3/17/2012 0 Comments Balance!As I sit down to write this, I’m exhausted. I’ve been putting off a huge home project that has needed to be done for years…painting my front porch. Now keep in mind that the porch isn’t just any old porch. It’s about eight feet deep and 35 feet wide with lots of balusters and railings, and a very high ceiling. It’s a classic old house with a classic old porch.
The first thing that I needed to do, before I could even think about a fresh coat of paint, was to wash everything off. So, out came the pressure washer. And while I was pressure washing for five hours, I had plenty of time to think. And, it occurred to me that I was enjoying my time. I was enjoying an unseasonably nice day, listening to the somehow-calming drone of the pressure washer, and thinking about HHC and the success that I’ve achieved. I was also thinking about how nice it is to not let my job consume my life. Don’t get me wrong, I’m passionate about what I do, but everyone needs some down time. Everyone needs to work to live, not live to work. Everyone needs balance. I was thinking too about how a few of my past colleagues were probably sitting in a restaurant or café somewhere working on a laptop. Or, maybe they were sitting in an airport waiting for their next flight. Or, maybe they were in the air struggling with limited legroom, reading a SkyMall catalog, and snacking on a tiny bag of some sort of in-flight treat. Regardless of exactly what they were doing, I felt a bit sorry for them. I’ve been there. I’ve missed ball games, school concerts, holidays, family reunions, church and all sorts of other events. I’ve taken opportunities that required me to be away from home for long stretches of time. And even though it’s not realistic to not miss anything, there were definitely a lot of events that I shouldn’t have missed. I should have realized sooner that life requires balance, and that I can be great at what I do, and be a success without selling my soul to my career or feeling guilty about taking time off. In fact, I should have realized that downtime actually helps me be more motivated and effective when I am working. And that’s how I got here. That’s how HHC came to be. I decided that I didn’t want to transfer to another state again, or rack up half a million frequent flyer miles, or miss another ball game. That’s how I got balance. And I hope that as I continue to build HHC, I can have a long, balance-filled life helping others achieve balance too. Next weekend...PAINT.
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3/13/2012 0 Comments How Do You React to Bad News?We all experience failure in our lives. There are loves that are lost, contracts that aren’t awarded, products that don’t sell, goals we don’t reach, and businesses that fail. Ultimately though, it’s how we handle these failures that define us.
For example, American auto manufacturers have had a tough go of it over the past several years. GM and Chrysler’s businesses failed and required government bailouts. Ford didn’t require a bailout, but still had huge problems of its own. Journalist Bryce Hoffman, in his new book, American Icon: Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company, talks about how Ford avoided bailouts, dealt with its failures, and was placed on a positive course for the future. So what is one of the secrets to Mulally’s leadership as CEO of Ford? Simply put, it was maintaining a positive attitude. Mulally, though facing possible failure, is described as always being upbeat, and being the first one to get over bad news. He maintained a positive attitude every day, and kept smiling, even though there wasn’t a lot to smile about. His positive attitude set the standard for others, and he was able to encourage everyone to work together, rather than succumb to failure. Mulally was, and still is, a leader that the employees of Ford believe in, and his attitude promotes success. So, what kind of leader are you? Do you keep a positive attitude each day when presented with bad news or possible failure? Is your attitude one that you can be proud of? Does your behavior motivate your employees to succeed? When faced with bad news or possible failure, remember that if you aren’t part of the solution, you are very possibly part of the problem. |
AuthorDonald Vita is an 25+ year veteran of the hospitality business with management and troubleshooting experience in hotels, restaurants, and catering in multiple states and venues. Archives
August 2013
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