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WITandWISDOM(tm) - July 12, 2004 ISSN 1538-8794 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: Disappointments should be cremated, not embalmed. - Henry S. Haskins, Writer Source: DailyInBox: Bits & Pieces, http://your.dailyinbox.com/bp/ ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: I work in a factory, and feel I am just going through the motions every day." - Hardy R. Don't feel alone. People -- especially those who produce goods rather than provide services -- continue to ask themselves, "How can I find fulfillment in my work?" The answer is rarely found in the quantity of the production or even in the quality of the end result. In the final analysis we're all in the people business. Ten, fifteen or twenty years from now you won't remember much about organizational charts, production quotas or physical facilities. What you will recall are the heartwarming, personal comments of your associates. During a leadership seminar in Illinois, I asked several participants to share the most rewarding experiences of their careers. One man told what it meant to speak at the funeral of a valued employee. Another shared the story of a former drug addict he had helped to become a productive manager. A woman unfolded a well-worn note from a fellow worker she carried in her purse - and she read it to the group. The note said, "If you ever get discouraged, remember that you have made a real difference in one person's life -- mine!" Do you see the pattern? What matters most are the relationships. By Neil Eskelin in Neil Eskelin's Daily Jump Start(tm), Copyright (c) 2003 ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: The checkout line at the hardware store was getting longer and longer as the clerk labored to get the new cash register to cooperate. At one point she wailed "Oh no, NOW what do I do ? It just rang up sixty-four thousand, five hundred seventy four dollars in sales tax on a ten-dollar sale !" Surprisingly, the customers in front of me didn't seem too upset by the delay. Some even chuckled sympathetically. It wasn't until I got near the front of the line that I saw the neatly hand-lettered sign in front of the register: WE ARE CURRENTLY DOING BATTLE WITH OUR NEW COMPUTER FOR CONTROL OF THE STORE - WE APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE. Source: Laughter for a Saturday mailto:ed548@yahoo.com?subject=Subscribe_to_Laughter_for_a_Saturday ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: The sexton had been laying new carpet on the pulpit platform and had left several tacks scattered on the floor. "See here," said the parson, "what do you suppose would happen if I stepped on a tack right in the middle of my sermon?" "I guess there'd be one point you wouldn’t linger on." From: Serve Him With Mirth by Leslie B Flynn This is a free e-book download. http://www.gospelcom.net/guide/resources/mirth.php ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: "You have been writing a great deal about the importance of being a compassionate leader. Can you give me some specifics of how to make that happen?" Lonnie F. Here are eight rules to follow: 1. Destroy your whips and chains. 2. Adopt a mission-driven leadership style. 3. Don't invent motivation - tap into people's desires. 4. Greatly decrease the symbols of power. 5. Offer rewards and premiums, not rebukes and punishment. 6. Never twist opinions to fit your agenda. 7. Increase your praise-to-discipline ratio. 8 Love people, not programs. By Neil Eskelin in Neil Eskelin's Daily Jump Start(tm), Copyright (c) 2003 |