Taking Personal Responsibility is not fashionable today. In fact, many people find it just about completely impossible to take personal responsibility. Many of our government leaders refuse to take personal responsibility. A sad state of affairs. But at least one great American believes it takes personal responsibility to create an atmosphere where people can excel and succeed.
Read his statement; "It's always up to us how the day goes for the people around us." I love that quote! "It's always up to us"! Isn't that great! That is PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY if I have ever heard it.
The statement was made by Benjamin Zander, Conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra. He is a world renowned expert. He has been on 17 International Tours, featured on numerous TV interviews and features including 60 Minutes. He has also been a music professor for over 40 years. He knows what it takes to create a place where people can excel and succeed. He says it takes personal responsibility.
When we have knew employees join us at Bank2 I tell everyone of them that I want this to be the greatest place they ever work. That I want them to excel and succeed. But I also tell them they have to protect what we have created. It takes personal responsibility to protect the atmosphere we have created. They have to be proactive and help protect our atmosphere. PERSONAL RESPONSIBLY
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Positive Relationships - Invaluable
Almost daily I am reminded how important the personal relationships I have formed through the years are to me and my success. I am eternally grateful that my parents taught me to respect others and to treat people with the Golden Rule. I only wish that I was better at doing it and had spent even more time perfecting those skills. I fear I have miss-treated too many through the years. I am committed to spend more time perfecting this skill.
But, I am so thankful for the positive relationships I have formed. These relationships are worth there weight in gold. I have learned that for the most part people love to help people. When you have a positive relationship with people they have a desire to help you even more.
It is amazing how willing and eager people are to help. Nearly every day I am blessed by people that want to help me. Just yesterday, some former employees that I have not talked to for over a year were extremely willing to help me. They were a huge blessing.
Positive Relationships - Invaluable!
But, I am so thankful for the positive relationships I have formed. These relationships are worth there weight in gold. I have learned that for the most part people love to help people. When you have a positive relationship with people they have a desire to help you even more.
It is amazing how willing and eager people are to help. Nearly every day I am blessed by people that want to help me. Just yesterday, some former employees that I have not talked to for over a year were extremely willing to help me. They were a huge blessing.
Positive Relationships - Invaluable!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
The Power of Our Decisions
Each day we get to make hundreds of decisions. It starts with what time we are going to get up and it ends with deciding to turn out the lights and go to sleep. We don't really stop to think about all of the decisions we make in the course of a day, nor do we consider most decisions to be significant.
However, I am learning that there is power in making decisions. The fact we get to choose is a powerful concept and one that many people in the world do not have the right to make for themselves. Just think, we get to decide if we are going to be kind, to be loving, to save, to conserve. We get to decided if we are going to smoke, if we are going to over eat. Get it? We get to decide. Not someone else. I get to decide for myself.
I can not blame someone else for my poor decisions. Someone else can not take credit for my good decisions. In America I get to decide. Furthermore, as a Christian I get to decide. The question is; are you making good decisions?
However, I am learning that there is power in making decisions. The fact we get to choose is a powerful concept and one that many people in the world do not have the right to make for themselves. Just think, we get to decide if we are going to be kind, to be loving, to save, to conserve. We get to decided if we are going to smoke, if we are going to over eat. Get it? We get to decide. Not someone else. I get to decide for myself.
I can not blame someone else for my poor decisions. Someone else can not take credit for my good decisions. In America I get to decide. Furthermore, as a Christian I get to decide. The question is; are you making good decisions?
Monday, June 7, 2010
Wedding Bells
Back from KC and the big wedding!
Raynell's youngest son Blake was married Saturday to Lindsay McCune in a wonderful candle light church ceremony. Lot's of fun! What a dress! Lindsay look absolutely BEAUTIFUL! Blake looked dashing in his tux and in his SUIT the night before at the rehearsal. Blake never misses a chance to dress up. He should have been born 60 or 70 years ago so he could have worn a suit every day.
Well, that was the last of the kids getting married now we are on to the soon to be 13 grand kids we share. It will be fun attending all of those weddings and NOT having to pay anything for the privilege!
Raynell's youngest son Blake was married Saturday to Lindsay McCune in a wonderful candle light church ceremony. Lot's of fun! What a dress! Lindsay look absolutely BEAUTIFUL! Blake looked dashing in his tux and in his SUIT the night before at the rehearsal. Blake never misses a chance to dress up. He should have been born 60 or 70 years ago so he could have worn a suit every day.
Well, that was the last of the kids getting married now we are on to the soon to be 13 grand kids we share. It will be fun attending all of those weddings and NOT having to pay anything for the privilege!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Simplicity Is a Lost Art
Simplicity is a lost art. I read a lot. Things like blogs, articles, books, management reports, bank regulations, etc. I listen to the news, listen to speeches, to Congressional testimony, listen to other CEO's and managers explain different items and many times I find my eyes glazing over. People just make things so complicated. Even ministers seem to make things difficult to understand.
WHY? What is the purpose? Are they trying to show how smart they are? I don't get it and I don't need it. Do you get it? Do you need it? I am totally convinced that in most situations we have lost the art of boiling things down and making it simple to understand.
I use to work for a great guy in Cincinnati, Ohio. He would always make me write my "great ideas" out and he would make me write an explanation about a problem or an issue I was having. If my writing was more than one page he refused to read it and refused to let me move on my plan. He insisted that I boil it down to simple equations. If I couldn't do it he was not going to waist his time reading about the issue or idea. Did it frustrate me? Sure. Did it teach me how to communicate, boil things down and get focused on the real issue(s)? Absolutely!
If you want people to understand something, to follow you, to work with you to accomplish something you need to make it simple. Boil it down for people and help them see what has to be accomplished to be successful. Help them see it can be done.
Just the other day one of my buddies and I were working out a problem. The tasks seemed overwhelming and we had no idea how we could accomplish it with our limited resources. I took my usual tact, got out my calculator and figure out that we only needed 12 leaders to lead 4 trips a year to accomplish our goals. Our attitudes instantly changed from wondering "how in the world we could do it" to "KNOWING we could accomplish our task". It took less than a couple of minutes to totally change our view. This is not a one time example. It literally happens all of the time when I use this tactic.
Simplicity doesn't have to be a lost art...try it!
WHY? What is the purpose? Are they trying to show how smart they are? I don't get it and I don't need it. Do you get it? Do you need it? I am totally convinced that in most situations we have lost the art of boiling things down and making it simple to understand.
I use to work for a great guy in Cincinnati, Ohio. He would always make me write my "great ideas" out and he would make me write an explanation about a problem or an issue I was having. If my writing was more than one page he refused to read it and refused to let me move on my plan. He insisted that I boil it down to simple equations. If I couldn't do it he was not going to waist his time reading about the issue or idea. Did it frustrate me? Sure. Did it teach me how to communicate, boil things down and get focused on the real issue(s)? Absolutely!
If you want people to understand something, to follow you, to work with you to accomplish something you need to make it simple. Boil it down for people and help them see what has to be accomplished to be successful. Help them see it can be done.
Just the other day one of my buddies and I were working out a problem. The tasks seemed overwhelming and we had no idea how we could accomplish it with our limited resources. I took my usual tact, got out my calculator and figure out that we only needed 12 leaders to lead 4 trips a year to accomplish our goals. Our attitudes instantly changed from wondering "how in the world we could do it" to "KNOWING we could accomplish our task". It took less than a couple of minutes to totally change our view. This is not a one time example. It literally happens all of the time when I use this tactic.
Simplicity doesn't have to be a lost art...try it!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
New Chickasaw Museum Cultural Center is World Class!
Today, I visited the new Chickasaw Museum and Cultural Center in Sulphur, OK. It is about to open to the public in a few weeks and when it does you must to go see it. I would put it on par with some of the things at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C.
This is a world class place that will only get better as the landscaping and other items mature. The 110 acre campus is located just south of Highway 7 on the west edge of Sulphur. It is about a 100 miles away. The museum and cultural center is made up of 4 or 5 buildings and an incredible real Chickasaw village. The buildings are very attractive with lots of cedar, stone and glass. The landscaping, water features and views are wonderful. The exhibits are simply outstanding and state of the art.
The Chickasaw Tribe started dreaming about this museum back in the 60's and some 50 years later, through much work, dreaming, planning and saving they started construction about 5 years ago. Today they have built and paid cash for a $50 million dollar world class facility.
I predict it will become a huge tourist attraction. In addition to folks from all over the country, I believe large numbers of people from Europe and from Asia will visit this center annually. It is a wonderful learning experience and will be a place to study the Chickasaw heritage for generations to come. Don't miss this fantastic museum, it will be your loss if you do.
This is a world class place that will only get better as the landscaping and other items mature. The 110 acre campus is located just south of Highway 7 on the west edge of Sulphur. It is about a 100 miles away. The museum and cultural center is made up of 4 or 5 buildings and an incredible real Chickasaw village. The buildings are very attractive with lots of cedar, stone and glass. The landscaping, water features and views are wonderful. The exhibits are simply outstanding and state of the art.
The Chickasaw Tribe started dreaming about this museum back in the 60's and some 50 years later, through much work, dreaming, planning and saving they started construction about 5 years ago. Today they have built and paid cash for a $50 million dollar world class facility.
I predict it will become a huge tourist attraction. In addition to folks from all over the country, I believe large numbers of people from Europe and from Asia will visit this center annually. It is a wonderful learning experience and will be a place to study the Chickasaw heritage for generations to come. Don't miss this fantastic museum, it will be your loss if you do.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Information Overload-7 Steps Easy Steps To Eliminate It
Do you suffer from Information Overload?
It has become a real problem in our society. How do you overcome the problem? How do you keep it from happening again? Not surprisingly, this topic has become a common conversation in the circles I am running in. I have some useful ideas I would recommend you try if you are suffering from Information Overload.
1). Turn off all non-essential communication.
2). Eliminate all non-essential emails and text communication.
2-a). Unsubscribe to every non-essential email catalog, advertisement and newsletter you receive.
3). Choose carefully what you listen too, watch and read.
4). Stop all non-essential subscriptions.
5). Stop thinking you have to watch the news every night, especially the 24 hour news stations.
6). Turn the radio off when driving.
7). Schedule some down time everyday.
7-a). No TV, No Radio, No Email, NO Text, No Tweets, No Conversations, No Reading, just a few minutes of solitude.
If you are suffering from Information Overload put these tips to use immediately. I know you may think the world will fall apart or you will miss something. And of course you are correct. You will miss the stress associated with Information Overload, and that is about all you will miss. Please try it and let me know the results in a few days.
It has become a real problem in our society. How do you overcome the problem? How do you keep it from happening again? Not surprisingly, this topic has become a common conversation in the circles I am running in. I have some useful ideas I would recommend you try if you are suffering from Information Overload.
1). Turn off all non-essential communication.
2). Eliminate all non-essential emails and text communication.
2-a). Unsubscribe to every non-essential email catalog, advertisement and newsletter you receive.
3). Choose carefully what you listen too, watch and read.
4). Stop all non-essential subscriptions.
5). Stop thinking you have to watch the news every night, especially the 24 hour news stations.
6). Turn the radio off when driving.
7). Schedule some down time everyday.
7-a). No TV, No Radio, No Email, NO Text, No Tweets, No Conversations, No Reading, just a few minutes of solitude.
If you are suffering from Information Overload put these tips to use immediately. I know you may think the world will fall apart or you will miss something. And of course you are correct. You will miss the stress associated with Information Overload, and that is about all you will miss. Please try it and let me know the results in a few days.
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