Something to Ponder

SOMETHING TO PONDER: By George Carlin

George Carlin's wife died early in 2008 and George followed her, dying in July 2008. It is ironic George Carlin - comedian of the 70's and 80's - could write something so very eloquent and so very appropriate. An observation by George Carlin:

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete.

Remember to spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, 'I love you' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

And always remember, life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by those moments that take our breath away.

George Carlin

Compliments

Compliments are nice, but they are fleeting moments where good intentions do not last.
Many of us mistake compliments for gratitude.
So what is the difference?

Compliments create distance. There’s a paradox about compliments. Once bestowed, they often create a separation between the giver and receiver instead of drawing them closer. Giving someone a compliment can create an awkward moment, and often it creates distance between giver and receiver. Sometimes a compliment makes people feel embarrassed.

Gratitude creates a bond. When you are grateful and you make it personal, you create a bond. It lets the other person know that who they are matters, and what they did was significant to you.
People are always happy to hear that what they do has made a difference and has significance.

A compliment is a generic acknowledgment of something tangible—a completed task, a nice haircut, a compelling presentation, or a compassionate gesture.

Gratitude goes beyond the compliment to the intangible—why you are thankful for the completed task or the compelling presentation, the personal effect the tangible act had on you.
People are always glad to have their work acknowledged, but to know that it matters makes it more meaningful.

Compliments lead to mistrust. The recipient may wonder whether it’s sincere or deserved.

Gratitude leads to trust. The recipient knows specifically how their character, their task, made an impression.

People want to trust what you say. Make it personal. Make it true.

5 ways to deal with untrustworthy leaders:

5 ways to deal with untrustworthy leaders:

1. Establish if they are a know-it-all. There’s no hope for someone who thinks they know when they don’t.
2. Determine if the issue is character or competence. Remove leaders who lack character.
3. Maximize their strengths.
4. Compensate for their weaknesses.
5. On a personal level, continue doing a great job, but protect yourself.

You might be a good person, but, are you a trustworthy leader?

20 Habits of Untrustworthy Leaders

Untrustworthy leaders:

1. Don’t trust themselves. They change their mind when they should stay the course.
2. Minimize difficulties.
3. Don’t know when to quit or change course. They lead into dead ends and failure.
4. Run around with their finger in the air, seeing which way the wind blows. There’s a difference between listening to follow and listening to lead.
5. Dangle carrots. They promise promotions but don’t deliver, for example.
6. Lack compassion.
7. Are ungrateful and bitter.
8. Never apologize.
9. Lack emotional control.
10. Don’t trust others.
11. Keep you guessing about what they really want.
12. Lack transparency and candor. Don’t trust leaders who won’t tell you what they think.
13. Get lost in the weeds and lose sight of long-term goals and purpose.
14. Disconnect. Don’t trust isolated leaders who keep others at arms-length.
15. Bury their head in the sand. Don’t trust leaders who won’t confront brutal facts.
16. Reject feedback.
17. Defend rather than explore.
18. Hold others accountable but let themselves off the hook.
19. Don’t stand up for others.
20. Act like they didn’t screw up when they did.

Arpin salutes our military members

On this day may we all take the time to say thank you to all of our military members.
Those that have served and are serving.
It is because of their sacrifices that we enjoy the world that we live in and the freedoms all around us.
It takes a very special person to lay their live on the line and sacrifice so much.

If you know of any veterans, friends or family , call them. Just say THANK YOU.

In the household goods industry we have the opportunity to say thank you every time we move a military member. Please try to remember in your busy day to look up and recognize the people that you may be moving. Show them the respect that they deserve.

Today there are some issues that we hear of with taking care of veterans and their medical needs.
Get involved.
You can make a difference, call or email your congressman or senator.
The deal we have made with our soldiers , as a country, is if you lay your live on the line and volunteer to defend our country you will be taken care of when your time is up and you return home.

Let's keep to our word.

GOD BLESS AMERICA.

And thank you to all of our military members bot active and retired.

Memorial Day Weekend

Each year, our nation commemorates Memorial Day to honor those who we lost in combat. These courageous men and women paid the highest price to be called Americans.
In the veteran community, there is another group we mourn. These men and women, too, served valiantly alongside us. Like our other fallen brethren, they are no longer here to observe the moments of silence and the barbeque get-togethers. The difference between these men and women and the ones who are traditionally remembered on Memorial Day is that they did not die at the hands of an enemy, but at their own.
Since 2001, the number of suicides among active duty troops has more than doubled. In the Army alone, suicides have tripled. In fact, suicide has become the second most common cause of death in the military.
This is not just a phenomenon for those still actively serving. The Department of Veteran Affairs estimates that 22 veterans take their own lives each day, though these numbers might be significantly underestimated because they are based on incomplete data from fewer than half of the states.
No single symptom
While there is not one cause to point to for this acceleration in the suicide rate, one in five veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Moreover, a recent study by the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center found that mental health disorders such as PTSD are the leading cause of hospitalizations among active-duty forces, and that those who have been hospitalized have a "greatly elevated" suicide risk.
For veterans, it isn't only the numbers that are depressing, it's the lives behind the numbers.
One of them was my buddy Brian Collins. Brian was my former roommate at Valley Forge Military Academy. He was an extraordinary leader. He was the guy to lift your spirits when you needed it. He was the fifth highest ranking cadet on campus, and he went on to West Point and became an infantry officer.
Brian served three tours overseas — two in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. He came home and was very happily married. One day, though, a mutual friend gave me a call as I was walking out of a movie theater with my wife. Brian had taken his own life.
For Brian's family and for the families of the thousands of other veterans and active duty troops who commit suicide, the pain of their deaths will continue to reverberate, magnified by bureaucratic rules and regulations. Despite their loved ones' meritorious service, their families may not be entitled to military death benefits. While they can be buried in military ceremonies, the VA may not pay for it. And they are not entitled to military honors unless the VA determines their suicide was caused by direct combat issues.
VA scandal reverberates
Exacerbating matters is the scandal in which a number of local VA hospitals have been charged with delaying patient care and falsifying records to cover up the delays. Already, at least 40 patients have died while waiting for care at a Phoenix VA. Now, former VA workers are coming forward with accusations that delays lead to some suicides.
To its credit, the VA does have the Veterans Crisis Line, connecting veterans and their families with responders through a confidential toll-free hotline, online chat or text. But using this service is the final cry for help.
Indeed, many veterans have likely tried to get counseling and other intervention services but were stalled or even stonewalled by the bureaucratic VA hospital system.
The problems with the system stretch back decades. We can no longer allow its complexities to be an excuse for not fixing it.
Far too many Americans still look at Memorial Day as a "day off." For me, and millions of other vets, it is a day to remember not only those who died in combat, but also those who fell victim to the reality that even though they made it back from war, it did not mean their fighting was over.
For many, the uncertainty of reintegration is real, and our country needs to account for it.

By Wes  Moore
Wes Moore, an Army combat veteran

Change

Real change happens in small steps. Large changes overwhelm people, defeating them before they even start. When we break the change initiative into small steps, it is easier to redirect effort as necessary. Enthusiasm builds and employees remain positive because they see progress in short time periods.

Outstanding leaders understand their ability to lead change is key to building a high performance organization with “Unfair Competitive Advantage.”

Some timeless quotes:

Change before you have to – Jack Welch

The world hates change, yet it is the only thing that has brought progress – Charles Kettering

The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence – it is to act with yesterday’s logic – Peter Drucker

The rate of change is not going to slow down anytime soon. If anything, competition in most industries will probably speed up even more in the next few decades – John P. Kotter

From our Driver of the Year...Skip

Hauler of the YEAR?

I love that title, BUT,with the symbiotic relationship we all have,this is not about ME......It's about all of us...Without the support of Arpin...Steve,Shelia,Anthony,Kristen,Dave,Matt,Anita and everybody else, We'd not be there....Then there's the agent's who have gone out of their way to make sure jobs have gone well.....Then there's the guys like Miguel,Deon,Rios,Ken,Larry,Hugo,Jose,Maurice,and all the rest of the crews I use who really care about my shipper that have all of us at that level....

So my thanks need to go out to all of you for your support.....AND thanks for everyone for the congrats....

Prepare....train

The secret to success is no secret ...prepare and train.

Always be prepared, look ahead and gather all the information that you will need for the next day or the next week. Ask questions, look up where you are going, secure your labor.

Labor in the moving has always been a huge issue. Learn who is good as you travel, keep their names and contact information and always treat them right and pay them properly.

You want to build relationships on the road.

Train them.

If you take the time to help train the young man on your move he will pay it back to you two fold.

We have a owner operator that sets up packing Classes on his own in certain areas.

He has the names of young men and woman that has used in the past or are friends that need direction and help and he gathers them up on a day off and teaches.

Do you think they will be loyal to him?

Do you think that will pay off for him as much as the young students?

Through the years he has developed elite pack crews on each side of the country that are there for him when he needs them. They do a good job for him.

And just as important they start to see a road of opportunity for them.

Some start to learn how to load properly and may want to get their own license and maybe someday drive and be their own boss.

Yea, just like you use to be.

People still desire to get in this business and make their own opportunity , it is getting harder and harder for the working class guy to do just that and the moving industry still provides it.

Prepare and train....learn the true meaning of success. 

We Appreciatte our Drivers

Here are some more taped testimonials on how much we all appreciate our Drivers and a word from our currant driver of the Year Skip Austin.

2013 Driver of The Year Appreciation and More

From Road Warrior Skip...

Thanks need to go out for today, National City helped me out big time. I talked to them on Friday, explained I’d be there today, in a hurry...(Lights on the back trailer have been screwed up, been in 2 shops, work for a little while, then go out, dead short, no time to fix, daylight running for now.

 

I think I know what to do, where the short is, maybe Thursday)I went down there and parked close yesterday afternoon, this morning, they had 12 guys(including the guys I hired)getting it off the trailer...hour and 15 minutes,13,000 was on the floor...That gave me the daylight time I needed to get up to Barstow for a pack and load for tomorrow...Just an fyi- We need to make these folks who do our surveys responsible for crap like LOW TREE’S.

 

My light problem started with a pack and load south of Jacksonville, a FREAKING tree tunnel at the 12 foot line, for a mile and a half....Papers said access good...They never even bothered to look UP?I broke all four of my front lights out, fixed them, worked for a while and now I’m back to a dead short..

A Classic...

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 picked, 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.

Can you hear and do you care and
Cant you see we must be free to
Teach your children what you believe in.
Make a world that we can live in.

Teach your parents well,
Their children's hell will slowly go by,
And feed them on your dreams
The one they picked, 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.

Look Up...- A YouTube video has people looking down

Look Up...

A five-minute YouTube poem urging people to look up from their internet devices and interact with real people has had the opposite effect, notching more than 24 million views in 12 days.
The video doesn't demonize social media entirely, but rather encourages people to take a break from their online lives to experience real connections-

Take five minutes and watch this and then please pass it on, we need to start to educate the younger generation ( and the older) on to harness the power of the internet...

http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/digital-life-news/look-up-youtube-video-has-people-looking-down-20140507-zr62p.html

Know your weakness

Know your weakness or where you need help and work on that.

We all know our strengths and what we enjoy about our job and we also know our weaknesses.

Work on where you need help and make it your goal to work on improving that.

It could be the paperwork portion of your job. If it is break it down and look for ways to organize or ask for help. It is not going to go away, or just being aggravated about it is not going to change it.

Set time aside each day to work on it.

Is it the customer service side?

Do you need to improve the way you communicate with others?

If so take the time to study what you say and how you say it.

Be self conscious as you are in the moment.

Could you have handled it different?

Always be on the road of self improvement.

Spend less time complaining about others and more time in self reflection.

What are your weaknesses ?

Forgive yourself

Forgiving yourself is just as important.

We all mess up, we all say things in the moment that we wish we could take back.

We all know when we should have handled things differently...forgive yourself, learn from it and move on.

Forgiving your self is just as important as forgiving others.

Say you are sorry and ask for forgiveness.

Here's the tough one....even when you may still think you are right.

Why ask for forgiveness when you may think you we're right?

Because then you start to talk , and maybe then you may start to see that you came at it wrong. That maybe it was the way YOU started the conversation to begin with that built the wall or added to the situation. Either way you will never start to understand unless you diffuse the situation.

You see how you approach the other person and what you say can immediately start the wall to be built. In that case I say you lose the validity of your case. 

You may be right but you were wrong in how you handled it.

That is ok...we all do it.

Just own up to it.

Ask for forgiveness sooner rather than later and you may be surprised.

That weight just may be lifted off your shoulders.

And trust me it WILL weigh you down.

Forgive them and forgive yourself.....move on, learn, grow...life is too short. 

From Road Warrior Skip...

Well? Pulling into Las Cruses New Mexico..

With my water temp reading 180, I started getting those annoying flashing lights telling me to shut the motor down or else...
The oil temp was normal, everything else was within limits, but, the ecm kicked in and cut the power back...I pulled into the TA and got in line....This truck stop(where a lifelong buddy died at the door)has always gone out of their way to help anyone, to the point of giving me a ride over to Peterbilt so I could buy the parts with out their markup...
.My biggest concern was their ability with a comp to figure out what was wrong...I replaced 2 sensors and the thermostat....Still not right, I think the impeller came off the water pump....
Over to Pete in the am to get that checked out...The bill here was over $800...At 68% there's not much room for repairs or truck payments...If the water pump is gone...
.Another $800.....

That's my point, we all need to put away about 20 cents per mile for every mile into a breakdown fund....OR depend on our carrier for the PO, along with additional fee's....
The good news is,
I have plenty of time on my dates.


Life... On The Road...

Forgive

Why is forgiveness so important?

Because the anger will eat you up and get you no where.

Because you too have made mistakes and seek forgiveness at times.

Because you will never learn or grow if you do not try to build bridges.

We all have disagreed with other people, in business and in our families. That is fine and expected.

And when we do disagree it is important to keep perspective.

Try not to alienate or worse just swear them off....talk.

I know that when you are in the moment it is difficult and easier said than done so try to step away.

Hang up, stop replying so quick on email, walk away. 

Wait, think, give yourself time to digest the whole picture.

Measure your words and your response, why make matters worse.

And you do have a knee jerk reaction and realize it after you do walk away than revisit it and apologize.

Do not let it sit and fester, it will only get worse and quickly work it's way to no return.

Ridiculous.

What than did you accomplish?

Abraham Lincoln said " I disarm my enemies when I make them my friends".

More important you may come to realize that they are NOT the enemy..that is when you start to learn and grow.

Take the time to see their side, for just one moment. Why do THEY feel the way they do?

It may be something small, something they held in days or weeks ago and because THEY did not talk it out they held it in and it is now a wall.

Forgiveness is the only way to release your anger and to move on.

The Year Was 1944

THIS WAS THE YEAR 1944

U.S PRESIDENT
Franklin D. Roosevelt

VICE PRESENT
Henry A. Wallace

TIME MAGAZINE PERSON OF THE YEAR
Dwight David Eisenhower

Cost of Living:
New House $3,475
New Car $975
Average Rent $50.00 per month
Gasoline .15c per gallon
Movie Ticket .40c
Postage Stamp .03c

Cost of Food:
Granulated Sugar .75c for 10lbs
Milk .62c per gallon
Ground Coffee .48c
Bacon .45c per pound
Eggs .21c per dozen
Ground Beef .32c per pound

Popular Movies:
Going May Way (Academy Award)
Jane Eyre
Double Indemnity
Gaslight
Meet Me In St. Louis
Laura
Murder, My Sweet

Music:
G.I Jive (Louis Jordan)
I Dream of You (Andy Russell)
I Love You (Bing Crosby)
I'll Walk Alone (Dinah Shore)
Shoo Shoo Baby (The Andrews Sisters)

Popular Quote:
"You know how to whistle, don't you, Steve?  You just put your lips together and blow." -Lauren Bacall in To Have and To Have Not

MENTOR SOMEBODY

Abe on Charactor

On Character

"Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be."

“In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.”

“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.”

“A friend is one who has the same enemies as you have.”

"Perhaps a man's character was like a tree, and his reputation like its shadow; the shadow is what we think of it, the tree is the real thing."

"Leave nothing for tomorrow which can be done today."

“I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice.”

“Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.”

“Don't worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition.”

“I walk slowly, but I never walk backward.”

Abraham Lincoln

From Skip and Bedbuggin....

I've got a story(now that's news)about something similar to your story about a young helper...

It turns out my best friend in life, who's Dad was a Bedbugger.....Who as a 4 year old child, would sit at the front window and wait for that moving truck to hit the driveway....Excitement was the best word....And cry big tears when it left....Now most of you would think it was his Dad that he was waiting for....NOPE!

It was the truck......His Mom and Dad split when he was young and all George could think of was being a mover....12 years old, he got his first job at a local Connecticut agent and every summer after that he was BEDBUGGIN....He worked his way up to being an over the road owner operator, now, for 35 years....He's now one of Atlas's top hands.....There's a lot more to that story...I just thought that part would go well with the blog....

Impossible

ALI    

More tips for our Road Warrior...

Another cost cutting method has to do with speed packs..

This works well with flat floor trailers...8 speed packs,8 4 wheel dollies...
Tryfold the pads(fit perfect into the speed pack, on top of a 4 wheeler)and simply roll them into residence....As you load, and lose the contents, break the speed pack down and place it into the belly box...Along with the 4 wheeler...Then, when dropping, pull the speed pack out add a 4 wheeler and fold the pads into the speed pack, roll it back into the box, tie it off and your ready for more...This also helps out when waxing the floors, roll them out of the way....The speed packs also help out with carries..
One can hold as much as 3 dollies of stick.. Then roll it into residence...MORE NO BRAINER STUFF!

From our Road Warrior...Skip...A Day in The Life...

I had a real fun one the last two days...It was a pack and load out of Jacksonville, Florida..

 

.Little did I know when I set this up, the member was the head person for looking into complaints about moves with the Navy...Boy HOWDY! Did he have some stories...
 

I first have to thank Steffan at Arpin of Jacksonville...

Gave him a bunch of notice about help and he set me up......

Called 48 hours ahead, left a message that they would see a truck in front of their house-EARLY(7:00 am)on the day of pack..
Not to worry, the guys were due at 7:30 and I'd not bother anyone before 7:30...The guys were on time and the shipper was ready...

.Except, the Mrs. tells me she always had 2 days of pack.....

 

She NEVER got done on the first day....I don't know about anyone else, but, the costs on me for the second day eat up any profit, on 13,000 pounds, so I need it done in one...Needless to say, the crew they sent out was the best I've ever had in ALL of Florida....

.Pack was none by 2 pm.

I started my inventory at noon, the guys started padding everything for the next day at 2...By 4:30,everything was padded, banded and at that point we left..
Imagine, this shipper wandered through the house that night seeing all his stuff padded, looking great, AND ½ or the work for today was already done....

 

Then on to the load.....We started again at 7:30.....By 12:30 we were closing the doors....The job went well.....Good scores are on the way....Thanks to the folks at Arpin of Jacksonville....

 

---

Bedbuggin

I recently went to a tractor trailer school to meet and speak to graduates, men and woman that will be getting their Class A license soon and were looking for opportunities .

Most just wanted to drive Freight, happy to make 11-14 dollars and hour or 30 cents a mile and most did not want to do any lifting or hard work.

The thing is most were young and are giving themselves no future. If they follow that road that is where they will probably be their whole life.

Their is nothing wrong with that but if you want to have a family and a home it will be hard.

Out of the crowd a young man came up to me that ran the road with a household driver for three years and loved the experience. His dream and his goal was to be a bedbugger.

When he talked he totally separated himself from the others that spoke to me that day. He spoke of pride and customer service. He spoke of helping others and wanting one day to be his own boss.

He had goals, he had confidence, he had self respect.

Being a household goods driver is something to be proud of.

For those of you that are professional movers try to remember that feeling when you started, when you helped a mover for the first time.

When you saw that driver take control and work his magic with the customer, his crews and the furniture.

You saw the pride and wanted to aspire to be that person. To learn and grow just like that young man I spoke to at the tractor trailer school.

Yes, the industry is going through some changes and tough times but it has in the past too.

It is still a very respectable business and one that a young person can still learn and be their own boss.

If their are changes needed it is up to the veterans to help guide them. You owe to yourselves and for al those young people that look up to you.

Stop being mad and start helping to create the job that you saw when you started.

Actually it is ok to get mad but funnel that energy and never allow it erode YOUR work or your ethics.

If you think that yours is the only industry going through changes think again.

I know people in all types of businesses , salespeople, nurses and business owners and they ALL have similar stories.

Once a bedgugger always a bedbugger.

 Help you profession, help train that young person, help to make it better.

From our Road Warrior on Teamwork..

Road Warrior has left a new comment on your post "TEAMWORK":

We were just having a discussion about labor costs, and this fit's right in there" “many hands make light work”?". We were talking as to what was cheaper, taking two days to pack, or bringing extra labor and getting it done in one day? Taking two extra guys along on bigger jobs, doing it in one day ?
My feelings were the extra labor for one day, cuts my costs by 30%...I simply tell my shipper it needs to be done in one day...



It all depends on what the costs are...What I look at (with flat rate labor)Which way is  cheaper? CHEAP IS IN!...I've found that pack jobs, an extra man on the first day, eliminates a second day...Way less labor. Loading/unloading ? I use google maps to see what the house is like. One more time, if I can eliminate double hours by adding a couple of guys for one day?

That's a no brainer....SHOW ME THE MONEY!

TEAMWORK

Remind your crew and/or team that you’re all part of the same organization and share the same basic goals and objectives.

Emphasize each person’s place within the teamwork structure. Show team members how their work, in combination with everyone else’s, moves the whole structure forward.

While no one wants to feel like a cog in some big corporate machine, we all still depend on each other to get our work done.

We can do very few jobs without input from others, whether from above, below, or laterally.

Remember the old sayings “two heads are better than one” and “many hands make light work”?

Putting our heads together results in greater collective innovation and progress

Follow up

Follow up

When you delegate a project to a team member, trust that person to get it done — but verify. People appreciate being left alone to do the work, but don’t leave them alone.
Follow up occasionally at set milestones to ensure everything is progressing on schedule and encourage them to reach out to you any time with challenges. It’s counterproductive to have things done incorrectly, so make sure you’re both on the same page.

AND

Don’t micromanage

Checking up on people repeatedly, day after day, or standing over them watching them work does not fall under the heading of “following up ” — that’s micromanagement. You’re wasting their time and yours, and it makes people nervous and less productive.
Your title is “Manager,” or :Driver" or " Crew Chief" not “Dictator.” You facilitate the business of the team; you don’t do it all yourself or waste time watching other people do it.

Some Tips for buiding Trust

To help build trust, follow these 16 tips, :

1. Be honest
2. Keep commitments and keep your word
3. Avoid surprises
4. Be consistent with your mood
5. Be your best
6. Demonstrate respect
7. Listen
8. Communicate
9. Speak with a positive intent
10. Admit mistakes
11. Be willing to hear feedback
12. Maintain confidences
13. Get to know others
14. Practice empathy
15. Seek input from others
16. Say "thank you"

Never judge a book

Never judge a book by the cover.

It is soooooo true.

I have learned that sometimes that person who talks pretty and smells pretty and dresses to impress may be the person to watch. And the person who may have on work pants and stained sweatshirt who may talk a bit slow is one of the most hardest honest person that you will ever meet.

To many people judge others solely on their outward appearance... big mistake.

I have many stories through the years ( unfortunately) of just such cases. I learned a long time ago that it is not what a man says but what he does.
The ones that say they are the best and brag all day are the ones I sleep with one eye open.
Those that are confident in their ability do not need to brag.

The cream always rises.