Two to Tango
It takes Two to Tango and many more to have a Chorus Line. For either of these to work without stepping on feet, or worse, requires careful Collaboration. It’s not about just getting together with a vague idea of what’s supposed to happen next; success in these endeavors requires careful thought about the purpose, the […]
Calypso Pass
If you’ve never seen the “Calypso Pass” in real life, what I’m about to write doesn’t begin to do it justice. Picture two Air Force F-16’s traveling over 500 mph — approximately two feet apart and with one upside down as the “mirror image” of the other! I snapped the picture you see here last […]
Real Progress
Are you getting where you want to go, or just going through the motions? Those who make real progress are informed by the past, inspired by the present, and intrigued by the future. These three elements hold true whether we’re working individually or as a team. Our current state is a clear reflection of our […]
Lucky and good
There’s a popular saying that “it’s better to be lucky than good”. My view, however, is that “it’s best to be lucky and good!”. Just ask Aric Almirola, winner of the rain-shortened Coke 400 at the Daytona International Speedway this past weekend. He put the #43 Air Force car of Richard Petty Motorsports in Victory […]
Do You Care?
There’s a measurable difference between Good and Great. It comes down to how much team members care about: Why they are working together, their shared purpose; How they accomplish their duties; What gets done; Each other. The last point is the one that puts a team over the top and propels them to Greatness. You […]
The Real Deal
Last week in this space I shared thoughts on what it means to be truly “All-In” and listed 18 observations that describe highly-engaged people. The most essential element of being All-In, however, is being Genuine – perhaps better described as the “Real Deal”. People will quickly spot a fake.With a heart the size of Texas […]
Problem-solving
Encountering “problems” is an aspect of every day life that we all experience. Unfortunately, solving them is not as common. Problems are not like fine wine; they do not improve with age if kept in a cool, dark place.If you’re a manager, some of your greatest responsibilities are in identifying, analyzing and solving problems. The […]
More than a Job
Good people will join a company for a job, but they will only stay for opportunity. Creating opportunity typically depends upon growth, but growth only occurs when the right elements are in place and in the right balance. Interestingly, those elements are dependent upon the very things that existing employees can do daily to create […]
People Power
The fuel that drives business is People: capable, focused, motivated and well-equipped people. I’ve spent the last couple of days with the most remarkable group of people that I’ve ever had the privilege to lead and to serve. Our branch management and business development professionals came together to explore ways to grow our business and […]
All The Little Things
Luciano Mancilla, Jr. and his crew members, Israel Mendoza and Luis Garcia, demonstrate that they “get it” as evidenced by the quality of their work. I’ve directly observed the results of their diligent efforts in recent weeks, but recently had a chance to actually watch them work their landscape magic. I greeted Luciano on a […]