Sunday, November 24, 2013

I am Thankful For . . .

As we approach the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons, I think it is appropriate to take a few moments to reflect on the things we are thankful for.  I feel like I have many things to be Thankful for, despite some hurdles and adversities that have been thrown my way this past year.

My Father

Although my father passed away on October 4th this year, I have come to realize how fortunate I am to have had him as my father.  The initial loss was sorrowful and empty, but as I have had time to look back on the 49 years we were together I have been able to laugh, cry, reflect and be thankful.
My father gave me, my sister and brother, a great life with great opportunities.  My father was always a presence in our lives.  Coaching, cheering, supporting and giving - he taught me how to put others before self.  He never preached this or lectured about it, he simply lived it everyday of his life.  He also taught us the importance of commitment in his marriage with our Mother.  I'm sure my Mom and Dad had hard times and challenges, but they worked through any of those difficult times together and showed us the strength of a marriage over 57 years.  Thank you Dad, I will love you forever.

My Family

I am thankful for the loving family that I have, both immediate and extended.  Eileen, my wife, and my children are blessings to me.  
Eileen and I are best friends.  We support each other, listen to each other, and balance each other.  I thank God that we met 28 some years ago and have been inseperable since.
Our kids are a source of pride, joy, happiness, frustration, worry and Love.  They are our number one responsibility and it is phenomenal to watch them grow, mature and become young adults.
Our extended family - mine and Eileen's, are a major part of our lives.  We enjoy each other, socialize with each other and support each other.  With both our families, we have more than a family tie, we have true friends.

My Friends

God has blessed me with friends who are geniune and true.  I have many friends who I can, and have, turned to for support, advice and good times.  I appreciate them and hope that I provide the same level of commitment to them as they show to me.

My Customers

Starting a new business provided a full spectrum of emotions.  I am thankful for the customers that have put their trust in me to provide the products and services that they sought.  I trust I have conducted my business in a professional, caring, sincere manner and hope to have the opportunity to continue to work with my customers in the years to come.

Stores that Don't Open On Thanksgiving Day

And to close with a bit of brevity, I am Thankful for Stores that do not do business on Thanksgiving Day.  Congratulations to them for letting their employess spend time with their families and friends and to reflect on their blessings for the day.  Perhaps the person(s) who made the decision to open their doors on a day meant to celebrate Family, Friends and God will re-access their priorities in the future and put balance back into the lives of the families that work for them.  The shoppers will still be there on Friday morning!

Happy Thanksgiving to All and God Bless You!


Thursday, November 7, 2013

The Expense of Not Hiring a Professional

WHEN DO YOU CALL IN A PROFESSIONAL?

I read a Twitter post the other day that stated, "If you think a Professional is expensive, try hiring an Amateur".   I had to ponder for a moment, then it hit me.  Companies and people provide services because their customers need them.  Then I began to reminisce the situations and clients I've worked with in the past that started down a path, discovered that they were sinking quickly, then asked for the Life Preserver!  Unfortunately, there are way too many stories like that to recall.



Many clients that I've worked with don't know what they don't know.  They begin to tackle a project or situation with good intentions, but soon discover that they don't have the Time, Resources, or Specialized Knowledge to efficiently come to a resolution.  Sometimes they have traveled far down a path, others they have just begun their journey and realize they don't like the road they are on.  In either case, they come to a decision point about either how to proceed or if it makes sense to end the journey at that point.

TIME

Time can be the biggest constraint on a companies pursuit of a project or solution to a problem.  Most of our clients are focused on the Selling, Manufacturing and Distribution of their products, they don't have the time available to address their "Special Projects".  If they do decide to tackle the project internally, they often find that their "normal responsibilities" start to suffer.  I have seen this situation escalate quickly to the point that trying to solve the problem or execute a project exaggerates the problem and creates a vortex of exploding issues.  It is not uncommon for a project, when being handled internally, to take 3 - 5 times or more the expected investment in time.


RESOURCES

Just like time, many companies don't have the internal resources to efficiently take on a project that is outside of their normal scope of business.  These reources can be in the form of people, hardware, software or tools and equipment.  Many internal engineering staffs have been cut or reduced over the years.  With the people went the tools to do the jobs.  In addition, the resouce of people are often asked to take on a project or try to solve a problem that they aren't necessarily versed in the potential solutions.  Again, they are focused on their day-to-day business.  It takes time for a person to educate himself to the point that they can be resouceful in project execution or problem resolution.  The issue of hardware, software and tools becomes a resource that may require additional investment - just to develop a solution!  These resouces should be evaluated througholy before jumping into a project feet-first.


SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE

This is a tough one.  When faced with a problem or 
a project, most people will accept and take on the challenge rather than taking a long, hard look at what options are available to develop a solution.  It is an often used quote, but " The definition of Insanity - doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results".  When a situation gets to the point of attention, it usually isn't the first pass at recognizing there is an issue.  The level of thinking that brought us to the this point cannot be used to take us in a different direction.  This often comes in being too close to the situation that you can't necessarily see the solutions that may be right before you.  Bringing in an outside resource provides a pair of fresh, unbiased eyes to a situaiton.  Couple that with the outside resource having specialized knowledge, often brings a project or situaiton to a quick, sound resolution.  

When faced with a project, problem or challenge, think through the options available to resolve that situation.  If it appears that it is too big, outside the "expertise" of the organization, or simply too time consuming to address, consider hiring outside resources.  These resources can provide Expertise, be an Advisor, be a Resource to the organization and a Single Point of Contact in the resolution of the challenge or execution of the project!