Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Recharge you passion - Share it!



Recharge your passion – Share it!
 

I am a passionate person.  I am passionate about issues, about people in my life, my hobbies and my business.  I love the energy I get from being passionate.  I thrive being around passionate people even when they don’t share my views on issues.  I enjoy the opportunity to listen, learn, revise and defend my beliefs, although my friends would laugh and tell you I am usually more likely to defend than to listen.   I am working on that.  

The day to day structure of life and life’s chores and routine can sometimes sap the passion out of life.  We put our life on auto pilot – go to work, come home from work, meetings, reports, laundry, grocery shopping, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and all the other mundane tasks that fill our day. 
Break the cycle.  Reaching out to challenge ourselves can recharge passion.   


I was recently asked to teach four classes in two days on Production and Operations Management at Northern Arizona University College of Business.  I love to teach so I accepted the challenge, although I was not sure if I could fill seventy five minutes with wisdom and stories - especially on Production and Operations Management.   I am fortunate to lead a fascinating business at Stowebridge Promotion Group where we source or produce over a million products - advertising that customers say thank you for, remember, keep and use.

I quickly found that seventy five minutes with a group of business students who truly want to know what it’s really like out there, flies.  Most students have not had the opportunity to experience life in the professional business world that they have selected as their major.   They were anxious to learn anything I could teach them.  I could tell from their questions that they were building connections between my comments and what they had learned in their business classes.  Before and after class I had the opportunity to meet with some fascinating students one on one.  Their excitement, their questions, their outlook on life – refreshes me in ways I never expected.  It reminds me why I got into business in the first place.  

Students in our universities everywhere are hungry for the real world.  Even if you are nervous speaking in front of groups, this is an easy group because they are so eager to hear stories and learn about your experiences.  I am fortunate to be associated with Northern Arizona University William A Franke College of Business where bringing the real world into the classroom is already a priority.  Many of the professors have had full careers in business before transitioning to teaching.  Small class sizes make it easier for the student to interact with the professor as well as any outside speakers.  They involve the alumni in panel discussions, mentoring, shadowing, and a group of students were recently selected to spend time with Warren Buffet – an all expense paid trip for these students.

Not comfortable speaking to large groups?  It does not have to be a classroom presentation or lecture – there is also a real need for mentors for students,
 whether it is a long term commitment or just a short one time session.  Sharing your stories and passion for your business with a group of students who want to soak up your knowledge and experience is invigorating.  Giving back – sharing your story, whether in front of an entire class or just one on one with a student -  recharges passion.  

I was asked if I thought spending two days out of the office was a good use of my time.  ABSOLUTELY!  Spending time teaching and meeting with students before and after classes for a conversation recharges my energy, excites me.   It brings back my passion.  I am a better leader when I return.  I am excited and re-energized again as we serve our customers.  The day to day cobwebs are cleaned out and blown away.  While I was there to help them, I was the real winner of the two days I spent teaching. 


Monday, October 13, 2014

The need for Cultural Sensitivity in our Shrinking World

The need for Cultural Sensitivity in our Shrinking World




Today was Thanksgiving Day in Canada.  I don’t think many Americans were even aware of that.  I am fortunate to have good friends in Canada, some amazing suppliers that offer great and unique products and wonderful customers. 

Early this morning, I sent an email to my customer support person at one of my favorite companies in Montreal.   I wished her a Happy Thanksgiving and acknowledged that she was not in the office but asked if she could look into my order the following day.  I was quite surprised to get a response right away from her.  She told me that she had a great day with her family on Sunday and that she would have the American Thanksgiving off instead of the Canadian Holiday.  But, of course, she will be home celebrating alone, a Thursday in late November as winter is upon their doorstep.  This is a Canadian owned company.  And I was more than a little troubled by the fact that on a holiday that celebrates family and thankfulness that she was at work.

A few hours later I talked with another supplier in the US that recently purchased a Canadian apparel supplier.  They also were busy shipping out orders from Toronto. 

Thanksgiving is my favorite Holiday.  It is a simple and beautiful holiday about family and being thankful.  There are no gifts, there are no religious complications to consider.  Its just great food, family and thankfulness for all we have.

As the world becomes smaller and it is easier to work across borders, we need to develop our sensitivity and respect for traditions.   Would it have been earth shattering if these Canadian companies had closed to allow their employees to be with their families for one day?  We hold Thanksgiving as a very sacred holiday in the US.  (Okay with the exception of some retailers who tried to ruin it last year!).   We share Canada’s Thanksgiving with our Columbus Day so we were without banks and the mail delivery and federal offices.  It happens this way every year.  How is that we can work without those key operations, but there is no longer a respect for employees and their families across our border?  

We tolerate China closing for three weeks for Chinese New Year.  We plan for it; we work around it.  It isn't always easy but we all survive. 

At Stowebridge we realize that families are important.  Our employees are our greatest asset.  We offer a flexible workplace where families are important.  We adjust work schedules for important events - school performances, important sporting events for our employee's kids, kindergarten graduations and doctor's appointments. We aren't open on weekends and we close for all the major holidays.  By taking care of our employees, we know they will take great care of our customers.

We need our Canadian neighbors who own businesses to know that we respect that occasionally our holidays fall on different days, that we value their partnership, and respect their traditions. 

As our world becomes smaller, it is time that we also develop cultural sensitivity and respect and appreciation for traditions.