Make a committment instead of a resolution

How about choosing to make a commitment instead of a resolution?

Choose carefully and don’t over-commit. Make sure that you are able to follow through on your commitment by considering how you’ll overcome barriers that may get in your way (most often, we are the barrier to our own success!). It’s okay to set your sights high! Consider the sacrifices you might have to make to achieve your commitment; you may have to give something else up to free your time or to better serve your dedication to the commitment.


Test it. Does your commitment feel realistic? Is it something that you can emotionally connect with? Is your heart open to it? When you have a positive emotional connection to your commitment, you are more likely to follow through and remain dedicated to success. If you feel yourself straying from your commitment along the way, think about whether it’s the right thing for you – and be willing to let it go and rethink what you are really committed to.

Figure out how. Consider the following when figuring out the steps needed to begin work on your commitment: What are the actions or behaviors that you need to take to move toward fulfilling your commitment? What do you need to learn to be successful in your commitment and how will you learn it? If you were to look ahead to the end of the year when your commitment is achieved, what will you be doing? Write down your steps.

Ask for help. Share your commitment statement with someone who can hold you accountable. Negotiate with them about how you’d like to be held accountable. Scheduled check-ins work for many, but anything that works for you is okay. The point is that accountability is key to success.

If you’re dedicated to your commitment, by the end of 2015 (and maybe before!), you will have developed a new way of being because of the commitment you’ve made.

Committment

How committed are you?

Do you want to succeed?

Do you want to make more money? Be successful? Save? Provide for your family?

If you want all of that then you need to commit yourself to excellence.
Silence your nay say'ers  and those that bring you down and concentrate how on you can do your job better.
How can you communicate better- think about it, work at it and then start to make a habit of it.

How can you prepare better? What have you learned ? What frustrates you ? Think about it then work on erasing those frustrations by preparing more.
Do not EVER assume anything or that someone else will do it.
Take control.
Commit.

Every time something goes wrong or situations arise ask yourself what you could have done to prevent it. Then correct it, change.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing every day and expecting different results.

You can be better, you can always do more.

Paul Arpin told me that he was always learning, right up to last days on earth he was still learning.
And he was one of the most knowledgeable people that I ever knew.

Make yourself a commitment that next year you will be a better businessman, a better person.

YOU CAN DO IT.

A sense of Wonder...

A sense of wonder keeps us curious and helps us understand things in new ways.
Here are some interesting perspectives on wonder, from some folks you may have heard of:
“Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man’s desire to understand.”      
                ——Neil Armstrong
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“He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.”  
               ——Albert Einstein
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“Wisdom begins in wonder.”            
              ——Socrates
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“Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit.”
              ——-e. e. cummings
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“Men love to wonder, and that is the seed of science.”

             ——-Ralph Waldo Emerson
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“Be aware of wonder. Live a balanced life – learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.”
           ——-Robert Fulghum
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“Without wonder and insight, acting is just a trade. With it, it becomes creation.”
           ——-Bette Davis
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“Because philosophy arises from awe, a philosopher is bound in his way to be a lover of myths and poetic fables. Poets and philosophers are alike in being big with wonder.”
          ——–Thomas Aquinas
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“From wonder into wonder existence opens.”
         ——–Lao Tzu

Leaders, this holiday season, enjoy the delight of not having all the answers. Remember to look for the magic and keep your sense of wonder.

Trust

You trust your team members with your life.

 There's nothing more important than trust. And at first, it's nearly impossible to know who to trust. After many failures, one's sense of "trust" almost evolves into a "gut feeling". Sometimes it's like meeting the right partner in life--you know, when you know.
 On the startup roller coaster ride, at times it feels like I am just hanging off of a ledge, but I can always "see" the helping hands of my team members, pulling me back to safety and saying, "We got you."
Some questions to ask yourself:

• If I were in a bad situation, will my team member drop everything and come to my rescue?
• Can I count on him/her to have my back?
• Is there any information hiding or untruthful behavior?

Rounding up the right team can be difficult but is crucial for running a successful business.

Complementary skills, a shared vision, and trust are three key ingredients to ensure you have the best group possible behind you as you take on the challenge of disrupting an industry and change the world.

Funny

The Alabama Department of Employment, Division of Labor Standards claimed a small mover(me) was not paying proper wages to his help and sent an agent out to investigate him.

AGENT: I need a list of your employees and how much you pay them.

Me: Well, there's my lumper who's been with me for 3 years. I pay him $200 a week plus free room and board. Then there's the mentally challenged guy. He works about 18 hours every day and does about 90% of all the work around here. He makes about $10 per week, pays his own room and board, and I buy him a bottle of bourbon every Saturday night so he can cope with life. He also sleeps with my wife occasionally.

AGENT: That's the guy I want to talk to - the mentally challenged one.

Me: That would be me.

Work with whatcha got

You can wish you had more to work with and wish your day away or ..
You can work with whatcha got...

Too many people spend the day complaining about their day and what they have in front of them. Maybe they received incorrect info or someone that they expected to work with did not show up or they are not meeting your standards- what do you do?
Take your time in your day and use it to whine and complain OR do you find a way to make it work?

You can always address your issues down the road but when you are in the moment your job is to do the best that you can do with what you have in front of you.
And here's the thing- you do it seamlessly to others.
You do not always have to pull others down to push yourself up or keep pointing at yourself as if to say " Look at Me"... just do it.

If life was perfect it would be easy BUT we all see things around us that we WISH were different.
So how do you effect change?
Work within the system and realize that change sometimes is slow. What may be evident to you may not be to others.
Worry about YOU- and what you can do to better perform YOUR job.

Work with whatcha got...and work within your means.

Season's Greetings

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND GOD BLESS

The Heart of the Matter

"The Heart Of The Matter"
By Don Henley

The more I know, the less I understand
All the things I thought I knew, I'm learning again
I've been tryin' to get down to the Heart of the Matter
But my will gets weak
And my thoughts seem to scatter
But I think it's about forgiveness
Forgiveness

 These times are so uncertain
There's a yearning undefined
...People filled with rage
We all need a little tenderness
How can love survive in such a graceless age
The trust and self-assurance that can lead to happiness
They're the very things we kill, I guess
Pride and competition cannot fill these empty arms

 There are people in your life who've come and gone
They let you down and hurt your pride
Better put it all behind you; life goes on
You keep carrin' that anger, it'll eat you up inside

 I think it's about Forgiveness




 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Keep Moving Forward

Hurry up

Hurry up and buy buy buy...
Isn't that what the holidays are about?

Everybody gets so stressed and worried. They need to be sure that they buy enough gifts and over buy for dinner parties....stress stress stress..
Isn't that what the holidays are about?

Too bad we do this to our selves. We forget what the heck we are even celebrating.
When all is said and done we may have a few hours to exhale and MAYBE enjoy the moment.

Holidays are all controlled by the media now, all the marketing 24/7 is to get you to spend money.
Buy stuff you don't need so you can go more in dept.

Why?

Wouldn't it be nice to just relax and enjoy EACH OTHER.
Spend more time with people that you care about and less time in the mall getting frustrated.

Guess what- you can do it- CHOOSE - to celebrate life and friends and loved ones with a hug, a kind word or just a simple conversation.

Hurry up....the choice is yours..

Holiday to do list..

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 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 languages. 

A special thank you to all Arpin Drivers... Happy Holidays!

EGO

If we have lived life well, we will die many times. The death of the ego is one of the most difficult experience to go through, yet the most rewarding. There is our way and then the we way. From I - thee, we move to the I- thou relationship as Buber states. We come to understand that we are one and if we hurt the other we also hurt ourselves.

 When we undestand that we are not at the center of the universe and people do and say things or fail to say things or do things and guess what it is not about us after all: we are finally free and we get a new life.

Not trying hard enough

Resilient people try to learn from each mistake -Rather than make excuses for their failures,   They identify skills, ideas, and life lessons that can be learned from each failed opportunity.

They view failure as evidence that they’re stretching themselves to the limits. They know that if they don’t ever fall down, they’re likely not trying hard enough.

 Each stumble provides proof that they’re pushing themselves outside of their comfort zones, which is an essential component to self-growth.

Resilient People

Resilient people recognize that no matter how bad the circumstances are, their situation could always be worse. They don’t allow themselves to exaggerate how terrible their problems are and they don’t run around predicting how much worse things are going to get. Instead, they view failure with an accurate perspective.

Rather than become upset their first attempt didn’t work, resilient people choose to be grateful they had the opportunity to try. They remind themselves that many of today’s setbacks won’t matter next year. Their willingness to look for the silver lining keeps their mood positive as they continue to behave productively, even when things don’t work out the way they’d hoped.

What could YOU have done ?

From Driver of the Year...Skip...

"Try to not point blame is something goes wrong but reflect on what YOU could have done to prevent it. You can get angry all day and say that it was somebody else's job but if it effects YOUR job then ultimately YOU are responsible.",
YES, even with the limited knowledge we get about our job, we can fix things BEFORE, we get there...See the picture, simply looking at the address from Google maps...The center house, with the pond and pool, is a SHUTTLE...We can prepare....WAY ahead of the loading time.. .INVESTIGATE! Prevent issues!

Always call the shipper and ask the right questions...Packing done? Truck access ?I always arrive early, tell my shippers they will see me before 7 AM, but I won't bother them until 8...At that point I've seen what I need to see and have an hour to fix issues before they become issues...

I also grew tired of being a taxi...Transporting labor(picked up at the agent at 8am)to residence, and starting on the job at 10....Now, if they can't get there(yes, I do kick in for gas)they don't work.....Early start, early finish..

Big pack and loads.. I try to get done with the pack by 3 pm, normally, cut the guys loose to start taking things apart, and padding after each room is inventoried.. Nothing is loaded on the first day....Then imagine the shipper walking around in the house, seeing shrink wrap, everything padded, no wood showing...ALL NIGHT LONG!...The next am they are on your side, and the job will be done by 3 pm....

It ain't that hard.

Carry that weight

We all carry weight...we take our past with us.

As Jackson Browne says in one of his songs " no matter how fast I run I can never run away from me".  We all fight memories of growing up, which actually seems so silly but it is true.
Our foundation is poured before we even have a choice.
And believe me we all have stories and weight to carry.

Some people grow up with one struggling parent or maybe no parents. Some grow up with alcoholism or abuse and they see and hear it in their heads every day.
Some grow up in poverty or alone.
There always was bulling but with today's technology cyber bulling is a whole other weight.

Many things that are completely out of our control yet we allow them to dictate our path and our reactions.
That is why the " Let it Go " principal is so important but it is easier said then done.
It normally takes a lot of self reflection and honest communications.
It is a daily chore and commitment.

Don't allow yesterday or people that may have hurt you control you or your life.

You have the power.

Move Forward.

The Year was 1951

This Was the Year…1951

U.S. President & Vice President

Harry Truman

The Vice President

Alben W. Barkley

Time Magazine Person Of The Year

Mohammad Mosaddegh

Cost of Living Cost of Food

New House $9,000 

Granulated Sugar   $   .85 for 10 lbs

Average Income $3,515 

Milk                        $   .92 per gallon

New Car $1,520 

Ground Coffee        $   .72per pound

Gallon of Gas          $   .19 

Bacon                      $   .52 per pound

Movie Ticket $   .65 

Eggs                         $   .24 per dozen

Popular Movies FADS

An American In Paris Reading The Catcher in the Rye

Alice in Wonderland Muffin the Mule pull-toy

Scrooge View-Master

A Streetcar Named Desire Scrabble

How to Build Trust

1. Your reputation is their first impression.
2. Show people you care about their needs.
3. A promise should be as binding as a contract.
4. Follow through on every commitment you make.
5. Be straight with people. Tell it like it is.
6. Always tell the truth or the truth will tell on you.
7. Surround yourself with people who have a high degree of integrity.
8. Your actions “off-stage” (e.g., at an office party or on Facebook) impact your trust and credibility.
9. Your actions must match your words.
10. Admit when you’re wrong.
11. Words spoken in confidence are words spoken in trust.
12. Learn how to disagree without being disagreeable.
13. It’s not only what you bring to the table but how you serve it.

Trust,Respect and Dignity

A lack of trust means people can’t depend on promises made. Commitments are not kept. Deadlines are missed. Quality suffers. People resort to over-managing activities and tasks to try to keep things on track. Time is wasted. Frustration mounts.

A lack of respect means that people are discounted. They are not included in plans, decisions, and actions that affect their livelihoods. People feel invisible, sometimes powerless, a cog in a machine.

A lack of dignity means that people’s efforts and accomplishments are not valued. Cruel remarks leave lasting pain.

What happens when there is Respect, Trust and Dignity ??..

Increased team member engagement. Team members and crew cooperate to contribute. They enjoy coming to work. They feel valued at work. They align their skills, talents, and enthusiasm to move the organization forward.

Increased customer service. Customers are consistently WOW’ed. Team members and crew treat customers — internal ones and external ones — as valued partners. Team members proactively solve customer issues. They like their customers.

• Increased profits. Engaged team members and crew exceed goal expectations while living the team’s values. They proactively solve problems. They WOW customers. That translates into hard dollar benefits. Expenses are proactively reduced. Projects are done under budget and on time.

From Driver of the Year Skip...

On the Paul Arpin Award and Bristol Plymouth Moving in Massachusetts.......


"Just like my grandfather and father after him, one of the owners was and still is a driver. He is still working on the trucks and is very hands on. He knows how essential it is to treat the drivers right and what is most important to them, such as assisting them in loading and offloading their shipments in a timely manner. This agent knows that it is all the little things they do to help out the drivers that mean the most. The other owner is a current member of the AAB and is a very active member of the Van Lines. This agent is active in the community as well, and volunteered their time and equipment during the 2013 Philippines Relief Drive."That right there says it ALL....The are a FAMILY of MOVERS!.....

Credit

When things go good everybody wants the credit.
When their are issues you can hear crickets.

Always be humble, share the good. Thank those around you.

I try to hear myself and use " WE" more than "I" -
I had a dispatcher once that was very good and he knew the business but he was also full of himself. He always said "I" in a conversation, especially when taking credit.
It is a little thing but it tells a lot about a person.

Build a team and in order to build a positive team that wants to work for you and WITH you-  you need to spread the love and the kudos.

Take credit when credit is due but also share it whenever possible.

Remember in the end the cream always rises.

Be Prepared

Always be prepared.

Be organized and be ready for the unexpected.
Do you have the right tools?
Do you have all the information and did you ask all the questions that you need to do your job?
Did you do your research before the work day started?

Try to not point blame is something goes wrong but reflect on what YOU could have done to prevent it. You can get angry all day and say that it was somebody else's job but if it effects YOUR job then ultimately YOU are responsible.

Who did you contact beforehand? How prepared were you?
Could you have done anything to have the day go smoother?
Start earlier?
Did my research on line?
Have a back up plan?

At the end of the day it is up to you to improve and be a true professional.

Prepare

Communicate

In today's world of technology there is no excuse not to communicate.

It is more important than ever to keep everybody in the loop. Many people are involved on any given day, like it or not you must be sure that everyone is on board with what you are doing and discussions that you may have had.
The more you communicate the easier your job will be. It may seem like more work but it is necessary and it can be helpful.

I always find that through conversation all issues can be ironed out and listening is a important part of communication. Be sure that it is a two way street.

Say what you feel...

Know personalities

One of the secrets to success is to learn personalities and then work within them.

Rather it is a customer, a co worker, a relative or a friend - take the time to listen and learn.
Everybody is different and everyone responds differently in situations or to the way that they are spoken to.
It does not make one right and another wrong , it is what makes us unique.
The way to succeed is to learn personalities and to try to build a bridge with all.

To succeed and to be happy you need as many allies as possible.
Life is tough enough.
That means listening more and talking less sometimes.
It also means giving in at times and doing it their way because in the end as long as no one gets hurt- Just- get er done.

Once you take the time to learn more about the person you may start to understand why they may react the way they do.
Find the bridge.
You will find that sometimes you win by losing.

STOP- LOOK AND LISTEN-

Learn more- talk less.

Try to remember

Try to remember what it was like when you were younger , back when you had no responsibility or much of anything else.
When you did not miss what you did not have and enjoyed the little things.
You laughed more and did not have any agenda but to enjoy the moment.

Then stuff happens....life happens.
It kinda takes us for a ride...hopefully a good ride but either way we grow up, get a job and maybe meet a soul mate (if we're lucky). Maybe you are still searching for your soul mate, that's ok too.
It's the journey that is gift.

Through all the responsibilities and life's twist and turns try to remember the days when you had nothing and still enjoyed the day.
Less is more.

Work your way back, take the time to look around and to SEE the people around you. To appreciate the things you may have and the people in your life.
Work your way back and stop worrying about the other guy or making more to buy more.
Life is what you make it.

Choose to work your way back -

Music

It must be so gratifying being a song writer and even more so if you are talented enough to sing them and bring them to life.

They can tell a whole story and bring up emotions all in a three to four minute period and while you tap your foot or hum along.

Rather it is political or romantic or just fun or relaxing, it allows us to escape.

Music is the universal language!

It is funny how some people even drop their twang or accents while they sing. When you here them talk they all of a sudden have their accent again, like the first time you heard the Beatles talk or Adele.

Some people who studded even lose their stammering while they sing, like Mel Tillis.

I attended a Dire Straits concert in France once and all though most the audience did not speak English they all sang along or danced to Mark Knoffler and his songs...including Brothers in Arms, Walk of Life and of course Money for Nothing.

I have been very lucky to attend hundreds of concerts from small living rooms to major stadiums and from Folk to country to good old Rock N Roll and for those few hours I am able to escape along with the rest of the audience.

It is truly the universal language and a great way to tell stories or to rally for a message or to just smile and tap your foot.

Music also is tied to your memory, it is able to transcend you back to places that you cherish and times  perhaps when you had less responsibility and were able to simply enjoy the moment.

It takes you back to your favorite vacation or location and your special moments in life.

Music can transport you back or just allow you to disappear in the moment.

Pretty special......allow yourself to disappear. Stop the noise in your head and the rush of the season and relax with some of your favorite tunes or discover some new ones.

I have too many to list but try James Taylor, The Secret of Life, and enjoy the passing of time.

From Driver Skip on Technology

WE,have,as an industry come so far..Anybody else remember 20 years ago,sitting in front of a pay phone for HOURS,waiting for a return call?

The beginning of our new technology started with cell phones,now we even have GPS computers that talk to us and tell us where to turn...

Then the newest software for our IPADs is the Mobile Mover system..Embrace technology,there's still a bunch of guys who are hand writing their inventory..

.I can't stress how important this new system is.A complete descriptive inventory(that anyone can read,hint my handwriting sucks)along with the cube method of describing exact locations,and pictures of questionable items,-

WILL SAVE YOU DOLLARS ON CLAIMS...Get with the program!

TEN THINGS THAT WILL NEVER FAIL YOU

1) HONESTY
2) INTEGRITY
3) HARD WORK
4) BEING NICE
5) BEING EXCELLENT AT WHAT YOU DO
6) EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS
7) SPENDING LESS THEN YOU EARN
8) SAVING AS MUCH AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN
9) BEING CHARITABLE WITH YOUR TIME.TALENTS AND MONEY
10) YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR

From Driver Skip on yesterday's posting on Hate...

Found this and it fits..:

Everyone will go through some hard times at some point. Life isn't easy. 

Just something to think about. Did you know the people that are the strongest are usually the most sensitive? Did you know the people who exhibit the most kindness are the first to get mistreated? 

Did you know the ones who take care of others all the time are usually the ones who need it the most? Did you know the three hardest things to say are I love you, I'm sorry, and help me? 

Sometimes just because a person looks happy, you have to look past their smile to see how much pain they may be in. To all my friends who are going through some issues right now--let's start an intentional avalanche. We all need positive intentions right now. 

May I ask my friends wherever you might be, to kindly copy and paste this status for one hour to give a moment of support to all of those who have family problems, health struggles, job issues, worries of any kind and just needs to know that someone cares. 

Do it for all of us, for nobody is immune. 

Hate

I constantly try to improve and I try to ask myself questions on why I may react the way I do in certain circumstances.

We all know people that are simply not nice- or always have alternative motives.
People that are selfish or mean or treat people wrongly.
People that lie and cheat and will walk over anybody to get ahead.
They exist in all walks of life and always will.

I try not to hate on them but to be honest it is a natural reaction, at least for me.
In most cases it is not even what they may do or say to me but it is the way they treat others.
It bothers me.
I can not change them so I dislike them- which gets me no where except carrying around this hate.
So I self analyze and try to let it go.

I try instead to find a bridge, mind you it is awfully difficult at times and it does NOT come easy but sometimes I actually do break through. Now mind you they are still the same person but I try to understand them more and see why they are the way they are.

Most times I find that they are just not happy with themselves, they may have grown up tough or even abused and it constantly weighs on them. It makes them insecure so they lash out and sometimes without knowing it they push others away and that makes them more angry and more alone. And that just feeds the domino effect of hate.

It is hard and I keep trying to improve but just like a alcoholic the first step is acknowledging the problem and then working on it.

Hate just begets Hate...Let it go

Pride

Pride is a funny thing..it becomes infectious, when you take pride in what you do people around start taking pride in what they do and you feel better about yourself and so do they.

Always remember that people are watching and listening, be positive and it will come back to you , that said if you prefer to take part in the negative and the gossip you will take on that persona too.

Which do you prefer?

Take pride in what you have and what you have become and have faith in where you can go.

Embrace the people in your path along the way, listen and always be willing to learn.

Say thank you more often and remember to smile. Even on the phone people can see your smile.

Forgive those that you may not agree with or even that may have hurt you.

It is not worth carrying that weight.

Take pride in what you do and what you have.....you have earned it !

A PASS

Would you give a person a pass if you knew they were going through something?

What if they are dealing with a loved one going through Cancer?
Or
They have a child with special needs?
They recently had a death in the family?
They have financial struggles or have children going through hardships?

Would you give them a pass?

What if their spouse or child is overseas in harms way?
What if they are being pressured by their co workers or boss?
What if  they suffer with alcoholism or live with someone who does?

Would you give them a pass?

Remember that everybody is going through something.

Give them a Pass

Happy Thanksgiving

We have so much to be Thankful for - your health is number 1

Please remember to take the time to say thank you to someone that has made a difference in your life.

Take in the day, and the moments.

Life is short - live each day like it may be your last..

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

TECHNOLOGY

Drivers and managers don’t need to become experts at every new technology that comes their way. However, now that technology has become such a crucial part of how we live and work it has never been more important for managers to grasp which technologies have the potential to benefit the organization and which new technologies might be coming their way in the near future. A driver or manager must a keep a good pulse on technology.

A LEADER

There has long been a distinction between managers and leaders. Managers were the dictators and leaders were the visionaries. Going forward a manager MUST be a leader, that is, he or she must earn followers and not command respect. Being a manager is something you earn not something you are assigned to do.  A manager cannot be someone placed in a position of power simply because they bring in the most money or are the best at delegating.

Communication

A professional household goods driver has a lot of responsibilities  -

You must keep your logs current and abide by all rules set forth by the Federal Department of Transportation.

You need to inspect your truck and equipment daily and perform your needed preventive maintenance.

A professional mover needs to know how to pack and load and build a tier so that nothing breaks or shifts while in transportation.

You need to always be aware of the customer and what their needs are and the stress that they be going through.

Being the crew chief on every move you need to be able to manage people and your labor for that day and having different labor on mostly every move you need to be able to evaluate talent and show appreciation while dictating how you want things done.

A household goods driver needs to know all the paperwork involved on that particular move and be sure to have all your protections in place both in the house itself, outside the house and with your documents.

And you need to master the art of COMMUNICATION-

Most professional movers are use to taking on responsibilities and making dozens of decisions before noon time and most before they ever even hit the residence.

In today’s world they then need to be sure that they communicate what their intentions are or what they have discussed with the customer with the customer care rep assigned that move as well as their dispatcher.

The customer care rep and dispatch MUST be in on what you have discussed or what your intentions are both so that they can keep others appraised but also to foster communication on what else may be effected.

It is also crucial to communicate with your reps and operations so that you get paid properly and we are able to obtain pre approvals and document conversations in the shipment file.

Drivers do so much more then drive and we all certainly appreciate all that you do every day.

Please take a minute to email or call to keep everybody in on your move- every day- you cannot over communicate.

Leaders

What makes some leaders stand out from the rest?

It has to do with their ability to think decisively. The best leaders evaluate their options, weigh in on the alternatives, connect the dots, and look for potential in order to make informed decisions. -

Open-ended questions, in particular, help you get to the heart of the matter. Start with Why?, How?, What?, and Where?

 Embracing different points of view. As a leader, you need to be able to take advantage of the diversity in your team (and board, if you have one) to help you see things from different perspectives. The best leaders see and make use of the insights that everyone has to offer. They look for different opinions and ideas, because they know those differences lead to better decisions.

 Leading with agility. As the old saying goes, the only constant is change—and the variables are always shifting and adjusting.

 Leading through change requires an open mind that can see opportunity in every situation. Keeping an open mind. In the complex world of business, a leader with an open mind will find potential by sizing up all the answers, holding on to differences of opinion, and taking in all the variables to see clearly. -

Lead From Within: Be the leader who knows that nothing is as it seems. There is always uncertainty; there is always ambiguity. Be clever enough to size things up, connect the dots, see the potential, and act decisively when no one else can. -

More on customer service

There is a difference between service and servitude.- The first you choose; the second you don’t. What choice will you make to deliver superior customer experience?

A sincere apology is the quickest way to repave the road of customer trust.- Waffling, defending, and delay leaves a trail of mistrust.

  Our future is behind every customer. -The customer is the heart of our success. Their pulse is our vital sign. It beats for our future. Maintain heart health!

When we hold resentment in our hearts, we deliver far below our capabilities.- Learn objective caring to prevent taking customers’ criticisms personally.

 Choose to trust until there’s proof to mistrust. -Check all your processes, procedures, and touch points. Do they communicate trust or mistrust of the customer? Then ask yourselves, if you were the customers, would you feel welcome?

Customer service

 Surefire Customer Experience Beliefs-

 Customers cannot observe our intentions.- Treat them well.

 The customer’s voice echoes forever.- Of course they talk about us. What they say is actually up to us.

 Persist when you sense potential; shift and innovate when you see futility.- Never let frustration with a customer stop you from giving great care and finding a solution!

 Make customer experience easy!- Count the number of hoops you ask customers to jump through & you’ll find the places they may jump ship! Leave the hoops for basketball.

 Courtesy and civility do not undo our authenticity.- They allow the customers to easily embrace it.

Authenticity is not an excuse for being blunt or rude to customers. -A smile can change everything.

 A customer’s trust is an invitation for a human bond.- Our actions RSVP the truth about our integrity and foretell the customer’s next choice. -

Motivate

Titles

People are so hung up on titles.. President- Vice President- Manager- Asst manager- Director etc

In the end what difference does it really make?

If you visit the tombstone of a friend or a family member does it say his or her title?

If you work hard and know your product people will naturally follow.
A title does not earn you respect, your work ethic will.
As a matter of fact I think most blur collar workers are weary of a stuffed shirt.
They want to see and hear that you know and care before they fall in line.

A title will allow you to gather people in a room and stand in the front of it and talk but it does not automatically mean they will listen.

Do you CARE? Do you even know what THEY do? Do you LISTEN to them?

Those are the important ingredients of a leader, you do not need a title but you do need show compassion and lead by example. Others are always watching and listening.
Ultimately how you treat others is how you will be treated...title or no title.

Do what others won't

Be prepared to do what others won't.

As the old adage goes, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." Great leaders know that for them, failure is not an option. Even if everything seems to be falling apart, a great leader has the self-discipline to stand up to failure or it crumbles the business like a house of cards.

This means resisting the urge to make excuses and always doing the hard work, even when it seems like sheer agony.

 It all comes back to the need for crystal clear vision: Sometimes picturing the end result and the satisfaction of the challenge being behind you is the only way to make it through the rough spots.

Use your Imagination

Passion

Feel passion for what you do.

If you don't have a deep burning in your belly for success in your job, it will be difficult to maintain the consistency you need to lead your crew.

The bigger the impact you want to have, the greater your influence must be.

 And nothing stirs the pot more than having a passionate leader who's not only committed to the success of the day but also to that of each crew member or employee.

Be Pro Active

Be proactive rather than reactive.

Successful leaders come to the table prepared for a variety of scenarios and know how to behave when situations fall apart or don't go according to plan. Preparedness ensures that you're never in a situation where you can't offer value or assist in problem solving as needed.

This is simply being proactive. If you're in a reactive state, chances are you're not operating from a place of calm; your emotions are leading the charge. The best decisions, however, often result from when your thoughts and emotions work in tandem.

You must always consider not only what's favorable for the company's bottom line and yours but also what's best for the team and the overall morale of the company and/or your own crew and buisness.

Self Reflection

Practice self-reflection.

One of the keys to being a good leader is having the ability to reflect back on decisions made and look at situations, whether good or bad, as lessons.
Once you've done so, you can actively apply what you've learned.

Taking mistakes or failures in stride and moving forward is an essential part of becoming a leader of integrity. Many of these lessons are useful to share with staff and strategic partners. In my case, I've found they often apply even to my children.

More on how to Destroy Trust

Make random, haphazard, unexpected changes for no apparent reason: Keeping employees off balance may sound like an effective approach to creating agility in your organization. But, random change produces the opposite effect.

People get used to their comfortable way of doing things. They get used to the mood the boss characteristically exhibits when she arrives at the office. They expect no consequences when deadlines are missed – because there have never been any in the past.

Any change must be communicated with the rationale behind the change made clear. A starting date for implementation and participation from employees whose jobs are affected by the change will keep you from destroying trust.

A sincere and thoughtful demonstration that the change is well-thought-out and not arbitrary will help employees trust you. An explanation for a change of mood or a different approach goes a long way to prevent the destruction of trust.

More About How to Destroy Trust

These are the top issues that destroy trust between employees and in organizations. If you can avoid these five trust busters, you will have gone a long way toward ensuring that trust is building in your organization.
Lies, lies of omission, failure to walk the talk, failure to do what you say you will do, and subjecting employees to random, haphazard, unexpected change destroy trust. Walk on the better path. Build, don’t destroy trust in your organization.

More on the Five Ways to Destroy Trust

Fail to walk the talk: No matter the work program, cultural expectation, management style, or change initiative, you will destroy trust if you fail to demonstrate the quality or behavioral expectation, if you fail to walk the talk. Words are easy; it is the behavior that demonstrates your expectations in action that helps employees trust you.

You can’t, as an example, state that participative management and employee empowerment are the desired form of leadership in your organization, unless you demonstrate these expectations in your everyday actions. Customer service is a joke if a complaining customer is labeled “wrong” or a jerk.”

Fail to do what you say you are going to do: Few employees expect that every statement, goal and / or projection that you make will come true. Sales will be up 10%. No layoffs are anticipated. We will hire ten new employees this quarter. Working the reception desk alone is a temporary fix until we fill the open position with a second receptionist. My assignment will be complete by the end of the first quarter.

If you make a statement, commitment, or projection, employees expect what you said to happen. You destroy trust if the end result never occurs. You can avoid destroying trust by communicating honestly and frequently about:

--how you set the initial goal,
--what is interfering with the accomplishment of the initial goal,
--how and why your projection has changed,
--what employees can expect going forward, and
--how you will avoid similar miscalls in the future.

Honest communication is key to building employee and coworker trust.

Five Ways to Destroy Trust

For trust to exist in an organization, a certain amount of transparency must pervade the intentions, direction, actions, communication, feedback, and problem solving of particularly, executives and managers, but also of all employees. Consequently, these are ways in which people destroy trust.

Employees tell lies of commission: They fail to tell the truth, often with the intention to deceive or confuse. This powerfully impacts a whole organization when the lie is perceived from leaders, but even coworker relationships are destroyed by lies of commission. A lie is a lie is a lie.

If it's not the whole truth, if it requires preparation and wordsmithing, if you need to remember the details to ensure you don't change your story in the retelling, you are probably telling a lie. Or, at the very least, part of your story is a lie. People who are untrustworthy derail their careers. Can you imagine the impact of lies on an organization when the liar is a senior manager?

Employees tell lies by omission: A lie of omission is a deliberate attempt to deceive another person by omitting portions of the truth. Lies of omission are particularly egregious as they give people false impressions and attempt to influence behavior by omitting important details.

Once again, the more powerful the perpetrator of the lie in the organization, the more significantly trust is affected. But, an individual can derail their career by using this deception ploy, when caught.

More tomorrow

Trust

Trust is the foundation of all positive relationships you seek to create in your organization. Trust is one of the strongest bonds that can exist between people and customers; trust is also one of the most fragile.

Once you destroy trust, break the bond of trust, trust is the most difficult facet of your culture to rebuild. You can build a culture of trust in your organization if you steer clear of actions that destroy trust. Avoid these trust busters to build a trust culture.

The amount of trust you experience is dependent upon the degree to which you can respond affirmatively to experiencing each of these three components of trust:

The capacity for trusting means that your total life experiences have developed your current capacity and willingness to risk trusting others. You believe in trust. You have experienced trust and believe that trust is possible.

The perception of competence is made up of your perception of your ability and the ability of others with whom you work to perform competently at whatever is needed in your current situation.

The perception of intentions, as defined by Tway, is your perception that the actions, words, direction, mission, or decisions are motivated by mutually-serving rather than self-serving motives.

Trust is dependent on the interaction of and your experience of these three components. Trust is tough to maintain and easy to destroy.

The World Before Social Media

Good Feedback

Team Members: Make the Most of It

Getting good feedback is easy, but getting constructive feedback is golden! It’s a growth opportunity not an indictment, so focus on applying it rather than dissecting history. At a minimum, you’ve just learned what your manager (or customer) thinks — that’s invaluable!

 Distinguish the real message from the messenger or the messenger’s style; getting bogged down on how the message was delivered robs us of its benefit. And rather than refute the feedback, listen and look at it clinically for what can be learned.

 While it may not be completely accurate, harvest the wheat from the chaff to advance your skills and effectiveness.

Feedback

Managers: Get Over It

If you lead a team, regular feedback is a part of the job; giving no feedback is far worse than critical feedback. Unfortunately 50% of managers fail to drive accountability and give constructive feedback for fear of being the “bad guy.” Instead put your team member’s success in front of the need to be liked — 57% of employees prefer corrective feedback. They want to know how they can improve and where they’re not meeting your expectations or their potential. It’s a disservice to withhold that information, particularly when it informs your view of their performance.

It shouldn't be...

How many times do you think it should not be like this?
Rather it is at work , on the job or in our personnel life you may get caught up with what YOU think it should be like- rather than dealing with what it IS.

Life is not always fair......get over it.

People around you will get hurt or not respond the way YOU would like- but that is called LIFE.

Too much time is spent worried about - What should be- or shouldn't be.
Work with what you have, try to change what you can but remember the only person that you can truly change is YOU.

Getting angry or trying to get revenge is a total waste of your energy.  You only have so much oxygen in the course of a day - use it wisely.

More form the book- " The Baby Boom "

More excerpts from The Baby Boom Book-

“So we grew up in a good and happy place. And we were good. Or we were as good as kids were expected to be. We didn’t suffer from childhood obesity, dyslexia, lactose intolerance, or behavioral disorders. We were husky, a little slow at reading, farted a lot, and were pains in the neck. Anyway, we were happy.”

“There were some rules. Everybody outdoors on nice days, no crossing busy streets, no hitting girls, no firecrackers in your mouth, come when you’re called for dinner, and everybody indoors when the streetlights go on. These rules, like the definition of a “nice day,” were broadly construed. They were enforced by the general committee of grown-ups with the inefficiency for which committees are famous. All eyes were upon us in the neighborhood but not looking too closely. And so we ran wild—in a rather tame manner.”

The Paul Arpin Award

Below is the speech given at this year's Arpin convention by Paul Arpin's granddaughter- Abby Arpin- She presented our most prestigious award The Paul Arpin Award-
Congratulations to Diana and Peter at Bristol Plymouth Moving and Storage in Massachusetts !
BRAVO !

As many of you all know, my grandfather’s philosophy was that we need to treat the driver’s with the utmost respect and care, as he believed that they are the backbone and lifeblood of this industry. This agent has taken this to heart, and shows the care and respect for them just as my grandfather wished.

Just like my grandfather and father after him, one of the owners was and still is a driver. He is still working on the trucks and is very hands on. He knows how essential it is to treat the drivers right and what is most important to them, such as assisting them in loading and offloading their shipments in a timely manner. This agent knows that it is all the little things they do to help out the drivers that mean the most. The other owner is a current member of the AAB and is a very active member of the Van Lines. This agent is active in the community as well, and volunteered their time and equipment during the 2013 Philippines Relief Drive.

We receive nothing but positive feedback about the labor and treatment that this agent gives to our drivers. Drivers look forward to going there and being shown the greatest respect. They are always there to help out the drivers and their fellow agents. My grandfather’s philosophy is embedded in this company’s mindset.

This agent has been in the Arpin Agency family since the late 1980s, and the current owners have owned the agency since the early 2000s. This agent is the September 2014 Agent of the Month and has won the Gold Quality award every year since its inception, a very impressive achievement.

I am very proud to announce that the winner of the 2014 Paul Arpin award is… Bristol-Plymouth Moving & Storage, Peter and Diana Mosher

The Baby Boom

Some excerpts from the book- " The Baby Boom"-

For those of us born in the 50's - remember-

 When people spoke face to face sixty years ago they weren’t also fiddling with their smartphones, facing other people’s faces on Facebook when they were supposed to be facing you. And you weren’t checking your e-mail and replying to your text messages when you were facing them. People had to speak directly to each other, paying attention to what they were saying and to what was being said. How they withstood the tedium I can’t imagine.

 

More tomorrow-

Envy

Envy...it takes down most people.

Some people can never enjoy what THEY have or be appreciative.

They are busy looking at what their friends have or their co worker gets paid or the size truck that someone else owns.
What a gigantic waste of time and energy.

Why?

Now that is a interesting question and I am sure each has a different answer as to why people are envious.
Insecurity has to rank up there.
Fear.
Jealousy- ( But that lends it to the question of why are they jealous ?)

The sad thing is they are always chasing something and while they are worried, chasing and gossiping Life is passing them by.

I know people that are well off and have a nice home and toys and cars with healthy kids and they are just not happy. They are chasing something that is not REAL...not tangible.

Envy is the tool of the devil