2010 August

Wear your sandals!

Foreword:
Two weeks ago we asked you to participate in a survey on employee satisfaction with regards to feeling appreciated at work. You can click on the link below to see the results. The password is: prophit.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/sr.aspx?sm=W_2bJmBkaYxU_2bhEmodQ4pntPnLnPsD_2fdizDPl0wo2_2biAU_3d

 This past weekend I participated in an activity that I love. A close group of my friends floated down the Peshtigo River on inner tubes. The ritual is simple. The three couples tie their tubes together and place a cooler, also in a tube, in the middle. It’s a lazy river ride for three hours. I love it because the only thing you can do is talk about things. Some people feel uncomfortable with this kind of entertainment but I love it.

I have taken trips like this almost every year for the past 10 years. This trip I decided not to wear my Keen sandals … bad idea! As the day began to get warmer, I decided to jump off my tube to cool down. The water appeared deep. I couldn’t see the bottom so I jumped out. I found out quick that the riverbed was five feet below and something very sharp was on the bottom that shot up into my foot. I am now working at home this week. I can’t walk on it for at least a week. I usually wear my Keens when tubing so why not this trip?

I think I became too comfortable with the routine. I wanted to feel the water between my toes unencumbered by sandals. This reminds me of life in business as well. We assume our relationships with clients and vendors are “all good.” We get lazy which leads to complacency. You need to be on your game every day. Decisions need to be made that are smart. Services need to get better not decline. Bottom line: When working with your clients, don’t forget to wear your sandals!

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Challenge your team. What else can be done to enhance your customer experience factor? This exercise will empower your team and wow your customers.

They’re 45 years old and retired!

Danica and I had a real treat of a weekend. Our babysitter watched our kids. We left Friday morning for St. Paul to visit my sister and brother-in-law. Those of you with kids I know you love’em but getting away alone is definitely welcomed every now and again. When I got home my seven-year-old said, “So Daddy, are your batteries charged up?” Aside from each of us suffering from a severe cold, we had a wonderful time. Saturday was picture perfect and the temperature was perfect at White Bear Lake, 20 minutes from St. Paul. My sister Kathy has a boat that she and her husband harbor there.

We spent the afternoon cruising around this clean, clear lake. Kathy pointed out a few mansion-like homes around the lake. She told us some of the stories that went with a few of them. Many of the stories went like this: “… that guy invented ‘X,’ sold the company and retired at 45.” Every story had a relatively young person inventing something and landing into a pile of money. I love hearing these stories. I love stories of an idea going big. It fires me up because I love entrepreneurship and everything that goes with it. However, I especially love the buildup to the sale. These stories when told by others typically leave out the part about entrepreneurs mortgaging everything they owned because of the dream. They don’t tell you about the years of sweat and tears … the immense amount of time talking to thousands of people until the idea gained momentum.

I love these “crawling stories.” You know, the stories of the early years. Where are you in your story? Are you patient in your pursuits? A person is like a fine wine. You can produce cheap wine pretty quick, or you can allow it to ferment and build your own flavor. Make sure you keep your eyes on the big picture. Have patience, be diligent and make a difference in whatever you do.

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Practice patience. Write down three initiatives or relationships where you are going to practice patience.

My Growing Search for Happiness!

What is it that brings a person happiness? It’s always been said that fame and fortune do not create happiness. Any issue of People magazine will tell you that. The media, of course, likes to focus on the pain in people’s lives. Do we consumers really get a kick out of learning about another’s misery? Unfortunately the answer is yes.

I say let’s stop being miserable and start appreciating other people’s successes in life. I know it’s a pipe dream. I’m sure many of you who are working wish more people would acknowledge and appreciate the things you contribute. My search for happiness has led me to one solution. I don’t know if it’s this simple yet, but it’s what I’ve uncovered so far on my journey. If you have any thoughts on this topic, I would love to hear them.

Happy people feel appreciated and respected. They feel it at home, they feel it at work and they feel it in the community where they live. Mother Theresa was quoted as saying, “People crave appreciation more than food.” She would have known! So I want to know from you: Do you feel appreciated at work? I’ve put together a short survey and will report the results to you in a future publication.

In this survey, I’m not only looking at trying to better understand appreciation at work but I’m also wondering what interests you have so I can serve you better.

The winning formula, for now, is: Appreciation + Respect = Happiness

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Please participate in our survey! We want to hear from you.

Family Is Gold!

I’ve been on a quest for discovering the root of happiness over this past year. Don’t get me wrong, I see myself as a very happy person. My journey began by focusing on respect. It’s true that when a person feels respect and appreciation they feel a strong sense of happiness. I always knew that people who have been raised in loving families truly understand what happiness feels like. There is nothing stronger than a family’s bond to make a person feel great. This week I’m off to spend an entire week with my family, including all my brothers and sisters and their kids. What a blast! Many people I talk to, when they discover this annual huddle-up, respond with something like, “Really? A whole week with your family? Isn’t that stressful?” Not for our family.

Happiness can be discovered in other ways. There are many people who didn’t grow up in a supportive household who are now extremely happy. The reason for this is they found their purpose in life—something so many people are searching for well into their forties and some beyond that. When I hear a story of happiness it always revolves around serving others. People who are truly happy feel that what they are doing in life is a direct connection with making other people’s lives better. When we serve others in this way, we can’t help but feel good. Try it yourself sometime. The next time you’re feeling sorry for yourself, go volunteer somewhere or go next door and assist a neighbor with something. You will feel the dark cloud lift and “happy” will be the next emotion you feel.

It’s not rocket science. It’s common sense that we forget about this when we’re not serving others.

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: What can you do right now to make a difference in another person’s life? Spend a little one-on-one time with a child? Take your spouse on a mystery date? Look to become a Big Brother or Sister?