3 Easy Ways to "Give" in 2108

Give people confidence...

...by reminding acquaintances of your name.

-Did you ever forget someone's name that you should have remembered?                 

Think about how you felt during the conversation.

Give people hope...

...by answering your phone, 

 “… how can I help you?”

- Opened ended questions are always more inviting and productive.

Give people peace of mind...

...by confirming receipt of their email or text.
(reply- "Got it, Thank you.")

-Did you ever send a very important email or text and wonder if he or she ever received it?

Simple, yet very impactful and rewarding. 
Start "giving" today!

--------------------------------------------

Christmas Past - 1989

***Worth Repeating***

It was 5:00 pm Christmas Eve 1989, and I was locking the front door of the supermarket where I was Store Manager.

Over the years, I had made it a tradition for me to be the "closer" of the store on Christmas Eve.

Inside the store, my employees were rushing around counting their register tills, sweeping the floor, and generally preparing the store for closing down, so they all could rush home to their families for Christmas.

At approximately 5:30pm, I heard someone tapping on the front door.

“I just got off work and I need to shop for my family", the gentleman on the other side of the glass door shouted.

“Sorry, we are closed.” I answered.

“Please, I really need to shop and you are the only grocery store open.”

In the background several of my employees yelled out to me… “Mr. Gambone, I hope you don’t let him in, we all want to go home.”

I turned to my office manager and said , “Cindy, I feel bad for this guy…will you stick around with me until we get him checked out.”

She looked at me with a frown, “Well, I hope he only needs a few things, OK.”

We let him in…he was very gracious, grabbed a buggy and started to shop.

“I’ll only take a few minutes,” he said.

Then all of a sudden, he turned around and looked at Cindy and me in desperation… “Shit!..I’m sorry for swearing, but I left my wallet in my overalls at work….I can’t believe this!!!”

He abandoned the buggy and started walking towards the front door to leave.

Cindy looked at me and said… “Well, I guess we can leave now.”

“Hold on!” I said… “Sir, you pick up what you need and come back the day after Christmas and pay us.”

Cindy looked at me as if I was crazy. The gentleman was overjoyed and continued to shop.

When he completed his shopping, Cindy and I checked him out and bagged his groceries. He purchased lots of milk, cereal, bread and basic groceries along with some gift-wrap and children’s toys.

We wished him a Merry Christmas as he left and Cindy and I locked up and went home to our families.

.....wait for it...........................................................



...............the gentleman never returned...................

Yes, I took some heat from my Regional Manager when he found out…but that’s okay. I knew in my heart that it was right thing to do at the time.

It is moments like this is my life when I am reminded of the words from my mentor, Lou Z....

“The good you do, will come back to you.”

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and may you and your family have a safe and glorious New Year.

Bob Gambone, The Pecan Pie Guy

-----------------------------------------------------

Worth Repeating

*** Top Rated Post***

Several decades ago, I was a young cocky manager who thought I knew it all.

After all, I just won manager of the month, scored a great bonus and received an awesome promotion.

An associate of mine, we will call her Mary, reached out to me at my awards celebration and said if I ever needed her help, just let her know.

Mary was my hero; keyword here is “was.” She was a leader, my mentor… but in my eyes, I had no need for her anymore.

“Thanks for the offer Mary, let me think about.”

Some twenty years later, I ran into Mary. She had left the company, started a new career and in my eyes, she was very successful. I of course boasted about my success and never even asked Mary how she was doing. Once again, she reached out to me and offered her help. Really, I thought… “Thanks for the offer Mary, let me think about it.”

Fast forward to today.

I was attending a business event, when out of the corner of my eye I saw Mary walking towards me. She seemed distraught. We engaged in conversation and it turns out that Mary was struggling with her business, had been for years and needed help. Help that I knew I could offer.

“Mary,” I said, “please let me help you.”

She looked at me and said, “Thanks for offer Bob, let me think about it.”

I left the event very frustrated and confused.

Lesson learned:

Leadership is giving, and when Mary offered me help, I shut the door before I had a chance to see what was on the other side, denying her the opportunity to give. Years later, she reciprocated…I think not to be revengeful, but since I never accepted her help, she probably thought my offer was not genuine.

Songwriter and poet James Durst once wrote:

“Help one another; there’s no time like the present and no present like the time.”

No matter how successful you are in business, when someone offers you help, accept it…help is giving…help is a gift.

This is my 124^th blog posting
museahaw

------------------------------------------------------

The Giving Season

We always talk about "Giving".

We also need to be talking about "Receiving".

Why? Because when we all become better receivers, we will in turn be better givers.

The problem is most people do not know how to receive.

Really?   Yes...

How many times have you heard the following statements or something similar:

"I can't accept this, it is too much..."
"You shouldn't have..."

"Thank you for the offer, and that is kind of you to help us at no fee, but we can't accept..."

Or- no thank you at all. Or- the giving is taken for granted. Or- we give it back.

Here are some good quotes to think about...

" In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich." ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"Giving does not only precede receiving; it is the reason for it. It is in giving that we receive." ~ I. Ayivor
-------------------------------------------------

We All Have 24 Hours

If you currently are disorganized and your "to-do list" is longer than your day, don't despair; some of the most organized people once were among the most disorganized, including myself. This quiz is intended to help you see your strengths and weaknesses in this area.*

Keep in mind, it's not always "time"  management.... we all have the same 24 hours in a day;  energy, focus and direction play a major role in how you manage your day.

Answer Yes or No to the following:

1. When meeting with your team or a one to one, do you always come prepared?
2. Do you sort your work by priority.
3. At the end of the day do you make a list of your next day priorities?
4. Do you list recommended actions?
5. Are you drinking at least 6 glasses of water a day?
6. Do you start each day tackling your most immediate goals?
7. Are you sleeping at least 7 hours a night?
8. Are you limiting your caffeine intake?
9. Do you spot check yourself, to be sure you are keeping on schedule?
10. Do you commit and follow through with a structured exercise program?
11. Do you congratulate yourself when you complete a task?
12. Do you allow time for the unexpected, such as phone calls and interruptions?
13. Do you have a plan for eating foods that maximize your health vs. inhibit your well-being?
14.  Do you check items off your list as you accomplish them?
15.  Do you help keep team meetings and one to one meetings organized and on schedule?

Total up the Yes answers. A score of 12 or more is a sign that you are on the right path to maximizing your time. A score of 9 to 11, means you get lazy like me sometimes. A score of 8 or less?.... I am thinking you may need some help.

* Teamwork notes

----------------------------------------------------

BIG AL - A Look Back

---Repost---

The story was, you hated him, feared him or loved him…I was all three.

His name was Al. 

Al started in retail when he was thirteen and fifty years later died in action.

Al was an old school retail manager who believed that no one could be trusted and everyone should put his or her career first before family.

Al worked 80 hours a week, was a master micro-manager and believed that his day was not over until he fired someone or at least made an employee cry.

Okay, so you ask, WHY did I love this guy? Not for any of the above things, that is why I hated him and feared him. I loved him because I was able to translate his prehistoric management style into lessons that I still utilize today.

Three Lessons from Big Al

1). Al used to say, “The best and easiest recognition program is to have NO recognition program at all.”

            Translation: Employee recognition programs must be managed,  be fair and be consistent or your results could actually weaken employee morale.

2). When Al said, “Just because I’m pissed off at you, doesn’t mean you can walk around here with your tail between your legs.”

            Translation: Wear a smile and have a positive attitude; no one wants to work for a “Debbie-Downer” manager.

3). One day Al looked me right in the eyes and said, “I’m too old to change now Gambone, what you see is what you get…”

             Translation: I always knew where I stood with Al. Al taught me that leaders need to be right up front with people by providing balanced,  fair and concise feedback.

My 18 months as Al’s co-manager was very stressful, yet very rewarding.

Take a few moments to reflect on your old boss, teacher or coach…dig deep and I am sure you will find a few sunny days somewhere in that storm.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Taking a Stand in the Desert

***This blog post is dedicated to my MUSE***

Don't try to change people who are:

Ungrateful

Unhelpful

Unruly

Unkindly

Unloving

Unambitious

Unmotivated

and especially if they make you feel...

Uncomfortable

Trying to change these people is like Taking a Stand in the Desert...you've got no where to go my friend, it's a lose-lose situation.
                   
Here's 5 Lessons from Dan Rockwell (paraphrased)

 P.I.G.S  - People Ignorant of Gaining Success

1. With P.I.G.S. you'll get bacon, but never eggs.

2. Training won't help. If you want eggs, find some chickens.

3. Rewards won't help P.I.G.S. act like chickens.

4. If  P.I.G.S. can't take you where you need to go, replace them with chickens, or buy a new farm.

5. Even if you could convince P.I.G.S. to go to chicken heaven, they wouldn't thrive and neither would you!

Time for a change....GET OUT OF THE DESERT!

-------------------------------------------------------------