Category: Uncategorized

Change with Purpose

Whenever you make a change, you need to change with purpose. Making a change just because you feel like it can leave everyone in a state of confusion. The more significant the move based on a whim, the more considerable the uncertainty. Change must be needed and have a purpose.

That means change requires planning, research, and shared knowledge of what is going on and why. To do less is to invite trouble into the mix. Therefore, it is always good to work as a team and share with outside resources as necessary or advantageous.

This is not just something that can happen to workers, it happens quite often in management. A group of level II managers got together at the plant where I used to work and decided that they were going to rename all of the various conference rooms, training rooms, and other rooms in the plant. They claimed that the rooms needed new names because those spaces had no names in common with each other.  They felt that by renaming the places, there would be a cohesive structure to the type of rooms based on their use.

I happened to be working one day in a conference room they were meeting in, and they proudly told me what they were doing and how great it would be. I thank them and then proceeded to point out to them that the rooms had already been named as such. All the training classrooms were named after various train lines.  All of the larger conference rooms were named after quality control leaders. And the smaller rooms were named after quality control tools.

They looked at me sheepishly, and one said, ”Oh yeah, well, oh well.” It was clear that although they had worked at the plant for years, they really didn’t know or understand it. They went ahead with their plans and renamed the rooms, put up new signage, and laid open confusion for about the next six months while hundreds of people try to understand what new name was given to the room where they needed to go.

The sad part is that after doing this, the plant was closed and moved overseas about a year later. I appreciate the fact that they busied themselves changing room names. I often wonder what they could’ve done that would be more productive in keeping the plant open and workers employed rather than so many jobs being lost.

Thank you for being with me today. I hope to be with you again tomorrow.

Do Not Forget Your Change

As we go through our lives, We find changes within ourselves. The 17-year-old who ran track or the 25-year-old who was a scuba diver is not the same person at age 45 or 50. The 65-year-old might love to have the 30-year-old back.

We find ourselves in an ever-changing world. Although many of those changes are from the outside, in the world itself, there is a constant stream of changes happening, coming from ourselves. And we have a choice. We can wail and fight those changes inside or outside of ourselves, or we can stand up and accept those changes while guiding them to do what works best for us.

Change is not always easy, but neither are we. We are here to do our best, to learn, and to help others.  Rather than fighting change, we should study it to find out how it works best for us. Most changes hold positives and negatives within them. If you find the positives, you have a better chance at less stress. Everyone Could use a little less stress in their lives.

You need to know what’s going on around you. Changes happen in your community. Road work and new forms of transportation, and even new entertainment possibilities are only a part of the everchanging landscape. Change does not require anyone to give up reading favorite books, or stop going to favorite shops, or meeting friends for coffee or a drink. Keeping up with change shows that you know what’s going on and that you can make the best decisions for yourself.

This is something to consider. And, consideration starts with you defining yourself.  It’s even good to take some notes just so that you can keep ideas straight. In a sentence, who are you? Then follow-up with a couple of short paragraphs. What are your core beliefs? What do you like? And what do you wish to avoid?

This does not have to be flowery or presidential. It needs to be you on a piece of paper. Only you can write this because you are the only one who knows you that well. No one else has to agree, and you don’t need to show it to anyone if you don’t want to.  This is just a helpful exercise to show you who, and what you are. 

Thank you for being with me today. I hope to be with you again tomorrow.

Don’t Fight Change

There are two facts that we know about in life. Change is going to happen, and change is going to be resisted. No matter how bad the differences are, they will happen. No matter how positive changes are, they will be opposed.

Some people may change because they see a  better way and want to use that to their benefit and the benefit of the people who work for them. On the other hand, people are set in their ways. Those facing change find themselves stuck in their comfort zones and do not want to venture out because no matter how bad it is, they know what is going on.

When I was a supervisor at a contract manufacturing plant, we used to work 5:00 in the morning till 5 in the evening and the other shift would work from 5 in the evening to 5the next in the morning. New management took over and changed the hours to 8:00 o’clock to 8:00 For each shift. This allowed people to sleep in a little bit longer in the mornings and be able to spend a bit more time with their families at night. The change was a good move for the workers, and yet you should have heard the screams and excuses.

People told me that they would not be able to come to work on time because of several issues. The chief worry was the traffic. Roads would be blocked with traffic. Therefore, they could never be at work on time. The cries and threatened turmoil continued until the day of change came.

Once the change happened, people were able to get to work on time, they had more rest and more time with their families, and they were happier.  A month after we instituted the change, there were no complaints, and everybody was happier. The workers were content with the change, they had just feared the unknowns that change might bring.

Everyone fears the unknown. You should not never let fear keep you from at least trying a change.  Changes are actually the way we grow. After all, how many of us still live in a cave?

Thank you for being with me today. I hope to be with you again tomorrow.

You Be The Change

I was once the manager of a shop that repaired and installed equipment for tracking and processing satellite data. I had five supervisors and 25 people working for me. Although the shop ran well, people would always come up with ideas for change. Although everyone approached, especially the supervisors, with a demand.

They wanted to see a change enacted, yet, did not want me to assign them the task to make the change happen. The suggesters felt that I might just assign them the work to make the change happen as a punishment for suggesting it in the first place. They were young and did not understand the importance of having control of the change.

If you are offered the ability and the authority to make a change happen which you want to have made, not only is it more likely to happen, you get to control it to see that it’s done right. If you do it well, everyone notices. Getting something positive done correctly brings you to the attention of those in charge. When the people in command see the good things you can do, more golden opportunities are offered to you, and you have an excellent chance to move up within the organization.

Consider the fact that if you take a new idea and give it to somebody who does not believe in the change, it will not go very far. If you have put in the research and consideration to at least suggest a good idea, why should you not have the excitement of making it happen? The thrill of creating something new and the glory for it happening correctly should be yours.

Imagine working somewhere where if you make a suggestion, it is immediately taken away from you. When you ask about your proposal, later on, you’re told that the hierarchy is going to do something, and you should just be quiet and support the staff and new ways when their version comes out. That would not be very fair at all. You saw what needed to be done and did the work to bring it forward. And someone else receives the triumph.

Think about it.

Thank you for being with me today. I hope to be with you again tomorrow.

Your Choice

You probably want to do something positive with your life.  Something in which you have passion. Something that you really believe in and probably have fun doing. So you start with a little research to find out which jobs you really like.

You do your research and possibly take a few assessment tests. You talk to people in various jobs and careers. And you try to understand the who, what and why. You put everything together and then you have a decision to make about which job or career path would help best for you.

Everyone else will have a good idea for you. Others will talk to you about money, prestige, thrills, living on the edge, being looked up to, and several other things that a particular job or position may offer you. You will have a lot of people giving you information that they feel was very valid, yet the choice is yours.

The one thing you have to remember through all of this is that you are making decisions on your one and only life. Because of that, you are the one in control. You make these decisions because they are directly impacting you. At this point, no one else can really speak for you, they can only offer advice.

You get to live with the decisions you make. Does that mean your first decision must be right on or you’re ruined? No. Many of us have made many adjustments along the way. What I can tell you is, the closer you get to the path that will take you to what you want to be in due, the better off you are. You’re better off not having to retrace journeys and start all over again.

The neat thing is that you will most probably find your passion. To make sure it’s your real passion, you have to research, learn everything you can. You must talk to the pros in those positions, and make sure you understand what the job actually entails and that it is what you really want. Remember that this is your life, and it’s up to you to go out and live your passions.

Thank you for being with me today. I hope to be with you again soon.

Only You Can Make It Happen

Others can give you advice. Others can help you with ideas and support, and maybe there might be financing they can help you with. The one thing they cannot do is to make your dreams come true for you.

You are the one with the dream. You are the one who has to reach out and make it happen. You need to make it happen your way. Anyone who does this for you is making it happen their way. The one thing I can probably tell you is that if you have an idea that you want to see accomplished nobody else can do the subtle details as well as you can.

I know this puts the pressure on you. But that’s OK because I know you can do it if you really want to see it happen. What you need to do is get the advice, help, and maybe even financing, and mold all that into making your dream happen. It doesn’t matter what your vision is, as long as it’s right for you and helps others. You are the one with the dream.

Very little can actually happen in a vacuum. And as we have discussed before, anything at rest will tend to stay that way until acted on by and outside force. In this instance, you are the force required to put your dreams into motion.  Only you can breathe life into them and make them go to where they need to be.

I tell you this, Not to put undue pressure on you, instead, to let you know that your dreams are there, waiting, ready, and willing. Will they succeed or fail, I do not know. Neither does anyone else. Everyone who takes this step takes a risk.  Have some failed? Yes. Have some succeeded? Yes. Only you can cast the dice and take your chance. 

Remember, the more you plan and the more you qualify the advice of others, the better your chances may be.  Think about this.

Thank you for being with me today.  I hope to be with you again tomorrow.

You Are A Leader

Wherever you are in life, you are following some people, and you are leading many others. It doesn’t matter if you are the head of the company or a runner in the Shipping Department. You may not realize this, but you were doing this your whole life. And, you will probably always hold a leadership role Throughout your life.

The reason that you hold this leadership role is that we all look up to those above us.  Three-year-old’s look up to six-year old’s For informal guidance based on what the six-year-old is doing. The six-year-old is looking at the 12-year old, and the 12-year old is looking at other role models that are now in high school. Don’t look for an organizational chart on this, it is all informal behavior.

The same thing happens in any organization. The new hires look at those who they work with and have been with the organization longer. Supervisors look for managers and other supervisors who have more seniority. And so on and so on all way up and even into the board room.

You are a leader, whether you want to be or not. The question becomes, what are you teaching those who are watching you? An excellent issue because no matter what you do, you’re teaching them something. Are you going to teach them things, ideas, and techniques that will help them grow and do well? Or are you going to show him what may be wrong actions that will get them in trouble?  

Consider this. Every time you sneak off during afternoon shop cleaning, you are teaching them that they can do the same. When you or half an hour late getting back from lunch, you’re telling them that that’s OK. When you are sloppy at work habits, they figured that’s OK for them. No matter who you or where you are, or what you are doing, someone is learning.

If you were to stay during the Friday afternoon cleaning and talk about team and togetherness and we’re all in it together what do you think you’d be teaching those who are looking up to you? When you do the right thing even if it affects you a little in the wrong way, you’re teaching them to stay true to the tenets of the teams’ core beliefs. When you go out of your way to do something good for someone, it is noticed, and because you did it, the good deed may be repeated time and time again and passed down from team to team.

You need to consider these things as you think and act. After all, you’re not just acting for yourself you’re working for all those who look up to and follow you whether you’re in a position of authority or not. What are you going to be teaching those who follow you?

Thank you for being with me today. I hope to be with you again tomorrow.

Pursue Something You Want

Whatever we desire, we can have. But, there is a catch. To do or have whatever we set our mind to, we must be willing to work it. We just need to figure out what we want to do. Plan our goals within the project, and set a timeline of when we would like to have that work accomplished. And then it’s just like walking a mile or climbing a ladder, one foot in front of the other, one hand over the other. And yes, you can do more than you could ever think you might.

If you like coming home to a lovely clean home, you need to start by trying to keep it clean. That doesn’t mean that you have to sit there on plastic cushions on your couch and never eat while watching TV. What it means is that when you have some snacks in the TV room, you clean up after yourself. You have a plan that sometime during the week you’re going to run the vacuum cleaner, dust and do laundry. And you’re going to do these things regularly.

Does it sound like I’m getting to be a little bit of the old Sarge? You’re saying you hear this much from your spouse? Well, if you’re going to do the things you like, you have to put a little elbow grease into getting them. That’s just one of her facts of life. Our constitution does not say that we get to be happy all the time.  It states we have the right of the pursuit of happiness.  We can work towards happiness, and if we get it, that is great.

The truth of most people in most places is that they will get what they work towards.  The idea is to stop every so often and look around to see if what you are actually working towards is what you want.  If not, you may want to make some adjustments in what you are doing. 

Remember one of my tenets, which is to try new things in small doses.  If it helps you to get towards your goals, try a little more.  If it has side effects which are bad for you, stop and try something else.  The idea is that there are 76+ ways to build a light bulb.  If you want to read at night, you keep trying until you have a winner.

Thank you for being with me today.  I hope to be with you again tomorrow.

Be Out There

It is easy to get trapped into four walls and not go anywhere. The body gets to just chill out and relax.  On occasion, it is good to take some time to unwind and replenish the body. It is good to take time and read a book or watch a little television. 

We can run into trouble when we make the occasional time of relaxation a full-time project.  The body tends to lose tone when walking is replaced by the couch or comfortable chair.  Food temptation grows higher as the kitchen is much closer and always open.  The real problem though is the area behind the eyes.  The mind.

Our minds like to be ever active.  They learn new things, gather thoughts, and control the little voice in our head that is always active whether we want to hear about something or not.  When the mind does not get the stimulation it needs, it starts to make stimulation of its own. 

Sometimes the brain may think in conspiratorial terms of who is plotting against you, or doing you wrong.  The mind could be replaying old memories, making them match what you are led to believe, rather than what really did happen.  Sometimes, due to reduced input or total lack of data, we can imagine something that is totally outside the realm of reality. Yet, there is an excellent cure for this.

We need to get out and be around people.  Gathering with friends and others to exchange thoughts and ideas is healthy and a superb opportunity to learn and grow.  It can give both physical and mental stimulation the mind and body needs.  We learn new things and flourish because of our new knowledge.  We were never designed to live our lives only within four walls to start with.  We were always meant to go places.

Thank you for being with me today.  I hope to be with you again tomorrow.

Not in Here, Out There

We often know what we want to do, and sometimes we get out and do it. Other times it seems to sit in our mind, and we just keep mulling it over. The longer it sits in our thoughts, the larger the chance it gets stuck there doing nothing, and nothing ever really gets done about it. You can do a lot of fantastic things, yet if they’re only in your mind, you really haven’t accomplished much at all.

If you have an idea you want to pursue and it never leaves the mind, it puts you into the land of ‘Would have, could have, should have.’ Any plan you have that is worth something, desires to see the light of day. You should bring it from inside your mind to at least an action stage of ‘testing the waters.’

The plan you have in your mind is always a great and wonderful idea. You’re the one who thought it up, and you are the one who is storing it in your memory, of course, you like it.  Your plan deserves to be brought out and tested. If you don’t take steps to determine if it’s really viable or not, you’ll never know if there’s something you have to modify to make it work or if you have the first of many hits and home runs.

Talking about your plans with others is priceless, and you do get feedback. Unfortunately, feedback alone does not make it work. You have to reach out and let your ideas learn and grow.

You would not stop your child from running in a potato sack race because you are afraid they might lose.  You should not keep your plans from running their races when the time is right.  Will there be wins and losses, cheers and tears, and bumps and bruises along the way? Yep, that is life.  And in our life, it is how we learn.  You would not stop your child from learning and growing, you should not stop your dreams.

Thank you for being with me today, I hope to be with you again soon.