Why

It seems interesting that I would be spending time thinking about this today.  I remember when my children were little, it was my most dreaded question.  It came at me time and time again, almost seeming as though it would have no end.  And now, as an adult, managing other adults, I wish that I would hear it more often.  As we go through our day - handling all the things that get thrown at us, we continually make the best decisions we know how to make. I believe that if those around us would be willing to ask 'why' when they do not understand, we would make better decisions and be more open to fuller understanding.

Let me give you an example.  At one point in my life I worked for a gentleman, let’s call him Rich, who believed that the best way to get to the truth was to ask 'why' seven times.  He would ask you a question and regardless of your response, his next question would be why.  This would continue for seven rounds, and honestly, by the time that you got to the last one, anything that was artificial had been stripped away.  Even more important in this process, however, was the fact that you quickly decided you didn't want to go through this process very often and immediately gave him the answer you would give at the end of the seven whys.

It struck me in the last couple of days that I would like to figure out how to get the folks that I work with to ask why that many times.  As we go along doing our jobs, there are times that folks really don’t get the 'why' of what they are doing, they only get the message that they need to do something.  If we all did a better job of asking the question, and even more importantly, answering the 'why,' we would all be much more effective.  We would actually be rowing the boat in the same direction rather than in circles because we know why.

I decided to test my theory today.  I gave a presentation not unlike many that I have done for this group in the past, but today, I tried to give more information about why we are doing things, rather than just what we needed to do.  It was really interesting to watch the group.  They were more engaged actually asked more questions than usual.

On Wednesday of this week I had a chance to listen to Billy Taylor from Goodyear.  He has the distinction of turning more Goodyear plants around than anyone else.  And he is a very simple, straightforward man, and his assertions are just as simple: 1) people want to know what the goal is, 2) they want to know why, and 3) they want to be listened to.  Some of us would have a tendency to say “duh," who doesn't get that?  The truth of the matter is that although everyone understands this, few are capable of incorporating it into their typical day and the way they interact with their team.  As I listened to Billy, it struck me that he would be able to work with practically any team, whether business or sports, and be successful.  The flip side is that it should make each of us ask if we are being that way, the right way with those that we are around.  It certainly made me think about it.

I have another acquaintance who sits on an Executive Roundtable with me. He states that he manages nobody, he only supports people.  And although I have always understood what he was talking about, it means more to me today.

So I think back to when my kids were asking 'why' a MILLION times, and I know now that I should have gloried in each one of those questions.  Even if asked one hundred times, I should have answered.  I will do this differently going forward, and if I ever have grandchildren, they will know everything that they want to.  If they ask why, I will answer.  And in the meantime, I will do everything to encourage those around me to ask why, and when they don’t ask, I will work to fill in the blanks and give the why information for them.  This is my commitment going forward.

On a completely separate note, a new pinball machine comes to the Toybox this weekend.  It was a machine that sat in my Uncle Chuck and Aunt Pat’s basement and the family has honored me by asking if I would give it a new home.  I absolutely will, with a huge smile on my face.  But, this may mean that some other important stuff at the Toybox doesn't get done quite so quickly. If you are waiting for projects to be complete, it may take a little longer.

Everyone talks about 'gamers'  today. In the analog age, we were pinball junkies - some of us even pinball wizards.  Names change - behaviors don’t.  Have a great weekend.

Heartbeat

Living in the center of Iowa, I have the opportunity to take a unique look at the rest of the country and the local economy.  We have two major Interstates that cross the nation, moving people and products from coast to coast and border to border.  I spend quite a bit of time traveling both I-35 and I-80 for my work, and the things I learn from this are amazing.  I know that the same is true in your area; you just have to stop and look around.

In 2008/2009, when the economy turned against us for a while, I began noticing that all of a sudden there was significantly less truck traffic on the roads.  I remember talking to people about it and nobody thought too much of it.  In 2010, before anyone started to talk about a recovery, truck traffic started to pick back up and on the Interstates, you could feel that things were changing.  What is moving on any given day and which way it is moving is a real litmus test of the things going on in the country.  Let me give you some examples.

The other day I was traveling north on I-35.  Stretched out in front of me were 4-5 trucks from Hulcher Services.  If you don't know this company, they handle all sorts of rail issues, such as derailments, spills, track damage, etc.  They have quite unique equipment and once you have seen their trucks; you will always know who they are.  So, based upon the fact that they were heading north with several trucks, I knew there was a derailment somewhere in that direction.  This may be something that we hear about on the news, or it may be something that happened in a switch yard, but based on what I saw, something big happened.  This is one kind of information that our transportation system gives us.

A couple of weeks ago, I was coming home from Iowa City when I started passing really nice Harley Davidson trucks.  After seeing the third or fourth, I wondered what was going on.  It did not take long to figure out that the Sturgis Bike Rally was starting the next week and all of this hardware was going to that show.  We began to see a large increase in motorcycle traffic heading north and west.  Then in the week following, we saw a similar increase going south and east.  These are the kind of things that I think of when I say that the Interstate system is like the heartbeat of the country.

The last example that I will give is one that I never did get to the bottom of.  A couple of years ago for about two months, I watched truckload after truckload of timbers heading across the Midwest, mostly heading north.  They were probably 6 inches square and 20 feet long, not new timbers by any means, but had obviously been used before.  Although the number of loads was staggering, I was never able to figure out what they were being used for, or where they were going.  If you have any ideas, shoot me a note.  I am still interested.

As you can tell, I am always interested in the things that go on around me and what you can learn or infer from them.  Honestly, my biggest frustration is not knowing what is inside all of the trucks that have no real information on the outside of them.  Are they hauling something to or from Roswell?  Is it truckload after truckload of printed transcripts of every cell phone call ever made?  What is in all of those trucks?  Mostly mundane things I am sure, but I want to know.

Ok, enough of that for the day - other interesting things have happened this week.  First, my daughter returned home from camp this week and it is wonderful to have her around.  The laughter and the stories echoing through our house have been wonderful.  Andrew and Lyndsey are coming up to go to the State Fair and had get here fast …they are missing out on all the fun.  Last night Megan and I sat at the State Fair playing a new game: “Real or Not.”  The basis of the game is to find someone wearing boots and then decide if they wear them on a daily basis or if it is just something they put on for the Fair.  It may sound strange, but we had a great time just sitting, watching people, and deciding.

One final item of note this week; the Toybox has become the proud owner of a twelve foot stepladder.  This came from my brother-n-law Neil and is certainly appreciated.  It will let me put things higher on the walls in the Toybox and I am sure will be borrowed on occasion by friends and acquaintances.  Pretty nice addition to the tool arsenal out there.

Well, have a great week and get out there to see what is moving this week.  You never know what you may find.

Rant and Rave

Ok, brace yourself.  I really have a bee in my bonnet today.  And I am going to share.  Last Saturday, I stopped at “My Subway” for breakfast.  This is the location that I frequent, not necessarily because they are the closest, but because they treat me as a person, and maybe even like a friend.  Anyway, the young lady who typically takes care of my sandwich on Saturday morning was working and we started talking about the kind of week we were just finishing.  I admitted that mine had been a long one, but that there had been a lot of good in the week.  I was more than willing to call it a success.

When I asked how her week had been, my Subway buddy told me that she had been forced to deal with a very difficult customer earlier in the week.  This customer had actually complimented her on her customer service, and then went on to tell her that based upon the fact that she had piercings, she should not even work in “this part of town.”  Really? Why do people have to be like this?

Those of you who know me casually are probably not surprised by the fact that I have no piercings or tattoos.  Additionally, it isn't something I ever thought would be a good idea for me.  Maybe the pain of the creation is part of what stops me - I don’t know.  But I will not judge those who make the decision to turn their bodies into a canvas for self expression.  After all, for those of you who know me very well, you know that I spent much of my college years with a pony tail down my back.  That was rebellion in its own way in a time when men’s hair fashions had gone back to being shorter.  So I say, let others be themselves.  What is that ole expression, “Live and let live”?  Seems like a good way to proceed to me.  And as for my Subway buddy, I glory in her decision to change her appearance through piercings.  Good for her if it makes her happy.

Ok, enough of the rant.  Let’s get on to the rave.  I will begin by telling you that my Aunt Pat passed away this week.  Probably not where you thought I would start.  She was a great person and I am thankful to have known her and to have been related to her.  When my dad died, and later my mom, both she and Uncle Chuck stepped in and supported my sister and me in every way they could possibly find.  When you think of what family is supposed to be, Aunt Pat comes to the top of the list for me.

My sister, Jaye, wanted to come back to Iowa for the funeral.  She lives in Maine, and the time was short enough that planning was nearly impossible.  In searching for reasonable airfare, she had finally reached a point where she decided she wouldn't be able to attend.  At this point the person who really deserves recognition entered the picture.  She's known him for years because of another lifelong friend and honestly, Jaye thinks of David as part of her family.  Before she could make a final decision, David offered to use some of his airline miles to get Jaye to her aunt’s funeral.  I cannot even put in words how wonderful this action on his part was.  I know that Jaye will try to find the words to say thank you, and she will probably fall short.  This is one of the nicest things I have ever known a person to do.

So why can't the world be more like David, and less like the “piercing police”?  There are so many times that common courtesy and caring would go so far, and often those attributes are just not present in the time or the situation.

This week a friend sent me an article that really dovetails in what I have been talking about.  An author named George Saunders gave a speech (click for the link) to graduates of Syracuse University and he has some incredible things to say. It is a little longer than the things I usually read, but it held my attention all the way to the end.  When you are done, ask yourself who the ELLEN is or was  in your life.  I know that in my case there are actually a couple. I also know that in recent years I have worked to be kinder, but there are still failures of kindness in my background, and probably will be in my future, but I am committed to limiting them.  Have a wonderful weekend.

Garden

A couple of days ago, I read a really good article called “Gardens, Not Buildings." This started my wheels turning about the Toybox and shops in general and maybe about the way that I manage some of the rest of my life.  You have been with me on the journey that has been creating a shop and will likely remember much of this, but a bit of a recap is in order.  In late 2010 I bought the space for my shop.  It was a blank four wall box with power and water.  I set about building an office in one corner of the space, so that ultimately I could have a place to take a nap and maybe do a little paperwork.  Following that project, I build cabinets and started putting things away in places that I knew were right for them.  At that point, it was purely a building project.

About three or four months ago, after having worked in the space for a time and knowing how I wanted things to proceed, small changes began to occur.  I moved all of the items used with the table saw to a drawer next to the saw.  I designed and built a cabinet for all of the drill press accessories.   Little changes, but changes that made the project more organic, more like a garden.  It became more functional and responsive to the needs of the user.  Then came last weekend.  I had moved some tools around to surface some lumber for a project I was working on for a friend.  The jointer, planer, router table, and dust collector were sitting in a configuration I had never had them in before, and it struck me that it would work so much better that way.  Before the day was over, equipment was moved and I will continue to move most of my work into a part of the shop that I have really not fully used to this point.  With that, the circle will begin again, moving things, developing new storage and point-of-use organizers, and continuing to find better ways to utilize the space.  Much like replanting a garden.

Then the bigger picture struck me.  When I set things up upon first arriving in a place I would live, Most of the places that I have lived, I did so based upon the belief that I KNEW what the best layout for a room was going to be.  I would live there for any number of months, or years, depending on what move it was in my life, and never move anything.  We have been in our current residence for about four years, and the odds are that most of the furniture is sitting in the same divots in the carpet that were created the first day we put things in place.  But, I think I need to treat it more like a garden.  I need to look at how we live in the space today. With fewer kids and less craziness, we should determine if there is a better way to use the space. I know people who do this naturally, turning living rooms on a quarterly or semi-annual basis, such that going to their house was always a new adventure, but that is not the way I've ever operated.

I know that I am all about the status quo.  I will sit in the same place and act in the same manner over and over again if I am allowed to.  But this experience in the shop pointed out to me that there may truly be a better way to look at things and a more effective alignment of the things in my world.  I have started small, but I do not know where it will go.  When Sara comes home tonight, will I be sitting in her chair?  How will she react?  Will I change the arrangement of my office?  It has been the same way for five years and I never really questioned it until today.  Are there items in my office at home that should be eliminated, or relocated?  I am not sure yet, but I am going to think about it.

I once worked for someone that when faced with the need to move something, or someone, his challenge was to think as if you were starting from scratch, with all of your current knowledge and ask what the perfect layout might be.  It is time to remember some of that.

On a completely separate note, I read an article a few months ago listing the top 10 essential DIY skills.  Of these, I could realistically claim that I knew four.  I am about to work on number five on my list - building a computer from scratch.  I have purchased all of the parts and Andrew is coming up in a couple of weeks to help me through the build.  I am very excited, but a little nervous as I've spent hundreds of dollars that I could accidentally blow up.  It should be an interesting journey.  Stay tuned for all of the fun.  Additionally, I think that welding should be on the list (it isn’t), so I am also working toward learning that skill.  I am trading some woodworking for welding lessons and think I might like the “barter” economy.

Have a great week.

Big News

What a week for big news.It is so exciting that I can hardly breathe.  For many of you, the birth of a new Royal is a big deal, but for those of us that love the mechanical part of the world, that birth pales in comparison.  This week the Union Pacific announced it has reached an agreement to purchase retired UP #4014 from the Southern California Chapter of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society.  Even more important, the Union Pacific has announced they will bring this locomotive back into active service as part of their Heritage Fleet, probably by 2019.  Again, I can hardly breathe.

For those of you who are not up to speed on old steam locomotives, I will include a bit of information.  UP #4014 was a member of the class of locomotives referred to as “Big Boys.”  There were twenty-five of them built between 1941 and 1945 to handle heavy loads over mountain passes, but still be able to maintain reasonable speeds across flat ground.  They weighed in at 1.25 million pounds, standing just over 16 feet tall and 11 feet wide.

This is not a project for the Toybox. The shop this will go into is the Union Pacific Steam shop in Cheyenne, WY.  It is the home of a couple of active steam locomotives, including the Union Pacific 844 which is the only steam locomotive that has never been retired.  I will get back to that in a moment.  If you are interested in the shop itself, there are several videos (here's one) on the Internet, showing the space and the work they do.  The most amazing thing about watching any of their videos is the same thing I marvel at in any shop, whether wood or auto body, etc.  The people who work in this shop handle the items around them as though it is just no big deal.  They are handling thousands of tons, working with components that have not been apart in decades, and they just get the work done.

You see the same type of behavior if you stop by a local cabinet shop.  The work that the people in there do on a regular basis happens so effortlessly that it seems as normal as breathing.  For those of us who “dabble” in the same areas, the work is much more challenging.  When we reach the point where one of the tasks becomes more natural for us, it is time to celebrate.

Turning to the overall discussion of the Union Pacific and the fact that they have a steam fleet, or a steam locomotive that has never been retired, I think this is a phenomenal feat.  Over all of the years that they could have made the economic decision to retire the fleet and move on, they were steadfast enough to recognize the value and the importance of what they had.  They did not do what could have been the easier thing to do, and because of that, today we have living artifacts of a day gone by.  Kudos to all of the Union Pacific leadership.  I know that I need to be more mindful of tomorrow’s treasures today than I have been and they are a good example.

If that were not enough to have happened this week, I also found out that there is a list of Historical Mechanical Engineering Landmarks.  Who knew?  This really looks like a “bucket list” of places I need to visit.  The first one on the list, the powerhouse for the cable car system in San Francisco is a place I've been, and one of the greatest tours that I have ever been on.  If this is any indication of what the rest of these may be, I will need to figure out how to take more vacations.  There are currently 251 landmarks listed and I am sure that there are more out there vying for placement.  One of the listings is in Iowa, the Hart Parr tractor in Charles City.  Obviously I have more research to do there.

It seems so strange that I would always have been so interested in mechanical items, and out of that environment, I developed an Electrical Engineer in my son.  I think that this means that I need to listen to him and ask questions as there must be some kind of a connection there.  I need to spend time and see if the world of electricity and power interests me as much.  First though, I need to try to understand it.

It looks as if we are going to have a beautiful weekend to get some work done at the Toybox.  This is a really good thing. The project list is starting to overrun my ability to keep up.  Of course, that is not that bad a problem to have.  Have a great week.

Pure Joy

Okay, did you ever have a phone call that just brought you the truest of joy?

I had one yesterday from a lifelong friend that I had not talked to in a while.  Although there were a bunch of great things about the call, two come to mind that are worth mentioning.  First, she had called because she saw me post something on Facebook and figured I wasn't doing anything at that point of the day that couldn't  be interrupted.  She was so right.  Second, toward the end of a couple of really long weeks at work, talking to her was just what the doctor ordered.

The whole experience started my brain rattling.  Today, you get the results of those thoughts.

Many years ago, I had an acquaintance that put several of us in his personal schedule to call periodically.  Because I was working in a pretty tight-knit industry, and we all knew each other very well, it didn't take us long to figure out his schedule and how often he was calling us.  In the arrogance that is youth, we found humor in this, and after several months, even poked at him about it.  At this point, I wish that we wouldn't have done that. Many of you probably would have done the same thing and ask why.  I have come to realize that if someone takes the time to personally call you, it shouldn't be scoffed at, but rather appreciated for exactly what it is.  It is one friend reaching out to another because they really care.  Some of you are saying , “Duh,” right now because this makes sense and only takes a little insight.  When Mark used his calendar all those years ago to schedule personal calls he could have easily ignored the reminder.  But, he didn't.  He went ahead and made the call because we all mattered enough to him that he was willing to invest time into those friendships.

This summer, my daughter has been working as a counselor at a camp in NE Iowa.  She is not allowed to make phone calls unless she is off duty.  Typically, this occurs for a couple of hours one night a week and all day on Saturday. Because of this, we have come to appreciate a call from her more than ever before.  Additionally, a letter is to be truly loved, whichever direction it is going.  It is such a return to earlier times when a letter was looked forward to with great anticipation.

In the middle of everything I have just talked about, I realize how much I need to do a better job of reaching out to people.  I need to make sure that I talk to family and friends regularly, whether the media is a letter or a phone call.  I also need to remember that the letter lasts a long time whereas the phone call does not.  If any of you are like me, you probably have a drawer full of old cards and/or letters from earlier times that you periodically look through to be reminded of old friends and acquaintances.  It brings back a flood of nostalgia and usually causes me to reach out to one of these people.  Rarely am I disappointed at the results as I catch up on things that have been going on with those whom have been important in my life.

I also now know that I need to get much busier writing letters, particularly to my children, so that they have some of these types of memories going forward.  One important note here is that I remember my mother begging me to send her a letter or two, once in a while…..I never got that done.  Hum, okay, that was a miss.  I don’t think I am ready to schedule personal communication in Outlook, but I will be working to be more connected with those from my life, not just today’s part, but all of it.

Just one other thought today.  I had lunch today with a true lifelong friend.  You know the kind.  This is the type of person that you pray will never tell all of the things that they know about you.  Anyway, isn't it wonderful to you have someone that even with time and distance, you can pick up the friendship and be back to “normal” in about five minutes.  This is one of the things that I am really thankful for.

Have a great weekend.

Flashback

Ok, first and very important, my router table is done. This project brought things together from several different sources and  ended up as a project/tool I believe will be helpful far into the future. Heck, who knows, it could even end up being used by one of the kids or a grandchild somewhere along the line ... or it could just be sold on Craigslist. Anyway, with a switch from Kreg Tools, a top from Rockler Tools, and a plate from Benchdog, the router table pulls together many things in a way I think will work for me in my shop.

So, along with finishing this project, Sara adding a couple more to the list, we also had a holiday, the 4th of July. For whatever reason, it caused me to be melancholy this year, thinking back over the years and all the special times and special people in my life. As I am sure would be the case with many of us, this really came down to thinking mostly about one place. For me, this place was my grandparent's home. Grandma and Grandpa lived out on the hill on the east side of Sigourney, Iowa. Growing up, my sister Jaye and I spent countless hours there, learning what being family meant, and honestly, finding out what working meant, as there was always something that needed to be done. Whether it was putting up hay, cleaning out stalls, or cracking walnuts on the anvil in the winter, there was always a project.

Even with plenty of work to do, the 4th of July was a time for family to gather. Nothing ever had to be said, we all just knew that on the evening of the 4th, we would gather on the hill and watch fireworks. My grandmother LOVED fireworks. In the early years the fireworks would be shot off at the old high school field (Schaefer field I believe) so we pointed our chairs to the south and west to watch them over the neighbor's barn. Later, after the Keokuk County Expo started, they were just down the hill to the east and the viewing was perfect.

As I said earlier, Grandma loved fireworks, so it always became an event, sometimes by design and sometimes not. One of my fondest memories was that on this special evening, Grandma would make fresh lemonade and serve it out of the old zinc pitcher that I remember being ice cold to the touch. Okay, to be fair, when I say real, what I mean is not Kool-Aid or any of the mixes, but real lemon juice (out of the bottle), sugar and water. What a treat it was. Sometimes we would have homemade ice cream or maybe something baked, but there was always lemonade.

This year, when Sara and I went out wandering with her mom, looking for a place where we could watch fireworks from the van, I remembered the days out on the hill and all that it meant to me. Since my children are no longer children and as I look back at all the special things we tried to do for them, it strikes me that what will probably mean the most to them is something very simple that happened without any planning at all. That is what it was in my family, just fireworks out on the hill.

So, as I think about the holiday and all that it means to myself, my family, and really my nation, it all comes down again to sharing time and memories with each other. The memory this year will be of Sara and her mom watching fireworks and talking with each other about all they did in years past. I know that I do not remember some things and some times, but I need to remember how important the little moments and the normal things we do can be. I need to keep living every minute to the fullest.

On another fun note, my daughter is spending her summer as a camp counselor, working with kids at a camp up in northwest Iowa. When I think about memories being built and experiences encountered, I think about all of the things she is doing and all of the ways she is growing. I could best sum this up so far by telling you about the time that she told me she had been teaching kids to sail. When I asked when she had learned, she told me in a very matter of fact manner, "Oh, about 15 minutes before." Let's all keep grabbing life by the horns and keep enjoying every moment.

As they would tell you in Hawaii ... Hang Loose!