The past couple weeks have been crazy around our household... during one of the three storms that dropped tons of hail on us, a tree was blown over onto both of our cars. (I'll have to post more pics of that)
It took us a week to get over it - we felt pressured to find cars, because we had no means of transportation, and felt like we were burdening folks by using their cars.
This week, we found a car to replace one vehicle, and were very happy with it. Today, we took it to our mechanic, and he said there were a couple things wrong with it, that make it not a great buy. We had to call the previous owner, and tell him the whole story - needless to say we are taking the car back to him.
Then when my wife made it home finally this afternoon, one of our cats was laying hard as a rock dead on the floor. That was pleasant I am sure. I didn't get to fully enjoy it until I came home. (she had decided to leave it there for me to clean up.)
Poor cat needed to be buried, so I did it...
Man, we are really looking for the end of this 'down' season to come around!!!
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Breakfast with Fred
Been stumbling around the Breakfast with Fred Website – I found it a couple years ago, and have always enjoyed the weekly thought.
Here are some great quotes from Fred Smith about communication
Here are some great quotes from Fred Smith about communication
- From the joy of learning comes the joy of sharing.
- Only you can share your memories.
- Clarify your thoughts so that others may use them.
- Better to be a participant in life than a reporter.
- A perpetual learner is the best teacher.
- Speak to people about a subject, not on a subject to people.
- In 20 languages "be" and "do" are the same word.
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Interviewing by a PD as witnessed by... me!
I have been reading The Pursuit of WOW! By Tom Peters, and it has got me thinking about different experiences that I have encountered in my life.
Being in radio for 13 years, I have had many opportunities to interview with several different program directors. One experience that stands out was when I interview for Scott Sands who is Program Director for WZPL in Indianapolis.
I had to do the normal stuff – Send a tape and resume, which got me in the door, then I had to do an air shift (which was a blast – because I had always admired the station). The funny thing was that there wasn’t that much of what would be called a ‘FORMAL’ Interview. Most of our conversations were in Scott’s car as we drove to and from Dinner, and to and from the hotel to the station.
When my Sunday evening shift was over, he took me to a local place to grab a bite to eat. He had mentioned that maybe some of the staff would come by. Well, it was pretty much the whole staff – give or take a few. I remember that Dave Decker the Midday guy/APD/MD was there – great guy – the promotions team, a couple sales folks, I think there were more, and a couple came late to hang out as well. It was good dinner, drinks and conversation.
Little did I know that that was the majority of the interview.
I did meet with Scott briefly in his office the following morning. But nothing really in depth – just the semantics of what the job would be if I was hired.
Needless to say, I wasn’t hired for that job. Perhaps because he was good friends with my Program Director at that time, Jimmy Steele, and they apparently had had a conversation about me. (which came up at an inopportune time a couple months later)(that’s another story)
But, that is one experience of Interviewing that I will always remember. I really enjoyed it.
He obviously was looking to see how I would Gel with the staff that was already assembled. (You gellin’? Like a felon)
He was seeing if I could think on my feet.
He was looking to see how I would relate, and his folks would relate to me.
Tom Peters in a “rant” in his book Pursuit of Wow – talks of his displeasure with drug testing. (this book was written several years ago – so I wonder is he still has the same ‘distaste’ for it today as he did then – I bet so!)
He says that the interviewing process should be like a courting process, setting up times for Coffee, for lunch for interviews with the whole staff, for dinners, for mingling with everyone on all levels within the company.
That the process should take several weeks of time. That way, you truly know who you are getting, and the need for a drug test is non existent. (pgs 88-89 if you want to read it)
Scott Sands was doing a mini version of this when I visited him and his station and staff in Indy those couple days.
Cool stuff. And I will remember it for a long time to come.
Thanks Scott!
Being in radio for 13 years, I have had many opportunities to interview with several different program directors. One experience that stands out was when I interview for Scott Sands who is Program Director for WZPL in Indianapolis.
I had to do the normal stuff – Send a tape and resume, which got me in the door, then I had to do an air shift (which was a blast – because I had always admired the station). The funny thing was that there wasn’t that much of what would be called a ‘FORMAL’ Interview. Most of our conversations were in Scott’s car as we drove to and from Dinner, and to and from the hotel to the station.
When my Sunday evening shift was over, he took me to a local place to grab a bite to eat. He had mentioned that maybe some of the staff would come by. Well, it was pretty much the whole staff – give or take a few. I remember that Dave Decker the Midday guy/APD/MD was there – great guy – the promotions team, a couple sales folks, I think there were more, and a couple came late to hang out as well. It was good dinner, drinks and conversation.
Little did I know that that was the majority of the interview.
I did meet with Scott briefly in his office the following morning. But nothing really in depth – just the semantics of what the job would be if I was hired.
Needless to say, I wasn’t hired for that job. Perhaps because he was good friends with my Program Director at that time, Jimmy Steele, and they apparently had had a conversation about me. (which came up at an inopportune time a couple months later)(that’s another story)
But, that is one experience of Interviewing that I will always remember. I really enjoyed it.
He obviously was looking to see how I would Gel with the staff that was already assembled. (You gellin’? Like a felon)
He was seeing if I could think on my feet.
He was looking to see how I would relate, and his folks would relate to me.
Tom Peters in a “rant” in his book Pursuit of Wow – talks of his displeasure with drug testing. (this book was written several years ago – so I wonder is he still has the same ‘distaste’ for it today as he did then – I bet so!)
He says that the interviewing process should be like a courting process, setting up times for Coffee, for lunch for interviews with the whole staff, for dinners, for mingling with everyone on all levels within the company.
That the process should take several weeks of time. That way, you truly know who you are getting, and the need for a drug test is non existent. (pgs 88-89 if you want to read it)
Scott Sands was doing a mini version of this when I visited him and his station and staff in Indy those couple days.
Cool stuff. And I will remember it for a long time to come.
Thanks Scott!
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Bridges and Thumbnails
Reading The Pursuit Of Wow! by Tom Peters. An older book, but still some great thoughts.
One of his points is:
“Build bridges with friends, instead of burning them with enemies.
Forget your enemies. Work around them. Work instead on developing friends, turning people who agree with you (a little bit or a lot) into passionate advocates and adherents.”
It made me think of my cousin who was working on the roof of his house. He slammed the hammer down on his thumb. Thumbnail – Popped off. (gross) Blood and thumbnail on the ground. Purple thumb. That’s what I remember.
It made no difference though. Swollen and busted up thumb, he still had to finish the roof. 4 fingers were fine. 1 that was busted. Yet, he still had to complete the project.
This example is not quite related to the point above – but in a way it is. How easy is it to let one sore thumb totally screw up the project you are working on. What if there is one sore thumb in your organization?
Are we going to let that one sore thumb torpedo the project? Or are we going to gather the four fingers (plus the other five on the other hand) that can still do the job and get it done?
Hmm. Maybe it’s completely two different points. But still. It made me think.
Thinking is good.
One of his points is:
“Build bridges with friends, instead of burning them with enemies.
Forget your enemies. Work around them. Work instead on developing friends, turning people who agree with you (a little bit or a lot) into passionate advocates and adherents.”
It made me think of my cousin who was working on the roof of his house. He slammed the hammer down on his thumb. Thumbnail – Popped off. (gross) Blood and thumbnail on the ground. Purple thumb. That’s what I remember.
It made no difference though. Swollen and busted up thumb, he still had to finish the roof. 4 fingers were fine. 1 that was busted. Yet, he still had to complete the project.
This example is not quite related to the point above – but in a way it is. How easy is it to let one sore thumb totally screw up the project you are working on. What if there is one sore thumb in your organization?
Are we going to let that one sore thumb torpedo the project? Or are we going to gather the four fingers (plus the other five on the other hand) that can still do the job and get it done?
Hmm. Maybe it’s completely two different points. But still. It made me think.
Thinking is good.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
OBSERVATION OF SERVICE 1
A fast moving storm blew thru our city on Sunday afternoon. Straightline winds knocked down one of the trees that line our back yard. That would have been fine and dandy, if our cars had not been under the tree. Go Figure.
Our next door neighbor offered to grab his chainsaw and cut the tree off our cars. We weren't sure if we needed to leave them there for the insurace guy to see or not. Yet, they still needed to cut some limbs off, because they woudn't be albe to get into their driveway if we just left it there. He started cutting, and we started dragging some limbs.
Out of no where, (well, I am sure they came from somewhere) these two folks from down the road - not anyone we had had a conversation with, showed up and just started helping to move the limbs out of the way. We didn't cut the whole tree apart, just enough to get thru to the neighbors drive.
They were walking the neighborhood after the storm, and were glad to help.
Then they just walked on.
Our next door neighbor offered to grab his chainsaw and cut the tree off our cars. We weren't sure if we needed to leave them there for the insurace guy to see or not. Yet, they still needed to cut some limbs off, because they woudn't be albe to get into their driveway if we just left it there. He started cutting, and we started dragging some limbs.
Out of no where, (well, I am sure they came from somewhere) these two folks from down the road - not anyone we had had a conversation with, showed up and just started helping to move the limbs out of the way. We didn't cut the whole tree apart, just enough to get thru to the neighbors drive.
They were walking the neighborhood after the storm, and were glad to help.
Then they just walked on.
FOSTERINGHOPE.COM
What a great Site.
This week Dave Foster has been talking about Serving. GREAT STUFF
We attended Bellevue Christian Church for about a year, and loved Dave to death!
This week Dave Foster has been talking about Serving. GREAT STUFF
We attended Bellevue Christian Church for about a year, and loved Dave to death!
...BEEN AWHILE...
I haven't had time to blog for a while, but I am going to do my best to pick this back up, dust it off, and begin again...
Fall down six, Get up seven.
Right?
Fall down six, Get up seven.
Right?
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