Bull Shit Meter

Paul Arpin had the best " bull shit meter" than anyone that I ever knew.
He knew within 60 seconds if someone was bull shittin him or trying to make up an answer.
Lord I miss that man.

You knew that when he asked you a question you best know the answer and if you didn't know the answe whatever you do DO NOT LIE.

I have worked with a lot of smart people but not many had the common sense in their DNA like Paul Arpin. He would listen to all sides and always come up with a common sense approach.
I wish we had more of that in today's politics.

Paul was honest and shot from the hip We were in a meeting one day , around 8 or 9 of us around the table and a new employee felt he needed to impress Paul with his vocabulary. He threw out some really impressive words and Paul stopped him in his tracks and said never mind those 10 cents fancy words with me just speak plain. When everybody left the room but him and me he looked at me and said " he thinks he knows everything , he doesn't".
Lord I miss that man.

These two guys who owned a business in Florida once sat in his office and they wanted to be a part of the Arpin Agency family. After they left his office he called me in and I asked what he thought and he said they were not " movers" and that the would never make it. He said they talked a good game and they mostly wanted to talk about golf. He said one said he was a scratch golfer, Paul said you cannot be a scratch golfer and run a successful moving business, you need to be in the thick of things.
Lord I miss that man.

Common sense and the best Bull Shit Meter !

Thank you

Labor Day is around the corner and I need to take this time to say THANK YOU-

Thank you to all of our driver, dispatchers , representatives and employees.

Every summer is challenging and very summer I have more respect for our drivers and agents and employees. It is a unique industry, we all need to rely so much on each other and the people around us to succeed. That is what makes it challenging and that is what makes it special.

A driver's job has become more and more difficult. That said it is still a very good business and is very respectable.

Labor Day is all about you- when they talk about middle America and America's workers they are talking about you. You are the salt of the earth and you are what makes America what it is.

Good people that get up every day and do your best to help other people.

Take the time to celebrate what you do and to celebrate life.

THANK YOU ! and GOD BLESS

Body Language

Part 2 from yesterday's posting on Body Language.

3) Touch: Never touch your face. It conveys deceit, insincerity and mistrust, according to Hoppe, while touching one's lips can indicate a lack of agreement.
"When you see someone touch their face you instantly distrust them or feel uneasy about them."

4) Tonality: The tone of your voice make up a large part of nonverbal communication.
"If you're trying to convince someone of something pay attention to your tonality. When you're making a statement, command or directive, your voice goes down at the end of the sentence. So if you're trying to convince someone of something, make sure it goes down."
Also, watch out: A person who is trying to deceive someone will tend to raise the voice at the end of a sentence--trying to convince either himself or you.

5) Dress: Red and yellow are power colors. Be careful when choosing them. They can either convey confidence or come across as arrogant to your boss.

6) Feeling vulnerable: Look at items such as a your colleague or client's pen or glasses--are they chewed at the ends? How do they hold a book or briefcase? Scrutinizing these behaviors indicates how that person approaches negotiations, as well as his thought processes and business confidence.
"When we feel vulnerable we protect our neck area. When another person feels vulnerable too they will try to protect themselves--holding a book or papers over their chest or touching their neck--these are all self-assurance techniques," Hoppe said.

7) Standing position: If you want to have the best face-to-face rapport with someone, take a small step to your left so that your right eye is directly facing your colleague's right eye. Hoppe said 75 percent of people surveyed feel more comfortable than when standing to someone's right.

7 Things Your Body Language Is Telling Your Boss

7 Things Your Body Language Is Telling Your Boss

Thinking about wearing that red tie to a meeting with the managing director today? You might want to think again.
Body language and nonverbal communication can have a big impact on your professional life and can ultimately make or break a deal, business relationship or even your financial success, according to a legion of body language books.
"In business, one of the most important things is the impression you give people," Eliot Hoppe, an author and expert on body language, told CNBC.
Body language encompasses body movements, facial expressions and gestures as well as the tone of your voice. Here are Hoppe's top tips to optimize your chances of business success.



1) Posture: People make up their minds about others in just the first four seconds, Hoppe said. "In business, you've got to remember that when you walk into a boardroom, people have already made a decision about you by the time you sit down."
To ensure you go into business meetings as equals walk in with a good posture. "Stand upright, have a brisk walk, you want to convey that you want to be there and are confident," Hoppe said. "If you slump your shoulders--what message will that give?"
We all have "fronts" but you have to make that outward appearance of confidence believable--people can see through it easier than you think.

2) Handshake: Touch can be a big part of body language, get it wrong and you can end up with a black eye or dismissal--get it right and you can literally gain the "upper hand" in a business transaction.
"For most parts of the world, a handshake in business is the norm and just from that you can get an idea if the person is being dominant and aggressive or passive," Hoppe said.
One word of warning: Watch out for the "power play" that can take place.
Simple observations such as a limp or firm handshake are easy. Watch out if when shaking someone's hand the other person tries to turn the handshake so that their hand is on top. "This is a power play," Hoppe said. Most handshake power plays are sub-conscious but occasionally you will find that in order to appear submissive someone will willingly give you "the upper hand."
Also watch what the "free" hand does in a handshake. Does the other person use the second hand to shake your hand or to pat your other arm?
"The higher up [your shoulder] the free hand goes, the bigger the power play," Hoppe said.
George Bush and Tony Blair were a classic case of touch power play, for instance. "Who would pat the other's arm higher up or who would enter a door first was always an issue," Hoppe said.
Just one more thing to remember. Don't hold a drink in the hand you use to greet people. "All people will feel is a cold, wet hand," Hoppe said. "That won't give a good impression."


More tomorrow

First they came

First they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.

Then they came for the socialists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for me,
and there was no one left to speak for me.

The 4 Non-Negotiables of Leadership

The 4 Non-Negotiables of Leadership

1. Show up and choose to be present
2. Pay attention to what has heart and meaning
3. Tell the truth without blame or judgment
4. Be open to outcome, not attached to outcome

WORDS

Complaining says stop or improve, but doesn’t improve anything. Encouraging points to behaviors or attitudes to continue, but doesn’t continue anything.

The danger of talking is it feels like doing.

The biggest waste of words:
It feels good to get something off your chest. But, “off your chest” conversations are pleas for affirmation not expressions of leadership.
Weak leaders run around getting things off their chest. It’s self-centered, self-indulgent, and self-defeating. Leadership is about them not you.

Talk is useful because it’s the environment of action.

The 7 powers of words:

1. Connect. Words that create connection are about others not you. Trust is the predecessor and indicator of connection.
2. Persuade. Spend more time connecting and it will take fewer words to persuade. Convincing others is about them, not you.
3. Focus. It’s normal to focus on what matters. Leaders explain what matters now.
4. Open. Nothing opens hearts and minds better than questions. Statements invite scrutiny. Questions invite exploration.
5. Guide. Leadership language centers on next steps. Anyone can explain where you’ve been. Leaders describe where you’re going.
6. Correct: Tell people what isn’t working in regards to relationships and results.
7. Affirm. Affirmation creates stability by encouraging repetition. Excellence requires positive feedback.

Bonus: The biggest danger of words is their power to take away power – to de-motivate.
Too much criticism:

Rather than “don’t like” say “I’d like.”

Courageously use words that express what you want. It’s safe to criticize, correct, and complain – to say what you don’t want or like.

Solutions are courageous self-declarations.

Successful leaders work toward solutions with others.
Cowards, like drive by shooters, criticize from the sidelines.