I had the privilege of vacationing recently at a beach resort in Mexico.  I had three events during the week that emphasize our continuing need to be aware of our surroundings.  Our colleagues in the environmental, health, and safety arena remind us constantly of this in our work setting, but this is just as important in our home and while we are away.  Let me recap these three events to illustrate:

1. Look Down – As you are probably aware, it has been exactly 5 months since I had back surgery.  Thus, I am still extremely careful and must adhere to many precautions to protect my back as it heals.  At the resort, the concrete and tile walkways are slick… especially so when wet.  Despite my caution, I fell walking down a ramp.  I went from completely horizontal to completely vertical in 0.2 seconds.  My wife and friends were very concerned until it was clear that no harm occurred to my back.  The lesson was to look down and take small, choppy steps all the time to prevent further falls.
2. Look Around – Later, while with my wife and friends, I decided to trick them.  While they were in a restroom, I lay down on the walkway to fake another bad fall.  Before they could come out, employees from the resort rushed over and began calling for help on their walkie-talkies.  Only after standing up and explaining did they relax.  Again, I was not careful to play my trick when no one else was around.  It did throw a scare into my wife momentarily, though.  I need to look around in the future before attempting such trickery.
3. Look Up – We were told that the water everywhere in the resort was fine and safe to drink.  However, after a week of this, my caution had worn off.  In the airport on the way home, I needed a drink to take some medication.  I drank water from the faucet in the restroom to take the pills.  Immediately after, I looked up and saw the following sign on the mirror:

“Caution: Water from the faucets is not safe to drink!!!”

Oops!  My failure to look up before drinking has put me into a “waiting for Montezuma’s revenge” period.  So far, no problem.

So, it is good for us to heed the advice from our safety friends to survey our surroundings at all times to protect ourselves and those around us.  Thanks for your great work and have a great day!

 

Today, we look at the leadership element:

                        “Courage without composure leads to crisis and chaos”

Do you remember the Lion in The Wizard of Oz?  He was, after all, a Lion… yet he lacked the courage to perform even his most basic function in life… scaring people.  To make it even worse, it was clear to anyone that he lacked courage because he lacked composure.  Whenever he encountered anyone or anything, he immediately began to shudder and cower… attributes not at all like a true lion.  As a result, his life and everything around him was in crisis.  He was in chaos, not control.  Eventually, the Wizard helped the Lion realize that he had great courage within him all along.  All he needed to do was realize it and express it.  Immediately, his life became calm and he gained composure worthy of the King of Beasts.

We can be much like the Lion of Oz.  Things, people, events, or circumstances conspire to make us cower in retreat, rather than boldly face our adversary.  Instead of facing that individual or event in a manner of strength and confidence, we all these to make us run in fear.  We become individuals that avoid conflict, avoid people, or avoid any risks at all.  Can you see any of this in your own life?

For anyone to become a true champion – a Lion, we must possess AND exhibit a basic level of courage.  We need to be warriors, not worriers.  We need to hold our head up and face our adversaries.  Surely, this may not be easy, but unless we do, we can expect crisis and chaos in our work and in our lives.

So, catch your breath, hold you head high, and charge forward.  Good things come to those that do.

Thanks to you all for your dedication and diligence.  And, have a “top ten” day.

 

 I actually heard a Maintenance Manager say once in a meeting, “We either need to put high-level alarms or drains in our water-tight electrical junction boxes.”  True story!  This statement is so wrong from several perspectives.  First, this indicates that the water-tight electrical junction boxes are not water-tight.  Thus, they pose a serious electrical short or electrocution risk!  But, just as significantly, this statement indicates that the Maintenance Manager is avoiding the real root cause of the problem and has moved to remediation without correcting the real problem.  In short, he is avoiding the real issue because that may be harder to correct than simply applying a Band-Aid.

How often do we do the same thing?  For example, your car starts dripping oil in your garage.  What do you do?  You put a piece of cardboard under your car to catch the drips and ensure that you buy extra cans of oil the next time you are in town.  You do this instead of finding the source of the leak and getting it fixed.  Or, your teenager has suddenly had a change of behavior that is worrisome.  So, instead of learning what has happened, you go into “punishment mode” to force better behavior.  One more example… you have a completely dysfunctional team.  You make accommodations, you try new approaches, you allow some team members more latitude than others, you allow some members to carry others that are not doing their share, etc., etc.  Sometimes, despite your very best efforts, the root of the problem is something you know, but the fix is difficult.  A colleague recently told the story of one of his teams that was completely dysfunctional until they replaced one member (e.g., corrected the root cause).  This completely changed the team dynamics and performance of the team.

So, the moral of this story is that sometimes, identifying and correcting the true root cause is more work than simply drilling a drain hole in your junction boxes.  However, the ultimate fix could be worth the effort.

Have a fantastic and productive day!  And, don’t forget that this could be the day…  this could still be your best day yet!

 

Do you know how to train an elephant?  When the elephant is very young, the trainer will tie her up with a strong rope to a tree or other immovable object.  The young elephant will struggle to get loose.  She will try every means possible to get away, but will eventually learn that she cannot escape the rope.  Whenever the rope is tied around her leg, no matter what she does, she cannot escape, so she merely succumbs to the rope.  The trainer can eventually, to the rope to any object (such as a small stake) and the elephant, even through adulthood, will not attempt to escape because she has learned that nothing she does will allow her to be free.  She has been trained to be helpless whenever she is tethered to the rope.

Trained helplessness can occur in humans, as well.  We become “trained” to believe that we are helpless to become free as long as we are tethered to certain things in our life.  For example:

1. History – Some believe that a failure to achieve certain goals, positions, or responsibilities in the past means that none of these can happen in the future.  Not true!  Many (or should I say most) successful individuals have frequently faced failure, rejection, or negative events to thrive.
2. Education – Some believe that their careers are limited because they lack a specific degree or discipline in school.  Certainly, there are some positions that require a degree or specific discipline.  However, there are many schools that offer night or weekend programs.  Additionally, a lack of degree might only be a mental tether and not one that could really limit your freedom.  It might be good to investigate.
3. Family issues – Some are experiencing true problems at home that truly can inhibit their ability to break free of the rope.  However, I want to encourage you to believe that these issues will pass.  Though these problems may seem impossible or that they is no way to resolve them, time has a way of healing.  Having friends to share with or lean on is critical for finding your way through this current darkness.
4. Financial concerns – Many believe that their current financial situation limits their ultimate ability to live confidently.  Certainly, financial obligations must be met.  However, working through these issues may require assistance from a trained financial advisor.
5. Fear – It is true that many individuals allow fear to prevent them from reaching their full potential.  Taking that first step outside your comfort zone can lead to the pathway out.
6. Health issues – Problems with your health or that of a family member can truly limit your ability to live and work freely.
7. Hopelessness/Depression – Yes, there are individuals burdened by that feeling or hopelessness or depression that can severely limit their feeling of freedom.

Some of our ability to break away from the tether of “trained helplessness” can come from our own resolve or the help of coworkers, family, or friends.  Others need the assistance of trained professionals.

Please also consider how you might encourage a coworker, friend, or neighbor that may be experiencing one of these issues.  Supporting and encouraging each other could help more than you could ever imagine.

Don’t be an elephant!  Thanks for all you do and have a fantastic day!

 

 I received a note from a colleague after a posting on The Porch.  He expressed the following, “This is very interesting timing that you sent this today.  Yesterday I came across a picture that I keep on my phone.  I am from one of those small towns and understand completely some of the things you described below.  This picture is one of my favorites ever.  I found this on the wall of a Mennonite Dairy outside of Rutledge, Missouri.  We had a hunting spot just down the road from the dairy for many years.  We made it a practice to bring back some glass bottled chocolate milk from most of our trips.”

I really appreciated my colleague’s note and the photo below that he sent.  Please take a close look at the photo.  In our world today, we often fail to realize that taking advantage of opportunities that lie before us may require extremely hard work, personal sacrifice, or difficult challenges.  In a day of “instant gratification” or “just Google it”, we have not developed the patience or fortitude that is often required to take advantage of those opportunities that come our way.  For example, you don’t become an excellent golfer just because you want it and have nice golf clubs.  You have to work diligently and expend long hours to perfect the craft.  In the same way, merely wanting an opportunity to blossom doesn’t make it so.  Hard work, effort, and long hours may be required.  Please just understand that if you are willing to put forth the effort, there will always be a place where you can contribute.

Thanks for all you do!   Have a great day!

 

 

 

 

 

The other evening I traveled to one of our plants. I decided to take the last flight out of town because it was the only direct flight of the day.  Smart, eh?  Here is a summary of my evening:

• Flight was late leaving, thus, late arriving
• Rough landing
• Denied a rental car — my driver’s license had expired, so they would not allow a rental
• Taxi cab called – stood outside waiting in the rain – had to direct the cab driver every turn all the way to the hotel (e.g., no relaxation even during the cab ride)
• Arrived at hotel at about 12:15am
• Grabbed a banana in the lobby – this was my only dinner for the evening
• Banana rotten
• Log onto computer – password failure – called Help Desk for password reset
• Trouble getting to sleep – wondering about whether TSA would allow me to fly with an expired license
• Awoke at 4:55am Eastern Time – about 3.5 hours of sleep – ready to rock and roll
• Lots of coffee all day

Have you ever experienced frustration? How did you react?  Could you laugh about it afterward?  Sometimes, situations like this come into our lives to help us realize that we must be gracious no matter what happens.  Sometimes, these situations occur to remind us to be thankful for the little things.  Sometimes, these situations occur to remind us that it is easy to be kind when things go our way – the real test of character is to see how you react when things don’t go your way.

Have a great, frustration-free day!

Today, we look at three quotes from Ben Franklin and examine how they apply to what we do:

1. “Those disputing, contradicting, and confuting people are generally unfortunate in their affairs.  They get victory, sometimes, but they never get good will, which would be of more use to them” – Time for a true story.  July is wild blackberry time in Missouri.  Blackberries do not come every year being dependent upon the weather.  A good friend and his wife live in a neighborhood that has some undeveloped property.  In their ventures around the neighborhood, they noticed that there were wild blackberries in some of these undeveloped areas.  So, when they became ripe, they began occasionally picking a few for use in pies, as a treat for their grandchildren, etc.  So, one Saturday, they were picking a few berries when the owner of the undeveloped property with his wife came along.  They were not pleased that someone was picking on their property.  So, my friends left.  OK, maybe they should have sought them out beforehand to ask permission, but, truthfully, they said they were not sure whose property they were on.  To ensure that there were no hard feelings, they made a fresh pie and took it to their house.  They refused to accept it!  They said that they could absolutely not take that pie.  They acted still upset!  So, my friends went home and ate the pie themselves!  It seems that people live such sad lives sometimes… acting like that over a handful of blackberries!  Really?  We should not be so caught up on our own lives and egos that we are known as one of those “disputing, contradicting, and confuting people.”  Please kick me when/if I ever become that way!
2. “Learn from the skillful; he that teaches himself, has a fool for his master” – Are you really taking advantage of those around you that have more experience, skills, and abilities than you do?  Have you asked a more senior individual to serve as one of your mentors?  When you face a sticky issue, do you go to another colleague to ask their opinion?  If not, why not?  What is it about us that we feel that unless we handle everything ourselves, we are failing the company?  Let’s use the collective knowledge of our organization to do what is best for all.
3. “He that cannot obey, cannot command” – Henson’s corollary to this is, “He that does not comply with requirements, should not be given a position of leadership over those that must.”  We need to be good examples to others.  And, those of us in leadership positions must set the standard and be exemplary in our adherence to requirements.  We also should not be afraid to call out those that do not.  Agree?

What does Franklin say to you today?  Have a “berry” nice day!

I heard someone make the comment recently that “the bar for excellence has been lowered.”  This comment struck me until I realized that so many things in life we now consider “excellent” are far below what would have met that same criteria years ago.  How about a few examples:

• When I was in high school, we had only one chance to take the college entrance examination (e.g., ACT test).  You accepted that one result and your decisions about which college to attend, how much scholarship money you received, and “bragging rights” hinged upon that one result.  Today, you can take the exam many times and only the highest score counts.  My wife and I had to remind our three children of that many times over the years as they took the test again to better their score.
• My mother-in-law has a refrigerator in her basement that is still running well at over 50 years of age.  Today, you feel lucky to get 8 or 10 years of life from a refrigerator.
• Years ago, there was a minimum standard of acceptable dress expected when you went shopping.  Today, there are entire websites dedicated to the sloppy appearance of shoppers of at least one store chain.
• Standards of acceptable behavior are different today than several decades ago.
• Stradivarius violins made hundreds of years ago are still considered the finest sounding violins in the world today.

Have we lowered the bar of excellence in the world of compliance or for our leaders?  Do we allow things to occur today that would have been considered unacceptable last year?  Have our standards for an acceptable investigation report lowered?

The bar of excellence is affected by gravity.  So, unless we are doing something to intentionally prop it up, the bar will fall and we will accept behaviors, work product, or results less today that would have been acceptable in the past.  So, how can we prop up that bar?  Do we really believe in continuous improvement?  Or, are we more interested in consistently just getting by?  Do your own work, effort, and results model the attributes of excellence?  Are we working to sustain our gains long-term or are we just interested in getting through today?  Today’s challenge is to consider again what it takes to be truly excellent and re-commit ourselves to pushing up that bar.

Have a stunning day!

Yesterday, The Porch reviewed the first half of a list I recently ran across an article in Inc.com (an on-line magazine – the full link is here http://www.inc.com/chris-dessi/24-ways-ordinary-people-can-achieve-extraordinary-success-.html) titled, “24 Ways Ordinary People Can Achieve Extraordinary Success.”  Today, we look at the remaining 12 of the 24 items highlighted.  I hope you find the combination of the Inc. article and the views below helpful to you.  Here is the list:

1. Don’t forget where you came from – I was raised in a small Illinois town with small town values.  People there worked hard, supported their community, had high ideals for their children, and knew everything we did.  It was there I learned that life isn’t necessarily fair, but our attitude and intestinal fortitude make the difference.  It was there I learned the value of hard work and integrity.  It was there I first learned the importance of caring for others.  It was there I first learned that our life span is limited and you may say good-bye to a friend/teammate one night and never see him again.  I can honestly say that I hardly go a day without thinking of my parents, my hometown, and how my role in life now is, to a large extent, to pay back what so many have done for me.  Where did you come from?  Do you remember?
2. Value education – Education is important.  But, it is equally important that we continue learning even years after our class final exam.  When you continue to purse learning, you demonstrate to your children, your coworkers, and everyone around you that it is important.
3. Stay positive – Who needs a negative person?  Really?  There is so much in life to enjoy!  Despite your circumstances are today, they will change.  Cherish the good times and lean on others during the tough times.  As you’ve seen in QQQ before, a good day is not measured by what happened to you, but by how you responded to what happened.
4. Know what real success is – Real success is that feeling that you did your best, that you gave everything you had, and that you made a positive difference for someone else.
5. Fame, money and title mean nothing – If you spend your life chasing fame, money, or a title, you will be disappointed.  Though nice, these mean nothing in the long-term cycle of life.  Your life should not be measured by those tangible things you collect, but by the memories you create and by the difference you make in the lives of others.  In the end, all the gold in the world will mean less to you than the presence of loved ones in your life and knowing that you made a difference to them.
6. Ask for help – “Don’t be bull-headed!”  Have you heard that before?  It is an honor for others to help you, so give them that satisfaction.  Don’t withhold it from them.
7. Know what you want – It is important to know where you are headed.  When you identify what you want, you can investigate the alternatives to get there.  Without direction in your life, you may waste valuable time and effort in the journey.
8. Be yourself – People care about us for who we are, not who we pretend to be.  Let others see the real you.  Don’t try to be someone you are not.
9. Take risks – Life is too short to not occasional step outside our comfort zone.  Don’t be afraid to see how high you can jump or how far you can run.  If you don’t try, you’ll never know.
10. Failure is not a sin – Mistakes merely represent a chance to learn and improve.  Failure comes when you fail to learn from our mistakes.  And, if you lead people, remember this when the next issue arises.
11. There is no such thing as luck – Luck is not a strategy upon which we should build our life or our career.  Intentional, consistent, and concerted effort pay off many times more than a reliance upon luck.
12. Stop feeling sorry for yourself – It might be OK to feel sorry for yourself for one day — but then, pick yourself up and move on!  We have individuals depending upon us, so we need to quickly get beyond our disappointments, when they occur, and resume our role.

If I could add one thing to this list or emphasize it even more, “Don’t neglect your existing friendships and, if needed, add individuals to your life that will share the good times and bad times with you – I can tell you first hand that having these individuals in your life can make all the difference!”

I recently ran across an article in Inc.com (an on-line magazine – the full link is here http://www.inc.com/chris-dessi/24-ways-ordinary-people-can-achieve-extraordinary-success-.html) titled, “24 Ways Ordinary People Can Achieve Extraordinary Success.”  This is a good article and worth reading.  Today, I list the first 12 of the 24 items highlighted in this article and provide my own color around each item.  We will finish the list tomorrow.  I hope you find the combination of the Inc. article and the views below helpful to you.  Here is the list:

1. Protect your reputation – You develop your reputation every day and in every encounter you have.  Every interaction is an opportunity to either enhance your reputation or destroy it, at least with that/those individuals.  Stay “on your game” in these interactions and be careful about how you handle social media.
2. Give back – At the end of your career, you are likely to define it by the lives you touch.  Did you make an impact on the lives of others?  Have you helped others to grow?  What individuals did you mentor or coach or sponsor?  Whose career is better because of what you gave back?
3. Bring small-business ideas to big-business boardrooms – Though we are not in what most would call a small-business, we need to think in that way.  How would we spend our budget if the money was our own?  How can we make decisions faster and better without multiple approvals and excessive reviewers?  How can we instill an attitude of being fast and nimble?
4. Leave room for play – Everyone needs to have a hobby or passion outside work.  Sure, it is understood that for many, this means coaching little league, selling Girl Scout cookies, or spending full days at the gym, track, or field.  However, each person needs to have some way that they personally can escape.  Some might choose music, reading, or sports.  Others may choose photography, quilting, or some other activity.  Find something that you can do and carve out the time to enjoy it, at least occasionally.
5. Find a supportive life partner – I have been highly blessed and fortunate to have the most supportive and loving spouse in history!  If your spouse is like this, please take the time to show your love and thanks.
6. Cultivate community – Develop a network of individuals that you stay in touch with.  Staying connected through the years is a great way to nurture relationships that could make a difference in your career someday.
7. Do what you love – It is really difficult to do your best work when you don’t love your work.  The best advice in this area I could give is either find ways to truly enjoy what you do or find something new to do.
8. Take charge of your personal finances – Work to achieve a proper balance with your personal finances… some for you, some for others, and some for retirement.
9. Listen actively – I’ve heard it said, “Listen for understanding, not for how you’ll respond.”  You enhance relationships when you let others talk about what interests them, then, engage yourself to learn from that other person.  When you think of listening as an opportunity to learn, not to eventually show what you know, it will change how you interact with others.  A colleague recently shared that LISTEN and SILENT both have the same letters.  The next time you are asked to listen to someone else, remember this connection.
10. Think big, act bigger – We don’t always have to “win.”  Sometimes, it is more important to stay true to our values and beliefs than get in the last word every conversation.
11. Have gratitude – Be thankful for what you have and what others do for you.  It is too easy to take what others do for you for granted.  Say thanks!
12. Have fun! – Yes, we need to have some fun in our lives.  And, we can enjoy what we do at work.  Find a way to make it enjoyable to come to work.  Finding a “fun outlet” outside of work is important, as well.

We’ll see the remaining 12 items tomorrow.  Thanks for what you do and have a fabulous day!