Happy in Life

Happy in life, happy at work

People who are generally happy find it easier to find happiness at work.

That’s according to an analysis of 223 studies on the connection between job satisfaction and life satisfaction.
Lead author, Nathan Bowling said:

“…if people are, or are predisposed to be, happy and satisfied in life generally, then they will be likely to be happy and satisfied in their work.
However, the flipside of this finding could be that those people who are dissatisfied generally and who seek happiness through their work, may not find job satisfaction.
Nor might they increase their levels of overall happiness by pursuing it.”

This is worth remembering for those people who never seem to be happy with whatever job they are doing.

Sometimes the kind of happiness you are looking for cannot be achieved through work.

Feedback and Support

Feedback

When it comes to job satisfaction, no news is bad news.

Getting negative feedback can be painful, but at least it tells you where improvements can be made.
On the other hand, positive feedback can make all the difference to how satisfied people feel.
If you’re not getting feedback, then ask for it.

The right feedback can help satisfy the need for achievement.

Ask for support

Workers often complain that the big bosses communicate little about the overall direction of the company.

People want to know their organization cares about them, that they are getting something back for what they are putting in.

We get this message from how the boss treats us, the kinds of fringe benefits we get and other subtle messages.

If people perceive more organizational support, they are happier with their job.

If this area is lacking, try asking  for more information and support, and point out why it is needed.

Get Control

Get control

Psychologists have consistently found that people who work in jobs where they have little control find their work very stressful and consequently unsatisfying.

The more control people perceive in how they carry out their job, the more satisfaction they experience.

Look for ways of taking control of your job.
Even exerting relatively small amounts of control can make you feel happier with your work.

From our Road Warrior on our piece on jealousy..

Got to post something about this...A 30 year buddy(who died at the driver entrance of the T/A in Las Cruses,6 years ago)said some things that affected my life.....#1.It's all about cubes and weight...MORE IS BETTER!

#2.I don't care how much you make...If it's good...GREAT...What matters to me is what I put in the bank at the end of the year...This job has no room for comparisons....Every job is different.
Leave the petty things to the large carriers...SUPPORT each other...
I think we need an Arpin BLAST....Get a bunch of us together and fire the grill up...Tell stories, fold pads,,,,Like it used to be..

Who's up for it ?

AND, to borrow a quote from Pate and Wayne..."Don't sweat the petty things, ALWAYS pet the sweatty things..."

He should have done it

He should have done it...

It was his Fault...

 It's not my job...

All phrases that are like fingernails on a blackboard to me.
Pushing blame or not taking responsibility is a pet peeve of mine.

When something goes wrong or situations arise I immediately try to work the problem then I reflect on how it could of been avoided and what I could of done to avoid it.

I always bring it back to me , even if someone else did drop the ball what could I have done to foreseen it?
What could I have done to train better or could I have done more homework in advance or anticipated the situation better.

It comes back to taking control...taking responsibility.

Do not push the blame off or point the finger it shows weakness and others will not respect you nor should you respect yourself.

Take note at most professional coaches or managers in sports, they always fall on the sword. Think how petty they would look if they threw someone from their team under the bus. Not to speak of how the team would respond.
He may say and do something different behind doors but I assure you he is thinking what HE could have done differently to prevent the loss or the issue.

Live, learn and try to better anticipate situations and PREPARE properly in advance.

Always have a strong plan... and a plan "B"... ( maybe even a plan "C")

Jealousy

Do not be jealous of your friends or fellow co- workers.

Just worry about how to improve yourself, do do better and be a better worker and person.

Do not wish to have what they have or what they are, you have no idea what their personnel live may be like. I know too many people that fill their day worrying about what the other guy is doing or how much he makes or how much he has.

What a waste of time and energy.

The way I look at it we only have so much time in a day, so much oxygen and brain cells.

Why waste them ?

Jealousy...yes jealousy is waste of time and energy. If in your conversations the bulk of your words revolve around what other people have or what other people say or do then it must be that you are jealous .

As I said in a past blog piece you don't know what you don't know. You have no idea if what you even understand about that guy or situation is even true. And furthermore in order to actually dig at the truth you would need to see and hear all sides. And even then you would need to put on your judge robe and decide who is telling the truth.

What a waste of time , energy and brain cells.

Live YOUR life, what can you do to improve what you do and help others.

Take all that time and devout it to helping rather the hurting and you will start smiling and enjoying your days rather then hating and being angry .

Your Happy Place

Where is your happy place?

What do you enjoy the most? What brings you the most happiness?

Think on that and point toward it. Why do you get up each day and go to work? Go through the frustrations or the challenges? Find that reason and remember it.

That should be what grounds you.

You should be able to close your eyes and identify it , take yourself there.

Is it in your own backyard sitting in peace with a loved one or by yourself?

How about on a beach listening to the ocean and staring out at the ocean?

Having a family dinner and watching your family grow?

Driving out on the great highways in this country and allowing your mind to take in all of it's wonder?

Think about it....what makes you happy?

You will forever chase a false God and be stressed unless you know why you do what you do.

If it is always about money you will never be satisfied.

To steal a line for Springsteen..."Poor men want to be rich. Rich men want to be king".

Unfortunately most do not know what they have until it is gone or it is threatened to be taken.

When a loved one dies or you are diagnosed with a disease. 

Then and only then do they SEE.

Do not wait for that moment.

Enjoy today, work hard for that will bring you more then just a monetary reward but remember why you work. 

Where is YOUR happy place?

What if you did know?

What if you did know more about a person- would you look at him or her different?

I always say that if you speak long enough to somebody and get to know them you will understand a little more why they may react the way they do or how they shaped and formed in their philosophies or outlook on others.

The thing is most people do not open up right away and most people do not like to talk about the dark times in their life.
Most of us are formed from early childhood experiences and by tragedies that may have occurred in our life.

Let's say you knew that the man that you argue with all the time loss a son at a early age, maybe in a tragic fire or that woman that seems cold loss a baby due to a incurable disease.
Or that person who is always quiet and keeps to them selves because their mother was murdered.

That older man that he see limping around that you dismiss as just a old man..did you know that he fought in Vietnam when he was 19 and jumped out of helicopters in the dark of night to scout the area and that is why he limps.

These are all real life events that I know happened in people's life's and yes it did change them.

The thing is you would never know this about any of them, yet you may judge them and maybe you just decided that they are not nice people or just old and washed up for whatever reason.

Try not to judge, understand that we all have a cross that we carry.

We all are working our way through something.

Take the time to talk and to understand or at least give people the benefit of the doubt.

What you don't know

What you don't know...you don't know.

There may be reasons that you do know that lead to difficult decisions..especially when it comes to other people.

In my over 30 years in business I have had to make some very difficult decisions and the toughest of coarse is when it comes to parting ways with people.
I would like to think that I do all I can to help train and advise so that I can salvage situations and grow but it does not always work the way I would prefer.

The other difficult thing to fend off is the rumor mill. You see when you part ways with people it is not always mutual so there are hard feelings and they will never recall the whole ride and they certainly do not relay that with others.
But here's the tough part I do not think it is anybody else's business and I refuse to talk out of school.

Some examples:

I had a employee years ago that would come to work high and when he tested positive we let him go.
When a agent heard the news they went berserk and said he was a great guy but I was not in my right to say why I had to let him go and I wouldn't want to even if I could.

Another employee would sleep at his desk and come in late and his work was slipping and we parted ways others outside the building again were upset and again I did not want to slander this employee.

Drivers have left and for various reasons but I do not think it fair to tell others their negative stories - but they invent their own reasons and post them all over the place.
Again I do not see the need to defend or to slander, life goes on.

You only know one side most of the time- you don't know what you don't know.

And more important why should you...why waste your time or your brain cells on the negative.

Worry about your house.

BOSTON STRONG

Forgiveness

What does Easter mean to you?

To me it is a reminder that forgiveness is the most important aspect in life and at times the hardest.

Nelson Mandela was a great example on just how important forgiveness is.
He could have stayed angry and full of hate and chasing revenge for his jailers and those that opposed him and his ideals instead he forgave them and moved on.
And because of that he change a country and touched thousands of lives.

Hate and revenge will weigh you down... let it go.

For those f you that believe in the good book the theme of forgiveness is all over the place and is on many pages. It is there for a reason, because it is our most important lesson.
That is why every Easter I try to remind myself of all the blessings in my life.

Try not to judge others, there is a reason for everything. Just worry about your house, your life and thank the good Lord for the day.

Forgive and move on or trust me -it will weigh you down.

YOUR WORD

The most important ingredient to have and keep IS YOUR WORD.

Your word must be your bond and it is how you build a solid reputation.

Once you give your word you need to back it up and follow through.
If for any reason something happens that you need to change direction own up to it.
And the sooner the better.

This is the most important lesson in life.

Trust will follow when people know that you keep your word.
And trust is your reward and it is needed for you to grow and succeed both in business and in your personal relationships.

Take it SERIOUS...because someone is always watching and listening.

SAY WHAT YOU MEAN AND MEAN WHAT YOU SAY.

Nothing is more important... and in the end it is the only thing that matters.
Take pride in your word and your reputation.

More Pride

From a military member that one of our Elite Driver's moved...


This was by far the best TMO moving experience I've had in my 25 1/2 year career and our mover Pat Haynes was by far the absolute best of the best. He was quick, well coordinated, and he and his crew took care to pack our things properly and the way we asked. The entire move was very smooth from pickup to delivery. On both ends it was well planned and executed. I would definitely request for him to move us again in the future!



Wow....this gentlemen has been in the military, serving our country, for 25 1/2 years!
He has probably moved dozens of times and I am sure that it becomes difficult for him and his family. For us to have the opportunity to now serve him and to try make life a little easier is a honor.
Our Road Driver Pat Haynes takes pride in his work and he takes his responsibilities seriously.

That is why you do what you do.

Thank you Pat and all Drivers -  know that sacrifice and hard work and your pride is appreciated by everybody that you touch.

Pride

 

PRIDE

 

 

 

The ONE common thread that I have found in successful drivers is PRIDE...pride in their work, in how they present themselves and how their equipment looks.

This driver, John Hayes, is extremely proud of how his trailer looks both inside and out. He took the time to wax his floors so that when he opens his doors all his pads are folded and neat and the inside reflects how he treats not only his equipment but the customer's goods.

I have talked to many drivers through the years and the elite ones care...care about their tractor and trailer. They spend many hours cleaning and prepping. And when I speak to the drivers that have retired when they look at picture like this one they smile and remember the PRIDE.

Take Control

Take Control of your business.

The best way to stay in control is prepare properly.
The work that you put in on the front end the more successful you will be and the more profitable.

If you are a driver and assigned a move, obtain as much information about that move as possible, and the sooner the better. Look over the survey and address, any pack list or special instructions.
Ask or email questions to your dispatcher or to the customer care representative.

Call ahead if you will be in the need of labor and be sure to plan plenty of time to pick up help and travel time to the residence.

Always be on time-

By asking all the right questions and preparing ahead of time you will have a much better chance of avoiding last minute issues. Last minute issues are costly and will effect the quality move that you want to conduct.

Take Control-

April 15th

April 15
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
 

1784 - The first balloon was flown in Ireland.

1813 - U.S. troops under James Wilkinson attacked the Spanish-held city of Mobile that would be in the future state of Alabama.

1817 - The first American school for the deaf was opened in Hartford, CT.

1850 - The city of San Francisco was incorporated.

1861 - U.S. President Lincoln mobilized the Federal army.

1865 - U.S. President Abraham Lincoln died from injuries inflicted by John Wilkes Booth.

1871 - "Wild Bill" Hickok became the marshal of Abilene, Kansas.

1892 - The General Electric Company was organized.

1899 - Thomas Edison organized the Edison Portland Cement Company.

1912 - The ocean liner Titanic sank in the North Atlantic after hitting an iceberg the evening before. 1,517 people died and more than 700 people survived.

1923 - Insulin became generally available for people suffering with diabetes.

1934 - In the comic strip "Blondie," Dagwood and Blondie Bumstead welcomed a baby boy, Alexander. The child would be nicknamed, Baby Dumpling.

1945 - During World War II, British and Canadian troops liberated the Nazi concentration camp Bergen-Belsen.

1947 - Jackie Robinson played his first major league baseball game for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Previously he had only appeared in exhibition games.

1952 - U.S. President Harry Truman signed the official Japanese peace treaty.

1953 - Charlie Chaplin surrendered his U.S. re-entry permit rather than face proceedings by the U.S. Justice Department. Chaplin was accused of sympathizing with Communist groups.

1956 - The worlds’ first, all-color TV station was dedicated. It was WNBQ-TV in Chicago and is now WMAQ-TV.

1956 - General Motors announced that the first free piston automobile had been developed.

1983 - Tokyo Disneyland opened.

1988- My wife and I gave birth to our second child, Michael. And our family was rounded off and complete...that is until or son-in-law and daughter-in-law and grandchildren joined the team.

Trailers

From A Road Driver......

 

 

 

What we always forget to address here is the maintenance of our trailers....They need to be greased EVERY 5000 miles....Just how many of you guys bother?

 

All you have to do is send in the receipt with your papers, high lighting the trailer costs....They will credit your account....Here's something I do every year....AFTER the winter....The salt used up there in the NORTH EAST, eats away at the bottom edges of our trailers as rust....I wire brush and sand those spots, prime, and re-paint EVERY YEAR...No shipper wants to see a RUST bucket loading their stuff....

 

Keep it clean.....

 

Preventive Maintence

Minimizing repair costs starts with preventive maintenance.

Ensuring that all service is done at the recommended intervals is the best way to avoid substantial repair bills at a later time. Using the best grade of oil may cost a little more but save in the long run.

Make sure that vital areas like brakes are regularly inspected so that you are aware of when service might be required. All filters should be regularly inspected and replaced if necessary.

Your pre-trip inspection is crucial. Go over every aspect of your vehicle and trailer before you move. Make sure all lights work and carry spare bulbs just in case one goes out. Check all tires for proper pressure and excess wear. This is important as far as your CSA inspections as well and can save you fines for any violations.
 Be aware of the states like Maryland, California, Kentucky and Arizona that are the toughest as far as CSA inspections are concerned and always be well prepared.
Baby your truck when you drive it. Jack rabbit starts, speeding and panic stops are hard on the equipment and will shorten life.

Take good care of your truck and you will save money on repairs, maximize profitability and preserve its value.

This is why you do what you do

A recent email from a customer that our elite road driver Rob Heer and his wife Judy moved.....

I just want to write a quick note to let you know everything went outstandingly well and we could not have been more pleased with the crew that packed and loaded our home this week.  They were prompt every day, worked efficiently, and finished a full day ahead of schedule.

The Driver, Rob Heer, and his wife/partner/boss, Judy, were very thoughtful and handled things beyond our expectations.  The packing crew, which were hired locally, should also be recognized for their commitment and outstanding work.  Please be sure the entire team is recognized.  They carefully loaded our entire home in less than seven hours.  Incredible.

This is not our first rodeo, so we speak with experience, this has been the best pack and load we have experienced in 8 moves over the past 15 years.

Thanks to Arpin for making things a little easier for us.  I wish we could see the Heer's on the other end to unload, but unfortunately we are building a home and will not move in until October or November.

Sure make you feel good to read this and to know that you made a difference in someone's life....that is why you do what you do !

Everyone is your customer

Treat EVERONE as if they were your customer.

I had a very good household goods driver that was the best when it came to talking to and treating the " customer" the person(s) that were moving.
But you would them talk down to or berate other people that they would need to work with, dispatchers, agents, labor.

I recently talked to that driver and he reminded me that I told him years ago to treat EVERYONE as if they were the customer and he said that it helped him in his thinking.

After all it is true- we are all each other's customer. No one is better or above the other, we all NEED each other to succeed.

If you know what switch to turn on when you are in front of the transferee or the customer then you know how to be aware of what you are saying and how you are saying it.

So why choose to just turn on the switch at certain times?

From our Road Warrior...Skip..

My favorite QUOTE of this century..

"WHY CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG"? Rodney King....I have seen guys who thought they were more important than anything? The answer is, the most important person in our job is the shipper, AND, what he thinks....

Come on, what makes me so important, that I can demand the replacement of someone in our company....GET REAL! We have a symbiotic relationship, none of us can survive without the other...

So why let your EGO screw things up? I talk to other drivers all the time, most of them have no idea about the TEAM, er, it's about US, and how we support each other...DEMAND this or that? You may just go away, remember, it's about us...

Your Reputation

Your reputation is one customer at a time.

 How you treat your customers when something goes wrong makes the difference between an extraordinary company or driver or employee and an ordinary one.
 Your customer’s happiness should always overrule any “policies” or “guidelines” you have in place. If you screw up, or you can’t get it right, you should do whatever it takes to make it right, even if it means referring them to someone else who can.
Your customer is paying attention to every move you make.

 Your reputation happens one customer at a time.

This one is , I think, the most important tip and advice.
Your reputation is the only thing you really take with you and it will follow you, good or bad.

Head and Heart

Wherever your head is, that’s where your business is. 

If running a business were easy, everyone would do it. There are days we all get tired. If you are foggy, distracted, tired or disinterested, your business will follow the same pattern. If that’s happening, it’s time to rethink where you are. To get back on track, keep focused on the cause you’re advancing and remind yourself why you are doing what you’re doing.

Ignite the hearts of those around you.

 You have the ability to inspire people you work with — employees, partners, vendors, agents, labor, dispatch etc. — every single day. Understand their motivations and the impact you can have on other people’s lives, and work to ignite their passions.

Success and courage

Don’t seek success, seek meaning.

 Success is a result.
If you put too much weight behind it, you lose sight of the real driving force, which is to live your purpose and create meaningful work for you, your clients and your customers. You should first show up to serve others, and the successes that follow will be all the sweeter.

Have some moral courage. 

If something doesn’t feel right, have the courage to change it. If you’re working for or with someone and your values don’t align, or you’re compromising who you are, then it’s time to rethink where you are and what you’re doing.

5 stages of Grief

I recently had a friend that is going through the grieving process and it dawned on me that it is much like what many of us feel in the household good moving industry.
Not to belittle the loss of life by any means but in a way the household goods industry as we knew it 20 or even 10 years ago is dead.

The 5 stages of grief are:

1.. Denial and Isolation

2. Anger

3. Bargaining

4. Depression

5. Acceptance

Has the industry changed indeed...military distribution- DP3- DOT regulations- background checks- logging- inventories - discounts- communication - just to name a few.

Is it still a good honorable profession that you can succeed and profit in?- Heck yes!

Once you get to the acceptance stage you need to get on board and change. Learn the computerized inventory and communicate more via email with all parties.

Sharpen your pencil and your manners.

After all in a society that is getting more and more difficult to be your own boss and own your own business you still have that opportunity in moving.

The basic foundation of success in your business has not changed- work hard - always look to improve and take responsibility.

I do believe that a person needs to works through these stages of grief when someone or something passes or leaves us that we were attached to but it is not healthy to stay on the first two stages.

Work through your 5 stages of grief- then accept and move on.

Acknowledge and Remind

Acknowledging the great people around you who are also doing great things each day, is a great way to feel gratitude for all you have been given. By the same token, I find that acknowledging God’s hand in my blessings throughout the day helps keep me both humble and grateful for all that I have.

Before I go to sleep at night I remind myself that I accomplished many things that day.
 Even if I made mistakes or had failures during my day, I try to identify what I learned from them, and I commit to be more dedicated tomorrow to making sure I don’t make the same mistakes again. Thus, I will constantly be improving.

Trust and Power

 

Power is held in trust.

The power I have as a leader is something entrusted to me, both from my boss who put me in this position and by my followers who have consented to follow my lead.

This power is not mine to keep.

 I’m a temporary steward of this power as long as I’m in my leadership role and it could be taken away at anytime should something drastic change in the relationship with my boss or followers.

We’re all familiar with “consent of the governed,” the phrase that describes the political theory that a government’s legitimate and moral right to use state power over citizens can only be granted by the consent of the citizens themselves.

The same concept applies to organizational leadership, and the minute our people no longer support our leadership, we have a serious problem.

EGO

 

The ego craves power.

My leadership experiences have taught me that I need to be on guard to keep my ego in check. The ego views power as the nectar of the gods, and if leaders aren’t careful, their ego will intoxicate itself with power.

Effective leadership starts on the inside and that means putting the ego in its proper place.

This is HUGE one.... so many people get carried away with their title or power that they simply forget that in the grand scheme of things they are NO different then anyone else.

I call it the " Clint Eastwood syndrome"- for example - when that 26 year old security guard at a concert take his job so serious that he cannot smile or starts ordering people around- he thinks he is Clint Eastwood- his job or title has gone to his head.

Check your ego at the door- do not take yourself so serious....nobody else does.

Follership

That's right follower-ship- ( not fellowship)-


Followership is just as important, if not more so, than leadership.

 Learning to be a good follower is an essential component of being a wise leader who uses power appropriately. A person who learns to submit to the authority of others, collaborate with teammates,
and sees first-hand the good and bad effects of the use of power, will have a greater appreciation for how power should be used in relationships.

 We can all probably think of examples of people who were bestowed leadership positions without ever being a follower, who then went on a “power trip” and showed just how ill-prepared they were to handle the power given them. Followership is the training ground for leadership.

Power

The best use of power is in service to others.

Being a servant leader, rather than a self-serving leader, means giving away my power to help other people achieve their personal goals, the objectives of the organization, and to allow them to reach their full expression and potential as individuals.

 I love the servant leadership example of Jesus. When two of his disciples came to him seeking positions of power and authority, he chastised them and challenged them to remember that “Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave.” (Mt. 20:26-27) One of the paradoxes of leadership is that by placing others before ourselves, and using our power to serve, rather than dominate, actually brings us more power, respect, commitment and loyalty.