"There are two things that I want you to make up your minds to: first, that you are going to have a good time as long as you live - I have no use for the sour-faced man - and next, that you are going to do something worthwhile, that you are going to work hard and do the things you set out to do."
- President Theodore Roosevelt
Talk to schoolchildren in Oyster Bay, Christmas-time 1898
Understanding Craftsmanship…’what happened to America?’
Earlier this year, on Independence Day, many Americans observed the 233rd anniversary of their country's independence. They drove to the lake or seaside, barbecued, drank, watched fireworks, or otherwise celebrated, but few contemplated the meaning of independence. For those that did, several questions presented themselves: What happened to America? What happened to her independence? What happened to the promise of this once great land?
In 1959 America was the envy of the world, a beacon of freedom. It was still rejoicing in its vibrant, post-war economy, its population had exploded due to the "baby boom," and its people were the freest in the world. It was a nation aware, and justifiably proud, of its accomplishments. It produced more than any other nation. It had large stable families in which men and women worked together to raise strong future adults.
America had industrial and political leaders that took pride in their social responsibilities. It had the lowest crime rate in the world, with a correspondingly low incarceration rate. It had shining cities that were the jewels of the world. Its infrastructure was second-to-none. It had the best healthcare system, an honest government, low taxes, and a booming economy. Its people were rightly proud of it and loyal to it. What happened in the intervening half century?
Today, America's decaying inner-cities are cesspools of crime and blight. Assault, muggings, robberies, home invasions, carjacking, rapes, and murders are the norm. Graffiti and decay are everywhere. Elderly people are afraid to venture out - day or night. The poverty rate is rising even faster than the tax rate that overburdens America's working class.
Diseases like tuberculosis, that had once been eradicated, have returned. New problems like AIDS and H1N1 pop-up semi-regularly. Ideas like civic duty, patriotism, religion, and freedom are openly scorned. Its healthcare system is failed and its education system is corrupt - focused on teaching "tolerance" and other socialist ideologies, rather than giving its students an education useful in the real world. Political and financial corruption are rife, its economy is dying. Its good-paying, manufacturing jobs are off-shored and unfettered mass immigration allows hostile, third-world invaders in to take the service jobs that can't be sent overseas. Those invaders are then given social welfare largely unavailable to the average American and taught to resent White America. Don't believe me? Then you are an idiot and in a coma.
White American women are having 1.3 children per each - the non-white replacement level is 2.8. Aggravating this problem is the facts that, increasing numbers of the children white women, are having, are non-white. White America is going extinct. This deplorable fact is frequently lauded by corporate and civic leaders alike. Even our 44th President is not black as they all mention...he is half-white but let's make sure we never mention that...white is bad now. Why? Even during his inauguration some idiot mentioned, "Now is the time for white to get it right." Kiss my ass! What a stupid statement. But that's America today, say anything...anytime you want...no responsibility!
World-weariness and civic indifference grow daily. Attacks on constitutionally protected freedoms are frequent. Increased substance abuse-especially abuse of prescription medications - abounds. The institution of family is ridiculed and subverted. Every kind of sexual deviancy is advanced as normal. Everyone, including children, are encouraged to be as promiscuous as they like. At the same time abortion and birth control are heavily promoted leading to a dangerous decline in our birthrates.
What the hell happened in just 50 years?
Who says the government schools and the welfare state don’t work? They work perfectly. They were designed to put the American people into a political coma, and that’s what they’ve done. The objective would never be framed that way. The politicians would say that the purpose was to create unity, patriotism, and gratitude toward those who “protect our freedom,” that is, the government. But in fact, the purpose was to induce a political coma, and it’s done so.
How else to explain that few people give a hoot that we were obviously lied into war by the president of the United States, the vice president, the secretary of state, the secretary of defense, and others, without a proper congressional declaration, and led to believe that Saddam Hussein was both willing and able to launch so-called weapons of mass destruction against us on 45 minutes’ notice?
How else to explain that hardly anyone notices that with respect to criminal suspects the Constitution has been all but consigned to the paper shredder, with American citizens and others being held indefinitely without charge and without the right to go before a judge to challenge such treatment?
How bizarre that for most people, sticking American flags on the car and front lawn is the highest sign of love for America, and questioning the president’s honor and veracity is the surest sign of treachery. After years of fruitless WMD searches in Iraq, the politically comatose are satisfied with their leaders’ and the media parrots’ inane responses: “We’ll find them eventually.” “We know Saddam Hussein had them back in 1988.” Or: “Hussein was the real weapon of mass destruction. Besides, we liberated the Iraqi people, didn’t we?” Didn't we? How many years has it been?
The question that takes the cake is, “Don’t you support the troops?” The non-comatose would know that to oppose sending Americans into unnecessary war is support. But that question is only supposed to change the subject. It’s the kind of thing the politically comatose say when threatened by the reality of facing responsibility.
Do you realize it has been eight years since Islamic terrorists flew hijacked planes into the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon? It’s one of those defining moments in time when you’ll always remember where you were and what you were doing when you first heard the news. Do you remember how our nation responded in the days and weeks following 9-11? Although tragic, it was a time that made us all proud to be Americans.
Fast forward eight years to 2009 and we now have a country that thinks we shouldn’t be at war with Muslim extremists, and a country that elected a President named Barrack Hussein Obama and thinks that we should end this war. In 2001, Barrack Obama was unknown to most Americans outside of Chicago. What would you have thought, if on September 12, 2001, you somehow were able to peer into the future and see a newspaper from January 2009 with the following headline: Barrack Hussein Obama Sworn-In as 44th President of the United States. I know what I would have thought. The terrorists have won with a name like that.
So what happened between 2001 and 2009 that caused such a u-turn in the American psyche? Are we no longer the nation that fought for freedom from British oppression and defended Europe from Nazi and communist schemes to conquer the world? What happened to that America?
The truth isn’t pretty these days. But there it is. Look for yourself. If you can feel proud about it, I don’t understand you.
....enough said about America....
Understanding Craftsmanship…’what happened to America?’
So, what are the attributes of a craftsman? What makes a craftsman a craftsman? There are three basic attributes described herein:
1. Possesses the necessary knowledge and skills to perform the work
The craftsman is an expert in his field of endeavor; so much so that he could easily serve as an instructor in the subject matter. But the craftsman is also smart enough to know that education is not a onetime thing, that his world and field evolve as new tools and techniques are introduced. As such, the craftsman is a student of his profession and is constantly looking to improve himself. This is exercised through such things as continued education, routine certification, studying books and trade publications, and industrial groups. The craftsman willingly participates in trade groups, often at his own expense, in order to network with his peers.
It is Important to note that the craftsman does not need to be told he needs periodic training to sharpen his skills. Instead, he takes the personal initiative to stay on top of his game. Further, the craftsman has no problem with a periodic job review; in fact, he welcomes it for it might bring out a weakness in a skill he needs to sharpen.
2. Attention to detail
The craftsman understands and respects the process of building/delivering a product or service and is acutely aware of the penalties for cutting corners. Earlier (in part 2) we discussed the need for a methodology that specifies 5W+H. The craftsman is intimate with all details of his scope of work, so much so, he could probably write the methodology himself. Further, his intimacy of the work process means he can produce a reliable estimate of time and costs to perform the work.
Although many of the craftsman's tasks may be repetitive, it doesn't mean he easily falls into a rut. Instead, he is constantly looking for new tools and techniques to improve the work process. As such, he plays the role of Industrial Engineer who is normally charged with such a task.
The craftsman's attention to detail also means that he demonstrates patience in his work effort. Again, wary of cutting corners, the craftsman must possess such patience in order to produce the product the right way.
3. Views professional life as an extension of his personal life
The craftsman identifies with the end product which is where pride in workmanship comes from. In his mind, the craftsman has been charged with the responsibility of producing something, and wanting to satisfy the customer, puts forth his best effort to produce it. In other words, craftsmen take their work personally. This is a difficult trait to teach particularly in today's society where the focus is more on financial compensation than on the work product itself. It may sound naive, but the craftsman believes he will be suitably compensated for producing superior results.
Years ago, Dick Butkus of the Chicago Bears (NFL) confounded sports writers who could never understand why Butkus played as hard as he did year-after-year for a losing football team. True, Dick loved the game, but beyond that, the sports writers didn't understand one thing about the seven time All-Pro linebacker: Butkus took his job personally. It was important to him that his opponents know that they had been tackled by the best player; as he said, "When they get up from the ground I want them to say 'it must have been Butkus that got me'." Dick Butkus was a craftsman.
The craftsman has a burning desire to produce a superior product/service because he sees it as a reflection of himself. As such, the lines delineating their personal life and professional life are blurred. This is a significant characteristic that clearly separates a craftsman from the average worker. The craftsman's work is his life. He does not shirk responsibility, but rather embraces it with confidence and embosses his name on the finished product. Conversely, making a work related mistake of any kind pains a true craftsman.
Job titles are normally inconsequential to the craftsman who is more interested in delivering a quality product/service enjoyed by the customer. Instead, the craftsman takes pleasure in being touted as the best in his craft. He appreciates recognition; when someone makes a compliment about a product, the craftsman views it as a personal compliment. This too runs contrary to today's corporate world where people desperately seek recognition through simple job titles. Want someone with an inflated ego? Give them a big title.
Want something done right? Call a craftsman.
....more to come......
Understanding Craftsmanship...'what happened to America?'
Some might say craftsmanship is a simple concept that we should intuitively know. Not true; most people today have no comprehension as to what makes up a good craftsman; they have either forgotten or it has simply passed them by.
Craftsmanship can be found in any field of endeavor imaginable, be it in the product sector or service industry. Craftsmanship, therefore, is universally applicable to any line of work.
Craftsmanship is not "workmanship", nor is it synonymous with quality, although the three concepts are closely related. Let's begin by giving "Craftsmanship" a definition: "The production and delivery of quality goods or services from highly skilled workmen."
Quality relates to the absence of errors or defects in the finished product or service. In other words, finished goods operate according to their specifications(customers get precisely what they ordered). Such products are normally durable and require minimal maintenance. Craftsmanship produces quality products. In the absence of craftsmen, a rigorous methodology or assembly line process is required to produce quality goods using workers without the expertise of craftsmen. Such processes detail "Who" is to perform "What" work, "When", "Where", "Why" and "How" (5W+H), thereby assuring a quality product or service is produced. Such is the underlying rationale of the ISO 9000 certification as used by many companies today. The point is quality is not the exclusive domain of the craftsman, as it once was when I was younger.
Craftsmanship is also a human trait. Some might argue a computer or industrial robot can produce quality products and are, therefore, craftsmen. However, we must remember these devices are programmed by human beings in accordance with the rules of the craftsman. As such, they are an extension or tool of the craftsman.
Craftsmanship can be found in either the overall work process or a section of it. For example, there are craftsmen who are intimate with all facets of building furniture, such as a table, a chair or desk, and can implement the product from start to finish. However, as products grow in complexity, it becomes difficult to find people suitably qualified to build them from the womb to the tomb.
Consider military weapons alone, such as the complicated ships, tanks, and airplanes we now use, with thousands or millions of parts to assemble. Such complexity makes it impossible for a single person to have the expertise to build the whole product. The same is true in the service sector where different types of expertise and capabilities may be required. In other words, craftsmen have a specific scope of work. The scope of work may relate to other types of craftsmen through a chain of work dependencies, e.g., Craftsmen A, B and C concentrate on separate sub-assemblies which are eventually joined into a single product....some also call that 'teamwork' (and that's another lost art in America, as well).
....more to come....next "Attributes of Craftsmanship"
When I got into the work force back in the mid-1970's it seemed everyone dressed in a suit and tie, drank black coffee, smoked their brains out, and worked their butts off.
Today, golf shirts have replaced suits, herbal tea and bottled water have replaced coffee, nobody is allowed to smoke, and rarely does anyone work beyond 5:00 pm. And when did the tide turn when I now need Rosetta Stone to order something to eat or get a software technician's help on the phone?
More importantly, we used to care about the work we produced; there was a sense of craftsmanship, regardless of the job.
When I was much younger I went on a tour of a Cincinnati company's machine-tool shop and watched how they could take a block of aluminum and convert it into a high-precision machine tool. It was a pleasure to watch them work, as it is to watch anyone who knows what they are doing, be it a waitress.....a programmer.....a laborer or a clerk.
Quality and service used to be considered paramount in this country. If it wasn't just right, you were expected to do it over again until you got it right. We cared about what we produced because it was a reflection of our personal character and integrity. But somewhere along the line we lost our way and craftsmanship has fallen by the wayside. Why? Probably because most employees no longer care.
In today's society, employees are acutely aware that it is difficult to be fired due to poor performance. They know they will still get paid and receive benefits, regardless of the amount of effort they put forth. Consequently, there is little to encourage people to perform better. Money isn't a motivating factor anymore. People now expect bonuses, raises and other perks to be paid out regardless of how well they perform during the year.
We've also become a nation content with doing small things. America used to be known as a powerhouse that could tackle large projects, such as building skyscrapers, designing innovative bridges and tunnels spanning substantial bodies of water, engineering transcontinental railroads and highway systems, conquering air and space travel, and defending freedom not just once but in two world wars. If you really wanted something done, you talked to the Americans and no one else. Now we get excited over iPods, cell phones, and other electronic trinkets.
Many believe Craftsmanship is in decline due to the general apathy found in today's society. Maybe.... I tend to believe it is due to an erosion of our moral values. Let me give you an example. My interest was piqued recently by an article describing the pervasiveness of cheating and plagiarism in our schools. It is not my intent to make a political statement here but many of the students mentioned in the article rationalized their cheating on the fact that one of our past Presidents cheated and lied under oath, and got away with it. They figured if it is okay for the Commander-in-Chief to act this way, it was an acceptable form of behavior.
Arnold Toynbee, the famed English historian, observed, "Civilizations die from suicide, not by murder." If the moral fabric of our society dies, our story is told as evidenced by other great civilizations that long preceded us. Our perspective needs to be realigned: Our personal and professional lives must be viewed as one. As Toynbee remarked, "The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play." By doing so, we identify more closely with our work and assume a greater pride in workmanship. We do not need to hear this from our boss, but rather from within. As strange as it may sound, I see Craftsmanship as being patriotic in nature; doing a good quality job is part of leading a good and honorable life and builds on the individual's esteem, the company he works for, and the country he lives in.
The biggest problem though is that we have forgotten how to manage people. The manager's primary goal is to create the proper work environment for employees to produce the desired work products. Simple right? This is different than a supervisory capacity that directs how each person performs the various tasks of a job. In fact, I encourage managers to manage more and supervise less. I cringe when I see a manager try to "micromanage" an organization.
Yes, people need to be trained in order to properly perform their work but following this; employees should be mature enough to supervise themselves. In the old days, management stressed discipline, accountability, and structure; three ugly words in today's workplace.
....end part 1....
EUGENE - At 1 p.m. Friday, six LeGarrette Blount jerseys hung untouched in the Duck Store at Autzen Stadium. Another adorned a mannequin.
An hour later, every No. 9 jersey - including eight youth sizes - were taken down and stored behind the desk, no longer for sale.
Blount's No. 9 jersey - priced at $60 for adult sizes and $42 for youth sizes - had been among the hottest sellers in the past two weeks as a Heisman hopeful. In fact, No. 9 was the only number made available for youth this season. Not for sale anymore....
Why? Well, unless you have been in a coma or locked-up in some ugly bastard’s shed out back…you would know that Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount demonstrated some Golden Gloves skill Thursday night and right now he might have a better shot at a career in boxing than one in the NFL. The Ducks suspended Blount for his senior season, ending on-field opportunities to further raise his once high stock. Now, he potentially has lowered his draft status from second-round talent to undraftable.
Prior transgressions don't help. Blount has been suspended by Oregon before and has had issues with grades and his weight. Plus, it's not as if Blount was considered a can't-miss prospect to begin with. A good senior season for Blount could have elevated his stock. But now he most likely will be limited to pre-draft workouts in order to impress NFL scouts. But those opportunities could be very limited.
Bye-bye! That was the decision announced Friday, 15 hours after the team's star running back melted down on national television, punching an opponent in the face, shoving his own teammates, charging Boise State fans and tarnishing the Ducks carefully cultivated brand by putting it squarely in the center of one of the year's most hotly debated and controversial sports stories.
Replays of Blount throwing punches at Boise State defensive end Byron Hout and teammate Garrett Embry, and his attempt to lay hands on Bronco Stadium fans have been aired countless times on television and viewed hundreds of thousands of times on the Internet since the Ducks' 19-8 loss to Boise State on Thursday night.
Let’s be honest! Good role models are hard to come by these days. Athletes, politicians, grade school teachers and even evangelical preachers are making more and more headlines for their ranks being filled with pimps, thugs, drug-abusers, alcoholic wife-beaters, common criminals and folks of any other socially deviant persuasion you can think of. Is a whole generation bound to be doomed because of this? Was Charles Barkley right when in a 1993 TV commercial he tried to inform America that parents should be the true role models for their children, rather than those in the limelight? Maybe, but at least it makes for interesting reading.
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award (often known simply as the Heisman Trophy or the Heisman), named after the former college football coach John Heisman, is awarded annually by the Heisman Trophy Trust to the most outstanding player in collegiate football.
Mr. Blount you are not the most outstanding…you are an embarrassment to the game. Face it! Your mouth wrote a check that you could not cash….it was you who started this with how Boise State needed an 'ass-whippin.' You just thought you were good enough to get away with it…..proud of yourself now? Loser. Get it thru your head that it is NOT NORMAL to sucker-punch someone...oh wait! I forget...you had trouble with academics as well.
Sorry, I forgot that Oregon couldn't find a way to keep you involved in learning enough to meet NCAA standards (without cheating). So now, not only can you not play football and make it to the NFL...you are not bright enough to know what you did mister! Saying you are sorry in a press conference does not make it 'all better.' People are getting sick of this shit.
Perhaps more attention should be paid to the character of the players instead of the color of the uniforms Duck fans…(honestly…he couldn’t have been a starter in the SEC with Florida, 'Bama, Arkansas, Ole Miss....real teams).
Oh, and Oregon fans? It wasn't the referee's fault this time! Seems like that is always the excuse with Duck fans...boo hoo.
Many years ago, Italian children’s author Carlo Collodi wrote a story about a wooden marionette, Pinocchio. This story comes to mind when people lie repeatedly – like Pinocchio, we imagine their noses growing as the lies get bigger. But what if you actually have worked for someone like this? What if every day, every week, throughout the year… and years….you watch as your boss begins to grow a nose? At first you think of it (of course) as a mistake until it happens again…and again…as you watch this boss “start to believe his own lies that he developed over the years.”
We have all seen someone tell little “white lies,” but what should you do if you watch his nose actually grow to legendary portions?
For me, I decided I could no longer “pretend” that he cannot control his “stretch of the truth” and this will be my final closure entry about his inability to tell the truth (as I have found since leaving that company, ALL who have dealt with Mr. Pinocchio are as disgruntled as well)...a day does not go by without someone asking me, "how in the hell did you put up with Mr. Pinocchio for so long?" Ensuring the fact that (although late) I made the perfect decision to move on with my life...after several months away from having my eye 'poked' by his growing nose...I am at a place I want to be....happy...
The story of my old boss goes something like this…….
It had been some time, since Mr. Pinocchio had become a real boy. And while initially he rejoiced in finding new life, soon enough life's troubles got to him. And so it came to be - that one night as Mr. Pinocchio sat desolate and alone staring at the sky, he caved in and summoned the Blue Fairy one more time..."Star shine star bright, the first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish, I might - have the wish I wish tonight!" And sure enough, a blue star glowed all the more blue and through a sliver of light appeared the Blue Fairy! "Tell me boy" - she said "Why do you look so sad?"
"I don't like being a real boy" he said. ‘There’s too much lie and deceit in people. And I find myself hurting again and again. I wish I went back to being just a wooden puppet - and never felt anything - never knew pain.' The fair lady smiled at his appeal and waved her wand as she turned him into a wooden boy and bent down and ruffled his hair, then waved her wand again to turn him back alive. And blew a soft breeze to straighten his hair, restore them back to once they were - once again.
"Tell me boy, would you rather be a puppet - or once more be a real boy!" Mr. Pinocchio remained silent for quite a while and pondered hard in his little mind. "Sure enough, I'd felt no pain. It would be nice not to feel pain." "‘But I really want a different wish because I cannot make up my mind and move forward in the same direction." ..."I don't know what I want anymore!" said the little man.
"I want my nose to grow when I lie or do anything bad. But not just mine, I wish everyone had a nose like mine that would grow and shrink with the deeds of the man." The Blue fairy smiled again. "Strange it is, that you see a gift in what I once punished you with - This I will grant you - Pinocchio my boy. From now on your nose will grow and shrink with every lie!"
And so Mr. Pinocchio slept relieved. He thought, at least the world would be simpler. Oh! Yes - it definitely would be. He had made the new rules of the world. For once a person's face, would tell you all there is to be. He would no longer be lied to and never would have to face deceit ever again in his little mind. At last, a person would be only as beautiful as he deserves to be!!! Wake up he did next day, and went on about his little day with much confidence and perky in his step. A friend he met, “Worker” was his name, they had promised each other to buy new shoes together - and exactly the same shoes - and wear it to school on the same day! The would be partners of sort in the little village.
But when Mr. Pinocchio saw his friend's shoes, they were old. "Ah! You have broken your promise to me Worker! You did not get your shoes", he said. And Worker replied - 'No, I did go to the shop. I did not like the new shoes. No I did not!’ And sure enough as Mr. Pinocchio had wanted, Worker's nose grew larger even as he saw. "Oh! Worker boy…. Let it be, I shall go on with my day without a friend - without thee!" "I no longer need you like I had intended before...you are worthless to me now."
And so Mr. Pinocchio went on. And every person he met, he expected him to lie. And he rejoiced in joy as he saw their noses a tad too big, ‘Oh yes, a tad too large... A very good friend the Blue Fairy has been. He thought! "I will have to thank her." And so he called her again and asked from the blue star, a favor once again. Once again through a sliver of blue light, the Blue Fairy came alive. "Finally, you look happy my boy! - Tell me how was your little day?" "Oh, I called to thank you - my fair lady.....everyone’s nose has grown long," he said.
"'Really!?'" - The fairy said. "To annoy you then, I should tell you, they are really not as you think. I set them straight, not a tad too long, not a tad too large!" Downcast and with a broken heart, Mr. Pinocchio asked, "Must you lie too. Why set them straight. Why not keep them large??"
"For all is not as it seems, my boy." she said.
"Did you know Worker's mother is sick? And with no money, the shoes, he could not buy. Walked he did all the way to the shop and then kept the money to tend to his mother. Buy shoes - he did not. Though tears in his eyes, there were to be. I loved him more, for what he did. Yes, he lied to you, but out of shame and not deceit. Had you bothered to ask, a good friend you might have been…."
Awful and ashamed Mr. Pinocchio felt now. 'Oh! Such a bad friend he was!'
"You seem to have noticed everyone's nose. You did not check yours? Did you not? - The fair lady asked." 'No, my lady I did not’ he said….as he saw with shock and horror, his own nose, had grown so very long, oh so large. "My lady, I did not do any wrong. I did not know about the Worker. How could I have known he did not deceive??? Tell me - why has only my nose grown large!!"
"You should have asked about Worker, he was your friend and was loyal to you for many, many years, Mr. Pinocchio. Instead you rejoiced in everyone's misery and delighted in their fall. Vengeance is never a virtue. It shall never be. It never was!" And so Mr. Pinocchio went completely silent as he realized what he had done. He did not know what to do. "Is there no one perfect? No one good - including me??" -he asked. "No, my dear" - The lady answered.
You see Mr. Pinocchio, "Like the fingers of your hand" - she said, "No one is powerful alone. But together as a hand, they are. Each one has its own purpose. Together you can build the world as it should be!" Then with a wave of her wand, she made Pinocchio's nose shrink back. Alas! A bit relieved he felt. He wasn't a bad boy he thought, not a bad boy after all......whew! He was thankful.....
"And sure I can make you of wood again. And sure you would never feel pain. But life as you have learned is strange and you will miss out on joy as well." "You are wise my lady. You know it all. But I get fooled by people's words and promises and believe them to be virtuous as they claim to be. I have been hurt many times only because I chose to believe!" - Mr. Pinocchio exclaimed. "In that you are right my boy. You should choose your friends carefully, in your case very, very carefully. But do not judge people - just so quickly. Do not always assume the worst in people without finding the truth. You know you are an evil thinker Mr. Pinocchio. The truth is often different - do not judge them - so hastily", the fair lady replied.
Mr. Pinocchio then sat back in his borrowed chair, folded his arms over his enormous belly, rolled his eyes into the back of his head and replied, “All people in the village love me and I am the most wonderful person…I am the closest to perfect as you will ever see Fairy!” “You should be happy to be able to grant me wishes!” "I am the best friend, the best boss, and best teacher of anyone available...you should see that clearly...all others do!" "People will be on a waiting list to work for me!" As he sits alone at his desk reading his emails......
And with that the Blue Fairy began to glow even more beautifully than ever before as she realized that sometimes she cannot save the ones that are not willing to save themselves (all the wishes in the world will not help this one)…this one has no clue what loyalty, friendship, and happiness is about outside his little shop....with sawdust on the floor....
Too charming and lovely to behold she was. She kissed Pinocchio on his wooden head and turned into a star once again.
Run your race, not someone else's
“Two men were walking in a forest, when they suddenly saw a savage, hungry-looking bear. One of the men quickly put on a pair of running shoes. The other guy exclaimed, “You idiot! You can’t run faster than a bear …”
To which the first guy replied, “But I don’t have to run faster than the bear, I only have to run faster than you!”
I have heard that little story told to get the wrong point across (especially from a former boss of mine). Usually the person relating the story uses it as a spring board to convey some point along these lines. “If you want to be successful,
Tracy, you must outrun your competition. No. He was missing the bigger picture.
I caught myself falling into that line of thinking at my last job. Things have been nuts this year (ok…ok….watch the news for 5 minutes and see doom and gloom). We’ve all been scrambling just to keep our heads above water. But you know what? I woke up and realized one day…”Is this the best I can be?”….”Being surrounded by people that are so worried about the competition…so worried about the economy….…..so worried about what is being said about them in the marketplace…..”
Run your race, not someone else's.
My new thinking…..”Truly successful people don’t keep their eyes on everyone else’s progress. They keep their eyes on their own lane.” If you measure your success relative to how everyone else is doing you’ll probably end up far below your potential. I will be running my own race from now on.
We all have seeds of greatness planted within us. Those precious seeds will ultimately come to fruition when we maximize our potential. And we can’t maximize our potential when we are focused on how poorly people around us are doing.
Run your race, not someone else's.
Rather than simply trying to outrun the next guy, take a close look at which track you are on. Too many people have spent their entire lives climbing the ladder of success only to find they had it leaning against the wrong wall. MAKE SURE you get your ladder against the right wall…..mine wasn’t for years.
Ask yourself…are you running the best race for you? Or are you running someone else’s race better than they are?
Run your race, not someone else's.
Take the time to find the best race for you to run. Then don’t let yourself get distracted by how “others” are running the race you were meant to run. Run your race to the absolute best of your ability.
Now…excuse me while I lace-up my new pair of running shoes……
I have a buddy that visits me each day. Hummingbirds are very small birds with a high metabolism. A great deal of energy is spent flying, so they must feed almost constantly. This little guy....and his buddies keep me busy making fresh batches for the feeders.
Hummingbirds can consume up to twice their body weight in nectar every day. They usually feed on nectar and insects. Hummingbirds actually lap up the nectar with their tongues. A lot of people think that hummingbirds have a hollow tongue like a straw. Their tongues do have grooves on the sides that collect nectar. When the bill constricts, the hummingbird can swallow the nectar from flowers and feeders.
Hummingbirds are able to perch and will do so at my feeders regularly. Because they fly so much, they have poorly developed feet. They can barely walk at all. The hummingbird is much more comfortable in flight.
The flight of hummingbirds is amazing to watch. They are able to fly up, down, forward, backward and sideways. They can stop in midair. Hummingbirds are famous for their aerial display. Some displays are courtship displays; other displays are aggressive. Hummingbirds fly great distances when they are migrating. The Ruby-throated Hummingbird migrates approximately 600 miles across the Gulf of Mexico.
Hummingbirds lack a true song. Instead, they vocalize chirping notes. Most calls are short buzz trills and chirps. Hummingbirds' wings 'buzz' or make a whirring sound while the birds are in flight. This sound is referred to as a "wing whistle." As a matter of fact...I think I hear him saying, "Hey mister!! Your birdfeeder's empty!!"...(gotta go)
Every business organization has a unique set of challenges and problems. The small family business is no different. Many of these problems exist in corporate business environments, but can be exaggerated in a family business. Family businesses go through various stages of growth and development over time. Many of these challenges will be found once the second and subsequent generations enter the business.
A famous saying about family owned business in Mexico is “Father, founder of the company, son rich, and grandson poor.” The founder works and builds a business, the son takes it over and is poorly prepared to manage and make it grow but enjoys the wealth, and the grandson inherits a dead business and empty bank account.
Here is why I hate the challenges of a tiny family business.......
Emotions. Family problems will affect the business. Divorce, separations, health or financial problems also create difficult political situations for the family members (money will be siphoned from the profits...any excuse will do). Informality. Absence of clear policies and business norms for family versus non-family members (they are NEVER the same for family members...they just want you to think so). Tunnel vision. Lack of outside opinions and diversity on how to operate the business cause a stale environment. Lack of written strategy. No documented plan or long-term planning (outside of selling the business to family members). Compensation problems for family members. Dividends, salaries, benefits and compensation for non-participating family members are not clearly defined and justified (like paying a 'part-time' family member a HUGE salary for a few days of work).
Role confusion. Roles and responsibilities must be clearly defined (family members get special treatment....be honest...you know they do). Lack of talent. Hiring family members who are not qualified or lack the skills and abilities for the organization and the inability to fire them when it is clear they are not working out. High turnover of non-family members. When employees feel that the family “mafia” will always advance over outsiders and when employees realize that management is incompetent and "paralyzed" to change it....Succession Planning. Most family organizations do not have a plan for handing the power to the next generation, leading to great political conflicts and divisions (and what about the non-family members who got you there?)
Retirement and estate planning. Long-term planning to cover the necessities and realities of older members when they leave the company (if the company stays in business that long). Training. There should be a specific training program when you integrate family members into the company. This should provide specific information that related to the goals, expectations and obligations of the position (why not? All non-family members do this…). Paternalistic. Control is centralized and influenced by tradition instead of good management practices (oh my...don't get me started). Overly Conservative. Older family members try to preserve the status quo and resist change. Especially resistance to ideas and change proposed by the younger generation.
Communication problems. Provoked by role confusion, emotions (envy, fear, anger), political divisions or other relationship problems. Systematic thinking. Decisions are made day-to-day in response to problems. No long-term planning or strategic planning (knee-jerk reactions….). Exit strategy. No clear plan on how to sell, close or walk away from the business (only tunnel-vision of making sure the family takes over the business). Business valuation. No knowledge of the worth of the business, and the factors that make (or MADE) it valuable or decrease its value (just that "this is my retirement plan....when I sell it to my children)
Growth. Problems due to lack of capital and new investment or resistance to re-investment in the business (because the “family members” need to be taken care of financially…new cars, weddings, college....right now!). Vision. Each family member has a different vision of the business and different goals (this is enough to drive ANY non-family member out-the-door. Control of operations. Difficult to control all members of the family from lack of participation in the day-to-day work and supervision required (but let’s face it….how hard can this possibly be?...if you can serve coffee….you can sell office furniture…right?)...
comments anyone?
So I look across the room and his eyes catch mine. His ears perk-up a little in anticipation of what might come next....a happy and eager smile on his little face. He is my little 'Prince' Dillan.
If I could only be half of what he 'believes' I am...I would be quite a man indeed. His happiness and outgoing attitide actually raises my spirits...and he does this day-in and day-out...never complaining.
All he wants is my affection and my acceptance. Funny...all I want is the same from him. Dillan's daily routine is simple...In the 'wee hours' of the morning it involves stretching and "pretending" like he wants to get up out of bed...followed by a strong-snuggle into mama's arms for a few more hours...but when it is time to get up...get up!..."I cannot hold all the water I drank papa"..."I am not kidding!"
Once the 'fire' has been put out with the Dillan hose...it is now time to stretch some more...."wait!"..."I am hungry."..."feed me papa....feed me." Dillan must have a custom blend of canned meat with the dry....but why? (It's so he can come back in an hour or so and finish it off.)
"Oops.....papa? Papa?..."the food is pushing on my belly papa."...(another trip to the private area.)...."Wait!....check my behind papa!!...check my backside...whew!...ok."
Now it is time to make coffee..plan out the 'parents' day....and where is Dillan? (Well, where do you think?....he did his business...got his belly full...he's ready to go back to bed!)
Honestly, I cannot wait to do it again tomorrow...
"There are two things that I want you to make up your minds to: first, that you are going to have a good time as long as you live - I have no use for the sour-faced man - and next, that you are going to do something worthwhile, that you are going to work hard and do the things you set out to do."
