"Always look for opportunities to challenge your best people because many of them are like sticks of dynamite; the power's on the inside, but nothing happens until the fuse gets lit."
~Mac Anderson
You Can't Send a Duck to Eagle School
"Have you ever wondered why so many people work so hard and honestly without ever achieving anything in particular, and others don't seem to work hard, yet seem to get everything? They seem to have the magic touch. You've heard people say, 'Everything he touches turns to gold.' And have you ever noticed that a person who becomes successful tends to continue to become more successful - and, on the other hand, have you noticed how someone who's a failure tends to continue to fail? Well, it's because of goals. People with goals succeed because they know where they're going. It's that simple."
~Earl Nightingale
The Strangest Secret
LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
With each decision, we should be convinced that we're
doing the best we can under the circumstances -- best
for ourselves, best for our family, best for our loved
ones, and, possibly, best for society as well.
--Alexandra Stoddard
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS
One does not need buildings, money, power, or status to practice the Art of Peace. Heaven is right where you are standing, and that is the place to practice peace.
--Morihei Ueshiba
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION
The mind is its own place, and in itself
can make a heaven of Hell,
and a hell of Heaven.
--John Milton
Do not make assumptions
Just because you failed many times, do not assume that you will never succeed.
Just because there is so much wrong in the world, do not assume that nothing is right here.
Just because someone has a different accent than yours, do not assume that he or she is ignorant.
Just because you cannot see God, do not assume that God does not exist.
Just because a man or woman is overweight, do not assume that he or she is lazy.
Just because a young man has long hair, do not assume that he is into drugs.
Just because a child is difficult to teach, do not assume that she will never learn.
Just because you have not yet realized your dream, do not assume that you never will.
Just because you do not how to do banking, do not assume that you cannot learn.
Just because the road ahead is difficult, do not assume that you will never reach the destination.
Change is Good...You Go First
by Mac Anderson and Tom Feltenstein
As a leader, however, deciding to make changes is the easy part. Getting your people on board is much more difficult. Why is that? Quite simply, change is an emotional process. We are all creatures of habit who usually resist it, and welcome routine. Uncharted waters are scary!
In the long run, however, sameness is the fast tract to mediocrity. And, mediocre companies won't survive. Tuli Kupferburg said it best..."When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge." And, that is your challenge...to convince your team that the new world you are trying to create is better than the one you're in. Is it easy? Of course not. It takes planning, commitment, patience and courage.
The truth, of course, is that change can be a wonderful gift. In fact, it is the key that unlocks the doors to growth and excitement in any organization. And, most importantly, without it...your competition will pass you by. A big part of success, as a leader, will be your ability to inspire your team to get out of their comfort zones; to assure them that even though they are on a new path, it's the right path, for the right reasons.
Learn From Old Warwick- THE SPIRIT OF TEAM WORK
Fostering a spirit of teamwork is critical in times of change. The key element is trust. Trust for the leader and trust for each other.
There is a wonderful story from the play, Some Folks Feel the Rain; Others Just Get Wet; and I think it's worth sharing again to shed some light on how people think about teamwork...
A man was lost while driving through the country. As he tried to reach for the map, he accidentally drove off the road into a ditch. Though he wasn't injured, his car was stuck deep in the mud. So the man walked to a nearby farm to ask for help.
"Warwick can get you out of that ditch," said the farmer, pointing to an old mule standing in a field. The man looked at the decrepit old mule and looked at the farmer who just stood there repeating.
"Yep, old Warwick can do the job." The man figured he had nothing to lose. The two men and the mule made their way back to the ditch. The farmer hitched the mule to the car. With a snap of the reins, he shouted,
"Pull, Fred! Pull, Jack! Pull, Ted! Pull, Warwick!"
And the mule pulled that car right out of the ditch.
The man was amazed. He thanked the farmer, patted the mule, and asked, "Why did you call out all of those names before you called Warwick?"
The farmer grinned and said, "Old Warwick is just about blind. As long as he believes he's part of a team, he doesn't mind pulling."
The biggest enemies we have to overcome on the road to success are not a lack of ability and a lack of opportunity but fears of failure and rejection and the doubts that they trigger."
~Brian Tracy
Eat That Frog
"Habits are those actions that get us through our day without a whole lot of conscious thought on our part. It's our habits, those actions that flow from our thoughts, beliefs and words that distinguish winners from everyone else."
~Vince Lombardi Jr.
What it Takes to be Number One
LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
The turning point in the process of growing up is when you discover the core of strength within you that survives all hurt. --Max Lerner
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS
It's easy to make a buck. It's a lot tougher to make a difference.
--Tom Brokaw
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION
Like what you do, if you don't like it, do something else.
--Paul Harvey
"Wolves do not aimlessly run around their intended victims, yipping and yapping. They have a strategic plan and execute it through constant communication. When the moment of truth arrives, each understands his role and understands exactly what the pack expects of him."
~Twyman Towery
Wisdom of Wolves
The more you see yourself as a valuable and important person, the more positive and optimistic you will be. When you consider yourself to be important, you will treat other people as if they are important as well."
~Brian Tracy
The Power of Discipline
"We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about."
~Charles Kingsley
Motivational Quote
"Gratitude is not a fair weather virtue. True gratitude means appreciating your life no matter what the storms may bring. Is simply being alive gift enough for you to feel grateful?"
~Mac Anderson
Learning to Dance in the Rain
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
happy administrative professionals day
One of my all-time favorite quotes is..."Customer service is not a department, it's an attitude."
How true it is! As much as we try to complicate what great service is...it's really pretty simple: It is giving more than the customer expects...consistently. You notice I said simple, not easy. There is a big difference.
I'm a big fan of Nordstrom. My wife is a bigger fan! For many years we've been impressed with the "Nordstrom attitude" when it comes to serving their customers. A few years ago, we were in Nordstrom doing some last minute Christmas shopping. As we were walking through the men's department, an employee came out of nowhere and said, "Sir, wait right here, I'll be right back." I watched him run over to the next counter about 100 feet away, grab something and start running back. When he got back, he said, "Sir, I think you've been trying on sweaters." I said, "How'd you know?" He said, "The back of your black shirt looks like it's been snowed on, and it's not snowing in here!"
We both laughed and he proceeded to remove the fuzz with his lint roller. After about 10 seconds, he said, "That's it...You're free to buy more stuff! I hope you and your wife have a wonderful Christmas!"
After spending about one hour in the store, we each had 3 Nordstrom bags, and as we were walking out the exit into the rest of the mall, another employee ran over and said, "Let me keep all these bags here while you do the rest of your shopping. They'll be right here, just ask for me." He introduced himself, as did we, and he handed me his card.
About one hour later, with more packages from the mall, we came back. As we walked into the store, I saw the gentleman who had taken our bags walking towards us and with a big smile, "Welcome back Mr. and Mrs. Anderson." He then looked at our new shopping bags and said, "My goodness, you're going to have a load. Can I help you take these bags to the car?" Now please understand, it's Christmas, the store is full of people, it's cold outside, the parking lot is full...and this gentleman is asking if he can help take our bags to the car! And even though I said, "No thanks" I knew his intentions were 100% sincere. I have to tell you the whole service experience on that day blew me away, but I've learned over the years, it's business as unusual at Nordstrom!
How true it is! As much as we try to complicate what great service is...it's really pretty simple: It is giving more than the customer expects...consistently. You notice I said simple, not easy. There is a big difference.
I'm a big fan of Nordstrom. My wife is a bigger fan! For many years we've been impressed with the "Nordstrom attitude" when it comes to serving their customers. A few years ago, we were in Nordstrom doing some last minute Christmas shopping. As we were walking through the men's department, an employee came out of nowhere and said, "Sir, wait right here, I'll be right back." I watched him run over to the next counter about 100 feet away, grab something and start running back. When he got back, he said, "Sir, I think you've been trying on sweaters." I said, "How'd you know?" He said, "The back of your black shirt looks like it's been snowed on, and it's not snowing in here!"
We both laughed and he proceeded to remove the fuzz with his lint roller. After about 10 seconds, he said, "That's it...You're free to buy more stuff! I hope you and your wife have a wonderful Christmas!"
After spending about one hour in the store, we each had 3 Nordstrom bags, and as we were walking out the exit into the rest of the mall, another employee ran over and said, "Let me keep all these bags here while you do the rest of your shopping. They'll be right here, just ask for me." He introduced himself, as did we, and he handed me his card.
About one hour later, with more packages from the mall, we came back. As we walked into the store, I saw the gentleman who had taken our bags walking towards us and with a big smile, "Welcome back Mr. and Mrs. Anderson." He then looked at our new shopping bags and said, "My goodness, you're going to have a load. Can I help you take these bags to the car?" Now please understand, it's Christmas, the store is full of people, it's cold outside, the parking lot is full...and this gentleman is asking if he can help take our bags to the car! And even though I said, "No thanks" I knew his intentions were 100% sincere. I have to tell you the whole service experience on that day blew me away, but I've learned over the years, it's business as unusual at Nordstrom!
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
U R GREATTTTT
A $100 Dollar Bill
Author Unknown
A well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $100 bill. In the room of 200, he asked. "Who would like this $100 bill?"
Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this $100 to one of you - but first, let me do this."
He proceeded to crumple the 100 dollar note up. He then asked. "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air.
"Well," he replied, "what if I do this?" He dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe.
He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. "Now, who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air.
"My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson.
No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $100.
Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way.
We feel as though we are worthless; but no matter what happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value.
Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to God and to those who love you.
The worth of our lives comes, not in what we do, what we have or who we know, but by...WHO WE ARE.
You are so special in all the world there is only one you -- don't ever forget it.
Remember, you may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
Author Unknown
A well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $100 bill. In the room of 200, he asked. "Who would like this $100 bill?"
Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this $100 to one of you - but first, let me do this."
He proceeded to crumple the 100 dollar note up. He then asked. "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air.
"Well," he replied, "what if I do this?" He dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe.
He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. "Now, who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air.
"My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson.
No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $100.
Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way.
We feel as though we are worthless; but no matter what happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value.
Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to God and to those who love you.
The worth of our lives comes, not in what we do, what we have or who we know, but by...WHO WE ARE.
You are so special in all the world there is only one you -- don't ever forget it.
Remember, you may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
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