A little over a month ago I bade farewell to Thunderbeast!, my 1996 Ford Thunderbird. I knew it wouldn't handle the pace of 1000 kilometres a week forever, but I had hoped for 52 more weeks, plus or minus.
Truth is I could have put another couple of hundred bucks into it, after all it had been at least a month since the last repair, and again a month since the one before it.
Truth is, my ego aside, I owe it to my employer to drive a reliable vehicle that gets me to work on time.
And now the fuel economy of my Honda Civic is paying for the bi-weekly payments of ownership. I am no more money out of pocket weekly than I was when I drove a gas thirsty beater. Now I have air conditioning that works, a door that closes and windows that open.
And finally, FINALLY I am driving a Canadian made car.
Tuesday, 13 August 2013
Monday, 12 August 2013
A Few Good Managers
I just returned from a conference in Atlanta, during which time I stayed in a nice hotel that had a small cafe that served a pretty decent breakfast every day. Since the trend of starving conference attendees seems to be in full upswing this summer, I ate breakfast there every morning. It was pretty decent.
The first two mornings I noticed the food was good, and the service was good. The music was techno-bamboo (my term, you won't find that as an option on iTunes) and that struck me as decidedly unbreakfasty (my word, you won't find that in the Mirriam-Webster). I think they just forgot to change the channel after the late night drinks crowd went up to their rooms.
On my final morning the presence of a manager was obvious. The energy level in the breakfast cafe was high, the smiles and greetings were genuine,and the overhead music had, get this, a beginning, middle and end. The manager was "hopping and bopping" around, a style of management my first boss demanded.
You can't overstate the value of a good manager. You may not even notice when he's not there, but you sure can tell the difference when he is.
The first two mornings I noticed the food was good, and the service was good. The music was techno-bamboo (my term, you won't find that as an option on iTunes) and that struck me as decidedly unbreakfasty (my word, you won't find that in the Mirriam-Webster). I think they just forgot to change the channel after the late night drinks crowd went up to their rooms.
On my final morning the presence of a manager was obvious. The energy level in the breakfast cafe was high, the smiles and greetings were genuine,and the overhead music had, get this, a beginning, middle and end. The manager was "hopping and bopping" around, a style of management my first boss demanded.
You can't overstate the value of a good manager. You may not even notice when he's not there, but you sure can tell the difference when he is.
Tuesday, 7 May 2013
Sales Fail x 2
I'm currently working with a real estate agent. OK, here's the truth. I'm working with two different real estate agents. I'm not trying to play one against the other, but I am trying to decide which one really understands my needs, knows her stuff, knows the market, and is willing to sell me what I need (which may not necessarily be the same as what I think I want).
It's hard to decide.
Here's what I thought would happen:
It seems to me that nobody's selling.
It's hard to decide.
- Should I go with the one who plugged in my stats into a database after I wandered into her open house and now I get an email every time there's a listing that matches my criteria?
- Or should I go with the one the bank recommended who did the exact same thing and sends me the exact same emails?
Here's what I thought would happen:
- Agent would arrange a meeting with me, perhaps over coffee. I'd gladly pay.
- Agent would learn about me - my personal situation, my work situation, my family life, where I see myself in a few years, kids at home, how long to retirement, work hours, etc.
- Agent would learn my budget
- Agent would ask a whole lot of questions and learn what's important to me in a home
- Agent would suggest a few places, we'd go look at them,
- The Agent would negotiate on my behalf, fill me in on stuff I don't know, be the expert, etc.
It seems to me that nobody's selling.
Tuesday, 30 April 2013
Nothing But the Truth
When I sold Saab vehicles years ago, we had an agreement between salespeople. Since no one could reasonably expect to work 12 hours a day, six days a week, there would be times when we would have to cover for each other.
On one occasion a client to whom I had shown no fewer than 5 vehicles finally came in, ready to buy. On previous occasions when he would walk in, my sales partner would look up and say "Jeremy, you're guy is here." However on this, my evening off, he came in and she sold him a very nice car, kept the commission and took credit for the sale. Her explanation? He didn't ask for me.
When I approached the dealer principal, he told me it was my problem. "No," I said. "It's yours. If she's stealing from my family, she's stealing from you." Several months later she was fired from the Saab dealership for dishonesty and misuse of company property.
I'm pretty keen on sales people telling the truth. If they'll lie to a customer, they'll lie to their employer.
If a salesperson is too embarrassed by the truth - either of their own lack of ability or of the shortcomings of the product they sell, they need to find new employment and maybe even a new career.
And that's the truth.
On one occasion a client to whom I had shown no fewer than 5 vehicles finally came in, ready to buy. On previous occasions when he would walk in, my sales partner would look up and say "Jeremy, you're guy is here." However on this, my evening off, he came in and she sold him a very nice car, kept the commission and took credit for the sale. Her explanation? He didn't ask for me.
When I approached the dealer principal, he told me it was my problem. "No," I said. "It's yours. If she's stealing from my family, she's stealing from you." Several months later she was fired from the Saab dealership for dishonesty and misuse of company property.
I'm pretty keen on sales people telling the truth. If they'll lie to a customer, they'll lie to their employer.
If a salesperson is too embarrassed by the truth - either of their own lack of ability or of the shortcomings of the product they sell, they need to find new employment and maybe even a new career.
And that's the truth.
Friday, 21 December 2012
Let it Go, Let it Go, Let it Go!
I have a friend, a Christian businessman, with whom I agree (surprise!) when he says, "Let it go!"
He is referring to the holiday season debate - whether his team should implicitly recognize Christmas by wishing all of their many customers a Merry one, or with a non-denominational "Happy Holidays!" or "Seasons Greetings!"
His answer to his people is simple. "Wish our customers a "Happy Holidays" in respect that their beliefs may not be your own, and vice versa. Wish a "Merry Christmas" to those whom you know celebrate."
"Live your Christian beliefs, those you have (if any), year round. Live to company standards of integrity and respect for each other and our clients year round, these are non-negotiable."
His place of business is decorated for the season, as are the back offices. Christmas trees and coloured lights abound. "It's just good business," he says. He doesn't see the point in getting all worked up over the way others celebrate when he goes out shopping himself. "If it (Christmas decor) was offensive, I wouldn't do business with them, that's all. So far I've never seen anything offensive to the Christian belief. Just a whole lot of good cheer."
Most of all, when confronted with this new Christian activism that insists on shaming people into recognizing the Christ in Christmas, he just smiles and sings, "Let it go, let it go, let it go."
He is referring to the holiday season debate - whether his team should implicitly recognize Christmas by wishing all of their many customers a Merry one, or with a non-denominational "Happy Holidays!" or "Seasons Greetings!"
His answer to his people is simple. "Wish our customers a "Happy Holidays" in respect that their beliefs may not be your own, and vice versa. Wish a "Merry Christmas" to those whom you know celebrate."
"Live your Christian beliefs, those you have (if any), year round. Live to company standards of integrity and respect for each other and our clients year round, these are non-negotiable."
His place of business is decorated for the season, as are the back offices. Christmas trees and coloured lights abound. "It's just good business," he says. He doesn't see the point in getting all worked up over the way others celebrate when he goes out shopping himself. "If it (Christmas decor) was offensive, I wouldn't do business with them, that's all. So far I've never seen anything offensive to the Christian belief. Just a whole lot of good cheer."
Most of all, when confronted with this new Christian activism that insists on shaming people into recognizing the Christ in Christmas, he just smiles and sings, "Let it go, let it go, let it go."
Thursday, 13 December 2012
Strategic Discomfort
There will be times in our careers when we are confronted with situations we'd rather not face. Sometimes it's because we're in over our heads, other times we're blindsided, still others it's a train wreck in progress and we don't even realise it until it's too late.
It's one way of making the best of a bad situation, of turning other people's shortfalls into our own professional gain. It's a great way to take back control.
- The incredibly bad boss who seems bent on making the lives of every living being miserable by his very presence
- The corporate sociopath who operates according to her own agenda, bringing down bosses and peers in her single minded ruthlessness
- The sales presentation gone awry because a customer takes Kevin O'Leary style rudeness as his aspirational modus operandi
- And whatever is occupying your head as a result of the actions of others...
It's one way of making the best of a bad situation, of turning other people's shortfalls into our own professional gain. It's a great way to take back control.
Wednesday, 5 December 2012
But What Will They Say When We're Gone?
I heard the tale of a long serving assistant around whom the entire operation revolved. Nothing moved unless it had her stamp of approval, and in time nothing was created without her fingerprints all over it. Give up any bit of control? Not on her life. People quit doing business with, or working for the company rather than deal with her. And she was not management, not front line and possessed only institutional knowledge - she knew what she knew because it was all that she knew.
Eventually she overstayed her welcome, making one too many demand, playing one too many department heads against each other, and she was forced to flee to "a better job." Many people mourned her loss and wondered how the company would ever survive without it's "heart and soul." Many, many more kept silent and held their breath until she had walked out of the door for the last time.
And then life went on. People discovered work unfinished. Her manager began to realise just how many times she had thwarted his leadership. The final landmine left for her successor was defused. They're still cleaning up the mess she left behind, and some relationships will never be healed.
I like to occasionally use "hit by a bus" thinking - what would they find if I didn't have time to clean it up one last time because I was unexpectedly hit by a bus on my way back from Starbucks? Am I proud of what I would leave behind? Is there anything that needs to be fixed/cleaned up/finished RIGHT NOW?
Most of us are not like the exec assistant in our story. They'll say good things about us after we're gone.
Eventually she overstayed her welcome, making one too many demand, playing one too many department heads against each other, and she was forced to flee to "a better job." Many people mourned her loss and wondered how the company would ever survive without it's "heart and soul." Many, many more kept silent and held their breath until she had walked out of the door for the last time.
And then life went on. People discovered work unfinished. Her manager began to realise just how many times she had thwarted his leadership. The final landmine left for her successor was defused. They're still cleaning up the mess she left behind, and some relationships will never be healed.
I like to occasionally use "hit by a bus" thinking - what would they find if I didn't have time to clean it up one last time because I was unexpectedly hit by a bus on my way back from Starbucks? Am I proud of what I would leave behind? Is there anything that needs to be fixed/cleaned up/finished RIGHT NOW?
Most of us are not like the exec assistant in our story. They'll say good things about us after we're gone.
Wednesday, 28 November 2012
#bullytweet
I shudder to use the word "bully" to describe anything other than actual bullying, of which I have experienced very little in my life, either as victim or perpetrator. I'm not saying I haven't, I'm saying it was nowhere near as widespread as it appears to be today. As it appears to be today...
I have, however, witnessed a few prominent personalities on Twitter using their 140 characters to bully tweet. In 140 characters or less, here's my definition:
#bullytweet: Influential social media "celeb" identifying business by Twitter handle to be overcompensated for real or perceived slights A person who bully tweets is a #twit.
You see, when you name the business there's a good chance their social media person will catch it, and rush to overcompensate to avoid public relations damage. I once watched a weekly TV consumer show take a company to task because they had tweeted a problem, and a full 30 minutes later they had not been contacted. Wow, they had to wait 30 minutes. They could have asked for the manager on duty, had the conversation, solved the problem and been on their way home in less time.
Back then, however, the whole world would never know how so very important you are, in 140 characters or less.
No #twits were named in this blog.
I have, however, witnessed a few prominent personalities on Twitter using their 140 characters to bully tweet. In 140 characters or less, here's my definition:
#bullytweet: Influential social media "celeb" identifying business by Twitter handle to be overcompensated for real or perceived slights A person who bully tweets is a #twit.
You see, when you name the business there's a good chance their social media person will catch it, and rush to overcompensate to avoid public relations damage. I once watched a weekly TV consumer show take a company to task because they had tweeted a problem, and a full 30 minutes later they had not been contacted. Wow, they had to wait 30 minutes. They could have asked for the manager on duty, had the conversation, solved the problem and been on their way home in less time.
- Not long ago I followed a well-known twit as she had a meltdown and blamed her intern for deleting some very important files. There is no doubt that her intern follows her on Twitter and must have been humiliated. She went on to berate me with uncomplimentary nicknames for pointing it out. #twit #bullytweet
- Recently a renowned twit and keynote speaker decided to name his hotel in a 140 character complaint about the view from his room. If memory serves, this same guy whined about his kid's cheeseburger at McDonald's, identifying the location and an employee. #twit #bullytweet
- A well followed travel expert tweeted about a problem in his hotel room, and fortunately the manager happened to follow this guy and had someone knocking on his door with a solution in less than 10 minutes. Unfortunately there was no follow-up tweet of appreciation. #twit #bullytweet
Back then, however, the whole world would never know how so very important you are, in 140 characters or less.
No #twits were named in this blog.
Wednesday, 21 November 2012
Leading with Love
We so often mistake the concept of love to refer only to romance, to sexual intimacy, to familial relationships. Love can also refer to the bond between friends. Love, we have heard, is a verb. It is an action. It is joyful work.
Leaders must (oh, this is uncomfortable...) love their direct reports. They don't have to particularly like them, but they must love them. And subordinates should endeavour to lvoe the boss, with all the same caveats. And that love must never be expressed sexually or inappropriately. Never. If it looks like it's a possibility, someone has to quit. Period.
Respect, integrity, empathy, discipline and a genuine concern. I know a guy who prays for his worst performers, his biggest PITAs (pain-in-the-asses). His theory? You can't think the worst of someone and pray for them at the same time.
Love thy neighbour, we're told. You know, the ones right outside your door.
Leaders must (oh, this is uncomfortable...) love their direct reports. They don't have to particularly like them, but they must love them. And subordinates should endeavour to lvoe the boss, with all the same caveats. And that love must never be expressed sexually or inappropriately. Never. If it looks like it's a possibility, someone has to quit. Period.
Respect, integrity, empathy, discipline and a genuine concern. I know a guy who prays for his worst performers, his biggest PITAs (pain-in-the-asses). His theory? You can't think the worst of someone and pray for them at the same time.
Love thy neighbour, we're told. You know, the ones right outside your door.
Wednesday, 14 November 2012
Ain't Nothing Free
I have a friend, a social media expert, who advises never to pay for anything on the internet you could otherwise get for free. Good advice, and I have followed it. Good advice, but not great advice.
As a result, I have free apps on my smartphone that do half the job, which is fine when it's only half a job I need. And so, from time to time, my knowledge is incomplete (by half) but my wallet remains full.
Trouble is, ain't nobody looking in my wallet. They're just listening, reading, waiting for me and wondering why I don't always have the full picture.
Ain't nothing free. There's a whole lot of something out there that doesn't cost money. Instead it costs in service, in time, in frustration and in reputation. It costs in lost privacy, in information bombardment (to quote the title of Nick Bontis' book) and in an erosion of expectation
"You get what you pay for," was yesterday's advice. I'd suggest that's still good advice for today. I'll still be downloading apps without paying out of pocket, but I am under no illusion that any of them are free. And feel free to demand all sorts of "freebies" from the people with whom you do business, but make no mistake; ain't nothing free.
As a result, I have free apps on my smartphone that do half the job, which is fine when it's only half a job I need. And so, from time to time, my knowledge is incomplete (by half) but my wallet remains full.
Trouble is, ain't nobody looking in my wallet. They're just listening, reading, waiting for me and wondering why I don't always have the full picture.
Ain't nothing free. There's a whole lot of something out there that doesn't cost money. Instead it costs in service, in time, in frustration and in reputation. It costs in lost privacy, in information bombardment (to quote the title of Nick Bontis' book) and in an erosion of expectation
"You get what you pay for," was yesterday's advice. I'd suggest that's still good advice for today. I'll still be downloading apps without paying out of pocket, but I am under no illusion that any of them are free. And feel free to demand all sorts of "freebies" from the people with whom you do business, but make no mistake; ain't nothing free.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)