Independence - upheld…

Monday, Americans will celebrate our Independence Day: 

Independence Day is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence of the United States on July 4, 1776. 

Wikipedia 

It’s next Sunday however, when Americans should commemorate the event that upheld our country’s independence; it was the event that prevented the United States from literally being divided into two, separate countries - and it came with a horrific toll. 

July 3^rd, 1863 was the third and final day of the Battle of Gettysburg.  Of all the Americans who have ever died in all the wars our country has ever fought, almost half - 620,000 - died in the Civil War.  And of all the Civil War battles, the one battle with the highest casualties was Gettysburg – 51,000 Americans.  During the Battel of Gettysburg, Picket’s Charge on July 3^rd, 1863 was the deciding, bloody clash. 

I know today the Confederacy; their monuments; and their flag are easily vilified.  But 159 years ago, this battle was fought by brave souls both North and South who believed in their cause.  Thankfully, freedom triumphed over slavery; unity triumphed over divisiveness.  But do remnants remain today?  Is our country’s “civil war” over?  Are we civil towards our fellow Americans? 

civ·il 

courteous and polite 

I believe every American should visit the Gettysburg National Military Park and pay tribute to the memory of those Americans that preserved the continuation of our union.   

Thankfully, the Union, and the succinct commemoration by one of our greatest leaders (who also gave his life for his country) prevailed: 

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. 

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. 

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. 

Abraham Lincoln spoke to unite all Americans, North and South.  July 4^th as well as July 3^rd are days for us to remember; to honor; and to celebrate a united, United States of America.  

May God bless you; and may God bless America! 

GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.

Running your railroad…

I was chatting with my dear friend Steve recently.  Initially a colleague; then client; today a friend and mentor.  I always enjoy his teachings on business and life.  We share many things in common; our “blue collar” views on work; our Christian faith; our career stops at ADP.  We were in dissimilar positions at ADP – he on the “operations side”’ me on the “sales side”.  

Steve is so mild-mannered; he chuckled when I told him I was surprised at his operations success; rising to Vice President and General Manager at ADP.  He shared with me why he succeeded.  Steve always helps me understand the “why”. 

He said one of his underlying beliefs was to treat every worker with dignity and respect.  He honored the value every job each person performed no matter how menial the tasks seemed to be.  Perhaps Steve was influenced by ADP’s legendary President & CEO, Josh Weston, who spoke of what matters in business: 

Every client matters.  Every employee matters.  And every employee interaction with every client matters. 

Steve believed each employee wanted to do a good job; was able to do a good job; and would do a good job if given the opportunity.  Could that have been Nashua Cavalier’s influence? 

Man's biggest mistake is to believe that he's working for someone else.   

Steve suggested I visit Cincinnati’s Union Terminal (link).  He told me the art deco in the terminal definitely had a great influence on him growing up.  Especially the way it depicts the history of America’s working people. 

There’s that tribute to working people again.  I like the connection to America’s railroads, too.  I have always loved trains.  It amazes me how our country has allowed our railroad system to stagnate as compared to Europe and Asia.  Railroads played such a key role in our country’s history – (here’s one example History.com). 

I also love the connection between the common worker and the success of a railroad (or the success of any business).  Who do you think plays the key role in train travel; the engineer; the conductor?  Here’s a point of view from a key worker, “behind the scenes”: 

You might know where you are and what you’re doing; and God knows where you are and what you’re doing; But if the Dispatcher doesn’t know where you are and what you’re doing, then you best be on good terms with God. 

                   Unknown Sage       

Totally applicable to any line of business today, true?  I write often about the importance of leadership communications.  I suspect a key to Steve’s leadership success lies in the hearts and minds of his followers as Napoleon Hill offered: 

I will induce others to serve me, because of my willingness to serve others. I will cause others to believe in me, because I will believe in them and in myself.       

There’s that word “believe”.  In my career, when I was working for someone who didn’t believe in me (or me in them), the thought of trains returned: 

This is a helluva way to run a railroad! 

                   Leonor F. Loree        

Leonor’s sentiments and the things we have all experienced recently might bring us back to that Unknown Sage: 

Due to recent cutbacks the light at the end of the tunnel will be turned off until further notice.

And all those train references and reminders brings me back to Steve.  I think he would coach us to work hard; treat others with respect; and believe! 

                                                            GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.

To Dad…

Happy Father’s Day coming this Sunday!  Aren’t fathers and grandfathers great?  The memory of my father still brings a proud smile to my face (and my heart!).  If you’re lucky enough to have living fathers and grandfathers, give them a hug Sunday. 

We fathers are so proud when our children demonstrate the wisdom and common sense we hope we have instilled in them: 

Kid wisdom: 

When your Dad is mad at you and asks you, “Do I look stupid?”  Don't answer him. 

Michael 

Then there’s that occasional lack of wisdom and common sense, true?  In my case my older son likes snowboarding, aka “shredding”.  I wonder if it’s the slope he’s shredding, or his knees.  My younger son?  Well, he’s a horseman – ‘nuff said:  

The good news is my children are resilient.  Yours are too I bet.  (Passed down from their Dads perhaps?)  When Dads have to be tough with their children from time-to-time, the little ones of all ages know it’s not permanent - kids are smart: 

A flustered father, stressed out from his day at work, was unsuccessfully texting his kids to come in for dinner.  Finally, he walks out on his porch and yells for his kids to come in.  

At that point one youngster turns to his brother and asks, “I can’t remember, which one am I - Jesus Christ or God Dammit?” 

Unknown Sage 

Some Dads have a very entertaining view of the world.  Take Mike Jaeger’s: 

Tell a man there are 300 billion stars in the universe and he'll believe you.  Tell him the plate you're handing him is very hot and he'll have to touch it to believe it.                 

Dads today take great pride in continuing to provide a home for their families, even as the definition of “home” evolves: 

Home, nowadays, is a place where part of the family waits ‘til the rest of the family brings the car back.  

Earl Wilson 

Because my sons have children in their lives, I get to be the grandfather now!   Being the grandfather has responsibilities, too: 

Sometimes the only difference we can make is passing our wisdom on to someone else who will make the bigger difference.  

Linda B. Gray 

The older I get the more appreciative I am of the love and devotion I received from my father.   He wanted his sons to make a difference.  He also wanted us to be patient with his quirks.  I remember after my Mom died, my Dad ate his dinners at the hospital cafeteria two blocks from his house.  It might have been for the convenience; maybe for the memory of the last place he saw his wife alive. 

He ate dinner there every evening for over twenty years.  It was such an extended period of time that the employees thought Al Pokorn actually worked there.  One summer, he was even invited to their company picnic!  I didn’t mind this innocent charade.  But when he won a TV in the employee raffle, I told him he had to give it back! 

Dads are all a little quirky I suppose.  Today when my children use one of my colloquialisms or demonstrate a family value or tradition that has been passed down from father to son, it brings a proud smile to my face (and my heart)! 

So, here’s to my Dad; and your Dad; and everyone’s Dad.  They have helped us all make a difference – definitely a tradition to be passed down. 

GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.

Mandatory Mondays…

Good afternoon everyone; hey it’s Monday!  Hooray?  Are you EXCITED to get up; get going; start your week?  Is INSPIRATION important?  What charges your Monday morning batteries up? 

For many, Monday is still the traditional start of the work week.  Not for Moms with toddlers however; for them there is no such thing as the “start” or the “end” of a week, true?  Same can be said of farmers and ranchers.  It’s true at the other end of the spectrum, too.  We retirees don’t look at Monday’s the way we once did.  As time goes by, it can become even more blurry. 

I remember my Dad during his remaining time in assisted-living would often ask, “What day is it?” After working for 50 years and being retired for 20 years, I guess the day of the week was no longer something important to keep track of for him. 

On behalf of the rest of the working world, Monday usually kicks things off.  How do you start your week?  I remember a sales professional who liked to schedule client meetings for Monday mornings.  She would book back-to-back appointments.  The clients were happy to see her; the meetings were easy to prepare for; and she would almost always come away with additional business.  Besides, she said it got her up and going on Monday mornings; started her week off on the right foot.  She was FIRED UP by noon and ready to face the cold realities of cold prospects and cold calling for the rest of the week.  Yuck! 

What’s your approach?  Reading the paper?  A work-out is the favorite week-starter for another friend of mine.  She’s up at 5am and hits the gym before 6am.  How about you?  Are you a Monday morning work-out fanatic?

As a recent retiree I’m lucky to have a flexible schedule.  I have time to feed the horses; have breakfast with my wife; or go to coffee and write.  When my kids were young it seemed I was always running behind.  No time to eat a sit-down breakfast or go to coffee.  Our favorite, Unknown Sage quotes Wolter: 

Wolter's Law:

If you have the time, you won't have the money.  If you have the money, you won’t have the time.

Starbucks is a favorite stop on the way to work Monday mornings for many.  Fodder-4-Thought overheard this order:

Venti, sugar-free, non-fat, vanilla soy, double shot, decaf, no foam, extra hot, Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha with light whip and extra syrup, please.

(OK.  Taking a breath now.)  Perhaps it’s bagels and cream cheese from Panera Bread.  Do you bring a dozen in for the office?  Maybe breakfast burritos?  Back in the day, my favorite was Lamar’s Donuts.  Not quite the popular, health-conscious cuisine of today, I admit.  Do you have special Monday morning menu morsels?  

Motivation can be particularly important for “Mandatory Mondays”, yes?  What helps me GET MOTIVATED is loud, hard-rock or heavy metal music.  If it’s Monday morning, then it’s mandatory Metallica. Fast-paced, head-banging music really revs me up!  The louder the better; plus, some of their lyrics can penetrate one’s soul:

Forever trust in who we are, and nothing else matters.

Trust me; it’s simply who I am.  What’s your Mandatory Monday morning musical mantra?  Well, whatever it is or whatever your routine is you might as well put your trust in it – nothing else really matters. 

OK everyone it’s Monday – boots and saddles.  Let’s rock ‘n roll!

GAP

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.

Behaving badly?

I’ve been chatting with friends, former clients, and colleagues about the current situation in business and the attention being paid to all of the employees who are quitting their jobs.  Technically I suppose, I am part of the departure although my excuse is retirement. 

Truth be told, I could have continued working.  My best friend plans to work until he’s 75.  In my case though, if I stayed I would have been working just for the money – and money is no longer as precious to me as it once was:  

Time isn't money, after all - it's more personal and more important.  Once I asked a friend to help me with a project, and I added, “Of course, I'll pay you for your time.”  He smiled, “I'm afraid your money is a poor substitute for my time."  

Floyd Allen 

Even as a younger man I would not stay in a job where I was unhappy no matter how much money I was making.  Is that why so many people, seemingly so unhappy, are leaving their jobs today?  Is it so bad in the workplace?  

“Bad” is nothing new.  Our favorite Unknown Sage has been coaching us about bad for years; in many cases tongue in cheek: 

Universal Law 

Anything that begins well ends badly. Anything that begins badly ends worse. 

In my career, I switched out of a bad job on more than one occasion.  I attributed part of that to the nomadic nature of the technology sales profession.  In other circumstances I felt I was just in a bad situation.  And sometimes I simply failed. Other times… 

A common catalyst behind some of my bad situations was the attitudes and behaviors of my managers and company leaders (aka “company culture”).  Kim Scott wrote in her book Radical Candor © how bad behavior can actually lead to advancement: 

… people who behave badly begin to win, rising in the company.  When confronted with a powerful jerk, many people retreat to Manipulative Insincerity, more out of instinctive self-protectiveness than intentional wrongdoing.  In this kind of environment, there’s an incentive to retreat to Manipulative Insincerity in front of those who are more senior to them, and resort to Obnoxious Aggression with those who are less powerful.  The culture becomes toxic – many kissing up and kicking down, few willing to speak the truth to power.  This kind of behavior won’t kill a company right away.  Instead, it leads to a slow, painful death of innovation, and lives of quiet desperation.  

WOW!  That’s a lot to take in!  “Manipulative Insincerity”?  “Obnoxious Aggression”?  “Kissing up and kicking down”?  I must admit, it sounds familiar.  I certainly hope Kim is speaking to the exception vs. the rule.  

In his book, The Speed of Trust © , Stephen M.R. Covey offers a different observation about bad catalysts that can cause employees to quit: 

Low trust causes friction, whether it is caused by unethical behavior or by ethical but incompetent behavior (because even good intentions can never take the place of bad judgment). 

I agree, good intentions don’t count very much anymore.  I’m not sure they ever did.  

Well suffice it to say my fellow retirees and I are counting on the current companies, leaders and employees to figure things out.  Otherwise, we may have to go back to work.  And who knows?  Maybe it was our generation of workers that began those workplace habits of behaving badly to begin with, HaHa! 

                                                            GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.