50 facts that show we are living through the greatest period in World history

Expanding on my belief that everything is amazing and nobody is happy, here are 50 facts that show we're actually living through the greatest period in world history.

1. U.S. life expectancy at birth was 39 years in 1800, 49 years in 1900, 68 years in 1950, and 79 years today. The average newborn today can expect to live an entire generation longer than his great-grandparents could.

2. A flu pandemic in 1918 infected 500 million people and killed as many as 100 million. In his book "The Great Influenza," John Barry describes the illness as if "someone were hammering a wedge into your skull just behind the eyes, and body aches so intense they felt like bones breaking." Today, you can go to Safeway and get a flu shot. It costs 15 bucks. You might feel a little poke.

3. In 1950, 23 people per 100,000 Americans died each year in traffic accidents, according to the Census Bureau. That fell to 11 per 100,000 by 2009. If the traffic mortality rate had not declined, 37,800 more Americans would have died last year than actually did. In the time it will take you to read this article, one American is alive who would have died in a car accident 60 years ago.

4. In 1949, Popular Mechanics magazine made the bold prediction that someday a computer could weigh less than 1 ton. I wrote this sentence on an iPad that weighs 0.73 pounds.

5. The average American now retires at age 62. One hundred years ago, the average American died at age 51. Enjoy your golden years -- your ancestors didn't get any of them.

6. In his 1770s book The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith wrote: "It is not uncommon in the highlands of Scotland for a mother who has borne 20 children not to have 2 alive." Infant mortality in America has dropped from 58 per 1,000 births in 1933 to less than six per 1,000 births in 2010, according to the World Health Organization. There are about 11,000 births in America each day, so this improvement means more than 200,000 infants now survive each year who wouldn't have 80 years ago. That's like adding a city the size of Boise, Idaho, every year.

7. America averaged 20,919 murders per year in the 1990s, and 16,211 per year in the 2000s, according to the FBI. If the murder rate had not fallen, 47,000 more Americans would have been killed in the last decade than actually were. That's more than the population of Biloxi, Miss.

8. Despite a surge in airline travel, there were half as many fatal plane accidents in 2012 than there were in 1960, according to the Aviation Safety Network.

9. No one has died from a new nuclear weapon attack since 1945. If you went back to 1950 and asked the world's smartest political scientists, they would have told you the odds of seeing that happen would be close to 0%. You don't have to be very imaginative to think that the most important news story of the past 70 years is what didn't happen. Congratulations, world.

10. People worry that the U.S. economy will end up stagnant like Japan's. Next time you hear that, remember that unemployment in Japan hasn't been above 5.6% in the past 25 years, its government corruption ranking has consistently improved, incomes per capita adjusted for purchasing power have grown at a decent rate, and life expectancy has risen by nearly five years. I can think of worse scenarios.

11. Two percent of American homes had electricity in 1900. J.P Morgan (the man) was one of the first to install electricity in his home, and it required a private power plant on his property. Even by 1950, close to 30% of American homes didn't have electricity. It wasn't until the 1970s that virtually all homes were powered. Adjusted for wage growth, electricity cost more than 10 times as much in 1900 as it does today, according to professor Julian Simon.

12. According to the Federal Reserve, the number of lifetime years spent in leisure -- retirement plus time off during your working years -- rose from 11 years in 1870 to 35 years by 1990. Given the rise in life expectancy, it's probably close to 40 years today. Which is amazing: The average American spends nearly half his life in leisure. If you had told this to the average American 100 years ago, that person would have considered you wealthy beyond imagination.

13. We are having a national discussion about whether a $7.25-per-hour minimum wage is too low. But even adjusted for inflation, the minimum wage was less than $4 per hour as recently as the late 1940s. The top 1% have captured most of the wage growth over the past three decades, but nearly everyone has grown richer -- much richer -- during the past seven decades.

14. In 1952, 38,000 people contracted polio in America alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control. In 2012, there were fewer than 300 reported cases of polio in the entire world.

15. From 1920 to 1949, an average of 433,000 people died each year globally from "extreme weather events." That figure has plunged to 27,500 per year, according to Indur Goklany of the International Policy Network, largely thanks to "increases in societies' collective adaptive capacities."

16. Worldwide deaths from battle have plunged from 300 per 100,000 people during World War II, to the low teens during the 1970s, to less than 10 in the 1980s, to fewer than one in the 21st century, according to Harvard professor Steven Pinker. "War really is going out of style," he says.

17. Median household income adjusted for inflation was around $25,000 per year during the 1950s. It's nearly double that amount today. We have false nostalgia about the prosperity of the 1950s because our definition of what counts as "middle class" has been inflated -- see the 34% rise in the size of the median American home in just the past 25 years. If you dig into how the average "prosperous" American family lived in the 1950s, I think you'll find a standard of living we'd call "poverty" today.

18. Reported rape per 100,000 Americans dropped from 42.3 in 1991 to 27.5 in 2010, according to the FBI. Robbery has dropped from 272 per 100,000 in 1991 to 119 in 2010. There were nearly 4 million fewer property crimes in 2010 than there were in 1991, which is amazing when you consider the U.S. population grew by 60 million during that period.

19. According to the Census Bureau, only one in 10 American homes had air conditioning in 1960. That rose to 49% in 1973, and 89% today -- the 11% that don't are mostly in cold climates. Simple improvements like this have changed our lives in immeasurable ways.

20. Almost no homes had a refrigerator in 1900, according to Frederick Lewis Allan's The Big Change, let alone a car. Today they sell cars with refrigerators in them.

21. Adjusted for overall inflation, the cost of an average round-trip airline ticket fell 50% from 1978 to 2011, according to Airlines for America.

22. According to the Census Bureau, the average new home now has more bathrooms than occupants.

23. According to the Census Bureau, in 1900 there was one housing unit for every five Americans. Today, there's one for every three. In 1910 the average home had 1.13 occupants per room. By 1997 it was down to 0.42 occupants per room.

24. According to professor Julian Simon, the average American house or apartment is twice as large as the average house or apartment in Japan, and three times larger than the average home or apartment in Russia.

25. Relative to hourly wages, the cost of an average new car has fallen fourfold since 1915, according to professor Julian Simon.

More tomorrow

IT ALL HAPPENED DURING THE MONTH OF JANUARY

IT ALL HAPPENED DURING THE MONTH OF JANUARY

1776 During the American Revolution, George Washington unveiled the Grand Union Flag, the first national flag in America.

1848 The California gold rush began with the accidental discovery of the precious metal near Coloma.

1863 The Emancipation Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves in the states rebelling against the Union.

1892 Ellis Island in New York Harbor opened.  Over 20 million new arrivals to America were processed until its closing in 1954.

1915 The U.S. Coast Guard was created by an Act of Congress, combining the Life Saving Services and the Revenue Cutter Service.

1945 Franklin Delano Roosevelt was inaugurated to an unprecedented fourth term as President of the United States.

1959 Fidel Castro seized power in Cuba after leading a revolution that drove out Dictator Fulgencio Batista.  Castro then established a communist dictatorship.

1964 The U.S. Surgeon General declared cigarettes may be hazardous to health, the first such official government report.

1973 U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War ended as North Vietnamese and American representatives signed an agreement in Paris.

The Perfect Mover

The Perfect Mover:

A perfect mover is : courteous, diplomatic, intelligent, patient, humorous and even-tempered.

A perfect mover must be strong enough to move anything, yet gentle enough to break nothing, durable enough to work in any kind of weather, yet thoughtful enough not to sweat on the furniture, considerate enough to go without lunch to get the job done; yet reasonable enough to accept only modest consideration for his effort.

A perfect mover knows the best way to handle all household items and office equipment. He knows all the streets and highways in the United States and always remembers the shortest route wherever he goes.

A perfect mover understands people, mechanics, bookkeeping, banking, electricity, plumbing, carpentry, construction, law, medicine, real estate, horse trading and human nature.

A perfect mover shall satisfy, God, the customer, the carrier, the agent, the dispatcher, and his wife when he manages to get home.

A perfect mover, is thought to have the ability to prophesy the beginning and the end, be a healer of problems, a worker of miracles and to understand all words and tongues.

1940

THIS WAS THE YEAR...1940  U.S. President & Vice President Franklin Roosevelt & John Garner  Time Magazine Person of the Year Winston Churchill Cost of Living: New House    $3,925 Average Income   $1,725 New Car  $850 Average Rent  $30 per month Gasoline        .12 Movie Ticket             .30 Postage Stamp            .3 Cost of Food: Milk .51 per gallon Ground Coffee .42 Bacon .40 Eggs .19 Ground Beef .15

National and World News: Olympic Games were cancelled due to WWII. Winston Churchill becomes Prime Minister of Britain. Forty-hour work week goes into effect. Armistice Day blizzard kills 154 in Midwest Nylon stockings go on sale.   Popular Movies: Rebecca (Academy Award® Winner) All This, and Heaven Too The Bank Dick Fantasia The Grapes of Wrath The Mark of Zorro Pride and Prejudice Popular Music: All the Things You Are (Tommy Dorsey) Blueberry Hill (Glenn Miller) Careless (Glenn Miller) Darn That Dream (Benny Goodman) Trade Winds (Bing Crosby)

Show them that they matter

As you consider someone special in your life or your work who made you feel that you were important, you might notice some things they did. You, too can help people to know they matter by:

Listening deeply to things that are important to others without judgment or distractions. Stay present and focused to what is said, ask questions to understand their point of view and look them in the eye. Don’t try to fix you or solve their problems. Don’t rush the conversation because what they have to say is significant to them.

Notice what is exceptional about them. Let them know what you’ve observed and how it serves them and the organization they’re a part of. Continue to remind them of what they do well and help them to find ways to use those strengths in the workplace.

Include them in things that are important to them. Conversations, projects, and introductions to people who are essential for them to connect to let them know that they matter. Because you know what is special about them, you also know that they have great potential. You must stay vigilant in looking for ways to help them to reach it.

Express sincere gratitude for not only what they do but who they are. Let them know that they matter by conveying you appreciation in ways that touch their heart.


In the hustle of getting work done, it’s easy  to lose track of what it means to let the people around you how important they are.

Take a moment and remember someone who made you feel that way and then pay it forward to those who matter to you.

A Mover

What exactly does a professional Household Mover do ?

I was asked that question by a few recruiting sites that do not have first hand knowledge on what is the difference from a freight driver and a driver that does household goods.

Wow- where do I begin ??

Driving is actually a small portion of what a professional household goods driver has to do to be successful. Sure, if you add up the hours that he drives that is a pretty big part of his day. Especially if he is a over the road driver  ( those are the drivers that can be out on the road for weeks or maybe months at a time ). But they do SO MUCH more !

Most of the successful household good drivers started out as helpers, probably helping a brother or father. Or they needed cash and a job so they hooked up with a local agent to helped the over the road driver load or deliver.
 They learned how to carry furniture down a staircase, or pad a chair or build a tier in a trailer. There is so much to learn on the proper way to carry and wrap and pack and load, that in itself is a art form.

Those that advance take note on how the professional mover works with his crew and listens and informs the customer on what to expect or what he needs. Once again that is so important, you can be the strongest person in the house but if your people skills are not sharpened you will only go so far.

Now throw in paperwork, you need to know all the documents required for each line of work, they all need to be signed and explained to the customer. Being educated on all the DOT requirements is mandatory. Being diligent in preparing your daily logs and truck inspections and inspecting each household before you load or unload is imperative.

There is soooooo much more but I think you may get the point.-
Driving is a small portion.

The Professional Household Goods Driver is still an admirable profession and one that a person can make a very good living at and I still remember the first day I looked inside of a loaded trailer.
I was impressed and knew then that a household goods driver were pretty cool and I have admired them ever since.

Pack Mentality

From Driver Skip....

PACK MENTALITY?

Why is it when the snow starts flying, and states don't have enough funds to work the roads, do all vehicles seem to gravitate together? This picture is from northern Indiana,14 miles from where I was holed up in hiding from really bad roads. I was through there 4 hours before. ALL of northern Indiana was in the same shape , BUTT, an Oprah sized one, why were there so many people involved? It's simple, folks have no idea about following distance and always seem to pack up. In weather like that? Makes no sense to me. Me, I follow a simple rule, if cars and trucks start packing up too tight, I slow down and let them get away, don't care if it gets there on time, it will be done safely. This week, I 've had 4 days of sitting, waiting for conditions to improve, at that point I have to say thanks to EVERYONE at Arpin for not trying to pressure me to do something I consider as unsafe..

 

Right now, after slipping and sliding for the last 50 miles(hoping it would get better)I gave up and found a hole to drop into at the 97 mile marker on I-80 in Pennsylvania, It's not getting better until tomorrow. I'll wait....

 

 

Thank You

To all professional Drivers out there on our highways and town and city streets...Thank You !

We have National Driver Appreciation Week every year but it should be every day !

Without our Drivers the world would not exist as you know it. All the goods, food and supplies that you enjoy would disappear.

As technology starts to push out many things ( check out my last blog piece) it will never figure a way to move your household goods across the country or that load of fruit or lumber to your food market or Home Depot.

Through the years many rules and regulations have made life more difficult, don't get me wrong some were necessary others maybe extreme. Couple that with the economy going up and down, mostly down the past 10 years and the life on having to be away from home for days or weeks and you start to see the life of a professional driver.

The ones that I know are good people, people that care and want to work for their money.

They respect the people they work for and meet.

For the most part, at least in the household business , they are the nicest people to talk to.

They mostly will always go out of their way to help someone. Not just in the workplace but anytime.

They make friends around the country and bonds that last a lifetime.

But like most things in life they get taken for granted or overlooked.

I have always admired their profession and their outlook on life. Good, honest people that just want to provide for their family through hard work. Their major reward after a move is the handshake or hug they get at the end of a move.

Moving is one of the most stressful things in life that you go through and they know this and through their caring and expertise they are able to make a positive difference in someone's life.

That is pretty cool and that is what drives them and that is why I say THANK YOU.. Today and every day !

God Bless  

Ten Things That Will Disappear In Our (or our children's) Lifetime!

Ten Things That Will Disappear In Our (or our children's) Lifetime!

Whether these changes are good or bad depends in part on how we adapt to them. But, ready or not, here they come.

               

1. The Post Office
Get ready to imagine a world without the post office. They are so deeply in financial trouble that there is probably no way to sustain it long term. Email, Fed Ex, and UPS have just about wiped out the minimum revenue needed to keep the post office alive. Most of your mail every day is junk mail and bills.

2. The Check
Britain is already laying the groundwork to do away with check by 2018. It costs the financial system billions of dollars a year to process checks. Plastic cards and online transactions will lead to the eventual demise of the check. This plays right into the death of the post office. If you never paid your bills by mail and never received them by mail, the post office would absolutely go out of business.

3. The Newspaper
The younger generation simply doesn't read the newspaper. They certainly don't subscribe to a daily delivered print edition. That may go the way of the milkman and the laundry man. As for reading the paper online, get ready to pay for it. The rise in mobile Internet devices and e-readers has caused all the newspaper and magazine publishers to form an alliance. They have met with Apple, Amazon, and the major cell phone companies to develop a model for paid subscription services.

4. The Book
You say you will never give up the physical book that you hold in your hand and turn the literal pages. I said the same thing about downloading music from iTunes. I wanted my hard copy CD. But I quickly changed my mind when I discovered that I could get albums for half the price without ever leaving home to get the latest music. The same thing will happen with books. You can browse a bookstore online and even read a preview chapter before you buy. And the price is less than half that of a real book. And think of the convenience! Once you start flicking your fingers on the screen instead of the book, you find that you are lost in the story, can't wait to see what happens next, and you forget that you're holding a gadget instead of a book.

5. The Land Line Telephone
Unless you have a large family and make a lot of local calls, you don't need it anymore.
Most people keep it simply because they've always had it. But you are paying double charges for that extra service. All the cell phone companies will let you call customers using the same cell provider for no charge against your minutes.

6. Music
This is one of the saddest parts of the change story. The music industry is dying a slow death. Not just because of illegal downloading. It's the lack of innovative new music being given a chance to get to the people who would like to hear it. Greed and corruption is the problem. The record labels and the radio conglomerates are simply self-destructing.
Over 40% of the music purchased today is "catalogue items," meaning traditional music that the public is familiar with. Older established artists. This is also true on the live concert circuit.  To explore this fascinating and disturbing topic further, check out the book, "Appetite for Self-Destruction" by Steve Knopper, and the video documentary, "Before the Music Dies."

7. Television Revenues
To the networks are down dramatically. Not just because of the economy. People are watching TV and movies streamed from their computers. And they're playing games and doing lots of other things that take up the time that used to be spent watching TV. Prime time shows have degenerated down to lower than the lowest common denominator. Cable rates are skyrocketing and commercials run about every 4 minutes and 30 seconds. I say good riddance to most of it. It's time for the cable companies to be put out of our misery. Let the people choose what they want to watch online and through Netflix.

8. The "Things" That You Own
Many of the very possessions that we used to own are still in our lives, but we may not actually own them in the future. They may simply reside in "the cloud." Today your computer has a hard drive and you store your pictures, music, movies, and documents. Your software is on a CD or DVD, and you can always re-install it if need be. But all of that is changing. Apple, Microsoft, and Google are all finishing up their latest "cloud services." That means that when you turn on a computer, the Internet will be built into the operating system. So, Windows, Google, and the Mac OS will be tied straight into the Internet. If you click an icon, it will open something in the Internet cloud. If you save something, it will be saved to the cloud. And you may pay a monthly subscription fee to the cloud provider. In this virtual world, you can access your music or your books, or your whatever from any laptop or handheld device. That's the good news. But, will you actually own any of this "stuff" or will it all be able to disappear at any moment in a big "Poof?"
Will most of the things in our lives be disposable and whimsical? It makes you want to run to the closet and pull out that photo album, grab a book from the shelf, or open up a CD case and pull out the insert.

9. Joined Handwriting (WTF this was called "Cursive" in my day.)
Already gone in some schools who no longer teach "joined handwriting" because nearly everything is done now on computers or keyboards of some type (pun not intended).

10. Privacy
If there ever was a concept that we can look back on nostalgically, it would be privacy. That's gone. It's been gone for a long time anyway. There are cameras on the street, in most of the buildings, and even built into your computer and cell phone. You can be sure that 24/7, "They" know who you are and where you are, right down to the GPS coordinates, and the Google Street View. If you buy something, your habit is put into a zillion profiles, and your ads will change to reflect those habits.  "They" will try to get you to buy something else. Again and again.

Sheep

Are you a sheep ?

Do you follow or lead? Do you listen to all the gossip or do you stay focused on YOUR goals?

I see it more and more and mostly when times get rough and let's face it the household Industry has been in a huge transition in the past few years. Therefore many people search for answers and most unfortunately tend to listen to much to anybody they happen to run across.

They grasp onto whatever truth they think is the answer.

They become sheep.

Some of the gossip I hear is simply ridiculous.

Promises that are made are crazy but when people are vulnerable they listen and some jump.

There is only so many ways to break up a dollar. Many use smoke and mirrors or promises that they cannot uphold just to get their sheep to follow. 

I have been with Arpin for 29 years and in that time the drivers and employees that stayed focus on their jobs and on their quality have made a career here and brought up their families here and made a life.

What separated those that stayed and those that strayed?

They stayed in tough times, they helped find solutions and kept learning and stayed positive.

They did not buy into the gossip, the negative or become sheep.

Do what is right for YOU and your family. Do not jump when times get tough, be a part of the change. Fight those around you that try to get you to join them just to make them stronger.

If you are good and just worry about how you can improve you will not take on the world's problems giving you time to see better, to stay focused and not take on their anger.

Don't just follow the path....make your own path.

Tone

You set the TONE...

You are responsible for how people around you react to you and the work place around you. You set the tone.
No matter if you are the boss, a helper, a employee , the mail clerk .. whatever..it does not matter.
You set the tone.. you have the power.
If you are negative and angry that is what will come back at you.
If you are positive and help others that too will come back to you.

And this is not just a exercise for a day or a week or a month it has to be your philosophy.
Your goal in life.

Do you believe in Karma ?

Do you believe that you should respect and treat others the way you want to be respected and treated?

Then put it into action.
DO IT !

Be conscious on how you talk to people ... the tone that you set.
If you reflect back on a conversation or a situation and know that you could have handled it better then learn from it...change....TRY.

We all do it, we all over react and get paranoid and that effects what we say and what we do. That is ok , that is the human experience of life.. of the learning process.
We will do it again and again and when you think you finally have control you will do it again.
That is ok...just keep reflecting and learning and trying.

You have the power....only YOU... set the tone that you want around you.

Leadership must be Earned

In short, you earn leadership by knowing what matters.

Behavior matters. It doesn’t matter what your rank or role may be, where you come from, or if your title sounds impressive, you are not leader if your behaviors don’t demonstrate the integrity of doing the right thing.

Trust matters. Leaders must earn trust. You must set the example, know that you are setting the example, and have a deep understanding that trustworthiness takes character. To be trusting requires values, to be trusted requires earning the privilege.

Service matters. True leaders understand: Leadership is not about you but about those you serve. It is not about ennobling yourself but bringing others up. The best way to earn your leadership is to lose yourself in the service of elevating others.

Influence matters. Leadership is neither a title nor a position, it is a demonstration of character that is worthy of imitation, emulation and inspiration.

“Why” matters. When you dig deep into an organization and employees can tell you the deeper purpose and the mission of their organization, you will discover strong leadership there. Leadership means knowing how to manage and empower every level of your organization.
Earning the title of leader does not depend on how many diplomas we have received, or which corner office we have, or how much money we make, or what title we decide to give ourselves.

Leaders in all realms of life and leadership know that the power they have come to hold exists because they have earned the responsibility of serving the many. Leadership is ultimately a position of service, trust, and character

Lead From Within: Leadership is not patronage, power and position. It is about the service you give to show you care, the trust you bestow to show your integrity, the character you embody.  It’s more about reaching out instead of climbing up.

4 Reasons I Use The “F” Word At Work

From Ken Conley with The Ken Blanchard Company...



In most workplaces the “F” word is taboo. There are some words you just don’t say out loud and the “F” word tops the list. Leaders, in particular, are afraid to even think about the “F” word, much less say it in public. Experienced leaders have learned that mentioning the “F” word is like opening Pandora’s Box. You flip the lid on that bad boy and you’re in for a world of hurt. Some things, including the “F” word, are just better left unsaid.

I think that needs to change. Leaders need to use the “F” word more. Much more.
I used to be afraid of the “F” word until I learned better. Now I find myself using the “F” word whenever I get the chance. Here are four reasons why I use the “F” word - feelings - in the workplace (you didn’t really think I was talking about that “F” word, did you?!):

1. It recognizes reality - People don’t check their feelings and emotions at the office door. Every one of your employees is a walking, talking, bundle of thoughts and emotions that affect the way they “show up” at work. Even though every manager in the world wishes that people kept their personal lives at home and didn’t bring their issues to work, that’s just not realistic. Everybody, including you and me, have issues in our lives that affect our work performance. Maybe it’s a sick child, an ailing parent, marital problems, financial pressures, <insert challenge here>, you name it – we all have ups and downs in life. Effective leaders have learned to be emotionally intelligent and understand the need to manage the whole person, not just the faceless/mindless “worker” that shows up to do a job.

2. It builds trust - There is no more important leadership competency than building high-trust
relationships. There is very little chance for success in the leader/follower relationship without a solid foundation of trust. One of the core elements of a trustworthy relationship is “connectedness.” People trust you when they know you care about them as individuals and not just workers being paid to do a job. Acknowledging emotions, maintaining open communication, and recognizing/rewarding people for their accomplishments are key behaviors in building trust. You can’t build trust without using the “F” word.

3. It fosters engagement - Research has shown there are 12 primary factors in creating passionate employees at work. By “passionate” I mean engaged employees that are willing to be good corporate citizens, perform at high levels, and devote their discretionary energy to accomplishing their goals and those of the organization. Two of those 12 factors are relationship-focused: connectedness with leader and connectedness with colleagues. Like the theme song from the old TV sitcom “Cheers” says, “You want to go where everybody knows your name.” People need rewarding interpersonal relationships with their coworkers to be fully engaged on the job. Employees also want and need a supportive and personal relationship with their boss. Of course this varies by personality types and other factors, but everyone wants to have a positive and productive relationship with their leader. You have to talk about feelings if you want engaged employees.

4. It helps manage stress - People need an appropriate emotional outlet at work to share their concerns and frustrations. There needs to be a “safe zone” where people can voice their feelings without fear of recrimination, and in order for this to be possible, there has to be a high level of trust. Admittedly, this can be scary. If there aren’t proper boundaries in place, venting can quickly turn into gossiping, whining, complaining, and general negativity. That’s why I think it’s important for leaders to take charge on this issue and create a culture where their people feel safe in coming to them to share these concerns. People are going to vent about their frustrations whether the leader chooses to be involved or not. Why not be purposeful about creating a system, process, or structure to positively channel these feelings? (Oops, there I go…using the “F” word again.)
The world at work has changed dramatically over the last 25 years. The “F” word used to be off-limits. Everyone understood that people showed up for work, punched the clock, did their job, punched out, and went home. There wasn’t any namby-pamby talk about feelings, engagement, well-being, or happiness at work. You want to be fulfilled? Get a hobby outside of work. That will fulfill you.

Nowadays there is much less separation between a person’s personal life and work life. Technology has blurred the boundaries between those areas and it’s created new dynamics in the workplace to which leaders have to adapt. Whether you like it or not, leaders have to know how to deal with feelings in the workplace. Get used to it, you’re going to have start using the “F” word more. Much more.

It is easy to be broken

In the last blog piece we spoke of respect, the flip side of getting and giving respect is the lack of.

What happens when you are in a job or relationship where there is no respect?

It can break you down.

If you allow it to.

Not only is respect and treating each other respectfully a nice thing, it is necessary in life.

Without it you can become bitter and angry and from that comes a avalanche of emotions , mostly negative. 

It will break you down if you allow it.

What to do when you find yourself in a job or relationship where you are not respected or unappreciated?

Do not lose sight of what You believe.

 Stay true to yourself, do not feed into negative or try to play their game. It will only leave you hallow and full of hate.

Hate will wear you down and produce NOTHING positive.

I have been working full time for 40 years and about 30 of them have been managing people in some aspect and through that I have learned and observed. 

I am still learning.

I find the human character fascinating and how money and power can control so much of a person.

We all want to do better and pay our bills and have a good life.

I have seen many lose sight of just the simple pleasures and get lost in wanting more, more money, more power and with that they lose sight of people around them and get a selfish attitude.

I feel bad for those people because they do not SEE what success truly is.

Do not allow others to break you down because they are lost.

Do not hate them or play in their sandbox...just continue to respect others and yourself.

The late Nelson Mandela had all the reasons in the world to hate for what was done to him but he learned that would get him no where and only darken his soul.

He learned to forgive and move on, he did not allow those around him or his surroundings to break him. 

" Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a permanent attitude" Dr Martin Luther King Jr.

Respect

Respect ...7 letters that mean so much.

I have been in management or responsible for hiring and training and organizing others for most of my career.

I managed a retail store at 21 years of age, I managed a crew of electricians and pneumatic fitters for New England hospitals and schools and I managed drivers and dispatchers for a moving company and I learned at each job. I not only learned about the business but how to work with people and how to build bonds and how to get people to work together and grow.

Not always a easy chore.

For some reason most people are apprehensive , I think it comes from their past.

What I did find at every job was people all want respect. They appreciate being talked honestly to and looked in the eye and spoken as a equal, because after all we are all equal. Just because you may have a title or hold a management position we are all equal.

At the end of the day we all need to know that you are respected for what you do and that someone cares.

I have interviewed dozens of drivers and employees and they ALL say the same thing...they just want to be respected and appreciated and treated fairly.

That is what we all want and need. 

People do not need a atta boy after every move but they do need to know that someone recognizes what they do, that at the end of the day or week or month that it made a difference.

No matter how independent that you may be ..you need to know that you are going in the right direction and that someone has your back.

Knowing you have the needed support gives people the opportunity to grow and do their job and be proud of their work.

You get what you give in life....do you respect others ?

What's your first reaction?

What is your FIRST reaction when things go wrong?

Think about it ,  because it is very important. It sets the tone for those around you.
The one thing that we know is the things will go wrong.
No matter what business you are in or how hard you plan you can rest assure that something will happen to offset what plan that you had in place.

I am still surprised that people are surprised or angered when a curve ball comes their way.

It is how you react that separated you from the rest.
Stay in control, think do not just react.
Work the problem.

Apollo 13 is a great movie and what makes it great is not just the acting but that it was true. It actually happened and people had to come together in a very short amount of time to help save lives.
At first some people panic and start blaming others and pointing fingers and the gentleman in charge gets their attention and tells them all to stop and to work together and solve the problem.

That is most people's first reaction, to get angry or to point the blame. Both do nothing in the moment and will solve nothing. There is plenty of time for that after.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhoXFVQsIxw

Wait

If you are going to say anything critical or controversial, or if you're angry or emotional, wait 24 hours before you say it, send it, or post it to see if you still feel that way.

 Pausing before communicating is an underappreciated skill of great communicators. You don’t need to communicate what you think or feel immediately. In fact, your communication will be more powerful and thoughtful if you allow the circumstances to marinate for a period of time.

In this era of immediate and constant communication, thoughtful communication goes by the wayside. Instantaneous reaction is promoted and reinforced. It is often ineffective and demeaning. Great communicators collect their thoughts and develop significant “I messages.”

Listen

Focus on understanding what the other person is saying.

 When a customer is speaking, don’t spend the time preparing your response in your mind.
 Instead, ask questions for clarification and to make certain that you thoroughly understand what the other person is communicating. Focus your mind on listening and understanding.

If you find yourself (and that little voice in your head) arguing, prepping your response, or refuting what your customer is saying, you are not focused on thoroughly understanding her communication.

You have stopped listening and have refocused the discussion on your needs.

Take a look

Before you blame others take a good look in the mirror.

It is always easy to blame others, remember you have control and the power to change not only yourself but your life.
T

From one of our road drivers on bullies...

ALWAYS had a problem with bullies,
My way has always been to drag them away from everyone and confront them in private. I try to reason with them and if that does not work,
I escort them from the property...Find someone else to finish the job. A few times it's been rough, never had to call the law.
That's why I've been building crews-EVERYWHERE.

The guys I have are all background checked-AND, more important, CHECKED BY ME!

....If you find good labor or you have good employees or co-workers- treat them right.
It will come back to help YOU and remember- respect and thank you.

Get the bully or the uncooperative away from the job and others, they will only pollute the situation and be cancerous.

Bullies

Have you ever been bullied?

Or have people tried to intimidate you ?

I am sure that somewhere in your life this has happened.
Rather it was childhood, growing up, in school or at work-


Here are five helpful hints on confronting bullies-

1.      Confront bullies in private. Avoid bullying them in public.

2.      Explain the behavior you see.

3.      Describe the negative impact. “You embarrassed Bob when you belittled his work in front of the team.”

4.      Act quickly. Delay makes confrontation more difficult.

5.      Confront bullies even if you are lower in status. Be willing to bear the consequences of your confrontation, but know it’s the right thing to do.

Remember ...you are not better or more important  then anyone else....and no one is better or more important then you.

Respect yourselve and respect others.

Some Quotes

These quotes truly inspire me:

“The three common characteristics of best companies -- they care, they have fun, they have high performance expectations.” -- Brad Hams

“The one thing that's common to all successful people: They make a habit of doing things that unsuccessful people don't like to do.” -- Michael Phelps

“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit." -- Harry S. Truman

“The leader of the past was a person who knew how to tell. The leader of the future will be a person who knows how to ask.” -- Peter Drucker

“Leadership: The art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.” -- Dwight D. Eisenhower

“Good leadership isn't about advancing yourself.  It's about advancing your team.” -- John C. Maxwell

"People buy into the leader, then the vision.” -- John C. Maxwell

“Great leaders have courage, tenacity and patience.” -- Bill McBean

"People never learn anything by being told, they have to find out for themselves." -- Paulo Coelho

"In real life, the most practical advice for leaders is not to treat pawns like pawns, nor princes like princes, but all persons like persons." -- James MacGregor Burns

"The only source of knowledge is experience." -- Albert Einstein

“A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit.” -- Arnold H. Glasgow

“I praise loudly, I blame softly.” -- Catherine II of Russia

“Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress.” -- Mohandas Gandhi

“A long dispute means that both parties are wrong.” -- Voltaire

"One of the tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency." -- Arnold Glasow

“It doesn't matter where you're coming from. All that matters is where you are going to.” -- Stephen Covey

“Great works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance.” -- Samuel Johnson

“Strength doesn't come from what we can do. It comes from overcoming what we once thought we couldn't.” -- Rikki Roberts

“The most powerful predictable people builders are praise and encouragement.” -- Brian Tracy

“Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon them and to let them know that and trust them.” -- Booker T. Washington

“Ask because you want to know. Listen because you want to grow.” -- Mark Scharenbroich

“If you want execution, hail only success. If you want creativity, hail risk, and remain neutral about success.” -- Marcus Buckingham

“To get the best coaching outcomes, always have your 1-on-1's on your employee's turf not yours. In your office the truth hides.” -- Marcus Buckingham

“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” -- Alan Kay

“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

“I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.” -- Bill Cosby