More on bosses..

3. They wear their emotions on their sleeves.
Good bosses are professional.
Memorable bosses are highly professional and yet also openly human. They show sincere excitement when things go well. They show sincere appreciation for hard work and extra effort. They show sincere disappointment -- not in others, but in themselves. They celebrate, they empathize, they worry. Sometimes they even get frustrated or angry.
In short, they’re human. And, unlike many bosses, they act as if they know it.
Professionalism is admirable. Professionalism -- with a healthy blend of humanity -- is inspiring.

4. They protect others from the bus.
Terrible bosses throw their employees under the bus.
Good bosses never throw their employees under the bus.
Memorable bosses see the bus coming and pull their employees out of the way often without the employee knowing until much, much later... if ever, because memorable bosses never try to take credit.
And if they can't, they take the hit. (And later speak privately to the employee in question.)

5. They’ve been there, done that... and still do that.
Dues aren't paid, past tense. Dues get paid each and every day. The true measure of value is the tangible contribution we make on a daily basis.
That’s why no matter what they may have accomplished in the past, memorable bosses are never too good to roll up their sleeves, get dirty, and do the “grunt” work. No job is ever too menial, no task ever too unskilled or boring.
Memorable bosses never feel entitled, which means no one feels entitled to anything but the fruits of their labor.

Here are some of the qualities of truly unforgettable bosses:

Here are some of the qualities of truly unforgettable bosses:

1. They believe the unbelievable.
Most people try to achieve the achievable; that’s why most goals and targets are incremental rather than inconceivable.
Memorable bosses expect more -- from themselves and from others. Then they show you how to get there. And they bring you along for what turns out to be an unbelievable ride.

2. They see opportunity in instability and uncertainty.
Unexpected problems, unforeseen roadblocks, major crises... most bosses take down the sails, batten the hatches, and hope to wait out the storm.
A few see a crisis as an opportunity. They know it’s extremely difficult to make major changes, even necessary ones, when things are going relatively smoothly.
They know reorganizing an entire sales team is accepted more easily when a major customer goes under. They know creating new sales channels is a lot easier when a major competitor enters the market. They know reorganizing manufacturing operations is a lot easier when the flow of supplies and components gets disrupted.
Memorable bosses see instability and uncertainty not as a barrier but as an enabler. They reorganize, reshape, and re-engineer to reassure, motivate, and inspire -- and in the process make the organization much stronger.

The Market Cornered

No one has the market cornered when it comes to stress or problems.

I have friends in all walks of life and we all share the same concerns and issues.
Every work place have their share of very hard workers that give a dam and we also have our share of workers who try to see how little they can do for the most pay.
We all have leaders that we look up to learn from and we all have leaders that probably should not be in a leadership role.
We all worry about the long term, our medical bills and our kids.

It is how we handle the day and our own conflicts that matter.
If you think it can not be worse just keep thinking that it sure will.
Or go visit a third world country where millions of people walk miles every day for water or a bowl of rice.

Stop the complaining and look at the good in your life and work with the bad.

If you think it is just your life, or your profession think again.

Arpin Ranked number 1

Arpin was ranked number one in the “household goods” and “high value goods” categories. The company had the highest overall scores in the following areas:

• Performance
• Value
• Information Technology
• Customer Service
• Equipment and Operations (tied for #1 in this category)

“When you consider the challenging environment in which transportation and logistics service providers have had to manage over the past year, we believe that walking away with a Quest for Quality Award in 2014 is nothing less than a monumental achievement that should be celebrated across the entire organization,” said Michael Levans, group editorial director of Peerless Media, which publishes Logistics Management.
For over three decades, Logistics Management's Quest for Quality Award has been regarded in the transportation and logistics industry as one of the most important measures of customer satisfaction and performance excellence.
The results of the Quest for Quality survey is the culmination of a six-month undertaking in which 7,451 logistics and supply chain decision makers placed their votes for the "best of the best" in service excellence across a number of critical criteria.
The winners of the 2014 Quest for Quality Award are acknowledged in the August issue of Logistics Management as well as the 31st Annual Quest for Quality Gala Awards Ceremony that takes place on Wednesday, September 24, 2014, at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio -- the final evening of this year's CSCMP Annual Global Conference.

More good stuff to work on...

1. See the big picture. Don’t get lost in the weeds.
2. Accept others as they are, not as you wish they were, before calling them to rise up.
3. Accept reality as it is, not as you wish it was. Power isn’t about pretending. Blame reflects weakness.
4. Be grateful for what you have, even as you reach higher. Ungratefulness makes you weak.
5. Show compassion and tenderness. Enhance your power by giving second chances.

Some bullet points to work on...

1. Hold yourself and others to high standards.
2. Solve problems don’t make them. Be a can-do rather than a can’t-do person.
3. Acknowledge what you can’t do; focus on what you can.
4. Finish stuff.
5. Ask questions.
6. Be persistent.
7. Practice generosity.
8. Avoid impulsive decisions.
9. Call out the elephant in the room.
10. Cultivate an inner circle who believes in you.
11. Say what you think with candor and kindness.

Confidence

Many people I have met are good people that work hard and have many positives and many do not have the self confidence needed to truly relax and enjoy what they have.

They are always worried about how much the other guy is making or what the other guy is doing.

I can only attribute that to lack of self confidence. I know that they are smart and do a good job so why do they allow all the negative to seep in?

There is enough to worry about without inventing problems. Do not go looking for them because we all will have our issues and situations in our life that come up , stay positive and have enough self confidence to stay within yourself -

From one of our customer care reps...

I walked into an email yesterday that I cannot seem to get off my mind. I cannot sleep, and need somewhere to express this before I explode.

 We all face "challenge".

  This summer, god knows I think we all have been faced with it in the industry. So why not take those challenges, learn from them and develop new ways to solve what caused the challenge in the first place?
  It's easy to "complain" about the issue; but actions speak louder than words. I am guilty of this myself.
 Profit does not come from compliance; but compassion.
 Some of the best agents/drivers/partners I know stand by this.

Work harder/smarter to make things better.

  At end of the day, if you did all you could, then you have success.

Well said Lisa !!

Some people

Some people see things as they are and say why. 
I dream things that never were and say why not?

Dare to be the change-

Make a difference.

Goals

What kind of goals do you set for yourself?

Everyone should have goals- sort term and long term.

Daily goals - just trying to be patient or remembering to be thankful for all you have.
Maybe it's a daily goal to smile more or to try to laugh at least once or twice.

You should have a 5 year goal- where do you want to be financially or personally ?

And a long range goal- what do you want out of life?

Simplify
and work toward it.

You can not reach a goal and start to obtain it if you do not first make them and say them out loud.

Do you have any goals?

Mistakes

Leadership mistakes:

1. Waste resources.
2. Squander opportunities.
3. Misuse talent.
4. Hurt people.

The worst part of making mistakes is hurting others.

Do your best NOT to hurt others-
Gossip hurts- try to avoid gossip and talking bad about someone- it has NO positive effects.

Seize the  day and the opportunities right in front of you !

Get to know the positives and what the people around you do best and work with that.
That is the sure sign of a good leader or boss or crew chief.

Dare to Fail

From Driver Skip....TIME?

TIME?

My time is so segmented, so many rules I have to follow, so many responsibilities I have to meet, SO LITTLE TIME......

The first story about that title, centers around today...I try to get a doctors appointment on short notice...GOD, only knows where I'll be in two weeks...AND up to this point my Doctor has been able to work me in...This is after the sleep apnea fiasco that he pulled my ass out of the sling by ordering it for me without seeing me...Funny thing is, I sent Concentra the same info and asked for a prescription for the test....7 days later those morons call me call to tell me they were thinking about it...At least he came through and got me rolling...

Think about it, our time is really valuable,$85 for me and $85 for the truck out of the tariff per hour. That leads into another doctor story:

I had an appointment with a new doctor back in 1987,the time was 9:30 am, saw him at 11 am. handed him a bill for $255 of my time and he asked what it was about...YOU just cost me time so here's your bill....The REST of my appointments were on time, and no, he did not pay that bill...

Then to tie this into our industry, think about it, jobs only take so long. On the information given to us at origin, we can plan our time, be where we are supposed to be on time and do our job....BUTT, ....Let one little detail like a 900 foot carry come in and it may SCREW your next 4 jobs, make you late, our have to change everything around, to work it out....Believe me, knowledge is power. With the little info we get(at the very least an address)we can look at Google maps(satellite images right down to the street, street views of the driveway)and make an intelligent guess as to if a shuttle is needed-2 freaking weeks before we drop....We can look for low wires, low tree's, ANY other issues way before they pop up....

Laugh

Try not to take yourself ..or life..to seriously.

We are only visiting this planet and our time is limited so have fun, enjoy...laugh.
Do not take yourself to serious ...no one else does.

Find a way each day to laugh or to make someone else laugh. It is contagious.
If you start the day complaining and unhappy then most likely the rest of your day will follow suit.
Then one day leads into another and ...there you go...time wasted.

Everybody encounters something negative every day, it's how you handle it that is the difference.

Laugh

1947

THIS WAS THE YEAR...1947

U.S. PRESIDENT & VICE PRESIDENT

HARRY TRUMAN

THERE WAS NO VICE PRESIDENT

TIME MAGAZINE PERSON OF THE YEAR

GEORGE CATLETT MARSHALL

COST OF LIVING                                                    COST OF FOOD

New House                $6,650                                       Granulated Sugar     .85 for 10 lbs

Average Income       $2,854                                        Milk                           .78 per gallon

New Car                    $1,290                                        Ground Coffee         .55 per pound

Average Rent            $68.00 a month                         Eggs                          .23 per dozen

Movie Ticket             .55                                              Bacon                       .48 per pound

Postage Stamp          .3                                                Fresh Bread             .13 per loaf

POPULAR MOVIES                                                BORN THIS YEAR

Road to Rio                                                                Stephen King

Body and Soul                                                            Richard Dreyfuss

A Double Life                                                             David Bowie

The Fugitive                                                               Tom Clancy

Miracle on 34th Street                                              Farrah Fawcett

My Favorite Brunette                                               Elton John

More on Robin Williams....10 of his greatest Quotes..

In honor of Williams’ considerable impact on entertainment, his extensive charitable work and his incisive social commentary, here are 10 of his greatest quotes:

1. “You're only given one little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it.”
2. “What’s right is what’s left if you do everything else wrong.”

3. "No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change this world." -Dead Poets Society
4. “Some are born great. Some achieve greatness. Some get it as a graduation gift.”

5. "[Mentor Jonathan Winters] taught me that the world is open for play, that everything and everybody is mockable in a wonderful way."
6. "You have this idea that you'd better keep working otherwise people will forget. And that was dangerous. And then you realize, no, actually if you take a break people might be more interested in you."
7. “I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up all alone. It’s not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people that make you feel all alone.” -World’s Greatest Dad

8. “If women ran the world we wouldn't have wars, just intense negotiations every 28 days.”
9. “It's a wonderful feeling when your father becomes not a god but a man to you -- when he comes down from the mountain and you see he's this man with weaknesses. And you love him as this whole being, not as a figurehead.”

10. “But only in their dreams can men be truly free. It was always thus and always thus will be.” -Dead Poets Society

Robin Williams....RIP

Famed actor and comedian Robin Williams was born on July 21, 1951, in Chicago, Illinois. After developing his improvisational style as a stand-up comedian, Williams landed his own television show, Mork and Mindy, and moved into leading parts in film with Robert Altman's Popeye. He played numerous memorable film roles, both comedic and dramatic, and after three previous nominations won an Academy Award for best supporting actor for his role in Good Will Hunting. On August 11, 2014, the actor was found dead in his home at the age of 63.



REST IN PEACE ROBIN - YOU TOUCHED MANY A LIFE

http://news.msn.com/videos/?videoid=4fb6b9db-7693-be58-ecca-c58a39aa2aca

Social media

Is social media making us less social?

The " social media" generation biggest challenge is going to be how to harness this wonderful world of communication.

It is possible to never leave your home now to be entertained or to work or to converse with your friends and family. You can email, skype and tweet and post.

But is it healthy 24/7 ?

I think people still need human contact, face to face conversation and down time from any electronics. It is good to sit in quiet or just " listen".

People stare at their laptop or computer for approval or to show off or tell people off.

All unhealthy.

How to harness this power wil define the coming generations.

We need to use the internet as a tool not a replacement.

 Look up- get out- stop, look and listen.

Illuminate it

Faith

Help someone

We can't help everyone...
but everyone can help someone.

Yes- YOU can make a difference-

Our drivers do it every day.
They enter a house where most times anxiety is high and people are about to make a change that will effect the rest of their lives and they are total strangers.
They then need to begin to take way all of the strangers most personnel possessions.

That is where they can make a difference.
By taking control and showing that they truly care they can begin to at least remove that worry from the family that they just met.

By the end of the move their are hugs and handshakes and there you go...

You helped someone.

Stay focused

Stay focused on what is important and don't sweat the small stuff.
And remember most stuff is small.
We have a tendency to allow the curve balls to throw us off or ruin our day.
When something goes wrong we need to talk about it and relive it, sometimes several times a day.
Let it go. Stay focused.

What is important?

At the end of the day, are you still standing? Did you learn anything?
And most important - did you help someone?
Did you help make somebody's day?
Sometimes all it may have taken was a smile or a " good morning" or a " thank you".

Stay focused on your goal.
Not just your day's goal but your long range goal.

What is your long ranged goal?

You should know what your goals are so that you can remind yourself on what is important and you can work toward it.
No matter what your goal I guarantee you that you that you cannot achieve it alone.
You need allies, you need friends, you need support.

So smile, and stay focused.

Live Life...

"Live Like You Were Dyin'"

He said I was in my early 40's,
With a lot of life before me,
And a moment came that stopped me on a dime.
I spent most of the next days, lookin' at the x-rays,
Talkin' 'bout the options and talkin' 'bout sweet time.
Asked him when it sank in, that this might really be the real end.
How's it hit ya, when you get that kind of news.
Man what ya do.
And he says,



 I went sky divin',
I went rocky mountain climbin',
I went 2.7 seconds on a bull name Fumanchu.
And I loved deeper,
And I spoke sweeter,
And I gave forgiveness I've been denying,
And he said someday I hope you get the chance,
To live like you were dyin'.

He said I was finally the husband,
That most the time I wasn't.
And I became a friend a friend would like to have.
And all the sudden goin' fishing,
Wasn't such an imposition.
And I went three times that year I lost my dad.
Well I finally read the good book,
And I took a good long hard look at what I'd do
If I could do it all again.

Tim McGraw

A divider

Are you a unifier or a divider ?

There are two kinds of people, those that work WITH people and try find a way to break down the walls ...and

The those that divide and build walls between people. They prefer to talk bad about others and see the negative.

I believe that there is good in everyone. 

Once you break down the wall and SEE the person, you will see the positive.

Some people are hard and have a rough exterior because they themselves have been hurt or have been cheated or lied to. So to protect themselves they become rough and guarded .

Once you actually see them for who they are or once were you start to knock down the walls and it is then that you can begin to build the bonds of friendship.

Remember we all carry a cross, we all have something that has made us who we are.

Our goal should be to try befriend people, forgive their rough exterior and work WITH them.

When your goal is to unify and not divide you begin to exhale and find that it is so much easier to work ad a team rather than to stand alone.

You will begin to learn more about the people around you and learn more about yourself.

Knock down those walls....care enough to see the people around you and begin to exhale.

The new normal

I am told that the new normal for the younger generation is they should expect to change jobs every 5 years.
I just do not think that is very productive or a good way forward for the employer or the employee.

I equate it to a head coach on a NFL football team.
The pressure is on him right away to win and there is a short timetable before everyone expects that team to win the Super Bowl.
The thing is it will take the head coach years to get his team in place and for everyone to buy into the game plan and learn the plays. Then he will need to evaluate the players and who is buying into the philosophy and if he has to replace someone he then needs to start the training process all over.

In operations I learned that it took me months and sometime years to evaluate an employee. The thing is everybody brings certain qualities to the table. The person you hired for a certain job may not be able to handle the duties you first wanted but a good manager can try to find the right fit. Assuming of course that the employee wants to work.

The process takes time for both the employer and the employee.

Once you find the right fit that person can not only perform his or her duties they can start to shape it and add to it and help the workplace be more productive.

If you are in constant turnover mode how do you grow, learn and  find new ideas?

Where do people think improvement comes from ? or ideas ?
When does the employee ever exhale or stop looking over their shoulder?

Loyalty is what sparks profit and ideas.

Teach Your Children

You who are on the road
Must have a code that you can live by
And so become yourself
Because the past is just a good bye

Teach your children well
Their father's hell did slowly go by
And feed them on your dreams
The one they pick's, the one you'll know by

Don't you ever ask them why
If they told you, you would cry
So just look at them and sigh
And know they love you

And you of tender years
Can't know the fears that your elders grew by
And so please help them with your youth
They seek the truth before they can die

Teach your parents well
Their children's hell will slowly go by
And feed them on your dreams
The one they pick's, the one you'll know by

  Crosby Stills Nash - Teach Your Children

Follow up

Once you say you are going to do something- do you follow up?

A person is only as good as their word so if you commit to something you need to do your best to finish what you committed to.

That is what builds your reputation, one way or another.
Either people will know that you will " get it done" or you will quickly fall into the category of the person who " may or may not " get it done. If you are the later then it then becomes the job of the first party to " follow up".

Most people prefer to work with people that " get er done".

That is what will make you successful...and gain you the positive image that you want and should strive for.

Once you are in ... you need to be all in. Take responsibility...follow up.

Common Sense

The major ingredient that I see missing today is - Common Sense-

If people would just take a minute to think about things and use their good old common sense they would be much better off.
The problem is today most people today have their head down so much typing that they do not take the time to look up or look around.

Take note of your surroundings, of the people around you-

Remember you NEED allies - you need help....STOP- LOOK AND LISTEN.

Watch what you say and how you say it-- USE YOUR COMMON SENSE.

Listen to yourself..play back conversations in your head. Could you have done it better?
Could you have handled a situation better?
Learn and try to improve.

How would you have liked to be talked to?

Common Sense....it's a wonderful thing.