TGIM!

“What I learned on Vacation”

Written last week as an e-mail to part of his team by Steve Herriges, follow up e-mail by Alicia Schliess to part of her team.

***

… I spent the last 4 days visiting a great friend in Arizona. My wife and I were fortunate enough to get away without the kids due to our generous family here at home willing to watch them. (Funny- we end up missing the kids the whole time anyway, meanwhile they are back home with their cousins having more fun than if we had been here with them anyway)

I have learned to make these trips in to a learning experience to develop both intellectually and in the soul. Everything in life can be a lesson is you are looking. Airplanes seem to be my best opportunity to get some reading done. And I seem to sleep better in a wet tent when elk hunting than I do in a cushy hotel bed, so I always end up finding more time to read as my better half is snoozing away. Here are some things I took from this trip in no particular order:

1.) Tourists with selfie-sticks will unintentionally take your head off if you aren’t very careful. They should be outlawed at the grand canyon before somebody gets knocked in.

2.) The mountains call to me like nothing else. God willing, much of my retirement will be spent exploring mountains of one variety or another.

3.) Happy and Helpful people can bring you so much joy. Be one of them. In the middle of busy Sedona we stopped at a Safeway grocery store and the people working there stand out in my mind. A lady stocking items in one isle overheard me mention an item to Katie that we were looking for from a distance and was quick to steer us in the right direction. Another lady working in the deli simply made our breakfast sandwiches with such a pleasant demeanor I couldn’t say thank you enough. The cashier was pleasant, and went out of her way to save us some $$. Katie and I left that place talking about the pleasant experience. This is what we strive to do at Drexel.

4.) Stepping out of your comfort zone to smile, greet, or talk to strangers leads to pleasant experiences. We ran into one fella from Milwaukee when we were at a random viewing area. He was quick to share some feedback with us. A mile back on a hiking trail we ran in to an older couple that lives only 25 minutes from my house here in WI, and they have a winter home down there. We ran in to another couple from WI that has a house in Phoenix. When they retire in October they are going to move down there permanently. Another guy from CA offered to take some pics of us on a mountain top that looked great. I want to go through life meeting more of these people, and I want to be one of these people. I get a kick out of it.

5.) Google is freaky. My wife’s new phone notified her this evening of a new “story.” It labeled it “your trip to Phoenix” and as we scrolled through it, it showed our path on a map, all of the stops that we made, even Starbucks, including the pictures taken at all locations. Also showed timing of each event broken down by day. Pretty much every move we made. Apparently all from the GPS on her phone. Crazy! and Scary.

6.) Don’t give up on a book too early. Both books I read I nearly gave up on in the early chapters, but stuck with it and was very happy I did. There is always something to learn. And if not, then you should be writing one yourself.

7.) I read a book called Think Less, Live More. Written by a lady who as a professional Engineer by trade and spent too much time analyzing decisions and thinking for answers. Us truss guys can probably relate. She explained the importance of thinking from the heart using feeling, instincts, values, etc. as a larger factor in these decisions. Sounds simple, but until you read it, you don’t always realize you weren’t doing as good of a job with it as you thought you were. I also had always struggled to set goals in my life and thought it was a little foolish. I’ll just keep doing my best and see what happens. Well she opened my eyes to an easy and motivating exercise to set goals, simply by not over-thinking and writing them down quickly as you can as they come from the heart. I was amazed at what I could come up with when I wasn’t over thinking it. Here is the book if interested: http://www.amazon.com/THINK-LESS-LIVE-MORE-Over-Thinker/dp/0984698965 Plenty of other stuff in that book if you are looking to learn.

8.) Appreciate every day for what it is. We all know this, but from time to time we get little reminders. The friend I went to visit in AZ lost a very close friend 2 weeks ago. 32 years old, he went to bed one night and didn’t wake up. I know that’s deep, but that’s life. Don’t take anything or anyone for granted. You never know when it’s your turn.

9.) Similar theme as #8. We are quick to grumble about the snow in Wisconsin. We got a kick out of one experience in AZ that opened my eyes again. We were driving near some mountains in Flagstaff, and there were literally hundreds of cars parked on the sides of the road. Families that drove up from Phoenix where they never see snow, just so the kids could build a snow-man in the ditch. There were snow-men everywhere you looked! It was entertaining and made me appreciate our snow a little more.

10.) Please, make a point to do what you love from time to time. You are never too busy. “Energy Fillers” are needed to bring out the in you. Both personally and professionally. It doesn’t have to cost money and doesn’t have to take long, just make it happen. A trip. A book. Running. Fishing. A basketball game. Meditation. Prayer. Snow-shoeing. Charity. This isn’t me trying to sound clever, it’s a message that was shared in both books I happened to read, as I was doing this very thing, and I simply want to share the message.

That’s all folks. Thank you for your time. I know it is a valuable resource. But if you get one little thing out of the above, it was worth my time. I attached a few pictures from the trip if you want to take a quick look.

Go supply some happiness today.

*******************

Yes, some very powerful words he laid out. I’d like to elaborate on this a little bit. I just returned from 10 days on the lovely island of Jamaica.

To Steve’s point #3: Happy & Helpful people, I’d like to combine that with Winning Attitude.
For anyone who has been to Jamaica, I hope you can relate here. This is not a wealthy country. This is a country with interest rates upwards of 30%. Houses are built one room at a time over the course of years because that is all they can afford to do. Jamaicans work long days going to and from on public transportation with bus rides upwards of 2 hours. When we arrived on the island we were instantly greeted with smiles and positive attitudes. This carried its way all the way through the airport, into the hotel shuttle and straight through the hotel check-in to our room. Every single person we encountered (and it was many!) greeted us with a huge smile, a welcome and an outgoing, helpful attitude. This carried on from one experience to the next, one day to the next. I did a few excursions while there and every single place I went, this contagious attitude continued. It was nothing more than hundreds of Ya Mon and No Problem Mon.

People who have been to Jamaica joke about this and some don’t truly understand why the Jamaicans are always expressing these phrases. As I sat back and really watched, listened and took it all in it became really easy to see why. Jamaicans are truly some of the happiest people I know. In the 10 days I was there, NOT once did I hear a single Jamaican complain. This resort was filled with what had to be hundreds of employees working around the clock in very warm weather dressed in not so cool uniforms. Did it stop them from having fun? NO! Did it stop them from smiling? NO! Did it change their attitude on how they were going to perform their job? NOPE!! Did it start to change my overall attitude on life? YES it sure did!! It was next to impossible to not have an amazing time, laugh, joke and smile with each of these individuals. I met so many people on Monday, some I didn’t see again for a 3-4 days and as soon as I crossed paths with them again, they knew my name and greeted me with the biggest smile. Name recognition is one thing I struggle with and always want to do better with. Every employee at our resort amazed me with their skills. All the while, smiling and laughing.

Yes we were there for our wedding and that obviously added to the thrill and excitement we shared, however I made sure to pay attention to my surroundings as well. Most people were not there with an entourage of family and friends, but with just a few people and everyone seemed to be having the same great time as I. By day 2 or 3 you couldn’t help yourself but start to talk the language. Ya mon, No problem mon becomes part of your language. It didn’t matter if you were from Jamaica, Europe, Canada, the US or any other country. The Jamaican’s positive attitude just carried its way from one person to the next. We were constantly reminded that in Jamaica there are NO Problems ONLY SITUATIONS. I love that! I love how they turned every scenario that many Americans would consider “huge problems” and make their lives “miserable” into situations that could be resolved quickly and most times painlessly as well as put smiles right back on people’s faces. They did this with their positive attitudes and willingness to strive for the best customer service possible.

Many of us do this every day at Drexel. We go out of our way to please our contractors and home owners and make sure they have the best experience possible. These little things we do for them do not go unnoticed and many times can really turns someone’s day around. Please remember that. Your attitude is contagious. The way you present yourself and that smile on your face is contagious. Have you ever tried to be upset with someone who did nothing but smile and find the positive in every situation? It is pretty hard to do. A goal of mine…be one of those people! As soon as we arrived back in the US and were presented with the customs line, my husband instantly noticed and called it out…”welcome back to America, the land of complaining” as we heard more complaints in 5 minutes than we did in 10 days in Jamaica. I promised him right there I would not be one of those people and work each day to always keep the winning attitude.

A lot of words here, but a common message. Happy, helpful people with winning attitudes truly are some of the BEST people to be around. It is contagious and it WILL bring people back. I’m officially a Jamerican (been to the island 3 times) and WHEN I return, I will be a Jamaican (been to the island 4 times). Many people think money buys happiness…I now encourage anyone with that mentality to visit a country such as Jamaica to really appreciate that money does not buy happiness. Attitude buys happiness!

(Yes that is Alicia  and her husband in the middle… she got married there.)

Make the rest of your week a great one team and smile on!!

– Joel Fleischman.  Joel is Head Coach of the solution providers for Drexel Building Supply.  (drexelteam).   You can follow him on twitter:  @JoelmFleischman.   Our mission is to be a supplier of others happiness.  I hope this little post did just that

TGIM!… JUST A BIT LATE!

Sorry team had a minor injury and a little opportunity to spend some time home yesterday on ice.

All good in the hood though.  I’m back with a renewed spirit!

****************

Here is a great one.  Thank you Nicole Evers from Wrightstown for passing this to me to share with you:

This is an excerpt from “You Can’t Send a Duck to Eagle School”  by Mac Anderson of Simple Truths.

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 into 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 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.”
Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishment toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to obtain uncommon results.

****

Team you not only have to be part of a great team.  You have to believe and work in your team to be great.  You can’t do it alone and you have trust your team.  Do you believe the team is not communicating well with you, do you feel out of the loop? COMMUNICATE MORE WITH THEM.  Do you believe your team is not trained well enough?  TAKE 5 MINUTES A DAY AND TRAIN THEM.  Do you think your team needs to be more assertive and positive?  SMILE WITH THEM.  Do you think your team doesn’t work hard enough? PULL THE ROPE WITH THEM.   No matter your role on the team:

YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE IN THEM, MORE THEN THEY BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES.

– Joel Fleischman.  Joel is Head Coach of the solution providers for Drexel Building Supply.  (drexelteam).   You can follow him on twitter:  @JoelmFleischman.   Our mission is to be a supplier of others happiness.  I hope this little post did just that.

TGIM!

This weeks message is so simple… for this week, let’s do it as a team.  I’m in!

SMILE.

That’s it.

You see, scientifically, when you smile at someone they INSTINCTIVELY smile back.  Doesn’t even matter if you are faking it or not.

So if you smile, the world will smile back at you.

It’s cold, it’s dark… it’s miserable, unless everyone smiles at you…and you do that by smiling first!

You reap, what you sow…

A good rule of thumb if they are within 10′ feet Smile,  If they are within 5′ say something and smile.   

– Joel Fleischman.  Joel is Head Coach of the solution providers for Drexel Building Supply.  (drexelteam).   You can follow him on twitter:  @JoelmFleischman.   Our mission is to be a supplier of other’s happpiness.  I hope this little post did just that.

1000 Marbles

The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday mornings. Perhaps it’s the quiet solitude that comes with being the first to rise, or maybe it’s the unbounded joy of not having to be at work. Either way, the first few hours of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable.

A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the backyard patio with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other.

What began as a typical Saturday morning, turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time. Let me tell you about it.

I turned the dial up to listen to a Saturday morning talk show I heard an older sounding gentleman, with a golden voice. You know the kind, he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business.

He was telling whoever he was talking with something about “a thousand marbles”.

I was intrigued and stopped to listen to what he had to say…

“Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you’re busy with your job. I’m sure they pay you well but it’s a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet. Too bad you missed your daughter’s dance recital.”

He continued, “Let me tell you something Tom, something that has helped me keep a good perspective on my own priorities.”

And that’s when he began to explain his theory of a “thousand marbles.” “You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic.
The average person lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years.”

“Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900 which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime.

Now stick with me Tom, I’m getting to the important part.”

“It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail”, he went on, “and by that time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays. I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy.”

“So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended up having to visit three toy stores to round-up 1000 marbles. I took them home and put them inside of a large, clear plastic container right here in the shack next to my gear. Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away.”

“I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life. There is nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight.”

“Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign-off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure if I make it until next Saturday then I have been given a little extra time. And the one thing we can all use is a little more time.”

“It was nice to meet you Tom, I hope you spend more time with your family, and I hope to meet you again.

You could have heard a pin drop on the radio when this fellow signed off. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had planned to work that morning. Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss. “C’mon honey, I’m taking you and the kids to breakfast.”

“What brought this on?” she asked with a smile. “Oh, nothing special, it’s just been a while since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. Hey, can we stop at a toy store while we’re out? I need to buy some marbles.”

Source: Anonymous – received by email in mid 90’s.

Thanks Chris Gagnon for sharing this with me.

Pictured is my 500 marbles (1000 just seemed like too many) at my desk at home.  In 500 Saturdays my kids will be 21, 19, and my youngest will just have recieved his license.  My life will have changed a lot, I won’t be needed like I am now.   500 doesn’t look like a lot sitting on my desk…I threw the first one a way this week.

– Joel Fleischman.  Joel is Head Coach of the solution providers for Drexel Building Supply.  (drexelteam).   You can follow him on twitter:  @JoelmFleischman.   Our mission is to be a supplier of other’s happpiness.  I hope this little post did just that.

TGIM- This is Christmas Week! 

SOOO MUCH TO DO THIS WEEK!

I still have to buy a few more Gift Cards people won’t use…. just a few more gifts.. a few more presents to wrap perfectly that no one will appreciate.  A Busier time… if I just had more time….I could do so much more…  So much to do, the Tree has to be perfect for no one that cares… traditions without meaning that must be observed!  I just don’t have the time this week!

Man what a busy time of the year… we are WAY too busy to take…

******************************************************************************

60 minutes to have a neighbor over to catch up with them.

****

30 minutes to play a board game with a child.

****

20 minutes to just sit by yourself and think of all your Christmases past.

****

15 minutes to read the nativity story of Luke in the Bible on your own or to a child.

(((( 2:8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field,
keeping watch over their flock by night. 2:9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them,
and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
2:10 And the angel said unto them,
Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

That’s my FAVORITE PART.  I would of freaked out!  Just sitting there being shephards and then BAM!

Fear not?  Yeah Right! ))))

****

14 minutes to write a handwritten letter to 3 customers on how much they mean to you and mail them.  They do pay for your salary!…and I don’t just mean salespeople and store leaders!

****

13 minutes to call an old friend to wish them a Merry Christmas.

****

9 minutes to talk to a relative you tend to avoid at the Christmas celebration.  (You know the one!)

****

5 minutes to count your blessings.  YOU CAN’T BE BLESSED AND STRESSED!

****

1 minute to buy that person in the drive through behind you their meal or coffee.  Make their day!

****

20 seconds to tell people MERRY CHRISTMAS and do it with enthusiasm and passion.

****

15 seconds to tell a customer MERRY CHRISTMAS THANKS FOR CALLING/STOPPING IN TODAY.

****

10 seconds to hold a door for someone and wish them a Merry Christmas.

****

We are so “caught up in the Christmas Spirit” we don’t have time to do any of that.

Ironic ain’t it?

– Joel Fleischman.  Joel is Head Coach of the solution providers for Drexel Building Supply.  (drexelteam).   You can follow him on twitter:  @JoelmFleischman.   Our mission is to be a supplier of other’s happpiness.  I hope this little post did just that.

TGIM!

Team,

Last week we had Ken Wilbanks here.  He made a big impact on who we are.  As he says, his job is to move us about 1-5% in trajectory.

Doesn’t seem like much, but trajectory is parabolic over time.

Over time, a 1% change in the way we do things will set us off on a great path.

***

Here’s one easy takeaway we can implement right away:

Some of us might be spending up to 15 hours A WEEK on internal (Drexel to Drexel) e-mails.  That is like two full days of staff meetings!

Let’s challenge ourselves to clean up the internal emails and be more efficient if possible.   Think about how often, and when you send them, and if they are needed, could they be done less, or could be better done on the phone or face to face?

This is not about “less communication” but BETTER, 1% BETTER COMMUNICATION.

CHANGE OUR TRAJECTORY

WE CHALLENGE YOU THIS FRIDAY

DECEMBER 19TH:

SILENT NIGHT

Please remind everyone at the weekly pep rallies.

LET’S DO ZERO INTERNAL E-MAILS THIS FRIDAY.

Anyone sending one Friday will be fined heavily!

(Yes, I do realize the irony of informing you of this via my blog on an e-mail.)

– Joel Fleischman.  Joel is Head Coach of the solution providers for Drexel Building Supply.  (drexelteam).   You can follow him on twitter:  @JoelmFleischman.   Our mission is to be a supplier of other’s happpiness.  I hope this little post did just that.

TGIM!

Be the change that you want to see.  Drexel can influence a change in the world.  Every time you connect with someone at Drexel… you have a choice.  We can create an amazing experiences well beyond anywhere else…. Or we are just about the same as everyone else.  YOU control that experience. Every time.

We can do it… if you just BELIEVE you can.

“Don’t wait for a title. Nearly every great sports team will include a discussion of an unsung hero, or sparkplug, or someone who was the prototypical “leader” yet propelled the team. Every social setting has this — be someone who sees the good in others, the possibility for connection and exploration. A title won’t help you find this vision, and a lack of title won’t stop you from having an influence.” – James DaSilva

– Joel Fleischman.  Joel is Head Coach of the solution providers for Drexel Building Supply.  (drexelteam).   You can follow him on twitter:  @JoelmFleischman.   Our mission is to be a supplier of other’s happpiness.  I hope this little post did just that.

Team,

About a year ago we put out a challenge to all of you.  If we hit a lofty goal…which some said was not possible… I optimistically presumed it might take years to achieve the goal… well… this goal…

has NOW BEEN ACCOMPLISHED!

I am so eager to celebrate and host our first scholarship award dinner next fall!

Team going forward Drexel children will have the opportunity for a Drexel Scholarship. 100% of their tuition paid for.

A real jump start to their future.  If they want to be a farmer, a nurse, a salesperson, a welder, a teacher, an accountant… we will help them!

Since 1985, we’ve been spreading happiness…and we have had many moments to celebrate.  This is certainly near the top.

YOUR work has done this.

Your positive contagious energy and optimism has put this dream into a reality.

ALL of you as a team made this happen.  Your personal impact spread like wildfire.  You did this.

Pat yourself on the back today, and more importantly pat someone else’s.

Even if you have no children or your children do not qualify it certainly is still a day to celebrate… for all of us are on the same team.

Scott Rosenthal reminded me yesterday of some great lines in the book Fish.

On page 89 of the book is a statement about “Our Workplace”.  It says the following:

As you enter this place of work please choose to make today a great day. Your colleagues, customers, team members, and you yourself will be thankful. Find ways to play. We can be serious about our work without being serious about ourselves. Stay focused in order to be there when your customers and team members most need you. And should you feel your energy lapsing, try this surefire remedy: Find someone who needs a helping hand, a word of support, or a good ear….and make their day.

*************************************

Special thanks to Bryan Rice and his team at Knecht Home Center as well as Ken Wilbanks and Rick Davis who pushed us to have BIGGER dreams!

*************************************

Here’s all the details if you want to dig deeper in the rabbit hole.   (This is still in final draft mode, but 98.9% close to completion!)  Thank you Caitlin Stoll for working so hard on it.

DREXEL TEAM SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Drexel has set up a scholarship program that will provide scholarships to the children of Drexel Team Members.

A scholarship is defined as a financial grant to an applied post-secondary undergraduate tuition at a qualified institution. A “Qualified Post-secondary Institution” shall include any accredited two or four year post-secondary educational institution. All Internet (on-line) degrees if are accredited are included.

The scholarship is for tuition costs only (fees excluded). Scholarships will be awarded for the the full tuition amount if attending a Wisconsin state institution. Private and/or
out-of-state institution scholarships will be the average Wisconsin state tuition for that year.

Candidates must meet the following criteria:

Candidates must be a dependent of a full-time team member. For purposes of this program, “full-time” shall be defined as a team member who has been employed for a minimum of 5 years and regularly works 40 hours or more per week during the immediately preceding five-year period.

Natural born or legally adopted. Stepchildren, unless legally adopted and living with the team member, shall not be eligible.

Candidates must be 24 years or younger and at the beginning of the academic term.

Candidates must plan to enroll as a full-time student (min. 12 credits)

Candidates who are incoming freshman must have a cumulative GPA 2.5 or higher for high school courses taken.

Candidates who have completed one or more years of college must have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher for all courses taken.

Candidates must show extra curricular or community involvement.

ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES

Candidates must fill out an application form and submit to Drexel Building Supply by April 1st of each year.

After candidates are notified that they have met all initial qualifications they will participate in a personal interview with Joel and the Happier People Department as part of the application process.

On or before May 1st candidates will be notified if scholarship is awarded. Payment of scholarship will be made in equal installments for each semester and shall be paid to the college. If the student is not enrolled or has withdrawn as of the payment date, the scholarship shall be revoked.

Student must contact HPD department by January 1st with intention of continuing with second semester to ensure scholarship installment can be sent to college.

Tuition invoice will be paid within 30 days of receiving current report card/transcripts and tuition invoice. Invoice will be paid directly to the institution.

After candidates have received notification of being awarded scholarship, recipient and parents will be invited to the Drexel Awards Dinner. This awards dinner will be scheduled prior to academic year. Team Blue highly encourages both student and parents attend this ceremony to receive scholarship.

Scholarships are for one academic year and may be renewed if the student continues to meet all criteria. Scholarships may be renewed up to 4 years or a Bachelor’s degree is achieved, which ever is first.

This scholarship is a taxable fringe benefit to the team member.

Drexel reserves the right to review the program and inform the team of any changes. Team Member must be currently employed for reimbursement.

– Joel Fleischman.  Joel is Head Coach of the solution providers for Drexel Building Supply.  (drexelteam).   You can follow him on twitter:  @JoelmFleischman.   Our mission is to be a supplier of other’s happpiness.  I hope this little post did just that.

TGIM!

I’m reading “Think and Grow Rich” by Dennis Kimbro, Napoleon Hill and wanted to share this quote with you.

“Carnegie had learned from his observation of men that those who are slow to make up their minds are equally as slow to carry out their decisions.”

Andrew Carnegie led the explosion of steel in America in the late 19th century.  In his last 18 years of his life he donated over 90% of his wealth… over 13.5 billion dollars in 2015 dollars.

Carnegie often challenged his team to make good and quick decisions.  He kept a timer on his desk and gave people a limited amount of time to decide.

****

Team, once we have all the facts and data in front of us, it’s time to make a decision.  I am certain Carnegie was a driver like myself.  This probably led him to this style of decision making.  You analytical folks probably just passed out.  Hang in there…

But really, once we have communicated it to everyone for their feedback, gathered the raw data, and slept and prayed on it for a night…. it’s time to act.

In the act of doing, often we can adjust. READY, FIRE, AIM.   The problem is often our great ideas get sucked up in DOUBT, FEAR, ENVY, JEALOUSY AND MORE.

Hey, you know what, why do I have to do this, it will be a lot of work?  Someone else should step up once.

But what if it fails?

It’s just too much for me to take on right now.

These are all things that have went through my head often.   And still do.  We must quiet this voice.

Team, I encourage you to go for it.   Both personally and professionally.  God’s got your back.  And really what do you have to lose?

– Joel Fleischman.  Joel is Head Coach of the solution providers for Drexel Building Supply.  (drexelteam).   You can follow him on twitter:  @JoelmFleischman.   Our mission is to be a supplier of other’s happpiness.  I hope this little post did just that.