Monthly Archives: February 2018

PREPARATION VS DESPERATION

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TGI– HUMPDAY!

Team,

Preparation.

You don’t have time to clean your desk.  You don’t have time to meet with your client.  You don’t have time to clean your truck. You don’t have time to clean your area.  You don’t have time to job site visit.  Leaders, you don’t have time to meet with your team and inspire them to greatness daily.

OR

Follow the lead of Shawn Connell from Drexel.  Jay Enright from Campbellsport.

This morning I had the awesome opportunity to meet Shawn, the tile installer Neal, and the homeowners of a builder client, Mr. and Mrs. Gerlach.  It was a retirement smaller home (still very nice) with a walk in shower and a kitchen backsplash.  99.5% of the people in our industry would simply order what was quoted off the plan and “hope” for the best.  Then “react” and “stress” about any problems…. and margin erosion, lack of happiness, and TIME!

Not Shawn.  And IN THE FUTURE ALL OF US…. LET’S LEARN FROM SHAWN!

For EVERY tile job, no matter how small or large, and let’s hear it from Shawn…

“I wouldn’t have to do the small ones, but those are the ones that bite you in the ass!”….

So… the installer (unpaid) shows up, the homeowner shows up (not also the best time for them, but he COMMUNICATES why it is so important) and Shawn all show up and go through it.  The grout, the angles, the shelf height, the RIGHT EXPECTATIONS.  They debate, laugh, shake hands and move forward.

Shawn says, ya, guys have told me I am nuts, they can take 2-6 hours with drive time, but THE TIME AND STRESS I SAVE BEING PROACTIVE, MAKES IT ALL WORTH IT!

Also in the pictures of the same house, Jay does millwork walk thrus EVERY TIME.  Without fail.  He doesn’t have “time” for this either, but makes time.  Jay and Shawn know… do it RIGHT, TAKE THE TIME…

(p.s. Mr. & Mrs. Gerlach were so happy with everyone at Drexel, specifically Jess and Laura!)

BE PREPARED.  

How does this relate to your career here?  What could you do ahead of time to save time, stress, money… later?  Can you do that every time?

What to go deeper in the rabbit hole… ?

Read more below…

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Here is the complete e-mail blast I got from Sales Coach Rick Davis that he allowed me to share.  Thank you Rick, you are a friend of Drexel:  GO TO HIS SITE:  BUILDINGLEADERS.COM  for more info…

Joel,
What do three of the best coaches in sports history – John Wooden, Vince Lombardi, and Casey Stengel – have in common with two of the worst – Rod Marinelli and Hue Jackson, the only two coaches in NFL history to go 0-16?
ANSWER: None of them can go on the field to play. They all have to rely on the performance of their players. Sales coaching therefore doesn’t mean taking over meetings. It means teaching your performers to do the job without your involvement. John Wooden once criticized modern basketball coaches who frantically call timeouts to draw up plays in the last minutes of the big game. He believed the coach should prepare the team for contingencies before it starts.
If you find yourself persistently lamenting the performance of your team during the heat of battle, you probably haven’t prepared them before it.
Who on your team can you work with NOW to prepare them for the BATTLE ahead?
— Peace and Grace,
Joel

 

 

 

I HAVE THE GIFT TO GAB. SHUT UP ALREADY…

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TGIM!

Team, God gave me a great gift.  At times I can be witty, funny, and I can speak well in front of large crowds!  Motivating even, so I am told.  I love to hear myself talk.  All that random knowledge I read about I get to share with people.  It’s awesome!

STUPID ME.

IN THE SILENCE IS ALL THE VALUE IN THE WORLD!  SHUT UP!

PLEASE READ THE BELOW…

http://blog.franciscanmedia.org/mother-teresa-on-the-power-of-silence

My favorite quote from this…:

“….When you look at people, they must be able to see God in your eyes. The fullness of the heart is expressed in our eyes, in our touch, in what we write, in what we say, the way we walk, the way we receive, the way we need ..”

I am quieter now than in my 20s (don’t laugh it’s true) and quieter now than in my 30s… and hopefully as my wisdom grows, my silence will too.  It will have to be intentional, and I may never be as good at silence as many of you already are… but I will try!

Peace and Grace,

Joel

 

YOU GOT TO COMMIT

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TEAM,

Being on the most remote landmass in the world, Hawaii… and on vacation (yes I’m pretty friggin lucky)  I gained some insight I wanted to share.  I just got home Monday.

The word that kept popping in my head on the trip was:

COMMIT.

A few stories… and hopefully these little stories can help you.

I’ve seen fishing on the ocean shoreline before and I always wanted to try it.  So one day… I did.  Went to the store, bought me a pole… asked a few locals how to fish and did it.  I went “all in”… COMMITTED.  Caught 3 fish.  A triggerfish, a goatfish and this, ugly as sin, puffer fish.  Grunted at me like a pig!

 


The experience

  1. cost a little
  2. took some time
  3. was out of my comfort zone (you unhook a puffer fish!)
  4. had to learn a lot from people I didn’t know
  5. but totally worth it

Next I went golfing.  I haven’t golfed much in the last couple of years.

I truly told myself no matter what I would enjoy the trip.  I’d break each shot down into, not good, good enough, good, and OH WOW GREAT!  Not every shot can be perfect.  It helped my emotions greatly!

Also, I looked at every shot and said to myself after, “Did I commit?”– meaning did I totally believe in myself and my swing/putt/chip when I was doing it.  If I had committed 100% almost all of my attempts were good.  When I didn’t… that is where I struggled.  The fear, confidence, etc I lacked at those moments showed in where that ball flew!  If I had confidence in myself and committed… when I just played to my ability and didn’t think… the results were good!

I saw some Albatrosses golfing. They are like eagles but act more like chickens. Weird bird! Very cool!

One of the last things we did was take a 9 mile hike on the Napoli Coast.   It is rated one of the best trails in the world.  It lived up to our expectations!

Maybe 10 times we had to navigate gushing streams and rivers, we had to cross them.   We had to rock climb, scale rocks.  For 9 miles you had to think about each step.  I struggled at times crossing the river… not because I am in bad shape or couldn’t.  It was F E A R.  I wasn’t COMMITTED.  There was that word again.  I’d get 1/2 way across and kind of get stuck on a rock.  My mind would say, take that rock, no that rock, no just put your foot in the water.  I wasn’t COMMITTED.  The BEST way to do it was just TRUST YOUR BODY AND MIND AND GO!  WHEN I DID THAT… IT WORKED AWESOME!  

Craig Johnson COMMITTED.  Great golfer, even better hiker!   

I guess I share this… because I think there is probably something in life you have to commit more to.

Maybe it is your career at Drexel.  If you are not 100% committed you are questioning everything.  You are not focused.  You are like me when I am golfing.  Your results are speaking volumes.

Maybe it’s your spouse or your family.  You are stuck like I was on the rocks.

Maybe it’s life.  You want to go fishing like I did… but you don’t want to take the time/money to invest in yourself.

Anyways… that’s it.  COMMIT MORE.  TO GOD.  FAMILY.  WORK.  WHATEVER THAT MEANS TO YOU…

– peace and grace, Joel