 Every morning when we wake up each of us asks ourselves a pretty fundamental question: “Do I continue to lay here in bed or do I get up and carry on with my day?” Our choices for the rest of the day won’t get much more basic than this initial one. Although there are a limited number of answers to this question (either I get up or I don’t) the underlying reasons for our choice are infinite.
What makes me curious are the reasons people choose to get out of bed and go to work. In my own case I can point to several, some of which are pretty basic: kids still in college, food on the table, basic enjoyment of life. Others are a little more sophisticated: my responsibility to the people at VMA, our clients and our business partners, and emotional fulfillment. Some reasons are downright philosophical: I’m fortunate enough to love what I do and I don’t feel I’ve completed the work I was placed on this earth to accomplish.
As we get older or as we spend more time in our businesses the answers to this question may change, but the question itself remains the same. So, what is it that gets you out of bed in the morning (or in the middle of the night when the phone rings)?
Chuck Violand
 From the very second it begins beating until the moment it stops, the human heart works nonstop. Most people have no idea that in an average lifetime the heart beats more than two and half billion times without ever pausing to rest. It is the core of our human life.
In his book The Heart of Coaching organizational consultant Thomas G. Crane wrote, "Touching people's spirits and rekindling what deeply matters to them is what the heart of coaching is all about. We do not need another book on managing people that shows us yet another technique on how to get them to do what we want them to do. People are crying out for real leadership from leaders who are open and vulnerable and real." In other words leaders who are capable, knowledgeable and proficient in their ability to influence and guide employees. Effective leadership is at the core of our organizational life. Just as with our human life it sustains us and keeps our businesses from faltering.
It would be easy to dismiss all this as just more touchy-feely stuff that really doesn’t have a bearing on how effective you are as a business leader. On the other hand maybe it does. What have you found to be the case in your experience?
Scott Tackett
 This past week I had a client who sought my opinion about performing mitigation work for free. Refraining myself from blurting out the question, “Why in the world would you want to do that?” I asked him to elaborate on the situation. He explained that he had seen a news story about a woman whose home was flooded during the rains associated with hurricane Irene.
She had no insurance coverage and no money. His motive was compassion and a desire to help someone in need. Since he had benefited greatly from a weather event that devastated others he felt obligated to pay that benefit forward. I approved of his willingness, but advised him to proceed with caution.
As a disaster restoration contractor the unfortunate side of our work is that we are surrounded by those who are victims of circumstance. We profit from others’ misfortunes. That fact needs to be kept into perspective at all times and requires a high level of moral character on behalf of the contractor. Personally, I have had plenty of opportunities to provide “freebies” to those in need throughout my years in the industry. To prevent the companies I managed from turning into volunteer organizations I had to resist the urge more often than I care to admit, but those were hard choices to make.
There are many benefits to performing charity work. Free advertising (news media), tax deductions, and self fulfillment are just a few. The true philanthropist, in my opinion, ignores these motives and sacrifices his/her personal benefit to meet the needs of others who cannot help themselves. Those rare individuals should be commended.
Tim Hull
 If you are a business owner and have children, sons/daughters–in-law or other next generation relatives in management positions in your company, how do you determine when “it’s time” to step aside and let them run the business?
It’s always hard to step away from something you’ve labored to build over a long period. The way “the kids” manage, lead and make decisions is likely not consistent with how you handle things, which makes it even more difficult. Sometimes I think this transition is approached like the illogical parent
who takes the child’s bicycle away as punishment and declares, “When you prove to me that you know how to ride it, I’ll give it back to you!”
So, how do you convince yourself to let go? Is there anything your successors can (or should) do to initiate and facilitate the process?
I’m curious to hear from both sides of this issue. From the owners: how do you know when
“it’s time”? From the next generation: how can you “prove” that you’re capable and ready?
Tom Cline
 In a recent VMA staff meeting the subject of the similarities between running a business and being married came up. In many ways the same issues that cause problems in a marriage are the ones that cause problems in business: money, distribution of work, employees (children), and dwindling passion or interests that grow apart. Unresolved problems cause us heart burn and insomnia regardless of whether they’re business-related or personal.
On the flip side the same things that lead to successful businesses are frequently present in successful marriages. They start with shared values and goals; with a purpose deeper than your own self interest; and perhaps most of all a long term commitment to making it work.
While starting a business and getting married are fairly simple processes, it’s growing the business and staying married that requires real work. A few of the strategies to a long and happy marriage are communication, being able to say you’re sorry, and of course never forgetting your anniversary. What are some of the strategies you’ve employed to sustain your company’s growth and longevity?
Chuck Violand
 Almost weekly I hear contractors say, “I need a software system to manage my company. Do you have any recommendations?” The subsequent conversation almost always turns toward some sort of operational inefficiency, inadequate project management, or lack of communication. In my opinion there is no software program that exists that will solve these issues. What these companies need is a well defined job process and discipline. Despite this, most contractors purchase a program and let the software dictate the process based on functionality or lack of. What a mistake!
My recommendation is to refine the job process to the point where everyone in the organization can recite it verbatim. Document the process in writing and then begin the search for a software program that has the functionality to replicate that process. This allows for smoother implementation, employee buy-in, and greater accuracy in the data.
Furthermore, software programs do not manage companies. People do. The software should simply serve as a depository for information which can be analyzed through reporting so owners and managers can make accurate and informed business decisions. If the job process is well defined the software can also serve as a vehicle to move information between interested parties more efficiently. Business owners are investors. People and software require investment. Which do you feel provides the greatest ROI for your company?
Tim Hull
 One of our clients told us about a recent situation where he had been out of the office a lot over the course of a month. While he was gone, he was told about various employees (including managers) not getting along and having significant disagreements. There were even subordinates refusing direction. Apparently tempers were flaring up big time!
After clearing up much of the dissention and inappropriate behavior upon his return, our client began to reflect upon the role an owner plays as “a control in the company.”
He asked us these questions: “How critical is it that an owner or key member of the organization is physically at work in order to be in control? If critical, then how do you work toward setting other controls in place so you can be gone? What are those controls?
His questions are great ones and we would love to get input from all sides on this thought-provoking, real-life situation.
Scott Tackett
 Your employees ARE your company when they walk into your customer’s business. How they look, how they act, and the way they talk with the customer are all direct reflections on your organization. The comfort level they create may mean the difference between getting the job or not; between closing the sale as scheduled or up selling. Do you have the policies (i.e. dress code) in place? Have you delivered the training? Are you using effective ways to obtain feedback from your customers on your performance and their satisfaction?
A few dollars committed to regular updating of employee apparel, for example, is money well spent when it comes to the visual image they project.
What are you doing to ensure that your customers’ experience is positive and memorable?
Tom Cline
 I’m confused. How can the owner or manager of a business run a company and not have meetings? Or, worse yet, have meetings that are so lethargic and unproductive that the attendees would rather spend two hours watching a turtle try to right side himself? (I have done that by way and it’s painful!)
Meetings are the most powerful opportunity a manager has to impart vision and motivation to a company’s employees. They are venues that provide opportunities to solve problems, develop ideas, and debate initiatives. Meetings influence the direction of the company. They affect the livelihoods of employees and their families...and ultimately decide the fate of everyone in the room.
So why don’t owners and managers take the time to get it right? Because they are afraid! They are afraid of what they might hear. They are afraid that somewhere between the sales & marketing report and the budget review someone will actually challenge a directive, develop a new idea, or introduce a topic that will require folks to display at least a hint of passion, thereby creating drama within the confines of the conference room.
I say “bring it on!” Bring back the meetings! Let your employees debate, create, and dream. Let
them be passionate and encourage them to turn your meetings into productive gatherings where great things happen. Or are you afraid?
Tim Hull
 My next door neighbor stopped me the other day to relate an incident that happened to him recently at work. My neighbor is a guy in his mid 60’s who is a self-employed commercial insurance agent.
The story he told me was about a day he recently took off work and how a few people in his office questioned him about it, wanting to know why he took the day off.
He was incensed that “kids” who have no problem expecting a two week vacation their first year on the job would question him about taking a day...when he hasn’t taken two weeks off in a row — ever. His message to me was clear: young kids don’t want to work.
Fortunately my experiences both at work and at home have not supported that thought, so I took his comments with a grain of salt. Are there differences in generational work styles? Sure. Are there different motivators in various generations? Of course, but I do feel that younger generations are just as hard working as older generations.
I was hoping some of you would weigh in on this topic to offer some insight that I can take back to my neighbor. You may end up helping him avoid a second heart attack!
Chuck Violand
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