Capitalism, Ingenuity, Benevolence, Opportunity

It is popular today to have feelings of jealousy &  rage toward many of our business leaders.  Undoubtedly there are some scoundrels as there have been throughout history.  Unfortunately many do not receive the deserved credit for their ingenuity, benevolence and the opportunities that they provide.  I don't know how Henry Kaiser was viewed in his day but he was certainly notable as a leader and visionary.  

From a humble beginning as the son of a shoemaker Henry founding his first company in 1914 at the age of 32.  His paving company was among the first to use heavy construction equipment.  The firm grew rapidly winning contracts to build roads & later was a prime contractor on the Hoover Dam as well as the Bonneville & Grand Coulee Dams.  He went on to build shipyards that were instrumental in building our naval fleet that was instrumental in WWII.  He companies were noted for the speed that they were able to build ships.  

In 1942 he opened Kaiser Richmond Field Hospital to provide care for injured workers in the shipyards.  The field hospital opened with 10 beds, later expanded to 160 (1944) and evolved to today's Kaiser Permanente which provides care for 12 million and employs over 300K.  It was the 1st voluntary group plan in the US to feature group medical practice, prepayment & substantial medical facilities on a large scale.  He went on to open automobile manufacturer Kaiser-Frazier which also owned the Jeep brand in the 50s & 60s before being sold in 1970.  

From humble beginnings Kaiser has positively impacted the lives of millions for generations for over 100 years.  When celebrating our Independence Day look at leaders like Kaiser to learn what anyone can achieve in the US.   

Jonas Salk, An American Hero

Heroes come from all backgrounds & aren"t necessarily war heroes.  In 1952 polio was a devastating disease affecting 60K American children, causing more than 21K cases of paralysis and killing more than 3K children.  As recently as 1980 there were 400K cases worldwide.  

A pioneer in the vaccine for polio was Jonas Salk.  Salk became director of the Virus Research Laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh in 1947 receiving funding from the precursor to the March of Dimes to develop a vaccine for polio.  Contrary to prevailing scientific opinion at the time Salk believed that using a "killed" polio virus would immunize without the risk of infecting the patient.  He administered the vaccine to volunteers including himself, his lab scientists and his wife & children.  All developed anti-polio antibodies with no negative reaction.  National testing began on 1 million children in 1954 & the vaccine was found to be safe and effective.  The vaccine became widely available in 1956 & by 1962 the number of US cases dropped to 910.  By 2019 there were only 94 cases worldwide.  

Salk spent his last years researching a vaccine for AIDS passing on 6/23/95 at age 80.  His contributions have saved the lives & prevented paralysis of millions.  Dr. Salk is a true American Hero.  

Learn more about Dr. Salk at https://lnkd.in/gkS-bEe

 “Hope lies in dreams, in imagination and in the courage of those who dare to make dreams into reality."  Jonas Salk

The Value of Communications

When is the last time that you called clients that had declined a proposal that you made? When did you last call a past client that you haven't provided services for recently?

Before any company can provide consulting services those services must be sold. It is imperative that everyone that provides technical services works to expand the revenue of the company and that starts with business pursuits.

I encourage you to start today. Identify the last 10 proposals that you were involved with. Also identify 10 clients that your firm has not provided services for recently but has in the past. Develop a strategy to pursue each one. At worst you are told that your services are not needed at this time, but, you now have begun to strengthen that relationship. At best you may have a lead for a new project.

Don't send an email or text. Pick up the phone or go to visit. You will be glad that you did.

Celebrating Independence Day

In another few days we will be celebrating July 4.  For many of us it's a time for family, outdoor events & relaxation.  For millions in our armed services it will be a normal day, serving to protect the rest of us.  As we celebrate let's not forget to pray for their health, their families and their safety. 

Today we have many "heroes" that seem to be created by media and pop culture.  This week I intend to write about some of the lesser known heroes in our history beginning with Hugh Mercer.  

Mercer was a physician in Scotland prior to coming to America as a fugitive in 1746 during a struggle for power between opposing British factions.  By 1756 he was serving heroically alongside fellow colonel George Washington during the 7 Years' War.  During the early days of the Revolution he rose to brigadier general in the Continental Army leading a number of successful campaigns.  In early 1777 he lead a force of 350 soldiers against a much larger British force.  The struggle devolved to hand to hand combat and with little remaining weaponry Mercer lead a charge to rally his troops.  He died of his wounds but American Forces succeeded in driving the British from Princeton, NJ.  

To learn about Mercer and other American Heroes please see https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/hugh-mercer

Standing Still

"The trouble is, you think you have time."  Jack Kornfield

We all make choices,  with time, some good & some bad.  Today we hear about work/life balance.  I understand the concept & it is important to me as well  I look around in our now "Post Covid World" & think about many of the professionals that I speak with.  It seems work/life balance is the thing that most talk to me about when making career decisions & few are interested in learning about competitors.  I often wonder why professional curiosity is not more prevalent with regard to how other employers conduct their business, how a different firm my value their skills, and if another company may provide them with more flexibility, compensation, support, etc.  

The impact of a 10% increase in wages is staggering.  Consider an employee earning $135K obtaining a 10% raise.  That would be $13.5K or $1125 monthly.  That is substantial, even if you feel like you are living well today.   Additionally, if that money were invested monthly at 2.5% return you would have accumulated $153K in tax free earnings in a qualified savings plan for their education.  

Would that make an impact on the life of your children?  Don't let the time get away.  

Heroes and Angels Among Us

As we celebrate Father's Day it is a time to remember our Dads & the impact that they had on our lives.  My Dad has been gone for 30 years & I still struggle with grief at times.

We had a complicated relationship.  We were both independent (which he taught me to be) & stubborn.  As a young man I struggled with the reins that he kept on me.  Later, I learned that his Dad faced the same challenges.  What I remember most is that my Dad worked.  Most of my childhood he worked 2 full time jobs &I learned that same work ethic.   I didn't understand it growing up but it has served me well.  Most of our together time was spent doing work around the house.  Car repairs, painting, electrical work, building retaining walls and putting a new roof on were but a few of the things that we worked on together.  I heard "pay attention" more frequently than I heard "I love you" but I knew.  Learning how to do all of these things also gave me confidence that I could learn to do about anything.  That confidence helped me tremendously throughout my life. 

Dad wasn't one for talk.  I started my professional career in 1978 and progressed rapidly with my company.  He had an idea of what I did but only in the most general sense.  During a trip to visit us he found one of my business cards on the counter.  You see, I was a Vice President for the largest company in my industry and had yet to turn 30.  There were fewer than 30 people at my level and only 9 at higher levels in my company.  He finally told me that he was proud of me.  I never doubted it beforehand but it was great to hear.  

Shortly after my Dad passed.  He spent limited time with our daughter as she was born shortly before that and that I regret.  We often don't recognize the impacts that our parents have on our lives but they are truly heroes and angels.  I love you Dad!

What Our Children Need

We are seeing many Father's Day messages and Father's Day is indeed a day to celebrate.  Fatherhood is among the most rewarding experiences in our lives but at times can be trying.  Today's culture of alternate types of families can make navigating child rearing a challenge.  Here are some of my thoughts on what we should never forget as fathers.

Always love your child's mother.  This will teach your son's to treat women with respect.  For your daughters it will teach them that they deserve respect.  Even if you are divorced, treat your child's mom with respect.  

Your children need to see you lead.  You set the examples.  Leading doesn't mean being the boss.  Leading means keeping a good attitude in the face of adversity, telling the truth, accepting difficult situations while not losing your temper and working hard.  

You need to be present.  You must be involved in their school work, in their social life and in all areas of their life.  Again, if you are divorced, you must overcome your sense of discomfort and remain a constant presence in the life of your children.  

You need to affirm them.  They need to know that you love them, that you are proud of them and they need your words of encouragement.  My daughter is now 30 and comments regularly about the support that she received from her mother and I by instilling in her that she can accomplish anything

Celebrate your day with your children and regularly assess their needs and how you can support them!  Happy Father's Day.  

My Garage, the "End" of the Pandemic and Newly Found Productivity!

Sunday was something of a milestone for me but I'd like to talk about getting there first.  Our lives changed drastically since 3/2020.  Many lives were lost, work for many shifted to working from home, exercise also became a home based activity, we couldn't attend Church, go out to eat & more.  Even as restrictions eased the habits created became difficult to break.

I was fortunate to work in a small office so we continued to work & have the advantage of social interaction & its' positive impact on productivity but other areas of my life suffered.  I gained weight.  I purchased exercise equipment and watched Church on TV.  The exercise equipment was great, until summer and 100 degree temps hit or winter and mornings in the 20s.  My weight bench quickly became a great place to stack empty Amazon boxes and my weights were strewn about.  A week or 2 back I got rid of the boxes and neatly put away the weights.  This was my first official act of the "End" of the Pandemic.  

Sunday I returned to the gym & it was good to see others similarly focused on their health.  There is something to be said for esprit de corps in reestablishing routines.  We also returned to Chruch and were greeted by friends making the experience more significant than viewing on TV.  

Now is the time to leverage the benefits of social interaction, return to work vs working at home, gain the productivity & thrive.  

I hope that you have a great week! 

Celebrate Today!

Every June millions of our children graduate High School.  It is a time for celebration and high hopes.  What should we be teaching our children as they enter adulthood?

First, their educational journey is not over.  Many will advise them to follow those passions but, I don't.  Passions change.  They need to be prepared with a solid set of skills that will serve them for life.  How did they do in STEM classes?  Did they take them?  What about English?  How are their writing skills?  Do they have a sufficient vocabulary?  It seems to me that our secondary education system fails them in these areas by encouraging less important curriculum.  Proficiency in these areas will insure their success regardless of their passion.   If they obtained less than B grades in these classes they should start in a Junior College to master those skills.  These will serve them well in any profession, even skilled labor positions.  

Yes, June is a time to celebrate their accomplishment of graduation but after the celebration is over, we as parents owe it to them to provide the guidance needed to serve them well over a lifetime.  Congratulations for parenting your child well and helping them to get to this point.  Celebrate today, prepare for tomorrow! 

Training Your Team to Sell

I frequently am asked to recruit engineers that have skills to sell business on behalf of the company, are well regarded by clients and have clients that will transition projects to their new companies, even if they are well underway.  I have tried this periodically over the year with mixed success which leads me to a number of questions.  

The desired candidates are usually long term employees with their companies and well taken care of.  I understand that there are exceptions and some of these professionals may be willing to change but more often it is people that may not have the desired sales skills.  Have you considered a true value proposition that may attract these folks?  It probably is not the same that you have been discussing but should be a unique and compelling story.

The real question is, why can't consulting civil engineering and environmental consulting firms invest in training their staff to sell?  Professional training and development in sales for your teams and sales management training for your managers is a must for long term and consistent growth.  Additionally, an investment in a CRM is essential.  

Maybe it is time to reinvent the wheel rather than doing the same things repetitively.

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Graduation Day

While many have children graduating high school & college this time of year I have a different type of graduation.  Today I finished 8 wks. of radiation for Prostate Cancer.  With faith I continue with Chemotherapy for at least 90 days.  

This journey started with diagnosis in March, 2020 & has been a long road including little pain or discomfort but plenty of worry as well as fatigue from the treatments.  I think of myself as a God Loving Christian but have learned through this experience that I always can pray more & used my daily drive to the Oncologist office & on the treatment table to do just that.  At first I was angry & wanted to know, "Why?" I then began to pray for healing, for wisdom for the medical staff and to be able to watch our daughter have a child and be able to spoil him/her.  Those that know me best know that I have always been a "fixer" with little that I can't control.  God has taught me otherwise with this experience & that is probably the answer to my "Why?"  

1 Peter 5:6  Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you.  

Setting People Up for Success

Earlier in my career I had a branch manager in my group that was a top performer.  He had good control of his branch, trained his team well & was respected by his staff, his customers & his peers.  Eventually I had a position open that would be a promotion to Regional Manager & Joe was my first choice.  He accepted when I offered him the position.  

Joe struggled right out of the gates but I was not alarmed as that sometimes happens when someone assumes new responsibilities.  It became evident that it was more than adjusting though.  I worked with him regularly but the results didn't improve.  One day I was listening to talk radio & the discussion focused on Dyslexia.  I saw many of the behaviors in Joe that they pointed out & turned around & went directly to his office to gently discussed the issue.  Joe was relieved that I figured it out.  He felt stressed & overwhelmed.  Over the years he mastered his prior role & with hard work and perseverance became a success but, this was too much.   I asked him why he hadn't discussed his frustrations with me & he indicated that he didn't want to let me down.  When asked what he would like to do he volunteered to go back to his prior position and remained there, happy and successful for years.

The lesson learned is to pay attention to people and openly communicate in order to best serve them.  

Why Kick Someone When They Are Down?

Yesterday while viewing "highlights" of the Pittsburgh Pirates game vs the Cubs I witnessed one of the all time flubs in professional sports.  I am sure you have seen the replay that I am referring to.  At first I was furious with the player for the mental lapse.  Typical fan reaction, right?  After the game, Bucs' Manager Derek Shelton tried to take the blame in his post game interview.  Again, I was upset.  Why not hold the player accountable?

Several hours later I was still pondering the fiasco.  (I should probably disclose that I am a life long and obsessed Pirates fan.)  It finally came to me that the easiest thing that Shelton could have done was to be critical or not to be supportive.  His defense will insure that Craig will do everything in his power to justify that support.  The rest of the team will witness that & remember that instance of grace & also commit to not letting Shelton down.  

Yes, I know they are professional & should give their best efforts at all times.  I also know that they are people & what is capable when they feel supported.  

Thanks for the lesson Sheltie!