Lift Up

In August 2019, Seth Godin wrote, "Take it seriously. Of course. That’s required. But you don’t have to take it personally. In fact, if you want to be a professional, it’s impossible to do both at the same time."

I can't even put enough words around how important I think this is at the moment. The times we find ourselves in require us to be more professional and better leaders than at any time in the years I have been a manager. People need us to be the voice of reason as well as a voice that helps to identify the path we should follow. I have a couple of examples.

I got an email from Bob Tursi at the Latin King. The Latin King is a generations-old restaurant on the east side of Des Moines, and yes, before you ask, I am on their distribution list as what Bob referred to as "longtime and loyal clientele." For those of you who know me, get over your laughter before we move on. He told us that Latin King would close to dine-in patrons. The thing most impressive to me was the Tursi family decided to do this before the Iowa's governor made a similar decision for the state. Bob saw it as his ethical responsibility to take a leadership role and make the hard decisions.

This morning I received an email from Kyle Krause from Kum & Go. Yes, another food vendor. Go ahead and laugh again, it's okay. He wrote that they were working to protect the community and take care of their employees. The note even went on to say in the event one of their employees needed testing, the company would cover the cost. If people had to self-quarantine, their jobs were safe and they would receive their regular pay.

I find this type of message amazing in the times we find ourselves. And, interestingly enough, I find these behaviors tremendously forward-looking.

I went to work for Payless Cashways in the eighties. There had already been several housing crisis, but one of the worst was in the early eighties. It came on the heels of the 1973 and 1979 energy crises and the Fed deciding to tighten the money supply. This crisis was tough on home-builders with many of them unable to weather the storm. The only way some of the big builders made it through was that their lumberyards carried them for months and even years. Many years later, I worked for a different company here in Des Moines. One of the first stories I heard was how they'd carried their largest customer through a particularly difficult time. In both cases, when those companies came out on the other end of the crisis, they were incredibly loyal to the supplier who cared for them. This was, and I think still is, the kind of loyalty which does not go away over time.

So, what am I thinking about today? I wonder when this is all over, and it will end, will the leaders of companies making the right decisions today? Sometimes we are so short-sighted that we forget people and companies who do the right things for each of us. My hope is this is not the case here. We need to recognize those who take care of us in this uncertain time. When normal returns, we must remember and recognize them. All we have to do is to continue doing business with them and continue to expect to be taken care of the way we always have.

I don't know about you, but I find this amazing. Companies are doing incredible work right now to make sure we stay safe and continue to have items we need in our homes. On top of this, the companies doing this for us aren't even talking to us about it. They are doing the right thing because it is just what they do. They hope we will remain loyal when we come out on the other side. So simple.

If you can do anything to help any others, I encourage you to do it. Even if you can't, recognize those doing the extra and when we're back to normal, remember them. I will tell you with certainty there were home-builders who remembered lumberyards. Trying to sell to one of them from a different supplier was impossible; their loyalty ran deep. I can only hope I can remember that for those who are caring for me right now.

Krulak's Law

Krulak’s Law states that the "future of an organization is in the hands of the privates in the field, not the generals back home."

Some time ago I was in a conversation about excellent customer service. I didn't know this law at the time. Part of the discussion was a challenge to think of the most customer focused organization you could think of, and then ask yourself whether the CEO of the organization woke up every morning, wondering if customers were being taken care of.

Obviously, the answer to this has to be "No." If the leader of an organization has to ask if the most basic of activities is happening on a regular basis, they are doomed to fail.

The basics of the job have to be hard-wired, part of the DNA of the organization. There are some examples which come to mind. In Kansas City, if you enter a Gate's Barbecue, you will be immediately be welcomed with a round of "How may I help you." If you stop into a QT, at least the ones here in Iowa, someone will say "Good Morning" and if you pay in cash, I would virtually guarantee they have the change ready almost before you place the cash on the counter.

New employees are trained for these the types of behavior, but this is bigger. It has become part of the culture. Not behaving in the manner expected is a failure to the culture. In one way, it becomes almost magical.

When I was running lumberyards, we used to talk about teaching "perfect." Many times, the people you were training had never seen "perfect." So, you started improving things with the crew you had. The yard would come to a better place than ever before and everyone was proud. You knew there was still a higher standard. You knew it because you had seen it and managed it before. So you pushed the next level, talking about changes and behaviors and the yard became even better. And you hit a new level. Then, rinse and repeat.

When the yard was finally the way you wanted it, the challenge became keeping it at the level your team had achieved. And then, at some magical moment, it became easier to maintain that level. Why? Because the team saw and understood the level of execution you expected. It became part of the DNA of the organization. As difficult as it was to achieve, it was just as difficult to destroy. With a little effort and occasional maintenance the standard stayed in place and was the new norm.

I've made this sound much easier than it really is. There are so many things pulling us in so many ways every day, it is hard to stay focused. But when you do, the end is something you can be proud of.

I am fortunate to manage a great group of people. They work every single day to achieve/maintain excellence. I have had the good fortune in the last couple of days to be around many of them. It has been a joy. I have the right people in the field and they work every day to differentiate us from the competitors. This will continue to set us apart. And I know we have each others backs. I will look out for them and they will look out for me. This is a good feeling to have, from either side.

Okay, coronavirus. If you are at all like me, I'm not sure what to think about it. I know the extremes of the situation. I have people in my life doing the shopping and the work to be prepared for weeks of being locked in their homes. On the other side, I know people believing it is a complete hoax. I don't land at either of those extremes. I am much more pragmatic.

It looks as though my sister may well cancel her trip to come to Iowa over Easter because travel has been made so much more difficult with the virus. As you know, I was looking forward to her seeing the Teardrop and making plans to pull it all the way home. Not only will I miss seeing her, but it makes this all so much more ... difficult. More to come on this front.

Hope all is good and you are all healthy. Wash your hands and be smart about this thing.

Campfire

When I used to camp with Andrew, we sat around the fire and shared thoughts and opinions about everything in the world. We talked about family and friends, ancestors and what brought us to the day. We were generally with a group of friends at the campfire sharing what was on our collective minds . Do you remember the season on NCIS when Gibbs was gone for a while and Tony was running the show? He'd call for a "campfire" which was his way of bringing the members of the team together to discuss the situation at hand.

These thoughts caused me to consider tribal councils of old. The elders of the group gathered to discuss issues and history, and to share the collective intelligence of the group with the next generation. Why don't we do this anymore? I don't mean exactly like the early tribal councils, but more like the "campfire" in NCIS. Why do we not gather to share things we know and have learned with the next generation to make their lives easier? As I thought about this, I came back to the family reunions my grandfather's side used to have. They were on the second Saturday in July (I think) and I looked forward to them like I look forward to going to the dentist. Even going to the event with such a mindset, I will tell you I always learned something. Sometimes it was very specific, but often it was just about being a part of something much bigger, a family.

So, in thinking about what I've provided for my children, and now for my grandchildren, I wonder if change caused me to miss some of this. Have I been so busy with the pieces of life that I wasn't good at showing my kids they were part of something bigger, and teaching them the way the universe connects, giving them power to reach out to friends, family, and acquaintances to solve problems or open opportunities? Some groups get this and it has always been part of who they are. But some of us get so busy with the day-to-day, we lose track of that bigger picture.

A week or so ago I was part of a conversation about how we balance work and life. I will tell you without question, I fell into the group thinking if I were home, even if I was working, I was there with my kids. From this perspective, I know I should have left work at work and gone home and rolled on the floor with the kids and told them how much I loved them. If you have an opportunity to change up how you are doing this at present, I would suggest you make every effort.

As for campfires, to circle back, I told you I would catch you up on the teardrop trailer. I'm including pictures so you know what I have created and how very proud I am of it. I know it will look good sitting in a campsite close, but not too close, to a campfire. I've been working on this project for about three years now, and it has been a labor of love.

I began with a Harbor Freight flat trailer.

The build started from there, adding walls and roof. Then I went to work on the rest of the structure.

From there I moved on to the inside and finishing the galley.

Finally, I learned a bunch about working with aluminum - shaping and sealing to ensure the trailer is watertight and will stand up to the unexpected bumps it will take. I also learned a lot about twelve volt direct current power and how to get it to work.

As I approach the end of this project, I am proud and a little surprised at what I have been able to accomplish. I have created a home to be taken with them when they travel, giving J & K more freedom than they had without it. I also caused them to add a larger vehicle to their fleet to be able to take care of pulling the teardrop. I hope I will remember to take pictures to share when they come to pick it up.

Over the next few weeks, I will add windows in the doors and a box to the tongue to hold what is needed for the electrical system. I don't know what else I will add, but I'm so close I can feel it. Also, the timing is perfect as it looks as though there may be another library project in the future and I suggested a way for Sara to make her sewing room work more effectively. She's still thinking about it. We will see.

I hope all is good for you today. Take care of yourself, and your family.

Hibernate

Iowa is fortunate to have four distinct weather seasons. I love this, but I know there are many in the state who would disagree with me. One of the great things about having all the seasons is that about the time you are tired of one, another appears, or as has been the case lately, a taste of the next season shows itself. We've had a nice break from severe winter weather this last week. In fact, the other day when the temperature was in the thirties one of the weather people reminded us that on the same day last year the windchill was fifty-one degrees below zero. What a contrast. It was fun to watch people walk their dogs and play with their children, like a nice Spring or Summer day. A little nice weather takes us a long way toward a much better overall outlook about the world.

As this was going on, I had occasion to be outside the city in rural Iowa which was what made me think about hibernation. As children, we learned about the bear's life cycle and that they spend several months in their dens in a state of hibernation. While this is interesting, as I traveled across the countryside, a completely different definition came to mind. Our row-crop agriculture shuts down at the end of the harvest season and as farmers come out of the field, they still have work to be accomplished.  Equipment is cleaned and serviced before being put away for the winter. But slowly, the work is completed, machine sheds and barns fill up, and doors are pulled closed. The farmstead begins to hibernate. There might still be work to be accomplished over the winter months, but in large part, things are shut up and put away. Then, much as is the case of the bear in the spring, when the time comes, machine sheds and barns open up and the period of waking occurs. I enjoy watching this part of the cycle of the state and when I lived other places; it was part of what I missed.

Another part of the hibernation seen in Iowa in the winter is the farmland itself. Again, as harvest ends, farmers prepare the land for winter. This may include fall tillage or chemical application, but whatever they do, it makes things ready for winter. For me, looking at snow-covered farmland makes me imagine the land is asleep, waiting for spring to wake it to a new season. From other blogs I have posted, you know I love crops in the late summer, moving and shimmering in the breeze, but this season is a close second.

Enough about all of this. You know I love the state and never want to live anywhere else. I just hope you see the beauty I see. My sister is picking up the teardrop sometime this summer. But she announced that she is coming out earlier to look things over and decide what they need as to initial provisions and equipment. She's also coming to spend time with the grand-kids. I just say "yeah" to all of this activity. We'll take the trailer out for a bit of a shakedown run to make sure it pulls right and all the gear works. I tried to convince her that Maine is an awfully long trip for the maiden voyage, and talked to her regarding the idea of shipping the trailer, but she is not to be deterred. She knows they can and will make the trip to take the trailer home. This is exciting as the first vehicle I have ever built is about to launch. Also, it is very exciting as I retrieve a large chunk of my shop. The space will let me make real progress on kitchen cabinets for the house.

In my next blog I'll show you pictures of the trailer and tell you about the challenges in building it. I am excited to show you what I have done and I will be interested in your thoughts. One thing I have yet to do is purchase initial equipment to help J & K out and get them started. Again, I look forward to your thoughts. Have a great weekend.

Hon

The Urban Dictionary tells us that this term of endearment is short for honey. It's good to have a definition, but more important to me, this word is capable of making my day.

Say I am in the drive through getting my “Ultimate Whopper” and when the person, most often a woman, comes to the window, they say something like, “Have a good day, hon.” This immediately brings a smile to my face and helps elevate the rest of the day. I hope there is something for you which accomplishes this feeling.

As the new year has come and gone, and we are under the specter of a twenty-four-hour, minute by minute news cycle I find myself thinking about this more and more. What is it in these words that is so powerful for me? And I think about a couple of completely unrelated things.

First, I think about Star Trek. Not the later versions, but the Star Trek I rushed home to watch when I was a kid and the series was on for the first time. I would love to tell you the name of the episode, but I can’t remember enough specifics to get there. The story was about an advanced lifeform, without a physical body, interacting with the crew of the Enterprise. To come to the solution for the episode, the lifeform had to take over the body of one of the crew. Okay, be patient, I'm getting to the important part. One of the observations the lifeform made about the “human condition” was how alone humans are. By alone, they meant separate from others, not interconnected.

On one of the Sunday morning news shows last week there was a piece about a psychologist from the 50s and 60s. After working with returning veterans, he proved that suicide rates could be cut in half in high-risk populations just by sending them post cards with personal notes of encouragement. Wow.

I'll bring this full circle back to my person in the drive-through. With no agenda and no hidden motive, they took the second needed to use a word which made me smile. Although I know this, they probably have no idea it had the impact.

And after taking you through the wander I just concluded, I ask how am I taking care of those I know and care about? With such a busy life and so much going on, I probably haven't taken care of those around me. I have friends who are absolutely great at this. They can know the right thing to say and the right time to say it.

For those of us this for which does not come naturally, we have to work harder at it. I intend to think more about people I interact with intermittently. Maybe I can be better about connecting with them. Time will tell, it always does.

Okay, shop news. A couple of updates. One thing I've wanted to do for a long time was to make a good conditioner for the cutting boards I've made, sold, and given away over the years. I combined mineral oil and beeswax to condition the wood and add lost luster to the item. If any of you have items you have gotten from me, finished with oil to be food safe, reach out and we will find a way to spiff them up.

Next, we are within months of finishing the Teardrop trailer. Then, J and K will come out and pick it up. I'm adding the final flourishes, like fans, windows, door locks, etc. The heavy lifting is done on this project. I look forward to it leaving the shop once and for all, and I really hope it is exactly what my sister wanted all those years ago we started talking about it. We will make some shakedown runs when we get good weather, which still may be awhile. And yes, I will take some pictures and post them here.

Finally, I am getting the hang of using the CNC router I added to the shop a year ago. One of the recommendations from an expert in the field was not to try to “fight outside your weight class” too soon. This is a good recommendation. Early on I had some failures when I tried to do projects too complex for my skill. Over time, I've learned a lot. The last real hurdle I have is to find a good/easy drafting software which will easily move to the language I need for the CNC. More to come on this front.

Well, it is winter in Iowa. We've had horribly cold days and nights, and it is snowing again today. I hope you are safe and warm and having a great week. Be in touch with the important people in your life. It's as big a deal for you as it is for them.

White Charger

No, no, not that white Charger. I am talking about the white horse the hero rides when off to save the damsel in distress. You remember the fairy tale.

I don't often get the opportunity to be the person riding in to save the day, but last week, I got the chance to do it twice. I want to tell you about one of those. For all of my adult life, and most of the years I was learning to drive, one thing I was told again and again was not to pick up hitchhikers. It was an unsafe decision. So, I've stopped to give someone a ride twice, one of them last week.

I'd been in the Twin Cities and was heading back mid-morning on Wednesday. The temperature was four degrees there, and the wind was blowing. As I drove, I saw a car on the side of the road with its flashers blinking. No one was in the car and there were no other cars around it. Someone was having a bad day. About a quarter of a mile down the road, two people, wrapped in blankets were walking along the side of the interstate. Interestingly, all the training and all the words from the past were nowhere to be heard. I pulled over as quickly as I could, rolled down the windows on the passenger side of the truck and waited for the two to catch up to me.

Now comes the interesting part. Two young women approached my truck as though it was the “portal to hell.” Obviously, they'd received the same training and conversation about taking a ride from a stranger. Now, looking back on it, the whole thing was hilarious. I had already made the leap to this being okay, but they just weren't sure getting in a truck with a stranger was the safe, smart thing to do. So, I decided to break the ice. I told them I would be happy to take them the couple of miles to the truck stop to where they would be warm and safe. I also looked at them, smiled, and told them I was safe, adding there were two of them and only one of me.

Somewhere in the middle of the short conversation, I won them over. One of them jumped in the front seat and the other in the back. We started moving and I recognized how cold they already were. One could barely speak through shivering teeth. I asked about their situation and they had literally run out of gas about two miles sooner than needed. They'd already talked to family who lived about thirty minutes south and who were headed toward them to help. In less than five minutes, I had them snug in a warm truck stop, waiting for family to come and bail them out.

As I drove away, I found myself smiling and thinking, as my sister would have said when we were younger, “all at the same once.” The reason for the smile was obvious. I helped someone who was in a jam. The thinking takes a little more to get processed. I found myself taking a look at all the things we take for granted. The things we have learned, either intentionally, or unintentionally over a lifetime. One of mine was to never pick up hitchhikers. I could argue I didn't break that rule as these girls weren't hitchhiking, but were in trouble. But the other thing is that nobody else stopped to help them. Many of us have the same rule set. But, for the three of us involved in the five minutes where I gave them a ride, we will probably think differently about similar situations in the future. Heck, at the end of it, I don't even know their names. They were just people who needed help.

So, in this time of holiday cheer, thinking of friends and family, it again points out to me the need to think about ways we can help each other. This can be those we know intimately, or those barely known to us. I know for me this year, I am thinking more about how I can help others than I typically do, and it will be interesting to see where this leads.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Jim

Skinnin' Fish

Sometimes a family story comes to the top of your head, and until you get it told, it will not go away.

Grandma and Grandpa lived on the hill heading out of town going east for as long as I can remember. Throughout those years, the same family lived across the road. Our families were always friendly, but not what anyone would call friends. Over the years of sitting on the front steps and living in close proximity, there was a tendency to watch each other.

As the story goes, one afternoon, Grandma and Grandpa sat in front of their house and something was going on across the way. Grandma watched with rapt interest for some amount of time and then announced her thoughts.

They were skinnin’ fish over there.

As the story goes, this struck Grandpa in as  funny , and laughter erupted. At the end of all of the laughing and conversation, they both decided it didn't matter what was going on across the road. But that was the only the beginning of the story. From the moment that exchange happened until today, if the situation is similar - something is happening but you can’t tell what - a family member will say, "Well, I think they’re skinnin’ fish.” The rest of us still laugh.

I believe one reason this came to mind today is the current state of communication in the United States. I watch it happen with friends and family. There is so much intensity on everything being said it is impossible to recognize the important from the inane. Social media platforms feed into this. I remember a friend telling me the purpose of Twitter. He told me is was to let all of his friends know he ate a doughnut this morning. Although I think this may be a little overstated, I feel as though it is more right than wrong. People can get wound up about the most unimportant things, and honestly, they may be just skinnin’ fish.

Two members of my family work around moving traffic. One of them work in road maintenance and repair, and one worked as a police officer. Both told stories of the bad things that happen when people aren't paying attention to the right things. In fact, for the police officer ,it was sometimes referred to as “gore gawkers.” For both family members, because people didn't pay attention to the responsibilities they had as drivers, they were not as safe.

These two things go together. If we did a better job of staying focused on what was truly important, and find a way to laugh at ourselves when what we are focused on is not really important, we might well be in a better place. This is something I've been working on. I will tell you that without exception, if you let the unimportant things roll of your back, it makes life easier to deal with.

Stop skinnin' fish ... unless of course, you just reeled in a fifteen-pound walleye. Have a great week and a very good Thanksgiving.