Do what you love, love what you do, and share that love with everyone!

Edward L Gambone Sr., my Dad, retired in 1983 after working 48 years for the Kroger Corporation. For the next several years, my Mother and Dad traveled the country in a motor home in search of a place to settle down. They fell in love with Sun City Arizona and dropped anchor. Unfortunately within a very short time my mother passed away leaving my Dad in a state of bewilderment. “She was my best friend, I don’t know what I am going to do with myself,” Dad would say repeatedly. For a short time, my Dad went into deep depression.

Then it happened. Dad’s passion came to life. He began telling stories of his business life experiences to any retiree in Sun City that would listen. He became very popular with the poker players and lady friends that cooked for him. A genuine interest in people and what they did was always Dad’s true passion in life. Yes, he worked for Kroger for 48 years, but his real job was so much more. Thousands of people loved Dad because he had a unique gift of celebrating their life experiences as they lived it. And now years later, he was reliving their stories. Dad, with his gifted photographic memory, was able to be so specific in his story telling, he truly amazed his listeners.

So Dad and I developed a great routine. I would meet someone that knew him. (This happened quite often since we were both in the Grocery Business). I would call my Dad, my Dad would tell me a funny story about this person, sometimes dating back 20 to 30 years ago, I would contact the person and relay the story….WOW! They would often say, “I can’t believe he remembered that!” Sometimes they would be so overwhelmed that my Dad, who retired as a District Zone Manager, could even remember who they were… “I was only a part time bagger when I worked for your dad!” But Dad had a gift, and he loved to use that gift until the day he died.

In the last days of his life my Dad did not talk about all the money and success he had, he talked about all the people that shared his life. Dad did what he loved, he loved what he did and he shared that love with everyone.

From Rebel To Champion - The Story of Mary

Mary was a rebel.
She was a bakery manager that forgot more about baking then I would ever know.
But, my first impression of her, not good. Her performance evaluations over that last three years, fair. Her department’s performance, mediocre.
I was told by many to “watch out for her, she’s trouble.”
So how do you explain that 14 months later Mary and her Team became the most celebrated bakery in the history of the company and Mary herself won the highest award possible in the company?

I would love to have a discussion with you about the championship journey of Mary and her Team.

Email me:
Rvg444@aol.com

Thank you,
Robert V Gambone Sr.

Credibility First, Referrals Second

In the world of networking and word of mouth marketing, we often have a sense of urgency to help our fellow business associates by providing them with "leads". But ask yourself, is the "lead" you are exchanging a creditable source? You may be jeopardising and diluting your "brand" if you are not 100% sure.

For more information on passing "leads" versus "credible referrals"....contact Bob Gambone at rvg444@aol.com.

Keep Your Friends Close, and Your Competition Closer

"Keep Your Friends Close, and Your Competition Closer."

Sounds crazy, but it is really a progressive successful business strategy.

Lawyers have been practicing this strategy for years, and so do restaurant owners.

If you would like to know the key tactics and results of this strategy, email me at rvg444@aol.com.

Thank you
Bob Gambone

Start the New Year Off Right, Share Your Mission Statement and Customer Promise (see my example)

Bob Gambone
PASSION, LEADERSHIP, RESULTS
Business Life and Leadership Coach / Consultant

Mission Statement

With passionate, enthusiastic leadership, I am dedicated to coaching entrepreneur minded business professionals, in a face-to-face customized process designed to improve their business lives and the lives of the people they touch.©


Statement of Values

I will coach my customers with a personalized approach geared towards their specific needs.

I will coach with an unconditional and nondiscriminatory passion.

I will keep my customers focused by being a great listener while at the same time identifying what they ‘need to do’ vs. what they ‘want to do’.

I will utilize positive feedback and constructive criticism.

I will provide effective continuous improvement through the feeding of information and will not “fire-hose” my customer.

I will develop a professional coaching relationship with my customers, founded in honesty, diversity and respect.

I will help my customers… “See the Vision…and Capture the Dream”


Credos

Coaching is 90% attitude and 10% technique.

Coaches are not great players, coaches make their players great.

Coaches are the ‘keystone’ holding together the pillars of skill and desire, forming a “whole” that is greater than the sum of the parts.

NEW YEAR, NEW OPPORTUNITIES

*Daily / weekly planners…get yourself organized (calendars, charts, files)

*Make a list of things that need done. Follow up on action plans and update.

*Inventory tracking and record keeping.

*Proper executions of the business plans…plan your work and work your plan.

*Back to basics.

*Revisit / Update Policies and procedures in your company

*Things you have let go… Procrastination ends now!

*Personal growth and health. If you are not having fun….that’s your fault.

*Measure to improve, share and use ideas, communications, teach.


*Training; in your absence does someone know what to do?

*Are you being aggressive about getting yourself trained…take responsibility for your own success!

*Team communication: share the knowledge, listen, and create a sense of ownership.

*Recognition… “Reward want you want repeated” “Find the Number ONE in Everyone”


*Be a LEADER, not just a manager. “Call it a problem & it will BE one, Call it an opportunity, and you will HAVE one.”

*Leadership “Its great to be a champion, but it takes TEAM to win the Super-Bowl”

“The customer may not always be right , but they are still the customer”

Think like a customer: present a professional image, smile and eye contact, seek out customer contact, solve customer problems, use proper body language, thank every customer and invite them back.

Thought for the month…. “we learn from yesterdays we live for tomorrows”

“Success just doesn’t happen…You must GO AFTER IT, with
PASSIONATE ENTHUSIASM!”

From Manager to Leader…My Own Personal Journey

I was the best.
(well, at least in my own mind)

No one could build displays, order product, stock shelves, take inventory and write schedules better than I.
“He never slows down, runs around 24/7” "…Bob is the hardest worker I have ever seen.”…words often expressed by my co-workers and Store Managers.
So why was I passed over for upper level management time and time again?
I was a great manager, everyone said so. I was winning all the display and selling contests.I was the best at getting work done, and lived by the credo; if you want something done right you need to do it yourself.
In fact, every time I would go on vacation, I would return to deplorable conditions and I would have to work overtime just to get the department back up to standards.

Again, so why was I not promoted?
In one word…leadership.
I was lighting fires under the feet of my employees instead of inspiring the fire in the hearts of my team.

And then I was given a revelation…a great mentor of mine said,
“Bob, it's not how good your department looks when you are here, the true test of your leadership is the condition of your department, when you are not here.
We want our managers to work smart not hard. Think of it this way; if you fish for someone, you feed them for a day... if you teach them to fish, you feed them for a lifetime.
Yes, you will always have to pitch in, but you need to let go and have your team pitch hit for you, you can’t always do everything yourself.”

From that point on, I realized; managers live for the task, leaders live for their team.
Three months later, I was promoted.

For more information on “Changing Today’s Managers into Tomorrow's Leaders”Contact Bob Gambone; email- rvg444@aol.com Phone: 412-491-7317.