Category: Business

Sweet Sorrow

People don't work for me.

I know this is not the correct use of the Shakespearean quote “Parting is such sweet sorrow…”, but it came to mind.

Yesterday, I got to witness a young man take the next step in his journey. I am very happy and excited for what life has in store for my friend, Garrett. At the same moment, I am saddened by the fact that we will not be working together anymore. We have worked together for over 14 years, through good/bad, ups/downs, but more importantly GROWTH.

I love being around people that have a growth mindset. Instead of trying to get more of the pie, they make the pie bigger. Our core value, “Others First” is an extension of this mindset. If we are taking care of the people around us, we all win.

At SignMaster, we don’t give gold watches or grandfather clocks as tokens of service. I’m not knocking them, we just don’t do it that way. I have always viewed the people I work with as my extended family. Nobody works for me, they work with me. We learn and grow together. So, if we ever part ways, we are left with something far more valuable, love and respect. It’s always bittersweet to end a chapter, but it is easier to swallow when it’s a win-win!

Justice and Grace

Justice and Grace

I was in Chipotle a few days ago with my son. Lunchtime crowd and the line was at a standstill. I glanced over at the register to see the cashier and a customer face to face. The cashier was stoic and calm, but the patron was rather agitated. After a heated lesson on the value of her business to Chipotle, the exchange ended with “Give me your name and this store number! I will report this to corporate!”. 

I eat at Chipotle a couple of times a week so I know most of the people that work the line and cash register. When I was checking out I asked, “What was that all about?” Her reply, “She wanted an empty bag.” What?!! “Yes, it is our policy that we can only use the chip bags for chips. We cannot give them to customers.” There was no time for more questions.

When we sat down in the truck, I looked at my son and gave him the only advice I could think of at the time. The Bible says, “a soft answer turns away wrath”. How you respond to a sticky situation will determine the outcome.

Lots of times there is no right or wrong in confrontations. Maybe the lady was a little “hangry” or she got cut off when she was pulling in the parking lot. Maybe the cashier was just following company policy or she had just received news that a family member had passed and she was waiting on her replacement to arrive. Who knows? I don’t, you don’t, and the parties involved don’t.

When a situation arises where we believe we have been mistreated or disrespected, we can choose to do one of two things. We can demand justice or we can give grace. 99.9% of the time, if we can swallow our pride and see the person instead of the transaction, we find grace is the right choice.

Conversations

I had a specific situation with an employee. This person has an excellent track record of hard work, dependability, and trust. I was totally caught off guard with their request.
Money or Benefits?
Had I done something wrong?
Are they quitting?
Alarm and questions flood my mind.

I had a specific situation with my son. I had a huge problem with the lyrics of the music he was listening to. I believe that your inputs affect your outlook and ultimately your life. I know a combination of the wrong inputs can create lasting problems.
Is he headed down the wrong path?
Did I teach him the right things?
Alarm and questions flood my mind.

Ever heard of Fisher’s Rule? 
It states 90% of the way people treat you has nothing to do with you at all. Most of the time, IT’S NOT PERSONAL. 

The questions that flooded my mind in both situations were self centered. What did I do? This is a great place to start but it is a terrible place to end. Thank God, both situations were resolved with real heart to heart conversations.

Conversations open the door for empathy.
Empathy opens the door to your heart.

… for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

1 Samuel 16:7b KJV

Stupid Rules

Knee jerk decisions usually result in stupid rules.
What just happened?
How can we fix it?
Create rule.
Set up consequences.
Monitor and punish.

If we make the punishment severe enough, everyone will follow the new rule. Over time this builds a culture of resentment, constraint, and apathy – “I don’t know why. Management is stupid; they just want to make my job harder. Oh well, this is how we do things around here”. Our companies and organizations are not machines. Even though, when all the pieces are moving correctly in a manufacturing environment, it almost looks like one.

The most valuable asset in any organization is PEOPLE!
People generate ideas.
People produce great products.
People give fantastic service.

Stupid rules reduce people to cogs in a machine.
Trust me! The people you want in your organization, don’t want to be cogs.

And Saul answered, God do so and more also: for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.

1 Samuel 14:44 KJV

Pressure

We use physical pressure to accomplish amazing feats. We can move water uphill, cut steel like butter, and lift thousands of pounds by harnessing the power of pressure.

We can leverage personal pressure and do things that are almost superhuman. Climb snowy mountains in shorts, run 100 miles in a day, write novels, live a virtuous life, and give of our own necessity.

And then there is the power of peer pressure. Good or bad, it can influence us to act out things that are not consistent with who we are or want to be.

Use pressure.
Choose pressure.
Lose pressure.

Every situation requires us to pick one.

And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;

Judges 16:16 KJV

Payments

We can easily see that reading a book to our children helps them fall asleep at bedtime. It takes a while to see the lasting bond it creates.

We can easily see getting drunk at a party gives us instant attention. It takes a while before we believe we have to have alcohol to be normal.

We can easily see weight training increases strength. It takes a while to see the benefits to our overall health. 

We can easily see more work produces more income. It takes a while to realize we allowed our most important relationships to die.

Payments will be made.
Dividends will be collected.

Long term thinkers and goal setters are usually receiving the benefits.

Time-Money-Fear

Hurry! There’s only one left at this price!

Limited time offer. 
New lower price. 
Fear of missing out.

The stereotypical used car salesman is a master at pressing all three buttons. That’s why you often feel a sense of remorse as you walk away with the keys. 

Wouldn’t it be better if we marketed our product or service with sincerity?

We can save you time and make your work easier.
We charge a fair price and deliver a great value.
We are here if you need us. No FOMO.

We are getting more and more savvy as consumers.
We don’t like remorse and we don’t like to be lied to.

Inside The Box

When was the last time you saw a football player running through the stands to score? Never. Because every field has an out-of-bounds line. With that constraint in place, the only way to score is to increase your skill as a player. Life is no different.

I’m grateful for boundaries. The yellow tape on the floor, the fence around the high voltage transformer, the signs on the bathroom doors, and the principles I was taught as a child.

Boundaries and constraints breed creativity. It’s amazing! Instead of spending our time trying to figure out where to start, we can better see our problems and available resources. Once we know the constraints of the game, we can quickly get to work on solutions.

Your next breakthrough idea is probably “inside the box”.

What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.

Deuteronomy 12:32 KJV

Successful People

The difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say ‘no’ to almost everything.

-Warren Buffett

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