A Symphony Conductor

Have you ever seen a Symphony conductor?

He's the guy standing there in the front facing the orchestra waving his hands all about.
It may look as if none of the musicians are even looking at him but he is a key person.

It is what he does before the show, the training, the attention to detail that he must have with EVERY musician in his orchestra that matters.

Are you in charge of a business, or are you are driver in charge of your crews or a principle of a school.
You are the symphony conductor of your business.

And like any great conductor you know that YOU are only as good as each and every person in your orchestra.
And if you are a musician in the group you know that you are ONLY as good as the person next to you.
You are judged, in the end, as a group.

You would never hear at the end of the day, man that third flute player from the left front was outstanding but the rest of the people stunk up the place.
No, they are ALL judged as a group, even the conductor- the guy in charge.

That is what we all must learn to be successful, we are only as strong as the people that we surround ourselves with. If someone needs more help, help them. If you can see or hear that someone could use some extra training, help train them.

It does not matter if you are the lead person or part of the crew.
That day you are ONE.

When you learn that, when you BELIEVE that- you will succeed- in business and in life.

From driver skip on -Times have changed-

Skip left this in the comment section on the posting of "Times Have Changed" but I wanted to be sure that it was read and shared so I am posting it also.



Yes,the times are a changin....HAVE CHANGED!This was brought on by another driver from our company parking behind me.I had all my trailer doors open and was inside with music,folding pads and cleaning...He parked,went inside...AND LEFT....In my younger days...I'd have asked someone with their doors open if they needed help...It must be all about the ME generation.....What can we do to get more camaraderie in our fleet?

I've many party stories,the best one was a four day weekend at the Evergreen Truckstop up in Seattle...There were six of us all parked up front by noon Friday-all next to each other....I had my full sized grill,they ALL knew,and for the whole 4 days,we,helped each other fold pads,set up the boxes,PARTIED,AND cooked all weekend....The grilling started with chicken,went to hamburgers,porkchops,a whole ham,ribeyes,t-bones,and the final was confusing on my part......2 trailers 5 feet apart,tarps on top to keep the rain out....Grill kicking every minute......For 4 Days....

The best part of this story was the last day,Monday'bout 3 oclock.....I was ready to put the grill away,a refer driver walked by and noticed the grill,”JEEZE,a grill,want to cook some tuna?”Ya'sure,he came back with a tuna Filet FROZEN,had to be 10 pounds...I had no way to cut it,and,a flatbed driver had a crosscut saw that we washed and used to cut 1 inch Tuna steaks for the end of the weekend....Life is good,ILOVEMYJOB......

" Be Yourself, Everyone Else Is Taken"

The Charles Schulz Philosophy
(This is marvelous!! Scroll thru slowly and read carefully to receive and enjoy full effect)
The following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip.

You don't have to actually answer the questions.Just ponder on them.
Just read the e-mail straight through, and you'll get the point.
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.
4 Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday.
These are no second-rate achievers.
They are the best in their fields.
But the applause dies..
Awards tarnish..
Achievements are forgotten.
Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one: 1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
Easier?
The lesson:
The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the
most credentials,the most money...or the most awards.
They simply are the ones who care the most
Pass this on to those people who have either made a difference in your life,
or whom you keep close in your heart, like I did
'Don't worry about the world coming to an end today.
It's already tomorrow in Australia ''Be Yourself. Everyone Else Is Taken!"

The Only Disability in Life is a Bad Attitude

<sup>Take a moment to watch this or read the story below.... it is worth your time


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wd89IydtXyk</sup>

To Whom It May Concern,
 
"My name is Matthew Jeffers. I am a senior at Towson University majoring in acting, and I have been a die-hard Ravens fan since Baltimore welcomed you with open arms in 1996. As you, the Ravens, continue to battle through tough losses and heated criticism, allow me to share some thoughts with you. You are in uncharted territory. You (and us) have had the gift and pleasure of consistently winning for years, and frankly, you have spoiled us. You have maintained a level of professionalism and inspiring play for so long that we have lost touch with what it feels like to have our feet in the mud. And I'm sure it is an even worse feeling for you, the ones on the field, than it is for the ones in the stands.
^{"And let me let you in on a little secret. Life doesn't care about streaks. It does not care about three-game losing streaks, or four-game win streaks. It does not care if you WANT to win, if you NEED to win. At the end of the day, life is simply unfair. I am short-statured. I am 21 years old, but stand only at 4'2”. Over my lifetime I have endured 20 surgeries, some small, others life-threatening. I have had a tracheotomy, I have had blood transfusions, I have spent summers in a hip spica cast, and I've had to learn how to walk again. My last surgery was in 2003, and I acquired the naive mindset that I was free from the bondage of heartache. I had the mindset that I had ‘done my time.’ And then, in February of 2011, my mother was diagnosed with a stage IV brain tumor. As I write this, the doctors at JHU are determining whether or not the next step should be Hospice care. So you tell me, is life fair? When you give every ounce you have, and all you have to show for it is a loss in overtime, is that fair? When families in Newtown, CT go into their child's room, but have no child to kiss goodnight, is that fair?
"We live in a painful world, no doubt about it. But let me tell you this: The ONLY disability in life is a bad attitude. The ONLY disability in life............is a bad attitude. A positive attitude is the most powerful combatant to life's misfortune. The will to fight, to survive, to win. It is the secret weapon I use, and I think I'm turning out OK. When you play on Sunday, let it not be to win a division or to silence the critics or prove somebody wrong or end a losing skid. Let it be a dedication to that simple yet powerful notion that life can be conquered with the right outlook. And I promise you, I promise you that everything else will take care of itself. Go get 'em on Sunday. I wish you all the best on your journey to The Lombardi."
 
---Matthew---}

I guarantee it

Since it is Super Bowl weekend here is a post on Joe Namath and The Third Super Bowl.
Joe believed in himself, he fought against all odds and won.
At the time NO ONE thought he and his team had a chance to win and when his back was up against the wall and people poked at him he held to what he believed in...here is Joe Willie Namath...

The apex of his career was his performance in the Jets' January 1969 16–7 win over the Baltimore Colts in the third World Championship Game, which was before the AFL-NFL merger. Namath was named MVP of Super Bowl III. This win would make him the first quarterback to ever start and win a national championship game in college, and to start and win a major professional league championship and a World Championship.

 The Colts were touted as "the greatest football team in history". Former NFL star and coach Norm Van Brocklin ridiculed the AFL before the game, saying "This will be Namath's first Professional Football game." Writers from NFL cities insisted it would take the AFL several more years to be truly competitive with the NFL. Much of the hype surrounding the game was related to how it would either prove or disprove the proposition that the AFL teams were truly worthy of being allowed to merge with the NFL; the first two such games had resulted in blowout victories for the NFL champion in the two previous years, the Green Bay Packers, and the Colts were even more favored by media figures and handicappers than the Packers had been.

Three days before the game, an intoxicated Namath responded to a heckler in Miami with the now-famous line: "We’re going to win Sunday. I guarantee it." His prediction was initially ignored, but it became legendary after the Jets' upset of the Colts.

In the game, however, Namath backed up his boast and showed that his success against tough American Football League competition had more than prepared him to take on the NFL. The Colts' vaunted defense was unable to contain the Jets' running or passing game, while their ineffective offense gave up four interceptions to the Jets. Namath was the game's MVP, completing eight passes to George Sauer alone, for 133 yards. Namath acquired legendary status for American Football League fans as the symbol of their league's legitimacy.

Bad Lip Reading in the NFL

Great video of Bad Lip reading of NFL Players. This is a unique video of what players might be saying while on the football field. Bad Lip Reading of NFL players makes you think a little more about what these players might be talking about on the field.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQzni6JZuGw

Preventive maintenance

As a driver you know the importance of preventive maintenance for your tractors, trucks and trailers.

The same preventive maintenance goes for COMMUNICATION.
You need to realize that you need to think of ways to communicate better and IN REAL TIME with your dispatch and the customer care people.

Customers DEMAND to know what is happening and they expect the people they are dealing with to be informed.
Just doing your job is not good enough anymore, you need to communicate with all involved as the move is in progress. With cell phones, email and ipads there are no excuses anymore.
Yes you are busy, yes you have labor on the clock but remember the most important financial ingredient that you work toward is PROFIT.
And to profit you need to decrease claims and increase communication.

Consider it preventive maintenance for your overall profitability.

Sending a email when you arrive, while you are in the move and after is as important as changing your oil and doing truck inspections.

Take the time up front and it will save you money in the long run.

Communicate- email- daily from the residence and on the road. It will help you- trust me.