Memorial Day

In a few short days we will be celebrating Memorial Day weekend.  In the US this is a time for BBQs, the beach, baseball, and many other outdoor events and celebrations.  While we are enjoying our freedoms take a chance to honor the over 1.3 million brave men and women that have given their lives during our wars and the conflicts that they participated in to insure the rights and privileges that we have as Americans.  

There is much discussion about curriculum in schools.  Let's safeguard the important history of our country by making sure that we take the time to teach our kids about the American Wars, the sacrifices made and the significance of what was accomplished by those sacrifices.  We can disagree about the need for many of the conflicts but we can't disagree with the gratitude that we owe to our service members.  Learning about what was accomplished and the mistakes that were made by our leaders in times of war/conflict will insure that future generations of political leaders make good choices with a healthy appreciation of the consequences of their decisions.  

God Bless our service men and women and God Bless America! 

Persistence

Ambition without persistence is rarely rewarding and usually frustrating.  Most things that we accomplish require repeated attempts to master the skills necessary to succeed and then we must also have perseverance to successfully implement those skills on a regular basis.  Malcolm Gladwell wrote that "ten thousand hours is the magic of greatness."  I won't claim to know if that is accuracy of that statement but the fact is that repeating proven successful strategies helps you to gain mastery.  

I have a story related to sales that I often tell.  For my first several years recruiting a prospect that I wanted to do business with hung up on me just about every time I called and told him my name, often shouting "Don't call me again!"  After dozens of times attempting to speak with him I slightly changed my approach and when he answered I immediately asked, "You aren't going to yell and hang up again are you?"  He chuckled and asked, who is this?  After telling him we had a nice conversation which led to an agreement to do business and has created a long term and mutually beneficial relationship.  The lessons are don't give up, be persistent, make adjustments and don't take any thing personally.  I frequently remind myself of this story when struggling for success with a particular person or feel that I am in a rut.  Success is only a conversation away! 

Prayer for Luca

On the way to work this morning I saw a procession of Police vehicles from out of the area travelling to the Memorial Service for Luca Benedetti.  I was reminded of the fragility of life and the good fortune that we have to be protected by brave men and women like Luca.  

Dear Lord.  We know that Detective Benedetti is in your presence and is experiencing the awe of heaven and your endless love.  Please provide comfort for his family and his fellow officers as they grieve and also provide comfort for all of us that may not understand why such things happen.  Please provide healing, strength and peace for Detective Orozco as he recuperates from his wound(s).  Please provide protection, wisdom, and safety for the men and women around the world that risk their lives to keep us safe.  AMEN.  

Empathy

Do you remember the saying "God gave us 2 ears & 1 mouth for a reason?"  I have been thinking about that lately.  

In my daily interactions I am guilty of not listening as closely as I should & think that we all suffer that affliction.  Here is an example.  Do you ever become frustrated because a conversation doesn't take the route that you had anticipated?  Someone may be short with you, give you an unsatisfactory response or fail to meet your expectations in some other way.  I have made decisions in those times that someone is arrogant and I don't want to do business with them, that the effort isn't worth my investment of time and that I can always find new and better customers.  Maybe patience is a virtue and having more empathy would produce a better outcome with those prospects.  Not a bad idea for life outside of business either!

Don't Stop

We are coming out of an unparalleled time in most of our lives.  Covid caused disruptions to most of us.  We couldn't see family, we were told not to gather for holidays, many were extremely ill & sadly thousands perished.  As someone with a keen interest in business I watched how businesses responded.  Living in California where the closures exceeded many states in severity & length I was able to witness first hand the resilience of many small business owners.

We have all heard the stories of working from home, the massive cuts in certain industries & more but rather than focus on that I want to discuss those that found innovative ways.  

A local gym moved classes outdoors.  They had staff move equipment outside, bought storage containers and configured them to be wide open but able to close at night to move cardio equipment into without moving it every day.  Their ingenuity probably saved their business.  A local distillery that relied on retail business switched gears and instead of producing alcohol for consumption began to make hand sanitizer.  I saw businesses that resisted the change as it would have killed their businesses, fight orders in courts and prevailed.  Churches invested in equipment to stream services, met outdoors and conducted counseling using Zoom.  The list is endless.  

What I took away from this is that no matter how dire the circumstance, there is always a way to persevere if you DON'T STOP!  I have a saying that I use when I am struggling in finding new business.  "It's not over until I quit!"  

The Upfront Contract

During my time being trained by Sandler training I learned a number of principles that have proven effective at work and in my personal life.  Sandler introduced me to the concept of an "Upfront Contract" which clarifies expectations, provides accountability, keeps meetings on track & provides for actionable steps for everyone involved.   Wouldn't it be great to conclude a meeting with a client where they have agreed upfront that they will be expected to provide an answer rather than stalling? 

The elements of an Upfront Contract are established before any meeting starts.  They identify the purpose of the meeting, the time allotted for the meeting and an agreement not to be interrupted.  Next the agenda is identified.  Here is what I hope to cover.  Tell me about what you would like to discuss as well.  Take notes to stick to the most important topics that have been identified.  Finally, what are the potential outcomes?  Okay Mr./Mrs Client we will be discussing the items we both noted.  At the end I will be providing a proposal.  Once I do that what do you see happening?  There must be an agreement here for a next step.  They may agree to accept your proposal, they may reject your proposal.  They may agree to another meeting with another decision maker, but thinking it over is never acceptable.  If they are not prepared to take an action as identified there is no point in making a proposal.  You are wasting your time and giving them material to use against you in negotiations with other providers.  

I try to use this technique frequently.  It is uncomfortable but well worth the efforts.  

Is This the Best That You Can Do?

There has been attribution given to many people for the quote on the picture.  I have seen it more than once but it is one of the most profound statements that I have learned.  

My core belief is that I should always try to be the best that I can be.  Yes, I fail more than I like to admit but that provides the incentive to start over and do better. 

About 20 years ago my wife and I saw country singer Collin Raye at a concert at a bingo hall in a Native American owned casino.  It was a small venue and we were seated at bingo tables in uncomfortable chairs.  It was obvious that the performer was not enthusiastic about the venue and he quickly shifted to a few  medleys and was quickly finished leaving the crowd grossly unsatisfied.  

In contrast, we first saw Sawyer Brown at a local fair.  The concert was fast paced, energetic, included all of their hits up to that time and lasted a good while.  The lead singer, Mark Miller was engaged with the band, the music and the crowd.  We have returned to see them every time they are in our area. 

Why do I share this?  One bad performance at work or in our personal life can determine how we are viewed by others for life.  Strive to always give your best. 

Today Our Community Grieves

We had a tragic loss in our community yesterday.  While serving warrants two Officers from the San Luis Obispo Police Department were shot with one killed & one hospitalized.  This is approximately 1 year since the Officers of neighboring Paso Robles were fired upon repeatedly at the Police HQ & as they attempted to capture the suspect.

San Luis Obispo County is a small/rural area of about 300,000.  Many of us are closely connected to anyone that suffers in our community and even if not, the loss affects us due to the strong sense of community.  Nationally our LEOs face danger daily & probably more so in urban areas than in our community.  Today let's pray for the fallen officer & his injured partner & their families and continue to do so everyday as we also pray for protection for the Officers across the US and around the world.  

Dear God, we pray for your special strength and protection for our police officers as they go about their duty to keep us safe.  We thank you for all that these special men and women do for us & understand the complexity & danger of the challenges that they face daily.  We pray that no weapon used against them will be successful and that they will make good choices in the completion of their duties. Please protect them and keep them safe for their families.  Amen. 

Reasonable Expectations When Recruiting

I spend a considerable amount of time speaking with executives with consulting firms specializing in Civil Engineering and Environmental Services.  Ironically I have learned that there is little understanding of today's market conditions.  Often I am tasked with finding consultants deemed as "Seller/Doers" meaning professionals that have a strong reputation in the industry and the ability to attract new business.    

What seems to be missing is an understanding that these folks are pretty well taken care of with their current firm necessitating the need to create a relationship leading to trust.  That isn't done during a preliminary conversation yet that preliminary conversation can be a building block.  Recruiters probably aren't going to be successful in learning about their current clients, $ volume or marketing plans on an opening call.  The fact is that the hiring manager won't be able to during an initial conversation either.   

Recruiters and Hiring Managers must have a plan to clearly articulate the value proposition of the firm that has the opening.  That conversation should be a dialogue and certainly not a fact finding mission as there is nothing to learn until both sides have a broad sense of what is important to the other.  The hiring manger can get an idea of sales skills that may be possessed but the candidate will probably hold their cards close until rapport is established.  Rushing into the revenue conversation will only create a sense of desperation and concern about expectations.  Remember, most of these folks are well provided for at their current company.  Our job is to build a relationship and lure them away.  

Expectations

On Monday I stopped at Rite Aid to purchase a very basic item,  Tylenol PM.  They had none on the shelf.  I promptly left, opened the Amazon App on my phone and had it delivered to my house the next day.  In the near future Amazon will be providing same day delivery.  That will be remembered the next time I consider going to Rite Aid.  With medical prescriptions my doctor sends them to my online pharmacy and a 90 day supply is delivered in 3-5 days at the same cost as a 30 day supply.  I click on some check boxes for refills with the same result.  Elon Musk and his companies achieve unbelievable results.  Self driving cars, space exploration,  underground tunnels for mass transit that are done in much shorter time at substantially less costs and more.  

Needless to say, companies like these are changing everyone's expectations of how business should be done and what customer service should be.  

My stop at Rite Aid was thought provoking.  What should I be doing to better serve my clients?  The answer hasn't presented itself but rest assured that this has become my top priority.  What are your thoughts?

Forgiveness in the World of the Cancel Culture

It seems that the ability to communicate and attempt to understand other perspectives or extend the benefit of the doubt have disappeared.  I am sure that we all have heard about the "Cancel Culture" in political discussion but I am taking this aside from politics or today's opposing factions and want to discuss old fashioned courtesy, compassion and having a forgiving heart.

I think that it safe to say that everyone has committed acts or said things that they later regret.  It may be something that was directed at a loved one, a neighbor, friend, coworker or total stranger.  To continue to punish each other years if not decades or centuries later is ineffective and harmful.  Most of the major religions of the world (Christianity, Buddhism. Hinduism and Isalm) teach about forgiveness yet it seems that we all seem to forget or ignore those teachings when we feel "disrespected" or we believe that an injustice has taken place.  It is time to stop the fighting and find a way to make progress rather than anger each other. 

Rotary Club teaches the 4 Way Test to filter our words through.  Is it the truth?  Is it fair to all concerned?  Will it build goodwill & better friendships?  Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

Perhaps this is an ideal that we should all strive to follow!