to wear that like a badge of honor - that they don't take a vacation. Well, it just isn't healthy and it is really not good for your company! They provide vacation time for a reason - I believe this below story very well points out that exact reason!
A young lady confidently walked around the room while explaining stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone was sure she was going to ask the ultimate question: 'Half empty or half full?' However, she fooled them all.
"How heavy is this glass of water?" she inquired with a smile.
Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. To 20 oz.
She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."
She continued, "That's the way it is with stress. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on."
"As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden -- holding stress longer and better each time. So, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don't carry them through the evening and into the night.... Pick them up tomorrow.
"Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment. Relax; pick them up later after you've rested. Life is short. Enjoy it and the now 'supposed' stress that you've conquered!"
Relax today - stop and smell the roses and other flowers you pass so often without notice.
Steve
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Control Yourself! Really?
What can you really control? In today's fast paced world it seems like very little is under our direct control anymore. Frustration is rampant everywhere. It is widely accepted that the two main things you can control is your ATTITUDE and your ACTIONS. Now I totally agree with that statement but believe there may be a few more things you really can control. How about your PRIDE and your EGO? Both of those items seem to cause huge problems also. Are you able to think of other things that you can actually control?
What I like about the ATTITUDE and ACTIONS part is that those two items cover about 95% of everything that you need to be concerned about in life. Actually when you boil it down to essentials, you discover that PRIDE and EGO are both pretty much covered in ATTITUDE and ACTIONS also. If you watch your attitude you won't end up with either excessive pride or ego! If you watch your actions you won't end up with unwanted or unintended consequences either. Those unwanted consequences cause the majority of pain in most folks lives in my opinion, so controlling your actions and your attitude will also remove much pain from your daily living.
Controlling your attitude and actions requires that you have a moral and ethical values set that you can use to guide yourself and your actions accordingly. How or where do you obtain such values? I suggest they are available all around you but it requires you to think about them and see which values are most important to you personally. My values may be different than yours, yet yours work for you just as well as mine work for me. May I suggest that you take some time today to exercise your most important muscle (your brain) today, right now, and think about your values. Write them down if you don't have them written already and use them to be a valuable aid to guiding your attitude and actions!
When you are in control of your ATTITUDE and ACTIONS then life seems just a little bit sweeter and certainly easier.
These are my thoughts, what are yours?
Steve
What I like about the ATTITUDE and ACTIONS part is that those two items cover about 95% of everything that you need to be concerned about in life. Actually when you boil it down to essentials, you discover that PRIDE and EGO are both pretty much covered in ATTITUDE and ACTIONS also. If you watch your attitude you won't end up with either excessive pride or ego! If you watch your actions you won't end up with unwanted or unintended consequences either. Those unwanted consequences cause the majority of pain in most folks lives in my opinion, so controlling your actions and your attitude will also remove much pain from your daily living.
Controlling your attitude and actions requires that you have a moral and ethical values set that you can use to guide yourself and your actions accordingly. How or where do you obtain such values? I suggest they are available all around you but it requires you to think about them and see which values are most important to you personally. My values may be different than yours, yet yours work for you just as well as mine work for me. May I suggest that you take some time today to exercise your most important muscle (your brain) today, right now, and think about your values. Write them down if you don't have them written already and use them to be a valuable aid to guiding your attitude and actions!
When you are in control of your ATTITUDE and ACTIONS then life seems just a little bit sweeter and certainly easier.
These are my thoughts, what are yours?
Steve
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Hug and Kiss your family today
I'm saddened this week by the news of another friend of mine losing his teen aged son. The Dad is obviously heartbroken not only by the loss of his son but also because he never had the chance to tell him one last time how much he loved him.
STOP whatever you are doing today and reach out to all your family members and hug them, kiss them, and tell them how much you love them and how much they mean to you by being in your life. Tomorrow isn't guaranteed and you may regret the opportunity for the rest of your life.
I want to also tell each of you, reading this, how much you mean to me in my life. I write this blog as a release but I completely enjoy hearing from those of you who read it that it sometimes touches you and helps you make yourself a better person. For that I'm grateful and it makes me very happy. I fully love my life and the friends that surround me in this life. Yes, we all have sadness like this occasionally, but for the most part I don't want to change anything about my life as it stands - except to continue to try and improve on my shortcomings. Thanks for being my friends.
These are my thoughts, what are yours?
Steve
STOP whatever you are doing today and reach out to all your family members and hug them, kiss them, and tell them how much you love them and how much they mean to you by being in your life. Tomorrow isn't guaranteed and you may regret the opportunity for the rest of your life.
I want to also tell each of you, reading this, how much you mean to me in my life. I write this blog as a release but I completely enjoy hearing from those of you who read it that it sometimes touches you and helps you make yourself a better person. For that I'm grateful and it makes me very happy. I fully love my life and the friends that surround me in this life. Yes, we all have sadness like this occasionally, but for the most part I don't want to change anything about my life as it stands - except to continue to try and improve on my shortcomings. Thanks for being my friends.
These are my thoughts, what are yours?
Steve
Monday, June 4, 2012
Veterans
This week I'm on vacation but working hard because my vacation is helping our daughter and son-in-law take care of their new baby, our second grandchild and first grand boy. My son-in-law is in the Army stationed at Ft. Polk and therefore we are surrounded by soldiers and veterans. I've heard yes sir and yes mam all day long showing respect for everyone they come into contact with. It's not just verbal respect that I'm seeing either, they also hold doors open for people, give space in traffic and generally behave in a complete manner that shows their respect for other people.
What strikes me the most about how the Army has changed since I was in it (1969-1972) is how much more professional the soldiers have become. As usual my mind has wandered to business, and how great these soldiers will be as future employees in the business world. From my observations I believe this next generation of employees will be fantastic. They are disciplined, dedicated, well trained, flexible in their mission and certainly willing and able to obey orders. These young men and women are accustomed to working within a system and to helping to improve that system when and where they see the opportunity, yet they never show disrespect or disobedience.
As I observe these soldiers I feel a great sense of peace knowing that they are currently guarding our freedom in this great country of ours as well as a sense of peace knowing that our future leaders will come from within these ranks and our way of life will continue. As they rejoin the civilian population they will be productive and valuable to whatever position they end up working in back in their communities.
I feel very confident and excited about the future today. How do you feel?
These are my thoughts, what are yours?
Steve
What strikes me the most about how the Army has changed since I was in it (1969-1972) is how much more professional the soldiers have become. As usual my mind has wandered to business, and how great these soldiers will be as future employees in the business world. From my observations I believe this next generation of employees will be fantastic. They are disciplined, dedicated, well trained, flexible in their mission and certainly willing and able to obey orders. These young men and women are accustomed to working within a system and to helping to improve that system when and where they see the opportunity, yet they never show disrespect or disobedience.
As I observe these soldiers I feel a great sense of peace knowing that they are currently guarding our freedom in this great country of ours as well as a sense of peace knowing that our future leaders will come from within these ranks and our way of life will continue. As they rejoin the civilian population they will be productive and valuable to whatever position they end up working in back in their communities.
I feel very confident and excited about the future today. How do you feel?
These are my thoughts, what are yours?
Steve
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Happy Memorial Day
Are you able to unplug from work?
Many of us who are so involved in business have difficulty in unplugging from work, even for a holiday weekend. Today with everyone using smart phones and staying constantly in touch it becomes even more difficult to disconnect and enjoy the personal activities that make a holiday weekend so enjoyable.
Now my wife has already asked me if all of this is true then WHY am I writing a blog on the weekend? Well, the truth is I find this activity both enjoyable and relaxing so I don't consider this work. When I ponder that thought process further I find that what I do to earn a living I also find enjoyable and relaxing so in fact, for me, work isn't really work. Maybe that's why I find it so difficult to unplug for vacations or holiday weekends. Just a thought - enjoy yourself this weekend, no matter what you choose to do!
These are my thoughts, what are yours?
Steve
Many of us who are so involved in business have difficulty in unplugging from work, even for a holiday weekend. Today with everyone using smart phones and staying constantly in touch it becomes even more difficult to disconnect and enjoy the personal activities that make a holiday weekend so enjoyable.
Now my wife has already asked me if all of this is true then WHY am I writing a blog on the weekend? Well, the truth is I find this activity both enjoyable and relaxing so I don't consider this work. When I ponder that thought process further I find that what I do to earn a living I also find enjoyable and relaxing so in fact, for me, work isn't really work. Maybe that's why I find it so difficult to unplug for vacations or holiday weekends. Just a thought - enjoy yourself this weekend, no matter what you choose to do!
These are my thoughts, what are yours?
Steve
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Mutual Mystification
What's the goal?
So many times we end up with folks either not knowing or forgetting the goal we are trying to reach. Once when our children were little we decided to drive across our great country so they could see this great country and have a lifelong love of travel. Well, somehow along the way everyone seemed to forget that goal and everyone just started going off in different directions and being unhappy about what we were doing! The kids couldn't wait for the trip to be over and my wife learned she dislikes traveling! Quite a change from our starting goal!
It happens at work sometimes when the leader believes he's clearly explained the desired goal and everyone on the team either didn't understand what was wanted or had their own thoughts/ideas of what the goal was. Either way nobody is one the same path towards the same goal! Sometimes, during the pursuit of the goal, in all the activities, we just forget what the original goal was. That's where having the goal clearly written down and posted or shared helps to remind everyone. Below are several other ideas that may help also.
So how do you solve the "Mutual Mysticification" situation? The most obvious way is to clearly state the desired goal and then have others use different words to tell you back what they believe they heard. It also helps if you go several layers deeper and explain "Why" the goal is important. Others may believe it is because you want one thing and that may not be involved at all, it may be a completely different reason for wanting the goal reached.
One thing is for certain, if mutual Mysticification takes place, for whatever reason, problems will soon follow and the goal, if ever reached at all, will be tremendously more difficult to obtain.
These are my thoughts, what are yours?
Steve
So many times we end up with folks either not knowing or forgetting the goal we are trying to reach. Once when our children were little we decided to drive across our great country so they could see this great country and have a lifelong love of travel. Well, somehow along the way everyone seemed to forget that goal and everyone just started going off in different directions and being unhappy about what we were doing! The kids couldn't wait for the trip to be over and my wife learned she dislikes traveling! Quite a change from our starting goal!
It happens at work sometimes when the leader believes he's clearly explained the desired goal and everyone on the team either didn't understand what was wanted or had their own thoughts/ideas of what the goal was. Either way nobody is one the same path towards the same goal! Sometimes, during the pursuit of the goal, in all the activities, we just forget what the original goal was. That's where having the goal clearly written down and posted or shared helps to remind everyone. Below are several other ideas that may help also.
So how do you solve the "Mutual Mysticification" situation? The most obvious way is to clearly state the desired goal and then have others use different words to tell you back what they believe they heard. It also helps if you go several layers deeper and explain "Why" the goal is important. Others may believe it is because you want one thing and that may not be involved at all, it may be a completely different reason for wanting the goal reached.
One thing is for certain, if mutual Mysticification takes place, for whatever reason, problems will soon follow and the goal, if ever reached at all, will be tremendously more difficult to obtain.
These are my thoughts, what are yours?
Steve
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Are you happy?
Are you happy today? Today I want to take some time to think about what makes someone happy. I've found that sometimes the things that make me happy are things that I had no idea would affect me at all. Other times I have to actively think about and seek out things that make me happy. Maybe I'm over thinking everything. Maybe I'm expecting too much.
Right now I feel happy, but why do I feel that way? Is it because I'm doing what I want to do (thinking and writing) and have not one but two dogs laying near me, both very content and happy, while at my lake house with part of my family around me? Or is it just something that happens cosmically and today is my time?
Are there things going wrong around me today? Yep, as they always do and will, but why allow those minor items to change your personal level of happy? I believe that "happy" is a state of mind and it can be (maybe should be) completely apart from events happening around you. Those dog's are a great example for me as to how to be happy. All it takes is - nothing - yep, nothing, for the dogs to be content and happy. I've watched my dog be happy inside or outside, with us or alone, dry or wet, etc. Somehow God made dogs happy no matter what is going on around them. My dog also never seems to worry about things either. She has nothing new to wear, and sometimes goes long periods of time without food, yet she never seems to be bothered by those circumstances. One thing for sure, when she see's me or another member of her family that she knows and loves she surely does get happy - so happy her tail is about to knock her off her feet from wagging so much! I don't ever remember beings quite so happy my tail wags - I wonder if I should consider that too?
Maybe that is the key to my being happy also. Just stop worrying and stressing about circumstances and decide that no matter what happens (or doesn't happen) according to my desires or wishes, I will still be happy with my life. WOW! I feel better already. Now to go power wash the house, cut the grass, and wait for the A/C repairman to show up and fix the problems with cooling............
These are my thoughts on Happiness, what are yours?
Steve
Right now I feel happy, but why do I feel that way? Is it because I'm doing what I want to do (thinking and writing) and have not one but two dogs laying near me, both very content and happy, while at my lake house with part of my family around me? Or is it just something that happens cosmically and today is my time?
Are there things going wrong around me today? Yep, as they always do and will, but why allow those minor items to change your personal level of happy? I believe that "happy" is a state of mind and it can be (maybe should be) completely apart from events happening around you. Those dog's are a great example for me as to how to be happy. All it takes is - nothing - yep, nothing, for the dogs to be content and happy. I've watched my dog be happy inside or outside, with us or alone, dry or wet, etc. Somehow God made dogs happy no matter what is going on around them. My dog also never seems to worry about things either. She has nothing new to wear, and sometimes goes long periods of time without food, yet she never seems to be bothered by those circumstances. One thing for sure, when she see's me or another member of her family that she knows and loves she surely does get happy - so happy her tail is about to knock her off her feet from wagging so much! I don't ever remember beings quite so happy my tail wags - I wonder if I should consider that too?
Maybe that is the key to my being happy also. Just stop worrying and stressing about circumstances and decide that no matter what happens (or doesn't happen) according to my desires or wishes, I will still be happy with my life. WOW! I feel better already. Now to go power wash the house, cut the grass, and wait for the A/C repairman to show up and fix the problems with cooling............
These are my thoughts on Happiness, what are yours?
Steve
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