Incredible 70th Birthday Gift For Dad – Yes YOU Matter!
Three months ago my wife came to me with a 70th birthday gift idea for my dad. A friend of ours solicited email and written letter memories/greetings for her mom’s 70th birthday celebration, and it was a huge success. The goal was to get 70 submissions for 70 years. She suggested that concept for my dad as well, and my sister and I jumped all over it!
It has been an incredible journey, and a lot of hard work pulling everything together, but I would do it again in a second! The response was overwhelming! The last count of submissions was well in excess of 80! We were blown away. This was not surprising because of my dad’s vast network. But people lead busy lives, and don’t drop everything for just anyone. Many of the letters were between one and two pages long. A lot of time was put in to this by many people who dad has affected in very positive ways over the years.
Friends, family, colleagues, students, neighbors and babies (yes my six month old son Rowan even contributed) all took the time to write emails, mail letters, cards and even old pictures.
There are many take aways from reading the submissions, but I want to focus on the most important one that I identified over and over again.
He has mattered in so many ways to people for the little things that he did; he may not have even known the positive effect that he had when he was doing those things. People appreciated those things more than he could ever know, and wanted to say thanks again. His support for students in the classroom, or in the gym during phys ed class (and in competition) have inspired generations of great professionals, and more importantly great people. His love and support for family and friends was discussed in great lengths by many too.
I know for a fact that he did not lend an ear when people just needed somebody to talk to, or picked kids up for volleyball practice because it was too early for buses to run, or voiced an opinion for a son or daughter who may have needed a little guidance because he expected something in return. He just did all of those things to be there for them, and never thought twice because he just loves to help others.
And you can too! So often we undervalue what we can do for friends, family or colleagues, but those little things truly do matter. We tend to get so self-absorbed getting through the day, we tend to forget the positive effect that we can have on others.
A smile, a helping hand, or a bit of advice can mean the world to someone when they feel like they are all alone.
The best thing that dad gives us every day is laughter. There has been a magnet on my parents fridge forever that says “Laughter Is The Best Medicine”.
So take that for what it is worth. Enjoy every day and help out when possible!
My dad continues to do so, and that is why he is so loved by all those who know him!
Have You Ever “Tucked A Tie Into Your Shirt?”
My first job out of university was with Enterprise-Rent-A-Car. It was high paced, non-stop action role that keeps me running all day. Most days I did not believe that we could take care of all the customers, but we did. Things just always worked out.
Part of our jobs was washing cars. On the surface anyone should be able to wash a car. But in that business, the key was to wash it quickly, but still make things spotless.
I worked for several Branch Managers and Assistant Managers during my 2+ years with the company, and they were each different. They got similar exceptional results, but the way they each lead and managed was unique.
But there was one commonality. They would never hesitate to jump into the car wash and clean a vehicle at a moment’s notice. I was once told that you just “tuck your tie in to your shirt so it does not get wet, or sucked up in to the vacuum“, and just GET IT DONE.
They would also do many other tasks that were not on their job description like pick up customers, and start cars when it was colder than -30 degrees celsius!
These people stood out for me as true leaders. It would have been easy for them to sit in their offices, shuffle paperwork and pretend that they were doing more important things then help customers be completely satisfied with their rental experience, but that was not in their DNA. They were there to help, no matter how crummy the tasks were, all in the name of “just being one of the team”.
Even though it was over 15 years ago that I washed my last car at Enterprise, I still think back fondly of the lessons learned – and there were many of them.
But the best lessons learned taught a shy, stuttering young kid how to be a leader. How to never put myself ahead of the team, and how to never put myself on a pedestal too high, that I could not help out people who really needed me.
- Who were the best leaders that you have worked for?
- What made them a cut above the rest?
The Five Star 5 – Leadership Lessons From Coaching Kids Hockey
I never thought being an assistant coach for my son’s six-year-old hockey team would be easy, but there is more to it then I thought!
I have learned many leadership lessons from the experience, and here are my favourites:
- Patience – Many of these kids still sleep with teddy bears. They are very young and their development takes time
- Encouragement – “High-Fives, pats on the back, and a “great job” goes a long way for their confidence
- Focus On The Positive – We tend to focus on what is being done wrong, that we sometimes forget to reward what is being done right
- “Sandwich Method” – Put a suggestion for an area of improvement between two positive comments
- SMILE – Then laugh with them, and make them feel comfortable. It is truly about having fun, developing skills, and learning what it means to be part of a team
As I was writing this, I realized many of these points can be related to managing in the corporate world, or business in general. At least, I thought I could inspire other coaches who may need some new perspective!
If kids are not inspired by their coaches, there are many other activities that they can do these days. Each interaction with them is critical to building that connection.
Is it time to tweak your coaching, managing or general leading philosophies?
Timmy’s 10’s – My Favourite Websites!
As much as many of you support my sometimes long-winded blog posts, there is something to be said for quick, to the point content as well. Today I start a new ongoing series called “Timmy’s 10’s”.
For my first post, let’s start with a bang! These are my favourite websites/blogs RIGHT NOW!
• Paul Castain http://yoursalesplaybook.com/
• Pat Flynn http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/
• Lewis Howes http://lewishowes.com/
• Scott Ginsberg http://www.hellomynameisscott.com/
• Dan Rockwell http://leadershipfreak.wordpress.com/
• Bob Burg http://www.burg.com/
• Gary Vaynerchuk http://www.garyvaynerchuk.com/
• Michael Margolis http://www.getstoried.com/
• Guy Kawasaki http://www.guykawasaki.com/
• John Lee Dumas http://www.entrepreneuronfire.com/
Who is on your list?
I will compile all the responses and post the “best of the best” later in the month!
Alberta – My Photography Journey!
Lesley Carter from Bucket List Publications http://www.bucketlistpublications.com is travelling to Alberta later this week. She recently put out a call for people to blog about their travels to this incredible province. I will do one better!
I have lived here for 13 years and had a blast last night digging up some of my favourite photos of travels with my wife and sons.
I can still remember the day that I saw the mountains for the first time as a kid. I was truly in awe of all that the Rockies had to offer.
Now as an adult, we are so lucky to have this beauty right in our own backyard (well almost, it is still a bit of a drive).
I hope you enjoy looking at our pictures as much as I did putting them together!
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- Icefields Parkway – Between Jasper & Banff
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- Icefields Parkway
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- Icefields Parkway
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- View From The Gondola – Banff
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- Near Banff
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- Jasper
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- Near Jasper Park Lodge – Jasper
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- Vintage Engine – Jasper Train Station
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- Hoodoos – Drumheller
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- The Little Church – Drumheller
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- Smashed In Head Buffalo Jump – Drumheller
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- Smashed In Head Buffalo Jump – Drumheller
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- Hoodoos – Drumheller
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- Corn Maze – Near Edmonton
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- Corn Maze – Near Edmonton
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- Shallow Water – Sylvan Lake
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- Commonwealth Stadium – Edmonton
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- Art Gallery – Edmonton
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- Canada Day Edmonton – Legislative Grounds
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- Fort Edmonton Park
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- Fort Edmonton Park
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- Incredible Bird Next – Banff Walking Trail
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- View Out My Front Window! St. Albert
Think “Give First” – Always!
A short time ago, I received a special gift from somebody that I admire greatly. It was totally unexpected, but I was very grateful for the gesture. Some people just think “give first”, and those people have it figured out. In this case I am certain that it is not a business strategy, rather it is just who he is.
The gentlemen’s name is Bob Burg. I did not ask him for anything; we had just been having dialog about an online purchase I had recently made of one of his audio cds. In return, I got a very unexpected gift. And I LOVE telling the story now.
A couple of weeks back, I spoke to another “giver”, Mr. Paul Castain. Of course, I told the story about what Bob had done for me. Paul’s response,
“Tim, I have heard one thousand of those stories about Bob”.
My only response was “WOW”.
I need to be clear about something. When I use the phrase “give-first mentality”, I don’t mean to give everything away for free. Last time I looked, businesses are developed to drive revenue, but hopefully change lives for the better as well.
The “extract value from people as soon as possible so you can ride off in to the sunset” strategy does not sit well with me. I truly believe if you “give-first”, good things will happen for you.
Don’t kid yourself, those who are paying attention know who the “value extractors” and the “value givers” are. Everyone claims to understand this concept, but do they really?
Here is one of my favourite quotes from Bob Burg:
“All the great fortunes in the world have been created by men and women who had a greater passion for what they were giving – their product, service or idea – than for what they were getting. And many of those great fortunes have been squandered by others who had a greater passion for what they were getting than what they were giving.”
You can check out Bob’s fantastic content (especially his new book “Adversaries Into Allies”) over at:
Have A Laugh Fridays – “Who Just Joined, Who Just Joined?”
NEVER join a conference call late!
Have a great weekend everyone….
10 Ways to Win at Office Politics
Another fantastic post by Dan Rockwell – aka the “Leadership Freak”. Check it out and have a wonderful day.
Lack of leadership invites backstabbing, gossip, sabotage, game-playing, and foot-dragging. But, don’t expect a savior on a white horse to rescue you after you’ve been stabbed in the back.
Responding:
Getting even with the person who made you look bad makes you look bad. Respond in ways that you would brag to mom about.
You look fearful, weak, vindictive, angry, and defensive when you respond negatively to negative office politics.
You lose if you can’t deal with office politics.
Judge your motives and behaviors by two questions. Does this intention reflect who I want to be? And, am I acting in the best interests of my organization?
Winning at office politics:
- Don’t expect the boss to intervene. Most bosses let politics play out.
- Don’t get involved in office turmoil.
- Don’t share office gossip.
- Don’t complain about colleagues. Use the “in the room” rule. Imagine the person you are talking…
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Are You Mentally Tough Enough?
Life can be tough..
Personal life, Business “life”. Things come out of nowhere that can knock you on your butt. But you gotta get back up. You just gotta! The more resilient you become early in your life, the more success will follow.
If you develop a tough mental mindset challenges can be overcome much easier.
Remember the old 80’s song by Matthew Wilder:
“Ain’t nothin’ gonna to break my stride
Nobody’s gonna slow me down, oh-no
I got to keep on movin’
Ain’t nothin’ gonna break my stride
I’m running and I won’t touch ground
Oh-no, I got to keep on movin'”
How ’bout some Chumbawamba:
“I get knocked down but I get up again You’re never going to keep me down”
- What songs motivate you to keep moving forward?
I will never proclaim that crushing defeats in sports are more challenging than those in personal or professional lives, but there are still lessons to be learned. In May of this year, the Toronto Maple Leafs professional hockey team blew a 3 goal lead in the third period of game 7 during the Stanley Cup playoffs. The eventually lost to the Boston Bruins in overtime.
This was one of the most catastrophic game 7 losses in professional sports history, and I hope all the players on that team are mentally tough enough to get through it, and excel at the highest level again. Having a short memory and “erasing” setbacks is crucial. Just keep looking forward.
Life can be tough. Everyone knows that. The 64,000 dollar question is can you be tougher?
I hope the answer is a resounding YES!
Sell, Lead, Succeed! 